For a guy that can't get on the field, Edgerrin James just dropped the ball. He interrupted the feel-good story of the NFL, distracting the Cardinals and their fans before the biggest game of the year.

It will be a costly fumble in a Hall of Fame career.

Through his agent, James recently requested his release from the Cardinals, and on some level, his unhappiness is understandable. James effectively ranks fourth on the Cardinals' depth chart of running backs. His three carries over the past two games are fewer than wide receiver Anquan Boldin (four). In Sunday's win at Seattle, he watched as J.J. Arrington got the call and the ball in the fourth quarter of a close game. A proud man has been embarrassed by Ken Whisenhunt, who is using James to make a powerful statement.

The head coach will not tolerate players who gripe during the good times, who miss the only scheduled practice during a bye week, who strike some members of the organization as a guy not running that hard, particularly in that loss to the Panthers.

In his last 49 carries, James has gained 137 yards. Those numbers scream of a running back in decline, which James most certainly is not. They also don't reflect how much James has selflessly helped rookie Tim Hightower.

But it will be hard to defend James now, and here's the problem: By the end of the season, James will have collected $25 million of his $30 million contract with the Cardinals. And before the season is over, James will surely be needed by a team entering uncharted territory.

He should have kept his mouth shut, worked like Arrington to get back into good graces, and played out the season without any further complaints. In a worst-case scenario, he would've remained in the doghouse, released without any further attrition to his body, and able to resume his career next year with rested legs.

Instead, James just confirmed the public's worst perception of him - that he's driven only by money and statistics. It is in stark contrast to what James said earlier in the season when asked about his diminished role:

"Me? I want to win. I want to make my trip out here worthwhile. I want to do whatever it takes to help turn this program around."

Whatever it takes? Sometimes that means holding a clipboard, like Matt Leinart. Sometimes that means giving up carries because the team has two of the best wide receivers on the planet. It means being a team guy, and understanding the civic impact of the big picture. The worst franchise in sports history is 7-3 and could clinch its division title before Thanksgiving. The once-beleaguered Cardinals are in the hunt for a first-round playoff bye, and have a puncher's chance at the Super Bowl. This is no time to spike the Kool-Aid.

It's popular to bash the agent in stories like this, particularly a public nuisance like Drew Rosenhaus. When reached on Wednesday, Rosenhaus said James didn't want to be a distraction, which is almost laughable.

The story first appeared on a highly credible, football-specific website (profootballtalk.com). It appeared without any sources or attribution. That means the story was likely leaked by the agent, who was then conveniently forced to comment when his office was flooded with phone calls. But, hey, sorry for the distraction.

Bad move, guys. James was guaranteed his $5 million salary in 2008 when he made the opening day roster. It's one of many reasons why the Cardinals do not and will not release James, who might be needed if Hightower gets injured.

James is highly intelligent, and should have known as much. He should have known that such a tactic was not only futile and fruitless, but likely to land him in the fan's doghouse at the worst possible time.

After all, it's been a historic season for the Cardinals. Too bad not everyone is enjoying the view.

(azcentral.com)

Edgerrin James asked the Cardinals to release him after he was benched in favor of Tim Hightower in Week 9, according to Profootballtalk.com.

Arizona refused, opting to keep Edge as a third stringer for insurance behind Hightower and J.J. Arrington. James' $5M salary for 2008 is guaranteed, so there was no reason for Arizona to give him to another team. At the time Joseph Addai was struggling in Indianapolis and the Colts could have given their old friend a long look. Denver also could've put in a waiver claim.

(rotoworld.com)

A day after rookie Tim Hightower ran for 109 yards in his first NFL start and former Pro Bowl running back Edgerrin James was relegated to the bench without playing a down, Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt emphasized James “is a valuable part of this team.”

Left unsaid was what that means on a tangible level.

Not surprisingly, most of the questions to start off Whisenhunt’s Monday press conference were about the status of the veteran James after his benching in a 34-13 win in St. Louis.

Whisenhunt said James will get chances to carry the ball and “we are going to need Edge.”

It was clear, however, that James’ most important role at this point will be insurance in case of any injury to Hightower. James does not play special teams, so when he doesn’t play running back – as in Sunday’s game – he takes up a valuable roster spot.

