Arizona Cardinals’ GM Steve Keim: Bobby Massie in ‘best shape of his career’
Jul 28, 2014, 6:22 PM | Updated: 6:23 pm
Most NFL players report to training camp in shape, but occasionally someone will fail a conditioning test.
Arizona Cardinals right tackle Bobby Massie impressed general manager Steve Keim with his fitness level.
Keim said on the Doug and Wolf show on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM right tackle Bobby Massie is “in the best shape of his career so far.”
When the pads come on during Cardinals camp on Monday, Massie will be the first team right tackle. Coach Bruce Arians said at his daily media briefing Sunday, “It’s pretty much his job to lose,” adding the disclaimer, “there’s plenty of time to win or lose a job once we start hitting.”
At 6-foot-6 and 316 pounds, Massie has prototypical size for an offensive lineman. He was the Cardinals’ fourth-round pick in the 2012 draft from Ole Miss.
Massie immediately filled a hole on the team’s offensive line, starting 16 games in his rookie season in 2012. In 2013 he lost his starting gig to veteran Eric Winston, and only appeared in a backup role for the Cardinals.
“Some people forget that when he started as a rookie, the first half of the season, there was no question there were times he struggled, but the second half of that season his rookie year, he played pretty good football,” Keim said.
“If he can pick up where he left off there and play focused and continue to not have any mental errors, Bobby’s got a chance to be a pretty good player because he has all the physical tools. There’s not many right tackles that have his feet.”
