Slotted behind Pro Bowl fixtures Asante Samuel and Nnamdi Asomugha, cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie knows that he'll have to adapt to his new role in order to contribute in this defense.
The 6-2 speedster's first season as an Eagle hasn't quite played out the way he had hoped it would. He has just four pass deflections so far this season, after posting 16 last year. And, for the first time since his rookie season, he's failed to intercept a pass through the first half of a season.
"I feel like I'm still thinking too much when I'm on the field," Rodgers-Cromartie admitted. "Whenever you're doing that, you're playing slower. We've played eight games, so it's way too late in the season to still have these issues."
Rodgers-Cromartie is looking to turn things around as the Eagles begin the second half of their season this Sunday against the Cardinals. The game will have added importance for the Tennessee State alum, who spent the first three years of his career with Arizona before being traded to the Eagles prior to the 2011 season in a deal involving quarterback Kevin Kolb.
"I've got a bit of a chip on my shoulder since the Cardinals were the team that decided to trade me," said Rodgers-Cromartie, the No. 16 overall selection in the 2008 draft. "I'm going to go out there and give it my all, like I do every week. I'm trying to treat this game like any other; I'm not going to let it affect my play. It'll be nice to see some of my old teammates and friends, but at the end of the day it's business."
Coincidentally, Kevin Kolb will likely not get the same opportunity to show his former team what they are missing Sunday, as he is expected to miss the game with a turf toe. In his place, the Cardinals will likely start John Skelton, who won two of his four starts as a rookie in 2010. Rodgers-Cromartie has a lot of respect for the 6-6 signal caller, with whom he was teammates last season.
"I like John. I was a big Skelton fan when I was in Arizona," Rodgers-Cromartie said. "I know what he's capable of. He has a big arm and he can run their offense really well."
All former allegiances, however, will be thrown out the window when the 2-6 Cardinals come to town Sunday. Rodgers-Cromartie knows that the Eagles need a win and will do everything in his power to contribute to that. If he can put an exclamation point on an Eagles victory with a key interception against his former team, it would surely be the icing on the cake.
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