Dallas Cowboys: “We like our guys” misses the entire point

“We like our guys.” If you’re a Dallas Cowboys fan, you’ve no doubt heard this phrase ad nauseum over the years. Used to explain why they DIDN’T upgrade the roster in free agency, we like our guys has been the go-to line for the Cowboys top personnel decision maker, Stephen Jones.

To an extent, he has a point. Most players become free agents for a reason. The players with the most name recognition are usually past their prime and living more on reputation than actual production. The further from the start of free agency, the more this rings true. So developing your own young talents is a good way to go.

But to explain why you didn’t sign a player or two in free agency by proclaiming your love for your own guys, is a false choice. You can like your guys and still want to sign lesser players in free agency. These are not mutually exclusive options.

Veteran players insulate star players and help the Dallas Cowboys get the most from their team.

Take last season for example: The Dallas Cowboys struck gold with third round pick Osa Odighizuwa. He started the season as one of the best interior players in the NFL. But after injuries befell the Cowboys interior, their inexperience and depth got exposed, leading to an unhealthy workload for the rookie and a steep decline in production.

If the Cowboys had a reliable veteran or two on the roster, they could have kept “Diggy” fresh and productive. I bet they would have liked their guy a lot more if he was still putting up impact plays on the regular basis. Instead they ran him into the ground and got next to nothing.

A similar situation could be unfolding at linebacker. Micah Parsons is at his best when he’s rushing the passer. Whether that’s from the EDGE, the inside, or off-ball, it doesn’t matter. He’s arguably the best pass rusher in the entire NFL, so as long as he’s rushing on a regular basis, he’s set up to succeed. What happens if Leighton Vander Esch gets hurt?

A key injury or two would force Parsons to handle more traditional off-ball duties. It takes him away from what he should be doing to maximize his talents, and locks him into a necessary, yet low-impact, role.

Signing a veteran LB would help prevent that from happening. It doesn’t mean the Cowboys don’t like LVE or Jabril Cox, it just acts as a support structure for the Dallas Cowboys real super star performer, Micah Parsons.

If the Dallas Cowboys really liked their guys, they’d add veteran free agents to help support them.

It stands to reason, if the Dallas Cowboys really liked their guys, they’d add veteran free agents to help support them. The Cowboys are dangerously thin at WR, OT, and LB. An injury to any of those groups could spell disaster and could have a major negative impact on some key star players.

“We like our guys.”

Great. Now act like it and get them support.

Do you expect any notable signings in coming weeks?