This is the latest in a series we've be doing here on BGN written by John Breitenbach ( @PFF_John ), who is a big Eagles fan and best known for his work on Pro Football Focus . Check out the rest of the series here

The trading of Samuel to Atlanta was met with mixed reactions by Eagles fans. Some saw it as an improvement, what with his poor tackling and matador attitude, while others appreciated his play-making ability and coverage skills. As is the case in most instances, the real answer lies somewhere in between.

On the face of it - 2011 coverage stats (all courtesy of PFF)

Targets Receptions Yards TDs INTs PDs QB rating Samuel 61 29 296 2 3 6 52.4 DRC 42 25 354 0 0 6 86.8

Clearly Samuel was much better overall this past season but the numbers are a bit misleading in this instance. Obviously Rodgers-Cromartie was completely miscast in the slot and as a result played much poorer than he otherwise might have.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie - slot vs outside performance

Targets Receptions Yards TDs INTs PDs QB rating* Slot 23 17 169 0 0 2 115.1 Outside 19 8 185 0 0 4 52.5

*Via Brian Solomon who first posted this table

As you can see DRC was much better when he could play his more natural left corner position. Although he gave up more yards, he still limited opposing receivers to around ten yards per catch, a very respectable number.

Cumulative coverage stats (2009-2011)

Targets Receptions Yards TDs INTs PDs Samuel 187 105 1124 12 19 18 DRC (inc. slot) 261 149 2031 11 10 32 DRC (ex. slot) 233 129 1800 11 10 30

Samuel has been the better player over the past few years but that's somewhat to be expected considering the difference in age. One thing that does stand out is that DRC has actually got his hands on the ball more often than Samuel. He has 42 combined interceptions and pass deflections compared to Samuel's 37. Rodgers-Cromartie dropped at least two easy interceptions in 2011, something his former teammate almost never did. Removing his performances in the slot also helps paint a prettier picture of DRC. He only ever played very sparingly inside before arriving in Philly but he wasn't exactly exceptional when he did. Derek of igglesblog.com did a great job of showing how, even without the interceptions, Samuel is a pretty dominant player. Notice however that the former Cardinal also fares well in his study.

Tackling troubles (09-11)

Tackles Misses Tackle efficiency Samuel 93 37 71.5% DRC 121 26 82.3%

While Rodgers-Cromartie's 82.3% tackle efficiency is pretty poor, it's still far superior to Samuel's terrible rate. DRC has the advantage in this category then even if it is more by default.

It may well be that Rodgers-Cromartie is a downgrade on Samuel in 2012. The latter has been one of the top cover corners in the league over the past three years. Still, DRC has flashed some serious potential, especially in 2009. If he can return to that form then he can become one of the top players in the league and the front office's gamble will have paid off.