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TEMPE, Ariz. Antwan Barnes . -- A month from his 30th birthday, Antonio Cromartie is coming to the desert to face the challenges of the NFC West. The three-time Pro Bowl cornerback signed a one-year contract with the Cardinals on Thursday, saying he was lured by the teams aggressive pursuit of him and the fact that the team is developing into a contender. "I was looking for a team that was contending," Cromartie said at a late afternoon news conference, "and I found it. Like I said, they are moving in the right direction." Despite Cromarties pedigree, there was no avalanche of interest from other teams when the New York Jets released him on March 9. "I dont know. I really dont know," he said when asked why. "Maybe it was playing into my age, I dont know. Maybe it was playing into my hip. No one knew the outcome of my hip from last year or anything like that. I dont know, but Im happy where Im at." Cromartie was bothered by a hip flexor strain the first 12 weeks of last season but said it improved over the final month. " Right now, I feel like Im 100 per cent," he said. "Ive been running around, cutting and doing everything else. I havent had any problems with it." The Cardinals move is in line with a flurry of one-year deals general manager Steve Keim signed players to in his first months on the job last year. "Just like a lot of the other guys that weve signed in the past, I feel really good about the fact that a guy who has a chip on his shoulder, has huge upside, has all the physical tools and has played at a high level," Keim said, "and now were bringing him in on a one-year deal where hes ready to prove to the NFL and the world that hes still the same kind of guy." Cromartie called his release by the Jets and the relative disinterest from other teams "big-time motivation" for his coming season. "You dont get many phone calls, but its motivation to come out for one (year). You are part of a team that is right where it needs to be. It is a team that is committed to winning and also a team that is right on the edge, on the verge of being a Super Bowl championship team and thats what you look for. Im a veteran guy. Im going into my ninth year, and thats what you look for." Cromartie led the Jets last season with three interceptions. He also had eight passes defenced and one forced fumble. He was released by the Jets on March 9. For his career, Cromartie, the No. 19 overall pick by the San Diego Chargers in the 2006 draft, has 28 interceptions, 97 passes defenced, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He has had two interceptions in the playoffs. Cromartie start alongside Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson. Tyrann Matiheu played the nickel corner as well as safety as a rookie last year before going down with torn knee ligaments. Cromartie called that a formidable trio. "When you add all three of us into the secondary," Cromartie said, "it just speaks volumes of what this secondary can be because you have three guys on the back end that have the potential of making an interception and turning it into a touchdown. You have three playmakers on the back end. Thats what you are looking for. You are looking for guys to be a great tandem on the back and be game changers at the end of the day." Cromartie reportedly was interested in returning to the Jets but visited the Cardinals last week. He was named All-Pro after leading the NFL with a career-high 10 interceptions in 2007. He has scored five touchdowns, including a 109-yard interception return that is tied for the longest play in NFL history. Cromartie has missed one game the past four seasons. He is the third significant free agent signing for the Cardinals, joining left tackle Jared Veldheer and wide receiver-kick returner Ted Ginn Jr. Kenrick Ellis . "It feels like I havent left," said Tim Raines, the former long-time Expo, current Blue Jays roving instructor and should-be Hall-of-Famer, just moments after stepping onto the turf at Olympic Stadium. Kyle Wilson . Contract disputes lingered for days, weeks and months in the winter of 2012 and once more in summer of 2013 before the two sides finally compromised on an unhappy middle with a pair of one-year contracts.MINNEAPOLIS -- In a rare season of losing in Los Angeles, discombobulated Lakers fans have taken to dreaming about Kevin Love in purple and gold. They see him as the saviour, the young star they need to carry the franchise forward and help Kobe Bryant restore the teams pride. Is it a pipe dream or a real possibility? Its unlikely anyone will know until 2015, when Love can become a free agent and the Lakers will have money to throw at him. In the meantime, Love gave those suffering Lakers fans another performance to drool over. Love had 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his second career triple-double and the Minnesota Timberwolves set a franchise record for points with a 143-107 victory over the Lakers on Friday night. "Everybody wants someone like that," Lakers coach Mike DAntoni said before the game. "When youre talking about one of the best players in the league, yeah that makes sense." Nikola Pekovic scored 26 points on 9-for-10 shooting in his first game back from an ankle injury and Love hit three of five 3-pointers in just three quarters of work. Kevin Martin scored 17 points for the Wolves, who led by 19 points in the first quarter, 37 in the second and 40 in the third. Steve Nash made a surprise appearance for the Lakers, picking up four points and six assists in 14 minutes of just his 12th game of the season. It was about the only notable development for the Lakers, who lost to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, then allowed the Timberwolves to shoot 67.1 per cent, the highest any team in the league has shot in a game this season. "Terrible right now, man," Lakers guard Nick Young said. "Its a bad feeling." Love put on a clinic during a masterful first quarter, scoring 15 points, hitting two of three 3-pointers, grabbing five rebounds and dishing four assists. He threw one of his trademark 60-foot outlet passes to Kevin Martin for a layup, threw down a dunk, hit a 3 and finished a fast break during a 20-3 run that gave Minnesota a 26-7 lead. He grabbed his 10th rebound of the game just before the third-quarter buzzer,, and his teammates leaped off the bench and cheered his achievement. Breno Giacomini. "Even with the team they have now, its still nice to be a team thats been a heavyweight for a very long time," Love said of the Lakers. It was the quintessential Love performance -- versatile and punishing from inside and out, unselfish and relentless. And it is everything the Lakers are missing right now. Kobe Bryant has missed most of the season with injuries, Nash is on his last legs and the Lakers are desperate for a star to carry them forward when Bryant, who will start a new two-year contract next season, decides to retire. Love went to UCLA and his father, Stan, played for the Lakers in the 1970s. Love can opt out of his contract after next season, at which point the Lakers will have enough cap room to sign him to a maximum contract. The Timberwolves remain confident that they will be able to do enough this off-season to upgrade the roster to convince Love, who has not been to the playoffs in his six seasons, to stay. President of basketball operations Flip Saunders has told teams calling about trading for Love to not even bother asking. The Wolves can also pay him about $26.5 million more than any other team. "My parents lived there and they had me there, so its not my fault," Love said of the fascination with him in Los Angeles. "I dont really care about that right now. I just go out there and play and dont really worry about it." DAntoni coached Love with Team USA, so hes well versed in his abilities. "He was a big piece in what we were doing and obviously hes a big piece here," DAntoni said. "Guys a good player. Wherever he goes, hes going to be good." NOTES: Kent Bazemore scored 21 points and Jodie Meeks scored 19 for the Lakers. ... The Timberwolves topped 40 points in the first quarter for the fifth time this season. ... Xavier Henry sat out for the Lakers with a sore knee. ... Timberwolves PG Ricky Rubio had 10 points, six assists, six rebounds and one steal, which tied Tyrone Corbins franchise for steals in a season with 175. ' ' ' |
