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Footballguy
Green stands by Arrington
By Darren Urban, Tribune
February 26, 2006
INDIANAPOLIS - As a catchy phrase, LenDale in Glendale has panache.
The idea the Cardinals might take Southern California running back LenDale White, a big body who could carve out tough yards, with the 10th overall pick in April’s draft is appealing.
But the Cards’ shoddy running game isn’t necessarily going to get that kind of overhaul. Coach Dennis Green, who a year ago pronounced for the first time his fondness for running back J.J. Arrington, stood at the same podium Saturday at the NFL scouting combine and steadfastly defended his 2005 second-round pick.
“(J.J.) needs another chance to go in and show he’s the player we believed he was when we drafted him as the 44th player in the (2005) draft, the player he was when he led the nation in rushing,” Green said. “I believe he is that player, but I’m not going to try to convince you of it.
“He’s got to get a chance to play, regardless of whether we draft a back or not. We could easily draft a back and he doesn’t beat J.J. out. That could easily happen.”
While it was long known privately that the Cardinals wouldn’t chase a star free agent back like a Shaun Alexander, Edgerrin James or Jamal Lewis, Green emphasized it again Saturday.
“We’ve not had a blockbuster deal, and a blockbuster deal in my opinion is one that eats up most of your cap space,” Green said. “It means you get one player and one and done. And we’re not going to do that. If you ask me, if we’re going to go after one of the incredible backs that might be available in a blockbuster deal, that probably will not happen.”
But if the Cardinals are serious about developing Arrington, it also makes little sense to spend a high pick on a running back.
White is intriguing. At 6-foot and a planned playing weight of around 235 pounds, he would seem to make a good pairing with Arrington. He already stands out compared to most of the other potential draftees at the position, given the amount of smaller backs. Of Pro Football Weekly’s top 20 running back prospects, 11 stand under 5-10.
“That’s what helps me a lot in this draft, just because how big I am,” White said. “(Memphis’) DeAngelo (Williams) and Reggie (Bush) are in a class of their own and then you have the in-betweens like (Minnesota’s Laurence) Maroney. I’m kind of happy to be in this class because you get a lot more touchdowns when you’re big.”
NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock sees Maroney as the second-best back behind Bush. Then comes White and then Williams. If White manages to run the 40-yard dash in the 4.4s — White won’t run until USC’s pro day April 2 — Mayock said he’ll jump up the board again.
But there are questions about White. He drew laughs when he talked about playing in the Rose Bowl at 253 pounds, weight gained because he overate during the holidays. There are questions about how hard he would work once he receives a first-round payday, and some think he has more finesse in his game than a big back should.
Players like Maroney or Williams would likely be too similar to Arrington to warrant choosing.
Of course, it’s difficult to tell how much the Cardinals — or any team — likes any of the top rookie-to-be backs at the moment.
“Everybody has poker faces around here,” Williams said. “Everybody’s playing with a World Series of Poker face. They all smile the same; they all ask you the same questions. They do a great job of not letting other teams know who they really show interest in.”
By Darren Urban, Tribune
February 26, 2006
INDIANAPOLIS - As a catchy phrase, LenDale in Glendale has panache.
The idea the Cardinals might take Southern California running back LenDale White, a big body who could carve out tough yards, with the 10th overall pick in April’s draft is appealing.
But the Cards’ shoddy running game isn’t necessarily going to get that kind of overhaul. Coach Dennis Green, who a year ago pronounced for the first time his fondness for running back J.J. Arrington, stood at the same podium Saturday at the NFL scouting combine and steadfastly defended his 2005 second-round pick.
“(J.J.) needs another chance to go in and show he’s the player we believed he was when we drafted him as the 44th player in the (2005) draft, the player he was when he led the nation in rushing,” Green said. “I believe he is that player, but I’m not going to try to convince you of it.
“He’s got to get a chance to play, regardless of whether we draft a back or not. We could easily draft a back and he doesn’t beat J.J. out. That could easily happen.”
While it was long known privately that the Cardinals wouldn’t chase a star free agent back like a Shaun Alexander, Edgerrin James or Jamal Lewis, Green emphasized it again Saturday.
“We’ve not had a blockbuster deal, and a blockbuster deal in my opinion is one that eats up most of your cap space,” Green said. “It means you get one player and one and done. And we’re not going to do that. If you ask me, if we’re going to go after one of the incredible backs that might be available in a blockbuster deal, that probably will not happen.”
But if the Cardinals are serious about developing Arrington, it also makes little sense to spend a high pick on a running back.
White is intriguing. At 6-foot and a planned playing weight of around 235 pounds, he would seem to make a good pairing with Arrington. He already stands out compared to most of the other potential draftees at the position, given the amount of smaller backs. Of Pro Football Weekly’s top 20 running back prospects, 11 stand under 5-10.
“That’s what helps me a lot in this draft, just because how big I am,” White said. “(Memphis’) DeAngelo (Williams) and Reggie (Bush) are in a class of their own and then you have the in-betweens like (Minnesota’s Laurence) Maroney. I’m kind of happy to be in this class because you get a lot more touchdowns when you’re big.”
NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock sees Maroney as the second-best back behind Bush. Then comes White and then Williams. If White manages to run the 40-yard dash in the 4.4s — White won’t run until USC’s pro day April 2 — Mayock said he’ll jump up the board again.
But there are questions about White. He drew laughs when he talked about playing in the Rose Bowl at 253 pounds, weight gained because he overate during the holidays. There are questions about how hard he would work once he receives a first-round payday, and some think he has more finesse in his game than a big back should.
Players like Maroney or Williams would likely be too similar to Arrington to warrant choosing.
Of course, it’s difficult to tell how much the Cardinals — or any team — likes any of the top rookie-to-be backs at the moment.
“Everybody has poker faces around here,” Williams said. “Everybody’s playing with a World Series of Poker face. They all smile the same; they all ask you the same questions. They do a great job of not letting other teams know who they really show interest in.”
No, really. Didn't the Cards finish top 10 in yards AND yards allowed. The only team in the NFL to do that? They were playing better than their record indicated, but then again, they're in the NFC West.
