Antonio Cromartie......

[Mecca]

"During recent workouts, Cromartie ran a 4.41 40-time on grass and a 4.37 on a track. Even more impressive is that he posted a 43" jump in the vertical. If he can post numbers like this in Indianapolis, and if he knee gets the okay from the NFL doctors, you can bet is draft stock will go through the roof." Warchant.com 02/21/06


I'm beginning to think he's not even going to be available when we pick which irritates me.

[htismaqe]

If he runs like that in Indy, he'll go before we pick.

The good news is that he might push someone like Huff or Hali down to us.

[BigChiefFan]

We need the 1st round CBs to go BEFORE we pick. This is good news. Corner is NOT our most pressing need.

[Mecca]

I think he's a top 5 talent, excuse me for wanting him to fall to our pick. I try to think about where a draft is going to get us more than just the next season.

[Kclee]

I think he's a top 5 talent, excuse me for wanting him to fall to our pick. I try to think about where a draft is going to get us more than just the next season.

I don't think you have to be excused for wanting the Chiefs to draft him. Warfield may very well be a cap casulty next year (if not this year). Surtain was injured off and on last year and we will have to replace McCleon and Washington this year. He just wouldn't fit an immediate need since as of now, Warfield and Surtain are the starters. But I'm warming up to the pick depending on FA.

[htismaqe]

I think he's a top 5 talent, excuse me for wanting him to fall to our pick. I try to think about where a draft is going to get us more than just the next season.

There's no reason to apologize.

I agree he's a great talent.

I just don't agree that we should draft a CB.

[BigChiefFan]

He's very talented player and we could do worse than him at 20, but I think all this CB and safety talk is a ruse. Thinking we can do better than Cromartie at 20 is in no way an indictment on his play, but more on where the Chiefs woes lie. I'd love to have a another bad-ass cornerback on the roster, but until our D-line is addressed I'll continue to beat that drum rather loudly.

[jspchief]

If he runs like that in Indy, he'll go before we pick.

The good news is that he might push someone like Huff or Hali down to us.That's the first thing I thought when I read the thread starter... Maybe this will drop Huff to us.

[jspchief]

He's very talented player and we could do worse than him at 20, but I think all this CB and safety talk is a ruse. Thinking we can do better than Cromartie at 20 is in no way an indictment on his play, but more on where the Chiefs woes lie. I'd love to have a another bad-ass cornerback on the roster, but until our D-line is addressed I'll continue to beat that drum rather loudly.Regardless of whether we need D-line, there likely won't be a d-lineman worthy of the 20th pick. Unless you're suggesting we're going to trade down, I don't think we'll end up taking D-line in round 1.

[RedThat]

Michael Huff is going in the top 10. If he does drop, he won't fall to 20.

Michael Huff is the best DB in the country. And arguably, the top 10 rated prospects in this years draft. No way he falls to us.

[BigChiefFan]

Regardless of whether we need D-line, there likely won't be a d-lineman worthy of the 20th pick. Unless you're suggesting we're going to trade down, I don't think we'll end up taking D-line in round 1.
Yes, I've suggested trading down from day one, but that all is dependent on the combine. If Watson's (or whoever the Chiefs covet) stock goes through the roof and he's there at 20, that will dictate whether we pull the trigger or not. I have a feeling Watson will go in the top 25.

[htismaqe]

If Watson does as well at the combine as he did at the Senior Bowl, he may go in the top 15, whether it's warranted or not.

[Munson]

I don't think that Cromartie will be a first round pick because of his injury last year. Had he not gotten injured, he would have been a first round lock. If he is there in the second round, KC should take him.

I pray that we don't draft Watson. I have a feeling that he will be another Ryan Sims/Junior Siavii. Sure, Watson has size and potential, but he doesn't have motivation that this defense needs. We don't need another underachieving defensive tackle. I'd rather take Broderick Bunkley from Florida State. He's a little smaller than Watson, but he can get some penetration up the middle, which is exactly what the Chiefs need.

[htismaqe]

I don't think that Cromartie will be a first round pick because of his injury last year. Had he not gotten injured, he would have been a first round lock. If he is there in the second round, KC should take him.

I pray that we don't draft Watson. I have a feeling that he will be another Ryan Sims/Junior Siavii. Sure, Watson has size and potential, but he doesn't have motivation that this defense needs. We don't need another underachieving defensive tackle. I'd rather take Broderick Bunkley from Florida State. He's a little smaller than Watson, but he can get some penetration up the middle, which is exactly what the Chiefs need.

