Rodgers-Cromartie returns to Arizona with no hard feelings

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was Patrick Peterson before Patrick Peterson was an Arizona Cardinal.

A young, fast cornerback who was supposed to become the shut-down defender every team covets.

At first it seemed like that would be the case.

DRC picked off four passes as a rookie in the regular season — along with another two in the playoffs — helping the Cardinals reach Super Bowl XLIII and looking like one of the game’s emerging stars.

Rodgers-Cromartie was rewarded with a spot in the Pro Bowl the following season after he picked off a career-best six passes, and it seemed like the Tennessee State product would be a mainstay in the Cardinals secondary for years to come.

However, the young corner intercepted just two passes in his third season and was traded the following offseason in the deal that brought Kevin Kolb to the Valley.

The former first round pick, set to make his first appearance at University of Phoenix Stadium since the trade, says he’s not upset with the Cardinals for trading him.

“They’re the ones who gave me the opportunity to be in the National Football League, so you always want to thank them for that,” he told PhiladelphiaEagles.com. “I had fun times (in Arizona); there are no hard feelings.”

Still, DRC admitted to being surprised by the deal that sent him to the City of Brotherly Love, as he had been fairly productive as a Cardinal and had no off the field issues.

But the NFL is a business, which is something the now-26-year-old understands maybe more than most players his age.

And in a rather ironic twist, not only will DRC be playing against the team that traded him, but he’ll also likely face the player whom he was traded for.

Arizona’s Week 1 starter, John Skelton, is still recovering from a sprained ankle, meaning chances are good Kolb will make his second straight start for the team.

“He’s making smart decisions,” Rodgers-Cromartie said of Kolb. “He’s getting the ball out quickly. You look at his preseason, he had the turnovers; he had a couple mental errors. But you look at him right now, he’s really running the offense,. He has a nice tempo and he’s really getting the ball out quickly.”

The last time Rodgers-Cromartie played in Glendale he returned an interception for a touchdown in a 27-26 Cardinals win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Needless to say, Arizona fans are hoping he has considerably less success Sunday as a member of the Eagles.

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