Cowboys rookie cornerback Morris Claiborne sprained his MCL on Wednesday, an MRI has revealed. (Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE)
Dallas Cowboys first round draft pick Morris Claiborne sprained his MCL on Wednesday and has sat out all activities since then, sources say. Claiborne will sit out all activities for the remainder of this upcoming week, but Claiborne hopes to return to Cowboys camp soon.
“A little bit disappointing,” Claiborne said, “but it’s not too much because I know it’s not something serious. I know it’s something I can come back from. You can’t just get mad over something you can’t control.”
The Cowboys traded up in this year’s draft to select the top rated prospect out of LSU. There was some concern surrounding Claiborne back when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were still rumored to take him. Reports surfaced that Claiborne scored a four on his Wonderlic test, but it was quickly dismissed as an irrelevant factor in his draft stock.
Dallas is hoping Claiborne can anchor a secondary that includes big free agent signing Brandon Carr.
“Obviously when you’re not learning on the field it’s a setback and he’s got two fantastic coaches with Jerome Henderson and Joe Baker,” defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said. “He’ll be with them and he’ll get to know them really well and they got to stay up with him. You can’t replace a rep on the field and that’s going to be tough for him. It’s a tough transition anytime you’re a rookie, he’s a damn good young man and I’m sure he’ll caught up to speed as fast as he can.”
Everyone who spoke of Claiborne’s injury downplayed the severity of it and stood strong behind claims that Claiborne will hopefully be ready for the preseason opener.
