4 Cowboys who could get another shot under Mike Zimmer in 2024
By Jerry Trotta
1. S Juanyeh Thomas
Cowboys fans were baffled by Juanyeh Thomas' usage last season.
The sample size was small, but Thomas was the second-best safety on the roster not named Malik Hooker. Thomas' 81.1 player grade was the fourth-highest on the defense and his 85.9 coverage grade was second-best only to DaRon Bland, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
The young DB only allowed a 57.1% completion rate when targeted and had three pass breakups to go with an impressive seven defensive stops against the run. Despite that production, Thomas placed 20th on the defense with 192 total snaps.
Hooker, Jayron Kearse and Donovan Wilson all quadrupled Thomas' snap total. Kearse's 860 snaps look criminal consider the level he played at all season, but Dan Quinn loves sticking with his guys. Zimmer will bring accountability and (seemingly) play guys based on merit, not experience or salary.
That's fantastic news for Thomas, who may finally breakout in 2024.