What to expect from Morris Claiborne in 2017 with the Jets

Veteran cornerback Morris Claiborne has had an up-and-down career with the Dallas Cowboys. The New York Jets took a chance on him but will he be able to turn around his career in the city that never sleeps?

Throughout his career, cornerback Morris Claiborne has struggled with multiple injuries, poor tackling, and mediocre coverage. But it’s not all bad. Claiborne has shown spurts of greatness, like during the 2016 season when he was on his way to a Pro Bowl year until yet another injury. The New York Jets took a big risk when acquiring him this offseason but there is hope he can continue where he left off from before getting hurt.

After releasing veteran Darrelle Revis, the Jets had a hole to fill in the secondary, so they took a chance on Claiborne. The question now is, will he be able to put his struggles behind him, and become that great cornerback the team needs?

The answer is yes.  After last season,  it is pretty clear that this man is ready to play. He’s had it with the struggles, and he is finally willing to be that excellent cornerback that everybody expected he would be coming out of college.

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Claiborne played more aggressive than he has ever played in the NFL last season, and that is probably because he knew that people thought he wasn’t able to be a star in this league.  This doubt motivated Claiborne to play his best football since college.

He has the ability to be a shutdown corner in the NFL, and he’s ready to show it.  The only two areas he needs to work on are his strength and his tackling skills.

Claiborne has never truly been a good tackler, and if he wants to have any success at all, he has to get better at that. Tackling is the number one part of defense in the NFL, and if a player can’t do it, then he shouldn’t be playing.

The bottom line is that he seems like he’s willing and able to shine. However, the Jets have to know that if he doesn’t produce this year, then he has to be replaced. This team is looking for young, talented players and while Claiborne is younger than Revis, he still hasn’t proven himself after five years. If he still can’t do it this year, then it is time to move on. Expect to see Claiborne play some of his best defense yet this upcoming season with the Jets.