The acquisition of new players and coaches may get all the publicity and media attention every offseason, but they're not the only means for the Dallas Cowboys to get better. The development of the individual players also raises the level of play of the team as a whole.

With that in mind, let's dive in and study a few players who are most likely to improve in 2019:

Dak Prescott

When Jon Kitna was hired to take over for Kellen Moore -- who was promoted to offensive coordinator -- as quarterbacks coach, this quote from Dak Prescott stood out:

Dak Prescott on working w/ Jon Kitna going forward: “I’m excited for what I can learn, what he can teach me, knowing how serious he takes footwork...knowing those are going to be a lot of things that will help me become the player I want to be.” — David Moore (@DavidMooreDMN) January 31, 2019

While Prescott certainly has his share of warts, his inconsistent footwork has been the No. 1 issue preventing him from elevating his play to elite levels. Here's a great example to illustrate that point:

On this play, the Cowboys are in a 3x1 formation (two receivers and a tight end aligned on the offense's right, one receiver isolated to the offense's left) where Prescott is in shotgun with Ezekiel Elliott to his left. Once the ball is snapped, Prescott tries to take advantage of Washington's off coverage in the slot by hitting Cole Beasley on the flat route. Unfortunately, Prescott is inaccurate with his throw, giving Beasley no chance to make a play.

At first glance, it may appear as if Prescott just missed the throw, but further investigation reveals that his footwork and base were the main reasons for the awful throw:

Kitna believes that a quarterback's footwork and base are the keys to effective play in the NFL. He thinks the distance between the quarterback's feet (his base) should be akin to riding a horse, enabling him to play from a balanced position where he can efficiently move through his throwing mechanics.

Kitna does not like it when his quarterbacks throw from a base akin to riding a bicycle -- too narrow -- or, in Prescott's case in the play above, throwing from a base akin to riding a bull, when it's too wide and inhibits his ability to properly generate force from the lower body. That leads to power-drainage issues and is the reason Prescott short-hopped his pass to Beasley.

While it's impossible to know the specific content of the teachings from Prescott's previous position coaches, it appears safe to assume that none of them focus on footwork as much as Kitna does.

While Prescott may never be the most pinpoint accurate passer in the NFL, more consistent and correct footwork will enable him to be more accurate throughout the season, only increasing his effectiveness and productivity as a passer.

In terms of the identifiable weaknesses of the student and the apparent strength of the teacher, Prescott and Kitna appear to be the perfect match as Kitna's tendency to harp on footwork dovetails magnificently with Prescott's inefficient footwork and poor base.

Having said that, Prescott's footwork won't be fixed overnight and fans shouldn't expect it to be fixed by Week 1, as it will take time for him to break the bad habits created over many years of quarterback play. Significant progress isn't guaranteed even with the proper work ethic, but even minor adjustments should have a positive impact on his on-field ability.

Xavier Woods

In 2018, Byron Jones proved to be the most improved member of the secondary under the tutelage of Kris Richard, but there was another member of the secondary who took considerable strides in the new scheme.

Xavier Woods, a sixth-round pick in 2017, quietly developed into a capable starting free safety.

During his rookie season, Woods split the majority of his time on the field between free safety (223 of 547 defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus) and slot cornerback (234 snaps). In 2018, Woods was more singularly focused, spending the majority of his time at free safety (796 of 1,015 defensive snaps), and he was noticeably more productive and efficient in coverage during his sophomore year.

#Cowboys safety Xavier Woods is on the precipice of becoming an upper echelon safety in the NFL. He plays with great range, makes plus breaks on the ball and makes good decisions. pic.twitter.com/dNvl2Zt44Y — John Owning (@JohnOwning) May 9, 2019

Woods improved in nearly every statistical category in terms of coverage from his rookie to sophomore season, making noticeable strides in pass deflections (one to seven), interceptions (one to two), reception percentage allowed (77.8 to 69.2) and passer rating when targeted (89.4 to 70.0), according to PFF. Woods appeared to be more confident and decisive during his second season, making him much more effective in coverage.

