Arizona Cardinals: Adding a veteran RB interesting thought
By Scott Allen
The Arizona Cardinals have been thin at RB in training camp
The Arizona Cardinals have a good crop of running backs when you look at the overall product on the roster. However, that’s the issue, it’s only good on paper right now. The Cardinals have been battling injuries at the position and now reports are out the Cardinals could be in the market for one.
Profootballtalk.com ran a piece on Monday that talked about the possibility of adding a veteran running back because of the disappointment that coach Bruce Arians and the team has in the position early on in camp.
The thought is an interesting one but the biggest worry I have is it a necessary move. Arians is said to have not been blown away by Kerwynn Williams, Stepfan Taylor, or Marion Grice this past weekend in the annual Red/White Scrimmage. Add that to the fact Andre Ellington and David Johnson have been nursing injuries basically since camp opened and you have yourself a little issue.
It is still early enough in camp though that I’d hate to see the Cardinals bring in a veteran, say like a Stephen Jackson and then see him perform well but then have a guy like Ellington, Johnson, or both get 100 percent healthy and then you have to either sit one of them or make an even tougher decision on other guys. We know Ellington and Johnson aren’t going anywhere.
The Cardinals running game was abysmal last season as we all know. The Cardinals were 31st in the NFL in rushing in 2015 at 81.8 yards-per-carry. Certainly a healthy running game would go a long way in helping the Cardinals get further than the first round of the playoffs this year and into the future.
At this point I hope the Cardinals don’t jump the gun, especially since any one of those veteran free agents out there will likely still be there in a week or two. Let’s see if Williams can get back to where he ws last week impressing Arians. Let’s hope that Ellington and Johnson or at least one of them can get on the field and fully participate in practice. I know you don’t want to bring a guy in too late into camp but the Cardinals haven’t even played one preseason game yet. I say play a wait and see game, for now at least then re-visit in maybe a week or so.