I give Rodgers-Cromartie a ton of credit, straight off the top. Acquired in the trade that sent quarterback Kevin Kolb to Arizona, Rodgers-Cromartie (and a 2012 second-round draft pick) came to Philadelphia, and we wondered how he would be used.
A starter, for sure. That was the initial thought. Rodgers-Cromartie would team with Asante Samuel as the Eagles upgraded at cornerback from the up-and-down season of Dimitri Patterson in 2010. Then the picture changed, as the Eagles signed Nnamdi Asomugha in free agency and Rodgers-Cromartie became, well, nobody was quite sure what role he would play.
The early part of the season was an experiment as Rodgers-Cromartie played in the nickel, inside on the slot receiver a lot of the time, and had his good moments and his tough moments. It doesn't take long for NFL offensive coaches to find weaknesses, and they found one in Rodgers-Cromartie: He had not played a lot of inside cornerback in the league and receivers tested him often.
One of the subtle adjustments defensive coordinator Juan Castillo made this season coincided with a high sprain suffered by Rodgers-Cromartie: Joselio Hanson became the nickel corner, a role in which he had played well over the seasons with Jim Johnson and Sean McDermott running the show here.
Rodgers-Cromartie missed three games and then returned against Miami, just about the time the defense signifcantly turned things around. Rodgers-Cromartie made three tackles that day and played a big part in the performance.
Last week, Asante Samuel left the Jets game with a hamstring injury and Rodgers-Cromartie stepped in, playing on the outside, and had a tipped pass that linebacker Jamar Chaney intercepted.
And in that moment, as the ball floated in the air, Rodgers-Cromartie celebrated, bouncing up and down, releasing a season of silent frustration.
He hasn't played much and he hasn't complained at all. How many players with a Pro Bowl in their careers accept such a role, especially after being the centerpiece of a major offseason trade? Rodgers-Cromartie has been the good solider, and now with the news that Samuel (hamstring injury) won't play in Dallas, Rodgers-Cromartie has a chance to take a major step forward and show the coaches more of what he can do in this defense.
This very situation is why the Eagles traded for Rodgers-Cromartie and then signed Asomugha -- and for that matter, drafted Curtis Marsh in the third round. The philosophy is that a defense just can't have enough quality cornerbacks.
But as the Eagles learned this season, it's one thing to have good cornerbacks and it's another to fit them into the places on the field where they can be most productive.
It sure seems that the Eagles are better with Hanson in the slot, given his experience at the position. Hanson does not have the physical gifts that Rogers-Cromartie brings to the table -- he has long arms and startling athletic ability -- but Hanson is crafty and understanding of the demands in tight spaces.
Without Samuel, Rodgers-Cromartie starts at left cornerback, with Asomugha on the right side and Hanson inside. The three have a formidable task against the high-powered Dallas offensive set, and they know it. Mistakes will be costly in this game.
In the big picture, the Eagles need to find out as much as they can about Rodgers-Cromartie. What is his future here? Rogers-Cromartie is signed through 2012, and the thinking at the time of the trade was that he would be part of the down-the-road core on the defense. That, of course, would require a new contract and, yeah, it's a topic to talk about after 2011 is complete.
So Rodgers-Cromartie has his chance. He was the jewel of the trade that sent Kolb to Arizona. When Rodgers-Cromartie has been on the inside, the results this year have been mixed. On the outside, more positive, but the sample is small.
That isn't going to be the case on Saturday. Against Dallas, Rodgers-Cromartie has a chance to make his mark for now, and for the future, in this Eagles defense.
