Cardinals’ Daryn Colledge adjusting to life on the right side
May 23, 2013, 7:15 PM | Updated: May 24, 2013, 12:05 am
It sounds simple enough, but perhaps not so simple to execute.
The Arizona Cardinals are asking veteran offensive lineman Daryn Colledge to move from left guard to right guard.
On the surface, the switch would not appear to be all that difficult.
Heck, head coach Bruce Arians almost dismissed the question when asked about it during organized team activities this week.
“For a guy with his background and pedigree it should be a piece of cake.”
Colledge agreed, to an extent.
“It’s a big move for me physically, not mentally,” he said. “It’s just about switching the plays, but physically I’ve got to kind of undo some technical stuff.
“It will be tough, but they gave me a lot of time. I was made aware of it real early. I’ve been at it a couple of weeks so hopefully improvement is coming.”
Colledge has played nothing but left guard during his seven-year NFL career, including the past two seasons with the Cardinals. Even at Boise State, where he was a four-year starter, Colledge played exclusively on the left side of the line.
“Just switching your feet,” he said of his biggest adjustment. “You’re used to responding to certain things in a certain way. When you play a certain position long enough that stuff kind of becomes second nature. Now I’m trying to force habits on the opposite side. It’s getting the punch the right way. It’s leading with the right hand, leading with the right foot, reacting to second moves the right way. That kind of stuff is the stuff that’s going to come a little bit slower than the mental side of the game.
“I’m a smart enough player to know that side of the ball. It’s just a matter of getting my body to catch up with my mind.”
Sliding Colledge to right guard, where his good friend and former teammate Adam Snyder played, opens up a spot for rookie Jonathan Cooper, who started 48 of 49 games at left guard at North Carolina. However, that move appears to be on hold. At the moment, it’s Chilo Rachal, signed in the offseason, running with the first team.
Colledge though isn’t paying much attention to that side of the offensive line anymore.
“I’m focusing pretty much only on what I’m doing,” he said. “I’m trying to get used to playing next to Bobby (Massie) and being on the opposite side of Lyle (Sendlein). I’ve got my own stuff to worry about at the moment.
“There’s been good days and there’s been bad days,” Colledge continued. “I thought (Tuesday) was a decent day for me. I’ve had a few rough days making some switches. It’s getting better and that’s what I have to see. I’ve got to notice on tape that I’m getting better and better each day at it. I’m not expecting it to be awesome right away. We’ve got a long time until the season (starts). I’d like to definitely get better each day.”
