All things considered, the Dallas Cowboys are coming off a successful season despite not reaching the Super Bowl. The team went 10-6, finished first in the NFC East and won a playoff game.

With success often comes respect. A few Cowboys players, however, haven't received the amount they deserve. With that in mind, let's discuss a few players who deserve more respect from the Cowboys' fan base.

Cornerback Anthony Brown

There's a reason why, despite being the fan base's favorite cornerback, Jourdan Lewis is No. 4 on the Cowboys' roster -- that reason is Anthony Brown.

When discussing the Cowboys' improvements in the secondary, most bring up Byron Jones' outstanding season under Kris Richard's tutelage, while others will talk about Chidobe Awuzie's impressive finish to the season or Lewis' outstanding performance off the bench against the New Orleans Saints.

Brown rarely gets brought up, but that ends today, as it's time someone gives him the respect he deserves for his play last season.

After impressing during his rookie year, tallying an interception and six pass breakups (career high) while playing a mix of slot and outside cornerback, Brown took a step back in his sophomore season, allowing seven touchdowns (second most in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus) as he struggled when forced to spend most of his time outside.

That all changed when Richard was hired in 2018, as he moved Jones from free safety to the No. 1 spot cornerback on the roster, which pushed Brown, who was behind Awuzie on the depth chart, to slot cornerback -- a spot where Brown has proven to be effective.

Instead of playing 670 snaps on the outside with just 127 in the slot as he did in 2017, Brown played 594 snaps in the slot with just 164 outside, which is a much better split given his skill set.

Exhibit E.



Beautiful man coverage versus a dig route from the slot by Anthony Brown. Sticks to the WR's hip and uses his length to break up the pass at the catch point. pic.twitter.com/Kqqhp9MS4c — John Owning (@JohnOwning) June 4, 2019

Standing at 5-foot-11, 196 pounds and 31 3/4-inch arms, Brown possesses good size and length for a slot cornerback, enabling him to play tight, physical man coverage when asked -- just how Richard likes it. Brown also has the versatility to play off-man or zone coverage from the slot, which gives Richard much more flexibility when game-planning coverages each week.

Exhibit E.



Beautiful man coverage versus a dig route from the slot by Anthony Brown. Sticks to the WR's hip and uses his length to break up the pass at the catch point. pic.twitter.com/Kqqhp9MS4c — John Owning (@JohnOwning) June 4, 2019

Moreover, Brown's length gives him the opportunity to effectively combat receivers at the catch point. He is incredibly impressive in his ability to attack the ball through the hands of a receiver, which is how he racked up most of his five pass breakups last season.

Exhibit H.



Anthony Brown's development from off coverage has been impressive imo. Watch how he anticipates and blankets the crosser then attacks the catch point to cause the PBU.



Beautiful. pic.twitter.com/QtkEa1Chxr — John Owning (@JohnOwning) June 4, 2019

Furthermore, Brown's 4.3 speed gives him a unique ability to recover when initially beaten or slightly out of position. His ability to quickly accelerate and run with almost any receiver in the NFL gives him more room for error than the typical cornerback. This allows Brown to be effective in coverage against vertical and crossing routes, as most receivers will struggle to separate from him with pure speed.

Exhibit F.



Unlike most slot CBs, Brown isn't afraid to fight through blocks to make tackles in the screen/run game. He does well to sneak past the LG's block and help bring down the RB for a loss. pic.twitter.com/xxn9X7bvYt — John Owning (@JohnOwning) June 4, 2019

On top of his ability in coverage, Brown doesn't get enough credit for how effective he is in run and screen support. He isn't afraid to stick his nose into the fray to take on a block or make a tackle inside the box. Brown is comfortable with the physicality and has shown impressive instincts from the box or as an overhang defender (force defender outside of the box).

It's time to put the proper respect on Brown's name and game. He's the best slot cornerback on the team and one of the more effective ones in the entire league. Unfortunately, he is the type of player who may not get the appreciation he deserves until he's gone, and given the fact he's entering the final year of his contract, that may not be long from now.

Offensive tackle La'el Collins

Despite being blessed with a wealth of talent and skill, La'el Collins has had an interesting NFL journey that has been made tougher by the coaching staff.

Collins started his final 25 college games at left tackle but was moved inside to left guard, where he started 13 games as a sophomore at LSU, when the Cowboys signed him in undrafted free agency. However, after spending his first two seasons at LG, Dallas decided to kick him outside to right tackle, a position he's never played before, once Doug Free retired.

The offensive line is one of the most unnatural positions in all of football, as it often forces 300-plus-pound men to move backward in an effort to prevent defenders who are much more athletic from reaching the QB. Because of this, playing offensive line requires an enormous amount of skill and technique, which changes drastically from position to position.

Each position along the offensive line is unique and requires different techniques and movement patterns. For example, on the left side, the tackle must use his left foot to get depth and width in his pass set while it's the right foot on the right side.

On its face, it may seem easy to switch from one side to the next, but in reality, it's anything but. Former Packers, Bears and Dolphins guard Josh Sitton illustrated the difficulty in switching positions perfectly when he said switching from one side to the other is "like wiping your ass with the other hand."

