Will Edge be sharp in 2007?

By Adam Levy  |   Tuesday, June 19, 2007  |  Comments( 4 )

Arizona Cardinals
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Will the real Edge please stand up?

Last year was a tale of two seasons for Arizona Cardinals running back Edgerrin James, who was inked to a lucrative deal with expectations he would be the showpiece in the team's retooled offense.

In the first half of the season, James rushed to the tune of a meager 2.8 yards per carry, punctuated by the most inefficient single-game performance in Cardinals history in the team's fateful Monday night loss to the Bears last October. In that contest James rushed 36 times for 55 yards, adding to the woes of then-head coach Dennis Green.

Clearly, the dreadlocked one missed Peyton Manning and the open lanes the high-powered Colts offense provided him. Eventually, the ascension of Matt Leinart and presence of stud receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald helped some of those avenues open up again. In the second half of the campaign, the Cards' offense jelled in garbage time and James turned his season around, averaging 4.2 yards a carry while breaking the 100-yard mark in three of his last five games.

Coming into the second frame of his four-year deal, James has been assured by new Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt that he will be receiving in excess of 300 carries in 2007, giving him ample opportunities to reestablish himself as one of the NFL's top featured backs.

Fantasy analysis: Was last year a blip on the radar or the beginning of the end in James' illustrious career? Probably somewhere in between. What we have here is a player whose name surpasses his skill set. With over 2,500 carries under his belt, the eight-year veteran has lost his breakaway speed, but he makes up for it with a bulldozer approach that sees him regularly churn out yardage past first contact.

He could surpass 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns if the team can move the chains with regularity and not be playing from behind constantly. Still, because of the diminished upside, he's just not a guy you want to target, but rather let fall to you. James is a reach as a second-round pick but turns into a bargain around the middle of the third. Take him as your second back if the circumstances dictate such.

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