The Dallas Cowboys are in the process of shaping their roster for the 2026 season, and the offensive line is the focus of moves once again. After acquiring former first-round pick Broderick Jones from Pittsburgh to become competition at right tackle, the club is moving on from a lineman who had a disappointing preseason.
The team entered training camp claiming they were open to Nate Thomas becoming the starter at left tackle, as he would be competing with former first-round pick Tyler Guyton. Thomas was a seventh-round pick the same year Guyton was selected, starting four games for the club last year. But now, Thomas is on his way to the Houston Texans via a trade, after failing to make waves during camp and preseason.
Source: The #Texans are
trading for #Cowboys OT Nathan Thomas, adding some depth on their offensive line. He stays in-state. pic.twitter.com/8ggyouQlwt
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 30, 2026
Thomas, 6-foot-5, 330 pounds, was the No. 233 overall pick out of Louisiana. Guyton has shown marked improvement this training camp, winning the starting job in early August, according to head coach Brian Schottenheimer. From that point forward, the team also tried Thomas out at right tackle as he competed with 2026 fourth-round pick Drew Stanton to be the team's swing tackle. With the addition of Jones, who is expected to compete with right tackle Terence Steele, the Cowboys appear to have their four tackles for the season.
The Cowboys are getting a 2027 seventh-round pick in return for Thomas.
In essence, the Cowboys swapped young veterans, sending out a former seventh rounder with four starts and brought in a 40-game starter who was a former first-round pick. The cost was moving down from the third round to the fourth and the sixth round to the seventh.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboy trade former 7th-round pick to Texans after he failed to win job
