Andre Ellington: The most unlucky Cardinal

Not long ago, the Arizona Cardinals head man Bruce Arians envisioned a promising career for a late-round selection

Things happen, that’s all they ever do. This is a lyric from a song by Dawes, and it just seems to be the quota from which Andre Ellington seems destined for. I don’t think it’s the talent, it’s more about luck, or lack thereof.

I’ve written about the bad luck that Troy Niklas has, but Niklas wasn’t deemed a star in the making. During his rookie season, Ellington made significant strides to possibly being a star in the making. Rashard Mendenhall couldn’t stay healthy, so Ellington seized the day. 652 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a sparkly 5.5 yards per carry.

We felt as fans “finally, we have our leading rusher”. He would go on to have a mediocre, at best, season the next year. Another 660 yards, this time at a 3.3 yards per carry. Injuries. Just some nagging injuries, plus a trip to injured reserve.

Once again, it started feeling as though he would be the main dog in the house, with the Cardinals desire to have David Johnson learn behind Ellington and recently signed Chris Johnson. Injuries. He ends up falling behind Chris Johnson and David Johnson.

The injury bug just follows him with the Cardinals, with so many people already thinking he’ll be a third option. David Johnson is the front man now, with Chris Johnson being the primary backup.

I still think he will be on the roster after roster cuts. Sorry, I just don’t know what the potential of Kerwynn Williams is, Stepfan Taylor seems like a special teams type of player, and Elijhaa Penny will definitely be a practice squad player this year.

“Andre will still be a focal point. “-Bruce Arians

Andre Ellington will have time on the field, of course, but how much can he get? Passing downs could end up being his mainstay, most notable when he caught a slip-screen on the game ending play against Seattle week 10.

I think that this is a big year for Ellington, not in the sense that he will be a 1000 yard rusher, but more of a career “make-or-break” year. If Ellington wants to revive his career, now is the time. 2014 and 2015 was the year to breakout, now it’s time to show that he still has the potential Bruce Arians saw in him.

I don’t know if Arizona is going to be home for years to come. He just needs to be prepared for every scenario. I don’t know what to expect from Ellington, we could anticipate an injury (don’t freak out/knock on wood) from one of the Johnson’s, which would make Andre a very valuable piece. The more bullets in the chamber, the more shots you can fire.

Running back is very devalued now, Ellington is a free agent next offseason, what could he get on the open market? Could be a pretty penny, or it could be a bargain. If it’s the latter, he could come back.

I sense that a team looking for an elusive back such as the Cleveland Browns who will make him a competitive offer. He could be the ying to David Johnson’s yang. We just have to see if he can stay healthy. Free agency ought to be interesting for the Cardinals next year.

In any capacity, keep your eyes on Ellington, it’s going to be an interesting scenario that will play out throughout the season. What do you think Ellington will rush for? Is he still apart of the Cardinals plans, in your opinion?