The Arizona Cardinals want running back Andre Ellington to hit the weight room this NFL offseason and get bigger and stronger for next season.
Cardinals GM Steve Keim says he wants running back Andre Ellington to hit the weight room and get “bigger and stronger”, according to a story by Arizona Sports. Ellington was asked to carry quite a bit of the load last season, with 20 touches per game. A preseason injury to his foot probably hampered him from the start, but either way, Ellington wore down quickly under that load, averaging an awful 3.3 yards per carry.
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Keim and head coach Bruce Arians have both said they want Ellington to be the focal point of the offense going forward, but they’re going to need him to stay healthy for that to be possible.
In that vein, it might not be the best thing for Ellington to bulk up in the offseason. He was listed at 199 last season and running backs that rely on speed and quickness don’t always benefit by added bulk. It could be just another potential for injury in Ellington’s case.
The Cardinals basically doubled Ellington’s load last season after watching him grab 5.5 yards per carry in his rookie season. That was on about 10 touches per game. Again, the foot injury could have been the underlying problem, but Ellington not only reduced his YPC by about half, but in his last four games, he couldn’t even get more than 2.4 YPC. He was then shut down to undergo sports hernia surgery.
Keim said he believes Ellington has plenty of skill, both in his moves and his speed. However, he reiterated that it’s important for him to stay healthy in an entire season, and presumably with a big workload as an offensive focal point. The offseason is probably going to be crucial for Ellington to ascertain whether he can fit in with what Arizona wants him to do.
The Cardinals recently signed wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald to a cap-friendly contract and should have one of their quarterbacks healthy at least. But they need to be prepared for Ellington not living up to expectations. They can do that by taking a good look at the deep pool of running back talent in the draft this year.
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