Edgerrin James to Arizona

#1
utvolpj

utvolpj

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#1
PHOENIX (AP) -- Edgerrin James ran off to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, agreeing to a four-year contract with one of the NFL's weakest teams.

James, who became a free agent after seven seasons with the Colts, knew there was little chance he would return to Indianapolis when the season ended in a loss to Pittsburgh in the AFC divisional round.


Last month, Colts president Bill Polian admitted he was taking a gamble by letting James hit the free-agent market. And now James is gone after setting team records for rushing attempts (2,188), yards (9,226) and touchdowns (64).

Polian could have kept James by using the franchise tag on him for the second straight year. Instead, Polian, decided against the move, which would have increased James' salary next season to more than $10 million. That made James, a four-time Pro Bowl choice, one of the most attractive free agents available when free agency opened Saturday.

"I'm happy for him," Colts coach Tony Dungy said in Indianapolis, where he was watching the Big Ten championship game when he was informed of the news. "He was fantastic for us the time we were here, we wish we could have kept him but you can't keep everyone."

Terms of the deal weren't immediately released, but it's expected to be one of the biggest contracts for a running back. Last week, NFL rushing champ Shaun Alexander signed an eight-year, $62 million deal with Seattle that will pay him $18.5 million guaranteed over the first two years.

It was clear James wanted a fresh start. He was looking for a long-term deal, something the Colts weren't willing to give him. After Indianapolis placed the franchise tag on him last year, Polian gave James' agent permission to look for a trade but there were no takers -- even when Polian said the asking price was less than a first-round pick.

But Dungy credited James with playing through his disappointment and turning in a Pro Bowl season.

James and the Colts had clashed before. When he skipped a mandatory minicamp in 2002, Polian said publicly that it was because James wanted to renegotiate his contract. James contended, however, that he was still rehabbing his injured left knee in Miami and couldn't have participated in the workouts anyway.

His freewheeling personality also created some problems. Last summer, James said he wouldn't travel with the team to Japan for a preseason game because he didn't want to sit on a plane that long. But he backed off that stance during training camp and made the trip anyway, at the urging of team officials.

At the Super Bowl, James said he hoped to play for a team that wanted him.

When next season starts, he'll be taking handoffs from Kurt Warner instead of Peyton Manning.

The two-time NFL rushing champion teamed with Manning to make the Colts one of the best teams in the league. James helped Indianapolis make the playoffs six times in his seven seasons, missing the postseason in 2001 when James sat out the final 10 games after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

James has been one of the most productive running backs in the NFL after the Colts took him with the fourth overall pick in 1999. He has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in six of his eight NFL seasons, and ran for more than 1,500 yards in each of the last two.

"It's something we've never had to look to do before, we've had to replace other positions and now we just have to look at running back, and that's the way the system works," Dungy said. "We'll go forward, we generally try to work from the draft, but we'll see what happens."
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Without a QB and a decent OL, Edge will come to realize how tough it is to succeed in AZ with Bidwell at the helm.
 
#3
#3
actually, Arizona is slowly turning into a good team and that offense is starting to get some star power. Boldin, fitzgerald, and edge now. just get a qb to manage them and they could put up BIG points.
 
#6
#6
I dunno if the Colts would take a chance on Lewis, isn't he getting "old" by RB standards? Figure they'll just draft someone, try and find another Edge.
 
#9
#9
(utfantilidie @ Mar 12 said:
I think Jamal Lewis might go to Indy. :dunno:
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That would certainly be interesting and I would like to see it. I think that Jamal still has a lot of game left in him. He was just out of it last year with all the problems and the bad ankle.

Who do the Colts have left as is? Rhodes? He's not that bad.
 
#11
#11
drew brees is on the market and arizona has alot of money to spend. brees, james, bolden, and fitzgerald would make on hell of an offense.
 
#12
#12
Edge will regret it, when was the last time the Cards made it to the playoffs? He really increased his chances of getting a ring with that move....He should have stayed in Indy
 
#15
#15

Can you imagine what Jamal would think knowing he had a QB and really good receivers to take some pressure off him. I think he'd run like crazy if defenses couldn't key on just him.
 
#17
#17
(OrangePappy @ Mar 13 said:
Can you imagine what Jamal would think knowing he had a QB and really good receivers to take some pressure off him. I think he'd run like crazy if defenses couldn't key on just him.
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Is Jamal the receiver out of the backfield that Edge and Faulk were for the Colts?

I am surprised no one has brought up the possibility of Priest Holmes in that system. He wants to play again, the Chiefs are set with Johnson, and the Colts/Chiefs offensive schemes are very similar. They could pick up Priest on the cheap, still have money to bolster their defense even more in FA and the draft, and try to make another run this year and next year (then Holmes would definitely be done.)

 
#20
#20
As a diehard Colts fan I think it was clear Edge would'nt be back in Indy, it is a bit surprising he went to Zona however. I actually like what the Cards are doing out there. They have some VERY talented offensive players and now just need some playmakers on "d" and a QB upgrade. Brees sounds like he'll be either a Dolphin or a Saint.

The Colts have Rhodes and according to local talk are going after Brian Calhoun of Wisconsin in the draft. Rhodes has proved he can be a 1,000 yard rushers and is a good reciever out of the backfield. Edges's blocking will be the biggest loss.
 
#21
#21
While he most definitely is not great and I know that he needs to be replaced, Warner will suffice at QB for next year. The Cardinals should get a QB in the draft next year. What Arizona needs now is to take the rest of their money under the salary cap and acquire (either through free agency or trades) some really good offensive linemen. They should also draft the best offensive lineman available at their #10 spot, or they should trade down a few slots, add additional picks, and then take offensive linemen. The Cardinals' offensive line is nothing short of atrocious, and Edgerrin James is going to find out really quick that running behind the Cardinals' offensive line is a far cry from running behind the Colts' offensive line.

The Cardinals defense is fine. It's young, and it's improving. The problem last season was that with absolutely no semblance of a running game, the Cardinals' defense had to spend WAY too much time on the field. They would simply wear down in the fourth quarter.
 
#22
#22
It won't make a difference. The Bidwells have already shown they are not willing to pony up the cash to keep good players out here for long. The stadium thing was a joke and Phx should have let them move. And I'm not biased on the stadium because I made a great commision off it. A couple of years ago there were 5 starters in the Pro-bowl that were ex-cards (something like that). Warner is gunshy and rightly so w/ their OL. Edge might very well not make it through the season. Coach Green was on a local radio show the other day and guaranteed they would make the playoffs. Not with that D and not with their OL. I still go to quite a few games as my company has season tix (don't know why they practically give them away). This town just does not care until you win. I don't see that happening in the next couple of years.
 
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