Merry Christmas Cowboys Nation!
I hope each and everyone of you are able to spend this wonderful holiday with your loved ones. I think it’s important to remember what this holiday is truly about, but no matter how you decide to celebrate today I hope and pray it reminds you of what you have to be thankful for in your life.
Today, I want to share with you what I believe the Dallas Cowboys received for Christmas this year. I believe their gifts have been unwrapped for a while now, but Christmas is a time of remembrance after all. Below are the gifts I believe the Cowboys are thankful for today.
Kris Richard
Bringing Kris Richard aboard in the offseason might’ve been the Dallas Cowboys best gift of all in 2018. His contagious attitude and aggression has turned this year’s Cowboys defense into one of the best in the league and has made this season that much more fun to watch.
Richard’s coaching future in the NFL looks to be ascending, which could make him a hot name as a head coach candidate after the completion of this year. Hopefully the Cowboys can find some way to convince him to stick around, because that would be a gift that keeps on giving.
Regardless, Kris Richard is without a doubt one of the best things that have happened to the Cowboys this season and something we should all be thankful for today.
LB, Leighton Vander Esch
When Leighton Vander Esch was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys earlier this year it left many of us a little disappointed. There were several other players who had had more collegiate success than the linebacker out of Boise State, but the Cowboys had their sights set on him the entire time. Thankfully they were right.
Vander Esch has been an absolute stud this year and is playing like not only one of the best rookie linebackers in the league, but one of the best LBs period. No one could’ve ever imagined am having this kind of success this season, so he is definitely something be thankful for this Christmas.
With Vander Esch, the Cowboys may have one of the best LB duos in the league when paired with Jaylon Smith and they should be cornerstones for the defense for years to come. It’s going to be really fun to watch them play together for the next decade or so.
DT, Antwaun Woods
Antwaun Woods, a Christmas gift? You may or may not agree with me on this one, but Woods’ addition to the Dallas Cowboys defensive line this season has really solidified the middle of their defense. It’s funny though, because castoffs aren’t usually considered to gifts.
Antwaun Woods was signed by the Cowboys as a free agent after being released by the Tennessee Titans earlier this offseason. Nobody really expected much from him, but he’s turned into one of the more pleasant surprises this year. He not only made the 53-man roster out of training camp, but earned the starting job at the nose tackle or 1-technique.
Woods has made plays all over the field for the Cowboys and has accumulated a total of 32 tackles and one and a half half quarterback sacks so far this year. He has been a gift to this defense and has far exceeded any expectations anyone possibly could have had for him.
WR, Amari Cooper
How can I identify Christmas gifts for the Dallas Cowboys this season and not mention the acquisition of Wide Receiver Amari Cooper? It would probably be a tossup between Cooper and Kris Richard’s as to which one was the best gift for the Cowboys this year.
Amari Cooper’s arrival in Dallas really turned things around when it was looking as if the season was all but over. He immediately clicked with Quarterback Dak Prescott and took the Cowboys passing game to an entirely different level.
Cooper has been one of the best receivers in the NFL since arriving in Dallas and will hopefully be around for several years to come. He has been worth every bit of the first-round draft pick it took to acquire him from the Oakland Raiders and we should be hearing a lot more of the COOOOP cheers from Cowboys fans.
NFC East Division Title
The last gift the Dallas Cowboys received in 2018 was just a few days before Christmas. With the win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Cowboys were able to clinch the NFC East division and claim the division crown for the third time in five years.
It definitely wasn’t pretty getting to this point, but the Cowboys did what they needed to do in order to win the NFC East. There were quite a few bumps and bruises along the way, which is a bit of an understatement when thinking back on their season right now. But in the end, they are in the playoffs and have just as much a chance as anyone else at reaching the Super Bowl.
This could be the best Christmas present of all for the Dallas Cowboys. With this, they may be able to add to the gift with a little more jewelry if things play out just right.
