* (Editor's Note: At the end of each day here at training camp in Oxnard, the staff writers will each provide their own personal observation, ranging anywhere from a particular player who is standing out, a position that needs an upgrade, or even their own personal experiences regarding the daily rigors of camp.)*
Nick Eatman: I've been on record to say Morris Claiborne would have the best camp of any player here, so naturally, my eyes were on him on the first day of a padded practice. And in the 1-on-1 drills, I thought he was especially good, and physical when he went up against the likes of Bryant and Williams. He wasn't alone. Other corners such as Carr and Josh Thomas were very physical in their coverage. It's not easy to do without a pass rush but I thought the defensive backs won the drill, and they did with an aggressive nature at the line of scrimmage. Nice start for the DBs.
Bryan Broaddus:If there was anyone that needed a good start to his camp, it had to be Devin Street. When we talked about the potential receivers on the roster for the upcoming season, Street's name is only used as a footnote – a wasted pick that rarely had any productive moments. For one practice when the pads came on, Street was a bright spot of a receiving crew that had to fight for every ball thrown in their direction. These cornerbacks made it tough today. But Street was able executed two nice slants with separation and a vertical route down the sideline where he was able to go high and finish with an adjusting catch to finish the drill.
Rob Phillips: The defensive backs, led by Mo Claiborne, really stood out on the first day of pads. Claiborne was terrific. He had three pass breakups in the one-on-one session – including one against Dez Bryant and one against Terrance Williams – and another against Devin Street in team drills. Brandon Carr added a couple breakups in one-on-ones – a drill that's difficult for the defense because there's no pass rush and the receiver has the entire field to work with. Overall, the group was aggressive and really challenged the receivers. Rookie Anthony Brown made a play he'll never forget in his first NFL padded practice: he intercepted a low-thrown pass by Tony Romo.[embeddedad0]
David Helman: I came away slightly depressed by my biggest impression from Monday's first practice at camp. One pass rusher stood out to me all day – and that was DeMarcus Lawrence. The third-year defensive end told reporters Sunday that he needed to get his football legs under him, but he certainly looks ready to go. He exploded through all his reps, and he beat Tyron Smith multiple times in one-on-ones. I'd hate to overreact, but he certainly looks like he's ready to maintain his momentum from 2015. Right around the time I realized that, I remembered that Lawrence won't be available until Week 5. It's a disappointing Catch-22 for a defense that needs playmakers in the worst way.
