With Dallas Cowboys training camp finally opening up this weekend, we are now officially out of the offseason and into the 2017 NFL year.
While offseason roster moves are complete, that certainly doesn’t mean competition won’t drive some difficult decisions during this year’s Cowboys Camp. One of those players trying to make it hard on the coaches to get rid of him is former Temple running back Jahad Thomas.
Thomas is an interesting candidate to make the final 53-man roster. The undrafted free agent back is projected to contribute to a team in a lot of different ways. He should be able to be used as a return man on special teams, a role his fellow rookie Ryan Switzer is also projected to fill.
Thomas also showed the ability to catch passes out of the backfield at Temple, and could prove to be a valuable third and passing down back for an NFL team.
The question that remains, however, is will that team be the Dallas Cowboys?
Though they seem pretty set at running back with two veterans and a star former fourth overall pick, there is growing uncertainty around running back Alfred Morris’ security with the team. We originally thought Morris was brought in to compete for the starting job in 2016, but once the Cowboys drafted Ezekiel Elliott, Morris’ role with the team became very limited.
With Darren McFadden getting the nod over Morris in last year’s divisional playoff game, it seems clear how the coaches view the running back hierarchy as of now.
If Morris, or McFadden for that matter, are unable to secure a clear roster spot during the preseason, maybe Jahad Thomas will be able to sneak in and win the “Lance Dunbar role” for the offense. While many expect Switzer to perform many of those same duties, it can’t hurt to have two Swiss-Army Knife players on your offense.
On top of all of this, there is still uncertainty about Elliott’s availability during the beginning of this season. It’s possible the Cowboys will look to keep another running back around just in case the NFL drops a bomb on them prior to week one.
No matter how this all ends up, make sure to keep an eye on Jahad Thomas during this preseason and training camp.
