Why the “We like our Guys” mantra is killing this team

[Bobhaze]

For me it is more about moving on from players that cannot stay on the field or no longer play like they once did.

Players like Sean Lee, Jason Witten, Jaylon Smith, etc. were kept much longer than they should have been.

The Cowboys need to start realizing that player loyalty does not win Super Bowls, good and reliable players do.

100% true. Loyalty is a great quality in friendship- but not in professional sports.

 

[mahoneybill]

Ive always seen it as complacency and to an extent lazyness from Stephen. He is almost the anti jerry, he doesn’t like to spend in free agency and if there is a player out there that would surely help us in an area of need he’ll go sign a bargain basement guy instead. I feel like he is cheap. Broaddus tweeted the other day he’s ultra conservative so maybe it’s that. I feel like Stephen thinks to win in this league its all about getting hot at the right time. While I’ll agree that works for some I honestly don’t think it’ll ever work for the cowboys. I think the cowboys would have a better shot getting to the dance the way the rams did versus the way the bengals did.

Also something about Stephen rubs me the wrong way, I feel like he is more concerned with making money than spending it on the team. He just never seems like heartbroken after a season loss like jerry is. In fact he usually just goes out on the radio and delivers his famous one liners. Im not a big stephen jones fan and Im not looking forward to when he takes over after Jerry.

jerry at least played the game at a collegiate level. Don’t know if Stephen did.

 

[Jake]

How many times have we heard the lazy voice of Stephen Jones answer a softball question on his “radio show” regarding roster changes with the tired phrase, “We like our guys”…?

Why is this such a bad statement from an NFL team’s front office? Because teams winning SBs are usually kings of the “roster churn”- the constant evaluation of its talent to cut free from those that don’t absolutely make your team better and avoid fond connections with players because you like them.

In short, good NFL front office people don’t over-value their own players or they lose their jobs! They have a few years to win playoff games or find a new address. Nothing motivates talent evaluation like job security.

Well, here’s some clear evidence that this Jones front office over-values its own players:

• The NFL average retention of their own drafted players is 23.
• The last 53 man roster of the 2021 Cowboys contained 30 players that had been originally drafted by the Cowboys, including several on their second contracts. That’s a lot more than most teams. And it could have been higher if we hadn’t released Jaylon Smith and his bloated contract this last fall.
• For some comparisons, last year’s SB champs the Buccaneers only had 19 of its 53 man roster retained from its drafts.
• It’s good to have successful draft picks. But you should NOT re-sign marginal players to second contracts that are just ok.

That means that the avg NFL team does not retain as many of its drafted players as the Cowboys do. The Cowboys sign more of their drafted players to second contracts than almost all other NFL teams.

“We like our guys” is a sadly honest statement from the Jones Boys. If your name is Jones and you work in the Cowboys front office, there are no consequences for “liking the wrong guys”.

In Big D- “We like our guys”- Therefore the roster churn is very, very slow. As are the playoff wins.

There's no "fear of failure" in the Cowboys front office. Would they like to win? Of course. But they suffer no consequences from losing. The money still rolls in, they still have their fancy offices, "their guys" still love them, and they just try again next year.

There's no urgency. Nothing forcing "uncomfortable" decisions on personnel. They can keep "their guys" for as long as they like, hoping they get lucky someday. That we know this about them, and keep following their team, makes me question our sanity.

 

[GMO415]

The great Tom Landry used to say that he had to avoid getting close to his players because he didn’t want his emotions to get in the way if he had to cut a player in the best interest of the team. Of course that was back in the good old days when a head coach could make those decisions.

Bullet, did that end with Jimmy? Because Tuna didn't want TO and Jerry insisted otherwise.

 

[Bobhaze]

Bullet, did that end with Jimmy? Because Tuna didn't want TO and Jerry insisted otherwise.

Excellent point. TO, Pac-Man Jones, Greg Hardy, “Purple Drank” Rolando McClain…several examples of guys Jerry wanted that the coaches either didn’t want- or shouldn’t have wanted.

