Joe Soriano
O.J. Lewis11/2011 Player Profile: Nnamdi Asomugha
November 30th 2011 17:30
Nnamdi Asomugha is widely regarded as the second best corner in the NFL to Darrelle Revis, and he was a valued commodity when he hit free agency. Asomugha was given a five-year contract worth $80 million dollars by the Philadelphia Eagles, but he has been a disappointment in his first season with the Eagles. The usually perfect Asomugha has been beat a little too easily this year, and his work in run support- much like last season- has left a lot to be desired.
Asomugha is still a star corner, and I don't think he declined this sharply. Although Asomugha is getting older, he can still cover but is just having a poor season. The scheme he's in with the Eagles doesn't fit his skill set as well as the man-to-man coverage scheme in Oakland. But there really isn't any other way to say it, because Asomugha is in the midst of a poor year; especially by his lofty standards.
We can all hope that it's just a slump, but he is a 30-year-old corner who is in a comparatively unfavorable scheme. The Eagles are also paying Nnamdi $16 million a year, and his level of production hasn't quite matched the contract this season. That's a far cry from what Nnamdi was doing last season, as he was easily one of the best coverage corners last year- and the best over the past three. A more likely explanation is that the former Raiders standout isn't fully healthy, and it really seems like the only truly logical explanation at this point.
In fact, Asomugha led the league in receptions per coverage snap last season. However, he is averaging around 16 yards per catch this season, despite not giving up many catches. In short, he's getting burned way more often than usual. Just look at the first time the Eagles played against the Giants, he was absolutely awful. There is still time for the star corner to bounce back, even if there isn't time for his team to. He needs to get back on the right track and prove that he isn't a declining player. I think it's just been a rough season, and I hope he's able to prove me right on that.
An interesting thing to note is that quarterbacks are still avoiding him, but he just isn't playing all that well. Last game, Nnamdi allowed all four passes targeted to him to be complete. It doesn't seem like his skills are deteriorating, but there is definitely something else at play here (perhaps injury). Regardless, I hope Asomugha turns things around soon and shows that he is indeed the second best cornerback in the NFL.
Asomugha is still a star corner, and I don't think he declined this sharply. Although Asomugha is getting older, he can still cover but is just having a poor season. The scheme he's in with the Eagles doesn't fit his skill set as well as the man-to-man coverage scheme in Oakland. But there really isn't any other way to say it, because Asomugha is in the midst of a poor year; especially by his lofty standards.
We can all hope that it's just a slump, but he is a 30-year-old corner who is in a comparatively unfavorable scheme. The Eagles are also paying Nnamdi $16 million a year, and his level of production hasn't quite matched the contract this season. That's a far cry from what Nnamdi was doing last season, as he was easily one of the best coverage corners last year- and the best over the past three. A more likely explanation is that the former Raiders standout isn't fully healthy, and it really seems like the only truly logical explanation at this point.
In fact, Asomugha led the league in receptions per coverage snap last season. However, he is averaging around 16 yards per catch this season, despite not giving up many catches. In short, he's getting burned way more often than usual. Just look at the first time the Eagles played against the Giants, he was absolutely awful. There is still time for the star corner to bounce back, even if there isn't time for his team to. He needs to get back on the right track and prove that he isn't a declining player. I think it's just been a rough season, and I hope he's able to prove me right on that.
An interesting thing to note is that quarterbacks are still avoiding him, but he just isn't playing all that well. Last game, Nnamdi allowed all four passes targeted to him to be complete. It doesn't seem like his skills are deteriorating, but there is definitely something else at play here (perhaps injury). Regardless, I hope Asomugha turns things around soon and shows that he is indeed the second best cornerback in the NFL.
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