Cowboys notes: Tyrone Crawford settling in at defensive tackle, watching film of Warren Sapp, others

Versatility is a good trait for football players to have, but there’s something to be said for locking in at a single position.

Just ask Tyrone Crawford, who bounced between defensive end and defensive tackle until he established himself as a formidable three-technique tackle midway through last season.

It made his life easier this off-season.

“Extremely easier,” Crawford said. “I knew where I wanted my weight, I knew how I wanted to lift and I knew different things I needed to train. I knew things I needed to study, people I needed to study on film.”

Crawford spent his time in the film room watching some of the great three-technique tackles such as Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, two-time Pro Bowler Keith Millard and former Cowboys tackle and one-time Pro Bowler Jason Hatcher. He also analyzes the best defensive linemen in the game today, such as Houston’s J.J. Watt.

Sapp, though, is the player who most exemplified how effective the three-technique tackle can be in the Tampa 2 scheme in his days with the Buccaneers, and that same Tampa 2 scheme is what the Cowboys are running with defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli.

Crawford said he tries to look at every aspect of a certain player’s game on film.

“Just their technique, their different moves,” Crawford said. “Just the way they played the position.”

Crawford, the 25-year-old fourth-year pro out of Boise State, is among the players projected to have a breakout-type season and is considered by some to be next in line for a contract extension.

He recorded his first sack against Philadelphia at home last season in Week 13 and had a two-sack game at Philadelphia two weeks later. Everyone within the organization feels that Crawford is poised to build off that and develop into one of the top defensive linemen in the league.

“Tyrone was a victim of how good of a player we think he is. … His versatility last year at this time gave us reason to think that he could almost play any spot across the defensive line,” coach Jason Garrett said. “As we got into training camp, he got into that under tackle position and seemed to find a home there. That’s really what you want.”

Asked if he ever wondered why they didn’t put Crawford at the three-technique earlier, Garrett said: “You always try to do that. Oftentimes it’s him maybe not showing you something and then over the course of days of practice all of sudden he’s starting to show it.

“We all have grand plans for what we want to do systematically and what we want to do with our personnel, but those plans adjust based on what you see.”

Romo practices

The infection in Tony Romo’s left eye improved enough that he practiced Saturday, the team’s first workout of training camp in pads.

The quarterback developed a stye in his eye but practiced Thursday before sitting out Friday after treatment.

“All good,” Romo said as he walked off the field.

Romo didn’t practice more than two consecutive days a year ago at training camp, resting his surgically repaired back. He also had Wednesday practices off during the regular season.

Garrett has said the Cowboys have no set practice plan for Romo, who was fully healthy in the off-season.

But it was the eye, and not his back, that kept Romo out Friday.

“It will get better each day,” vice president Stephen Jones said after the morning walk-through. “Obviously, we are not going to push him.”

Err on side of caution

Three notable players were held out portions of Saturday’s practice — wide receiver Dez Bryant, cornerback Morris Claiborne and linebacker Sean Lee — as the Cowboys are taking a cautious approach early on in camp.

Bryant, who sat out off-season workouts in a contract dispute, and Claiborne, recovering from knee surgery, did not participate in one-on-one drills. However, each took part in team drills.

“We’re not trying to win anything right now,” Claiborne said. “The coaches and trainers are doing a good job balancing my reps so I won’t burn out in the end.”

Lee worked on the side with athletic trainer Britt Brown midway through practice.

Briefly

▪ Defensive end Jeremy Mincey continued his holdout Saturday, marking the fourth day he is subject to be fined by the team. That could total as much as $120,000.

▪ Cornerback Brandon Carr was tested repeatedly Saturday, but he didn’t mind. “Iron sharpens iron,” he said.

▪ The Cowboys signed linebacker Will Smith on Saturday. Dallas selected the former Texas Tech player in the seventh round of the 2014 draft, and he spent a portion of his rookie season on their practice squad. He fills the roster spot left open by Mincey’s holdout.

This story was originally published August 1, 2015 at 9:04 PM with the headline "Cowboys notes: Tyrone Crawford settling in at defensive tackle, watching film of Warren Sapp, others."