Cardinals RB David Johnson (hamstring) returned to a full practice on Tuesday.  He missed a big chunk of training camp and the 1st preseason game.  The addition of RB Chris Johnson probably provided some extra motivation to get back on the field.  Johnson has some catching up to do but still has the ability to carve out a role this season.  We'll be keeping a close eye on the Arizona backfield over the next few weeks.

Cardinals RB Andre Ellington missed time earlier this month with a hamstring injury.  But he looked completely healthy in Saturday night's preseason opener.  Playing 1 series with the starting offense, Ellington turned a short catch into a 57-yard gain and plunged in a 2-yard TD.  He totaled 5 touches on the drive.  Ellington remains 1 of the biggest injury risks in fantasy football, but he'll boast big weekly upside whenever he's on the field this year.

Cardinals RB Andre Ellington (hamstring) returned to practice Monday for the 1st time since Aug. 3. It's early, so this injury might not prove to be a big deal. But it's just the latest ding for a guy with injury history running back through college and who never played a healthy down in 2014. Ellington brings plenty of talent but also obvious risk.

Cardinals HC Bruce Arians is looking to get RB Andre Ellington 20 touches per game this season.  Arians said around this time last year that Ellington would see 25-30 per game.  He ended up averaging 22.  Twenty per game is more reasonable for a 5'9, 199-pounder.  Ellington might even be better off with a bit less than that.  The takeaway here, though, is that Arizona still views him as its feature back, despite the addition of rookie RB David Johnson.  A healthy Ellington has high-end RB2 upside, especially in PPR leagues.  

Cardinals insider Mike Jurecki notes that RB Andre Ellington looks 100% healthy this spring.  "Showing elusive quickness," Jurecki adds.  Ellington, of course, suffered a preseason foot injury that lingered for all of last year.  He also dealt with a sports hernia and hip injury.  Those issues were a big reason for his steep drop from 5.5 yards per carry in 2013 to 3.3 in 2014.  Durability will remain a concern for the 5'9, 199-pounder, but he's at least healthy for now.  Ellington looks like a risk/reward pick at his 4th-round ADP.

Cardinals RBs coach Stump Mitchell sounds pretty excited about rookie RB David Johnson already. "He's going to make Andre (Ellington) pick up his game when given the opportunity," Mitchell said on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM on Thursday. "He has excellent hands and he's a bigger target to throw the ball to. He's going to be a big piece of the puzzle before this season is said and done. He reminds me a lot of (Chicago RB) Matt Forte. You can put him outside and use him as a receiver and he's a good runner." HC Bruce Arians has said that Ellington will continue in his role from last year, but we'd expect Johnson to get a healthy share of the workload. Arizona had little in the way of worthwhile complements last year -- especially after Jonathan Dwyer got suspended -- and Ellington's diminutive frame and history of foot trouble make him an iffy workhorse. Johnson looks better as a receiver than runner on film, but we'll see if his size motivates the Cards to use him between the tackles and in short-yardage situations. He'll be a solid mid-round selection in fantasy football drafts as a reserve RB.

Cardinals HC Bruce Arians said RB Andre Ellington "will continue his same role," despite the arrival of rookie RB David Johnson.  “We’ll keep him healthy and let him continue to develop as a player, but the nice thing David can do is he can do everything Andre does, so you don’t have to change if there was an injury," Arians explained.  Ellington figures to stick as Arizona's starting RB but is a long shot to match last year's 22 touches per game.  The well-rounded Johnson could chip in with 8-12 touches and bring Ellington down into the 15 range.  He was much more effective with that type of workload back in 2013.  It could still be enough to make him a solid RB2 in PPR leagues.

The Cardinals added RB David Johnson in the 3rd round of the 2015 NFL Draft.  The Northern Iowa product blew up the Combine with a 4.5-second 40-yard dash, 41.5-inch vertical and 127-inch broad at 6'1 and 224 pounds.  Johnson doesn't play that big or fast, though, too often ceding to 1st contact.  Where he excels is in the passing game, racking up 141 catches over 4 college seasons.  That's make him an iffy fit with the Cardinals, who already have a plus pass-catching back in Andre Ellington.  Arizona probably sees Johnson as capable of stepping into a short-yardage role.

The Cardinals selected OT D.J. Humphries with the 24th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft.  He had some injury issues at Florida but made 19 starts at OT.  Humphries' technique needs some work, but he's a 6'5, 307-pounder with plus athleticism.  He figures to open his career as Arizona's RT.  In Humphries, Mike Iupati and Jared Veldheer, Arizona has assembled a strong O-line core.

The Cardinals have signed G Mike Iupati to a 5-year, $40 million deal.  It's a nice get for Arizona, whose offensive line finished in the bottom 10 of Pro Football Focus' 2014 run- and pass-blocking rankings.  Iupati was the top G on the market, finishing 14th in PFF's overall rankings last year.  He's an especially dominant run blocker -- good news for Andre Ellington and whoever else is running the ball for the Cardinals next year.

