When Will Mo Officially Be A Bust?

[theSHOW]

Disney World isn't a carnival...sorry. One might have well enjoyed the Hall of Legends and panoramic screen that a movie was shown upon.

On a Civil War setting, one just couldn't keep up with all the action occurring on the screen at one time.

dude!

 

[ScipioCowboy]

Russell Maryland was a bust. Which we would have just traded that pick.

I don't necessarily agree with your assessment here, but I can accept the rationale.

 

[CF74]

I heard on the radio yesterday Mo Claiborne has played in three of the eleven pre-season games since joining the Cowboys. He seems to be constantly hurt and is taking a roster spot of someone who potentially could be on the field.

When is this guy officially a bust in your mind? If not, then who is?

And, do you think he may be the biggest bust of any player selected or picked up in free agency for any team in Dallas, and not just the Cowboys?

Forget other sports for a few seconds and ask yourself this. Can a star play lights out Pro Football while injured and Still outshine B players with extreme obvious separation skill?

Mo was injured when we drafted him but prior to coming to the Pros he outshined most A players in college football.

The NFL separates "The Men from The Boys." Everybody who gets $$$$ is above B players in college..

Elementary my dear draft scout. Mo Clai's production in college warranted a 1st Round Selection but all bets should have been off for such an early selection such as 6th Overall in the first place.

Mo came in "Light on his feet" for the Pro Level, much less injured but despite All That, Mo played Above B Level for a Rook in the Pro's his rookie year, and he was played outside his true strength..

Man there's just a lot of inns, outs, and what have you's in this equation.. This year will determine his Worth because he has increased his physique for the level of football talent he's going to face.

I'd say if Mo is healthy he should be played in a press cover type scheme. And when he's utilized in that capacity, he will produce those dividends we all expect to see.. If he doesn't you have a definitive answer. I suspect you'd say I want more, most indignant minds would concur....

 

[CCBoy]

I don't necessarily agree with your assessment here, but I can accept the rationale.

A better point might have been the prenegotiated contract while on the phone, and another DT tackle taken in the same first round.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

Agreed, until he went afoul with player standards of conduct. He 'bad boyed' his way out of the NFL.

It's been a long time. I had forgotten he was one of the ones who went all bad boy, screwing up his career. I remember that D line he was on was awesome. It sucks when people have so much and piss it all away. Erik Williams was another. He was one of the best O-linemen ever until he trashed it all by getting into a car wreck. If memory serves me right he had been drinking. He did rehab and get back into playing shape, but he was never the same again. Fortunately, the team found Larry Allen to take his place, who was even better.

I would love to have a Russell Maryland back in his prime who doesn't piss his career away.

 

[CCBoy]

It's been a long time. I had forgotten he was one of the ones who went all bad boy, screwing up his career. I remember that D line he was on was awesome. It sucks when people have so much and piss it all away. Erik Williams was another. He was one of the best O-linemen ever until he trashed it all by getting into a car wreck. If memory serves me right he had been drinking. He did rehab and get back into playing shape, but he was never the same again. Fortunately, the team found Larry Allen to take his place, who was even better.

I would love to have a Russell Maryland back in his prime who doesn't piss his career away.

Fair, but I still liked the 'attitude' of Erik Williams, almost to the very end...thanks for the comment

 

[d_dub88]

Russell Maryland was a bust. Which we would have just traded that pick.

It's funny how some stat people look at a game like football. While you see a bust, I saw an anchor on multiple #1 defenses. No he didn't get the all important SACK but he did hold the LOS and not many ran on that line up the gut. Nice to know a starter on three SB teams who also played for a decade in the league can be considered a bust. Unbelievable.

 

[rpntex]

you keep mention Tyron and Dez but the thing is they are both blue-chip players and dominate in rookie years. they can beat people with skill and instinct and now after learning the game they can do it day in and day out.

how many people wonder if Tyron or Dez is a bust? We can wonder if Dez will make the HOF

So you're holding Mo (after 2 seasons in the NFL) to the same level of expectation as a 4-year vet (Tyron) and a 5-year vet (Dez)? That alone destroys the credibility of your post.

What's more incredulous is that you think Dez and Tyron "dominated" anything their rookie seasons. Both were solid contributors (Dez had 45 catches for 561 yards and 6 TDs), and we could tell they would be special once they (and their game) matured. But if you think Dez was dominant (not dominate - it's a verb), then you must have Terrence Williams in the Hall of Fame already. In his rookie season, he had one catch less than Dez (44), for 736 yards and 5 TDs.

Mo, like all of DBs, have labored under the misfortune of playing behind a non-existent pass rush. There not a CB in football that won't get abused if he has to cover for 7 + seconds. This is his 3rd year in the league - the year most players finally "get it". Let's see if he can stay healthy before we flush him off to glory. In the end, it will be his durability, and not his ability, that does him in.

 

[ConstantReboot]

Maybe he wasn't as gifted, but he had a better college career at corner, made more plays, and was more highly regarded coming out of college at actually being a shutdown corner.

