JJ Arrington (1 Viewer)

[Flossy]

Arrington has just been relieved of special teams return duty to Breaston. Is this a sign that AZ wants to get him more involved in the offense? A few things are going his way. Hightower is a rookie and looks indecisive at times. Also he is the better 3rd down back as much as they throw. Would anybody be surprised if he started down in a game or two?

 

[Holland Freeze]

Picked him off the waiver wire just in case.

 

[Da Guru]

Arrington has just been relieved of special teams return duty to Breaston. Is this a sign that AZ wants to get him more involved in the offense? A few things are going his way. Hightower is a rookie and looks indecisive at times. Also he is the better 3rd down back as much as they throw. Would anybody be surprised if he started down in a game or two?

I think so..Hightower looks like a very average RB right now. JJ seems to have matured and looks stronger and more explosive than when he first came into the league.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

I really think it's possible Arrington's been a good back all along. No one was going to be successful behind the lines he was playing with in 2005 and 2006.

 

[Judge Smails]

JJ will be the primary back the next two weeks as Warner runs for his life vs. NYG and PHI. Dump offs to Airington will be plentiful.

 

[Mikey16x]

Eh.. I think arrington was removed from KR duties because Breaston has been better on them, plain and simple. Breaston became their primary kick returner before Arrington's little emergence. His play the last few weeks has shown me that he has begun to carve a niche for himself, but I don't think him being removed was any kind of sign of a improved role at tailback. If I recall correctly JJ was on the bubble during the off-season and wasn't even a sure bet to make the team again.

In regards to his value the rest of the season.. if he can keep his production up he can be a decent COP/3rd down back, especially with Edge in the basement of the doghouse. I don't see him having any relevance fantasy-wise unless your in a extremely deep league. But, there is an outside shot because Hightower has looked extremely average on full duty.

 

[MCguidance]

He is my sleeper of the week, FWIW

 

[groin pains]

After watching him return kicks against the 49ers a couple Mondays ago...I dont understand why he wouldnt be the kick returner. That being said, I am sure Arrington will have a monster game against the Giant only because I have Hightower in as my starter!!

 

[mightyeskimo]

What's Hightower's deal? He looked great the first half of the season!

 

[groin pains]

Any Arizona homers that can shed some light on this? Is Hightower still the starter? Is this RBBC in Arizona now?

 

[Federal]

Any Arizona homers that can shed some light on this? Is Hightower still the starter? Is this RBBC in Arizona now?

Arrington a blast from past for Cards

Comments 0 | Recommend 0

Mike Tulumello, Tribune

Let's take a look at the Cardinals' fastest-rising players the past month. One is the team's first-round draft pick. That figures. Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie was supposed to shore up the cornerback spot, one of the team's most suspect areas.

Besides, top picks are supposed to rise quickly.

But the other one? He's a blast from the past.

J.J. Arrington was supposed to be big time three years ago. That's when the running back and kick returner was the team's second-round pick.

Ever since, he's shown glimpses, only to slide sideways or backward.

He appeared to be a goner in September. After a solid training camp, he still wasn't on the 45-man active roster for the first four games.

Considering he was entering the final year of his contract, his modest exploits seemed to be the stuff of scrapbooks.

Now, he appears to be the team's No. 2 running back - at least he's been used more than Edgerrin James lately - after coming up with the best month of his career.

Last week against Seattle, he broke through in a big way by scoring two touchdowns in the Cardinals' 26-20 win.

He also has a kickoff return for a touchdown, one that helped propel the Cards to a big win over Dallas, and boasts the team's best yard-per-carry average (5.9).

Coach Ken Whisenhunt maintains that the pressure of competition forced Arrington to become more consistent, that he started making plays in practice and more or less elbowed his way into the playing rotation.

"When he got his chance, he took advantage of it," Whisenhunt said. "Because he had to fight through a little bit of adversity, he's now playing at a much higher level. That speaks to competition, which we've talked about numerous times around here."

Arrington, not surprisingly, doesn't quite see it that way. He believes he could have been producing all along if he'd been given more opportunities.

"I think the more opportunities you get, the better you are. The competition brings out the best in everybody. But it wasn't that for me, though. I was trying to play well every time I got the ball."