But even with J.J. Arrington making plays as a runner himself (62 yards on six carries against the Rams), the Cards will need James should Hightower go down. For that reason, Whisenhunt said he doesn’t see a reason James would be made inactive on game days.

Bigger picture, Whisenhunt said it’s up to the player to handle such a demotion and not let it affect the team. He pointed to the way veteran Jerome Bettis dealt with his lesser role in Pittsburgh while Whisenhunt coached there, at the point where Willie Parker became the featured back.

“A lot of that is the responsibility of the player and how he deals with it,” Whisenhunt said. “Edge has tremendous credentials, he’s been an important part of this team and he still is.

“For us to win … the thing that has to be the most important in our players’ minds is the team. I’ve seen tremendous signs of that. They understand we will need everybody.”

Of course, by the time Parker burst on the scene, Bettis was already thinking retirement and dearly wanted a Super Bowl ring first. Bettis had also been losing carries to Duce Staley or Amos Zeroue the previous few seasons.

James wants a ring, but he clearly does not see himself as at the end of his career and has been the workhorse back every year since arriving in the NFL. At the same time, James – who, like all players was off Monday and unavailable – did not sound like he was looking to undermine the team even after watching healthy from the sideline for the first time in his career.

“They can sit me down for the rest of the year,” James said after the Rams’ game. “I’ll (still) come out and go to work.”

Whisenhunt repeated a couple of times there are situations for which James would be the best player – the coach was not specific what those would be – and cautioned Hightower had not yet “arrived.”

Offensive coordinator Todd Haley pointed out that Hightower had too many negative runs. Hightower had four such runs against the Rams for a total of 14 yards in losses.

But Hightower also had four runs of at least 15 yards (and one wiped out because of a penalty). In his 2½ seasons in Arizona, James had just 14 runs of at least 15 yards (in 769 rushing attempts). Ultimately, that bigger-play ability put Hightower into the lineup – and got James removed.

“I believe guys are given opportunities when they earn it and you’re judging it on how they do on the field,” Whisenhunt said. “If you hold true to those decisions, by and large you will make the right decisions. That is what has guided me, guided us, since we have been here.”

(azcardinals.com)

It would be a mistake to believe the benching of Cardinals running back Edgerrin James last week was a direct result of James' recent expressions of frustration over his diminishing role.

Although his comments didn't endear James to anyone in the organization, they weren't inflammatory enough by themselves to keep him standing on the sideline, healthy, for the first time in his career. It was, instead, a confluence of many factors that brought James and the Cardinals to this point.

The reasons for the benching can be traced to 2007, when Ken Whisenhunt was named head coach of the Cardinals, a season after the team signed James to four-year, $30 million deal.

Part of the reason for signing James was to sell tickets in the opening season of University of Phoenix Stadium. But no one is saying that James didn't play hard and produce with the Cardinals. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons, the first Cardinals back to do that since Ottis Anderson in 1983-84.

But it was telling that as soon as the season ended, the Cardinals talked about the need to add a running back with big-play ability. In 2½ years with the team, James' longest run is 27 yards and he's had only four runs that have gained more than 20 yards.

So the Cardinals drafted Tim Hightower out of Richmond in the fifth round, and it was obvious from his first practice that his skills were much different from those of James. Vision and agility are James' strengths. He has an instinct for finding creases in the defense and he rarely loses yards.

Hightower is a powerful runner who makes quick, decisive cuts and explodes through a hole. Those attributes are a nice fit for this offense, so it seemed only a matter of time before Hightower began to take carries away from James.

James' personality played a part in losing the job, too. Not that he's a bad influence in the locker room. He's liked by his teammates and he has been selfless in mentoring Hightower in the nuances of the NFL, from how to take care of his body to how to watch video of opponents.

But James hasn't been a team leader, either. As he said Sunday, he is not a "yes man," and he's often gone his own way. He never wanted to be a team captain, and he valued his independence when it came to decisions on working out at the team facility in the off-season or attending voluntary workouts.

The fact that James missed the only practice during the recent off week didn't go unnoticed, either.

So it wasn't a few comments in a few interviews that sent James to the bench. It was a culmination of factors, with one being the most important: This Hightower kid could be pretty good.

