ProFootballCentral.com

By PFC Cardinals Writer Kelley Smelser

It’s bloody red on the Cardinals message Board this off season. Many fans calling Edge a bust and Edge taking a leadership role and tossing some folks under the bus! Edge is saying the same thing I said about him and both of us are flamed like the Rodeo Chedeski Fire on the Cards board! 1500 yards is a great goal and I spent weeks explaining what Edge said recently in detail and I see a bunch of naysayers spewing vile poison, with fans like some who needs enemies? We have some great fans that seen more than yards per carry from our star running back. And the coaches and Rod Graves seem to have his back.
 
Those who have his front are getting better and should be 75% potential by the start of the Cards difficult 2nd half of their schedule. Rookie RT Levi Brown was hurt and Elton Brown played in his absence out of position. Rookie Center Sendlein got playing time while new Cardinal Al Johnson was hurt. New Cardinal LT Gandy was inconsistent but improved as the unit gained continuity. 2nd year RG Deuce remained solid and is developing on time. 2nd year TE Pope was injured after a good pass catching season and developing as a blocker, the other 4 Tight Ends on the roster gained playing time. Well’s is an athletic LG that can pull in behind Deuce and Levi with Full Back T. Smith leading Edge on the right side could bring back ghosts of Grimms Hogs of super bowl’s past. The extended playing time should help oline depth in 08. Q and Fitz have got to love that!
 
Edge Says
 
“I went into the worst situation you can possibly go in, and I’m still standing up,” James said about playing for the Cardinals. “That’s the thing. You can say ‘you’re the best, this and that.’ I’ve been No. 1 before. I’ve been No. 2. I went to the toughest situation you can possibly go in, and I’m still there. Imagine if that situation wasn’t as tough, I’d be putting up big numbers. It’s one of the toughest situations you can possibly go into it, and I’m still having success. With all the changes, and I’ve played in two different systems in two different years, I know what I’m capable of doing. You look at my receiving numbers — they’ve dropped because of my situation. Does that mean I can’t catch? It doesn’t mean I can’t catch, it’s my situation. I’m there and I’m weathering the storm. That’s the thing about it.”
I seen a team go from a power running game developing a new offense into over 60% passing and turnovers and playing from behind with THE QB change. If Kurt can run a balanced offense step up and do it already. Keep timeouts and quit having delay of games on the goal line. Throwing interceptions and fumbling drives and games away and then having to play like a hero to keep us in the game. I love Kurt Warner and his guts with the arm in a cast and all, but turnovers, penalties, clock and game management are deal breakers. It sent him to the bench for the Rams and the Giants And stepping on his own Richard will get him on the pine in Arizona, no matter how brilliant he is in between. We have seen a century of that with the Cardinals and hired Whiz to correct it!
 
Edge
 
“Everybody wants to see numbers, but what can I do about it? What can I do when we’re playing from behind?”
James is hopeful a return to Matt Leinart at quarterback will help his stats. In the five games Leinart started in 2007 before getting hurt, James averaged 88.4 yards and scored three touchdowns. When Kurt Warner took over, James suffered because Warner likes to throw.
Leinart, meanwhile, will do a better job of managing the offense. “Whoever you start with, you build something with,” James said. “When you change, it’s going to have an effect. In the beginning of the season, I was averaging (4.1) yards per carry and moving pretty good, and that’s the stuff we worked on in camp. Then we have the quarterback change and all this stuff go on, and my numbers go down (3.8 yards per carry to finish the year).

The Edge is consistent every year and in great shape If the line stays healthy and we run more than pass we are in fantastic shape with Edgerine James. He wants’ us to ride him to the Super Bowl And I’m all for it! Gore, Jackson, And AP were hurt , hurt, hurt  and hurt- Hurt I tell you. If any of you have your right mind Do you honestly believe Edge didn’t give better effort in 07 than 06? Was in better shape? The man is legendary both 20+ plus yard TD’s were fantastic but grinding to avoid negative yardage and not fumbling the game away is big! He is under 30? with a lot of carries but 15th all time active rushing leader and 13th all time yards from scrimmage leader and I believe top 5 in TD’s? Feed the man feed him.
Some fans act like talent like Edge grows on trees The blocking, reading and reacting, outlets blocking in the open field Like I’ve said he’s the best all around back since Leroy Kelly and that is cause he don’t return kicks. Walter Payton was fantastic in every aspect and remains the best all around RB ever. Emmitt was a premier runner But Edge  is the better all around player in my book We are witnessing history on our team and I fully expect Edge to be top 5 in all categories by the end of this contract! Flip it over,  Edge surely provided enough run support BY HIMSELF for the Cards to field a potent top pass attack. He is consistent and will provide the same effort every year and gives the rest of the team what it needs to win if they play smart tough and disciplined. Facts support this we can win a SB with Edges best AZ Cards Effort if the rest of the team would do their part.

The biggest winner in the Cardinals’ draft may not be a draftee. Edgerrin James, you would think, would be ecstatic. While all the pundits predicted the team almost certainly would grab a running back with one of their first two picks, the Cardinals didn’t take one until Round 5. And even then, the little-known Tim Highsmith doesn’t figure to take a whole lot of time away from “Edge.”
Edge

Yet James says he had no celebration: “I never worry about somebody coming in and playing my position. If they come, I’m going to help them as much as I can. “Because I know it’s not me.” By this, he means that in analyzing the Cardinals’ offense, “Running back is not the problem here. That’s the least of my concerns. “If they want to get something, it’s their organization. If you look at the film, you look at everything, it’s not me. So I’m not worried about it. “I know where I stand in this game and at this position.” More is riding on James’ starting status than for the average player. He now ranks No. 13 on the all-time rushing list. With a solid, injury-free 2008, he will rise well into the top 10. Two more such years and he could elbow his way into the top five, and that would generate a strong Hall of Fame bid. To do this, though, James - who doesn’t turn 30 until Aug.1 - needs to keep grinding in the off-season. “There’s no slippage,” James reports. “I made sure I got stronger. The main thing is to go out and work. You’ll see for yourself.” By not taking a running back early, the Cardinals seemed to agree that James can be counted on. “I know I’m getting older. People say you’re getting to be 30. But I take good care of myself. And I prepared for all of this in the early years. You won’t see any slippage from

How many pro bowls, rushing titles and playoff appearances does it take to get fans respect? He is the leading active RB in most rushing and yards from scrimmage stats. Edge is #15 all time rusher #13 all time yards from scrimmage and has always had a lot of carries and a lot of yards He has and continues to carry the load of 2 normal good RB’s. His style of running has not changed HE is respected and honored through out the NFL and its history. If he never plays another snap he is a legendary player. His YPC dropped behind 2 head coaches, 2 systems, 2 quarterbacks and 2 offensive lines in 2 years with the Arizona Cardinals Football Club. He waits and helps a broken baby Offensive line to develop in front of him and a first year coach and staff to get their crap together, And fans calls him a bust and wants to throw him off the field! What a bum Edge is we ought to take his feeble buns out behind the Pro football Hall of Fame and kick the crap out of him! (you first, He’ll take me for sure!)
 
Kelley (The Smel) Smelser
 
Quotes are from 2 reads
 
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/115451
 
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