Ellington handled five carries for 25 yards during Monday's decisive win versus the Jets.

EDGE Analysis

Ellington earned his first carries of the game in the midst of the Cardinals' first lengthy drive of the second half, but David Johnson otherwise handled all work out of the backfield until garbage time. As evidence, Johnson received 67 of the 77 offensive snaps, while Ellington picked up eight and Stepfan Taylor was given four. Such a breakdown won't equate to relevance anytime soon, but Ellington nonetheless appears to be the nominal backup to Johnson.

Ellington picked up 14 of the Cardinals' 68 offensive snaps during Thursday's 33-21 win at San Francisco.

EDGE Analysis

After Chris Johnson (sports hernia) was placed on injured reserve, Ellington is now the veritable backup running back to workhorse David Johnson. Snaps are thus guaranteed for the fourth-year pro, but the younger Johnson dominated the RB touches Thursday, racking up 157 yards on the ground and 28 more through the air. Meanwhile, Ellington earned six carries but no targets, all of them in the second half of a game that was less in question as the clock wound down. He'll likely parlay his pass-catching chops into a handful of big plays as the season proceeds, but Johnson is more than competent in that realm as well, hindering Ellington's potential opportunities.

Ellington earned six of the Cardinals' 77 offensive snaps and four special teams snaps during Sunday's loss to the Rams, Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 Phoenix reports.

EDGE Analysis

The sparse usage translated into one carry for no yards, one reception (on one target) for four yards, and two kick returns for 38 yards. On the season, Ellington hasn't surpassed 11 total yards from scrimmage in any game, and kick-return duties haven't exactly treated him well, as he ranks 16th of 17 qualified returners. Nevertheless, he could be in line for additional work Thursday at San Francisco with backup running back Chris Johnson dealing with a groin injury at the moment.

Ellington had one rush for two yards and one reception for nine yards in Sunday's win versus the Buccaneers.

EDGE Analysis

With six more snaps Sunday, Ellington has been handed a whopping 15 through two contests, which ranks third behind David Johnson (99) and Chris Johnson (23). The latter Johnson received 21 of those in Week 2 as an ever-increasing deficit reached 33 points by the 12:11 mark of the fourth quarter. Perhaps the reserve RB reps will be tied to game conditions, but Ellington is currently averaging an unusable two touches per outing.

Ellington caught both passes for eight yards and returned four kickoffs for 61 yards during Sunday's defeat to the Patriots.

EDGE Analysis

Ellington is expected to serve as a pass-catching back in the Cardinals' offense, but starter David Johnson is also quite adept in that realm, scooping up four of his six targets for 43 yards. That reality will hamper Ellington's ability to contribute on a consistent basis, and taking Johnson out of the equation at any point would place the onus of the rushing attack on veteran Chris Johnson. With opportunity difficult to uncover, Ellington could augment his value with return yardage, but if he sustains the 15.3 yards per kickoff return from Sunday, head coach Bruce Arians will likely search elsewhere in order to improve the team's average starting field position.

Ellington posted three carries for 25 yards, three receptions (on six targets) for 20 yards, four kick returns of 73 yards, and one punt return for three yards during Sunday's preseason loss in Houston.

EDGE Analysis

Ellington received the bulk of his snaps in the first half, indicating that head coach Bruce Arians is committed to using him regularly this season. On the other hand, Ellington resides behind David Johnson and Chris Johnson among the Cardinals' backfield options, meaning his snaps may be contained to strict passing downs and as the No. 1 return option. Barring an injury to one of the Johnsons, Ellington may be hard-pressed to sustain much viability in his fourth professional campaign.

Ellington was listed as the No. 1 kick and punt returner on the Cardinals' most recent unofficial depth chart, Arizona Republic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Through two preseason games, Ellington is leading the Cardinals with four total kick returns, averaging 20.3 yards per. The mark isn't an incredible one, and Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic dismissed head coach Bruce Arians' contention that Ellington is a "natural punt catcher." Preseason depth charts should be taken with a grain of salt, especially because JJ Nelson was listed ins Ellington's current positions on the first unofficial release of the depth chart. Even if Ellington ultimately lands the role, he'll hold limited viability due to his third banana standing behind David Johnson and Chris Johnson in the running back pecking order.

Ellington will likely serve as a change-of-pace complement to David Johnson, the Cardinals' official website reports

EDGE Analysis

A starting-caliber running back when at his best, Ellington has been plagued by injuries throughout much of his career, but he's enjoyed a healthy offseason and training camp this time around. The Cardinals want to carve out roles for both him and Chris Johnson, but with David Johnson locked in as the lead back, it's unclear how many opportunities will be left for his teammates.

Ellington is expected to have a role within the Cardinals' crowded backfield in 2016, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports. "We'll definitely get him in there," head coach Bruce Arians said. "How many touches he gets is going to depend on how all three of them are playing."

EDGE Analysis

Ellington followed up a game-breaking rookie season in 2013 with a dud as the Cardinals' lead RB in the next campaign. Injuries certainly played a role, but the Cardinals were proactive with the offseason additions of David Johnson in the 2015 NFL Draft and Chris Johnson in the middle of training camp. Despite these moves, Ellington entered the year as the No. 1 back, only to sustain a PCL injury in Week 1 that thrust the Johnsons into larger roles. Chris Johnson was highly effective as the starter for the ensuing 10 contests, but maladies to both the elder Johnson and Ellington in Week 12 paved the way for David Johnson's late-season explosion. Due to the performance, David has been deemed worthy of "bell cow" status by Arians heading into training camp, while the re-signing of Chris provides insurance for the corps. As a result, Darren Urban of the team's official site has speculated that Ellington will serve "more as a receiver than straight runner," which is likely the best use of his skill set due to the injury-prone label levied upon him since his time at Clemson.

Ellington finished the 2015 season with 45 carries for 289 yards and three touchdowns, which he supplemented with 15 receptions (on 24 targets) for 148 yards across 10 games.

EDGE Analysis

After enduring multiple ailments in 2014, Ellington was named the Cardinals' starting running back in advance of Week 1, but injury woes in the form of a PCL sprain immediately took hold, requiring three consecutive absences. The No. 1 gig was ably filled by Chris Johnson (tibia) for the next 10 games before both backs were knocked out with respective injuries (and Johnson for the rest of the season). Taking advantage of the void was rookie David Johnson, who stated his case as the team's every-down, all-purpose back of the future. Upon his second return in Week 16, Ellington made brief appearances through the end of Arizona's playoff run in the NFC championship game. However, he accumulated just 13 runs for 45 yards and two catches (on five targets) for 12 yards in four outings as the younger Johnson's primary backup. Considering his bloated medical chart, Ellington's ceiling may rest as a change-of-pace option, especially if Chris Johnson or another viable back joins the fray in the offseason.