So he could have been doing this all along?

"Yeah, pretty much. ... I just know in my situation, every time I get the ball, I have to try to make something happen. That's a point of emphasis for anybody on this team, especially on the offense. They can go to anybody at any time."

Arrington's increased playing time has given the Cardinals a dose of speed and explosiveness.

"I don't think anybody questioned ... his speed and ability to make big plays," Whisenhunt said.

"He has done that, maybe not as consistently as this organization would have liked over the course of time. But he is making big plays for us now.

"His confidence is building because he knows very clearly what the expectations of him are and what level he has to play to. If he doesn't ... he's not going to play. That's making a big difference."

He is the #2 guy. My read is that they want to be successful with Hightower, but if they can't get him going, JJ comes in to provide a spark. I am a huge Hightower fan, but the truth is they have not been able to run "straight up" with him. I mean most of his success has come from gimmicky misdirections and delayed handoffs in 4 wr sets. He was a short yardage beast through the first half of the season, but has been coming up short on those as well. Arrington seems to have the hot hand, and will become a bigger part of this offense as long as he continues to do so.

-FEDERAL

 

[Federal]

More Arrington

Chris from Richmond, Va., writes: Sando, can you tell me why Tim Hightower's role was decreased last week? Seems to me he could have produced in the same situations Arrington did. Do you think he is doing something poorly or do you think Haley and Whiz just wanted to inject some straight line speed into the game with Arrington?

Mike Sando: I think J.J, Arrington is arguably the more dynamic player and a better pass-protector, even if he doesn't project as an every-down back.

That four-receiver package with Arrington can be a good one. Arrington can turn an outlet pass into a big gainer. He's slippery. The Cardinals aren't handing off all that much. I don't have a problem with Arrington back there in that context. Hightower would be the choice in more traditional running situations. This is a passing team right now.

Arizona 4-WR Personnel Group by RB in Week 11 Plays Pct. Runs Yards/ Run

Pass Att. Yards/ Att.

Total TDs

J.J. Arrington

16

66.7

2 5.5 14

6.9

2

Tim Hightower

7

29.2

1 0.0 6

6.3

0

Edgerrin James

1 4.2

0

0.0 1 16.0 0

TOTALS 24

100.0 3

3.7

21 6.9

2

The chart breaks down the Cardinals' four-receiver production against Seattle by running back. The production in the passing game with Hightower featured passes for 20, 9 and 9 yards, plus an interception and two incompletions. The pass production with Arrington featured pass plays of 15, 12, 12, 12, 12, 8, 7, 6, 6 and 6 yards, with four incomplete passes and a touchdown. His running plays gained 7 and 4 yards, including a touchdown.

Julian from Frankfurt, Germany, writes: Hey Mike, great work you've been doing here. What do you think will J.J. Arringtons role be for the remainder of the season? He's been inactive for the first weeks and now seems to make a push for being no.1 on the depth chart. He seems to be comfortably ahead of James by now. Also, do you think the win against Seattle could have been the breakout game for Dominique Rogers-Cromartie? That did not seem to be easy picks to me.

Mike Sando: Thanks for your regular contributions, Julian. I see Arrington remaining a big part of the four-receiver offense. He fits well with that group. The Seattle game should be huge for Rodgers-Cromartie. I think it's a breakout game for sure. He'll still have some bumps in the road. Every corner does. But that was a very encouraging sign for Arizona.

 

[teamroc]

What's Hightower's deal? He looked great the first half of the season!

No he didn't. He had 1 good game against the Rams and people flipped out.YPC week 1-8 2.7. That's great? 2.7 yards per carry? Since the Rams game.2.3 ypc 0 tds. He's a 5th round, backup RB. Hopefully you sold high.

 

[Chunky Soup]

What's Hightower's deal? He looked great the first half of the season!

No he didn't. He had 1 good game against the Rams and people flipped out.YPC week 1-8 2.7. That's great? 2.7 yards per carry? Since the Rams game.2.3 ypc 0 tds. He's a 5th round, backup RB. Hopefully you sold high.

at looking at his YPC when he's a GL, short yardage back.fwiw:1) people were loving him when he even had that low YPC. he looked very good.2) he's not a backup RB.

