RB Chris "Beanie" Wells (Arizona Cardinals)

[Buckeye86]

Sweet video welcoming Beanie to Arizona. The funny thing is, based on this video, it looks like he got more media attention in Columbus than he has so far in Arizona. I wonder how many players get drafted in the first round and move out of the spotlight.

[EgonSchiele]

Originally Posted by Buckeye86

Sweet video welcoming Beanie to Arizona. The funny thing is, based on this video, it looks like he got more media attention in Columbus than he has so far in Arizona. I wonder how many players get drafted in the first round and move out of the spotlight.

About the same number of Buckeyes that get drafted in the first round.

[Buckskin86]

Beanie's Education
School rules will make it harder for Wells to learn NFL game
By DARREN URBAN



Rookie running back Beanie Wells takes one of his final reps at Sunday's last minicamp practice before heading home for a while.

Dennis Keyes went through it, and it wasn?t easy.

The Cardinals safety was undrafted a year ago, hoping to make an impression on the team. But because he attended UCLA ? and his school?s quarter meant school didn?t let out until mid-June ? Keyes came to minicamp and then couldn?t return to the Cards? training facility until all four weeks of the organized team activities had ended.

Keyes knows what is facing Beanie Wells, the team?s No. 1 draft pick who also is scheduled to miss all the team?s OTAs because of Ohio State?s academic schedule.

?The advice I?d give to him is get with some of the vets, the older running backs, and see what?s getting put in and stay on top of it,? Keyes said. ?But it is still going to be hard, not getting the reps.?

Official Site of the Arizona Cardinals

Schein's Nine: Rookies who can't play like rookies
by Adam Schein
Updated: May 8, 2009

5. Chris "Beanie" Wells, Cardinals RB
Quarterback Kurt Warner says he is ahead of schedule in his recovery from hip surgery. He is also close to his 76th birthday.

Look ? Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald are going to need some help and balance throughout the season. Ken Whisenhunt got it from his running attack in the playoffs last season, but to ensure a return trip it must happen for all 16 regular-season games.

Wells replaces Edgerrin James. It means he will be fed the ball early and often, teaming with Tim Hightower in the 'Zona offensive backfield.

Whisenhunt and offensive line coach Russ Grimm would like to establish attitude by running the football and Wells must produce early.

Plus, Wells needs to quiet the skeptics about his toughness and durability. It was a major knock on him during the draft process. I thought he was highly productive in college. I think Wells, who played in so many big games at Ohio State, delivers with the spotlight on him.

NFL Draft - Schein's Nine: Rookies who can't play like rookies - FOX Sports on MSN

[jwinslow]

[Buckskin86]

Beanie's Back
Notebook: Top pick trying to get in shape after missing OTAs
By DARREN URBAN


Running back Beanie Wells works a shuttle run during the rookies' workout with strength and conditioning coach John Lott Thursday.

Beanie is back.

That was the plan all along, of course, after Beanie Wells, the Cardinals? No. 1 draft pick, couldn?t take part in any of the team?s organized team activities because of a long-standing rule prohibiting rookies from working with NFL squads until their school was out of session.

Ohio State finally finished up last week, so Wells was free to return for the first time since minicamp the first weekend in May.

?The hard thing was not being out with the football team and getting a chance to bond with the guys,? the running back said. ?But for the football and playing aspect, it wasn?t too bad. Coach (Curtis) Modkins made sure I stayed up on things.

?It?s been smooth coming back. I have kept in contact with some of the guys and they have been cool.?

Wells said he had been hanging out quite a bit with Pro Bowl wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald ? ?He?s been taking care of me like a big brother,? Wells said ? and is trying to get used to the conditioning work coach John Lott has unleashed on the rookies.

Wells will be part of the Cards? running back rotation this season, although he?ll begin behind starter Tim Hightower and probably veteran Jason Wright, at least to begin camp. Missing all the OTAs makes that a practical certainty.

?You are never done learning,? Wells said. ?But right now I am just focused on being in good shape and being ready to go for camp.?

Official Site of the Arizona Cardinals

[Buckskin86]

NFL Network video interview- Beanie at the NFL Symposium..

NFL Videos: Wells at symposium

[Buckskin86]

Wells is perfect for the Cardinals
by Kevin McGuire/Sports 620 KTAR
July 7th, 2009

PHOENIX- Chris "Beanie" Wells wasn't expected to reach the Arizona Cardinals and the 31st overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft. Luckily for the Cards, he was still available and the team jumped at the chance to pick the running back who dominated at Ohio State. As it turns out, Wells is exactly what the Cardinals needed and the Cardinals are exactly what Wells needed.

"I'm happy that I am an Arizona Cardinal, this is a team that wanted me and I feel wanted with these guys," said Wells to Sports 620 KTAR's Gambo and Ash.

Wells is excited to work with guys who like to win, like Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and Adrian Wilson. Wells himself was a winner during his time at OSU and would like nothing more than to continue that trend in the NFL with the Cardinals. Wells is confident that a team structured like the Cardinals are bound for success.

"If you have a team full of guys passionate about the game and are all leaders, you can't go wrong at all," said Wells. "That showed late in the season last year with the Arizona Cardinals. They won games, got into the playoffs and played hard from start to finish."

Wells hasn't had much time to get acclimated with his new teammates as he was finishing up school. Wells noted he has already missed the Cardinals OTAs and feels it is necessary to jump in as soon as possible. Despite not signing a contract yet, Wells is confident he will be on time when the Cardinals open training camp later in July.

"That's the plan for me to get to camp on time, to get acclimated with everything," said Wells. "The contracts, I let the agents worry about that. My goal is to be in camp on time."

