Newly-hired defensive back coach Jerome Henderson has yet to even conduct his first practice overseeing the Cowboys' secondary.
But even in his first three months on the job, Henderson has landed some big scores – first getting Brandon Carr in free agency from the Chiefs back in March. That was followed by the Cowboys trading up to land Morris Claiborne, the highest-rated defensive player on the team's draft board.
"Watching the young man on tape, he wasn't a guy I really thought we had a chance to go up and get," Henderson said of Claiborne. "But studying the tape, he's a guy I love watching. He's so technically sound. So athletic and so passionate about the game. As a defensive backs coach, I was extremely impressed with the way he plays."
While Carr is a four-year veteran and should be ready to step right in and contribute. Henderson said what makes Claiborne so special is that he's already advance in terms of the teaching aspect that typically comes along with young players.
"The thing I like, when I watch him play press, and we're going to play a lot of press man here – he is already technically sound," said Henderson, an eight-year veteran in the NFL who spent the last coaching in Cleveland, including the first two with Rob Ryan. "When I look at most college corners, I watch the tape and say 'Ok, he's good here but I've got to fix this or fix that.' But a lot of those things, Morris already does.
"Now I can start with him and understanding the NFL and what it's about. I don't have to spend so much time with technique. He already does all the things. Now I can talk to him about 'how you can recognize what the offense is trying to do with you.' I think I can bring him along a little faster."
