After rampant speculation that Nnamdi Asomugha was debating between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets, the Philadelphia Eagles sent shockwaves throughout the football world by announcing that they'd come to terms with the star cornerback on a 5-year, $60 million deal (with $25 million guaranteed). The Eagles now have three top-tier corners in Asomugha, Asante Samuel and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, fueling speculation that a follow-up trade may be forthcoming.
The Eagles' cornerback trio (or duo, pending a trade) will make life extremely difficult for opposing passers. For the first time since he played alongside Charles Woodson, Asomugha will be in a situation where opposing QBs will have no choice but to target him. And whether it's Samuel or Rodgers-Cromartie on the other side of the field, the Eagles' secondary is shaping up to be as formidable as the Green Bay Packers' (Woodson, Tramon Williams and Sam Shields). Indeed, whether either or both Samuel and Rodgers-Cromartie remain, it's possible that the Eagles will be suiting up the best stable of corners in the NFL in 2011.
Last season, Asomugha was a +10 in pass coverage and a +4.7 overall (he wasn't particularly good against the run and took more than his fair share of penalties). Samuel was a +8.4 in coverage and a +4.6 overall (like Asomugha, he wasn't very good against the run). Cromartie is the wild card in the bunch, a poor performer by virtually all PFF measures (-14.7 overall, -8.1 in coverage, -3.6 against the run, -3.0 in penalties), but also one of the most athletic corners in the league. If he can hold his own opposite Asomugha, the Eagles have significantly improved their chances of winning the division. And if he can't, Asomugha's side of the field will once again be ignored and Rodgers-Cromartie will be an elite fantasy corner for all the wrong reasons.
Fantasy Impact:
If the level of play across from him is at a high level, Asomugha will for the first time since 2007 be fantasy-relevant. It's hard to project what his numbers will be given the dramatic shift in team/role, but a 75-tackle, 8 INT, 20 passes-defensed season would not be out of the question. Should Samuel remain in Philadelphia, his value skyrockets, because with Asomugha on the other side, it's Samuel who will be considered the “easy” target. As for Rodgers-Cromartie, if it's Samuel who leaves Philly, it could be an epically big fantasy season, because with opposing QB's avoiding Asomugha, Rodgers-Cromartie could see massive INT, passes-defensed, and tackle opportunities.
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