The Arizona Cardinals have had more bad years than good ones over the past decades, perhaps in part because when they do have decent players they don’t use them right?

I’m guessing on that for the most part. But it’s definitely true in the case of Edgerrin James, whom they acquired during free agency from Indianapolis in 2006. In his two seasons in Phoenix James has caught 38 and 24 passes, the latter tying for his lowest production out of the backfield in his career.

The previous seven with the Colts he never had fewer than 44 catches in a season during which he played more than six games – and the year he hurt his knee, 2001, he was on pace to have another 64 catches for more than 500 yards.

Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley hopes to better utilize that part of James’ game, according to an ESPN blog. He’d be well served to do so. While the Cards have a great wide receiver duo in Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, neither are speed burners, so utilizing an underneath option can only help open the field for bigger plays.

Getting James the ball in the flats and beyond the line of scrimmage is also a way to put it in his hands without subjecting him to monstrous hits in the trenches, never a bad thing for a running back in his 10th season and approaching the big 30.

James probably isn’t going to start producing 2,000 combined yardage seasons again as he did three times with the Colts. But a similar season to 2007 rushing the ball coupled with a doubling of his receptions and receiving yardage would put him in the mix as a solid fantasy contributor during the season ahead.