Raiders CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie retires; team makes no trades
ALAMEDA, Calif. — A veteran defender and the Raiders organzation parted ways Tuesday before the NFL trade deadline.
It wasn’t safety Karl Joseph.
Not defensive end Bruce Irvin, either.
Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie left on his own accord, announcing his retirement Tuesday morning and concluding an 11-year pro career. His decision followed personal frustration, a feeling not exclusive in the locker room, related to his role on the team. No Raiders players were traded before the 1 p.m. league deadline.
Teammates respected Rodgers-Cromartie’s decision.
Asked if they understood his frustration, one said simply: “Absolutely.”
Rodgers-Cromartie, 32, did not appear on defense during Sunday’s 42-28 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He was limited to 22 snaps on special teams. This marked a sudden turn after he started the team’s previous game, an Oct. 14 meeting with the Seattle Seahawks. That day in London, he played a season-high 56 defensive snaps.
Many Raiders players — particularly in the secondary — have seen their playing time fluctuate this season, as coaches search for the right combination of personnel. The trend has disrupted certain players’ confidence and morale.
Rodgers-Cromartie was one of four defenders who, earlier this season, had significant roles but did not appear on defense Sunday. Safety Reggie Nelson, cornerback Rashaan Melvin and linebacker Emmanuel Lamur were the others. They were healthy scratches.
“He’s done a tremendous job in this league,” said wide receiver Dwayne Harris, a teammate of Rodgers-Cromartie from 2015-2017 with the New York Giants. “Two Pro Bowls, over 400 tackles, six touchdowns off interceptions. I don’t think he had nothing to prove. … It’s frustrating when you’re 11 years in and really you’re not playing as much as you want to play.
“He’s doing a lot of special teams, and he never played special teams as much as when he came here.”
Indeed, that was new to Rodgers-Cromartie.
He played 20 or more snaps on special teams in four of seven games in 2018. Between 2012 and 2017, he didn’t reach that total once. Snap count data, which the NFL Game Statistics and Information System accumulates, is not available before the 2012 season, so it’s possible that year range stretches further.
Rodgers-Cromartie entered the NFL as a 2008 Arizona Cardinals first-round pick from Tennessee State.
He joined the Raiders on Aug. 22, a couple weeks before the season.
Several players praised Rodgers-Cromartie’s energy as a boost around the building. A little lightness can go a long way amid a difficult 1-7 campaign. Be it dancing or other methods, he found ways to keep teammates loose and make them laugh.
“He was a great guy in this locker room,” wide receiver Jordy Nelson said. “Probably one of the happiest guys I’ve ever been around in 11 years, day in and day out, which meant a lot for this program. (It meant) a lot for young guys to see a guy who comes in here and enjoys his job.”
“Obviously, he was asked to do something different than what he’s done the last 11 years. He’s playing a lot of special teams. Not very often do you see an 11-year guy who made a lot of plays at corner accept that role, and he did it.
Given recent usage, Rodgers-Cromartie’s on-field absence should be felt most on special teams, where he served as a gunner in coverage opposite Harris. The retirement came on a short week, so coordinator Rich Bisaccia must adapt on the fly.
The Raiders will face the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday at 5:20 p.m. in Santa Clara, California.
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Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.
