He wants someone who can run, of course. And block. Beyond that? Let’s just say that fantasy football players in points-per-reception leagues aren’t going to look at the Cardinals first.

“They are back there because they are runners and pass protectors,” Arians said. “Will we throw to the backs? Yeah. But the receivers are the ones paid to catch it. (Running backs) are helping but it’s doubtful our running back leads the team in receiving.”

Last season, injuries crushed the Cards’ running backs, so reception totals don’t correspond perfectly in what the prior staff wanted to do in the passing game, but even Ken Whisenhunt’s pass game didn’t use the backs a ton as receivers (especially after Tim Hightower left.) William Powell had the most catches for a running back last year (19), and that was sixth on the team behind Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Roberts, Michael Floyd, Rob Housler and Early Doucet. LaRod Stephens-Howling was tied for seventh with tight end Jeff King with his 17 catches. Ryan Williams had seven receptions, Anthony Sherman five and Beanie Wells only had one.

The one trade name that does make some sense to me is Chris Ivory in New Orleans. He’s shown before he can perform and he is buried deep, deep on the Saints’ bench behind Ingram, Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles. But the Saints know the Cards need a back, and they might just hold up the Cards for a higher pick. Frankly, in this day and age where backs have become more and more disposable, it’s hard to think that’s a good idea. Ivory was undrafted and has shown well — maybe William Powell can do the same for the Cards.

Free agency makes more sense to me, if and only if the Cards decide they need someone. That’s no sure thing right now.

As for available free agents, well, the name that comes up over and over is Tim Hightower. He knows the team and the offense. But Hightower isn’t healthy right now. The Redskins, who cut him in camp, thought about bringing him back when Roy Helu went down for the season and not only is Hightower still coming back from an ACL tear, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said he had a setback and was having an arthroscopic procedure on his knee. That was a couple weeks ago. (The Redskins signed Ryan Grant instead.) Could Hightower be in the mix down the road if he heals up? Maybe. But the Cards have had their fill of injured backs. They don’t need another so they would have to be sure where Hightower stands health-wise before that could be explored.

– If you missed it, check out this story of defensive lineman Nick Eason, his mom , and why this month of pink in the NFL is so meaningful to him.

– The Cardinals, in case you missed it on Twitter yesterday, will be wearing their black uniforms again Sunday against Buffalo. Because of the various NFL rules in place for alternate uniforms — you can’t wear them in nationally televised games, you can’t wear them after flex scheduling starts — this is the last opportunity for the Cards to do so.

– The Big Red Rage has been moved to Wednesday night because of ASU football, so anyone heading to Majerle’s — special guest Vonnie Holliday — make sure you adjust your schedules accordingly. Same time (6 p.m.), same place (Chandler Fashion Mall).

It’s not as if the Cards haven’t flashes, especially late in the Philadelphia game when Ryan Williams had the majority of his 83 yards on 13 carries for that game even though the Eagles knew he would be toting the ball. But against Miami — a team with arguably the best run defense in the NFL — Williams managed only 26 yards on 13 carries. The Cards only had 15 total attempts for 28 yards (William Powell had the other two carries and two yards) as they played catch up most of the game.

“I think we still have a lot strides to make in the running game,” Williams said. “(Find out) what are our bread and butter plays, things of that sort.”

By coincidence, the Rams are next up, and that might just make an impact.

The Rams are giving up 135 rushing yards a game (the Cards are averaging 68.) And it should be noted, the last time the Cards went into St. Louis last season, Beanie Wells blew up. By the time the Cards finished with a 23-20 win, the running back had piled up a franchise-record 228 yards.  Now, Wells isn’t around this time, having gone to temporary IR last week. This is Williams’ show now. But history provides optimism: Since Whisenhunt arrived in 2007, a Cardinal back has surpassed 100 yards rushing in the five trips to St. Louis four times — Wells, Tim Hightower (twice), and Edgerrin James. A good day from Williams would help the cause.

There King was, scoring on his 48-yard TD reception last weekend and, boom, a spike between the legs. He even recounted the play this week, saying that on his mind as he sprinted for the end zone “I was just thinking I have to spike it at some point.”

“It’s been a constant throughout my career,” King said. “I think was that number 10, so that was my 10^th spike.”

King knows his TDs. That was indeed his 10th career touchdown, and he certainly went between the legs last season when he scored against the Cards when he was playing for the Panthers. The tight ends have been let loose in Arizona.

– Coach Ken Whisenhunt said this week he liked his linebacker play and apparently, so did the website ProFootballFocus.com.  After grading film they put together an all-Pro Football Focus team for the week. Not only did Daryl Washington make the NFL-wide list but so too did veteran outside linebacker Clark Haggans. It would be huge if Haggans is able to keep up that sort of work.

– This will be the week, I think where we see some things from a pair of veterans who didn’t do anything last week: running back Chester Taylor and linebacker Stewart Bradley. Obviously, Taylor was inactive last week, having joined the Cardinals too late for Whisenhunt to want to play him. Bradley was active, but played little other than special teams because he was still getting his feet under him.