(azcentral.com)

Week Nine was one of those changing-of-the-guard weeks that occur every so often, with a bunch of relatively anonymous players having breakthrough performances and several established veterans finding themselves unofficially marginalized. Here’s a look at five established vets who reached the end of the road this past weekend.

1. Edgerrin James — It seemed inevitable that Tim Hightower would take over as the Cardinals’ lead back at some point this season. The rookie had been making the most of the half-dozen or so touches he’d been getting each game, and James was getting fewer and fewer carries as the season progressed. But the passing of the torch came abruptly in Week Nine, when James stood idling on the sideline while Hightower carried 22 times for 109 yards and a TD. James never quite met expectations with the Cardinals after his amazing seven-year run with the Colts. The Edge is gaining 3.5 yards per carry this season and has never gained 4.0 yards per carry during any of his seasons in Arizona after averaging at least 4.0 in six of his seven years with Indianapolis. Hightower had a 30-yard TD run against the Rams on Sunday; in 2½ seasons with the Cardinals, James has a long run of 27 yards. Now it appears that his long run as a valuable fantasy contributor is over.

2. Willis McGahee — A bad ankle sidelined McGahee during the Ravens’ Week Nine win over the Browns, but the play of rookie Ray Rice could keep McGahee sidelined in the weeks to come. McGahee has been hindered by injuries all year, which might be part of the reason why he’s gaining only 3.5 yards per carry. He ran for 105 yards in Week Seven and finished the month of October by running for TDs in consecutive games, but there have been warning signs lately, including an eight-carry, 18-yard performance against a bad Indianapolis run defense in Week Six and a per-carry average of 2.5 yards against the hapless Raiders in Week Eight. Rice and Le’Ron McClain both have run well for the Ravens this season, and Rice’s 154-yard performance against the Browns was an eye-opener. McGahee simply hasn’t been that effective this season, and with the 5-3 Ravens in the thick of the playoff chase, it’s a good bet that head coach John Harbaugh will use his best runner(s) rather than stubbornly sticking with the high-salary guy.

(profootballweekly.com)

The Arizona Republic reports though he fully supports RB Tim Hightower, Cardinals RB Edgerrin James privately is peeved about his new role - as a potential Hall of Fame player being phased out of the equation and likely being released after this season. Cardinals HC Ken Whisenhunt, when pressed Monday about the running-back controversy on his 5-3 team, said it is his hope that James responds like RB Jerome Bettis did in Pittsburgh when the Steelers were getting ready to unleash RB Willie Parker. James wasn't available for comment Monday, as Whisenhunt gave the team the day off. But after Sunday's game, James said the decision to not play him "was personal." And therein lies the difference between him and Bettis. Three years ago, when the Steelers won Super Bowl XL, Bettis already had decided he was going to retire and make way for Parker. But James, who is under contract with the Cardinals for another year, says he is nowhere near done playing. Whisenhunt said for the Cardinals to reach the playoffs, "the thing that has to be the most important in our players' mind is the team, and I see tremendous signs of that with our football team." Yes, but does he see that from Edgerrin James? "I have no indication otherwise," Whisenhunt responded.

(ffmastermind.com)

Edgerrin James still has a role with the Cardinals. But while coach Ken Whisenhunt made this point clear on Monday, he didn’t exactly define what that role will be, other than he will back up Tim Hightower, the team’s new starting running back.

James, the No. 13 rusher in NFL history, sat out Sunday’s win at St. Louis entirely while Hightower made a smashing debut with 109 yards.

“Edge” speculated afterward he was benched because he wasn’t a “yes man.” He had previously lobbied publicly for a bigger role in the offense.

James is still “a valuable part of this team,” Whisenhunt said.

Whisenhunt didn’t spell out if James would play in all future games. But he said, “He’s a good running back. When the opportunity presents itself, he’ll get chances to carry the ball. We’re going to need Edge.”

The coach indicated James will be on the active roster for games, saying, “I would hate to think if, God forbid, something would happen to Tim in a game, it would be nice to have Edge available to carry the ball.”

“Just like we’ve done all year, Tim has gotten carries, J.J. (Arrington) has gotten carries, as well as Edge. We’ve used backs in situations that give us the best chance to win.”

Whisenhunt said he’s “excited” to see Hightower’s progress. But he reminded everyone not to get carried away by one big game.

