Cards' James irritated by criticism

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)