Dallas Cowboys draft pick Morris Claiborne of LSU
Cowboys Trade up in First Round to Snag LSU Cornerback Morris Claiborne
Jerry Jones mentioned Wednesday that the Dallas Cowboys had looked at all scenarios of moving up or down in Thursday night’s first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. The Cowboys did actually move up eight spots in the draft when they traded their 14th pick in the first round as well as their only second round pick to the St. Louis Rams for the Rams sixth overall pick. The move landed Morris Claiborne in Dallas and kept him out of Tampa Bay, who was poised to take Morris Claiborne with the seventh pick to bolster their depleted secondary. Initial reaction to the pick by Cowboys fans seems to be positive; however, there are some things to consider about this pick.
First of all, Dallas just overspent on CB Brandon Carr in free agency to play corner here. They still have Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick, so Claiborne is your fourth corner. That is nice but where is your safety? The Cowboys were atrocious in the secondary last season. Rob Ryan’s defense was touched last year through the air and ranked 23rd in the league against the pass. Do you need to be reminded that this is a passing league and “if defense wins championships…”? Well then, you get it. So shoring up the secondary was definitely a priority but there may be more behind this pick.
Jenkins is in the last year of his contract and with Scandrick and Carr signed to long-term deals it would appear that any long-term contract for the oft-injured Jenkins would be unlikely now that Morris Claiborne is a Cowboy. That makes Jenkins expendable before he becomes a free agent. It would not be at all surprising to see Jenkins traded in the next few days or so as teams fill out their rosters after the draft. A safety would be nice but the Cowboys have many holes that still need to be addressed.
Jerry Jones and the Cowboys are now without a second round draft pick. In most NFL cities, a second round pick is a 5-8 year contributor to your team. In Dallas, however, second round picks usually end up on the NFL scrap heap after a training camp or two. The Cowboys really could have used at least a shot of getting two players that can play now, and not just one who could be the defensive back version of Dez Bryant.
Claiborne is said to be one of the most talented players in this draft. He better be! He was the sixth pick! He has decent size. Claiborne is just under six feet tall and 188 pounds. He could be the second coming of LSU star and now Arizona Cardinal, Patrick Peterson, or he could be another head case like Dez Bryant. That is the chance you take with these guys. By giving up their first and second round picks for Claiborne he better produce and produce now. The Cowboys roster is light years behind already due to draft day mistakes and if Claiborne is another one than the Dallas Cowboys are staring another zero for a draft right in the face.
Yes, you can find a player in the third and fourth round. The better teams in the NFL are loaded with mid-round draft picks that are properly evaluated and mature into durable play makers. Unfortunately, this has not been the case for the Cowboys and after making this draft day move now is not the time for more second- and third-day draft blunders. The Cowboys have to get at least one, maybe two more guys ready to play in 2012 in rounds three through seven this weekend. No matter how they do it. Trade up, trade down for more picks or flat-out trade players like Jenkins but Morris Claiborne is not bringing the Lombardi trophy with him Cowboy fans. This team still has a long, long way to go.
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7 Comments
Last Super Bowl was 1995. Most of Jerry’s fans are too young to remember that. Claiborne could be the next Patrick Peterson but the Cowboys are not good enough to be spending two picks on one player. Dallas Has to shore up the D-Line and get another receiver. They are thin at middle linebacker and need a punter. Unfortunately Romo looks like the second coming of Danny White. It isn’t his fault. He plays with a bunch of overrated, overpaid, under motivated primadonnas. Hopefully Jason Garrett is on his way to changing that culture. Obviously Jerry had EVERYTHING to do with this move…
just my 2 cents but after watching Brandon Carr the last few years while living in Kansas City I feel that he has been underrated in the media nationally. He has been as solid as it gets on a pretty bad team with little to no pass rush besides Hali. I believe the Cowboys with the addition of Claiborne have set themselves up with a couple top notch corners to build that secondary around.
Thanks Keith from Kansas City! I love to hear form a sensible Cowboy fan! You are correct that the Cowboys now have the corners needed to run Rob Ryan’s press coverage’s which is required to allow time for the front seven to get to the passer. Claiborne will play the opponents speed receiver while Carr will take the strong side of the defense in base coverages. Jenkins or Scandrick will be your nickel and that would appear to be Scandrick after this pick was made. Dallas MUST find two more players in this draft that they can have ready to contribute in the fall.
The thing that bothers me the most about this pick is that the team never brought Claiborne in for a workout, meeting or as I said on another platform today any of Matrty B’s left over Cap n Crunch! How do you trade up 8 spots to take a guy you never met! Now they are going to pay him millions and we don’t even know if this guy has any character what so ever. Way to go guys! Let’s drat the guy we have never even met!
I was hoping that we were starting to see more of a Jason Garrett influence on this team a month ago when they cut the fat and brought in players like Carr in the prime of their careers and who truly want to play the game. however, this move has Jerry written all over it. Let’s hope as Cowboy fans it turns out to be a genius draft day coo. Due to the fact they gave up the 46th pick in the draft to obtain Claiborne there is no room for error in the Cowboy War room now. They better get rounds 3-7 right.
Thanks Again Keith! Please tell a friend about R&H Sports!
TS YITB
I see your rationale for saying that, and I admittedly was a bit skeptical when they gave up their 2nd round pick to get a guy that no one had the cowboys getting, but don’t forget this little fact:
DeMarcus Ware (2005) was the last Cowboys top pick who didn’t visit Valley Ranch prior to the draft.
That worked out pretty well. And since Dallas is pretty tight with LSU coach Les Miles, as Bill Parcells would say, we had pretty good product knowledge.
It took me less than a day to go from shocked to very excited. look what Dallas has done on the 2nd round the past 8-10 years (minus Sean Lee). We bungled most 2nd round picks that we had….. Marty B., Jacob Rogers, etc., etc. etc.
Like you, John, I have come to like the move more and more. This gives Rob Ryan two corners suited to playing his coverage allowing DeMarcus and the gang up front to create nightmares for the likes of Eli, Mike and RG3. This is a quarterback division now so you better play well in the secondary and we both know how that went last year. In my evaluation of the entire draft I posted yesterday I mention my turn around a bit. If Crawford and Johnson can play and Hanna is already better than Marty B ever was, this could be a great draft for the Cowboys. If there is a glaring weakness I think are still thin at center. Phil Costa is not the answer. You might see some changes made there. Danny Coale could challenge Raymond Radway for the for the fourth receiver spot assuming Kevin Ogletree “earns” the third spot. I think Hanna may actually have a shot at being this seasons Laurent Robinson as Miles, Dez, and Witten will still be drawing most of the coverage leaving Hanna on someone one on one or all alone.
We are fired up for some football around here that is for sure. C’mon September!!! Thanks for weighing in John! Please tell a friend!