Sep 21, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back Andre Ellington (38) runs with the ball as San Francisco 49ers free safety Eric Reid (35) and cornerback Chris Culliver (29) defend during the second half at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
I just got done reading ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss’s mailbag piece on their site and some very good questions were brought up. Those questions included the status of Marion Grice and Andre Ellington.
Someone asked if Grice would see any playing time anytime soon. The quick answer was no. That’s the answer I expected to see and what I felt from the time fans started calling for the Cards to pick him up at the final preseason cut-down time. He sits on the practice squad in case something happens but as Weinfuss stated, he’s not ready to play on Sunday’s for the Cardinals. He still has a lot to learn.
I know a lot of people were excited when they signed Grice off of the San Diego Chargers practice squad a couple of weeks ago. I think partly it was a public relations move and partly to make it a project to see what he could do and add some insurance to the position. Grice has skills and he has speed. That doesn’t mean he is NFL ready.
As for Ellington, Weinfuss stated he still isn’t 100 percent, which echos what coach Bruce Arians has said. I’m not sure Ellington will be 100 percent for awhile. He is good enough to go out and contribute. Everyone is worried about fantasy stats. How about we just worry about the player and make sure he is healthy and can contribute to the Cards in a positive manner? He will eventually be back to what he was last season. We just have to be patient.
In the meantime, the Cards are fine right now at the running back position. They aren’t world killers at the position but have created enough to show balance in the offensive attack.