If you’re one of the newer members of the Dallas Cowboys, the cool thing to do these days is to reveal your new jersey number. Last Saturday new Defensive Tackle Stephen Paea announced that he’ll wear #55, and it seems one of his Free Agency classmates has taken a page out of his book. Cornerback Nolan Carroll has announced that he’ll be wearing #24 when he has a Star on his helmet.
#24 will be the fourth different jersey number that Nolan Carroll has worn since being drafted in 2010. Carroll wore #28 during his entire stint with the Miami Dolphins, and Carroll wore both #23 and #22 during his time with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The reason that #24 is even available with the Dallas Cowboys is because the man who used to wear it left for a team that wears green and white, just like the team Carroll left behind before joining the Cowboys. It was Morris Claiborne who rocked #24, many times in extreme disappointment. Claiborne did have a fantastic start to the 2016 season, but ultimately his health and level of play mirroring a sin curve made it bad business to keep him around.
I consider myself a bit of a number aficionado, and slipping #24 over your shoulders as an NFL defensive back is a bold strategy. #24 is synonymous with great secondary play, and if you’re going to put it on your back you better be able to carry the expectations that come with it.
The Cowboys flirted with Nolan Carroll during the 2016 offseason, but things really came together in 2017 for both parties. Maybe Carroll just wanted to wait until #24 was available – I’m kidding – before fully packing his bags and heading to the greatest team in the world. Either way, whatever the case, Carroll is smart to lock on to such a great number before a rookie comes in and holds it up in the middle of a press conference. #27 is still available!
