Arizona Cardinals’ Bobby Massie eager to earn back starting job at right tackle
Jul 29, 2014, 12:36 AM | Updated: 4:25 pm
It’s not easy watching someone else do a job that you once had, but that’s exactly what happened to Arizona Cardinals right tackle Bobby Massie last season.
After Massie started every game during his rookie campaign in 2012, the Cardinals brought in Eric Winston, who beat him out at right tackle in 2013.
“This is my spot,” Massie told reporters before training camp on Monday. “I’m not giving it up and letting anybody take it. I’m tired of sitting on the bench and watching the game on the sidelines, so it’s my year to shine.”
The Cardinals fourth-round draft pick in 2012, Massie is a specimen at 6-foot-6 and 316 pounds. Cardinals general manager Steve Keim believes the Lynchburg, Virginia, native has what it takes to succeed.
“He’s got all the physical tools,” Keim told Doug and Wolf Monday morning on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. “There aren’t many right tackles who have his feet.”
Massie will need that quickness if he’s going to protect Carson Palmer from the likes of Robert Quinn or Michael Bennett this season. It’s a responsibility that the former Ole Miss Rebel takes very seriously, and he knows he still has parts of his game that need work if he’s going to succeed at the highest level.
“The only thing that’s held me back since I’ve been here is the mental errors,” Massie said. “I’ve got the ability to be one of the top tackles in this league; I’ve got to show that.”
