AZ Cardinals Andre Ellington The Next Big Thing?

Nov 24, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back Andre Ellington (38) fends off a tackle from Indianapolis Colts strong safety Antoine Bethea (41) and cornerback Cassius Vaughn (32) during the first half at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Arizona Cardinals second year running back Andre Ellington has recently been compared to Kansas City Chiefs star Jamal Charles.  This means that he is a dual threat out of the backfield, with big play potential in both the running and passing games. Jamal Charles is one of the best running backs in the league, and I am sure one of the first picks in your fantasy football league, but comparing the two, may end up being a curse for Ellington

Ellington needs to concentrate on being himself, not Jamal Charles. Although Ellington has struggled in the preseason, he has established himself as on of the better “backs” in the league. His speed and quickness is what draws the comparisons to Charles and Eagles’ running back LeSean McCoy.

However, entering his rookie season the expectations for Ellington were not that high. There was dimmer of hope, that along with Rashard Mendenhall, they would be able to fill the void of Edgerrin James. Mendenhall  was brought in to be the starting running back but after averaging only 3.2 yds. per carry, Ellington would soon prove to be the man in the Cardinals backfield.

The Cardinals got hot at the end of last season as they won seven of their last nine games, and barely missed the playoffs. Ellington put together a few big games during that stretch. In Week 8, against the Atlanta Falcons, Ellingotn rushed for 154 yds. including a huge 80 yd. touchdown run.

Entering his second year, Ellington is expected to have an even better year. With that being said, the opposing defensive coordinators will have schemes to stop him. This will open up the play-action pass and allow the Cardinals receiving core to have one on one match-ups.

So yes, at this point Jamal Charles is a far better player than Ellington, however, if Ellington continues to improve, the gap between the two players may not be that big. It is my opinion that Charles has already reached his ceiling and there is no doubt that he is one of the best players in the league. For Ellington, the sky is the limit and I believe that he will end up having a better career than Jamal Charles.