The Arizona Cardinals, owners of the NFL's worst ground game in 2012, drafted Clemson RB Andre Ellington to turn their fortunes around. At last month's NFLPA Rookie Premiere, Dan Rubenstein of SB Nation talked with Ellington about his move to the desert, getting used to the speed of the NFL, and which celebrity he'd take as his date to the Oscars.
Ellington noticed how hot it is here compared to the East Coast, where he is from. He also marveled at how little grass there is here. No one has grass in their yards.
Like other rookies, he has noticed that the speed of the NFL game is faster than in college. He says that he has picked up on the plays, but he is not used to how fast the NFL is.
He does not know what is role on the team is yet, and he says that the coaches know that he has the talent, but that he needs to show it in the NFL.
The one thing that stood out to me was his comment about pass blocking. The skill set he said was the biggest challenge was pass blocking. We have learned that Bruce Arians needs his backs to do two things -- run and block. I got the impression that he needs some work, which leads me to believe that if Ellington is going to have an impact on the season, it will be on special teams. Obviously things could change, but it looks to me that he will not be the running back to shine in 2013.
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