FRISCO, Texas — Anyone paying attention to how the Dallas Cowboys’ roster is constructed knows it’s one flooded with talented young players, and Juanyeh Thomas has made sure to not only stand out amongst them, but to also show that, when given the chance, he can be more than just a capable defensive player in this league.
As his 2023 film readily confesses, Thomas is a starter in the making.
Having spent the entirety of his rookie season in 2022 on the team’s practice squad with the goal of developing for whenever, if ever his number was called, his hard work and humility paid off in spades when head coach Mike McCarthy and then defensive coordinator Dan Quinn looked to him in stretches as a Year 2 talent — on one of the best defenses in the league.
As he heads into Year 3, the expectations are much different than they were for him 12 months ago, however, but that’s precisely what he’s been working toward over the last two seasons:
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More and higher expectations.
“I have a chance to really expand my role and touch up on things that I really didn’t get right last year,” said the former undrafted free agent in an exclusive interview with team reporter Nicole Hutchison. “So having an opportunity in my third year, it’s really a chance to up my role and show what I can do in Year 3, for real.”
McCarthy sees the trajectory of Thomas, and all that fuels it.
“I thought he made a big jump last year,” he said of the 23-year-old who climbed from the ranks of the practice squad not so long ago to potentially being a full-time starter in 2024. “He’s been dynamic on special teams and what you want, particularly this time of year, is to see young players in a different light. And Juanyeh just has so much personality. He’s such a bright light.
“When he was given an opportunity at safety, he stepped up. Juanyeh is clearly a great example of a young player that’s excelled with the opportunities he’s been given. It’ll be awesome to see him take another step.”
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Thomas logged only one start last season but played in 16 games, contributing on with his physical style of coverage and heavily on special teams as well — racking up 190 snaps on defense and 315 snaps (75%) for John “Bones” Fassel.
Being tutored by defensive backs coach (and now also assistant head coach) Al Harris has effectively shortened his learning curve at the NFL level and, for his part, Harris beamed when giving an assessment of Thomas’ progression to this point.
“Yeh, man, he’s an extremely, extremely explosive athlete,” said Harris. “I think he’s gonna do a really, really good job moving forward. HIgh hopes for [him].”
It goes without saying that a much more confident Thomas also carries those very same high hopes for himself as he prepares for this third Cowboys’ training camp in a few weeks, understanding nothing will be given in a safeties room that also features the return of his good friend Markquese Bell to the position.
Bell, who was moved to linebacker full-time last season due to injuries at that position, carries a lot of versatility in his toolbag but, now more than ever, so does Thomas.
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“I showed last year that I could play every spot,” he said. “I played corner, I played nickel, I played safety, I played [line]backer. Just really showing the coaches and showing everybody my versatility to be able to play down, back and guard everybody.”
For the first time in his young career, Thomas is getting a taste of what a regime change looks like in the NFL, with Quinn taking the mantle for the Washington Commanders and former Cowboys’ defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer returning to try and make the defense worthy of a Super Bowl.
But what exactly does that mean for Thomas, Bell and other veterans like Malik Hooker, Donovan Wilson, Sheldrick Redwine and Israel Mukuamu, or rookies like Julius Wood and Emany Johnson?
“I’m just curious to see, going into camp, where I’ll be [placed] and how it’ll play out with the new scheme,” said Thomas. “It’s gonna be a lot of opportunities for a lot of people, and I wanna be one of those guys, so I’m just curious to see.”
One thing is for certain, and it’s that the former Yellow Jacket isn’t afraid to make his presence felt on the field in-between smiles.
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After all, that’s why he’s drawing so much … buzz.
DALLAS (AP) — Dallas star guard Luka Doncic returned to the lineup on Tuesday night in an NBA Cup game against the New Orleans Pelicans after missing the Mavericks’ previous game because of a right knee contusion.
The Mavericks go in on a two-game winning streak following a four-game losing streak. Their most recent win came at Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City on Sunday night, 121-119, the first game that Doncic has missed this season.
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In his previous outing last Saturday, Doncic played a season-low 28 minutes in a 110-93 home win over San Antonio and scored 16 points — one more than his season low. He sat out the final eight minutes with the Mavericks comfortably ahead.
Doncic won last season’s NBA scoring title, averaging 33.9 points per game, to go with 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists. He’s averaging 28.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.8 assists this season.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, when asked before Tuesday’s game about Doncic’s lower averages, said, “He has shown that he’s human. (Averages of) 28, eight and eight – you sign up for that all day long.”
