IRVING, Texas — Morris Claiborne is not in the clear just yet. The Cowboys' first-round draft pick is still in the process of recovering from surgery on his left wrist.
But a significant hurdle was crossed recently as Claiborne had his cast removed.
The standout LSU cornerback tweeted a photo Tuesday of his wrist without the cast and included the statement: "Im FREEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!"
His excitement was still evident a day later as the 22-year-old bounced around the Valley Ranch practice field during a stretching period before the start of Wednesday's organized team activities.
Claiborne said Wednesday he will be wearing a removable brace for the next two weeks and then begin therapy. Because the healing process has not been completed, Claiborne said it's unlikely he'll be ready for minicamp. Instead, he is aiming for the first week of training camp.
"I don't like it, but I know it's what's best for me and in the long run what's best for the team," Claiborne said. "I'm not trying to rush it. I'm just going to take my time and do what the trainers have me doing in the meantime."
That hasn't stopped the sixth overall pick from forcing his way into some drills, only to have Cowboys trainers pulling him right back out.
"I get a little upset, but it's only for my best," he said.
Until he is medically cleared to take further steps in the rehab process, Claiborne is limited to conditioning drills, which basically consists of running.
Before the surgery to repair the ligaments he tore in November, Claiborne had never worn a cast. His first experience made him appreciate the ability to do normal everyday tasks like washing his hand.
"When I first took it off, I was scared to put my hand under the water because I haven't touched water in so long," he said. "It felt so good. I got this on [showing his removable brace]. I can take it off when I want to and wash my hand. I must've washed my hand about a thousand times already."
Claiborne said trying to sleep with the bulky protection around his wrist was also difficult. Attempting to scratch his wrist wasn't easy, either. Because there were stitches in his wrist, Claiborne couldn't use objects like a coat hanger to relieve an itch.
"I still had the stitches and stuff still in there and I didn't want to re-cut it," he said. "I had, like, a little plastic spoon or fork and I'd [use] the back of it."
Follow Jon Machota on Twitter: @jonmachota
