Big Red
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- Mar 16, 2019
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Chase Edmonds astounded everybody when he rushed for 126 yards and three touchdowns as a last-minute replacement for David Johnson in New York last season.
Twelve months later, the Cardinals' backup running back gets a second act as the fill-in, but the element of surprise is long gone.
Edmonds is averaging 6.1 yards per carry and is third on the Cardinals with 222 receiving yards this season, so expectations are high that he will replace Kenyan Drake (ankle) capably against the Dolphins.
"I have that confidence that I can be a player in this league," Edmonds said. "Right now, it's moreso not making anything of it, going out there and executing how I execute. It's just going to be at a higher volume.
"When players make a certain situation more than it is or buy into the hype, that's when you start pressing the issue or having unnecessary pressure. There's no unnecessary pressure. I'm very confident and we're very confident as an offensive unit. We're jelling right now and we want to keep that momentum going until K.D. gets back."
Edmonds is projected to get the lion's share of the carries, while veteran D.J. Foster is expected to be promoted from the practice squad to back him up. Undrafted rookie Jonathan Ward is another option, Kingsbury said.
"(Foster) knows (the system) inside and out, can catch it, can run it, can do anything we need him to do as well as contribute on special teams," Kingsbury said. "We have a lot of confidence in him."
While the other running backs may give him a breather, this should be Edmonds' show, as he has proven to be one of the team's most explosive skill players in 2020.
There were positive signs of Edmonds' rushing potential throughout 2019, but it's his pass-catching which has hit a new gear. He has compiled more receiving yardage in seven games this year (222) than he did in his first two seasons combined (208) and trails only DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk in that category.
"That was the biggest thing I worked on this offseason, was my receiving ability," Edmonds said. "I watched a whole lot of (Alvin Kamara) and Christian McCaffrey film and went to grinding. … I realized I could be a difficult matchup coming out of the slot for some 'backers. I feel like I've come a long way. Still got a long way to go, though. I really want to become one of the best receiving backs in the NFL, if not the best."
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