It was reported last week that the Dallas Cowboys could release veteran cornerback Brandon Carr in order to clear up some cap space. Considering Carr's poor first few weeks of the season and his $12.7 million salary cap hit for the 2015 season, that move seemed like a distinct possibility.
"They also have a decision to make on cornerback Brandon Carr, who is scheduled to count $12.717 million against the cap in 2015 and pull down an $8 million base salary," ESPN's Todd Archer wrote. "... Two years ago the Cowboys made it clear they would not pay right tackle Doug Free $7 million. They eventually agreed to a pay cut, with Free earning $3.5 million a season the last two years. Even if the Cowboys keep Carr, they have cornerback needs with Morris Claiborne coming back from major knee surgery.
"Finding corners is a difficult chore for any team. The Cowboys could approach Carr with the idea of taking a pay cut, similar to what they did with Free. That move with Free worked out for the Cowboys and maybe a move like that with Carr would work out."
Now it's being rumored that the Cowboys could also part ways with 2012 first-rounder Morris Claiborne. Such a move would leave Dallas without two of their top three corners, although neither has played up to expectations. The Cowboys traded up to select Claiborne with the sixth overall pick, but he has failed to make the type of impact many expected of him.
Pro Football Focus ranked Claiborne as just the No. 80 cornerback in the league as a rookie and No. 88 in 2013. Of course, injuries have impeded Claiborne's development. He missed six games in 2013 and this past year ended for him when he ruptured his patella tendon in Week 4, a notoriously difficult injury to come back from.
The Cowboys could pick up Claiborne's fifth-year option, though that would cost the team $11 million in 2016. Team owner and general manager Jerry Jones said earlier this week that he would be comfortable doing so, though his son and executive vice president Stephen Jones did not offer such a firm commitment.
"Jerry is always going to compliment our players," Jones said via the Star-Telegram. "He thinks more of our guys than anybody. But at the same time, when we sit down and take a look at what we have to do underneath our salary cap, that plays into it. We have to look at his health; we have to really measure everything.
"I think his point was we think a lot of Mo. We're still believers that if Mo had a fully healthy off-season and a fully healthy season, that he would play up to our expectations. But you know that's just something we have to manage in terms of the money."
Health is the big question mark when it comes to Claiborne. Two knee surgeries is nothing to overlook for a 24-year-old player. It just doesn't seem wise to commit $11 million - more than guys like Chris Harris, Vontae Davis and Aqib Talib made this past season - to a player who has failed to live up to the hype and now has an injury history.
We'll see what the Cowboys ultimately decide when the new league year kicks off in March.
