DRC picked as one of 4 NFC Breakout Players

[Arizona's Finest]

It's funny - At this point I just look at DRC as a given. I don't expect him to "breakout" or anything like that. I expect him to be playing in the Pro Bowl for years to come. I spend my time thinking about Beanie, Breaston, or Rolle becoming a star.

He might be the best prospect at his position to come into the league in years. Love this guy.


http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nflnation/0-9-28/NFC-s-breakout-players.html

NFC's breakout players

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Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Cardinals
By Mike Sando

Arizona gave up 36 touchdown passes last season, most in the NFL.

Do not blame Rodgers-Cromartie.

The 2008 first-round choice became a full-time starter in Week 9 and immediately established himself as an ascending player. The trend has continued this offseason.

"The one guy who continues to impress me is DRC," quarterback Kurt Warner told reporters in June. "I see improvement there. He's the guy standing out to me, more than anybody in this camp."

The 6-foot-2 Rodgers-Cromartie combines unusual length with athletic ability generally associated with smaller cornerbacks. Scouts have clocked the former Tennessee State standout at 4.29 seconds in the 40.

"This guy was a long, leggy athlete that had a tremendous amount of suddenness to him," Steve Keim, the Cardinals' director of college scouting, said during the playoffs last season.

"His downfield speed was rare, to say the least. His ball skills, anticipation and playmaking ability with ball in his hands is uncanny. Those guys are impossible to find."

Though unfailingly polite and modest in his dealings with reporters, Rodgers-Cromartie had enough faith in his raw ability, even as a rookie, to issue a standing challenge to any teammate willing to race him. Receiver Steve Breaston was the only known taker.

The two have yet to settle the issue, but it's difficult to envision Rodgers-Cromartie losing a footrace with just about any NFL receiver. His outstanding makeup speed has helped him break up passes even when opponents appeared to have him beat.
Questions about the Cardinals' pass rush could influence Rodgers-Cromartie's success. Opposing quarterbacks also figure to have a better read on him this season. An abundance of talent should carry him through.

"The great Hall of Fame-type corners are not Tampa 2 corners; they were guys you could put on a man," said Hall of Famer Darrell Green, who has worked with Rodgers-Cromartie. "You cover number one, you cover number two, you tackle number three. His success is not Cover 2. His success is being able to get on that receiver and handle his business."

 

[Pariah]

I thought he'd already "broken out"? He closed the season really strong last year.

 

[82CardsGrad]

"The great Hall of Fame-type corners are not Tampa 2 corners; they were guys you could put on a man," said Hall of Famer Darrell Green, who has worked with Rodgers-Cromartie. "You cover number one, you cover number two, you tackle number three. His success is not Cover 2. His success is being able to get on that receiver and handle his business."


Love that quote!

 

[Perfectionist]

I thought he'd already "broken out"? He closed the season really strong last year.

Me too!! Although he didn't start till week nine by the end of the season, it was like he was one of the tops at defensive backs.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

I thought he'd already "broken out"? He closed the season really strong last year.

Me too!! Although he didn't start till week nine by the end of the season, it was like he was one of the tops at defensive backs.

Yup - and thats why I was trying to point in my OP. I guess maybe become a household name around the national fans?

My pick for a breakout player in the NFC is Kenny Phillips. He was the second best defensive rookie I saw last year - including DROY Jerrad Mayo.

 

[Twist18]

An endorsement by Darrell Green is huge. The man was not limited by size in his battles against Jetstream!

 

[Kel Varnsen]

Yup - and thats why I was trying to point in my OP. I guess maybe become a household name around the national fans?

My pick for a breakout player in the NFC is Kenny Phillips. He was the second best defensive rookie I saw last year - including DROY Jerrad Mayo.

I think that the millions of people who saw DRC run down that sure touchdown pass in the Super Bowl will be interested to watch him more this year. I am still stunned by the speed he showed on that play.

 

[lauraw]

The endorsement by Darrell Green must not be underestimated! this man alone besides Deion is the finest one on one cover corner in the last 3-4 decades of pro football and if he endorses a player, that player is the sh**... I wonder what Prime time thinks of DRC?

 

[Garthshort]

I think Breaston can beat DRC in a 100 yard dash. Just as long as DRC has to run the first 15 yards in a back peddal.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

The endorsement by Darrell Green must not be underestimated! this man alone besides Deion is the finest one on one cover corner in the last 3-4 decades of pro football and if he endorses a player, that player is the sh**... I wonder what Prime time thinks of DRC?

IIRC Deion worked with DRC prior to the draft as well and was pumping him up before we picked him.

The kid has been blessed by the 2 greatest CB's of our lifetimes.

 

[JeffGollin]

I'm Getting Nervous...

But first let's get one thing straight - DRC is my favorite Cardinal football player right now.

Here's what troubles me:

1. Some guy decided to put him on his list of 4 breakout players. That doesn't automatically make him a top four breakout guy. All it means is that some guy thought so.

