Cowboys owner Jerry Jones acknowledged this week that second-year cornerback Morris Claiborne had a disappointing sophomore campaign.
Claiborne was credited with just one interception and eight passes defensed in 2013, while dealing with health and personal issues. He missed a total of six games with a hamstring injury, lost his starting job to Orlando Scandrick following a shoulder injury and--within a week’s span back in December--he lost his father and became a father himself.
"A very challenging year," Jones said, per Calvin Watkins of ESPN Dallas. "From what I know, from his perspective, if you step back from it and look at his age (23) and his personal experience there with the loss of his dad and building a family, on top of dealing with the disappointment with injury, he's a competitor. You put all that together and it was a hard year for him."
Two years ago, the Cowboys traded up from 14 to land Claiborne at No. 6 in the 2012 NFL Draft, and one would be hard pressed to argue that the move has paid off to this point. Claiborne will open his third training camp as the nickel corner, where he’s been since Scandrick moved into the starting role opposite Brandon Carr.
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