While it may seem odd to believe that Woods could once again show improvement, it's certainly plausible.

Poor run defense all around. Woods beaten at the POA and gets pinned inside by Joe Haeg. Jaylon tries to jump around his block, leaving a huge alley for Marlon Mack. Jeff Heath is just a tick late, and Xavier Woods misses a tackle.



Ugly, ugly stuff. IND stole DAL's lunch money pic.twitter.com/pZPIjQVPe8 — John Owning (@JohnOwning) December 17, 2018

Even though he improved in coverage last season, he was still inconsistent and oftentimes a liability against the run and as a tackler.

Luckily for Woods, his issues as a tackler were often overshadowed by Jeff Heath's extreme struggles in the same area. Woods' nine missed tackles are certainly troublesome, but even that paled in comparison to Heath's 21.

Having said that, it's an area where Woods needs to show improvement in 2019. Since the free safety is often the last line of defense, it's paramount that he become a more reliable tackler.

If that happens and Woods possibly develops into an asset against the run, there's nothing keeping him from making the first Pro Bowl of his young career.

Connor Williams

The player who was easiest to identify as someone who should look improved in 2019 is Connor Williams.

After playing offensive tackle for the entirety of his playing career, the Cowboys moved him to guard after selecting him with the 50th pick in the 2018 draft. Though he wasn't as bad as many would lead you to believe, Williams did have an up-and-down rookie season in which he started 12 games (10 at left guard, two at right guard).

Williams' struggles in 2018 were mostly because of two things: inexperience and a lack of play strength.

His inexperience tended to rear its ugly head when he was forced to work in cohesion with his linemates to pick up blitzes or pass off stunts. Here's an example:

More communication issues for the OL on the road. Tyron and Connor Williams struggle to pass off the E/T stunt, which results in a sack for WAS. pic.twitter.com/RImMNwXcNu — John Owning (@JohnOwning) October 22, 2018

Here, Washington is running an E-T stunt where the defensive end stems inside as the defensive tackle loops around to the outside. Unfortunately for Dallas, Williams locks into the defensive tackle, preventing him from seeing the defensive end slanting inside and making him late to pick that player up.

Because Williams is late, the defensive end is able to nearly split Williams and Tyron Smith, forcing Smith to have to stay on the defensive end a tick too long and allowing the defensive tackle to loop outside and bring down Prescott for the sack unencumbered.

Williams' inexperience caused him to be late passing off the stunt, which resulted in a sack.

The Texas product's lack of play strength also caused a lot of issues throughout the season. Here's an example:

Because Connor Williams lacks the core strength to anchor against the stronger DTs, he tends to try and lean on contact to compensate. Short counters that perfectly with a powerful arm-over move. #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/AQofTsIgmM — John Owning (@JohnOwning) September 10, 2018

Because Williams lacked the requisite play strength to effectively anchor against the more powerful and explosive defensive tackles, he often attempted to lean forward on contact in an attempt to exert more force on his opponents. Unfortunately, this bad habit left Williams susceptible to counters from interior rushers, just as Kawann Short does in the clip above.

Williams attempts to short-set Short, who is one of the best interior rushers in football, but allows his weight to get too far over his toes, making it easy for Short to counter with an arm-over move before bringing down Prescott for a sack.

Luckily for Williams, his issues are easily correctable. As he continues to gain experience and comfort playing on the Cowboys' offensive line, he should be able to pick up blitzes more consistently and pass off stunts on time.

Moreover, time in an NFL weight room should lead to considerable strength increases for Williams. More play strength means he shouldn't feel the need to lean forward on contact. Instead, it should allow him to trust his anchor and play from a more balanced position at the point of contact.

Though it's unclear exactly where Williams will be playing in the future, as there are rumors that he is destined to be moved back to tackle, if he does stick at guard in 2019, it wouldn't be surprising if he was one of the most improved players on the whole roster.

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Twitter: @JohnOwning