KTAR.com - Wells is perfect for the Cardinals

[OHSportsFan9]

Originally Posted by Buckskin86

KTAR.com - Wells is perfect for the Cardinals

[BUCKYLE]

Beanie is exactly what we need to put us over the top and win the Superbowl. Can't wait!

GO CARDS!

[/BUCKYLE]

[Buckskin86]

Official Blog
Blog Home ? DARREN URBAN
Considering Beanie



In the dead of the offseason, speculation rules ? especially when you are sitting at your desk, racking your brain to come up with a blog topic. So when a friend of mine called me this morning asking for fantasy football advice when it came to rookie running back Beanie Wells (that?s Beanie below taking part in the Camelback climb last week), well, that seems like a good jumping off point.

There?s no question, in large part because of fantasy football, Wells is going to be one of the biggest rookie topics in the NFL this season. It only increases because of his college stature at Ohio State and the fact he is the de facto replacement for Edgerrin James. I apparently caused a stir a couple weeks back when I wrote I believed Tim Hightower and not Beanie would be the Cards? starting running back in the Sept. 13 regular-season opener.

It?s impossible to know exactly how this will play out over the season (Did anyone last July ? heck, last September ? see fifth-round pick Hightower supplanting Edge altogether? I think not). I think Beanie will get playing time, whatever he earns, behind Hightower. Jason Wright will be in the mix too. Beanie?s physical tools are better than Hightower?s, but that?s far from a lock when they get on the field.

We don?t know much of Beanie on the field on this level. You learn little during the offseason practices, and Wells barely took part in any of those thanks to the Ohio State semester. The coaching staff had already headed out on vacation by the time Beanie returned. Here?s what we do know: Wells was at 247 pounds when strength and conditioning coach John Lott got hold of him; Wells has shed 18 pounds (Lott had guesstimated earlier this offseason Wells? playing weight would be around 225 pounds). Lott, who spent years training Curtis Martin in New York, sees Beanie as the potentially perfect blend of power and speed ? someone who can break long runs, a bonus the Cards simply haven?t had much of from running backs of recent vintage.

Lott has taken Wells under his wing, knowing Beanie?s importance to the future of the team. Lott, who nicknames all the rookies (long-haired CB Greg Toler is ?Chia Pet? and OL Trevor Canfield is ?Uncle Fester,? for example), calls Wells ?Little Jim Brown.? Wells is from Akron, Ohio and Lott ? who worked with Brown when Lott was with the Cleveland Browns ? sees a facial resemblance. Will the Cards see any kind of playing resemblance from Beanie?

?I made a promise to (Larry) Fitzgerald, a promise to Kenny (Whisenhunt), a promise to players interested,? Lott said of his interest in seeing Beanie break out. ?I think this kid has a chance to do something. He?s got the tools. ? He could be a beast.?

Word From the Birds BLOG - "Considering Beanie" by DARREN URBAN

[muffler dragon]

Wells was at 247 pounds when strength and conditioning coach John Lott got hold of him

Holy Sh^t! :wow:

[Steve19]

If Wells stays healthy, I think he will make us every bit as proud as Eddie George did in the pros.

[Buckeyecty4]

Originally Posted by Steve19

If Wells stays healthy, I think he will make us every bit as proud as Eddie George did in the pros.

He's working with S&C coach John Lott who I think is tremendous. He kept the Cardinals in great shape last year. Very few injuries, and they got stronger as the season progressed. I think he'll work wonders for Beanie.

[Buckskin86]

Looking for a runner
In the third installment of the positional analysis, I'll look at running backs.

The Cardinals have long searched for an elite running back. They tried via free agency, signing two potential Hall of Famers in Emmitt Smith and Edgerrin James, in the last six years. They tried drafting one in the top 10 (Garrison Hearst, Thomas Jones), and they've given unknowns a chance (Tim Hightower, Marcel Shipp).

Hightower enters training camp as the starter but will have to hold off rookie Beanie Wells to hang on to the job. Hightower emerged from his rookie season as a bit of an enigma. He was very productive in goal-line and short-yardage situations. And he made two impressive plays in the game-winning drive in the NFC title game.

But Hightower didn't produce after becoming the the starter in the eighth game. It wasn't all his fault, of course, as the whole team fell into a malaise, but coaches were hoping for more. There were too many negative runs, and Hightower didn't give the club the big-play ability coaches had hoped.

Still, he has a great upside. He has good quickness and speed. He's physical, bright and has a desire to be good. But he needs to prove he's more than a situational back.

The Cardinals obviously know that, drafting Wells with the 31st overall pick. Wells weighs about 10 pounds more than Hightower and supposedly is faster. The Cardinals drafted him in the hopes he can give them a big-play threat they have been missing for years at the position.

Wells, however, needs to prove he can pick up blitzes and catch the ball. Those are Hightower's advantages in the competition. My guess is that Hightower is the starter when the season begins, with Wells possibly taking over later in the year, if he deserves it.

azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers: Looking for a runner

[Buckskin86]

Will rookie Beanie Wells unseat Tim Hightower as the starting running back?

Probably not right away. First, he has to sign a contract and report to camp. Second, while Wells has more explosiveness than Hightower, he has to be healthy (which was a problem at Ohio State) and show he can hold his own as a blocker, blitz protector and pass catcher next to Warner. He?ll have every chance to win the starting job, but more than likely he?ll split time with Hightower in the early going. A long contract holdout isn?t expected, but he?ll have to show a lot before supplanting Hightower.

10 questions heading to Cards training camp | Cardinals / NFL | eastvalleytribune.com

[Buckskin86]

Beanie Wells isn?t signed yet. GM Rod Graves said there has been significant progress, although he doubted a deal will be completed tonight as negotiations continue. If there is a delay, I just don?t see it being a long one.

Word From the Birds BLOG - "Q is here, Beanie isn't" by DARREN URBAN