One of the strengths of Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Mason Cole and one of the reasons why they drafted him in the third round was his versatility. He started at left tackle and started at center while at Michigan, never missing a game in four seasons.
His ability to play center and guard were attractive to the team.
But for now, in his rookie season, he has really only practiced at one position.
“For the most part, I’ve been focusing just at center,” he said on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. “A few guard reps here and there, but I imagine I’ll kind of bounce around as time goes on, and I’m okay with that.”
That focus in practice does mean something. They see him playing center more this season as a rookie. With A.Q. Shipley on the roster, Cole probably will not be a starter this season, but the fact that he spent all of rookie camp, OTAs and minicamp focused almost all at center suggests the team sees him more as a center than as a guard.
And with Shipley in the final year of his contract, Cole might be in a position to start next year at center.