IRVING, Texas - We've heard it for years now and it's usually said together in one sentence.

"Offense, Defense ... and ... special teams."

That's right, we all know about the three important phases of football. How the kicking game isn't overlooked anymore and how coaches put just as much stock in that aspect of football as the offense and defense.

And we all know that's not really true.

It's easy to say it, but let's be honest, the special teams are always overlooked to some degree. You almost have to.

Teams figure out their rosters with the offense and defense and usually what is left over has to play on special teams. It's very rare to find a player or two, other than kickers, punters and snappers, who you will keep just for special teams.

Keith Davis is that player.

And that's why the Cowboys should be ecstatic, thrilled, pumped, psyched - you name it - that they got him back. Lucky or not, K.D. is back with the Cowboys. And he will make a difference.

Davis will officially sign his contract with Dallas before Wednesday's practice, making this his third stint with the club in a five-year span. The club made room on its 53-man roster by releasing cornerback Evan Oglesby, who had one of the best training camps of any player.

It's unfortunate to see someone come out of nowhere basically like Oglesby did and have such a good camp, only to see him get cut just a few days before the start of the season. But if the Cowboys are truly in the business of improving their football team, then someone simply had to go.

Someone had to go if you can get a player like Keith Davis.

This one makes sense on a whole lot of levels. It has to make sense, because it didn't make sense to me back in April when he signed with Miami in the first place. I said it back then, and to anyone who would listen for the last few months. Letting Keith Davis get away was the worst move the Cowboys made in this off-season.

And I firmly believed it would haunt them.

Now let's be honest. Letting him go wasn't completely the Cowboys' fault.

They wanted him back. But Davis wanted to be a starter, and so when he went to Miami, he barely even called the Cowboys to let them know he had already signed a deal.

Two years, $3.5 million. That wasn't too much more than what the Cowboys were willing to pay. They just couldn't guarantee a chance to start. As it turned out, neither could the Dolphins.

But for some reason, he thought he would get that chance. Maybe he figured reuniting with the likes of Big Bill, Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano's new staff, which includes Davis' former secondary coach Todd Bowles, the Dolphins' new defensive coordinator, would give him an inside track to a coveted starting job he's been eyeing for years.

Didn't happen. Davis got hurt just before camp, which is the worst time for any player to get injured, especially if they're trying to prove themselves worthy of being a starter.

Davis then fell behind Miami safeties Yeremiah Bell and Courtney Bryan on the depth chart. Knowing Davis for a few years now, and having conversations about his frustrations of not being a starter, it's safe to assume that Davis wasn't too happy about not getting to start in Miami. For whatever reason, the Dolphins decided to cut ties with Davis here last week, despite giving him a two-year, $3.5 million contract in the off-season.

The Cowboys were ready to pounce.

Call it redemption. Call it necessity. Call it an early Christmas present. Either way, Keith Davis fell right into the Cowboys' lap and it couldn't have come at a better time.

We all saw the team struggle on special teams here in the preseason. Even the most optimistic of coaches, Wade Phillips, admitted the coverage units have been rocky to say the least.

Now that will happen some in the preseason, obviously. Your starters aren't playing much, meaning the backups, who normally fill out your special teams, are having to play on offense and defense. And therefore, special teams is often just patched together with the remaining healthy bodies.

But if you can afford a spot or two on your roster for an ace, you have to do it. They don't come along every year. Sometimes, they just develop into that role.

Bill Bates had it. So did Kenny Gant. I don't want to leave out Jim Schwantz, who wasn't a big name like the previous two, but he did make the Pro Bowl in 1996 by recording a team-record 32 tackles on special teams.

Those guys were special teams warriors.

Put Davis right in there with all of those guys, if not higher.

To run down on those kickoffs and punts, you have to be a little bit crazy. Check.

You've got to be tough as nails, or . . . bullets maybe. Check again.

Davis provides all of that, and a little more. He's got a sense of swagger and attitude that separates the good players from extraordinary.

Last year was a prime example of that. In the third game, the Cowboys went to Chicago and all week long we heard the rumblings that they might not kick to Bears return specialist Devin Hester.

That was the big story all week. Will they or won't they kick to Hester.

So opening kickoff comes and kicker Nick Folk was told to do some sort of pooch kick that was supposed to get to another Bears player around the 25- or 30-yard line. Instead, Folk shanked the kick into the Cowboys' bench, giving the Bears the ball on their own 40. So much for that idea.

And Davis balked. He went straight to special teams coach Bruce Read and all but begged him to kick it deep. He promised Read the coverage team would stop him.

And they did, holding Hester to just 85 yards on five returns, including a fumble, which was caused by none other than Davis.

Here in the last few weeks, Wade Phillips even sourced that game as an example that his team's coverage units could be effective. What he was forgetting to mention was that Davis was a big part of that.

Maybe deep down he knew Davis would be back. Or maybe he was just sticking up for his guys. It doesn't matter now. Davis is now one of the guys here again.

That's the way it should've been all along.

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