The life of an NFL cornerback can be a roller-coaster ride. These guys play the game at its highest level and sometimes walk a thin line between brilliance and disaster. Few players illustrate that better than new Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Riq Woolen. He’s a former defensive rookie of the year finalist. He brings a Super Bowl pedigree, earned during his time with the Seattle Seahawks. Pen has been put to paper. He’s an Eagle thanks to a one-year, prove-it deal. His deal could pay him up to $15 million.
Riq Woolen expects to balance aggression and discipline better moving forward.
No one questions Woolen’s talent. What he’s capable of is well-documented. He’s capable of locking down some of the game’s best wide receivers. Therein lies his brilliance. Disaster sometimes comes when he plays too freely.
Advertisement
That latter trait is the ‘Mr. Hyde’s persona to Woolen’s ‘Dr. Jekyll’. The undisciplined play is why he fell out of favor in Seattle as the Seahawks settled on a former Eagle, Josh Jobe.
He has been criticized at times for playing outside the boundaries of sound discipline. He can occasionally drift outside of structure and draw unnecessary penalties. Still, questioning his respect for the game is probably a little unfair. He knows where he needs to improve and is serious about making sure that he does.
Woolen spent a little over a dozen minutes with the Philadelphia media on the first Thursday of the new league year. He seems easy to like. He respects the game. He’s excited about his new opportunity and looking forward to growing with his new teammates.
Advertisement
This may be a bit premature, but it feels like one of those Zack Baun-esque signings, though we didn’t know how good he’d be at the time. Woolen has the potential to be that level of impact signing, a steal if you will. Perhaps he puts it best by stating the following.
“I like to go out there and have swagger. I got to have passion. God didn’t make me to be a quiet person. God made me to go show all my abilities and play with passion and enthusiasm.”
Cornerbacks are supposed to have short memories. They’re asked to forget bad plays before the next one begins. They’re asked to forget the good plays more quickly.
Cornerback might be the most psychologically demanding position in football. The elite must walk a constant tightrope. Woolen is equally capable of being disciplined and daring. The change of scenery will be good for him. His addition will certainly be good for an Eagles team that needed help in its secondary.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Riq Woolen says he wants to be intense, but control his emotions