Has Edgerrin James Lost His
Edge?
Oct/20/08 12:56 AM Filed in:
Edgerrin
James
It's too early in the season
to tell for sure if running back Edgerrin James'
role in the offense will diminish, but that might
be the case. In his first two years in Arizona,
James was the Cardinals workhorse, averaging about
330 carries a year. But those numbers have dropped
this year.
Through six games, James has carried 101 times; an
average of about 17 carries a game. At that pace, he'll
finish with 272 carries, his lowest total since 2002
when he was with Indianapolis.
It's hard to say if the fewer number of carries is a
trend or just a result of offensive schemes in a small
sample of games. James carried nine times in the
victory over Dallas, for instance, but had 21 the week
before the victory over the Bills. He carried just nine
times against Miami in Week 2, mostly because the team
relied on the pass in the victory.
But there are indications too, that James' backups are
assuming larger roles in the offense. Rookie Tim
Hightower appears ready to become more than just the
team's short-yardage and first-down back. He's more of
a one-cut running back and is more explosive than
James, whose strength is his vision and agility.
While Hightower doesn't have blazing speed, he appears
faster than James. And it's important to note that in
three seasons in Arizona, James has just four runs of
20 yards or more. And he's carried the ball 762 times.
J.J. Arrington, the team's No. 3 back, is playing a
larger role on offense too. Inactive for the first four
games, Arrington is an excellent situational back, and
his speed makes him dangerous if the team can get him
in some open space, usually through screens and draws.
(ind.scout.com)