News: BTB: Dallas Cowboys News & Notes: Dez Bryant Has Grown By "Leaps And Bounds"

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Carr: Dez Bryant has grown by "leaps and bounds" - J. Machota, FSSouthwest.com
Brandon Carr said that defending a player like Dez Bryant "is what you live for" and added that Bryant has grown by "leaps and bounds" in the last 12 months.

"The mental side of the game is what he is really honing in on now," Carr said. "That's going to allow him to play that much faster in the game. I talk to him and I just kind of see the mindset is changing and he's ready to hopefully take over the league."
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Bryant Believes Claiborne Can Be One Of Best CBs In League - R. Kavner, DallasCowboys.com
Dez Bryant returns Carr's compliment:

“I love going against those guys,” Bryant said. “Those are two great corners. I’m lucky to go against two guys like that, because they’re great, especially Mo. He’s going to mess around and be one of the best corners in this league.”
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Dez Bryant is out to repay Cowboys for standing by him - C. Hill, Star-Telegram
Dez Bryant feels a special obligation to the people who stood by him in the past, including Garrett, quarterback Tony Romo and owner Jerry Jones.

“It means a lot. I give a lot of credit to them,” Bryant said. “They stuck their neck out for me and they stayed with me. The time when I didn’t understand certain things, they did their best to help me understand things. I feel like it’s my job to pay them back by going out and working hard.”
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Can a Scheme Result In Takeaways? - Bob Sturm
The 2002 Tampa Bay defense allowed 10 TD passes and notched 31 Interceptions for a staggering defensive passer rating of 48 - for the season. This makes Bob Sturm ruminate on what role the scheme and what role individual players have in creating takeaways.

Which Passers Were Most Effective on Third Down in 2012? - FootballPerspective.com
Tony Romo ranks fourth overall on this list of the most effective third-down passers in the NFL last year. Only Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Matt Ryan rank ahead of Romo. Giants fans should start reading this list from the bottom.

RB Phillip Tanner is moving faster, having lost 10 pounds in the offseason - C. Williams, Star-Telegram
Phillip Tanner lost 10 pounds in the offseason, and is down to 210. He credits his weight loss to better eating and different workouts.

"The coaches see the difference," Tanner said Tuesday. "Coach [Bill] Callahan messaged me in the offseason and said, 'I thought about putting you at fullback last year,' joking around because I was so big. It really has helped me, and I appreciate all the hard work I put in during the offseason."
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Lissemore hoping to 'run all day' with first team defense - J. Machota, FSSouthwest.com
Sean Lissemore has been working with the first team defense through the first two days of training camp and is trying to take advantage of every rep. And here's his take on what he's being coached to do:

"Last year there was more of an emphasis on taking on blockers and stopping the run," Lissemore said. "This year it's about movement. It's about running to get to the quarterback, getting after the ball, constantly on the run. It's a little bit different in that sense. I'm trying to get my conditioning up so I can just run all day, run all game and really get after it."
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Coale Sidelined With Knee Swelling From Nov. ACL Injury - D. Helman, DallasCowboys.com
Danny Coale experienced some swelling in his surgically repaired knee on Monday, and has been sitting out practices since. The injury is day-to-day, writes David Helman, with the Cowboys trainers evaluating the situation in the morning, afternoon and evening.

Ben Bass and Sterling Moore taking advantage of opportunities - B. Broaddus, DallasCowboys.com
According to Broaddus, Bass looked good stepping in at defensive end, even though he's been mainly used as the undertackle so far. Sterling Moore also made a positive impression as he continues making plays on the ball regardless of who he is covering.

Cowboys have interest in DL Amobi Okoye - Calvin Watkins, ESPN Dallas
Watkins writes that "a source" confirms the Cowboys are interested in Okoye. Okoye played nine games for Rod Marinelli in Chicago last year and is currently a free agent.

More Cowboys Coverage:

• Cowboys Ease Into Padded Practices
• Confirmed: Anthony Spencer To Have Knee Surgery
• 2013 Training Camp: Random Observations So Far...
• Knee Surgery Possible For Anthony Spencer
• Practice Report: Working The Third Down Package

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