Dallas Cowboys ‘we like our guys’ way of thinking will be put to the test in 2022

It may be a flawed way of thinking, and only time will tell, but the Dallas Cowboys clearly place higher value on their own players than others who have been available for them in either free agency or on the waiver wire. This “we like our guys” way of thinking has never been more evident than the way they’ve constructed their 53-roster for the 2022 season.

As things stand right now, after getting under the league mandated 53-man limit Tuesday afternoon, the Cowboys only have a few players currently on the roster who they either didn’t draft or hasn’t been with the team prior to this season. To say they like their guys is probably an understatement.

We’ve heard time and time again either Jerry or Stephen Jones stress to the media how much faith they have in their up-and-coming young players. Just about anytime the Cowboys are linked to a certain player, albeit via trade or free agency, the Jones’ typically shoot down any interest by saying “we like our guys”, or something to that effect.

To the Jones’ credit, they look to be sticking to their guns as the 2022 season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers draws closer and closer by the day. The only outside additions to this year squad so far are Dante Fowler, KaVontae Turpin, Anthony Barr, and James Washington, the latter of which has already been placed on injured reserve.

All of the four above-mentioned free agent additions will play a role in Dallas’ success or failure this season, but how impactful each individual will be is questionable at best. Of the four, Dante Fowler and Anthony Barr have the best chance to play vital roles in 2022, and with luck, KaVontae Turpin will add a significant boost to special teams and hopefully on offense as well.

But that’s really it. That could change of course if/when the Cowboys sign Jason Peters. If he is indeed brought in, he will arguably be the most important new addition to the organization as Tyron Smith’s starting replacement at left tackle. Other than that though, Dallas is relying heavily on the players they know and/or drafted over the years.

Only time will tell if the Dallas Cowboys “we like our guys” way of thinking will pay off, but one thing’s for sure, it’s going to be interesting to see if they stick with this mantra if it it doesn’t. They could completely flip script and choose to go all in much like the Los Angeles Rams did in 2021. Who knows? There’s no way of knowing what the future holds.