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Juanyeh ‘extremely explosive’, high bar set for 2024

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Juanyeh ‘extremely explosive’, high bar set for 2024


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.



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Friends are rallying for Ruby Gonzalez’s family after the crash

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Friends are rallying for Ruby Gonzalez’s family after the crash


A young mother is dead and her husband remains hospitalized after Dallas police said the couple was hit and killed by a wrong-way driver along US-75 early Monday.

“She’s been that person connecting everybody. She can get this whole group together,” said Samantha Cosio.

Amanda Martinez, Evelyn Duarte and Samantha Cosio said 30-year-old Ruby Gonzalez was the glue of their friend group.

“Ruby had this energy where we just all gravitated towards her,” said Cosio.

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They say it’s hard to comprehend that someone who loved life is suddenly gone.

“It’s just a nightmare,” said Evelyn Duarte.

Dallas police said Gonzalez and her husband were driving in the southbound lanes of North Central Expressway near Royal Lane, when they were hit head on by a wrong-way driver just after one a.m. Monday.

The wrong-way driver and Gonzalez were killed.

Friends say her husband, Kevin, remains in critical condition in the ICU.

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Her parents have taken over caring for their three children.

“She was always with her children. She lived for them, and now I’m so, so worried about them. I’m praying so hard that Kevin will make it and he’ll be ok, but they’ll never have what they had with Ruby being gone,” said Amanda Martinez.

The couple’s youngest is just two months old.

“He’ll never get to know how beautiful and how much of a light that she was,” she said.

Friends have started an online fundraiser for the family. They say Gonzalez gave them each other.

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Now they’re stepping in to fill the gaping hole she leaves behind, while trying to live life a little more like Ruby.

“She taught me how to live and you know, take the trip, wear the dress, put the heels on, you know, enjoy your life while you can, take the pictures now,” said Martinez.

Police say the wrong-way driver died at the scene. The medical examiner identified him as 23-year-old Christopher Ourfalian.



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Ranking the top 10 players on the Cowboys’ 2026 roster: #8 Tyler Booker

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Ranking the top 10 players on the Cowboys’ 2026 roster: #8 Tyler Booker


Just a little over a week stands between the Dallas Cowboys and the start of 2026 OTAs. While the offseason has not fully come to an end, Dallas and the other 31 NFL franchises have made almost all of the significant moves they will make before the start of training camp.

Dallas’ roster looks significantly different from what it did at this time last year, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. With that thought in mind, today we continue our series ranking the top 10 players on the Cowboys roster for the 2026 season.

2025 Recap: It’s no secret the Cowboys love drafting talented offensive linemen in the first round. Dallas stayed true to this pattern in 2025, using another premium selection to once again upgrade the unit.

As we all know, the Cowboys decided on Tyler Booker out of Alabama. The selection came with a bit of a mixed reaction. Some believed Dallas was investing too much premium capital in the offensive line with other positions of need, but others were thrilled about Booker’s NFL projection and what he could add to the Cowboys’ offense.

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Flash forward a year, and those who were excited about the Booker pick are looking very right. The Alabama product had a fantastic rookie year, starting 14 games and looking like the next potential star at right guard. Booker finished the year with the seventh-highest (76.8) run blocking grade in the league, and his 72.0 overall offensive grade was just a little over one point behind Pro-Bowler Tyler Smith (73.5).

Booker was a force to be reckoned with in the run game and made a clear impact on Dallas’ ability to run the ball to the right side. While pass protection was not as strong as his work in the run game, Booker was nothing close to a liability. The rookie allowed only three sacks and went five of the final six games of the regular season without being called for a penalty.

2026 Preview: After such a great start to his NFL career, expectations are sky high for Booker in year two. With Tyler Smith already locked up long-term, the Cowboys could be looking at having the best guard duo in the league in the coming years.

It’s hard to believe, but Booker is still only just 22-years-old. As he matures both physically and mentally, he is likely only going to sharpen his craft and become an even better player than he was during his rookie year.

The Cowboys have plenty of talent on their roster, but Booker is more than deserving of the eighth spot in these rankings. It’s not easy for rookie offensive linemen to come in and seamlessly transition to playing at the next level, but that is exactly what Booker did. He made the Cowboys look very smart for selecting him 12th overall, and if he can stay healthy, he should have no problem making his first Pro Bowl and potentially All-Pro team this upcoming season.

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Prediction: Tyler Booker builds upon his impressive rookie year, starting all 17 regular-season games and making his first Pro Bowl.



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Dallas felon arrested after allegedly shooting 14-year-old inside vacant Pleasant Grove home

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Dallas felon arrested after allegedly shooting 14-year-old inside vacant Pleasant Grove home


A 14-year-old who lives in Pleasant Grove is at a children’s hospital recovering after he was struck by a shotgun round.

The injured teen was shot about a quarter mile away from his home. Police say the teenager ran while bleeding in his home, where his family called 911 frantic to get him to a hospital.

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Felon arrested after teen shot in Pleasant Grove

What we know:

66-year-ikd Victor Burnett is facing multiple aggravated assault charges and also unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. 

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It’s the latest in a lengthy arrest history for Burnett in Dallas County.

Burnett is accused of shooting two teens who were inside a vacant home in Pleasant Grove on Tuesday evening around 7pm.

Police say a 14-year-old boy was struck and ran back home on Godfrey Avenue. His 15-year-old friend took off in a different direction across the family’s front porch, and was caught on RING video.

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Witness photo and flock cameras lead to suspect

Dig deeper:

A second call to police came in from a witness, stating they saw Burnett with a shotgun getting into a green Dodge pick-up truck parked in the grass field.

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This witness is key in the investigation, taking a picture of Burnett’s license plate before he took off.

Flagged by a flock camera just a few miles away, Burnett was then taken into custody of Jim Miller Road.

Suspect claims teens were trespassing

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What they’re saying:

According to Burnett’s arrest warrant affidavit, he told police, “juveniles were constantly breaking into vacant/unoccupied new-built homes.”

The 15-year-old, who was not shot, admitted to police they were inside the vacant house and said, “Burnett entered the home, and then they heard a gunshot.”

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Thats when “they together jumped out of one of the windows of the bedrooms and ran together and that is when his friend was shot.”

Relationship with Victor Burnett

What’s next:

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FOX 4 checked out the vacant home on Thursday and multiple windows were damaged, one clearly with a bullet marker from police. 

Also, outside the new build, cameras and a sign that says ‘No Trespassing’, in the middle of construction, are being built by Robbie Hale Homes. The builder told FOX 4 over the phone on Thursday, that Burnett isn’t employed at the company, but confirmed he has been contracted out to mow lawns or provide security.

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The suspect, Victor Burnet, was brought back to police headquarters. A quick search by police, and they learned he’d been convicted of sexual assault and therefore is not permitted by law to own a firearm. 

Police say they found a shotgun and a stolen pistol in his truck.

The Source: Information in this article was provided by FOX 4’s Peyton Yager.

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Crime and Public SafetyPleasant Grove



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