I think both would have had a role against the Redskins, but with both Washington (calf) and running back LaRod Stephens-Howling (hand) questionable to play, it would just up the ante of needing Taylor and Bradley. When it comes to Bradley, the Cards have long lauded the flexibility of starter Paris Lenon – who played both inside linebacker roles last year – and Lenon could switch to Washington’s side to allow Bradley to be in his more natural spot.

– As for the ex-Cardinal running back, Tim Hightower said this game is “going to be little extra sentimental and a little more emotional, just because I kind of grew up (with the Cards).

“The incentive there is like when that teacher has been teaching a student, and that student finally gets to a point where he is kind of on his own and you get a chance to come back and see the teacher, you want to put your best foot forward,” Hightower said. “That’s the mindset I’m taking this week.”

– On the other side of that trade, Cardinals defensive end Vonnie Holliday smiled when he thought of playing the Redskins. “I feel like I kind of raised some of those guys up,” Holliday said. “I feel like I know what it takes to beat them, some of their weaknesses and some of their strengths. I can tell my guys about that here.

“Same thing on the offensive side of the ball … if a guy is shaded this way, this is what that means. I know they know that too. Certainly at this point in my career I have to be a student of the game. I take a lot of pride in that. The fast-twitch is not the same, so you have to anticipate. That’s what I do in the game, from the front to the secondary, I pay attention.”

– Speaking of learning and teaching, in some ways, the Redskins did just that with the Cardinals. After Mike Shanahan was fired by the Broncos and before he was hired by the Redskins, he did a training camp tour that included a stop in Flagstaff to look at the Cards — and specifically, how they ran the 3-4 defense.

“When I came back to Washington something I wanted to do is run the 3-4, because if you look over the past 25 years, it’s probably the most successful,” Shanahan said. “I like the indecisions, from an offensive standpoint, of not knowing which linebacker was coming and the overall philosophy of keeping an offense off balance.”

– The last two times the Cardinals have gone to Washington  — 2007 and 2008 – they have stayed in the game and had a chance to win in the fourth quarter, except they were unable to come up with a winning kick. I’d think it’ll come down to whether the defense can come up with a more effective outing. There’s no question Rex Grossman has a history of making mistakes if you pressure him enough.

Offensively, you’d think the Cards will be effective. The hope is Larry Fitzgerald is able to be more involved, but quarterback Kevin Kolb did a good job looking elsewhere when necessary.

Who knows, maybe King will get a chance to spike the ball again.

“It’s kind of funny it has even come to that,” Hightower said. “That’s one of those things where anyone who’s lived life long enough and been through anything, knows that life isn’t guaranteed. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. People are going to take it however they interpret things. I know my intentions. I don’t have any disrespect for anybody there, but I am a competitor. I want to win.

“If it was the other way around and I was on (the Cardinals) I would be saying the same exact thing. … I know coach (Ken) Whisenhunt is going to have that team prepared and they are going to expect to win. It wasn’t anything disrespectful. I didn’t take a shot at anybody and it wasn’t an arrogant comment. It was just confidence in my team and the competitor in me.”

My guess is that the Cardinals players know that. Hey, this isn’t Namath and Super Bowl III. If anyone isn’t already thinking Hightower would desperately want to beat his former team this weekend, they are being naive. In any case, it will be interesting to see how this one plays out — I don’t think it’s easy to gauge exactly where the Redskins or the Cardinals are at this point, other than their records are each 1-0.

At cornerback they still have A.J. Jefferson, Patrick Peterson and Richard Marshall to man the top three spots. At running back, they are still intrigued by Alfonso Smith (although he unfortunately is dealing with a hamstring problem right now, which kept him from running the ball against San Diego the other night).

There will be players who come available not this week but next weekend that can change the equation.

UPDATE: The Cardinals did add a cornerback Monday afternoon, signing Fred Bennett while waiving-injured LB Brandon Sharpe (hamstring). Bennett, a 2007 fourth-round pick of Houston, actually started 17 times in 40 games for the Texans from 2007-09. He spent time with San Diego and Cincinnati last season, and was just released by the Bengals this weekend. He has five career interceptions.

“We are always looking to get our team better,” Whisenhunt said. “It may be this week, it may be after this week, we will look and see. It’s got to be the right fit for us. You get a sense in training camp you have all these numbers that you don’t have in the regular season. We don’t have six corners or five corners or five running backs on the regular roster. We will look and see what’s available.”

As for Hightower, another good man in that locker room, it was clear when they drafted Ryan Williams that, eventually, Hightower or Beanie Wells would be moving on. I thought it might not be until after this season. Turns out it’s today. The fumbling issues really hurt Hightower. So he signed his tender and gets a shot with the Redskins (Cards at Washington, Week Two, by the way) and the Cards alleviate the crowd in the backfield and get vet depth to work along the defensive line.

