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Footballguy
For Cards, pursuing Edgerrin James is a must
John Gambadoro
Special for azcentral.com
Feb. 6, 2006 11:23 AM
Just what direction the Arizona Cardinals go in the first round of the April draft is still up for debate within the organization. But the Cardinals could eliminate one position of need by finally going out and offering a great player the big bucks that Michael Bidwill had said the team would spend once they got a new stadium.
That player is Indianapolis running back Edgerrin James, who said this week that he does not expect to be back with the Colts.
James is one of the best running backs in the NFL. He is 28 years old and coming off of a 1,506-yard rushing season. And unlike the signing of Emmitt Smith, which was done for publicity purposes, James actually has plenty left in the tank and would be worth a three- or four-year deal.
Coming off a 5-11 season, the Cardinals could make a big splash going into a new building by bringing in a running back that would add immediate legitimacy to the Cards' putrid rushing attack.
Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner told Xtra Sports 910 from Detroit on Friday that he "would lobby the organization to go after James and do anything he could to bring him in," and that "any team in the league would want a guy like Edgerrin".
The Cardinals have never had a great running back in their time in Arizona. As a matter of fact, they have never had a good running back. They have had bad backs, really bad backs - and really, really bad backs. That includes the two current running backs, Marcel Shipp and JJ Arrington.
There is no question the Cardinals have to look at brining in a new player to lead the rushing attack. If Arrington is a bust, which is what it looked like in his first year, it's not that big of a deal. He wasn't a first-round pick so the organization did not spend a ton of money on him. It's a lot easier to have a guy not pan out in the second round (which is where Arrington was picked) than in the first. In some ways Arrington resembles Leeland McElroy, a former second-round pick of the Cardinals who flopped.
By bringing in James, the Cardinals can than scratch running back off the draft board and use the first pick on an offensive lineman, quarterback or stud defensive player. They will not have to look at running back the entire draft.
James has played seven years in the NFL. He has amassed 9,226 yards and has eclipsed the 1,500-yard plateau four times in his career. He has won two rushing titles and this month is headed to his fourth Pro Bowl. This past season James was franchised tagged by Indianapolis and played for $9.1 million. He will become unrestricted in March, and all indications are that the Colts will use the tag on fellow wide receiver Reggie Wayne and let James walk.
The Cardinals will go shopping this free-agency period with about $20 million. Why not spend a good portion of it on James? The Cardinals plan on using some of the $20 million to re-sign Warner, sign a free-agent offensive lineman and sign a free-agent defensive lineman. The Cardinals can accomplish all of that and still have the means necessary to ink James to a long-term deal. James will likely want between $10 million and $15 million up front in signing bonus and an average annual salary of around $8 million.
And he will be worth every penny, especially if his signing allows the team to draft an offensive lineman in the first or second round. If the Cardinals can upgrade its line and have James running behind it, they could end up with one of the more potent offenses in the NFL. With James leading the rushing attack and Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin forming the top-receiving tandem in the league, the Cardinals could break in their new stadium with a high powered offense capable of putting a lot of points on that new scoreboard.
Just how much interest James would have in Arizona is anyone's guess. He has been on a highly competitive Colts team and may want to sign with a team closer to winning a championship. But head coach Denny Green could sell James on playing in a warm weather climate, on a natural surface in a new state-of-the-art facility, and on being the guy to turn the organization around. A lot of it may come down to money. Figuring this will likely be his last big contract, James is going to want to cash in, and if Arizona can outbid even the more competitive teams that will have interest in him, they could land the star back.
The Bidwill family has come a long way in how they do business. They have spent good money on free agents and draft picks and have even offered two-tiered signing bonuses and escalators in the past few years. Now it's time to take it up another notch. It's time to land a prized free agent that is a difference maker. It's time to outbid the other teams that will show interest in James and show the fans that they meant what they said when they talked about spending once the stadium vote was passed.
The Cardinals will be making more money in the next year than they have ever made before. With luxury suites, naming rights, signage, concessions, etc, the team will be raking in the bucks. Plus the value of the franchise is going way up the second the doors to the new stadium opens. So is it too much to ask the organization to bring in a big-time player that is still in his prime?
The Bidwills have always said they want to win as much as anyone else. Now is the perfect time to show they mean it. In the form of money to Edgerrin James.
