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Cardinals looking to acquire Edgerrin James? (1 Viewer)

azcards33

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.

 
Knock down Neil Rackers though.... they might be able to sustain drives if they get Edge. Neil was berry berry good to me.

 
Would mean they wouldn't have to draft LenDale White or some other RB in the draft in the first round, and can focus on defense or OL or something... Would be a smart move methinks..

 
this idea makes a lot of sense...

bringing in edge would mean they could use the #10 on cutler to groom as warner's replacement...

OR... they could get a LT like winston justice, enabling them to move incumbent leonard davis to more natural guard position... i don't think consensus top guard in the draft max jean-gilles will last to their second (he does in some mocks)... but if they got a top interior lineman (center or guard), they could be dramatically improved at 3 OL positions, as well at RB...

edge is one of top blocking RBs in NFL... this would be a boon to warner, who is at his best when he has time to survey the field & step up in the pocket... i agree with article that fitzgerald/boldin might be top WR tandem in the league...

cards could just be a few pieces of the puzzle away from one of the most potent, dangerous offenses in the NFC.

this idea is also a great fit because the team has cap space to make it work.

* there defense actually has a decent nucleus & core of playmakers... like berry, dockett, dansby, wilson & rolle... they could add LB & DB-types in mid-later rounds, to prioritize desperately needed overhaul of OL... maybe it wasn't such a great move to cut kendall & shelton in retrospect (though they would have cost money to resign... shelton wouldn't be nearly as good a prospect as justice)...

** BTW... is it tampering if a player talks about acquiring a player technically still under contract with another team? i'm pretty sure it is for coach or front office type (this made the news in case of tice recently)...

 
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How drastically would a move like this affect Edge's numbers? How far would you drop/raise him in your rankings if this move happened?

 
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I can't imagine Edge wanting to go to Arizona. But if he does, here's the best example of RB productivity dropoff going from a good offense to a bad offense that I can think of.

Code:
| 2003 den |  13 |   290   1591    5.5   14 |    38    314   8.3    0 || 2004 was |  15 |   343   1315    3.8    5 |    40    235   5.9    2 |
 
I can't imagine Edge wanting to go to Arizona. But if he does, here's the best example of RB productivity dropoff going from a good offense to a bad offense that I can think of.

| 2003 den | 13 | 290 1591 5.5 14 | 38 314 8.3 0 || 2004 was | 15 | 343 1315 3.8 5 | 40 235 5.9 2 |
Washington's OL was decent, though...just not spectacular like Denver's.I don't see Arizona's being decent. I'd drop it further than that.

 
Another example (he didn't change teams, but the team changed out from under him):

Code:
| 2003 sfo |  16 |   201   1024    5.1    6 |    35    307   8.8    1 || 2004 sfo |  15 |   244    822    3.4    7 |    35    212   6.1    0 |
 
Also:

Code:
| 2004 den |  16 |   275   1240    4.5    6 |    32    241   7.5    2 || 2005 cle |  16 |   309   1232    4.0    2 |    39    369   9.5    0 |
 
Upside example: Marshall Faulk

Code:
| 1998 ind |  16 |   324   1319    4.1    6 |    86    908  10.6    4 || 1999 ram |  16 |   253   1381    5.5    7 |    87   1048  12.0    5 |
I had forgotten how bad the Rams offense was before Faulk. In 1998 their leading rusher had 313 yards.
 
You guys are insane if you think you can just throw Edge behind that line and he'll produce.... It's the O line that's the problem.... You can put Edge/SA or whoever the heck you want back there.... when the DL's are 3 yards in the backfield a split second after you hike the ball... you have problems... and it's not the RB's.... That's assuming they don't false start to begin with.....

 
Dream on....no way Edge goes to Zona. They may pursue him but there is no way he would choose to go to Zona...

 
I'm sick of these morons running this team. Get a ### #### defense and let some other team pay an over the hill RB $8 million per year.

 
You guys are insane if you think you can just throw Edge behind that line and he'll produce.... It's the O line that's the problem.... You can put Edge/SA or whoever the heck you want back there.... when the DL's are 3 yards in the backfield a split second after you hike the ball... you have problems... and it's not the RB's.... That's assuming they don't false start to begin with.....
That's the point of getting Edge. We can take an offensive lineman with the 10 pick instead of using it on a RB.Everyone in the world knows that the offensive line is a problem, but signing a guy like Edge opens up a lot of doors. It sure makes it easier to sign offensive linemen when you can say, "Come to AZ and you get to block for Edge."

 
Not going to happen. Bidwell = cheap = no Edge
Maybe, and I know nothing about the guy, but once in awhile when an owner sees the light, "what might happen", he opens up his checkbook.Edge lands in AZ, they make the playoffs. More money.

I've been following the Chiefs, Hunt isn't free-spending by any stretch, but he saw that the fans would revolt if they didn't address the Defense, so he did.

 
Dream on....no way Edge goes to Zona. They may pursue him but there is no way he would choose to go to Zona...
he will go where he is paid & like it! :) if a better team comes along that pays as much... he will go there.

 
Edge in AZ.....takes him out of the top 10, imo. Their Oline cannot improve that drastically, but you never know, and I dont see them controlling games and playing with a lead much more than this season. Edge has lost alot of the explosion he had entering the league, but he's still a solid grinder on a balanced team. Im not sure how balanced AZ will be, though obviously they have great WRs. Id expect he'd be involved quite a bit in the passing game, but as far as his rushing #s, Id be surprised if Edge hit 1300yds and double digit scores for AZ. Id rather see him steal a spot with the Jaguars are Panthers...we'll have to wait and see.

 
You guys are insane if you think you can just throw Edge behind that line and he'll produce.... It's the O line that's the problem.... You can put Edge/SA or whoever the heck you want back there.... when the DL's are 3 yards in the backfield a split second after you hike the ball... you have problems... and it's not the RB's.... That's assuming they don't false start to begin with.....
Preaching to the choir
 
Well, here's my thinkings. No, I don't quite expect the 1,500+ yard Edge, if he were to move to AZ. But they have a pair of young, exciting receivers that defenses MUST respect, and a serviceable QB in Warner (for now). Couple that with the fact that they get to play the Rams twice and the 49ers twice, and you can get some good production outta him...

 

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