Sometimes it is a good thing to catch the attention of the coaching staff and sometimes it's bad. For Nate Thomas, it's the former. He recently received some high praise from his head coach, Brian Schottenheimer.
Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer gave us a name yesterday that might be off the radar, but he said to keep an eye out for: "A guy to watch out for is Nate Thomas. He's doing great. He's a guy we didn't get to see a lot of football out of last year. He's been great." After being… pic.twitter.com/2BmSBJbknl
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) July 23, 2025AD
Thomas has suddenly gone from an afterthought and longshot to make the Dallas Cowboys final 53-man roster to an under-the-radar player with upside who has caught the eye of his head coach. It's still early on in training camp, but this is definitely a good sign for the second-year offensive lineman.
After sitting out nearly all of the 2024 season with knee tendinitis, Thomas was pretty much unknown entering training camp this year. So to receive some positive attention from his head coach after just a few practices in Oxnard shouldn't be dismissed. We’ll be paying closer attention from now on.
While it certainly a good thing Schottenheimer mentioned Thomas' name unprompted as someone to keep an eye on, that doesn't necessarily mean he's guaranteed a roster spot with the Cowboys this year. In fact, he's still very much so in a tough position battle and will need a strong training camp/preseason to earn a spot.
The Cowboys have done a good job improving the overall depth of their offensive line this offseason, and because of that, have a bit of a logjam at the position, especially along the interior. Where Thomas might fit in the mix with proven veterans and other young, promising talent is anyone's guess right now. But Schottenheimer mentioned tackle specifically.
“He worked his ass off getting back. He had a great spring, worked incredibly hard and was here all the time. We’re moving him around, he’s playing multiple spots. He looks really good right now at tackle. He’s a big guy that’s hard to get around. I love that flexibility that he brings.”
The fact he's moving around and playing multiple positions may help his case at sticking around. As we all know, the Cowboys love players with position flexibility. The thing that might work in Thomas' case the most though is the fact Schottenheimer said he looks "really good right now at tackle".
The tackle position as it stands right now for the Cowboys is one in which has more questions than answers. Neither Tyler Guyton or Terence Steele played well last year, and yet, both are still projected to start this season. And, the depth behind them isn't all that inspiring either. That could open the door for Nate Thomas.
It's still way too early in the process to know what Nate Thomas' fate is with the Cowboys right now. He could very well continue to stand out in training camp and ultimately earn a roster spot. Or, this could just be Brian Schottenheimer singling out a player whose work ethic and play has simply caught his attention. Only time will tell.
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