Cowboys Expect Claiborne To Return This Year
Appearing on 105.3 The Fan today, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that he “absolutely” expects cornerback Morris Claiborne to return to the field during the 2016 regular season, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets. Jones said he wasn’t sure if Claiborne would be able to play in Dallas’ December 11 game against the Giants, but cautioned that the scenario shouldn’t be ruled out, according to Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
[RELATED: Jaylon Smith Won’t Play This Year]
Disparate reports emerged last week regarding Claiborne’s status, as some information indicated that Claiborne was ahead of schedule in his recovery from a strained groin, while other sources relayed that Claiborne was “nowhere close to returning” given that he reportedly tore the bone off his pelvis. It’s possible — and perhaps likely — that Claiborne is awaiting the results of another MRI that will help gauge his progress, but Jones, for one, seems to believe that the veteran defensive back is somewhat close to playing again.
Claiborne, 26, has transformed from a former draft bust to a legitimate top corner in his fifth NFL season, ranking as PFF’s ninth-best corner on the year. Re-signed to a one-year deal worth only $3MM, Claiborne has seven games thus far in 2016 and posted one interception. He’s scheduled for unrestricted free agency after the season, so his ability to return to the field is critical not only for the Cowboys’ secondary, but for Claiborne’s bottom line.
With Clairborne sidelined, Dallas has turned to Orlando Scandrick — who recently returned from his own injury — and rookie Anthony Brown to take more playing time. And while the Cowboys will be without Claiborne for a few more weeks at minimum, they are expected to see the return of safety Barry Church, who fractured his right forearm last month, on Thursday night against the Vikings.
Poll: Are Cowboys NFL’s Best Team?
In pulling out a 31-26 win over the NFC East rival Redskins on Thanksgiving, the Cowboys improved to 10-1 and became the first team in the NFL this year to reach double-digit victories. Most of Dallas’ success has come thanks to an elite offense fronted by a dominant line and two sensational rookies – fourth-round quarterback Dak Prescott and first-round running back Ezekiel Elliott.
As those who pay any attention to the league know, Prescott was only supposed to be a temporary fill-in while Tony Romo recovered from an August back injury. The 23-year-old instead stole the four-time Pro Bowler’s job and has combined for 23 touchdowns (18 passing, five rushing) against two interceptions. Thanks to Prescott’s stinginess, the Cowboys are tied for first in the league in giveaways per game (0.6).
While Prescott’s resounding early success has come as a shock, Elliott has been as advertised. The former Ohio State star went fourth overall because his greatness with the Buckeyes was supposed to transfer to the pros, which it has. Elliott entered Thursday as the league’s rushing leader, and he increased his advantage over second-place DeMarco Murray – a former Cowboy – with a 97-yard performance. Elliott is now up to 1,199 yards on a league-high 243 carries, and he ranks second in the sport in rushing touchdowns (11).
With so much going for them on offense – including tight end Jason Witten, receivers Dez Bryant and Cole Beasley and, should something happen to Prescott, the league’s premier backup QB (Romo) – it doesn’t appear an attack that entered Thursday first in DVOA is going to fade down the stretch. The Cowboys’ defense is another matter, though: While the unit has given up a fairly meager 19.4 points per game – good for 10th in the league – it’s a distant 22nd in yards allowed per contest, and 25th in both DVOA and takeaways per game (0.9). Dallas’ work against the pass has been especially problematic, and its ineptitude was on display when it allowed Redskins signal-caller Kirk Cousins to complete 41 of 53 passes for 449 yards and three touchdowns on Thursday. The Cowboys also failed to sack Cousins, and have taken down opposing QBs only 20 times.
One thing the Cowboys’ defense has going for it – and one thing that helps explain the team’s lack of points surrendered – is that it doesn’t spend much time on the field. Dallas’ offense leads the league in time of possession (33:12 per game), as Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today noted Friday, thereby taking even more pressure off a less-than-stellar defense. That formula has worked swimmingly so far, but it could backfire in the playoffs against a team like the 7-2-1 Seahawks – who rank in the league’s top 10 in both offensive and DVOA and might stand as the Cowboys’ top competition in the NFC.