All Cromartie has to do is run a sub-4.4 at the combine (which he's apparently already been doing) and run the other drills to show that his injury is healed.

If he does that, he'll shoot up into the middle of the 1st round or higher.

[Chiefnj]

Here's a potential day 2 DT to replace Siavii. Sounds like the anti-Siavii:

Steve Fifita, Utah (NT) (5' 11" 320 lbs.) Fifita is a tough and nasty player who gives a very good effort on every play. A classic NT built low to the ground, he is very strong and can overpower at the point of attack. He wins most one on one matchups, can occupy and occasionally split double teams and is very difficult to move off the LOS. Tenacious, with a warrior's mentality, Fifita's motor is always running. He possesses good quickness for a man his size and can penetrate and make plays in the backfield. He is a leader on the line. Fifita is limited as a passrusher and tends to wear down late in the game. He lacks great agility and lateral mobility and is not especially fast. With so many teams utilizing a 3-4 defense, Fifita could hear his name called a little earlier than expected. Fifth rounder.

[htismaqe]

Here's a potential day 2 DT to replace Siavii. Sounds like the anti-Siavii:

Steve Fifita, Utah (NT) (5' 11" 320 lbs.) Fifita is a tough and nasty player who gives a very good effort on every play. A classic NT built low to the ground, he is very strong and can overpower at the point of attack. He wins most one on one matchups, can occupy and occasionally split double teams and is very difficult to move off the LOS. Tenacious, with a warrior's mentality, Fifita's motor is always running. He possesses good quickness for a man his size and can penetrate and make plays in the backfield. He is a leader on the line. Fifita is limited as a passrusher and tends to wear down late in the game. He lacks great agility and lateral mobility and is not especially fast. With so many teams utilizing a 3-4 defense, Fifita could hear his name called a little earlier than expected. Fifth rounder.

Sound like that fireplug from USC that Philly took last year...what was his name, Mike Patterson?

[Mecca]

Here's some more Cromartie news..........The rangy 6-foot-3, 207-pound product recently clocked a 4.31 in the 40-yard dash and threw up almost 25 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press


Here's an Interview with him.

"In the NFL one of the toughest positions to adequately fill is cornerback, where premium cover guys are always short in supply. However on Draft Day '06 some team that is willing to take a bit of a risk could be handsomely rewarded because Antonio Cromartie of Florida St. has all the tools to be one of the elite corners in the league one day. In fact, he could have been a Top 5 overall pick in 2007 had he not come out early. Scott Wright spoke with Cromartie as he prepares to take his game to the pros.

Scott Wright: What is your accurate height, weight and forty time?

Antonio Cromartie: I am 6-3 and 203 pounds. I just got tested about a week ago and I ran a 4.39 on grass, which was the first time I ran a forty since my knee injury. I plan to run a faster than that at the Combine though since it is on a field turf surface.

Scott Wright: You tore the ACL in your left knee in July. How is that recovery going?

Antonio Cromartie: I went through the rehab process and I’m still going through that right now but I am capable of doing everything that I was capable of doing in 2004. I can cut on my knee at full speed and do everything on it. Right now I’d say I’m 100%.

Scott Wright: You entered the draft early even though you didn’t have a lot of starting experience and were coming off of a major knee injury. What were the main factors in your decision?

Antonio Cromartie: I know I didn’t start a lot and then had the injury and didn’t play this past year in 2005 but the big reason I came out was to help my family. My Grandma had surgery like two months before I decided to declare for the draft and then the week of the Orange Bowl game against Penn St. I found out that my Mom may have breast cancer and was facing a lot of tests so I felt it was best for me to come out and help my family financially. I still feel like I am the best corner even though I didn’t play this year.

Scott Wright: What do you feel is your greatest strength as a football player and what area do you feel you need to improve in?

Antonio Cromartie: My greatest strengths as a football player are that I can come up and be a great run stopper and there would be no deep balls or jump balls thrown to my side. I have great speed and athleticism and I love playing press man coverage. I feel like if I can beat the receiver up in the first five yards then the route is over with. As far as things I need to work on I think it is my technique and back pedal but I would say I don’t have many weaknesses outside of that.