And haha, what? Guarding receivers with inferior talent? Throwing at him? Now you're just hatin' because that's not true. Claiborne was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year his senior year, and also won a thing called the Jim Thorpe award. I'm pretty sure I'd avoid that guy.

What big time Receiver did he ever shut down? He was playing the backfield with Honey Bear and Patrick Peterson. So the other teams had to figure out which defender they had to try and go with.

I'm not saying that he wasn't that good. Just saying that his skill and talent wasn't up to par as being a top ten pick especially compared to Deion.

 

[ConstantReboot]

It's funny how some stat people look at a game like football. While you see a bust, I saw an anchor on multiple #1 defenses. No he didn't get the all important SACK but he did hold the LOS and not many ran on that line up the gut. Nice to know a starter on three SB teams who also played for a decade in the league can be considered a bust. Unbelievable.

Russell Maryland I don't think was worth the #1 pick overall. Even in his probowl year his numbers was pretty pedestrian. I think he got into the probowl because he was in a superbowl team and got in based on popularity. Do you think that being in a probowl makes that player elite? If played in the league for so long why did he only make it to one probowl?

Not discounting that his a good player. Just didn't think we should have used it on him just because he played for Miami.

 

[gmoney112]

What big time Receiver did he ever shut down? He was playing the backfield with Honey Bear and Patrick Peterson. So the other teams had to figure out which defender they had to try and go with.

I'm not saying that he wasn't that good. Just saying that his skill and talent wasn't up to par as being a top ten pick especially compared to Deion.

I don't know the answer to your question, did they not have one good WR on their schedule? I know the SEC plays defense and he was rated the best defensive player at any position, the dude has skills. .

And Peterson came out a year before Claiborne. Claiborne's insane senior year, without PP, was about a dominant campaign as you could ever have when he was, without a doubt, the #1 CB.

Normally I wouldn't care to respond but there seems to be a big misconception on Claiborne's ceiling and how he was prospected in the draft. He was basically a can't miss player.

 

[CCBoy]

Russell Maryland I don't think was worth the #1 pick overall. Even in his probowl year his numbers was pretty pedestrian. I think he got into the probowl because he was in a superbowl team and got in based on popularity. Do you think that being in a probowl makes that player elite? If played in the league for so long why did he only make it to one probowl?

Not discounting that his a good player. Just didn't think we should have used it on him just because he played for Miami.

He was rated at eight on the Cowboys' board. Rocket Ismail was their target, but when he signed with the CFL, Jimmy targeted Russell Maryland.

 

[d_dub88]

Russell Maryland I don't think was worth the #1 pick overall. Even in his probowl year his numbers was pretty pedestrian. I think he got into the probowl because he was in a superbowl team and got in based on popularity. Do you think that being in a probowl makes that player elite? If played in the league for so long why did he only make it to one probowl?

Not discounting that his a good player. Just didn't think we should have used it on him just because he played for Miami.

If you understood the basics of the '90s Cowboy defense then you would know Maryland's position, in that D, would never be a stat position. The DEs were rarely ever asked to contain so the DTs had to hold the line until LBs or safeties could fill gaps on runs. On passes the NT (Maryland) held the LOS and the other DT rushed the passer with the ends. There have been plenty of excellent players that don't make the Probowl, and most that are good players and miss are playing on the OL or the DL. Common fans just don't pay attention to linemen unless you're seeing sacks or pancakes. Russell Maryland was probably lucky to get to one Probowl if you go by stats and don't understand the concept of the defense or the position the he played in it.

I have heard that the front office tried to get out of that pick but since they took it, I feel, that they went with the safest player on the board. A player Johnson knew and one that had proven himself on two championship teams at the U. No way you can call that guy a bust unless you're trading bubble gum cards.

 

[Sinister]

I don't know the answer to your question, did they not have one good WR on their schedule? I know the SEC plays defense and he was rated the best defensive player at any position, the dude has skills. .

And Peterson came out a year before Claiborne. Claiborne's insane senior year, without PP, was about a dominant campaign as you could ever have when he was, without a doubt, the #1 CB.

Normally I wouldn't care to respond but there seems to be a big misconception on Claiborne's ceiling and how he was prospected in the draft. He was basically a can't miss player.

Bottom line trading up for Mo was a mistake.

This team had too many needs on the offensive line and defensive line to be trading up for Claiborne.

Yes, he was the safest/best cornerback in this draft, but the cornerback class was not that good.
Yes, the Cowboys had him rated extremely high, but they were wrong.

There is no such thing as a can't miss player, whatever skills he has (I'm not saying he doesn't have skills) are not translating fully into the NFL.

The Cowboys were aggressive and that is good sometimes, but in this case it was a mistake.

 

[birdwells1]

If you understood the basics of the '90s Cowboy defense then you would know Maryland's position, in that D, would never be a stat position. The DEs were rarely ever asked to contain so the DTs had to hold the line until LBs or safeties could fill gaps on runs. On passes the NT (Maryland) held the LOS and the other DT rushed the passer with the ends. There have been plenty of excellent players that don't make the Probowl, and most that are good players and miss are playing on the OL or the DL. Common fans just don't pay attention to linemen unless you're seeing sacks or pancakes. Russell Maryland was probably lucky to get to one Probowl if you go by stats and don't understand the concept of the defense or the position the he played in it.

