Scout's Notebook: Russell Holds His Own, Tapper Shines; Other Thoughts

[RS12]

• The player with the most difficult job in camp has to be Ryan Russell. No matter how hard he tries, there are going to be snaps where he just isn’t going to look good going against Tyron Smith. I thought Russell did a muchbetter job of getting off the ball in this practice than I had seen in the previous two, and if he was working against anyone but Smith he would have had more pressure. I like what he was able to do against Smith by holding the point of attack in the running game. It took every ounce of strength he had but he did not allow Smith to maul him off the ball.

• There is no question that Ezekiel Elliott shows a willingness to be a factor in blitz pickup. He got a face full of Sean Lee and was no worse for wear. Where Elliott has to be careful is when he crosses in front of Romo in the pocket. I noticed that it happened on the first day of practice and again today in the Team Compete Period. Elliott drifted into Romo as he tried to deliver the ball to the outside. The rookie will get a better feel with snaps where he needs to set up, which will allow Romo a clear path to deliver the ball.

• Before you roll your eyes as you read these words – Morris Claiborne had a really nice day at the office. He was on a mission and it started from the opening snap that he took against Terrance Williams during 1-on-1. Williams tried to push off Claiborne to get inside, but Claiborne never allowed him to separate across the field. As Romo let the ball fly, Claiborne had worked his hand under Williams’ right arm and between his hands. The ball never made it to Williams, as Claiborne was able to knock it to the turf. Later in the same period, Claiborne was in a battle down the field with Dez Bryant with both players trying to hold each other off. Claiborne once again was in outstanding position as the ball landed too far up the field for Bryant to catch.

• Without Tyrone Crawford in the lineup, Terrell McClain lined up at the under-tackle while Cedric Thornton was at nose.

Scout's Notebook: Russell Holds His Own, Tapper Shines; Other Thoughts

 

[speedkilz88]

Very promising.

Charles Tapper looked like an edge rusher in this practice. There were several snaps in 1-on-1 where he was off the ball before the tackle had a chance to react. What was even more impressive was the way Tapper was able to finish his rush. He showed power, along with pass rush moves (spin) in order to free himself to get to the level of the quarterback. Tapper was also able to get up the field in the running game, where he had a tackle for loss during Team Period and was able to later retrace his steps in order to get back to the ball.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Before you roll your eyes as you read these words – Morris Claiborne had a really nice day at the office.

He is going to surprise a lot of people this year. I have no doubt he will be a Cowboy for a few more years.

 

[jnday]

He is going to surprise a lot of people this year. I have no doubt he will be a Cowboy for a few more years.

Staying healthy and not folding with the first bit of contact would surprise everybody.

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

Staying healthy and not folding with the first bit of contact would surprise everybody.

Yes. He's always had the athletic ability and quickness to play cb. Just can't stay healthy. Let's hope this is a new beginning.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Yes. He's always had the athletic ability and quickness to play cb. Just can't stay healthy. Let's hope this is a new beginning.

I agree. He's had a very odd career. I don't recall him ever being healthy for a preseason. If he can get s solid foundation and actually get a training camp and a preseason under his belt I think we will see a much different Claiborne as opposed to someone who just shows up to the regular season just to get hurt.

 

[Irvin88_4life]

Thornton is gonna be an animal to contain, we will see a huge difference in our DT spot this season......only now we need or ends to get home

 

[jnday]

Yes. He's always had the athletic ability and quickness to play cb. Just can't stay healthy. Let's hope this is a new beginning.

Mo seems to have major confidence problems that hampers him and I wonder if he really likes playing football. It seems like some of his injuries comes at the perfect time to miss training camp and all the work that comes with it. He has had a disappointing career up until this point and I don't think anybody knows what to expect.

 

[Silver N Blue]

He is going to surprise a lot of people this year. I have no doubt he will be a Cowboy for a few more years.

Hope your right the guy has done squat for his draft status.

 

[Teague31]

If Russell and Tapper can play we might just be okay at DE once DLaw comes back .

 

[jblaze2004]

How long did Claiborne sign for? Is this a contract year?

 

[Bullflop]

Well, it's good to hear how Tapper is making splashes at DE, indicating he just might be someone to reckon with. It's early yet but good starts are just enough to cause buoyed hopes. With our DE needs being what they are, here's hoping those encouraging signs continue.

 

[Section446]

I want to be excited, but it's hard to get too pumped up about practice; feels like we've heard about how great Claiborne was in training camp before, only to be disappointed once the games roll around.

 

[Section446]

How long did Claiborne sign for? Is this a contract year?

3/11/2016: Signed a one-year, $3 million contract. The deal included a $500,000 signing bonus. Another $750,000 is available through incentives. 2016: $1.25 million (+ $250,000 workout bonus + $62,000 per-game active roster bonuses), 2017: Free Agent

 

[Zekeats]

Tapper, Irving and Jack Crawford can do the job. People forget about Crawford but he can play.

 

[Section446]

Tapper, Irving and Jack Crawford can do the job. People forget about Crawford but he can play.

I thought he did pretty well in spurts last year, I like the fact that he can play any position along the line.

 

[DCBoysfan]

Some good stuff.

 

[CF74]

Good. So when he plays scrubs he better look like a star..

 

[CATCH17]

I want to be excited, but it's hard to get too pumped up about practice; feels like we've heard about how great Claiborne was in training camp before, only to be disappointed once the games roll around.

Take all of this stuff with a grain of salt. I've learned that over the years with these training camps.

It's just a matter of time before we get our big training camp fight and our annual WR that everyone loves that ends up never doing much.

 

[gimmesix]

He is going to surprise a lot of people this year. I have no doubt he will be a Cowboy for a few more years.

I don't like that they are using him on kick returns. He's been too fragile to put him in that role. Let him focus on being a good corner and keep him off special teams.