Morris Claiborne eyes June return

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Comments0
• Email
• Print

DALLAS -- When the Cowboys drafted Morris Claiborne, it was with the understanding that he likely wouldn't make his on-field debut until training camp in late July because of left wrist surgery. But now the rookie cornerback is hoping for a mid-June return.

More on the Cowboys

Calvin Watkins, Tim MacMahon and Todd Archer have the Dallas Cowboys blanketed.
Blog »   ESPN Dallas »
Top 50 Cowboys

"I hope to be fully recovered and ready for that," Claiborne said of the Cowboys' June 12-14 mandatory minicamp.

Claiborne had the pins removed from his wrist last week and he remains in a soft cast and unable to do even conditioning work. He said his plan is to be put in a splint next week and able to take part in the beginning of the organized team activities in a limited fashion.

"I'm so eager and ready," Claiborne said. "It's hard just sitting there, watching, knowing you can do it but you've just got one small thing wrong with you holding you back. But I'm looking forward to it and trying to push that up."

Ultimately, the final call will be that of the Cowboys' medical staff. Claiborne suffered torn ligaments in LSU's first meeting with Alabama last fall but did not miss a game. At the NFL scouting combine in February, teams recommended he have the surgery so it would not hamper him in his rookie season.

The Cowboys' rookies are scheduled to begin camp July 25 with quarterbacks and injured players. The first full-squad workout is expected five days later.

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Comments0
• Email
• Print
• Subscribe

Todd Archer

ESPNDallas.com

• Follow
• Archive

Todd Archer joined ESPNDallas.com in November 2010. He's covered the NFL since 1997 and the Cowboys since 2003. He covered the Bengals and Dolphins before arriving in Dallas. A Massachusetts native, Archer lives in the Dallas area with his wife and two children.