“We have to see over time in order to say Tim has arrived, as a lot of people want to say based on one game. ...

“Let’s be very clear about this: The reason he played is because he worked hard and earned the opportunity to play and has shown in games he can pick up blitzes, that he could do a good job running with the football, that he’s a receiver coming out of the backfield.

“We wouldn’t have put him in there if we didn’t feel like he was going to have a chance to be successful and give us the best chance to win.”

Hightower seems to be in the mold of his coach, a guy who supposedly has limited physical tools (he was ignored by the NFL draft combine) but is a hard-working overachiever.

Whisenhunt pointed to several other young Cardinals who seem to have the same approach, including Steve Breaston, Calais Campbell and Ali Highsmith.

“That’s the type of attitude we’ve tried to instill, that’s the kind of environment we’ve tried to foster.

“Is Tim part of that? Absolutely. He does have that attitude.

“I don’t know if you can relate that to me, but ... yes, Tim has those qualities.”

(eastvalleytribune.com)

ST. LOUIS - The torch has been passed at the Cardinals’ running back spot. Tim Hightower replaced Edgerrin James in the starting lineup Sunday; James had started 135 straight games in his career.

What’s more, the Cardinals went with Hightower, who ran for 109 yards, and J.J. Arrington (62 yards) in the backfield, not “Edge.”

Whisenhunt said he hadn’t planned on sitting James, the NFL’s No. 13 running back of all time, for the whole game. But with the Cardinals rolling, he stuck with what was working.

“That is just the way the game developed,” Whisenhunt said.

James, though, said, “It’s been brewing for a while. I’m not surprised. I’m happy for Tim.

“I’m supportive of him and happy for him.”

James, though he wasn’t specific, seemed to suggest his suggestion two weeks ago that he be more involved in the offense worked against him.
“I don’t fit the yes-man mode. It’s always going to come down on me.”

James, asked if his earlier comments played a role in his benching, replied, “I don’t know what it was.

“I’m not going to be a yes man. They can sit me down for the rest of the year.

“It don’t matter. I’ll come out and go to work.

After his comments, James had a subpar game at Carolina, including a lost fumble.

James said he expected High­tower to play, and, “I expected him to have a big day. We knew we should have a big day running the ball regardless of who was in there.”

James and Hightower have become friends, a relationship James said he intends to keep.

“I’m not gong to let somebody come between me and Tim. That’s just how I am.

“When this is all over, I’ll still be friends with Tim. That’s more important.”

James and Hightower stood near each other during the game, with the veteran giving the rookie advice.

“I’m going to help him as much as I can. Tim is going to be all right.”

Hightower praised James:

“Edge prepared me all week. He helped me to know what to look for and kind of calmed me down. He stayed with me all game and helped me out.”

(eastvalleytribune.com)

Update:
Though there was no announced starting lineup change before the game, James was benched in favor of Tim Hightower on Sunday, the Arizona Republic reports. James did not receive a single touch all game, while Hightower surpassed 100 yards off 22 carries. J.J. Arrington was used as the Cardinals' second back, gaining 62 yards off six carries and adding five receptions for 57 yards.

Recommendation:
At this point, there have been no reports that James was banged up. There is also nothing that has surfaced that would lead to the conclusion that James' lack of action was the result of any disciplinary action from the team, so the fact that he went without a single touch on Sunday is a bit baffling. More light on this situation is sure to be shed over the next few days but, for the time being, James' value has taken an enormous hit. He's no longer startable in leagues of any size or format.

(rotowire.com)

Edgerrin James has had to navigate some treacherous terrain in his career, but never in territory that felt this unfamiliar.

Call it the land of aging running backs who feel they're being phased out for younger, shinier models. In the Cardinals' case, that model is Tim Hightower.

"It's cool with me," James said Monday when told Hightower could get more snaps. "That's the way it was heading, anyway."

It's not cool with him.

He's a proud man who believes he still has a lot to offer. He's knocking at the Hall of Fame's door but could barrel through it by adding a pair of 1,000-yard seasons. Today, he's already 13th overall on the NFL's all-time rushing list with 11,987 yards. Two more 1,000-plus efforts would leapfrog him to seventh.

