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The 2018 season, which saw former Steelers running back James Conner finish as a top-half RB1, seems like a distant memory at this point as Pittsburgh moved on from the veteran this offseason, opting instead to select Najeh Harris in the first round of this year's NFL Draft. Injury and COVID-19 problems have caused Conner to miss 12 games over the past three seasons since becoming the starter in Pittsburgh and he's been banged up enough that he was held to single digit touches in a number of contests aside from the full games he missed. Conner is coming off of a season-ending toe injury which he had surgically repaired this offseason. While the Cardinals do expect him to be fully healthy to start the season, there's no question that they're taking a chance on a player who seems to be damaged goods at this point.
He looks like a value on paper and may end up delivering decent fantasy numbers given his cost, but July ADPs have Conner being selected only about a round later than Edmonds. Conner enthusiasts will point to Arizona signing him as a clear sign that the team isn't fully behind Edmonds, but there's also a very good chance that they're simply looking to add some veteran depth to the running back room. Conner signed a miniscule one-year, $1.75 million deal so there's no serious investment here. If they believed Conner was going to step in and take over the Kenyan Drake role from 2020 then it would seem logical that they'd also want to sign their new starting running back to more of a long-term deal.
Conner isn't likely to end up being the "starter" in Arizona as long as Edmonds is healthy, but the upside is that he could at least take over Drake's role as the goal line back. It's hard to know whether the Cardinals just had supreme confidence in Drake's ability to score at the goal line or if they actually had concerns about Edmonds' lack of ability to get into the end zone. Either way, it's something to keep an eye on and it could end up leading to a nightmare-ish backfield committee situation where neither player is particularly useful on a week-to-week basis.
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 Chase Edmonds misses another practice
Shoulder injury; limited to side work
By: Doug Orth | Thu Oct 7, 11:30 pm
|  | Chase Edmonds did not practice for a second straight day Thursday, Oct. 7. (AZcardinals.com)
FFToday's Take: Another DNP on Friday would cast significant doubt on the overall RB12's ability to suit up in Week 5 against the 49ers. Friday's injury report should shed more light on his status, but fantasy managers should prepare to be without him until further notice. James Conner would be set up for a full workload in all likelihood if Edmonds sits, while Jonathan Ward would most likely serve as the breather back.
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