It's highly unlikely that Morris Claiborne plays against the Houston Texans Thursday night, meaning he will not take the field for a single preseason game. Claiborne has been nursing a left knee injury since training camp but plans to be on the field when the Dallas Cowboys open the season on Sept. 8.
With Claiborne adjusting to a new scheme and playing in only his second NFL season, former Cowboys safety Darren Woodson said there's reason for concern, considering the 23-year-old cornerback is missing valuable time.
"As talented as he is, he needs these type of reps to take that next step," Woodson said before the Cowboys Kickoff Luncheon Wednesday at AT&T Stadium. "I'm a little concerned about the start of the season with him and if he needs to knock off some rust."
Claiborne, who played in two preseason games last year, started 15 games during his rookie season, missing a Week 15 victory over Pittsburgh because of a concussion. The former sixth overall pick missed all of organized team activities and mini-camp in 2012 because of a surgically repaired left wrist and also missed time during training camp that year after spraining the MCL in his left knee.
"Durability is one of the concerns for Claiborne," Woodson said. "You know athletically what this kid can do. He's one of those guys that's so gifted at the cornerback position.
"You can always determine if it's a great cornerback or an average cornerback when the ball's in the air. If the ball's in the air and there's fear in his eyes, then that's an average cornerback. Claiborne is not afraid when the ball's in the air. He will make a play on that football, he doesn't care at all if he has to take a risk to go up and get it, I see that side of him, that athletic side of him.
"I just need to see more of a toughness side of him, especially in this Cover 2 scheme when it's the corners and the linebackers as a whole having to come up and make plays, having to come up and make tackles. We're going to see if he's one of those guys that will make some tackles."
Claiborne finished eighth on the team last year with 55 tackles.
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