ESPN: Cardinals receiver, running back groups among best in NFL

Take a look at the Arizona Cardinals’ roster and you will find many talented players.

Check out any publication’s “top players” list and Cardinals will undoubtedly have a strong presence.

It makes sense, given that they won 13 games last season and reached the NFC Championship Game.

However, while good players litter the roster, there are a couple positions on the depth chart that seem to have accumulated the most talent, at least according to ESPN’s Field Yates.

In an Insider piece ranking the NFL’s top offensive position groups, he put the Cardinals’ wide receivers in the second spot, behind only the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive line, while their running backs ranked fifth.

Defenses essentially have to pick their poison when playing Arizona, as the Cards have three stud receivers, plus another blossoming wideout. Larry Fitzgerald looked rejuvenated in 2015, and his route running and catch radius make him one of the game’s most effective wideouts, even at the age of 32. John Brown is an electric field flipper who will run past a defensive back who settles his feet for even a second, while Michael Floyd has the best combination — at this point in their careers — of size, speed and vertical leap (a valuable skill in the red zone) of the crew. J.J. Nelson, a second year wideout out of UAB, has rare speed and looks like an Olympic sprinter on the field.

Last season, Fitzgerald led the Cardinals in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns, with 109, 1,215 and nine, respectively. Brown finished second on the team in all three categories with 65 catches, 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns, while Floyd notched 849 yards and six scores. Nelson came on strong toward the end of the season, and though the sample size is small, his average yards per reception of 27.2 by far paced the team.

Then, of course, there are those running backs.

Another skill position group of note in Arizona cracks our top five, as the Birds’ backfield had an exceptional season in 2015. David Johnson is the star of the group, as the third-round rookie was unbelievable down the stretch last season. He’s powerful, has sensational speed and is a natural pass-catcher. His balance and body control stood out once he emerged as the starter. Veteran Chris Johnson rebounded in 2015 and was among the most productive backs in football before suffering a season-ending broken leg. Andre Ellington offers pass-catching skills and change-of-pace as a third option.

While the receiver group mostly went according to plan last season, very little about what happened with the running backs made sense. Ellington began the season as the starter but was hurt in Week 1, which paved the way for Chris Johnson’s renaissance season. However, he went down in Week 12, which opened the door for David Johnson to claim the top spot.

Chris Johnson finished the season as the team’s leading rusher with 814 yards, while David Johnson tallied 581 and Ellington 289. The rookie found the end zone eight times on the ground and four times via the air, while Ellington and Chris Johnson notched three scores apiece. At least internally, there is a belief that Arizona’s running back room could be the best in the NFL.

 

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