Finding The Art Of The Comeback In Morris Claiborne
Sep 22, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback
Morris Claiborne(24) on the field during the game against the St. Louis Rams at AT&T Stadium. The Dallas Cowboys beat the St. Louis Rams 31-7. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Morris Lee Claiborne might detonate.
Time is ticking away. Nerves shot. The sixth overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft is turning into colossal waste. Global warming is progressing faster than Claiborne.
The word “bust” does not sum up all the toxic elements the Dallas Cowboys have consumed when they leapfrogged to grab the corner out of Louisiana State University.
The 24-year old has started the 2014 preseason campaign by missing game one with a right knee issue, and game two with a right shoulder injury.
The time Claiborne is missing accelerates a sense of death in the secondary as the Cowboys welcomed in news that their other high paying corner, Orlando Scandrick, has been suspended for the first four games.
The Hit Heard Around The World
It’s hard to make something out of Claiborne’s hit on Raiders tight end Mychal Rivera. Is this a cornerback fighting and developing into the Cowboys defensive ecosystem? Or is this a handcuffed cornerback fighting for survival?
June 11, 2013; Irving, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne works out during minicamp at Dallas Cowboys Headquarters. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
These are two different questions with two different answers.
Troy Aikman once said that if the trade for Roy Williams from the Detroit Lions did not work out, it will turn out to be the biggest bust in Dallas Cowboys history.
Troy Aikman, who isn’t wrong about his three Super Bowl rings, is overruled when Morris Claiborne enters the picture.
At this point it is utterly useless to shop the cornerback for potential trades. Claiborne doesn’t have the criteria or marketability to receive any high value return.
The Cowboys are stuck with him; for better or for worse, til disappointment we part.
So with no trade worth its weight in sight, the Cowboys, with nothing more to gain on their cornerback investment, must unleash Morris Claiborne.
• If this means busting tight ends and receivers in practice, go for it.
• If this means playing all man to man coverage — his preferred scheme — do it.
• If this means giving the man a kitchen sink, invest in one.
Inhale the words being said about you, Morris. There is nothing more you can lose. Flattening tight ends is welcome at this point. Anything to get your career off life support is agreeable news.
The Art of The Comeback
Claiborne could turn out to be the recipe nobody wants. This hit on the Cowboys will be felt for years.
A little over a year ago I inked an article (read here) about my readiness to coin the bust label on Morris Claiborne after his rookie season. I did not like what I saw. I did not see any potential. And I believed the investment will turn out to be a bad one.
I haven’t been wrong since. But, here is the thing: I want to be wrong.
With Sean Lee, DeMarcus Ware, Orlando Scandrick and Ware’s replacement, Demarcus Lawrence, all out for the Cowboys, the link between desperation and need tunneled from AT&T Stadium and Morris Claiborne has time traveled into epic portals.
The fusion between the Cowboys and Claiborne has never been more important than it is now.
Morris Claiborne is either that vital trigger the Cowboys need to spring into a viable defense, or he is the investment that failed to detonate.