John Gambadoro
Special for azcentral.com
Feb. 6, 2006 11:23 AM
Just what direction the Arizona Cardinals go in the first round of the April draft is still up for debate within the organization. But the Cardinals could eliminate one position of need by finally going out and offering a great player the big bucks that Michael Bidwill had said the team would spend once they got a new stadium.
That player is Indianapolis running back Edgerrin James, who said this week that he does not expect to be back with the Colts.
James is one of the best running backs in the NFL. He is 28 years old and coming off of a 1,506-yard rushing season. And unlike the signing of Emmitt Smith, which was done for publicity purposes, James actually has plenty left in the tank and would be worth a three- or four-year deal.
Coming off a 5-11 season, the Cardinals could make a big splash going into a new building by bringing in a running back that would add immediate legitimacy to the Cards' putrid rushing attack.
Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner told Xtra Sports 910 from Detroit on Friday that he "would lobby the organization to go after James and do anything he could to bring him in," and that "any team in the league would want a guy like Edgerrin".
The Cardinals have never had a great running back in their time in Arizona. As a matter of fact, they have never had a good running back. They have had bad backs, really bad backs - and really, really bad backs. That includes the two current running backs, Marcel Shipp and JJ Arrington.
There is no question the Cardinals have to look at brining in a new player to lead the rushing attack. If Arrington is a bust, which is what it looked like in his first year, it's not that big of a deal. He wasn't a first-round pick so the organization did not spend a ton of money on him. It's a lot easier to have a guy not pan out in the second round (which is where Arrington was picked) than in the first. In some ways Arrington resembles Leeland McElroy, a former second-round pick of the Cardinals who flopped.
By bringing in James, the Cardinals can than scratch running back off the draft board and use the first pick on an offensive lineman, quarterback or stud defensive player. They will not have to look at running back the entire draft.
James has played seven years in the NFL. He has amassed 9,226 yards and has eclipsed the 1,500-yard plateau four times in his career. He has won two rushing titles and this month is headed to his fourth Pro Bowl. This past season James was franchised tagged by Indianapolis and played for $9.1 million. He will become unrestricted in March, and all indications are that the Colts will use the tag on fellow wide receiver Reggie Wayne and let James walk.
The Cardinals will go shopping this free-agency period with about $20 million. Why not spend a good portion of it on James? The Cardinals plan on using some of the $20 million to re-sign Warner, sign a free-agent offensive lineman and sign a free-agent defensive lineman. The Cardinals can accomplish all of that and still have the means necessary to ink James to a long-term deal. James will likely want between $10 million and $15 million up front in signing bonus and an average annual salary of around $8 million.
And he will be worth every penny, especially if his signing allows the team to draft an offensive lineman in the first or second round. If the Cardinals can upgrade its line and have James running behind it, they could end up with one of the more potent offenses in the NFL. With James leading the rushing attack and Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin forming the top-receiving tandem in the league, the Cardinals could break in their new stadium with a high powered offense capable of putting a lot of points on that new scoreboard.
Just how much interest James would have in Arizona is anyone's guess. He has been on a highly competitive Colts team and may want to sign with a team closer to winning a championship. But head coach Denny Green could sell James on playing in a warm weather climate, on a natural surface in a new state-of-the-art facility, and on being the guy to turn the organization around. A lot of it may come down to money. Figuring this will likely be his last big contract, James is going to want to cash in, and if Arizona can outbid even the more competitive teams that will have interest in him, they could land the star back.
The Bidwill family has come a long way in how they do business. They have spent good money on free agents and draft picks and have even offered two-tiered signing bonuses and escalators in the past few years. Now it's time to take it up another notch. It's time to land a prized free agent that is a difference maker. It's time to outbid the other teams that will show interest in James and show the fans that they meant what they said when they talked about spending once the stadium vote was passed.
The Cardinals will be making more money in the next year than they have ever made before. With luxury suites, naming rights, signage, concessions, etc, the team will be raking in the bucks. Plus the value of the franchise is going way up the second the doors to the new stadium opens. So is it too much to ask the organization to bring in a big-time player that is still in his prime?
The Bidwills have always said they want to win as much as anyone else. Now is the perfect time to show they mean it. In the form of money to Edgerrin James.
if a better team comes along that pays as much... he will go there.
