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Of all the rookies that the Arizona Cardinals have on the team, the one that generates the most buzz is Tyrann Mathieu. He is learning a new position, playing safety, and is having a pretty good camp.
That good camp continued on Thursday in Tempe, where the team had practice, but not open to the public.
Darren Urban tweeted this:
Two picks in 3 plays for Tyrann Mathieu. #CardsCamp
— Darren Urban (@Cardschatter) August 1, 2013
Not too shabby, is it?
He also broke up a few other plays.
To be clear, it was not Carson Palmer that made the throws. Urban did not say. It was likely Drew Stanton, but it could have been him or Ryan Lindley. But that is not the point. The point is that Mathieu, who had a nose for the ball in college, is showing that off a bit now, which is exactly why general manager Steve Keim took a chance on him.
Right now he is on the second team at safety and is the dime cornerback. He could potentially move up the depth chart quickly. He still needs to work on being more vocal on defense, something that the safeties have to be so that the rest of the defense can get set.
Mathieu told Urban that Thursday was "definitely" his best practice. "Anytime you get turnovers, put your offense in position to score, it usually turns into a win," he said. He says that the game is slowing down, except when he has to defense Larry Fitzgerald.
How high is this kid's ceiling? How long will it take for him to show he is going make it? Will he make an impact immediately?
These are questions that are yet to be answered.
More from Revenge of the Birds:
- 2013 NFL training camp: Jamell Fleming has competition to overcome
- Larry Fitzgerald and how he will be used in the Bruce Arians offense
- 2013 NFL training camp: Predicting the Arizona Cardinals preseason standouts
- ROTB Roundtable: Pre-season, Returners, and Roster Surprises
- Arizona Cardinals rookie Jonathan Cooper feels pressure to succeed
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