I have heard that the front office tried to get out of that pick but since they took it, I feel, that they went with the safest player on the board. A player Johnson knew and one that had proven himself on two championship teams at the U. No way you can call that guy a bust unless you're trading bubble gum cards.

The Cowboys moved up in the draft to select Rocket Ismail, when he wasn't available (CFL) they selected Maryland. Maryland ended up being a solid player but no one move up to the number 1 pick in the draft to get a solid player so I would have to say that he wasn't worth the pick. If he had a career like Warren Sapp then it would've been worth it.

 

[Sinister]

Nothing happens in a vacuum. The trade up for Mo had some very bad implications for the team and the defense. Remember when we were drafting this team had Mike Jenkins, Orlando Scandrick and they had just signed Carr to a 50 million dollar contract.

Who was playing center? Oh yeah Phil Costa. We had no depth on the defensive line or inside linebackers. At the end of the year the Cowboys were pulling linebackers off the street to play and the offensive line was in complete disarray. Free had his worst year then Rob Ryan got fired.

The Cowboys changed defensive schemes and again ended up ignoring the defensive line (the Cowboys drafted a TE and Wide Receiver). Guess what? The defense was again a disaster, one of the worst in Cowboys history.

Yes, I blame the injuries on the front office, injuries happen every year they had the ability to go out and draft and sign players, but because of the management of the salary cap they could not do what was needed and because of the abysmal overly aggressive trading up they could not see the issues that are at the root of the problems that this team is and was facing.

So what did the Cowboys do this year? Got rid of their two best defensive lineman (Ware and Hatcher) lost their best defensive player (Lee) and their hopeful future depth disappeared (Holloman). No, I'm not blaming Mo for the issues that occurred the past year. What I'm saying is that this organization has fumbled the ball on the defensive side of the ball because of their short-sighted GM.

This is an overly simplistic view of the events that occurred the past two years, but I think you can make a case that many of the issues on the defensive side of the ball were a direct result of the trade up for Mo.

I do believe at the end of the day that this organization had to release Ware and Hatcher, but if we had done some things differently in that 2012/13 draft then maybe the Cowboys wouldn't have the extreme problems that we are currently seeing.

As I said earlier in this thread and quoted from Warren Buffett:

"Hope is not a strategy"

But you know what, right now that is all I have!

 

[Fredd]

If the DLine gets pressure on the QB this season (who knows if they will), and if Mo still gets burned, then he is trending towards bust if you compare the expectations to the performance...I, for one, don't blame him that the cowboys traded up for him, giving up two picks - that is not his fault and does not go into my thought process of bust vs not-bust.....it looks like he is a little stronger and somewhat nastier this year...let him press at the line and see what he can do...I am pretty excited to see him this season...I hope he takes someones helmet off in game #1, even if it is a penalty...leave a message to the rest of the league that he is there to play

Go Mo!

 

[Teague31]

This "when" talk is cute

 

[big dog cowboy]

So you're holding Mo (after 2 seasons in the NFL) to the same level of expectation as a 4-year vet (Tyron) and a 5-year vet (Dez)?

The truth shall set you free. Nice job.

 

[DiResta]

So you're holding Mo (after 2 seasons in the NFL) to the same level of expectation as a 4-year vet (Tyron) and a 5-year vet (Dez)? That alone destroys the credibility of your post.

What's more incredulous is that you think Dez and Tyron "dominated" anything their rookie seasons. Both were solid contributors (Dez had 45 catches for 561 yards and 6 TDs), and we could tell they would be special once they (and their game) matured. But if you think Dez was dominant (not dominate - it's a verb), then you must have Terrence Williams in the Hall of Fame already. In his rookie season, he had one catch less than Dez (44), for 736 yards and 5 TDs.

Mo, like all of DBs, have labored under the misfortune of playing behind a non-existent pass rush. There not a CB in football that won't get abused if he has to cover for 7 + seconds. This is his 3rd year in the league - the year most players finally "get it". Let's see if he can stay healthy before we flush him off to glory. In the end, it will be his durability, and not his ability, that does him in.

I compared Claiborne to Tyron and Dez at the rookie years. All are 1st round pick all expected to perform year 1. Dez had many problems with learning new routes and off field but even his first year he flashed greatness with incredible catches and yes, dominating dbs at times man. I said now, now they can do it ever game but in 1st couple years there was flashes Tyron too. he made mistakes of course but everyone could see esp for what? 20 year old he cpould hold his own against some of the best. so what? they moved him over to LT and then what? they said hey man just block JPP and anybody else out there by yourself with no help.

you pretty funny though Williams must be in HOF lol ok. Claiborne graded as one of the worst corner in the nfl thats when he can get on t he field. you seem to love his game so fine. maybe he can do something before his contract is up.