A number of Cowboys defenders have spent the offseason bulking up in anticipation of Monte Kiffin’s Tampa 2 defense, a list that includes cornerback Morris Claiborne.
Both Claiborne and the team have mentioned that bulking up would be a natural part of the LSU product’s development in the NFL, and it’ll certainly help ease his transition into Kiffin’s 4-3, a system that requires defensive backs to be a lot more physical than they were under Rob Ryan.
But Kiffin maintains that where Claiborne is concerned, anyway, speed is more important than power.
“You want guys to work out year-round and lift weights but I’m not looking for Mo Claiborne to be some 225-pounder or something like that,” Kiffin said this week, per the Dallas Morning News. “Just use his speed, that’s all I care about. They’ll tackle. But it’s about your strength and conditioning.”
Kiffin went on to say that installing his defense is a work-in-progress, and one that will take awhile. But he’s been encouraged by what he’s seen thus far.
“It takes some time, there’s no doubt about it,” Kiffin said. “I don’t care what the defense, when you install a new defense, it takes time, there’s no doubt about it. But our players have really done a good job. You can’t do everything. You just have to decide where to draw the line, go with this and make it work.”
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