The likes of the Patriots (8-2), Raiders (8-2) and defending champion Broncos (7-3) are among those that should also be in the discussion for the league’s No. 1 team, though any of them would only serve as a hindrance to the Cowboys in a potential Super Bowl matchup. Having to face one of those teams this season would be a welcome task for Dallas, whose latest Super Bowl appearance came in a January 1996 win over the Steelers.
As things stand, the Cowboys are on track for a first-round bye in the postseason and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. That indicates that they’re the league’s preeminent team, but do you fully buy into their nearly spotless record? Are they the current Super Bowl favorites?
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cowboys LB Jaylon Smith Won’t Play This Year
The Cowboys raised some eyebrows this week when they activated linebacker Jaylon Smith from the non-football injury list. However, he won’t be playing this season, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. In fact, the rookie won’t even be practicing this season. 
By activating Smith off the NFI list this week, the Cowboys were merely keeping their options open. The timetable for making his NFL debut is still unclear because of the nature of his injury. Nerve damage is always tough to figure out and the source tells Rapoport that it’s not clear when or if it will “fire” again.
Smith has now been rehabbing his injury for eleven months and he has been earning his full salary while on NFI, even though the Cowboys do not have to do that under league rules. So, the decision to keep Smith off the field will not affect his bank account.
The Cowboys would have liked to add the Notre Dame product to their front seven this year, but they also knew that this could be a lost season for him. Once regarded as a top 10 pick, most teams ruled Smith out in the early rounds. The Patriots, Rapoport says, were the only other team that would have considered Smith in the second round. In time, the Cowboys’ gamble could pay off, but we won’t have a read on that until next year.
Latest On Tony Romo’s Future
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones declared last week that he does not intend to move on from quarterback Tony Romo after the season, but the belief around the NFL is that Dak Prescott‘s backup will be in another uniform in 2017, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.
While some expect the soon-to-be 37-year-old Romo to bring back a healthy return in a trade, general managers Schefter spoke to indicated otherwise. In the opinion of those GMs, Romo would net anywhere from a mid- to late-round conditional pick. One reason is that the Cowboys wouldn’t hold much leverage in trade talks because Jones, who’s close with Romo, would enable the four-time Pro Bowler to choose his next team. If that’s the case, the to-be-determined club wouldn’t have much incentive to surrender a significant pick for Romo, who’s due base salaries of $14MM, $19.5MM and $20.5MM over the final three years of his contract.
A high-end starter from 2006-14, Romo has played in just four games since the beginning of last season because of various injuries – including a broken bone in his back that left him inactive the first nine contests this year. When Romo went down during the preseason, the assumption was that he’d reclaim the starting job upon returning. But Prescott, a fourth-round rookie, had other ideas. The 23-year-old has gone from caretaker to star over the course of the season, having accounted for 21 touchdowns (17 passing, four rushing) against a meager two interceptions in the first 10 games of his career. Prescott also ranks third in the NFL in yards per attempt (8.35) and passer rating (108.6), and has helped the Cowboys to a league-best 9-1 record. The team hasn’t lost since dropping a 20-19 decision to the Giants in Week 1.
In the near term, Prescott’s brilliance has pushed Romo to the bench (he returned last Sunday in a No. 2 role). Down the line, it could lead Romo out of Dallas in the offseason. One potential suitor is the Broncos, who have gone 7-3 with roughly average play under center from Trevor Siemian.
The 24-year-old Siemian addressed the Romo rumors on Wednesday, telling Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post, “Not too worried about it, truthfully. This is a really important game for us. We have plenty of focus toward this coming Sunday. You can’t worry about that stuff too much.”
Denver does indeed face a crucial matchup Sunday against AFC West rival Kansas City, which is also 7-3. While the Broncos and Chiefs currently hold playoff spots in the AFC, they’re looking up at the division-leading Raiders (8-2), and the reigning Super Bowl champions will likely need more from Siemian if they’re going to overtake Oakland. In his first year as a starter, Siemian has completed 60.1 percent of throws, averaged 6.97 yards per attempt and tossed 12 scores against seven picks. With Romo likely to hit the market after the season, Siemian could be playing for his job over the next several weeks.
