Comments on: Edgerrin James: "I want to continue to play"

By: slutnuts

slutnuts — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:26:29 +0000

he’s in a tough spot, because most teams expect their back-up rbs to play special teams. he probably hasnt played special teams in his life- not that he is going to want to now

By: SF Saints Fan

SF Saints Fan — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:48:20 +0000

I think somebody will give Edge a chance this year. Some team will probably suffer an injury in training camp and they will give Edge a call. I do think the Saints would be a good fit. I don’t know for sure, but I would think he would be good to have in the backfield to pick up blitzes in key situations. It would be ironic if the Saints wound up with Edge while the person who will be forever linked with him in the draft, Rickey Williams, is still playing in Miami.
I decided to look up some all time NFL rushing statistics and was able to figure out that Rickey Williams appears to be the 40th ranked all time career rusher in the NFL. This is what I gathered (The first 25 can be found anywhere, even on ESPN! And number 25 is Hall of Famer Joe Perry at 9723 yards.):
26. Shaun Alexander 9453
27. Earl Campbell 9407
28. Clinton Portis 9202
29. Ahman Green 9045
30. Terry Allen 8614
31. Jim Taylor 8597
32. Ernest Byner 8261
33. Herschel Walker 8225
34. Roger Craig 8189
35. Priest Holmes 8172
36. Larry Csonka 8081
37. James Brooks 7962
38. Bobby Mitchell 7954
39. Thomas Jones 7815
40. Rickey Williams 7771
Pretty interesting group of players between 25 and 40 and Rickey can pass up quite a few if he sticks around a couple of years more. I figure Rickey is good for at least two or three more years of 600 or so yards per year. If he can get 1637 more yards he would pass Earl Campbell on the all time rushing list. I am sure this is something that he would like to do. There is an outside chance he could wind up in the top 25 all time by the end of his career. That would really be an accomplishment for someone who has been sort of an “interesting” character to say the least throughout his career.

By: Indyeagle

Indyeagle — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:43:16 +0000

If he would swallow his pride and take a back-up role, he would have 20 teams offer him a contract tomorrow. Problem is, he wants 2nd tier starter money with production that warrants 1st tier backup money. Think Correll Buckhalter or Lamont Jordan type money, not Brandon Jacobs or Frank Gore.

By: empty13

empty13 — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:28:54 +0000

he can pick up blitzes and has some utility catching passes. but if he couldnt start for az, that limits just where he could start. not az. maybe 3-4 teams. better wait for camp and preseason injuries…
he also thinks he can run like he did 10 or ever 5 years ago. he cant.
his ypc was 3.8 in 2007 and 3.4 in 2006. so the 3.9 is probly just his “dead cat bounce”. ya cant blame all that on the cardinals. he chose to go there and said he would make a difference. well now…
he has 10 seasons behind him, the equivalent of 9 full ones. and he isnt explosive anymore at all.

By: thehouseofho

thehouseofho — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:16:41 +0000

@GridironFanatic “They tried running the ball realized he wasn’t as effective then decided to air it out with their former MVP QB and stellar receiving corp.”
You have it backwards. Arizona’s gameplan is to throw the ball first and anything they get with their running game is just gravy. They rarely have a good, let alone great, running game.
Edge’s skills may be in decline, but he could easily still help a team as a primary rusher. Sure, he only had 514 yards rushing last season, but that was only on 133 carries. The 3.9 yard per rush average isn’t great, but it’s better than Reggie Bush (3.8), Willie Parker (3.8), LaDainian Tomlinson (3.8), Marion Barber (3.7), Jamal Lewis (3.6) and Tim Hightower (who started over Edge and could only average 2.8 yards per rush).
Matt Forte, Ryan Grant, Deuce McAllister, Le’Ron McClain, Willis McGahee, Fred Taylor and LenDale White all had the same 3.9 average as Edge.
All those guys were either starters or part of a successful RB tandem, so it looks like Edge can still play in either of those roles. Not to mention, he’s better at picking up blitzes and pass blocking than any of those listed.

By: empty13

empty13 — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 08:56:43 +0000

he isnt a starter. maybe throw him $1M a year to be a 3rd down and goal line back. he moved the chains but hasnt broken any real runs in eons.

By: GridironFanatic

GridironFanatic — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 06:21:33 +0000

It has been proven that a running back’s effectiveness decreases dramatically after they turn 30 years old. I think we have our evidence with Edge in AZ as well. They tried running the ball realized he wasn’t as effective then decided to air it out with their former MVP QB and stellar receiving corp. I think Edge could be effective in the league still but solely as a 3rd down back. I’m sure some team will pick him up due to injuries. I wish him the best.

By: king of chico

king of chico — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:42:52 +0000

yo what happened to the edge? he was my dog, im gettin old if i seen he and marshall go through their entire career, i was a kid when they started. but in todays nfl they dont want a back older than 30, LT is next to be out of the league soon WOW!!

By: This is not news

This is not news — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:32:48 +0000

Yeah, whatever. Let’s cut to the chase, what is his rating on Madden?

By: carp killah

carp killah — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 01:33:02 +0000

If he wants to play, he will, but he’s not going to cash in at the level he did when he was in his mid 20′s.
These backs need to realize that they are not going to keep increasing their salary into the twilight of their careers.
He’s certainly worth more than the veteran’s minimum, but he’s not a starter, he’s not going to get 25-30 touches a game, and shouldn’t expect to get paid as such.
These veteran backs have to get their heads out of their asses and realize that they are not going to be rewarded by a team that had nothing to do with their success during their prime.

By: birdwyer

birdwyer — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:01:24 +0000

Aaron,
Hopefully you guys will read this…
One of the things I like about your site is that it’s mostly text based. This makes it easy to read on a blackberry and more importantly, easy to read at work without it being blatantly obvious that I’m reading a football site.
It seems that the partnership with NBC has given you rights to some photos of NFL players which you guys seem to randomly add to your entries. Whenever there’s a picture I skip over the article, or at least the picture so no one sees it. I mean don’t get me wrong – I do appreciate Albert Haynesworth in a go-kart every once in a while but a random shot of Edge doesn’t do anything for me. Am I alone here??

By: FumbleNuts

FumbleNuts — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:42:03 +0000

Edge should play for the Saints, they could use his talents.

By: Fart Face Killa

Fart Face Killa — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:54:03 +0000

Come play for Miami… Then we’d have Brown, Williams, Edge, n Cobbs in the backfield. Un-stoppable!

By: TimmySmith

TimmySmith — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:47:55 +0000

“Edgerrin James has rushed for 12,121 yards”
“James is 123 yards behind Marcus Allen”
“He ranks 11th currently behind Allen (10th, 12,233 yards)”
12,121+123=12,233?
I know I’m being picky but lets get serious you’re with the peacock now this isn’t amateur hour anymore boys.

By: DarthPirate

DarthPirate — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:58:18 +0000

“There are not 32 backs out there who are better than me…”
Seriously? Actually yeah there are at LEAST 32 backs better than him. I won’t bother to name them all, but just looking at every team’s projected starters, it’s pretty clear that the Edge is wrong.
Hell, some teams have 2 or 3 backs on their roster that are better than him.

By: EskinSux

EskinSux — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:47:27 +0000

He forgot to add…….”Not for the league minimum”…..

By: Tiki's Barber

Tiki's Barber — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:45:18 +0000

Someone will get hurt and he’ll be at the top of the list when that team starts making calls. I’m sure Edge won’t mind sitting out training camp in a few weeks.