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New Jersey – While I don’t think the comment was a big deal, it does point to a larger issue. There are constantly things going on . . .
Antonio Cromartie was on ESPN today, I believe in Los Angeles, on one of those tough-to-watch debate shows – this one with Max Kellerman and Marcellus Wiley.
These kind of shows like to get into meaningless rankings which have little to do with winning and losing. They asked Cromartie to rank his three best receivers, and he went with Dez Bryant, Antonio Brown and Calvin Johnson.
He was asked why he didn’t include Odell Beckham, and the show got just what they wanted – a controversial answer.
“‘Cause right now he’s a one-year wonder,” Cromartie said. “It’s just one year.”
So now this is all over the internet – a big story. Yawn.
I understand what Cromartie meant. It wasn’t that big of a dis. He was just saying the second-year receiver has only had one big season, but he’s only played one full season. This wasn’t like calling a singer a “one-hit wonder.” Beckham has a lot of football ahead of him.
But the fact that Cromartie made news again is slightly problematic.
Todd Bowles is trying to cut down on distractions, and with Cromartie, it is one thing after the other.
You had two things last week, his wife arguing with a Madison police officer, and Antonio’s twitter dispute with the son of the team’s tight end coach (which was probably more of the fault of the kid, but still, why battle a kid on Twitter?).
In June, you had him calling out Richard Sherman, questioning his ability on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Look, I’m totally into freedom of speech, but here is the problem with all this – Cromartie does all these media tours like he’s an elite player, and that isn’t the case anymore.
Honestly, I think he’s been pedestrian this year.
If I’m him, I pipe down and just focus on my craft. He doesn’t need the extra attention that comes with controversial comments and behavior.
His technique was really shoddy in the Jets-Dolphins game.
In the fourth quarter, he had one drive where he gave up two big plays to WR Kenny Stills.
In the middle of this touchdown drive, he gave up a 16-yard reception to the former New Orleans Saint on an in-cut. Perhaps Cromartie thought Stills was taking the route to the outside, because when the receiver cut to the middle, Cromartie got turned around like a top, and the receiver left him in the dust. Then at the end of this drive, Cromartie was too far off Stills and the receiver caught an easy touchdown grab on the left side of the end zone.
In the third quarter, Cromartie was flagged for a long interference call (28 yards) down the right side to Rishard Mathews. It seems like he thought Mathews was going to cut in the middle of the route, because when the wide out turned up field, Cromartie was in such a bad position, he had to grab him by the jersey as he ran by him.
The technique on the 16-yard Stills reception, and this 28-yard penalty, were very poor.
Cromartie seems to having trouble turning his hips and running with younger, faster receivers.
You remember what happened to him in the opener when Cleveland Browns receiver Travis Benjamin beat him for a long touchdown down the left sideline.
Look, I don’t think you need to muzzle players. I just don’t think it’s a great idea for a good, not great player, to be chirping all the time.
Because it’s hard for them to put their money where their mouth is.
Cromartie has been inconsistent this season.
Perhaps he needs to do less media tours, and more film and technique work.
October 9, 2015
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