One injury, albeit a serious one. I wasn't thrilled with it but now it's over and done with and Cromartie's now the guy. He'll get my support and I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
Antonio Cromartie Cromartie is a junior who came out early for the draft, but who definitely would have helped himself by staying for another season -- he could have proven himself as a starter, and would have been able to challenge for one of the top cornerback spots in the 2007 NFL Draft. He has exceptional size for a cornerback, and uses his strength and long arms very well to physically push around receiver -- he can re-route receivers surprisingly well. When he stays over his feet and keeps his knees bent in his backpedal, he can transition out of the pedal very quickly, can close on the receiver or pass in a flash, and uses his front arm well to break up passes. He is going to need a lot of work on fundamentals (footwork and backpedal) in order to take advantage of his size and natural athleticism in the NFL. Cromartie is going to be drafted higher than he's rated because of his height/weight/speed combination -- rather than being drafted based on his on-field performance from 2004. He will become a good starting cornerback in the NFL, but is going to need a season or two as a backup to improve his fundamentals and backpedal, and to become more consistent reading and reacting to the pass. STRONG POINTS Cromartie is a very good athlete, with the rare addition of excellent size to go with it. He has the quickness, hips, acceleration and playing speed to stay with receivers all over the field in tight man-to-man coverage, and he can use his long arms well to break up passes. When he backpedals with bent knees, he can plant, drive and close fast on passes in front of him. He has the hands to cut in front of the receiver to make the tough interception. He has the size and strength to physically dominate receivers in press coverage -- he can slow releases and can push receivers off their routes down the field. WEAKNESSES Obviously, it is a concern that Cromartie rotated with two other cornerbacks for the two starting spots in 2004, and then missed the 2005 season with an injury, so he has not proven himself as a full-time starter. He tends to stay upright and high in his backpedal too often, which leads to him struggling to transition out of the pedal to close quickly and break up passes consistently. For a cornerback with his athleticism, it is frustrating how often he gets turned around and allows receivers to get separation and make catches. He does not consistently come up quickly in run support and can be blocked out of the play too easily. Conc's Thoughts This should not have been a first round pick. This is a second, or most liekly a third round pick. Its a reach, its a hope. AJ HOPES the kid turns out to be a player who can play at this level. Heck he couldnt even play at the lower level last season. Lets see what type player the kid turns into, but Charger fans, dont expect this first round pick to help us much this year and possibly next. I think if the player cant start and help you now, he is not worth the first round pick. he isnt worth the first round money that the kid will get to be a back up and hopefully a special teamer.
At this point, we have nothing to lose with Cromartie. Many so called experts call him the next coming of Deion Sanders. So let's see what the kid can do. We need a playmaker in the secondary, and from what I've read and seen of him so far, he looks like a solid pick.
The kids hype matches that of Jammer when we took him. There is nothing to tie him to 'the next Deion Sanders' IMO. Another rub, he isnt going to help us right away, has problems with his basic skills. If he cant help us NOW, why is it we put a first round pick, and money on him? Sorry, AJ just molested the puppy in my humble opinion. I hope I am wrong...
Charlie Whitehurst Whitehurst is an interesting prospect because he has many of the tools to be a successful quarterback in the NFL and has the lineage (his father played quarterback for the Packers in the late '70s/early '80s). He is a tall quarterback with the smooth release and the arm to make all the throws with zip and accuracy. The trouble is that he does not consistently stride into throws and has a little bit of wind-up in delivery, which makes his throwing motion a little deliberate, which will allow NFL defenders to get good breaks on his passes. Overall, Whitehurst might have the physical talent to be a solid starting quarterback in the NFL if he can become more consistent throwing when under pressure, but he needs to go to a team with a quarterbacks coach who is very good at teaching in order for Whitehurst to become the player he is capable of being. In the end, Whitehurst probably will struggle to be a consistent NFL starter and end up as a top-notch backup who can do a very good job of finishing games and can be solid starting a few games a season as a fill-in. STRONG POINTS Whitehurst is a tall quarterback with the arm strength to make all the throws when he strides into them. He makes throws of over 20 yards downfield without much effort. He is a smart quarterback who reads the defense well, can find the open receiver and will throw the ball away rather than force a pass. He just about never makes the big mistake or interception. When he maintains his focus and strides into throws consistently, he is an accurate passer. His ability to make good decisions and throw accurately helps him to consistently make big plays. He has very good touch on deep passes. WEAKNESSES Despite testing out well athletically at the NFL Scouting Combine, Whitehurst plays more like a limited athlete in games. He lacks quick feet to avoid sacks and cannot scramble for first downs. His lack of athleticism and struggles under pressure hinder his ability to consistently convert key downs into first downs against the blitz. He does not consistently maintain good technique under pressure. He ends up throwing flat-footed and falling backward, which leads to him losing accuracy on passes. http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/2006/whitehurst_charlie
Yeah, I agree. But I wont continue baggin on the desicions and bad history in FA that AJ has. Its readily apparent now.
