Chargers unfazed by Cromartie’s inexperience

By J.E.  |   Thursday, May 11, 2006  |  Comments( 2 )

San Diego Chargers
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San Diego Chargers general manager, A.J. Smith, went into the 2006 NFL Draft intent on bolstering the team's secondary. That's because San Diego yielded an average of 224.9 passing yards per game in 2005, which ranked 28th in the NFL in that category. So it was no surprise that Smith selected a cornerback with the Chargers' first round (19th overall) pick. What is a bit surprising, however, is that Smith decided to gamble on Antonio Cromartie of Florida State, especially with players like Jimmy Williams, Kelly Jennings, and Johnathan Joseph still on the board.

There's no doubt that Cromartie possesses remarkable potential and upside. He saw action in every game as a true freshman during Florida State's 2003 campaign, and repeated the feat in 2004 as a sophomore. In that span of 25 games, Cromartie established a reputation of being a playmaker. He returned an interception for a touchdown in each of his first two years at FSU, and tied for second in the ACC with four INTs in 2004.

Cromartie's on-field ability, combined with his 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame and 4.37 speed, are the qualities that attracted Smith's attention on draft day. However, the outlook on Cromartie isn't entirely positive. That's because he missed the entire 2005 season due to a torn ACL. By all accounts, Cromartie is fully recovered from the injury and proved this during Pro Day workouts. But that doesn't change the fact that Cromartie is coming into the NFL with very limited experience. He started only one game for the Seminoles in his two-year collegiate career, and this is why some analysts concerned about Cromartie's future as a pro.

Lack of experience ordinarily wouldn't be seen as a huge obstacle for an NFL rookie. After all, nearly every incoming player faces a steep learning curve as they transition from the college game to the faster, tougher pro game. But as a first-round pick for a team that is in desperate need of a starting cornerback, Cromartie will be expected to contribute right away. Sure, the Chargers will insert him on nickel and dime packages in the first part of the season, but there will be tremendous pressure on Cromartie to beat out Drayton Florence for a starting job at some point during 2006. If Cromartie doesn't develop fast enough, there could be some backlash aimed at him as well as with A.J. Smith.

Conventional wisdom has it that Cromartie should have returned to FSU for at least one more year in order to prove once and for all that he is a pro-caliber player. So far, the decision to declare for the draft seems to have paid off for Cromartie and his family, at least in a financial sense. Now let's see if the decision pays off for the San Diego Chargers too.
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