Cardinals Demote Edgerrin James

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The Arizona Cardinals are fazing out running back Edgerrin James. Why? Because they need to improve their 29th rated rush offense. A running back’s shelf life in the National Football League is a short one and Edge’s expiration date is apparently soon. He started 135 straight games until today when rookie Tim Hightower took his place in the starting lineup and gained 109 yards (on 22 carries with a touchdown) in a 34-13 win over the St. Louis Rams. Edge never saw the field, but Cards head coach Ken Whisenhunt insists he still has a place and purpose on this team:

“We are going to need Edge ….. A lot of that is the responsibility of the player and how he deals with it. Edge has tremendous credentials, he’s been an important part of this team and he still is. For us to win — the thing that has to be the most important in our players’ minds is the team. I’ve seen tremendous signs of that. They understand we will need everybody.”

That was a nice way of saying Edge has been officially demoted. Facing the facts, the guy has carried the ball almost 3,000 times in his career. Add up those body shots and you can understand why he’s lost a step. In his prime, Edge was one of the best to carry the football. But sadly, his time appears to be dwindling with Tim showing all the burst and acceleration Edge showed when he came into the NFL ten years ago. As cold as it sounds — out with the old, in with the new? Welcome to life in the NFL.

Source: AZCardinals.com