Rodgers-Cromartie (Senior Bowl and 07 @ TSU)

[BradyToMoss]

Asante who?

For those who missed the Senior bowl, someone was kind enough to showcase what DRC did in this game: (2cond video)

http://www.thephinsider.com/story/2008/2/23/15250/3977

Also check out the speed in some of his TSU clips (256K red link)

http://www.tsutigers.com/ViewArticl...&DB_OEM_ID=19600&ATCLID=1289497&Q_SEASON=2007

This via Walterfootball.com in his latest mock (15 to the Lions, but climbing and there's talk of the Pats taking him at 7)

"#15 Detroit Lions: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, TSU
It's a yearly tradition - eating turkey, falling asleep afterward and watching the Lions give up 40 points before the whole feast starts. Detroit's defense sucks, and it's time for a change.

When the Lions traded Dre Bly away, I thought they'd acquire another reliable corner to take his place. Guess I was wrong. Detroit's secondary is in desperate need of a makeover. Actually, that goes for the entire stop unit; in 2007, the Lions were 23rd versus the run, 31st against the pass, and dead last in yards and points allowed. Other than that, the defense was pretty good.

Can Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie go this high? I don't see why not. He was incredible at the Senior Bowl. He was draped all over opposing receivers. He caused a turnover. He displayed his great tackling ability. He's a tall corner who runs a 4.3. I've talked to some people who believe he could go as high as No. 7 to New England. This is not a reach by any means. "

 

[PatsFanJess]

I wasn't sold on DRC at first bc I thought that he might have been getting more attention bc of his cousin...but the more I see of him, the more I'm convinced that he's a great talent. Does he play zone well?

 

[BradyToMoss]

I wasn't sold on DRC at first bc I thought that he might have been getting more attention bc of his cousin...but the more I see of him, the more I'm convinced that he's a great talent. Does he play zone well?

The scouts are saying that DRC is a great zone corner, that's the defense he excels in.

 

[PatsFanJess]

The scouts are saying that DRC is a great zone corner, that's the defense he excels in.

Thats great! The only weakness I really see in him is that he could stand to bulk up a bit and add muscle mass. I was amazed by the clips of him in the Senior Bowl..he breaks fast on the ball and has nice footwork. DRC and Cason are the two best corners in the draft, IMO. Hopefully, we pick up one of them.

 

[primetime]

He looked great in the Senior Bowl and certainly has the measurables and the pedigree, but his stats at a low level of competition were rather pedestrian, which concerns me. Still, apparently the Patriots are very keen on him and he said he had a great interview with them.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Yeah and running that 4.3 40 certainly didn't hurt his stock either!
I'm beginning to think the Pats should swap down with the Saints to #10 and then pick DRC.
That mix of size and speed in a CB is intriguing.

 

[PatsFanJess]

He looked great in the Senior Bowl and certainly has the measurables and the pedigree, but his stats at a low level of competition were rather pedestrian, which concerns me. Still, apparently the Patriots are very keen on him and he said he had a great interview with them.

Do you have a link to his college stats by any chance?

 

[sebman2112]

He looked great in the Senior Bowl and certainly has the measurables and the pedigree, but his stats at a low level of competition were rather pedestrian, which concerns me. Still, apparently the Patriots are very keen on him and he said he had a great interview with them.

A lack of statistical production isn't always a bad thing for a CB, especially if he's playing against lessor comp, as they just might try and avoid his side of the field.

 

[primetime]

Do you have a link to his college stats by any chance?

http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/dominique-rodgers-cromartie?id=306

It's there, though in the paragraphs.

By the way, here's his Sporting News analysis (read those weaknesses and ask yourself if this is a guy you think the Patriots will or should select, especially with the 7th overall pick)...

War Room analysis
Strengths: Is an elite athlete, with the physical tools NFL coaches drool over. Is tall with long arms and natural strength. Shows the quickness, speed and fluid hips to turn and run with receivers downfield. Shows the hands to make tough interceptions. At the Senior Bowl, showed quick footwork in backpedal, transitioning to close quickly on passes and using long arms to reach in front of receivers. Shows speed and playmaking ability as a punt returner.

Weaknesses: Is a better athlete than football player; did not play nearly as well in college as he did at the Senior Bowl. At Tennessee State, allowed inferior receivers to separate and catch passes. In college, got upright in backpedal, hindering ability to transition. Lacks natural instincts, and often reacts late to receivers' routes. Shows sloppy and raw technique, raising questions of how well he learns from coaching. Does not play with intensity; does not come upfield quickly in run support, content to allow teammates to make tackles. Bottom line: Rodgers-Cromartie is a premier athlete who improved his draft stock tremendously at the Senior Bowl. In our experience, most players who knock people's socks off in the spring after failing to impress on film struggle to improve in the NFL. Rodgers-Cromartie must prove his stellar week in Mobile isn't an aberration. He still looks and plays more like the track star he also is -- he won the 60 meter dash at the 2007 Ohio Valley Conference indoor championship. Don't be surprised if an NFL team drafts Rodgers-Cromartie as high as Round 1; we don't recommend it, though, because he is a long way from being a polished NFL cornerback. We wouldn't be surprised if Rodgers-Cromartie followed the path of Andre Woolfolk, a 2003 first-round pick who already is out of the league.

