[tps_title]1. Morris Claiborne, CB (Age: 27)[/tps_title]
What a topsy-turvy year for Claiborne. He was having a career renaissance and looked destined for a new contract. But then he got hurt again, this time with a groin injury, and will most if not all of the second half of the season.
Claiborne is expected back for the postseason, if nothing else. Perhaps more than anyone else on this list, he has the best chances to help or hurt his stock by those performances on the biggest stages. Will he make a few crucial plays, for good or bad, to swing the outcome of a playoff game?
If Dallas wants Claiborne back then the injury this season may work out in their favor. It lowers Claiborne’s value in the open market and cost him whatever momentum was building early on. He has expressed his desire to remain a Cowboy, and now he’s lost some leverage.
If Claiborne doesn’t return with the same level of play then that might end the conversation all together. He could quickly go from being the team’s top cornerback to fourth on the depth chart. Dallas certainly won’t invest more in Claiborne at that point.
I know 1 player not returning, wears a single-digit number… ;^)
Actually, Chris Jones has one year left on his deal. And Dan Bailey is signed through like 2046. Not sure who else you could be………..
Wait…..
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Right now Sanchez is my preferred future backup.
If there is garbage time & games upcoming, I think you have to get Romo his reps, probably all of them. If he goes down Sanchez is a veteran option behind Dak. If he holds up, then you have some of the rust off if he were to have to play in the playoffs. And if he wants to be a dern fool and continue his career in 2017, then he might have some recent film to shop around.
Likely no demand from other teams for Moore coming off the broken leg, so most likely he goes to camp 2017. I like the guy’s moxy and do not mind at all him being around next year as #3 if he shows full physical recovery. Usually you try to stash that #3 on the practice squad, so he would have to clear waivers.
This also works from the standpoint that Dak is young and durable. It’s a very good unit with Sanchez on the bench and Moore on the PS.
I wouldn’t mind Moore vs. Sanchez for the backup job next year. Bring in a couple of project players to and let them battle for the third spot. I don’t think Moore has much upside, so if he can’t win the #2 job I’d go with someone younger.
That’s a good approach also. It would sort of be a battle over what Sanchez has left after a fast start in the NFL but then hitting into rough times, vs how well can Moore play after he got his 2014 starts, outplayed the 2 veteran backups and then had to sit a year with the injury.
Only thing really favoring Sanchez IMO is that the Cowboys are suddenly a “win now” team, as they were after the 1991 season. You mortgage some future if necessary to get an impact RDE or CB, etc, since you are only probably those players away from dominating the conference for years. You’d hate to have all that riding on an untested playoffs QB, if Dak were to be out at this time of year.