Dang, I can barely keep up.

But Wright had some thoughts that day after the Cards finished up in San Francisco. The Northwestern grad, who is now in business school at the University of Chicago, just said it was “time.”

“There are lots of reasons I can give,” Wright said. “Honestly, I love football and I love this team too much for any of them to be good enough. The real reason is me, and every single member of my family feels like it might be that time. It’s more of a subjective thing.

“I’m going to miss it a lot. I’m going to miss it a lot.”

Wright was the perfect fit as a fourth running back with Tim Hightower, Beanie Wells and LaRod Stephens-Howling. He was a mentor, a sounding board, a voice of reason for the backs and the entire team. (He was also a go-to quote in the locker room, able to speak eloquently on any subject).

Wright did miss some time with a concussion last season, and for any player that can give pause, not to mention someone as brilliant as Wright. But he insisted his choice had nothing to do with concussions or bodily harm.

“My body, I probably have two years left at the level I am playing at, or one and maybe stretch it into two,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s not that at all. It’s just the right time. I feel like I am ready for the next step.”

He said he wouldn’t mind working in the NFL in the future, perhaps even helping someone like Michael Bidwill run a franchise.

“Who knows?” Wright said. “I may come calling (the Cardinals) again.”

“This is definitely going to be my year without a doubt,” Wells said. “This is my third year and three strikes and you’re out, and I’m definitely not striking out. I am ready to tear it up. It’s my time and I am ready to go out and prove that.”

The funny thing is, Beanie getting off-track is really confined just to last season. He played well as a rookie and was clearly improving as the 2009 season went along. It was hard to think of him as anything but a potential breakout star as the Cards went to training camp last season. Then came the preseason knee injury in the fourth preseason game, and with the overall issues on offense all the way around, no offensive player had the kind of year they wanted to in 2010. Does Beanie take more criticism because of his high-profile and draft status? Probably. That’s how it work, however.

Like everyone else, though, Wells admitted he was “surprised” and thought it was “shocking” when the Cards took running back Ryan Williams with their second-round pick.

“I didn’t think we really needed a running back, especially in the second round,” Wells said. “But obviously they did. I just take it on as more competition and prepare the same way.” Later he added, “I wasn’t angry. You know the ins and outs of the business. If they don’t like the production at a position, they’re probably going to get another one. this game is like a candy store — if you don’t like the candy you taste, you get another piece.”

Interesting, when Beanie was asked about what he thought this meant for his job, he chuckled. “I didn’t really have a job. I wasn’t the starting running back, Tim (Hightower) was. I was just trying to compete to become the starting running back.”

We’ve talked about this before, but Williams’ arrival certainly clogs up the backfield situation. Until Williams can prove himself on the field, I expect everyone to stick around, but with Hightower’s fumbles and Wells’ apparent step-back last season, you could make the argument LaRod Stephens-Howling is the Cards’ running back on the sturdiest ground as we stand here on July June (thanks Sando) 16.

Beanie sounded like he’s about wait-and-see too. “I don’t know what to really think about (Williams’ arrival), other than to take it in stride.”

It can work and, given how much practice was missed during the season as one or more of them had nagging aliments, all four were needed.

That’s the backdrop this year with the addition of second-round pick Ryan Williams, the surprising – to a point – choice in the draft. Wright was leaning heavily toward retirement at the end of the season, so the Cards were going to need another back to continue its ratio. Of course, the questions many have aren’t about whether the Cards need four backs, it’s how much playing time each will get.

Hightower had a pretty good season last year and earned the starting job he had nearly all season. But no one – including coach Ken Whisenhunt – is going to forget Hightower’s fumbling issues. Wells has a load of talent, but seemed to take a step back last season with injuries and never found a rhythm all season (although, arguably, the running game was behind the eight-ball given the offense’s circumstances most of the year). The Hyphen flashed every time he had a chance as a back, but he is undersized and has importance on special teams.

“It wasn’t done with the idea of sending one of those guys a message,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said after the pick, and on the surface, I do believe the Cardinals forcefully went into the draft looking to take the best players available  – as they saw them – regardless of the position.

There is little question, though, that they want more from the veteran running backs, and Wells in particular. Beanie told Craig Morgan he understood what the Cards were doing and is even planning to bring both Williams and rookie fullback Anthony Sherman out to Arizona to work out with him. Beanie mentioned “if I’m getting better, I can send a message.”

Anyone following a NFL team has to understand the business part rears up often. I’m sure Edgerrin James didn’t see Hightower replacing him halfway through 2008, just as no one guessed Williams would  be an early pick this season. It’s tough not to note, however, that Whisenhunt continues to mention how the Cards were 5-11 last season, so everything needs to be better. That includes the running game as a whole, and the running backs individually. Williams, in theory, should help that. How it eventually shakes out the depth chart (or, possibly, the roster makeup), well, that’s the storyline everyone has to watch play out.