Arizona Cardinals: Beanie Wells on PUP, Ryan Williams Practicing 

Arizona Cardinals running back Beanie Wells arrived at training camp today in Flagstaff, Arizona. He was, however, designated to the active PUP (physically-unable-to-perform) list due to a knee injury and did not pass the team physical.

Head coach KenWhisenhunt did however, say that it was expected. He stated that: “It doesn’t mean they won’t be practicing (Wednesday), or that they won’t be practicing in a couple of days. It’s a way to assess where they are physically, and then we’ll get them out there.” Whisenhunt also stated that he was satisfied with Wells’ progress to this point, eluding to being cautious with his rehab.

Last season Beanie Wells rushed for 1,047 yards and 10 TD’s. He showed flashes at times and other times just couldn’t get going. It’ll be interesting to see if Wells comes back to full strength by the start of the season. If he does, Arizona could be a big surprise. With Larry Fitzgerald, Early Doucet and first round pick Michael Floyd, the Cardinals look to have a nice looking passing attack. That could free Wells up a little more and help him have a nice 2012.

On the bright side, Wells’ backup Ryan Williams was active for camp on the first day and stated that he felt he was roughly “85-90%”. He is expected to be limited to 10-12 snaps in the early going of camp as he works his way back. Williams participation combined with Wells not being fully healthy could end up being a story to watch in Arizona.

Fantasy Analysis

Just keep an eye out for when Wells comes off the active PUP list and how the rehab progresses. If he’s a go and gets a lot of reps in training camp he could be in line for a nice season. He could end up being quite a bargain and value for your fantasy team. In that same breath, it is definitely worth noting that he’s still on the shelf and his top backup is active.

If Wells struggles to return quickly and Williams looks good in camp, we could have a running back competition on our hands to go along with the quarterback battle in Arizona. Monitor the status of both running backs throughout the preseason if you have drafted or plan on drafting either of them.

About the author: Terrence Kirker

A new fantasy football contributor to NFLSoup, Terrence Kirker is an avid NFL fan and diehard Giants fan. He's been involved in fantasy football for the past ten years, with the last four being the mostly competitive for cash prizes, equating to three championships and one third place finish. Follow him on Twitter @terrencekirker