Morris Claiborne leaves the facility after learning Scandrick will start
Posted Tuesday, Sep. 23, 2014
By Clarence E. Hill Jr.
chill@star-telegram.com
IRVING — Cornerback Morris Claiborne has gone from disappointing to disgruntled.
An unhappy Claiborne left the team facility Tuesday after learning he would be benched in favor of Orlando Scandrick, per several sources.
Claiborne did not attend position meetings or the film review of the Rams game. The Cowboys could fine Claiborne for missing practice or for conduct detrimental to the team.
But more importantly they want him back at the facility on Wednesday and ready to go for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints as part of the Cowboys nickel defense.
Whether he’s starting or not, a source said “we need all the corners we can get this week,” and added that Claiborne “was/is going to play a lot.”
Claiborne, largely a disappointment after being picked sixth overall in 2012, started the first two games of the season with Scandrick out because of an NFL suspension. Scandrick started Sunday against the Rams but only because of the package the Cowboys ran to open the game.
Both played similar amount of snaps against the Rams last Sunday as the Cowboys gauged Scandrick’s conditioning after being out. Claiborne was on the field for 53 snaps, and Scandrick for 51.
It was always assumed Scandrick would regain the starting job he initially earned last season when he supplanted Claiborne in Week 2.
His return to the starting lineup against the Saints this week was hastened by Claiborne’s poor play this season, capped by game-long struggles against the Rams that couldn’t even be offset by his game-sealing interception in the final minute.
Claiborne admitted he played poorly after the game, saying he “stunk it up.”
Claiborne has allowed eight receptions in 13 targets this season, according to STATS, Inc.
He left the facility the same day owner Jerry Jones acknowledged Claiborne hasn’t played as well as expected and a move to Scandrick was in the offing.
“Morris had a really good training camp,” Jones said. “Very competitive. And then he suffered a little setback there injury-wise, and didn’t quite get it back by the time we left training camp. On the other hand, Scandrick arguably had the best training camp of any player we had, certainly in the top three or four. So we’ve got to look real hard.
“We’ve got a guy that’s playing lights out, played really good the other day, Scandrick. [He played] probably as well as anybody did in the secondary. So Scandrick or Claiborne, in certain situations, all three of them out there in a lot of situations. It’s really something we’ll have to see how they practice this week and we’ll go from there.”
Jones said Claiborne has not been the player the Cowboys thought they were getting when they traded two picks in the first round to take him in 2012. But they are not ready to give up on him.
“We’re not giving up on him at all,” Jones said. “Is he what we had hoped for at this point when we drafted him with the sixth pick, gave up a pick to go up to the sixth pick to get him? No. But he’s going to be a good player.”
The question now is whether he shows up Wednesday.
Charean Williams contributed to this report
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Hopefully he makes it easy on the team and stays away.
His behavior cannot just be dismissed with a simple fine because you are chicken shit of the Saints ripping you a new one.
What good is this quitter going to do on the field Sunday night?