James fills huge roles in Cards' rise

One's career is on the rise, the other on the wane.

Larry Fitzgerald and Edgerrin James both fill crucial roles in the Arizona Cardinals' plans to beat Philadelphia on Sunday and advance, believe it or not, to the Super Bowl.

James, though, could be playing his last game for the Cardinals on Sunday. The 30-year-old running back, in his 10th NFL season, said two weeks ago he believes he and the team will part by mutual agreement.

The man who ranks 11th on the NFL's career rushing list was benched halfway through the season in favor of rookie Tim Hightower. But it didn't do much to help Arizona's woeful ground game. The Cardinals finished last in the league in rushing.

Whisenhunt brought James back in the regular-season finale against Seattle.

James rushed for 100 yards that day and has been solid, if not spectacular since. Any semblance of a running game helps clear the way for Warner and the potent Arizona passing game.

Whisenhunt said switching to Hightower gave the team the best chance to win. He said that the team would need James somewhere down the road. James wasn't sure that was true.

"I never knew," he said. "I just sat there and waited. I didn't know when I was getting in the game. I just made sure I went out and continued to practice and do what I've always done and not let whatever is going on take you from the type of player or person you are."

James stayed quiet, but his agent didn't. Drew Rosenhaus called general manager Rod Graves to ask that James be released. Graves said no, that such a move made no sense for the team.

Whisenhunt said he and James maintained a professional relationship, no matter what the agent was saying.

"I don't know if there was ever any real tension between Edgerrin and me," Whisenhunt said. "I know a lot of times he wasn't happy because he wasn't playing, and that's what you want. You want players like that. He has been respectful. ... I have a great deal of respect for him and what he has done for our team, especially in the latter part after going through a hard time."

James never made it to the Super Bowl despite all his success with Indianapolis. He does have a Super Bowl ring from owner Robert Irsay when the Colts won it all a year after James left and signed a free agent contract with Arizona.

James was asked if he ever pinched himself to see if it was true that he and the long downtrodden Cardinals were a win away from the Super Bowl.

No, he said, that came earlier in the season.

"I pinched myself on the sideline," he said. "I couldn't believe I was on the bench."

(ap.com)