 

[Bobhaze]

There's no "fear of failure" in the Cowboys front office. Would they like to win? Of course. But they suffer no consequences from losing. The money still rolls in, they still have their fancy offices, "their guys" still love them, and they just try again next year.

There's no urgency. Nothing forcing "uncomfortable" decisions on personnel. They can keep "their guys" for as long as they like, hoping they get lucky someday. That we know this about them, and keep following their team, makes me question our sanity.

Wouldn’t it be great if Jerry or Stephen just publicly stated- just once- “Yeah our model is basically built on Lady Luck and the ‘Even a Blind Squirrel Occasionally Funds a Nut’ theory or the ‘Even a Broken clock is Right Twice a Day’ theory”. At least that would be honest.

 

[Miguelitomama]

It sure is and not just with players.

Keeping coaches that don't perform is just as bad if not worse.
If McCarthy had that team properly prepared and could manage the clock we would have been on to Green Bay.

Just get rid of all the bonehead penalties and we would have advanced to the next round. The 49ers were trying their best to give us that game. But McCarthy did not have them prepared

Agreed. To me, it spoke volumes when McCarthy said there was "angst" in the locker room before the SF game. That should never be the case.

 

[rnr_honeybadger]

Jerry should be saying "we don't like our guys" or at least, be more honest about faults and problems.

Or at the very least say that we are going to constantly churn the roster to improve at every position regardless of who that person is.

 

[foofighters]

How many times have we heard the lazy voice of Stephen Jones answer a softball question on his “radio show” regarding roster changes with the tired phrase, “We like our guys”…?

Why is this such a bad statement from an NFL team’s front office? Because teams winning SBs are usually kings of the “roster churn”- the constant evaluation of its talent to cut free from those that don’t absolutely make your team better and avoid fond connections with players because you like them.

In short, good NFL front office people don’t over-value their own players or they lose their jobs! They have a few years to win playoff games or find a new address. Nothing motivates talent evaluation like job security.

Well, here’s some clear evidence that this Jones front office over-values its own players:

• The NFL average retention of their own drafted players is 23.
• The last 53 man roster of the 2021 Cowboys contained 30 players that had been originally drafted by the Cowboys, including several on their second contracts. That’s a lot more than most teams. And it could have been higher if we hadn’t released Jaylon Smith and his bloated contract this last fall.
• For some comparisons, last year’s SB champs the Buccaneers only had 19 of its 53 man roster retained from its drafts.
• It’s good to have successful draft picks. But you should NOT re-sign marginal players to second contracts that are just ok.

That means that the avg NFL team does not retain as many of its drafted players as the Cowboys do. The Cowboys sign more of their drafted players to second contracts than almost all other NFL teams.

“We like our guys” is a sadly honest statement from the Jones Boys. If your name is Jones and you work in the Cowboys front office, there are no consequences for “liking the wrong guys”.

In Big D- “We like our guys”- Therefore the roster churn is very, very slow. As are the playoff wins.

This is the exact reason why I think not much will change when Jerry leaves this earth. I am pretty certain that I will never see the Cowboys in another Super Bowl during the rest of my life time.

 

[Blast From The Past]

The great Tom Landry used to say that he had to avoid getting close to his players because he didn’t want his emotions to get in the way if he had to cut a player in the best interest of the team. Of course that was back in the good old days when a head coach could make those decisions.

Tom was masterful at hiding his emotions but as a bomber pilot in WW2 it probably preconditioned him to do so. Cut them a year to early instead of a year to late.

 

[OmerV]

I think the words "we like out guys" is largely overplayed and overblown. We've seen the team go after free agents at a position, then when they didn't make a deal and the media asked about it they responded with "we like our guys", essentially just PR nonsense to cover for not being able to improve the position. The attempt to get Sammy Watkins a few years back was an example, as was when they tried to make a deal for Jamaal Adams.