 

[Jackal King]

Regardless of your opinions on Hightower...the NFL now seems to be evolving quickly to a committee approach at RB. Some coaches have limited options and consequently rely heavily on a feature back...but I don't think that's anyone's preference.

The RB position seems now to be a 2-3 man rotation...and even the most talented backs are going to get fewer touches than we've been accostomed to.

I think most teams look to the Giants as the model.

RB1 - Best all around back. Can be used anywhere. Touches the ball around 15 times.

RB2 - Compliments RB1, making the RB tandem more complete. Touches the ball around 10 times.

RB3 - A specialist that rounds out the offense. May be a goal line bruiser, or a speedster, or a backfield receiver. Touches the ball 5-7 times.

As for the Cards....I think they started the year with the hopes that Edge could still perform as RB1, and it didn't work out for whatever reason, many of which we've debated here. But, I don't think their current cast lines up well with the new generation backfield. I think Tim Hightower is out of place as a RB1. With that said, I think it's highly likely that Arrington will continue to be a prominant factor in the game plan, and we could see an almost equal split between the two backs down the stretch.

But...I don't think the true RB1 is on the Cards roster at the moment. I think Whiz is playing the Cards he was dealt (get it?), but will look to make the offense more balanced in 2009.

 

[CalBear]

fwiw:1) people were loving him when he even had that low YPC. he looked very good.2) he's not a backup RB.

The only thing that looked good was his hair.

 

[treat88]

fwiw:1) people were loving him when he even had that low YPC. he looked very good.2) he's not a backup RB.

The only thing that looked good was his hair.

People liked him cause he was a rook that was given an opportunity. Any RB who gets a starting shot carries some value. Makes some sense.The expectations were unreasonable though. When you watch him play it is obvious the guy is a replacement level NFL talent.I've repeatedly compared him to BJGE. They're decent RB's who will produce intermittently depending on defensive scheme and OL performance. They aren't guys with the talent to get yards on their own regularly.NFL benches and practice squads are littered with equivalent players as Hightower.As bad as he looked early on, Arrington is a far better player than Hightower. I wouldn't be surprised to see him become the chairman of the committee for the stretch run.He won't generate much interest in NFL FA this offseason, but I can see him ending up in a Mewelde Moore type role. 3rd down back and 2nd in line for early down carries. Depending on situation he may carry the value on a top tier handcuff.

 

[Chunky Soup]

I've repeatedly compared him to BJGE.NFL benches and practice squads are littered with equivalent players as Hightower.Arrington is a far better player than Hightower.

These are all very, very questionable/doubtful.

 

[treat88]

I've repeatedly compared him to BJGE.NFL benches and practice squads are littered with equivalent players as Hightower.Arrington is a far better player than Hightower.

These are all very, very questionable/doubtful.

But so far seem to be proving accurate, and in the long run will likely prove to be absolutely true.Obviously I could be wrong, but I don't think these assertions are any more questionable/doubtful than the corollaries on the positive side of Hightowers evaluation.Difference is, I will trust my eyes every day of the week over the opinions of the masses.I know you like the kid, and I wish him the best. He's got an uphill battle to hold any real value though.

 

[nola]

Don't be quick to write off a young RB who has had success in short yardage and can catch.

 

[millertyme1]

Arrington and Jerome Harrison: 2 guys that are the best options in their backfields, but won't see enough opportunities to be consistently valuable for FF purposes this year.

 

[Apollo Creed]

Anybody who watched the game this week got info on how Arrington looked? How often he was on the field? Picked him up as a flyer last week and he had another great game for the league that I picked him up in. Granted, that league scores return yardage, which was a huge chunk of his points. But in a PPR league, 5 catches for 38 ain't to shabby. Just curious as to how much he was actually on the field for the offense.

 

[thewaterboys]

He appeared to be on the field just as much of not more than Hightower. Arizona using a shotgun set ALOT and Arrington is almost always out there for passing downs (shotgun or otherwise). It was clear, however, that at the goalline Hightower is their man.

 

[footballnerd]

How does Arrington look as a WK17 starting RB2?