My Wonder: Mo Claiborne

[Garrettop]

So, out of everyone on the current and prior Cowboys rosters since 2012, Claiborne stands out as someone who has failed dramatically to live up to even mediocre expectations. Fortunately due to the new CBA at the time, Dallas did not fork out supermegabucks for this failure, but it is the sole(currently) whiff of the Garrett-Stephen era in the early rounds. Excuses have centered on injury affecting confidence, and confidence being labeled as fundamental for CB performance. I don't buy this excuse. Given that he was "the highest rated CB since Deion", what is it that was missed in scouting - or is it that something did in fact change? Is it something that can be rectified or was Claiborne a lost cause to begin with?

 

[Broges74]

Mo was never going to tear up the league. He is limited athletically and mentally. He was over valued due to Patterson.

 

[Garrettop]

Is the Wonderlic score that important for CBs? I know it was brought up as a question mark but obviously didn't affect the draft board.

 

[Bleu Star]

What do voluntary mean?

 

[Nation]

Claiborne had elite tape but not elite measureables. He was good enough to look good against good college players. But he is not good enough to play well against NFL caliber players.

 

[Garrettop]

So Mo was simply the benefactor of a prime situation in college? Jones as a 1st round pick has been panned in some places, but I'm assuming based on those charts you think Jones is more likely the real deal.

 

[KJJ]

I don't follow college football nearly as closely as I do the NFL game but couldn't understand how Claiborne managed to be rated so high running a 4.54 40. I can't recall a top 10 rated corner especially one being touted as the best defensive player in the draft running nearly as slow as that. Me along with several others had question marks about him the day the Cowboys drafted him. The scouting reports on him claimed he wasn't physical and didn't like to tackle which is why I assume some compared him to Deion but Deion had great speed. A corner who isn't physical and doesn't have great speed is a recipe for failure in the NFL. The injuries have certainly played a big part in Claiborne's struggles clearly stunting his development. His struggles on the field have caused him to lose his confidence and having to spend most of last season and this off season rehabbing a difficult injury is going to make bouncing back and getting his career on track highly unlikely.

 

[KJJ]

So Mo was simply the benefactor of a prime situation in college?

I would say so he was playing for the best team in college football that can cover up for some of the flaws a player has. It's easy for a lot of college players to look good when they're on a team that's dominating opponents almost every week. A corner who isn't physical and doesn't have great speed is going to be exposed at the NFL level.

 

[Nation]

So Mo was simply the benefactor of a prime situation in college? Jones as a 1st round pick has been panned in some places, but I'm assuming based on those charts you think Jones is more likely the real deal.

I think Jones athletically has the attributes you'd expect of a top ten pick. The on field stuff isn't quite there yet. Claiborne was the opposite. I don't think because one failed that the other will succeed. I just think there was a flaw in using a 1st & 2nd rounder on a player that wasn't an athletic freak.

 

[Vinnie2u]

We were all excited when we got Mo... I haven't seen anybody play the ball like Mo did in college in a long time... So far he's been a bust.. Crap happens.. If he don't show this year he'll be gone.. Hopefully he saved his money..

 

[Nation]

So Mo was simply the benefactor of a prime situation in college? Jones as a 1st round pick has been panned in some places, but I'm assuming based on those charts you think Jones is more likely the real deal.

The graphs I got were from MockDraftable.com. Check out top ten talents like Dez, Tyron, and Randy Gregory in there and look at how they compare athletically to their peers versus Mo.

 

[KJJ]

With the NFL rules the way they are and with all the passing teams do a corner who lacks great speed and physicality is going to be exposed especially if they can't stay healthy.

 

[lostar2009]

Claiborne had elite tape but not elite measureables. He was good enough to look good against good college players. But he is not good enough to play well against NFL caliber players.

At least Mo have long arms.

 

[TwoCentPlain]

Some players drafted very high just plain stink. It happens. Claiborne is a bad player just like the ones below. Get over it. Move on.

2014 Draft: #1 Clowney, #2 Greg Robinson, #8 Gilbert
2013 Draft: #1 Fisher, #3 Dion Jordan, #6 Mingo, #7 Cooper, #9 Milliner
2012 Draft: #3 Richardson, #5 Blackmon, #6 Claiborne, #7 Barron
2011 Draft: #8 Locker, #10 Gabbert, #12 Ponder

At least two players (Richardson and Blackmon) drafted before Claiborne, stink even worse. And it is debatable if RG3 might be an even worse pick than Claiborne, too.

 

[kevm3]

Mo's problem is that he's been injured a ton and that he has expectations of being a shutdown corner because we gave up a bit for him. Everyone was screaming Scandrick sucked before his contract too, and now he's the best CB on the team.

 

[Garrettop]

Who was screaming about Scandrick? Scandrick was accepted as being at least on par with Jenkins in terms of skill, and more durable. Sure there are worse picks than Claiborne, but there are no pats on the back for players when it comes to releases. You either stick or you don't in that regard.

 

[conner01]

Sometimes players just don't work out
Fans have the ability to look back and judge players but teams don't
At the time he filled a need and was rated at the spot we picked him
Injuries have been a big part of his failure but to me there is more than just that
To me he doesn't play with heart and to me that is the difference in good players and great players, as well as the difference in good players and busts

 

[Broges74]

Sometimes players just don't work out
Fans have the ability to look back and judge players but teams don't
At the time he filled a need and was rated at the spot we picked him
Injuries have been a big part of his failure but to me there is more than just that
To me he doesn't play with heart and to me that is the difference in good players and great players, as well as the difference in good players and busts

There was a reason he fell. Because we didn't even bother to bring the guy in, we had no real clue about why he was falling.. now we know

 

[KJJ]

There was a reason he fell. Because we didn't even bother to bring the guy in, we had no real clue about why he was falling.. now we know

Most of the mock drafts had Claiborne going to Tampa at #5 so him going at #6 isn't exactly what I would consider "falling."

 

[Aven8]

Is the Wonderlic score that important for CBs? I know it was brought up as a question mark but obviously didn't affect the draft board.

Guard the #80 something and if the ball comes your way, knock it down, or intercept it! Got it coach.