There are lots of messages conveyed to the media that are stock BS. Fans just need to realize the point of talking to the media isn't for teams to reveal all the inner workings and strategies and thought processes of the team, it's to keep fans interested.

That said, there obviously is evidence the Cowboys retain more of its players than most teams. And I don't completely discount the idea they get too attached to some players.

But I also think a lot of it has to do with the team's aversion to participate in free agency in a significant way. Somewhere along the way Jerry quit being a big player in free agency and the team became ultra focused on only building through the draft. I believe that was a good shift to a point, because a team has to have quality rookies on lower paying contracts to offset the larger contracts, but I think they have gone a bit overboard. There has to be a balance, and for the Cowboys that balance is out of whack.

 

[john van brocklin]

That’s kind of you to say but I would be terrible. The difference between me and Jerry is I know I’m not qualified.

As they say :
A man's gotta know his limitations.

 

[shabazz]

No, Dak is a bus driver period. That's not a derogatory term, it's what he's good at

I agree that there’s nothing wrong with a solid bus driver Qb….the problem is paying him top 3 money. Add Zeke underperforming, Cooper and Lawrence going AWOL in playoff games and that’s a recipe for being one and done against a 6th seeded wildcard team

 

[Aven8]

We will see if that mantra holds this offseason. If they let go of players that can still play like Coop and Dlaw. If they than resign an injured player like Gallup that won’t be cheap, and Schultz. Ced Wilson won’t be cheap either. Greg’s too.

Losing all of those guys however will be an epic fail.

 

[JoeKing]

How many times have we heard the lazy voice of Stephen Jones answer a softball question on his “radio show” regarding roster changes with the tired phrase, “We like our guys”…?

Why is this such a bad statement from an NFL team’s front office? Because teams winning SBs are usually kings of the “roster churn”- the constant evaluation of its talent to cut free from those that don’t absolutely make your team better and avoid fond connections with players because you like them.

In short, good NFL front office people don’t over-value their own players or they lose their jobs! They have a few years to win playoff games or find a new address. Nothing motivates talent evaluation like job security.

Well, here’s some clear evidence that this Jones front office over-values its own players:

• The NFL average retention of their own drafted players is 23.
• The last 53 man roster of the 2021 Cowboys contained 30 players that had been originally drafted by the Cowboys, including several on their second contracts. That’s a lot more than most teams. And it could have been higher if we hadn’t released Jaylon Smith and his bloated contract this last fall.
• For some comparisons, last year’s SB champs the Buccaneers only had 19 of its 53 man roster retained from its drafts.
• It’s good to have successful draft picks. But you should NOT re-sign marginal players to second contracts that are just ok.

That means that the avg NFL team does not retain as many of its drafted players as the Cowboys do. The Cowboys sign more of their drafted players to second contracts than almost all other NFL teams.

“We like our guys” is a sadly honest statement from the Jones Boys. If your name is Jones and you work in the Cowboys front office, there are no consequences for “liking the wrong guys”.

In Big D- “We like our guys”- Therefore the roster churn is very, very slow. As are the playoff wins.

Jane(Bob), you ignorant sl_t. Advocating for the churning of the roster just for churning of roster sake is dumb. The players that make the roster were carefully selected. The best man gets the job so the so-called mantra makes sense. We do love our guys because they are the best man for the job. That doesn't mean they shouldn't compete every year for their job. It means they should already be the best guy for the job because if they aren't, they won't keep their job. Building through the draft is how you sustain high standards. Those teams like the Rams that buy their talent rather than develop it tends to go through cycles of good years and bad years. It seems like a good idea now for the Rams because they are in that good cycle but they will return to the bad cycle and be greatly handicapped by the way they operate. The salary cap will kill them. Our 26 years of failure is not attributed to "liking our guys", rather it is a result of not sticking to that mantra when it was needed. We let go of players rather than pay them and watched them go elsewhere to have successful careers. I'm talking about players like Demarcus Ware and Anthony Hitchens... and others.