Cowboys Notes: McFadden, Claiborne
- In an interview on 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed reports that Darren McFadden will be activated, as Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News tweets. McFadden will join a crowded backfield headlined by star rookie Ezekiel Elliott and backup Alfred Morris. McFadden could contribute as a pass-catcher, however. He averaged 38 catches per year between 2014 and 2015.
- There is skepticism about Morris Claiborne‘s status going forward, but Jones is confident that he will return for the Cowboys this season (Twitter link via Machota). The cornerback has not played since October 30, a disappointment since he was in the midst of shedding his draft bust label this year. Through the first seven games of the year, Claiborne was ranked as Pro Football Focus’ eighth-best cornerback in the NFL. He figures to see a pay raise over his current one-year, $3MM deal this spring, but his market will be limited if he cannot demonstrate that he is healthy, particularly given his injury history.
Barry Church Due Back After Thanksgiving
- Cowboys safety Barry Church has been sidelined with a fractured right forearm but he expects to be back in time to face Minnesota on Dec. 1 (Twitter link via Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News). Church says he’ll wear a cast when he plays.
- Tony Romo attempting to make Dak Prescott‘s ascent to the Dallas starting job easier could benefit the veteran passer this offseason, Cole of notes (video link). The Cowboys, per Cole, could be more willing to accommodate the 36-year-old quarterback with a trade, with the NFL insider mentioning the Broncos and Chiefs as potential destinations.
Rolando McClain Suspended Another Year
5:56pm: Jerry Jones said after Dallas’ Week 11 win the team wants McClain back after his suspension ends, whenever that will be.
“We certainly, when he’s eligible, we won’t release him and when he’s eligible he’ll be a part of this team,” Jones said, via Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. “He had gotten in good shape. We’ll just deal with what I’ll find out with his status from the league.”
Since McClain has been on the reserve/did not report list this season, it’s possible his one-year Cowboys deal could be applied to 2017. But Jones did not want to speculate on that for fear of punishment from the league.
“I can’t talk about those items because it might imply that I knew something about his status,” Jones said, via George, “and I don’t want to lose a draft pick.”
If McClain is suspended for the bulk of 2017 as well, it would be a stretch he returns. He’ll turn 28 in July but will have, if this additional ban goes through, missed over 30 games by the time he’s eligible again. Jaylon Smith is expected to be given a strong chance at winning the middle-‘backer job next season, although the second-round rookie’s complex injury status leaves that reality far from certain as well.
8:20am: Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain has been suspended for another year, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who reports that McClain recently missed another drug test. McClain was already serving a 10-game suspension for testing positive for opiates, a suspension that was scheduled to be lifted tomorrow, but now he will have wait until November 2017 before he is eligible to apply for reinstatement. He is, however, expected to appeal the ban.
Of course, even when he is eligible to return, it is unclear whether another NFL club will give him an opportunity to suit up. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, the Cowboys themselves doubt that McClain will ever play again. Dallas will keep McClain on the reserve/did not report list until his suspension becomes official.
McClain’s return to prominence with the Cowboys in 2014 was an unexpected feel-good story, and he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ 28th-best linebacker in 2015. He was rewarded with a one-year, $4MM deal with Dallas this past offseason, several months before his 10-game suspension was announced. He has infamously battled an addiction to “purple drank,” and he compounded his problems by skipping voluntary team activities in the spring and by failing to turn up to training camp. He is eligible for unrestricted free agency at season’s end, but it is difficult to envision the former Alabama star getting his career back on track.
Latest On Morris Claiborne
One of the few pieces of bad news affecting the 2016 Cowboys, the status of Morris Claiborne is now in doubt as far as immediate availability is concerned. The late-blossoming cornerback has not played since October 30, and conflicting reports have emerged on the severity of the injury that’s kept him out.
