Arizona Cardinals News: Running Back Tim Hightower is Ready for Another Challenge
by Hawkwind on Apr 23, 2009 11:17 AM MDT
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PrintWith so much talk over the past week focused on who 'might' be added to the Arizona Cardinals roster in the upcoming draft, sometimes we forget about the guys who are already here. Last year the Cardinals used a fifth round pick on a guy that most of us had never even heard of, much less seen, when they called the name Tim Hightower, a back from Richmond. By training camp the staff was raving about his potential and it didn't take long for Hightower to endear himself to the Cardinals faithful. After just seven games, he had already scored six touchdowns and he earned his first starting gig in week eight. After he recorded a great game against the Rams in his first start we all know that Hightower and the running game as a whole went 
downhill for the remainder of the season. He finished the season with just under 400 yards and ten touchdowns (the most for a Cardinals back since MacArthur Lane scored 11 in 1970) but the number that everyone focused on was his yards per carry (2.8).
After letting J.J Arrington walk in free agency, the Cardinals now enter the draft with Edgerrin James, Tim Hightower and newly acquired Jason Wright on the depth chart, but running back is still listed as the biggest need. James is expected to be released sometime very soon after the draft, but then again he's been waiting for that release since the day after the Super Bowl. Once James is released, Hightower will the be longest tenured Cardinals running back on the roster, but that doesn't guarantee him a thing. Most mocks, including ROTB's own, have the Cardinals selecting a running back with the 31st overall pick with the thought that whoever that back might be, will be the starter of the present and future. So what will Hightower's role be in 2009 and beyond?
Hightower will have the advantage of a year of experience under his belt and he's ready to have a bigger and better year in 2009. Darren Urban recently caught up with him and Hightower spoke about the advantages of having the entire off season to focus on working out and refining his game instead of traveling all over the country visiting teams prior to the draft. Hightower acknowledges that he wasn't in the best 'football shape' last year but now that he's dropped 15 pounds, he's ready for the next hurdle. An improved physique isn't Hightower's only advantage over an incoming rookie though, he's also got a year's worth of time getting to know the Cardinals offense and his team mates. Whether or not that'll be enough to hold off the likes of Chris "Beanie" Wells or Donald Brown remains to be seen, but for now Hightower is ready for the challenge.
How do you think Hightower and the running back groups as a whole will preform in 2009? Does Hightower have a realistic shot at keeping the starting job all year long if a first round pick is used on a running back?
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Hightower will start out getting the majority...
of the carries. Depending on how he holds up and production will determine his role later in the season. I still think the Cards are going after OLB at 31 and a RB later on in the draft (assuming they keep Boldin). Hightower will have a very productive year IMO and he really showed flashes of brilliance at times last year. Our Run Blocking will improve this season and I think the coaches will tailor more runs plays conducive to T.H. run style this season. How many times did Timmy run that Bullshit draw play last year for a loss? He is a North South runner with a knack to break a run around the edge and find a way to get into the end zone. I think his lack of production later in the season was game planning rather than ability on his part. The Cards took the latter end of the season off and didn’t show anything new in the run game until Atlanta.
Who would win in a fight, Whisenhunt or a Hurricane?
Hold on, hold on, what if the Hurricanes name was Whisenhunt?
Daaaaaaaaaa Cards, Da Cards Da Cards Da Cards Da Cards!!!
He will improve
He played very well last year. I think he will get stronger and faster over the summer. Not to mention his knowledge of the system will improve dramatically. With Russ Grimm steadily improving the o-line. I’m not sure how long his contract is, but if we resign him I would be willing to bet he will be a pro bowler at some point in AZ.
There
was an article a couple of months back that said Ken Whisenhunt and Maurice Carthon (when he was still there) loved Hightower and his power run game. It leads me to believe that Hightower will start out and then share the RB carries this year. I think I am one of the only guys that doubt a RB will be chosen in round 1 if they only have the 31st pick. I see the Cardinals getting another power runner later on to pound out the ground game at times to eat up the clock while the bigger strength is in the passing game. They had success when it was working this way in the playoffs. I don’t see a faster RB coming in and taking a bunch of carries to drive this team. I see someone like Greene or Ringer coming in for power running. Maybe I am wrong and the draft will prove me wrong. We will see in a couple of days.
clones
In no way do I want a clone of what we already have (power runner). We need someone to compliment Hightower with speed, with something we dont already have. The only GOOD back I see with speed is D Brown. Some of the others have character & work ethic problems it sounds like.
Never do card tricks for the group you play poker with.
+1
I can’t agree with your more sc464.
D Brown has looked great to me the entire time, and while I am on the Kool Aid for Wells, I would be ecstatic to hear D Browns name called at 31. The only person that I truly like better than D Brown is Moreno. But as we’ve all been saying, we’ll find out soon enough.
Hightower
I’m basically in agreement with every post on here, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Hightower is this year’s Steve Breaston. I think Whisenhunt and Grimm will take the approach of improving the running game by upgrading the interior line and TE. I seriously doubt that whoever they bring in will be the ‘feature’ back, even if it’s a guy like Wells or Moreno (which I don’t see happening). I see Hightower getting most of the carries early in the season, and from there seeing what a draft pick might be able to do. We didn’t throw DRC into the starting lineup immediately, and I don’t see us doing that this year, either.
YPC really don't matter for a rookie
I seem to remember some large, raw small school Running Back by the name of Brandon Jacobs having a terrible YPC in his rookie year, but he also had success as a short yardage back and then on short yardage TD runs. And then he went on to have success as a starter. Hmm
Don't forget...
Jacobs was fighting for PT at Auborn with Cadillac and Ronnie Brown. He got fed up with the lack there of and transfered to a smaller school where he could play the next year without sitting out. He doesn’t really count.
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