After Su'a Cravens' 2017 season derailed by injury and personal issues, it was initially difficult to see how the dynamic safety would reclaim his promise as a potential rising NFL star.
That pessimistic outlook might have faded a little bit this week when the Denver Broncos signalled their faith in Cravens by acquiring him in a trade with the Washington Redskins.
"I wanted to play football where somebody wanted me," Cravens told Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post. "I can tell that Denver actually wanted me on this team. It wasn't just, 'This is smart for our team.' It just seemed like they really felt like they could use me and felt like they could put me in the best position to be successful."
Cravens' tenure with the Redskins ended in disappointment after it originally looked as if he'd be roaming the Washington secondary for years to come. Selected in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Cravens showed his promise in 11 games that season. He also dealt with injuries, and he was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome prior to the start of the 2017 season. The diagnosis, coupled with the personal issues he was dealing with off the field, left Cravens contemplating retirement. It also prompted the Redskins to shut him down for the season by placing him on the reserve/left squad list.
The ordeal left Cravens eager for a new start.
"I never felt like I could be myself with the Redskins," Cravens said. "... It's a blessing obviously to be drafted by the Redskins and I will always thank them for giving me my opportunity. But I just think after my rookie year when I had those injuries, I just felt like things kind of changed. Once I had my last injury, I just felt like it might be in everybody's best interest if we just start off fresh."
"A lot of people have the perception that I quit," Cravens said on SiriusXM NFL Radio, per The Washington Post. "I don't look at it that way. I look at it as I took care of what I needed to do. My health is most important. Once I handled that, then I could come back. I didn't really have the option to return, even when I did get cleared. I'm just ready to get back out on the field and play."
Time will tell if Denver will indeed offer "A Whole New World" for Cravens.
