New Detroit Lions defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson has fit right in at training camp. He took a shot at current Giants (and former Lion) CB Amani Oruwariye.
A joint practice between the Detroit Lions and New York Giants got ugly thanks to C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who threw some venom at former Lion Amani Oruwariye. Chirping is common in camp, especially during joint practices, so it should come as no surprise Gardner-Johnson had some trash talk for his opponent.
Gardner-Johnson took a shot at Oruwariye's coverage skills in particular, letting it be known to the entire practice facility that he's not as sticky in coverage as he thinks he is.
While Oruwariye surely gets beat on some routes, is Gardner-Johnson's criticism accurate?
Lions: C.J. Gardner-Johnson takes shot at Amani Oruwariye
While Oruwariye had a rough practice, sticking with wide receivers in man coverage is actually considered one of his strengths, per Sports Illustrated's Gene Clemons:
"One of the reasons Oruwariye was able to earn a starting position with the Lions was his ability in man coverage. He uses his long arms to jam receivers on the line or simply disrupt their releases…That, combined with good athleticism and mental acuity, has allowed him to carve out a good niche as one of the better coverage cornerbacks in the NFC. What also makes him so dangerous in pass coverage is his ability to get his hands on the ball and either force a pass breakup or an interception."
The one area Oruwariye does seem to struggle is penalties. He's one of the most-penalized corners in the league as it pertains to pass interference and holding, as it's used as a cop-out in the few times he's beaten in coverage.
Overall, Oruwariye was a nice pickup by New York, despite what Gardner-Johnson has to say.