James, 30, caused a stir last week when he told The Republic's Kent Somers that he was frustrated by his role in the Cardinals offense. On Monday he added that he feels like the team has "put me in a position to fail."

Though it's tempting to lump James into the category of disgruntled, disruptive athlete, it wouldn't be right. He was asked fair questions and responded with honest answers. He didn't call the organization cheap or clueless or any other pejorative some past Cardinals have flung the team's way. He believes he could be used better and, although he might not be right, he's entitled to his opinion. This is not divisive, split-the-team stuff. He is well liked in that locker room, and as Anquan Boldin has shown, if you have the respect of your teammates, what you say doesn't matter if they still believe you'll give your heart, your right arm, your sinus membrane or anything else for the team.

"(What James said) isn't even talked about in here," Boldin said Monday. "I would expect him to say that. He's a playmaker, a competitor, and that's just him being competitive. He wants the ball in his hands. What's wrong with that?"

I get that. I also get James feeling uncomfortable Monday when questions were asked about his playing time.

"Perception never works in my favor," he said.

Labels are a tricky thing. Dreadlocks and a since-removed grill are about appearance, not judgment. They make him an individualist, not a separatist. There's a difference.

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt never said Hightower was supplanting James. He simply said Monday, when asked, that he is open to the possibility.

"I think we've shown we're going to play with the players that we feel give us the best chance to win," he said. "We've done that with the quarterbacks, we've done that with linebacker, with the offensive line.

"At a point we feel Tim gives us the best chance to win, then absolutely. Just don't think we'll judge it based on just yesterday's game. It's a process."

After averaging 20 carries in the Cardinals' first three games, James has carried nine and seven times, respectively, in the past two.
Hightower carried seven and six in those games but has six touchdowns overall to James' three.

The scenario is complicated by a recent offensive shift to a pass-heavy attack. Against Carolina, the Cardinals had 14 carries to 51 pass attempts in part because the Panthers frequently had seven or eight players in the box, creating situations such as one of the touchdown passes to Boldin, when he was covered by only a linebacker.

James is no dummy. The Cardinals aren't announcing a shift, but it sure feels like the beginning of a transition, and although Hightower has looked impressive, he's a rookie. Things change.

James needs to stay on top of his game and not let the concern about his future dictate the present. I believe he's bigger than that.
The Cardinals need him to be.

(azcentral.com)

The University of Miami has announced its 2009 class of inductees to the UM Sports Hall of Fame.

The six former student-athletes range from a track-and-fielder to a golfer to baseball and football players. All were stars in their respective sports, though some are more well known than others.

UM football fans will immediately recognize running back Edgerrin James, who also will soon be introduced as a new member of UM's Ring of Honor. James played from 1996-98 and holds the school record of 299 yards in 39 carries against UCLA in 1998. He is second all-time in rushing yards (2,960) and rushing touchdowns (32).

James, whose cousin Javarris James currently plays for UM, was drafted fourth overall by the Indianapolis Colts in 1999 and now plays for the Arizona Cardinals.

The other soon-to-be inducted UM Sports Hall of Fame members:
• Warren Bogle, baseball, 1966-1967.
• Davian Clarke, track, 1995-1998.
• Aubrey Huff, baseball, 1997-1998.
• Cathy Morse, golf, 1974-1977.
• Mike Sullivan, football, 1987-1990.

The induction ceremony will be April 23 at Jungle Island in Miami.

(miamiherald.com)

Edgerrin James' numbers are in decline, but James insists that his talents are not. That is part of what has the veteran running back so frustrated about his role in the Cardinals offense, and irritated by the criticism generated by his decreased production.

James insisted he didn't want to cause controversy by answering questions about how he's being used this season. But he admitted several times on Wednesday that he's frustrated.

With 363 yards on 101 attempts, James is on pace to rush for 968 yards and 269 carries this season. Both numbers would be his lowest totals since 2001, when he missed 10 games with a knee injury.

"I don't know what's going on," he said. "I'm just here, just going to ride it out and get to the playoffs and, hey, that may be it right there."
That's a reference to his future with the team, not his career. James' contract runs through the 2009 season, but there are no assurances the Cardinals will keep him after this year.

He is due to make $5 million in salary next season, and the club has a promising young player in rookie Tim Hightower.

