Confidence in Claiborne? 'Well, he's there'

[LucaBrasi]

Mayock's take: "One of the main reasons I think the Dallas Cowboys haven't been to a Super Bowl in some time is because of their secondary. Morris Claiborne is a special corner. He's got the best ball skills of any corner coming out in the last several years. This is a rare athlete."

Analysis
Strengths
Claiborne is an aggressive cover man who likes to use his tall frame and long arms to get in receivers' faces, shock them at the line of scrimmage and disrupt their timing. When he punches, he makes his presence felt. He can run with his back to the ball at the receiver's hip using a press/bail technique and looks natural running with his man in-phase while still keeping an eye on the ball. Claiborne is such a gifted athlete with uncommon body control that he runs with his man fluidly up and down the field and still be able to break off at any time and get involved in plays coming across him. As a zone defender, he is simply an explosive athlete with length and can keep plays in front of him and react quick enough to meet the man at the ball. He is physical in run support and will have no problem coming up to tackle from the edge.
Weaknesses
Claiborne can sometimes be lazy with his technique. Working in off-man coverage, he has a tendency to get his pad level high in his backpedal, diluting the explosiveness that makes him so effective out of his breaks.

WOW, where the hell is that guy? Claiborne went where he was expected to be drafted. Most had him projected in the top 5-6 spots of the draft. The problem I had was the move up the draft board with a team that was clearly not 1 player away.

You simply cant afford to give away premium picks, like a 2nd rounder, to go up and get a corner. A pass rusher?... certainly, a franchise qb?... sure, a premium LT?... maybe, a corner? in this day and age... no way. This front office drives me crazy, with its constant changing focus, its lack of clear direction, its lack of preparedness and foresight.

 

[wileedog]

He is huge for the position and has great speed.

5/11, 192 is "huge for the position?"

Strengths
Claiborne is an aggressive cover man who likes to use his tall frame and long arms to get in receivers' faces, shock them at the line of scrimmage and disrupt their timing. When he punches, he makes his presence felt. He can run with his back to the ball at the receiver's hip using a press/bail technique and looks natural running with his man in-phase while still keeping an eye on the ball. Claiborne is such a gifted athlete with uncommon body control that he runs with his man fluidly up and down the field and still be able to break off at any time and get involved in plays coming across him. As a zone defender, he is simply an explosive athlete with length and can keep plays in front of him and react quick enough to meet the man at the ball. He is physical in run support and will have no problem coming up to tackle from the edge.
.

I don't know who they are talking about here, because whoever it is never made it to Dallas.

 

[Doomsday101]

Great speed? Gifted athlete? Physical in run support? Is this the twilight zone?

No it was Mike Mayock take. Claiborne and again I don't excuse it has dealt with injuries since being here starting with the wrist injury. I'm as disappointed in his play up to this point as anyone else. I do think he has talent to be a very good CB and entering his 3rd season I think this is a critical season for him.

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

Claiborne is one of the most physically gifted corners that I have ever seen.

If this guy busts then his db coach should lose his job as well.

No way should he have evolved into the player he has turned into.

????? This is a serious quesion...what are his superior physical gifts?

 

[Chocolate Lab]

5/11, 192 is "huge for the position?"

Nor does he have "great speed". His measurables were pretty average, in fact.

The thing he had that were elite were hands and ball skills. If the ball's in his area, I have confidence he'll catch it. Which is why I almost think he'd be a better zone corner... But you have to learn how to do that, and tackle more often -- two things he has trouble with.

 

[Doomsday101]

5/11, 192 is "huge for the position?"



I don't know who they are talking about here, because whoever it is never made it to Dallas.

Only posting the information that was out there leading up to the draft. Mike Mayock a person many here will use as information of a prospect. Again going back to that draft day I was in the DeCastro camp, I can't say I would have been happy with the results of that. Personally never felt the Cowboys were in the running to get Claiborne, I did feel we had a chance for get Kirkpatrick but many of our scouts here claimed he sucked.

 

[wileedog]

Only posting the information that was out there leading up to the draft.

Oh I know, wasn't aimed at you. But several things in that analysis are just blatantly different than the guy we have watched the past two years. And when the analysis starts with stating that 5-11, 190 is "huge" for a CB, you can see that Maycock is clearly trying to hype him for some reason.

Everybody misses on picks, and apparently lots of folks got it wrong on Mo. Just wish we hadn't traded up to be the one's to miss on him.

 

[Doomsday101]

Oh I know, wasn't aimed at you. But several things in that analysis are just blatantly different than the guy we have watched the past two years. And when the analysis starts with stating that 5-11, 190 is "huge" for a CB, you can see that Maycock is clearly trying to hype him for some reason.

Everybody misses on picks, and apparently lots of folks got it wrong on Mo. Just wish we hadn't traded up to be the one's to miss on him.

Thus far they have been wrong. I have said before myself I have not thrown in the towel on Mo. While I agree that he has not lived up to the hype I think he is a very talented player and I think he comes into this season with a chip on his shoulder to prove people wrong. I know Claiborne hears these comments about him and as said he has. Off season reports he has worked hard and added strength. Week 1 is here and it is time for him to shut his critics up if not then that falls back to Claiborne. As for the Cowboys I agree with those who said chart wise the move was good value wise, we gave up less than what the pick was worth.

 

[Seven]

Guess all the draft analysts and scouts were schmucks then, cause almost everyone had him as the top CB in the top ten. Easy to look smart years later...

Obviously.............as Alexander said......passed the physique........wiffed on the intellect.

 

[lostar2009]

Claiborne and Carter should have been 2 impact defenders for us,,, where did it all go wrong?

It went wrong when JJ trading for Mo.

 

[Seven]

Claiborne wanted to play vs the Broncos was not his choice to be held out.

Yeah. He talks a good game doesn't he? He'd 'go' if it was the regular season too, I bet.

If I was in his position I'd say the same.

 

[Bleu Star]

Bo knows Mo blows.

 

[Doomsday101]

Yeah. He talks a good game doesn't he? He'd 'go' if it was the regular season too, I bet.

If I was in his position I'd say the same.

and if it is a coaches move then how the heck is that on the player? Garrett held him out, he had practice leading up to the game but a player can't clear himself to play.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

Betcha that quote sounds a lot different in audio.

It might sound different, but the words remain the same. THAT, mein friend, is the concern.

 

[Idgit]

It might sound different, but the words remain the same. THAT, mein friend, is the concern.

There's nothing inherently wrong with the words, though. The inflection and the context are going to be meaningful here.

 

[CATCH17]

His athletic numbers say other wise. He is not close to being as athletic as Pat Peterson.

Who is?

 

[Bluestang]

From the The Break this morning, Steve Dennis and Rowan Kavner said the questioned asked was:

Reporter: What gives you confidence in Mo Claiborne?

Marinelli: Well's hes there. He’s our starting corner. That’s the confidence. He’s gotta go do it.

 

[Bluestang]

There's nothing inherently wrong with the words, though. The inflection and the context are going to be meaningful here.

After watching the interview and Marinelli talking about Melton, I'd would probably say that he used the same tone/inflection.

 

[Kevinicus]

I disagree with the first line of the article, so I stopped reading.

 

[ZappaFrank]

Who is?

Im just saying that there is no way that MoMo can be one the most physically gifted corners you have seen when players like Chuck Woodson, Revis, Peterson were or are on an entirely different level. Terrence Newman was a MUCH better athlete. Even Richard Sherman, who is 4 inches tallers, is only a tick slower in straight line speed and is actually faster than MoMo in the change of direction drills.