Nnamdi Asomugha Blames Philadelphia Eagles’ Schemes For Struggles
By Josh Hill
Once elite cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha has gotten a second chance with a new team by signing with the San Francisco 49ers, but it’s only because of his recent past that he’s in the situation he’s in currently. It wasn’t long ago that Asomugha was the most coveted free agent on the market, but after a lousy stint with the Phildelphia Eagles, Asomugha is having to redeem himself with the Niners.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Aosmugha didn’t directly blame the Eagles for his struggles, but rather did so by extension saying that the schemes that they ran didn’t fit his skills.
“I think 49ers have a good mix, what (defensive coordinator) Vic Fangio does I think has been awesome, over the last two years from what I’ve seen,” Asomugha said. “Having a chance to do it again, definitely had to make sure the scheme was something I liked and I was able to find San Francisco with a scheme that I thought was really impressive.”
Asomugha also noted that he felt alone in Philadelphia, saying he didn’t know anybody and that he basically felt out of his element in more than just the way the Eagles were running their defense. When he signed with the Eagles, it was the first time Asomugha was going to play away from the Bay Area, as he had attended college at Cal and then went on to play for the Oakland Raiders.
“I think the contrast is I didn’t really know anyone [in Philadelphia], and it was a new area for me,” Asomugha said. “Those were probably the biggest differences. And then out here, there is that familiarity with the area and with players and coaches.”
To his credit though, Asomugha didn’t shovel all the blame onto the Eagles, and while he cryptically blamed the Eagles, he blamed himself in a more straight forward manner.
“The bottom line is I didn’t get it done out there,” Asomugha said of his performance with the Eagles. “It just didn’t work out. I have a chance to step back on the field and do it again, do it over.”
Now that he’s back home in the Bay Area, Asomugha’s story of redemption will be one of the most watched storylines in the 2013 NFL season. Due to the scheme clash everyone noted in Philly, Asomugha has sort of been given a mulligan for his anti-elite performance with the Eagles. But he doesn’t have a safety net anymore and it’s truly put up or shut up time for Asomugha.