Asked if he wanted to return next year, James said he just wants to play.

"I don't want to just be on a team; I like to play," he said. "If I'm not playing, it's not serving a purpose. What purpose is it serving? I don't want to feel like I'm selfish but you want to play.

"Hey, I still got years in me, I know that. I can still play some ball. I ain't worried."

Eye for the records
James came to Arizona in 2006, signing a four-year $30 million deal, and he became only the second back in team history to gain more than 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons.

Statistics have always been important to James. When he came to the Cardinals from Indianapolis, he jokingly warned his offensive line not to mess up his Hall of Fame chances. He is just 30 yards shy of 12,000 career rushing yards and needs 105 more to pass Thurman Thomas to become 12th on the NFL's all-time list.

Those 105 yards won't be easy to come by this year. Hightower has emerged as the team's short-yardage and goal-line back. Ten times the team has called upon him when it's needed a yard on third and fourth downs, and he's converted each time.

Backup J.J. Arrington has played an integral role on offense in the past two games, while Hightower is likely to get more carries as the season progresses.

Coach Ken Whisenhunt views the depth at running back as something that will serve the team well, just as it did at receiver and on the defensive line.

"I'm glad that (James) wants more carries," Whisenhunt said. "I think that's a good sign for all competitive players; they want the ball. That's why Edge is where he is and why he's been so successful, but I think the trend, not just with us but throughout the league, is sharing the carries."

The main criticism of James is that he lacks big-play ability. In three seasons here, he has 762 rushing attempts but has only four carries of 20 or more yards.

Unreasonable expectations?
In the off-season, the Cardinals expressed a desire to acquire a speedier back. They settled on Hightower, a fifth-round choice out of Richmond not known for his speed. But he's made some explosive plays already this season, including a 17-yard touchdown run in a victory over the Bills.

James knows he's not much of a threat to go 70 yards. The Cardinals should have known it, too, when they signed him.

"When I came here, I came a certain way," he said. "I wasn't going to hit no 70, 80 (yards). I was going to non-stop grind, make my plays and keep wearing a team out.

"That's what I've always done and now it's like I'm supposed to be Superman. You want to have success, you want to do things and that's the most frustrating thing, I know I can play, I know I'm a good player."

The Cardinals are ranked 28th in the NFL in rushing, averaging 86.8 yards a game, but they are third in passing and sixth overall.

They have also won two consecutive games and at 4-2, have a two-game lead in the NFC West division.

"I don't want to seem like I'm bad-mouthing the system," James said. "I've never been somebody to just go off on somebody. I don't want this to appear negative because that's not my style."

But this offensive system, he said, is "totally different" from the one he expected the Cardinals would use when he signed in 2006. "And I have to take all the criticism," he said.

With the Cardinals winning, James doesn't want his frustration to become a focal point. It would be an accomplishment, he said, to make the playoffs at least once while with the Cardinals.

But James believes he still an elite player. The 30-something running back who has lost a step is "not me," he said, "but my career won't end like that. I know that."

(azcentral.com)

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)

Edgerrin James ran for 57 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for 21 yards in the Cardinals' Week 5 win.

James has now scored in consecutive weeks after going touchdown-less in Weeks 1-3. Still, he is an grinding runner without big-play ability and continues to lose goal line chances to Tim Hightower. Sell high if you can.

(rotoworld.com)

Edgerrin James totaled 29 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries and caught five passes for 37 yards in Week 4 against the Jets.

Nine carries tied James' lowest total since Week 12 of the 2006 season, but he scored twice from short yardage after the Cardinals fell behind huge in the second half, producing multiple touchdowns for the first time since 2005. Tim Hightower figures to keep getting goal-line work in non-blowouts, so don't make too much of James' afternoon.

(rotoworld.com)

He came to the desert, flashed that bright smile of his, and we were hooked.

The Cardinals signed Edgerrin James? Are you kidding?

But it wasn't a joke. The Bidwills were about to move into their new stadium and they were putting their money where their luxury suites were, signing James to a four-year, $30 million contract.

It was heralded as the most significant free-agent signing in franchise history, and who could argue?

James was a four-time Pro Bowl selection, the yin to Peyton Manning's yang in Indianapolis.

He was a symbol of hope and a promise of better days ahead.

