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J.J. Arrington, RB, Arizona Cardinals
By Sean Quincey, Edited by Cory J. Bonini
What a tangled web we weave. Throughout the offseason it was expected that disgruntled and displaced Buffalo Bills RB Travis Henry would go to the Arizona Cardinals via trade. The deal was not done by draft day, and Arizona ended up taking Cal RB J.J. Arrington in the second round. Arrington will challenge for the starting slot and that could deter Henry from pursuing the team as Henry is leaving his former team.
Arrington suffers from Kansas City Chiefs RB "Larry Johnson Disease". Like Johnson when he was drafted two years ago, Arrington was the only player in the collegiate ranks to rush for 2,000 yards in his senior season and was still not the first running back taken.
Forget about the "Big 3" running backs that came out this year - even better, remember them. Remember that none of them rushed for 2,000 yards, none of them had 100 rushing performances in every game and none of them averaged more than six yards per carry. Arrington did all that but he's still not considered a "top-tier" running back in this draft. What more does he have to do?
How about Arrington's help taking a team to its highest ranking in 50 years and, in the same season deliver the only 100-yard rushing performance against the eventual national champs? How about clock one the fastest 40 times (4.46) of all running backs at the combine (he also ran a reported 4.39 at his campus workout)? The Cardinals obviously thought he was good enough to pick up as the fourth running back in the draft, and it's looking like he is going to be the small, shifty runner in Arizona next year, not Henry.
Positives
Arrington owns two years of productive playing experience in Cal head coach Jeff Tedford's pro-style West Coast offense. Every NFL team employs some form of this offense into its scheme, and he'll catch on to Cardinals head coach Dennis Green's playbook quickly because of his familiarity with the system. His quarterback at Cal, Aaron Rodgers, owes some of his success to Arrington. Knowing that Arrington would rattle off seven yards every time he ran the ball, defensive coordinators could not drop six and seven people into coverage. Even when Cal's best receivers were battling injuries (all season), and defenses were given flexibility to key on him, Arrington produced.
Like recently drafted Miami Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown, Arrington's body has absorbed only limited damage during college. He started every game in his senior season, but that's it. Other guys have durability questions because of old injuries and Arrington has nothing lingering.
He's a short, but compact, muscular runner who accelerates quickly out of cuts and through cut back lanes very effectively. Though undersized, Arrington will grind out between-the-tackles yards and meets linebackers near the line of scrimmage in pass protection.
I can't wait
GBR
40
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Sean Quincey, Edited by Cory J. Bonini
What a tangled web we weave. Throughout the offseason it was expected that disgruntled and displaced Buffalo Bills RB Travis Henry would go to the Arizona Cardinals via trade. The deal was not done by draft day, and Arizona ended up taking Cal RB J.J. Arrington in the second round. Arrington will challenge for the starting slot and that could deter Henry from pursuing the team as Henry is leaving his former team.
Arrington suffers from Kansas City Chiefs RB "Larry Johnson Disease". Like Johnson when he was drafted two years ago, Arrington was the only player in the collegiate ranks to rush for 2,000 yards in his senior season and was still not the first running back taken.
Forget about the "Big 3" running backs that came out this year - even better, remember them. Remember that none of them rushed for 2,000 yards, none of them had 100 rushing performances in every game and none of them averaged more than six yards per carry. Arrington did all that but he's still not considered a "top-tier" running back in this draft. What more does he have to do?
How about Arrington's help taking a team to its highest ranking in 50 years and, in the same season deliver the only 100-yard rushing performance against the eventual national champs? How about clock one the fastest 40 times (4.46) of all running backs at the combine (he also ran a reported 4.39 at his campus workout)? The Cardinals obviously thought he was good enough to pick up as the fourth running back in the draft, and it's looking like he is going to be the small, shifty runner in Arizona next year, not Henry.
Positives
Arrington owns two years of productive playing experience in Cal head coach Jeff Tedford's pro-style West Coast offense. Every NFL team employs some form of this offense into its scheme, and he'll catch on to Cardinals head coach Dennis Green's playbook quickly because of his familiarity with the system. His quarterback at Cal, Aaron Rodgers, owes some of his success to Arrington. Knowing that Arrington would rattle off seven yards every time he ran the ball, defensive coordinators could not drop six and seven people into coverage. Even when Cal's best receivers were battling injuries (all season), and defenses were given flexibility to key on him, Arrington produced.
Like recently drafted Miami Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown, Arrington's body has absorbed only limited damage during college. He started every game in his senior season, but that's it. Other guys have durability questions because of old injuries and Arrington has nothing lingering.
He's a short, but compact, muscular runner who accelerates quickly out of cuts and through cut back lanes very effectively. Though undersized, Arrington will grind out between-the-tackles yards and meets linebackers near the line of scrimmage in pass protection.
I can't wait
GBR
40
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------