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The Jets signing of cornerback Dimitri Patterson was called “a head scratcher” by one long-time team observer. Let’s take a closer look . . .
ESPN’s Rich Cimini wrote the following, “A head scratcher: In the end, general manager John Idzik preferred a $3 million cornerback with major durability issues over a $3.5 million corner (Antonio Cromartie) who never has missed a game in his career due to injury and already is comfortable in Rex Ryan’s system. On the surface, this doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Idzik is gambling that Patterson can beat the injury bug that cost him 24 games over the last two seasons. Granted, Cromartie didn’t play well last season, but he’s a scheme fit and his troublesome hip is said to be doing better.”
I don’t mean to be flip, but I consider this analysis “a head-scratcher.”
Cimini has done a lot of very good work over the years, but this particular piece, I just don’t get.
I’m going to start at the end.
How is Cromartie “a scheme fit” when he doesn’t like to play to play bump-and run. Rex Ryan wants his corners to get their hands on wide receivers at the line. Darrelle Revis is very good at this. Cromartie isn’t.
He has did something with the Jets, way too often, that was counter to what he was asked to do. He would line up in press coverage, and then right before the snap, he would drop back a few yards, giving the wideout a free release? If I had a corner do that, his ass would be on the bench. You can’t decide to play press coverage when he feel like it. Jeez.
So how is he a “scheme fit?”
Cromartie is also soft against the run, which isn’t exactly, “playing like a Jet.”
In 2011, after the coaches felt he ducked a tackle in one game, one assistant cracked, within an ear shot of author Nick Dawidoff, “He already made his one (tackle) for the day.”
And then you throw in all the penalties, it was time to move on from Cro.
So I categorically disagree with Cimini with this “scheme fit” stuff.
Cimini claims that Cro’s hip is doing much better. Perhaps, but considering it’s been a problem since San Diego, I find that hard to believe.
It seems to me, that whenever there were struggles, the hip comes up.
In 2011, when “Cro” had a bad season, he claimed that a bruised sternum, suffered in Oakland, made it hard for him to hit that year.
So it was as sternum in 2011, and a hip this year,
I’m not questioning whether he was hurt, but that guy isn’t a physical player. You all remember that play that ended his San Diego career when he refused to tackle Shonn Greene on a long touchdown run.
“On the surface, this doesn’t make a whole lot of sense,” wrote Cimini.
I disagree. It makes a lot of sense.
No question Patterson has dealt with the injury bug, but the guy is a good corner.
I spoke to people in Cleveland and Miami today, and they said a lot of nice things about his game.
He’s a man-to-man corner who isn’t afraid to mix it up.
Something Cro stayed away from.
Of course it’s risky to sign a corner who has been banged up the last two years, but it’s a one-year, low money deal. It’s not like they made a long-term commitment. They have little to lose here.
April 2, 2014
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