Another former NFL veteran, Geoff Schwartz, did a great job illuminating the struggles of switching positions when he stated:

"Everything is awkward and different. I had to switch from the right side to the left side (LG) a couple times in my career. It always went bad. ALWAYS. I was never comfortable at left guard. I'd always punch like I was at right tackle and when I was being bull-rushed, I'd switch my stagger to anchor the bull like a right guard, thus allowing myself to get beat inside."

What made the switch even more difficult for Collins was the fact the Cowboys switched offensive line coaches -- going from Frank Pollack (2015-17), who coached under Dallas' previous OL coach Bill Callahan (2012-14), to Paul Alexander (part of 2018), who is known for his unique techniques and approach to coaching.

Therefore, one year after making the switch to right tackle, where he started to finally look comfortable toward the latter half of the season, Collins' comfort was uprooted as he was forced to learn and integrate the techniques of his new coach.

Collins struggled as a result, giving up seven sacks, four QB hits and 34 pressures through the first 13 weeks of the regular season. It became obvious that Alexander's tutelage wasn't meshing well with the offensive line, which is why he was fired during the Week 8 bye.

Nice combo block from La'el Collins. Gets enough movement with his punch on Jarran Reed that Martin gets in position to pin Reed inside. Then he gets to the second level and severely displaces KJ Wright. #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/5o4qMl9IqI — John Owning (@JohnOwning) January 8, 2019

Former Cowboys right tackle Marc Colombo was elevated to the OL coaching gig in an effort to revert back to a style more akin to Dallas' previous coaches. And while it took a few weeks for Collins to get back in the swing of things, he looked much more comfortable from Week 14 until the divisional playoffs, as Collins gave up just one sack, two QB hits and 10 pressures over the last six games.

Entering his third season at right tackle with Colombo remaining his position coach, Collins' effectiveness should be much more consistent in 2019 than in prior seasons. He shouldn't have to deal with the ebb and flow of effectiveness that comes with learning new techniques or movement patterns.

For those worried about La'el Collins at RT, watch the OAK game. Considering the level of competition, this was LC's most impressive performance. It's a big reason why I'm not worried about his future, and he should only get better from here. #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/3oKHnlW6Dx — John Owning (@JohnOwning) May 9, 2018

Many forget that Collins is one of the more talented right tackles in the NFL, which was showcased when he shut down Khalil Mack off the edge in 2017 -- Collins' first season at right tackle. The problem has been that Collins hasn't been able to play at that level consistently in his career, but don't be surprised if that changes next season.

While the fan base (and team) appear willing to let Collins walk when his contract is up in 2020, that could change once he puts together a career-best year in 2019. If the Cowboys don't give him the respect he deserves, you can bet another team will.

Linebacker Joe Thomas

If you were to ask Cowboys fans who Joe Thomas is, most would probably mention the retired (and future Hall of Famer) Browns offensive tackle before remembering that Dallas has a linebacker of the same name.

The Cowboys are spoiled with talent at the second level of the defense, possessing the best starting LB corps in the NFL to go along with impressive depth. If it wasn't for Leighton Vander Esch being selected in the first round of the 2018 draft, Thomas would likely be much more of a household name among fans because he would have been the one producing (though not to the same level as Vander Esch) at the WILL linebacker position in Sean Lee's absence.

WHEW. This is some gorgeous LB from Joe Thomas. Reads his keys, flows play-side, avoids the block with quickness and make the tackle. Will McClay strikes again with the Thomas signing pic.twitter.com/swtc41Bgpx — John Owning (@JohnOwning) August 11, 2018

Fans often forget (and who can blame them) that Thomas was Dallas' best LB during the 2018 preseason, when he demonstrated the traits necessary to be a starting-caliber player. Though it should be noted that he was facing very vanilla offenses, Thomas displayed an impressive ability to key on, diagnose and flow to the ball carrier. Moreover, his athleticism and football IQ allowed him to be especially effective in zone coverage.

Unfortunately for Thomas, Vander Esch's presence meant the Cowboys didn't need him much on defense, which is why he played just 62 defensive snaps in 2018 -- a career low for the four-year veteran.

Still, instead of sulking about receiving so few snaps on defense, Thomas turned most of his attention toward special teams, where he finished second on the team in tackles (eight) and was arguably Dallas' best player.

Joe Thomas is one of the better backup LBs in the NFL and deserves more respect from DAL fans. pic.twitter.com/33KkG8rjjK — John Owning (@JohnOwning) June 24, 2019

When Thomas did get time on defense, he played well. In the Week 17 win over the New York Giants, Thomas played a season-high 19 defensive snaps and recorded three stops (tackles where the play is deemed unsuccessful for the offense), tying Jaylon Smith (who played 61 snaps) for the team lead in stops, according to PFF.

Altogether, Thomas is a very capable defender who could actually start on many defenses, but he is hamstrung by Dallas' wealth of talent at the position. That's why he's been forced into his special teams maven role for the Cowboys.

While many defenses would sink if hit by a rash of injuries at the LB position, Thomas' presence means the Cowboys' defense could still keep its head above water.

Enjoy this post? More film studies:

-- Why S George Iloka will play an important role in 2019

-- Why CB Jourdan Lewis will be a key reserve in 2019

-- Why rookie RB Tony Pollard will be a versatile weapon in 2019

Twitter: @JohnOwning