Cowboys News: Jerry Jones Says Morris Claiborne Deserves Fifth Year

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is optimistic about cornerback Morris Claiborne’s future with the club, despite his struggles during his first three years in the NFL. He suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee in the Cowboys’ fourth game that ended his season, and also had his right knee scoped a few weeks ago.

The Cowboys have until May 3 to utilize a fifth-year option on the 2012 first-round pick that would guarantee his deal would run through 2016. Jones was asked if he believes Claiborne has done enough to justify the club picking up his fifth-year option.

“Yes,” Jones responded quickly from the Senior Bowl. “Yes, I do.”

Dallas signed Claiborne to a four-year, $16.4 million contract when they picked him sixth overall out of LSU.

If they don’t exercise the fifth-year option, he could become an unrestricted free agent after the next season. If they do decide to exercise that option, Claiborne would receive the 2015 transition tag money for a cornerback, estimated to be about $11 million.

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