The 2024 season is drawing up, and before we know it, we’ll be witnessing some fresh players make new plays for the Dallas Cowboys. Your clock can be adjusted to it. Who are these new authors going to be? As the writing gradually appears on the wall, some of the results are more obvious, while others are shocking. Even though it’s difficult to know for sure, we’ll keep attempting to find it out.
Various factors contribute to the emergence of these new opportunities. As important players depart, new players fight for their previous positions. A shift in coaching philosophy might influence the kind of players they choose for specific positions. Every now and then, a young player makes a breakthrough in their growth and emerges as a significant player. We examined two offensive players yesterday who could play a bigger part this season. Two defensive players and two fresh elements that might lead to increased playing time for them in 2024 are highlighted today.
THE “NEW SCHEME” GUY
Teams occasionally experience changes, which results in fresh faces in new locations. Dan Quinn had been putting the right people in the right places with his custom-designed defense for the past three years. For some Cowboys defenders, this resulted in successful career years. Mike Zimmer now holds the keys to the defense. Who among the players stands to gain the most from a philosophical shift?
Last year: Markquese Bell
Dan Quinn’s defense has always relied heavily on speed, and at linebacker last season, he went all out. Following the failure of speedsters Jabril Cox and Devin Harper, the organization chose to use a little deception by converting former UDFA safety Markquese Bell into a smaller linebacker. Bell’s defensive snap total increased from 22 in his rookie season to 649 in the previous one. With 94 tackles, he was second on the team behind only Damone Clark. Going small wasn’t always the right move. The Cowboys linebackers occasionally suffered greatly at the hands of larger offensive blocks, while other times things went rather nicely. Bell was a great acquisition, so overall, it was a good year for him.
This year: Juanyeh Thomas
In a sense, Thomas’ breakthrough year was the previous one. After sticking out on the practice squad during his debut season in 2022, he played 190 defensive snaps. In addition to playing a little part on defense, he was a vital member of the special teams unit, stopping a field goal attempt during the first drive of the previous season. It’s evident how valuable Thomas is to the team already.
In 2024, things might get much better for him. The Cowboys defense should have two safeties with strong coverage abilities with Zimmer in the mix. It will be interesting to see who Malik Hooker plays with, but Thomas may have an advantage because of his coverage skills. When we compared their top picks for this position a few weeks ago, the BTB community gave Donovan Wilson the advantage, but Thomas wasn’t far behind.
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