Every other year, the Aurora Biennial transforms Dallas into a dazzling display of lights, video and music. This year was special because it was the first time the event took play in-person since 2018. The free public event turned the Dallas Public Library, Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas City Hall and other buildings into art installations with the theme “FuturePresentPast.”
Arts Access is an arts journalism collaboration powered by The Dallas Morning News and KERA.
This community-funded journalism initiative is funded by the Better Together Fund, Carol & Don Glendenning, City of Dallas OAC, Communities Foundation of Texas, The University of Texas at Dallas, The Dallas Foundation, Eugene McDermott Foundation, James & Gayle Halperin Foundation, Jennifer & Peter Altabef and The Meadows Foundation. The News and KERA retain full editorial control of Arts Access’ journalism.
Joe Mixon ran for three touchdowns to extend his TD streak to six games since coming back from injury, Derek Barnett returned a fumble 28 yards for a score, and the Texans beat the Cowboys 34-10 on Monday night.
The Texans (7-4) stopped just the second two-game losing streak of CJ Stroud’s young career while maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC South.
Houston pulled away in the second-half a week after a 26-23 last-play loss to Detroit at home, when the Texans let a 23-7 half-time lead get away from them.
“It’s not as bad as it ever seems, and it’s never as good as it ever seems,” Stroud said. “Those type of games, you have to come out with a win, especially going up like that at the half [against the Lions]. But what are we going to do about it?”
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Amid a woeful season for the Cowboys (3-7) on the field, debris fell from their stadium’s retractable roof as it was opening a few hours before the game. There was no delay and no injuries were reported, just another mishap to foreshadow a fifth consecutive defeat for a team that lost five games total in each of the past three seasons.
Cooper Rush threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to KaVontae Turpin but lost his second start since Dak Prescott’s season-ending hamstring injury.
The Dallas losing streak is their longest since a seven-game skid in 2015, and the Cowboys dropped to 0-5 at home. Dallas are the first team in NFL history to trail by at least 20 points in six consecutive home games, including last season’s wildcard playoff loss to Green Bay, according to Sportradar. The Cowboys had reached the playoffs in each of their previous three seasons, but that run is all but over.
“Well, they better be frustrated,” Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy said. “I mean, we’re all frustrated. I think there’d be something wrong if they weren’t frustrated. So just very honest with everything and stay in tune with what’s right in front of us. And that’s the only way I’ve ever done it.”
The Cowboys were down 20-10 early in the fourth quarter when Barnett knocked the ball out of Rush’s hand. Dallas rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton caught it and was trying to run when Jalen Pitre knocked the ball loose again. Barnett scooped up the ball and scored, although he almost stepped out of bounds.
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“The play he made really changed for game for us,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “It flipped the momentum. It got everybody juiced up on the sideline. It was just a huge play.”
Earlier, the Cowboys appeared to have pulled within a touchdown on a 64-yard field goal from Brandon Aubrey, but Barnett was penalized for slapping Terence Steele on the rush. Dallas erased the points by taking the penalty, but Rush’s fourth-down pass from the Houston eight-yard line was incomplete on the only good scoring chance of the second half for the the Cowboys.
“The defense played with elite energy,” Ryans said. “One big play that we gave up. Like to have that one back, but overall I think our guys played really well.”
Texans receiver Nico Collins returned after missing five games with a hamstring injury and took a screen pass 77 yards to the end zone on the first play of the game, only to have it called back because of an ineligible receiver downfield.
That possession ended with a touchdown anyway on Mixon’s 45-yard sprint up the middle, and he ran wide for a one-yard score and a 14-0 lead. Mixon had 109 yards rushing on the day and set up a field goal with a 37-yard catch-and-run on a screen.
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“I really love that first play because it showed what we could do in this game,” Ryans said. “Even though it got called back, I just told all our guys, ‘We can go score on these guys again. Just get it in your mind we’re going to score again.’”
Already without Prescott, the Cowboys lost tight end Jake Ferguson to a concussion and perennial All-Pro right guard Zack Martin and left guard Tyler Smith to ankle injuries. Rush was sacked five times, three on the same possession when Martin and Smith were injured.
Stroud, who has been in a mini-slump, threw for 257 yards while avoiding any mistakes after an early interception on fourth down. It was the third time in five games he has gone without a touchdown pass, and he has two TDs and three picks in that stretch.
Rush was 32 of 55 for 354 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Turpin had three catches for 86 yards.
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