 

[BRiZ]

BB can coach him up, hes a stud #1 CB hes the guy to take if we go corner.

 

[primetime]

BB can coach him up, hes a stud #1 CB hes the guy to take if we go corner.

"Shows sloppy and raw technique, raising questions of how well he learns from coaching."

The Patriots supposedly had a very good interview with him however (in which the major question was likely "why didn't you look that good against not-so-good competition?"), so you never know.

 

[sebman2112]

http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/dominique-rodgers-cromartie?id=306

It's there, though in the paragraphs.

By the way, here's his Sporting News analysis (read those weaknesses and ask yourself if this is a guy you think the Patriots will or should select, especially with the 7th overall pick)...

War Room analysis
Strengths: Is an elite athlete, with the physical tools NFL coaches drool over. Is tall with long arms and natural strength. Shows the quickness, speed and fluid hips to turn and run with receivers downfield. Shows the hands to make tough interceptions. At the Senior Bowl, showed quick footwork in backpedal, transitioning to close quickly on passes and using long arms to reach in front of receivers. Shows speed and playmaking ability as a punt returner.

Weaknesses: Is a better athlete than football player; did not play nearly as well in college as he did at the Senior Bowl. At Tennessee State, allowed inferior receivers to separate and catch passes. In college, got upright in backpedal, hindering ability to transition. Lacks natural instincts, and often reacts late to receivers' routes. Shows sloppy and raw technique, raising questions of how well he learns from coaching. Does not play with intensity; does not come upfield quickly in run support, content to allow teammates to make tackles. Bottom line: Rodgers-Cromartie is a premier athlete who improved his draft stock tremendously at the Senior Bowl. In our experience, most players who knock people's socks off in the spring after failing to impress on film struggle to improve in the NFL. Rodgers-Cromartie must prove his stellar week in Mobile isn't an aberration. He still looks and plays more like the track star he also is -- he won the 60 meter dash at the 2007 Ohio Valley Conference indoor championship. Don't be surprised if an NFL team drafts Rodgers-Cromartie as high as Round 1; we don't recommend it, though, because he is a long way from being a polished NFL cornerback. We wouldn't be surprised if Rodgers-Cromartie followed the path of Andre Woolfolk, a 2003 first-round pick who already is out of the league.

That's the same SportingNews.com that has NE taking Mike Jenkins at 7th overall and Dan Connor in the second round, right?

I'm interested to see their profile/scouting report of Antoine Cason if you can find it?

 

[BradyToMoss]

A lack of statistical production isn't always a bad thing for a CB, especially if he's playing against lessor comp, as they just might try and avoid his side of the field.

That's exactly why his INT total dropped from 6 down to 2 this season, teams wanted nothing to do with him and completely game-planned around him. The 2 INT's he did have, he picked-6 them for long ones.

 

[primetime]

I'm interested to see their profile/scouting report of Antoine Cason if you can find it?

For what it's worth, I like TSN because they aren't afraid to take bold stances with players. They've had Groves as a top 10 pick for months now, for example, while he's only just starting to get recognized by other people.

Their top 10 CBs (this has not, I believe, been updated yet to reflect combine workouts):
1) Jenkins
2) McKelvin
3) Flowers
4) Smith
5) Cason
6) Tribble
7) Thomas
8) Ikegwonu
9) Jackson
10) Cromartie

Cason's scouting report (more complete than the fast-rising Cromartie's):

War Room analysis
Coverage skills: Is a natural; breaks up more passes than catches he allows. Jams receivers in bump-and-run coverage to slow their release, and turns and runs to maintain tight coverage all over the field. Grade: 8.0

Run/pass recognition: Shows good instincts to sniff out plays, and does not get fooled by play-action fakes or misdirection. Reads the quarterback well in zone or "off" coverage, playing quicker than 40 time would indicate. Grade: 8.0

Closing speed: Lacks elite speed and explosive burst; compensates with instincts, quickness and athleticism. Shows quick footwork and agility to transition out of backpedal and close on passes in front of him, showing a deceptive closing burst to play the ball. Has enough speed to stay with all but the fastest receivers downfield; shows the loose hips and smooth athleticism to turn and run with receivers without losing a step. Grade: 7.5

Ball skills: Reaches in front of receivers with front arm to break up passes without committing penalties. Flashes hands to make tough interceptions, but is inconsistent and drops some easy chances. Grade: 6.5

Run support: Has a reputation for not being competitive in this area, but in games we evaluated on film, consistently came up and fought through blocks to make tackles. Grade: 7.5

Bottom line: Cason improved significantly between junior and senior seasons. He showed marked improvement using his front arm to break up passes; in games we evaluated, he broke up more than twice as many passes as he allowed to be completed. Cason is not a burner but is a good athlete with all the intangibles to be a good NFL starter. He also has the smarts, instincts and toughness to switch to safety if need be.



