On Friday, the Arizona Cardinals opened their rookie minicamp. It was the first time the team got to look at the players they had only previously seen play and work out as amateurs in college. Withe the popularity of the NFL and they way that fans cannot get enough of their teams, they want to know everything about how the rookies, both draftees and undrafted rookies.
As such, when reporters like Kent Somers and Darren Urban, who are there to watch the workouts, fans get more into it than they should.They start making conclusions about the long-term production on their first day on the job.
Somers tweeted this:
one rookie minicamp practice down. Hard to tell much from it. M. Floyd caught ball well. QB Lindley sailed a few passes. It's early
— Kent Somers (@kentsomers) May 11, 2012
The comment about Lindley prompted questions about whether good or bad.
some nice defensive plays in AZ afternoon session. Sturdivant had another pick. Fleming looks good. QB Lindley completed nice deep ball.
— Kent Somers (@kentsomers) May 11, 2012
Suddenly, Sturdivant, who could not make the squad a year ago, could seem like budding star. Never mind he has had a year in the defensive system.
Ken Whisenhunt said it best after practice, "They get a gold star if they can line up right."
This is true. It is like that when you start any new job, especially your first one right after college, you feel lost. You may have done the job before, but in a new company with different procedures and terminology, you have to give it time to see whether you will do well or not.
It is hard to do with the instant feedback of sports news and opinion, but we should all hold judgement of anything the rookies do in minicamp.
You can talk more Cardinals over at Revenge of the Birds.
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