The Cowboys won’t have cornerback Orlando Scandrick for the first four games of the regular season, which leaves them in a position where they have to count on Morris Claiborne.
Claiborne’s first two NFL seasons have featured more injuries than impressive play, but coach Jason Garrett has expressed confidence that Claiborne has taken steps in the right direction this offseason. Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli was a little less effusive in his praise for Claiborne when asked about how confident he is that Claiborne can handle the starting job.
“Well, he’s there,” Marinelli said, via ESPNDallas.com. “He’s our starting corner. That’s the confidence. He’s gotta go do it.”
If Claiborne can do it, it would be a major boost to a defense that’s short on talent across the board. If he can’t, the team doesn’t have much in the way of other options early in the season and that could lead to too deep a hole for them to climb out of once Scandrick is back in the lineup.