 

[kskboys]

Jerry covets his players. He absolutely cannot fathom the thought of a player going elsewhere and being good. This is horrific, as it makes him pay guys just in case they might be good.

Reminds me of a guy I used to play softball w/, who couldn't stand getting burned. So, he'd play way back close to the fence while the opposing team simply looped singles in front of him into the gaping hole. And he refused to move in, rather letting the other team win than to face the embarrassment of being burned.

This is exactly what Jerry is doing.

 

[kskboys]

Jane(Bob), you ignorant sl_t. Advocating for the churning of the roster just for churning of roster sake is dumb. The players that make the roster were carefully selected. The best man gets the job so the so-called mantra makes sense. We do love our guys because they are the best man for the job. That doesn't mean they shouldn't compete every year for their job. It means they should already be the best guy for the job because if they aren't, they won't keep their job. Building through the draft is how you sustain high standards. Those teams like the Rams that buy their talent rather than develop it tends to go through cycles of good years and bad years. It seems like a good idea now for the Rams because they are in that good cycle but they will return to the bad cycle and be greatly handicapped by the way they operate. The salary cap will kill them. Our 26 years of failure is not attributed to "liking our guys", rather it is a result of not sticking to that mantra when it was needed. We let go of players rather than pay them and watched them go elsewhere to have successful careers. I'm talking about players like Demarcus Ware and Anthony Hitchens... and others.

Huh? Why is the childish name calling necessary? Ick.

Your thoughts are way off. Go sit in a corner.

 

[conner01]

So true Bob, when you say "we like our guys", it just means that you like them enough to pay them a 2nd contract.
Jerry hasnt come to grips yet with the fact that the salary cap has zero heart, zero devotion.

It’s not a great metric for success
The bengals have 33
Didn’t hurt their chances
Steelers also have 33
The 23 avg includes teams that draft poorly like the raiders who only have 13
We do sometimes over value guys but as a metric this tends to show more about how bad some teams draft more than anything to do with winning

 

[Blackrain]

Agreed. To me, it spoke volumes when McCarthy said there was "angst" in the locker room before the SF game. That should never be the case.

Yep I would have hoped with the veterans on that team that there would have been an air of confidence

 

[Blackrain]

No, Dak is a bus driver period. That's not a derogatory term, it's what he's good at, though i'd agree that the penalties and subsequent long yardage does hinder the running game and puts him in positions that he's forced to throw for over 15 yrds which he's not comfortable in doing (as the Defense plays cover).

Im sure MM and KM don't advocate in 'holding' at any time, however, if you're beaten you'll do anything to try and mitigate and minimize the effects = holding, if they didnt hold or try and get the pre-snap advantage Dak is probably going down.

If I had a criticism of MM (other than time management- that wasnt the reason for the 49er's defeat, we were highly unlikely to get a TD even if we got the play off.....it's just what Dak does) it would be that he doesnt tell KM to dumb down the plays and play simple.

Then again players on the field have to take some responsibility for what they do....LG was a nightmare in 2021 regardless of who played there, possibly exacerbated by a C that has enough on this plate to try and offset one on one blocking.

I watched Romo struggle with a bad offensive line that would constantly make him try and get 15 or 20 yards rather than 10.
Dak is going through the same thing it makes you one-dimensional your opponent knows you have to throw.
It increases the likelihood of turnovers.

In my opinion if these guys want to get a pre-snap edge it starts in the off season They need to train harder.

This group is just flat out soft they're weak They get pushed around and it's embarrassing.
It's not rocket science if you want to be strong enough to do your job you got to throw enough iron to stay in shape to beat the guy in front of you.

I think that Dak could tell Kellen to dumb the plays way down but when the defense knows it's going to be a pass play because you're running back only gets a yard or two and you get penalties where you're put in bad down and distance situations it doesn't matter how dumb down the plays are the defense can pin their ears back because they know what you have to do.

Sheesh I'm not even sure it could get much dumber half the time it looks like they all run button hooks