DMN: 5 things to know about new Cowboys defensive backs coach Kris Richard, including his particular preference in CBs

Cotton

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5 things to know about new Cowboys defensive backs coach Kris Richard, including his particular preference in CBs
By SportsDayDFW.com

The Cowboys' hire of former Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard, one of the major figures behind the "Legion of Boom," was easily one of the team's most buzzworthy coaching transactions in an offseason full of them.

But there's plenty to know about the Cowboys' new defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator beyond his most recent job.

Here are five things Cowboys fans should know about Richard:

Ego wrangler

One of the biggest compliments Richard's former bosses paid him after he was hired by the Cowboys was his ability to rein in strong personalities in his unit.

Seahawks general manager John Schneider praised Richard for the way he was able to handle several strong personalities like Lawyer Milloy, Marcus Trufant, Thomas and Sherman.

"He's got a great presentation about him," Schneider told SportsDay's Jon Machota. "He's got a great way of teaching guys like in a real, clear concise manner not like guys are having their heads spinning. That's probably the best way to describe it.

"He's had rooms where he's had a lot of strong, alpha personalities, and he handled it."

Highly animated

If you've been watching video of OTAs practices, Richard's animated style of coaching is stood out at The Star in Frisco. He's a high-energy guy who can be seen throwing his voice -- and himself -- all over the field when he's on the clock.


Richard told the Cowboys website recently that he's more animated as a coach than he was as an NFL player. And the reason why makes decent sense.

"Coaching is a bit different from playing. Somewhere along the lines as a player, you can't waste energy like that," he said. "My voice grew more as a coach. I've always prepared in the fashion that I do when I played and when I coached, so it's not about the preparation but it's about the expression. I get to do it more. I've been this way as a player. I like to have a great time. I like to show and have a lot of energy, and I've been like that my whole life."

Longtime Pete Carroll disciple

Even before his time with the Seattle Seahawks and the Legion of Boom, Richard's roots with head coach Pete Carroll were already firmly planted.

After his playing days were done, Richard started coaching at his alma mater of Southern Cal, where Carroll was coaching. When Carroll made the move to Seattle, Richard followed him to the pros, where he worked through the ranks up to the role of defensive coordinator.


He recently explained what he's taken most from Carroll in an interview with the Cowboys' site:

"It's really the energy, the enthusiasm, the care and the love that you come with every day that truly makes the difference," Richard said about Carroll. "And that's what he presents, just natural, pure unadulterated energy that you come with each and every day."

He likes a little extra

Part of what became a staple on the Seattle Legion of Boom defense was taller cornerbacks, or at least ones with decently long arms.

That's no coincidence. It was part of Richard's preferences, saying that the bigger guys are able to contest receivers at the line of scrimmage more consistently.


"It's just a part of the system, and that's pretty much what it is," Richard told SportsDay's Kate Hairopoulos recently. "There are certain individuals, certain guys of a nature who fit a certain profile, who have historically worked better with this style of scheme and this defense. So the more guys we can get of this nature, of that stature, of that build, the better that we think we can be. The more comfortable that we ultimately feel putting product out there.

"Length, strength, create issues at the line of scrimmage. We want to cause as many problems as we can for an offense before the ball is even snapped.

"If we're up there at the line of scrimmage and we're making you think about where you need to go and how you're going to get around me, it's a whole lot better than just thinking about where you need to go."

New nickname coming?

With a new town and a new job, Richard has been asked whether his new defense in Dallas will have a Legion of Boom-esque nickname. But the name went beyond just the physical play and the forced turnovers his Seahawks unit was known for.

Here's what he told Kate Hairopoulos:

"It was a standard of excellence. And a standard of love and a standard of brotherhood, that's all it meant. It was each one teach one. Everyone cares for one another. And everyone can count on one another. More than being accountable it was about being dependable. Mistakes and all these things happen, "Oh I'm accountable, that was my fault.' How about being dependable and not allowing the mistakes to happen? It was going above and beyond the relationship factor.

"...[Being physical and forcing turnovers] That's the standard, that's who we will be because that's a part of the standard, that's a part of the style, part of what's necessary for our defense to be successful. The legion was more about Love Our Brothers."
 

Simpleton

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I have an unsettling feeling that this guy is going to be a picky little bitch about Lewis in particular, and perhaps Awuzie as well.

Sherman and Shaquill Griffin both had 32+ inch arms and were 6-0+, Awuzie is 6-0 but has under 31 inch arms and Lewis has about 31.5 inch arms but is only 5-10. I'd imagine he might be ok with Awuzie because he's 6-0 but I don't think it's a coincidence that Brown has supposedly been playing in front of Lewis since he is taller and has slightly longer arms. It's not a coincidence that he immediately moved Jones to CB either.

It's pretty inane but I wouldn't be surprised if he stays in McClay/Stephen's ear about getting him some bigger CB's next draft.
 

Cotton

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I have an unsettling feeling that this guy is going to be a picky little bitch about Lewis in particular, and perhaps Awuzie as well.

Sherman and Shaquill Griffin both had 32+ inch arms and were 6-0+, Awuzie is 6-0 but has under 31 inch arms and Lewis has about 31.5 inch arms but is only 5-10. I'd imagine he might be ok with Awuzie because he's 6-0 but I don't think it's a coincidence that Brown has supposedly been playing in front of Lewis since he is taller and has slightly longer arms. It's not a coincidence that he immediately moved Jones to CB either.

It's pretty inane but I wouldn't be surprised if he stays in McClay/Stephen's ear about getting him some bigger CB's next draft.
 

jsmith6919

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So Garrett clapped?
 
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