Jones is confident despite several significant offseason roster departures, most notably the trade of four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns, the release of longtime starting tackle La’el Collins and the decision of veteran pass rusher Randy Gregory to sign with Denver. Broncos in free agency.
“That was totally our decision to take them,” Jones said, without specifically naming the players.
“We lost three high-profile players. Those players were in our top 10 highest-paid players. When you walk into that place, I can tell you, your standards go up. Your bar is higher. Your conduct it’s higher. Your focus on the team is higher, not just your own performance, but everything when you have that kind of responsibility, which you do when you have a big piece of the financial pie. So what I’m trying to say is those decisions were made more on availability than ability.”
Collins served a five-game suspension from the NFL last season and rotated starters with third-year veteran Terence Steele. Cooper missed two starts due to COVID-19 protocols. Gregory missed five games due to injury and COVID protocols, and the Cowboys stood by him through previous suspensions for violations of the league’s substance abuse policy.
“I don’t want to belittle any player. I love those players personally,” Jones said. “But No. 1 is how are we going to win a football game if you think about being in the top 10 paid players.”
After a 12-win season last year, the Cowboys will look to become the first NFC East champion to repeat since the Eagles won three straight division titles in 2002-04.
Reasons for Jones’ optimism about 2022?
“First of all, this guy sitting here,” he said, nodding to head coach Mike McCarthy.
Jones made it clear that McCarthy has his full support, despite outside questions about McCarthy’s long-term job security as he enters his third season with the club.
“I want to be very clear: He wouldn’t be sitting here if he didn’t believe he was the man to lead this team to a Super Bowl,” Jones said.
Added Jones: “I like this staff. And frankly, I like the makeup of the players a year after they were on this team last year and I like the new players we’ve brought in.”
The Cowboys have more than $20 million in salary cap space heading into the season. Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones acknowledged his “dry powder” financially, which could be used at some point for veteran help and/or transfer in 2023, but stressed the club likes the “young foundation” they have built with several drafts. .
So what would make a successful season?
“I need to win it,” Jerry Jones acknowledged. “But I’ll be honest with you: There are qualifications. I want to be fair to everyone involved. We have to be in the playoffs. We have to be viable in the playoffs to have a successful season.”