2. This really gifted, somewhat slender small college CB with good height flashes terrific athletic ability & potential in post-season workouts and does nothing to dispell expectations after he's drafted by the Cardinals.

3. He's phased in gradually, and starts making a few big plays in the latter half of the season.

4. By season's end (helped no doubt by the added media exposure you get when you're on a playoff/Super Bowl contender) DRC continues to add a little bit to his highlight reel. Plus it would be fair to say he has developed to a point where he can be trusted to hold down a starting CB job and in fact is starting to outplay the opposite Cardinal CB and can be objectively considered our #1 corner.

But...but...BUT...

I'm still not sure we should be ready to buy DRC a ticket to the Pro Bowl just yet. I'd want to know: Can he do it again in his second year? How will he respond when big physical offenses consistently run right at him? Will he become bigger and stronger? Will opposing passers avoid him and work more on McFadden? Will he make even more big plays than he did last year? Will he continue to play at a consistently high level?

Everything points to DRC eventually being a top NFL corner -maybe the best.

I'm just worried that we might be getting just a little bit ahead of ourselves.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

But first let's get one thing straight - DRC is my favorite Cardinal football player right now.

Here's what troubles me:

1. Some guy decided to put him on his list of 4 breakout players. That doesn't automatically make him a top four breakout guy. All it means is that some guy thought so.

2. This really gifted, somewhat slender small college CB with good height flashes terrific athletic ability & potential in post-season workouts and does nothing to dispell expectations after he's drafted by the Cardinals.

3. He's phased in gradually, and starts making a few big plays in the latter half of the season.

4. By season's end (helped no doubt by the added media exposure you get when you're on a playoff/Super Bowl contender) DRC continues to add a little bit to his highlight reel. Plus it would be fair to say he has developed to a point where he can be trusted to hold down a starting CB job and in fact is starting to outplay the opposite Cardinal CB and can be objectively considered our #1 corner.

But...but...BUT...

I'm still not sure we should be ready to buy DRC a ticket to the Pro Bowl just yet. I'd want to know: Can he do it again in his second year? How will he respond when big physical offenses consistently run right at him? Will he become bigger and stronger? Will opposing passers avoid him and work more on McFadden? Will he make even more big plays than he did last year? Will he continue to play at a consistently high level?

Everything points to DRC eventually being a top NFL corner -maybe the best.

I'm just worried that we might be getting just a little bit ahead of ourselves.

Thats fair and everyone is excited to see that. These write ups are nice but really don't mean anything.

All we need is DRC to be a legit #1 guy. Other then that it is all gravy.

I do take solace in two things. Our defense was light years better in terms of scheme and what we were able to do once we saw we could put him one on one.

Secondly Warner made a point to say he was the highlight of OTA's so far.

So in other words so far so good.

 

[TigToad]

What worries me most is this is a young cornerback. A lot of hype and pressure is being put on him. He's only been starting half a season at that.

I hope he doesn't let any of this go to his head and his development continues as it should.

 

[Indiana Hoosier]

I'm with you Pariah, the kid was outstanding last year. What do you for a break out season, I guess he gets a little better each year.

 

[silverslugger]

Im lookin' forward to a full season out of DRC!

 

[187]

What worries me most is this is a young cornerback. A lot of hype and pressure is being put on him. He's only been starting half a season at that.

I hope he doesn't let any of this go to his head and his development continues as it should.

I think if being thrown into the starting role at corner in the NFL as a rookie first rounder out of a tiny school didn't break him, then we don't have much to worry about. He knows what he has to do to succeed after he had veterans in our locker room get on him for not working hard enough in the film room early in last season. Rookie cornerbacks don't tend to have seasons like he did only to fade into nothing. Compare the rookie seasons of Champ Bailey and DRC...eerily similar. Only with the post season DRC had 6 INT's and 28 PD's. Ridiculous for a rook. If he keeps this up you can bet the bulls eye will be on McFadden and whoever is playing nickel corner for us, because once you prove yourself at the cb position offensive coordinators will avoid you like the plague.

 

[TigToad]

At this point my worry doesn't come from ability, but rather when you start to believe the hype. I've seen a few good players start to believe they really were that gifted and talented. Then they start relying on the gifts God gave them instead of the work that created those gifts.

I'm not predicting a bust, I'm just a bit concerned.

I agree though, a ridiculously great rookie year.

I think if being thrown into the starting role at corner in the NFL as a rookie first rounder out of a tiny school didn't break him, then we don't have much to worry about. He knows what he has to do to succeed after he had veterans in our locker room get on him for not working hard enough in the film room early in last season. Rookie cornerbacks don't tend to have seasons like he did only to fade into nothing. Compare the rookie seasons of Champ Bailey and DRC...eerily similar. Only with the post season DRC had 6 INT's and 28 PD's. Ridiculous for a rook. If he keeps this up you can bet the bulls eye will be on McFadden and whoever is playing nickel corner for us, because once you prove yourself at the cb position offensive coordinators will avoid you like the plague.