Cardinals GM Steve Keim questioned RB Andre Ellington’s ability to remain healthy. “When I went back and looked at some of the cut-ups, you can't deny his skills – his feet, his acceleration -- he's got dynamic skills and game-changing speed,” Keim noted.  “That being said, it remains to be seen whether he can stay healthy for a full season.  To me, that's why this offseason is so big for him.  He's got to get bigger and stronger in the weight room and he's got to prove he can stay healthy through a full 16-game season.”  A preseason foot injury put the 5'9, 199-pound Ellington behind the 8 ball last year, and he could benefit from adding a little extra weight.  The Cards would also be wise to limit his workload to ~15 touches per game.  Keim has already said that he’ll “consider” taking a RB with the 24^th overall pick.

Cardinals HC Bruce Arians said Thursday that he's looking to "expand" RB Andre Ellington's role in 2015.  "He remains the focal point of our offense," Arians added.  Ellington averaged 22 touches in his 11 full games last year but saw his yards per carry drop from 5.5 in 2013 to 3.3.  Remember that he was playing with a foot injury, though, which likely had plenty to do with the drop in efficiency.  It's tough to believe that Ellington will see a bigger workload this coming season, but it sounds like he remains locked in as Arizona's feature back.

Cardinals HC Bruce Arians announced after Sunday's win that RB Andre Ellington will be placed on IR, ending his 2014 season.  He's dealing with a sports hernia and hip injury, in addition to the foot that's bothered him all year.  Arizona ran the sub-200-pounder into the ground, feeding him 22 touches through the first 11 games.  Kerwynn Williams ended up serving as the lead back against the Chiefs (19 carries, 100 yards) and will be the best fantasy bet in the backfield going forward.  But with games against the Rams, Seahawks and 49ers, he'll be nothing more than an emergency play.

Cardinals insider Mike Jurecki hears that the team is considering shutting down RB Andre Ellington for the rest of the season.  He's dealing with what HC Bruce Arians called a "severe" hip pointer.  Jurecki adds that Ellington has a sports hernia.  And the diminutive back has also been battling a bum foot all season.  We should get another update on his status this coming week, but fantasy owners need to prepare to be without Ellington for the rest of the fantasy playoffs.  Stepfan Taylor and Marion Grice will handle backfield duties for Arizona, but neither is a great add with games against the Rams and Seahawks after this week.

Cardinals RB Andre Ellington (hip) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Chiefs.  Considering he didn't practice all week, he's no lock to return for Week 15.  HC Bruce Arians named Stepfan Taylor his starting RB vs. Kansas City.  The plodder has averaged 3.3 yards per carry and 5.9 yards per catch this season.  He's not a recommended fantasy starter, especially since he'll cede touches to Marion Grice and potentially Michael Bush.

Cardinals HC Bruce Arians admitted that RB Andre Ellington is dealing with a "severe" hip pointer.  Arians added that Ellington is unlikely to practice this week and will be a game-time decision.  That might be optimistic -- we'd consider Ellington worse than 50-50 to suit up against the Chiefs.  If he's out, RB Marion Grice would be the best bet to lead the Cardinals backfield in touches.  But RBs Stepfan Taylor and Michael Bush would also be involved.  It'd make Grice a shaky fantasy play, despite the plus matchup.

Cardinals insider Mike Jurecki hears that RB Andre Ellington (hip) "could be back this week or next week."  It's a rather vague update, but Jurecki is a reliable reporter, so it at least sounds like Ellington avoided a serious injury.  We still worry about how a speed back will perform with a hip issue, though.  Remember that Ray Rice struggled playing through his own hip injury last season.  We'll keep a close eye on Ellington's recovery.

Cardinals RB Andre Ellington has a hip pointer.  It's essentially a bruise, although the severity will determine how long Ellington is sidelined and how big a drain it is on his game.  Remember that Ravens RB Ray Rice struggled after injuring his hip last year.  For what it's worth, Ellington "thinks he'll be fine," according to insider Darren Urban.  We'll keep a close eye on Ellington's status going forward.  If he misses time, Marion Grice would serve as Arizona's lead back, with Stepfan Taylor and potentially Michael Bush mixing in.

Cardinals RB Andre Ellington left in the 2nd quarter of Sunday's game with a hip injury.  He appeared to take a knee to the hip while picking up a blitzer.  Ellington is considered questionable to return.

Update: Ellington has been ruled out for the rest of the game.  We should get an update on his injury tonight or tomorrow.

Cardinals RB Andre Ellington came out of Sunday's win over the Raiders with "sore ribs," according to HC Bruce Arians.  There's no structural damage.  Ellington has averaged 21.7 touches per game and taken quite a beating this season.  Fantasy owners don't mind, but Arizona might be wise to scale back his workload by a few touches per game.  Regardless, the rib issue shouldn't be a factor going forward.