"We're serious about winning," vice president Michael Bidwill said.

Thirty months have passed. The Cardinals are still serious, but James no longer is the front man, the face of the franchise. Instead, he has become an afterthought, the commercial pause while Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin catch their breath.

James' skills haven't completely eroded. He had 93 yards Sunday - averaging 5.2 yards per carry - and he's on pace to rush for 1,321 yards, which would be his most since 2005, his final season in Indianapolis.

But James isn't having the kind of impact - either on a Sunday afternoon or over the course of the season - you'd expect from a $30 million player.

Last year, James' longest run from scrimmage was 27 yards. His longest gain this year is 16 yards, making him the only back in the top 10 in rushing who doesn't have a carry of at least 20 yards.

To be fair, James never was a home run threat. His longest run over his last six seasons in Indianapolis was 43 yards.

But he seems to have reached the point of his career where defenses no longer fear him.

Some of that is beyond James' control. One of the reasons he was so effective with the Colts is that he was playing with Manning, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne and behind a good offensive line. Defenses were preoccupied with Indianapolis' passing attack, which gave James room to run.

In addition, the Cardinals haven't made James a focal point of their offense. He no longer carries the ball in goal-line situations - rookie Tim Hightower has both of Arizona's rushing touchdowns - and he rarely has the ball thrown to him.

James, 30, caught a combined 207 passes in his final four years in Indianapolis. But he had just 27 receptions last season, and he's caught only three balls this year.

Here's the thing, though: If James were still one of the NFL's best backs, wouldn't the Cardinals make it a point of emphasis to get the ball in his hands?

No, the truth is, James has lost just enough bounce in his step that he's become an average back.

The Cardinals know it. The team considered waiving James after last season, but only if it could acquire a younger, every-down back.

There's already talk, after three games, that Arizona needs to give Hightower more carries because he has the explosiveness James lacks.

James isn't going to disappear. Barring injury, he'll carry the ball 300 times or so and rush for more than 1,000 yards.

But the running back who once represented everything the Cardinals were going to be has become a supporting actor.

And when James' days do end here - his contract runs through 2009 - he likely won't be remembered for the yards he gained, the passes he caught or the touchdowns he scored.

He'll be defined, instead, by what the Cardinals did in the first round of the 2007 draft.

Content with James, they took Penn State tackle Levi Brown with the fifth overall pick.

And passed on Adrian Peterson.

(eastvalleytribune.com)

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) _ Edgerrin James and Clinton Portis aren't comparing notes this week.

The University of Miami pals usually call each other all the time, offering ad hoc scouting reports on opponents past and future. One can only imagine what the conversations are like when two elite backs are talking shop.

"Everybody else that we play, it's 'What do you see?' 'What you think?' 'What works?'" Portis said. "This week, I'm sure neither one of us is going to give each other advice on how to help defeat the other team."

Of course not. James' Arizona Cardinals and Portis' Washington Redskins are going head-to-head Sunday, offering a treat for running back aficionados. James and Portis are two of only six players in league history to average at least 110 total years from scrimmage per game.

"It's enjoyable because I know he's playing against a great defense," Portis said, "and he knows I'm playing against a great defense, so it's always a competition."

James ranks fourth on the list with an average of 115.6, while Portis is sixth at 111.5 among backs who have played a minimum of 85 games. Nos. 1, 3 and 5 — Jim Brown, Barry Sanders and Walter Payton — are in the Hall of Fame. LaDainian Tomlinson is No. 2.

James has been easy to overlook this season because Kurt Warner is back to his old self at quarterback, leading the Cardinals to 23-13 and 31-10 victories with downfield passes to Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. James has 44 carries for 155 yards, a modest 3.5 average, although last week he became 14th player in league history last week to reach 15,000 scrimmage yards.

Portis, like the rest of the Redskins offense, picked up his game in Week 2 after a difficult opener. He ran for 96 yards in last week's victory against the New Orleans Saints, giving him 180 yards on 44 carries for a 4.1 average.

"Watching Clinton Portis strain for the extra yard can fire you right up," Redskins coach Jim Zorn said. "That is what a running back is made for in this game."

Portis' has been in the news for other reasons in recent days. Last week, he made remarks to The Washington Post that could have been interpreted a