Jerry Jones on Morris Claiborne: Prove you can be a starter
Morris Claiborne has not lived up to expectations as a former No. 6 overall draft pick out of LSU where he won the Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back in college, but after a dismal start to his career and walking out on the team earlier this week, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is not giving up on the former first round pick.
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Jones admitted he’s not quite the prospect he once said was the best cornerback to enter the league since Deion Sanders, but isn’t ready to call Claiborne a bust and still sees the tools and ability he saw when they traded up eight spots to draft him.
“He’s an outstanding talent, outstanding athlete, Jones said to 105.3 The Fan, via ESPN. Has got a lot of work to do and has missed the evolving that you’d expect a young player in the NFL to have because of various injuries, various reasons.
“We think, I think, that if he can get in the groove, get his repetition, get in the same groove he was in in the early part of our two-a-days out in California, then I think he can become the player that we expect him to be.”
Claiborne walked out on the team in a fit of anger after he learning Orlando Scandrick will be starting over him for this week’s game against the New Orleans Saints and despite his history of injuries and history of poor performances still believes he deserves to start.
“He’s got — and he knows as well as we do — he’s got what it takes to be a starter. “But you’ve got to show me. You’ve got to show the team. You’ve got to show the coaches, and you do that by what shows up on that tape. He’s got to put it on tape in practice. He’s got to put it on tape when he gets in the game.
“He’s got to show that he’s going to be technically sound, that he basically understands his first assignment. Then we know that when given the opportunity, his athletic ability will kick in and he can play.”
Basically this is Jones saying he needs to put his money where his mouth is and put up or shut up. Claiborne recorded his third career interception in last week’s game, but also allowed five receptions for 108 yards and was flagged for a defensive holding penalty.
The time is running out for Claiborne to prove he’s not a bust.
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