Scott Wright: What NFL cornerback do you most admire and who do you think you compare favorably to?

Antonio Cromartie: I would say I most admire Deion Sanders and I’d like to compare my game to his, although I am a little bigger than he is. He was my favorite player too.

Scott Wright: Who is the best player you have faced during your career?

Antonio Cromartie: I would say it would have to be Chad Jackson out of the University of Florida.

Scott Wright: What is your greatest football moment to date?

Antonio Cromartie: I would say it was the first game of the 2004 season playing Miami. I wasn’t even supposed to play in the game but I came out and had an interception as well as a fumble return for a touchdown. I’d say that would be the biggest moment of my career for right now.

Scott Wright: Who was your favorite college and pro team growing up? Did you have a favorite player?

Antonio Cromartie: I grew up in Tallahassee and my favorite college was always Florida St. My pro team was the Dallas Cowboys with Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders and all those guys.

Scott Wright: At what point did you realize that you might have a future in football beyond college?

Antonio Cromartie: After my freshman year in college. Everyone talked about how good I was coming up as a young person in high school and when I got to college I felt like I was going against the best guys and I compared myself to them. I went out every day and worked hard and from that point forward I felt I could play in the NFL.

Scott Wright: What do you plan to do once your playing career is over?

Antonio Cromartie: I want to go back and coach because this past season I was more of a coach helping out the other guys on the field and in the meeting rooms. I enjoyed myself and learned a lot this year just sitting back and watching.

Scott Wright: Is there one player at F.S.U. that you see developing into a star, either at the college or pro level?

Antonio Cromartie: A young cornerback named Jamie Robinson, who redshirted last year. He’s like 6-2 and 195 pounds and is going to be a great player in college and in the NFL when it’s his time. He really works hard and he wants to learn so he will be a great player when his time comes.

Scott Wright: When you get your first professional paycheck what is the first thing you will buy?

Antonio Cromartie: A house. I want to buy my Mom a house first.

Scott Wright: How have you been preparing and training since the end of your college season?

Antonio Cromartie: Like a week after the Bowl game I came up here to Atlanta and started training with Infinity Sports. I’ve been up here preparing and getting ready for the Combine and everything and just getting my body back into football shape. I think they’ve been doing a good job of that and I’ve been working hard to get to that point also because I feel like I have something to prove to everyone that my knee is fine and I’m still the same person I was in ‘04 and even better because I have a little more knowledge of football.

Scott Wright: Obviously it is still early, but do you have any goals in mind when it comes to the NFL Draft (Round One, Top Three Rounds, etc.)? What kind of projection did the Underclassmen Advisory Panel give you?

Antonio Cromartie: I still want to be in the Top 15, that’s my goal. I believe I still can once my knee checks out at the physicals in Indianapolis. The NFL told me I was going to be a late-3rd to early-4th round pick, but that’s their opinion and I believe I can still be a first round pick even though I didn’t play this year.

Scott Wright: Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions and good luck!

Antonio Cromartie: You’re welcome."

[htismaqe]

Cromartie could play FS...

:D

[jspchief]

So what exactly is the source of all the Cromartie hype? He's played in 12 games in his college career, and only started 1 game.

Sounds to me like he's the definition of a workout wonder. Has the physical numbers, but is there even enough tape to know what kind of football player he is?

[htismaqe]

The hype is coming from what he did on the field in those few games...

He had two defensive returns for TD's his sophomore year and 1 his freshman year. He was also the first or 2nd-best punt returner in the ACC.

FYI, he played in 25 games in 2 seasons. The 12 games were just his sophomore season.

[jspchief]

He just ran an unofficial 40 time of 4.49 and 4.52 at the combine.
From the way Mayock talked, there is little film to go on with this guy. He was the nickelback for FSU, so didn't see the field that often.

[Mecca]

Cromartie is getting hype because anyone who saw him, saw major playmaking ability. In thier nationally televised prime time opener against Miami he made a couple of huge plays.

[htismaqe]

He just ran an unofficial 40 time of 4.49 and 4.52 at the combine.
From the way Mayock talked, there is little film to go on with this guy. He was the nickelback for FSU, so didn't see the field that often.

Well, he played in 25 games as a true freshman/sophomore, at Florida State of all places.

He was ready to bust out before getting hurt.

It all boils down to this: no, he wasn't on the field much, but when he was, he made big plays