Andre Ellington wasn't threatened when the Arizona Cardinals selected running back David Johnson in the third round.
On the contrary, Ellington was delighted to have aid in the backfield.
"I don't see why not," Ellington said when asked if he would be helped by the addition of Johnson, per the Arizona Republic. "It allows me to have more rest time, and it should keep the offense upbeat."
Coach Bruce Arians said after the draft that Ellington would "continue in his same role." However, we expect the bigger Johnson to help shoulder some of the load from the slighter Ellington. Johnson stands 6-foot-1, 224 pounds and is also a good target out of the backfield.
During Ellington's rookie season, while paired with Rashard Mendenhall, the running back flashed brilliance, going for 1,023 yards from scrimmage and 5.5 yards per carry. As the lead-back last season, his averages plummeted (3.3 yards per attempt) and he missed four games due to injury.
Ellington added that he's finally getting healthy after spending the entire 2014 season battling injuries.
"It's like night and day," he said. "During the season I was limited on some cuts going to the right, pushing off my left foot.
"I'm close to doing a lot of things I've done in the past. Just (this week) I was able to do all my cuts and put a lot more pressure on my foot."
If Johnson takes enough of the load and allows Ellington to return to his explosive ways, the Cardinals offense will be a monster in 2015.
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