Teez Tabor continues his quest to overcome the “draft disappointment” label in his third season. The Lions CB has definitely made some real progress, but there are still enough reps to prove that the rollercoaster has both hills and descents.
After an excellent session on Wednesday where he consistently locked down receivers and denied completions, Tabor followed up with a rough day in man coverage drills. Jermaine Kearse got two steps on him on a fly route and made a great catch. It followed a rep where Tabor simply could not keep up with Kenny Golladay on a deeper route.
One rep later, Golladay made a catch over No. 31 as Tabor failed to recognize the ball in the air despite Golladay looking back early. He had a chance to make a play on the ball but never read that it was in his vicinity.
This came on the heels of coach Matt Patricia praising Tabor and his approach in his press conference prior to Thursday’s practice.
“I just think he’s growing so much as a player,” Patricia said of Tabor. “We go through installation, we go through film review, and he asks a lot of really good questions. He’s asking questions that, for him, he just wants clarity on. I think the more clear it is for him, the more he can take over from an athletic standpoint and be sure about his assignment and his job.”
Patricia added this about Tabor’s mentality,
“(he’s had a) really mature approach from him every single day, and it’s been consistent, which is great.”
The approach gets a test with Tabor coming off a day where he did not perform at his best. It’s a good litmus test for Patricia’s praise and how well Tabor handles the adversity. It will be on full display for fans during Friday night’s scrimmage at Ford Field.
