Quiet storm

More Robinson: Cardinals season preview

PRESCOTT, Ariz. – It was better to get the grocery list of crummy things out of the way, so that's what was recited to J.J. Arrington first.

Some teams said he was too small, too short, and wasn't a breakaway threat. Three other running backs went ahead of him in the draft, despite Arrington having the most productive season of anyone at his position in 2004.

And then there was the real indignity: Ronnie Brown finally reported to his team this week – Cedric Benson's training camp has apparently drifted into the Bermuda Triangle – while the Arizona Cardinals' second-round pick has been toiling through every second of camp.

"I guess I never really thought about those things," Arrington said. "To be honest, I just try to be happy with what has happened to me. I feel lucky to be in this situation."

Considering the landscape of rookie running backs, maybe it's the Cardinals who should feel lucky. After all, Arrington has been in camp, learning pass protections and thumbing through his playbook for weeks, and he has yet to squander the starting job that has been dangled in front of him. If you believe what coaches say about the disadvantages of holdouts and missed practices, then Arrington's attendance may be the edge he needs to become the most successful running back in this year's class.

Not that Arrington would imply such a thing. He'd rather just talk about his "great situation" (he used the phrase six times in 15 minutes) or how fortunate he was to be coached by Dennis Green (four times). In a cynical world – and it's pretty easy to be pessimistic inside the bubble that is the NFL – you might have thought this was an act.

But after listening to Arrington humble his way through the interview, his low-key demeanor was hard to deny. While some rookies have egos that demand attention like a theater marquee, Arrington's belongs on a sandwich board outside the local deli.

"He's a different guy," Cardinals rookie cornerback Eric Green said. "He's definitely a little more mature than most. … He's such a calm guy – not cocky at all."

Green should know. Arrington counts him as one of his best friends on the team and possibly even his closest confidant. They live a mile from each other, spent the offseason working out and hang out regularly. However, Arrington's greatest accomplishment – last season's 2,018-yard rushing effort at Cal – was never a topic of conversation.

"Man, I didn't even know he had done that until one of our coaches said something," Green said. "That was the first time I heard about it. Because of J.J., you would never know he did something like that. He wouldn't ever say anything about it."

Not that Green was alone. Despite being only the 10th player in the history of Division I-A to eclipse the 2,000-yard barrier, Arrington finished an astonishing eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting. Nationally, he was regularly overshadowed by cocksure quarterback Aaron Rodgers or his highly touted coach, Jeff Tedford. And when the draft came and went, Arrington found himself among the lowest picks in the 2,000-yard rushing fraternity. Only one went later than Arrington: Iowa State's Troy Davis, whose 185-pound frame dropped him to the 62nd pick in 1997.

Arrington's second-round relegation might end up being the 2005 draft's big story, given his fit in Green's offense. After spending one day watching quarterback Kurt Warner work with Arizona's young trio of receivers – Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald and Bryant Johnson – it's clear that Arrington will find some open pockets of space to run. And with Warner seeming to get the ball out more quickly than recent years, Arrington may not have to worry about holding blockers too long.

"It's hard to get comfortable (learning the protections)," he admitted Wednesday. "You spend a lot of time learning the (nuances) of each play. The coaches always keep adding to what you have to know. That's the hardest part. When I think I have something down, it's time to move on and learn something new."

While typical, that overload hasn't come without some of the expected consequences. In the 13-11 win over Dallas on Saturday, Arrington took a hard hit and fumbled after a 7-yard gain, then had to be removed from the game for a few plays. Also, there were a few carries when he appeared hesitant behind the line of scrimmage, resulting in minimal gains. In a way, he looked the way running backs often do when they're still thinking about where the hole is, rather than reacting instinctively and bursting through traffic at the line of scrimmage.

Despite being 5-foot-9, that's precisely how Arrington gained most of his yards during his banner senior season – when he was prone to bolting through the line, making one cut and picking up fistfuls of yardage. And it's precisely how Dennis Green is hoping Arrington will use his muscular 214-pound frame to make his living with the Cardinals.

"If you look at Travis Henry and Emmitt Smith, the smaller guys that weigh a lot, they are like pinballs," Green said earlier in camp. "They are very hard to knock off their feet. (Arrington is) built low to the ground. I think that's why he was so successful at Cal."

Oddly enough, that same "pinball" comparison is what downgrades Arrington in the eyes of critics. Not so much because of what he is, but what he isn't. He's not Miami's Brown, who has a thick 232-pound body and great receiving skills. He's not the tank who will wear down opponents like Chicago's Benson. And he's doesn't have the slippery-but-tough reputation of Tampa Bay's Carnell Williams.

"I know about the other guys, but I know this: He (Arrington) is one of the best backs in the country," Green said. "I faced some great guys, and I know he's one of the best I've seen. … He doesn't care that people doubt him, but at the same time, I know he feels that he has a lot to prove to everybody. I know he feels that way, because we talk about it. … When we were walking out through the tunnel before the Dallas game, I looked at J.J. and I said, Man, these guys didn't pick us.' "

The response?

"Yup. Let's go E. Green."

Short, sweet and humble. J.J. Arrington seems to be giving off a lot of that lately.