To be honest, he sounds much more like a Belichick player than Cromartie.

 

[BradyToMoss]

BB can coach him up, hes a stud #1 CB hes the guy to take if we go corner.

Right on BRiz, this is the guy I want to see taking over for Asante.

Mike Jenkins was quoted himself down in Bradenton FL, where both he and Cromartie are from and he told the interviewer as RoCro walked by during a training session that this is the guy that might pass me as the #1 corner. Jenkins himself sees the incredible ability and upside Cromartie has.

Deion Sanders was raving about him during the combine. Deion knows a stud corner when he sees one and he was all over RoCro.

As far as this stuff about him possibly getting bored playing against inferior competition, take it for it is and consider him bored and not challenged. That is all this is. These 1AA teams stayed away from him the entire game, every game, no wonder he probably fell asleep a couple of time due to pure boredom. That will not happen in the NFL because he'll constantly see action and he'll constantly be motivated to perform at his elite-level much like he did at the Senior bowl and the 08 combine.

The sky is the limit for DRC, please BB, please draft this kid, please........

 

[primetime]

\As far as this stuff about him possibly getting bored playing against inferior competition, take it for it is and consider him bored and not challenged. That is all this is. These 1AA teams stayed away from him the entire game, every game, no wonder he probably fell asleep a couple of time due to pure boredom. That will not happen in the NFL because he'll constantly see action and he'll constantly be motivated to perform at his elite-level much like he did at the Senior bowl and the 08 combine.

It sounds like you watched alot of Tennessee State games this year. Or maybe you've seen this guy in the Senior Bowl and at the combine and think you know more than people who have been watching him for years. (Where's the roll eyes smiley when you need it?)

I'd rather have the more versatile, coachable Cason, who will come at a better value than Cromartie.

 

[BradyToMoss]

"To be honest, he sounds much more like a Belichick player than Cromartie."

primetime, I'm sorry but Cason is not even in the same speed or athletic area-code as DRC. The top corners are DRC and MJenkins, these are the two guys the Pats I'm sure are focusing on.

 

[Crazyeechrispats1]

No way I draft him at 7 I like the guy too but only in a trade down, That is if Gholston, Long's and Ellis is all off the board if that's the case then I trade down select him, then come back using the pick we received as compensation for getting Groves, or in the second Cliff Avril.

 

[BradyToMoss]

It sounds like you watched alot of Tennessee State games this year. Or maybe you've seen this guy in the Senior Bowl and at the combine and think you know more than people who have been watching him for years. (Where's the roll eyes smiley when you need it?)

I'd rather have the more versatile, coachable Cason, who will come at a better value than Cromartie.

LOL, unfortunately, TSU wasn't televised alot in Mass (not sure why ) But I watched the entire Senior Bowl and his entire combine and I've researched the crap out of this kid. He's my guy, Cason is your guy, that's fine. But I will bet you come April when Goodell walks up to that podium to annonce the Dolphins pick, RoCro and Mike Jenkins will be graded higher than Cason, because many already have them higher now and Cro is still climbing draft boards.

 

[primetime]

"To be honest, he sounds much more like a Belichick player than Cromartie."

primetime, I'm sorry but Cason is not even in the same speed or athletic area-code as DRC. The top corners are DRC and MJenkins, these are the two guys the Pats I'm sure are focusing on.

Since when is speed and athleticism what it takes to be a Belichick corner? Samuel is hardly the fastest or most athletic guy in the NFL. Ty Law was never a speed-burner. What Patriots corners are is smart, instinctual, coachable, and versatile. Raw corners like Cromartie often go the way of the aforementioned Woolfolk, a similar athletic talent who's now out of the league 4 years after his draft date.

As for "my guy," that'd be Quentin Groves. I don't think any of these corners deserve a #7 pick. If Cason is available at the end of the 2nd, he's good value there. Same goes for Cromartie (who I said I'd love if the Patriots still had #31 and he was available, but I think he's going to undeservedly go higher). But at #7? I don't want any of them. Not with the Patriots having plenty of success with defensive backs in the middle rounds.