Dallas Cowboys: This is the Cowboys best addition

The Dallas Cowboys have made several moves this offseason to improve the roster, but its best addition is not even a player.

The Dallas Cowboys have made several changes to the roster this offseason. Some of these moves were unforeseen.

For instance, the Cowboys released former Pro Bowler, franchise leader in touchdown receptions, and emotional team leader Dez Bryant. What followed was even more surprising with the team trading Ryan Swizter for Oakland Raiders defensive tackle, Jihad Ward.  Then, of course, the Cowboys traded for Los Angeles Rams speedster Tavon Austin.

The offseason drama got even more interesting when future Hall of Famer Jason Witten unexpectedly announced his retirement from 15 years of NFL service.

Witten will take the same post-football career route as good friend and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, broadcasting games on Sunday afternoon.

Although those moves shook Cowboy Nation to its core, the Cowboys made another offseason move that is flying under the radar but its just as important as any other offseason move.

The Dallas Cowboys best offseason addition is the hiring of new defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator Kris Richard. If you’ve never heard of Richard, I’ll be more than happy to introduce you to him.

Richard used to coach the Seattle Seahawks secondary, famously known as the “Legion of Boom”, probably one of the best secondaries in NFL history. With Richard coaching Pro Bowlers Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas and Byron Maxwell, Dallas got one hell of an upgrade on its coaching staff.

Since Richard is used to coaching talented players, he will have another group of young and talented defensive backs at his disposal. Dallas has a young/up and coming secondary that could really benefit from Richard’s coaching.

The Dallas Cowboys have a young secondary with six returning players. Those players are Jourdan Lewis, Chidobe Awuzie, Byron Jones, Anthony Brown, Xavier Woods, and Kavon Frazier. Most of them have two years of experience in the NFL, with Jones having only three years.

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That is a really good core of players Richard inherits, young men who are only going to get better. But it’s defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli that is beyond thrilled to have Richard on his coaching staff, saying “he’s the team’s best offseason addition”.

“I think he might as good as any acquisition coming in,” Marinelli said. “I mean that now. This guy is really good. He did a terrific job in Seattle. You know that. The resume is in the tape. But he brings energy, a great deal of intensity, the toughness, but he can relate really well to these players. That’s what I really like…I just love him. This guy is special. I mean, he’s special…You know that ‘it’? He’s got ‘it’.

That’s a good thing to know because the Cowboys secondary “got it” too. Lewis, Awuzie, Woods, Jones, and Brown has it too, even though the latter two players have had up and down seasons.

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A coach of Richard’s ilk can help improve on their raw talent, confidence, techniques, and overall development. Besides, it has been a very long time since Dallas has had a secondary with high expectations and a coach to match up with it.

And that’s why Richard is the best offseason addition.