What Role Will Chester Taylor Play For The Arizona Cardinals?

by Jess Root on Sep 5, 2011 1:00 PM MDT in General Arizona Cardinals News

After the announcement that the Arizona Cardinals had agreed to terms with former Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings running back Chester Taylor, there were several reactions that were not positive towards the move. Some cited his declining statistics, some hoping for another specific player and others simply because of his age and the fact that he could potentially take away touches from other players already on the team like LaRod Stephens-Howling and Alfonso Smith.

For the naysayers, I hope to alleviate your concerns.

I have been on the record as writing that Chester Taylor is a great fit at running back for what the Cardinals need.

I am aware that Taylor is almost 32 years old. I know that is ancient for most running backs. I know that he was a huge disappointment in Chicago after he signed his free agent deal there. He rushed for only 267 yards last season and averaged only 2.4 yards per carry.

Even still, I think this is a wise signing.

Unless I am completely wrong, I do not see Taylor getting many carries at all, so for those who believe that he will get in the way of the touches that LSH and Smith might get, know that he is not being brought in as a guy to relieve Beanie Wells.

It looks like he will be more like Jason Wright. Wright ran the ball only six times last season. I think Taylor will play a little more, but he will be used a lot like Larry Centers once was long ago, only in a much smaller scale. He will play mostly on passing downs to occasionally catch a pass and to help in blitz pickup.

Those are the things he does best.

Will he get carries? Perhaps a few. But I do not see any scenario in which he will shoulder any sort of burden in the rushing attack.

Will Taylor have been a bad signing? That will depend on the amount of money it took to get him. I cannot imagine it was too much.

Perhaps he has nothing left in the tank and he contributes little. But, to be honest, how much does the third or fourth running back on a roster contribute?

The Cards, according to what it looks like, were looking for a particular skill set. Taylor has it. I just don't see the downside, unless they are overpaying him.

Go ahead and get ready to toss me overboard at the end of the season if I am wrong, but I would bet that at the end of the year, no one will have though that the addition of Taylor was a bad thing.

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You sir,

Are on a posting frenzy today.

Just a guy, because I was born that way.

by cdeveau on Sep 5, 2011 1:09 PM MDT reply actions

Wrote them all last night.

It’s typically when I can. I schedule them for throughout the day unless something is breaking

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by Jess Root on Sep 5, 2011 2:04 PM MDT up reply actions

Agreed

I think he will be more involved then you think. I see him getting about 5 touches a game. He is a great receiver out of the backfield and should help alieviate pressure on kolb when he is in. He reminds me a little of year 2 of the edgerrin James experiment, only he will not be the feature back.

by fitzfan04 on Sep 5, 2011 1:33 PM MDT reply actions

Barring injury

I would use him very sparingly and then have a secret fresh legged weapon in the playoffs. Seems Wiz has had success that way before.

Chicago Cubs - Arizona Cardinals 168 combined years and no rings
I guess I'm a masochist

by TBru on Sep 5, 2011 1:58 PM MDT reply actions

I just don't get it

If he’s in on 3rd down as a pass protector, then why not just use another TE as a pass protector (I would rather have kept Mauia or Spach for that). If he’s there as a 3rd down pass catcher from the backfield then he’s taking away time from LSH as a 3rd down reciever out of the backfield.
Anytime he’s in on 1st or 2nd down (spelling Beanie) would be taking touches away from Smith or LSH. Granted, that is what Williams was supposed to do for us this year. Since I doubt we can can up with someone as good as Williams out there, then that’s Smith’s job.
Your comparison to Jason Wright doesn’t apply because Wright played on special teams. As far as I know—Taylor doesn’t.

No more night. I have seen the light. Let it shine on bright.
HANG HIM HIGHER!!!

by Cuckoo for Coco Puffs on Sep 5, 2011 2:05 PM MDT reply actions

If he’s there as a 3rd down pass catcher from the backfield then he’s taking away time from LSH as a 3rd down reciever out of the backfield.

