Arrington ready to accept his role
Running back says he wants to help team any way he can
By DARREN URBAN
TRIBUNE
CONTACT WRITER:
(480) 898-6495 or [email protected]
J.J. Arrington took his place on the Cardinals’ first-team offense Wednesday, with the running back in the spot where everyone expected him to be when Arizona drafted him with 2005’s second-round pick.
Of course, it’s not where Arrington will stay.
New running back Edgerrin James was absent from the first day of the Cards’ voluntary organized team activities.
So it is Arrington, the man who lost the starting job the day James signed as a free agent in March, who will take his place until James shows up.
The role isn’t the one Arrington will have during the season, but he has already come to terms with the one he will have.
“I will just try and get in and help where I can,” Arrington said following Wednesday’s workout. “If Edge needs a break here and there, I can do that. I’ll be catching out of the backfield, mostly.”
Catching a few passes and spelling a starter is far removed from the expectations of last season, when Arrington’s rookie year began with talk of a 1,000-yard season.
Instead, Arrington gained just 370 yards on 112 carries — 3.3 yards an attempt — and lost the starting job to Marcel Shipp for most of the year.
There were questions with how hard Arrington ran when he was in the game. And then the team made the biggest splash of the NFL free agent period by signing James to a four-year, $30 million contract.
“Every NFL player wants to be ‘The Guy’ at his position, that’s not uncommon, and he should feel that way,” running backs coach Kirby Wilson said. “As a player, you always want to get better, always have something to prove. We want to see him keep that chip on his shoulder.”
Arrington has been a quiet sort since arriving in the NFL.
Never prone to verbose proclamations or emotional swings, he said he thinks bringing in James was a good move.
While he acknowledged getting more repetitions in practice this week as a first-teamer can only help, “I also would love for (James) to be here so I can continue to learn from him.”
This season’s goal, coach Dennis Green said, is to get James 1,500 yards rushing — which will clearly take the vast majority of the carries. But Arrington will be needed, as will Shipp.
Shipp has been mentioned in trade talks, but the Cardinals have rebuffed any moves thus far.
Vice president of football operations Rod Graves said having Arrington and Shipp behind James isn’t a luxury as much as a necessity.
“The one thing we have not had the benefit of is depth on this team,” Graves said.
So what does that mean for Arrington? Will his growth be stunted playing less? Or might the signing of James be the best thing for Arrington, removing the pressure of carrying a running game he was not ready to carry a season ago?
“J.J. will do everything better this year,” Wilson said. “He’ll protect better, he’ll run better, he’ll read better, he’ll catch better. Now we’ve got to get him to work better and understand it all goes together.”
One thing Arrington already understands is that he won’t be No. 1. He insisted it doesn’t matter.
“I am always going to work hard to earn my keep,” Arrington said.
“They pay you, so you might as well work hard. That’s never been a problem for me.”
Running back says he wants to help team any way he can
By DARREN URBAN
TRIBUNE
CONTACT WRITER:
(480) 898-6495 or [email protected]
J.J. Arrington took his place on the Cardinals’ first-team offense Wednesday, with the running back in the spot where everyone expected him to be when Arizona drafted him with 2005’s second-round pick.
Of course, it’s not where Arrington will stay.
New running back Edgerrin James was absent from the first day of the Cards’ voluntary organized team activities.
So it is Arrington, the man who lost the starting job the day James signed as a free agent in March, who will take his place until James shows up.
The role isn’t the one Arrington will have during the season, but he has already come to terms with the one he will have.
“I will just try and get in and help where I can,” Arrington said following Wednesday’s workout. “If Edge needs a break here and there, I can do that. I’ll be catching out of the backfield, mostly.”
Catching a few passes and spelling a starter is far removed from the expectations of last season, when Arrington’s rookie year began with talk of a 1,000-yard season.
Instead, Arrington gained just 370 yards on 112 carries — 3.3 yards an attempt — and lost the starting job to Marcel Shipp for most of the year.
There were questions with how hard Arrington ran when he was in the game. And then the team made the biggest splash of the NFL free agent period by signing James to a four-year, $30 million contract.
“Every NFL player wants to be ‘The Guy’ at his position, that’s not uncommon, and he should feel that way,” running backs coach Kirby Wilson said. “As a player, you always want to get better, always have something to prove. We want to see him keep that chip on his shoulder.”
Arrington has been a quiet sort since arriving in the NFL.
Never prone to verbose proclamations or emotional swings, he said he thinks bringing in James was a good move.
While he acknowledged getting more repetitions in practice this week as a first-teamer can only help, “I also would love for (James) to be here so I can continue to learn from him.”
This season’s goal, coach Dennis Green said, is to get James 1,500 yards rushing — which will clearly take the vast majority of the carries. But Arrington will be needed, as will Shipp.
Shipp has been mentioned in trade talks, but the Cardinals have rebuffed any moves thus far.
Vice president of football operations Rod Graves said having Arrington and Shipp behind James isn’t a luxury as much as a necessity.
“The one thing we have not had the benefit of is depth on this team,” Graves said.
So what does that mean for Arrington? Will his growth be stunted playing less? Or might the signing of James be the best thing for Arrington, removing the pressure of carrying a running game he was not ready to carry a season ago?
“J.J. will do everything better this year,” Wilson said. “He’ll protect better, he’ll run better, he’ll read better, he’ll catch better. Now we’ve got to get him to work better and understand it all goes together.”
One thing Arrington already understands is that he won’t be No. 1. He insisted it doesn’t matter.
“I am always going to work hard to earn my keep,” Arrington said.
“They pay you, so you might as well work hard. That’s never been a problem for me.”