Claiborne will not play against the Vikings next week. A consensus has formed on that, but when exactly he’ll return varies. Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News reports the fifth-year player is ahead of schedule (Twitter link) in recovering from a strained groin, and Morning News colleague Jon Machota tweets Claiborne hopes to resume running on Monday.
“It’s much better now. Actually moving around now,” Claiborne said, via Machota (on Twitter), before adding the expiring-contract performer will get an MRI in a couple of weeks.
This seemingly puts his timetable further away, as does a report from Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Hill tweets Claiborne is “nowhere close to returning,” with the cornerback’s injury not merely a groin problem but one caused by a bone being torn off his pelvis that may induce a surgery. Claiborne’s MRI, per Hill, will occur in two or three weeks.
The Cowboys have functioned well obviously without Claiborne’s services in surging to their longest win streak in franchise history after today’s win over the Ravens. Dallas entered the day ranking just 21st in pass defense, however.
Claiborne has 26 tackles, five passes defensed and an interception this season and has played better than he did during his rookie contract, one that would have carried over into this season had Dallas picked up the former top-10 pick’s fifth-year option. Instead, Claiborne received scant free agent interest and accepted a one-year, $3MM deal to return.
Regardless of this injury, it seems Claiborne will see a bigger market for his 2017 services. How much bigger will depend on how the rest of this season goes. Should this setback be one that defines his season and prevents him from returning at full strength, it would certainly hamper his prospects at securing a multi-year, big-money contract. Considering the ex-LSU standout has an extensive injury history, having now missed 30 games in his career, his actual timetable will be crucial to his value as well as the Cowboys’ hopes at making a Super Bowl run.
Source: Romo Not Considering Retirement
- We heard earlier today that retirement was a real possibility for Tony Romo at the end of the season, but Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News reports that the Cowboys‘ newest backup quarterback fully plans to play in 2017 (Twitter link). If Romo did retire, Dallas could recoup $19.6MM from him, according to former NFL agent Joel Corry (via Twitter), which further supports the belief that Romo will not hang it up just yet.
More Speculation On Tony Romo’s Future
Now that Tony Romo has formally conceded the Cowboys’ starting quarterback job to Dak Prescott, it is time to speculate where Romo will be next season. It is possible, of course, that he stays in Dallas, and many pundits believe it would make plenty of sense for the Cowboys to keep him around. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, for instance, says that given Prescott’s athleticism and running ability, he will always run a heightened chance of getting hurt, and Romo would easily represent the best insurance policy in the game. Plus, as a fourth-round draft choice this year, Prescott’s 2017 cap number is a meager $635K, and the Cowboys would eat $19.6MM in dead money if they were to cut or trade Romo next year.
As Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes, Romo will talk with team owner Jerry Jones in the offseason, and the possibility that Romo returns to the Cowboys on a reworked contract is certainly on the table. Jones himself recently said, “I have no plans for [Romo] not to be a part of the Dallas Cowboys. Not a consideration.” (Twitter link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News).
There’s nothing else that Jones, ever the politician, would say at this point. But if the Cowboys do seek to trade Romo in the offseason, La Canfora and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirm that there would be a pretty healthy market for his services. Earlier this week, we heard that some NFL executives believe the Cowboys could get as much as a second-round pick for Romo, though others are more bearish on his value. In any event, since Romo’s contract would have to be renegotiated to make a trade work, he will have a great deal of say in where he winds up next season.
Rapoport hears that Romo “has his eyes on the Broncos” as a potential destination, assuming Denver determines that Paxton Lynch is not ready to go in 2017 and that Trevor Siemian is not the answer. The Cardinals also look like a strong possibility, and the Bears, Jets, and Bills could theoretically be interested in Romo if the circumstances are right.
And, although Jason Witten has recently stated that he does not believe Romo will retire anytime soon, Rapoport says that retirement remains a possibility, depending on how Romo’s body feels. If he does choose to hang up the cleats, Rapoport believes Romo will continue to work in the Cowboys’ organization in some capacity given his close personal relationship with the Joneses.