It is about being able to do more than one thing. LSH can catch sure, but he cannot block to save his QB’s life. So on 3rd down you see LSH in the backfield you KNOW he is running a route. You put Taylor back there he is a threat to run the route or stay in to block.

Your comparison to Jason Wright doesn’t apply because Wright played on special teams. As far as I know—Taylor doesn’t.

Taylor played a lot on ST’s early in his career in Baltimore. He might be asked to here, or he might not. Hightower and Wells did not play on ST’s so while we lost Wright in the ST’s role Sherman steps into that role.

If he’s in on 3rd down as a pass protector, then why not just use another TE as a pass protector (I would rather have kept Mauia or Spach for that).

Becasue there is different techniques and again it is the more roles. Blocking at TE is a hell of a lot different form blitz pickup in the backfield and then making the block. There is more read, diagnose, react going on from the backs blocking. And why not keep Mauia. How much of a threat is he to slide out on a route and take if 15-20 yards.

What we are acheiving is taking two players (LSH and Mauia) and the roles they could have played on 3rd downs and rolling them into one player (Taylor) It allows LSH to not play a massive number of snaps given his huge role on our ST’s and it allows us to have a player who is one of the best 3rd down blocking/receiving combo backs in the league.

by khodder on Sep 5, 2011 3:16 PM MDT up reply actions 2 recs

you make a couple of good points

but…
it allows us to have a player who is one of the best 3rd down blocking/receiving combo backs in the league.
really?
lets not get carried away. If he was so good, he wouldn’t have been cut. And he would have had a lot more interest.
I’m upset about Williams injury combined with trading Hightower. Taylor is a pale replacement for Williams.
I hope Smith can step up to be the runner that Williams was supposed to be. That way this entire conversation would be moot.

No more night. I have seen the light. Let it shine on bright.
HANG HIM HIGHER!!!

by Cuckoo for Coco Puffs on Sep 5, 2011 5:12 PM MDT up reply actions

That is not always the case with cuts

He’s not going to be a world beater, but he fills the exact role the Cards need.

Like the Cardinals? Revenge of the Birds is where to go.
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by Jess Root on Sep 5, 2011 5:24 PM MDT up reply actions

1 – Yes Really. 285 Career receptions and is a very good blocker. One of the best combo players like that around. Another would be Clinton Portis, who we could have signed but had no interest in.

2 – He was cut becasue he was due upwards of $4M this season, you are not paying a 3rd down back who is a blocker/catcher and can run a little that much for a season regradless of how well he blocks.

3 – Why are we even refering to Taylor as a replacement for Williams. He is not even close to a reaplcement for Williams and that is not what he was bought in here to do. So why even bring it up.

4 – I’m not sure Smith has that ability. We were never going to replace Williams this late into the offseason/season. We are not just going to go pick up a potential 1000 yard runner off of waivers. Just does not happen like that.

by khodder on Sep 5, 2011 6:04 PM MDT up reply actions 2 recs

Still have high hopes for Alfonso Smith...

by Punisher3190 on Sep 5, 2011 4:23 PM MDT via mobile reply actions

Will he get carries? He must get carries.

Otherwise putting him in the game is a dead giveaway that it’s a pass play. He has to be given enough carries in passing situations to keep the defense honest. Chester Taylor is going to be a role player with the Cardinals. Hopefully he performs well in that role. Frankly anyone the team brought in would be disappointing compared to Ryan Williams. I don’t have high expectations of Taylor but unless Beanie Wells is injured it shouldn’t even be an issue. If Williams returns healthy next season Taylor is unlikely to be kept on.

by hadrarius on Sep 5, 2011 5:54 PM MDT reply actions

In a 3rd and long situation everyone already knows the offense is going to pass the ball

with Chester in the backfield we have a back who can help protect the quarterback or run a route for a check down pass or block then slip out to catch a screen pass. He will not replace what Ryan Williams brought to the table but what he can do he does better than any of our other backs including ryan williams.

by CardsDefense on Sep 5, 2011 6:18 PM MDT up reply actions