The Facts: Following up on the ongoing story. ... The signing of Mendenhall reunites the RB with Cardinals coach Bruce Arians, who was the offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh during Mendenhall’s first four seasons. “As a running back he’s the total package,” Arians said in a release by the team. “He’s a big, strong, every-down back with speed who can pass block and also catch the ball. I’ve said before: he’s a big man with little-people feet, meaning he can run like he’s 180 (pounds) but also pound the ball like he’s 230.”
Diehards Line:Mendenhall is coming off a couple of difficult seasons. He suffered a torn ACL at the end of 2011 and played in six games last season. The Steelers suspended him for one game after he didn’t show up for a previous game because he was due to be inactive. But Arians is clearly a fan and the Cardinals had an opening at running back after releasing Beanie Wells earlier this week. Mendenhall, who turns 26 this summer, will compete with Ryan Williams and others for playing time.