Does 'Edge' still fit for Cards?

Since the end of last season, there has been speculation the Cardinals were eager to replace running back Edgerrin James with a younger, faster model.

Not so, team officials say. They would like to add a running back in this weekend's draft, but they would be content to again go with James and develop a potential replacement.

This draft is deep in running backs, but there might be only two or three worthy of being taken at No. 16 by the Cardinals.

"I think there are going to be maybe two or three positions where there is going to be a quick run on those players," General Manager Rod Graves said. "I think the concern will be about the depth later. And the running back position could be that way."

The Cardinals are careful not to disparage James when they evaluate their running back position. James still has great vision and agility and is adept at turning what should be a 3-yard gain into 6. But James turns 30 on Aug. 1 and doesn't possess as much big-play ability as coaches want.

James had four runs of more than 20 yards last season, and the Cardinals would like more from a starting back. Backups J.J. Arrington and Marcel Shipp aren't the answers.

The best backs in the league often have 10 or more rushes that gain at least 20 yards. For instance, Pittsburgh's Willie Parker had 12 last year. The Eagles' Brian Westbrook and the Vikings' Adrian Peterson each had 11.

The Cardinals passed on Peterson last year when they took offensive tackle Levi Brown at No. 5, but it will be difficult for them to skip taking an elite runner for a second straight year.

At the scouting combine in February, Whisenhunt said the Cardinals were "obviously always looking to get a young player at the position to hopefully develop. And it would be nice to have a guy who would give us the home run ability at that position, like we've seen a lot of young backs do recently."

That type of back is available in this draft, said several NFL personnel officials. One team's running backs coach called it "the best class in my 10 years in the league. There are probably three legitimate superstars and possibly two to three more.

"There probably will be 25 to 30 running backs drafted by the time this is over with."

The Cardinals have provided few hints at their plans, but it's worth noting that Oregon's Jonathan Stewart and East Carolina's Chris Johnson visited the team's Tempe facility in recent weeks.

Stewart is coming off recent toe surgery and is questionable for the start of training camp. But it's not a condition that's expected to hamper him significantly. He has good size (5 feet 10 inches, 235 pounds) and speed, and is regarded as a tough runner.

Johnson appears to have climbed on some draft boards over the past month. He's one of the faster backs (4.3 seconds in the 40-yard dash) in this draft and is a capable receiver and returner.

The Cardinals insist that they would be fine entering the season with James as the starter. Whisenhunt has pointed out that James deserves considerable credit for his performance last year. He played behind a rebuilt offensive line, and the team relied predominantly on the pass.
"He had 1,200 yards (rushing)," Whisenhunt said, "and any time you can do that in the NFL, you are a good back."

(azcentral.com)