The New Orleans Saints parted ways with veteran cornerback Ken Crawley this week, waiving the former starter who had taken the field for just one of their first eight games this season (playing 10 special teams snaps in Sunday’s game with the Arizona Cardinals). The Saints were unable to find a partner before the NFL’s trade deadline, so they waived him to make room for starting nickel corner P.J. Williams, who returns after a two-week suspension.
Per Cameron Wolfe of ESPN, the Miami Dolphins claimed Crawley off of waivers. They needed depth at the position after placing star cornerback Xavien Howard on injured reserve with a knee condition, and Crawley could very well compete to start for their depleted secondary right away.
Crawley started most of the 2017 season for New Orleans, and he generally played at a high level. Ironically, he first got the starting nod in 2017 during a London game against the Dolphins when Williams was benched for arriving late to a team meeting earlier in the week. His only career interception came in that game when he picked off Jay Cutler in the end zone. Now, he’ll be playing for the Dolphins.
But he regressed hard to start the 2018 season. He was a sieve in coverage, struggling to track the ball in flight and either allowing a big play or often drawing a penalty; opposing teams accepted 17 fouls against him in 38 games from 2016 to 2018. His poor play necessitated the Saints’ midseason trade for cornerback Eli Apple, who has turned into a really strong player in his second year with the team.
