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It has been well discussed that there is uncertainty for the right side of the offensive line heading into 2014 for the Arizona Cardinals.
Both the starting right guard and right tackle jobs are up in the air.
At right guard, Earl Watford, Ted Larsen and Paul Fanaika will compete, while the right tackle position is between Bobby Massie and Bradley Sowell.
If you talk to Cardinals fans, they want Watford, a second year player, and Massie, a third year player, to win the jobs.
You get the feeling that the organization would like that, too. But they aren't just going to sit and let them fail.
In fact, offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin went all the way to say "make or break" for both players.
It was for different reasons.
For Massie, when Goodwin was talking to Darren Urban about the right side of the line, he said that, because it is Massie's third year, "this is a make-or-break year definitely for him."
Without proving himself in three years, it will be difficult to stick in the league. Massie will also have a tough time even making the team if he doesn't win the starting job. He can play only right tackle, which makes him less valuable as a backup.
Watford, who did not play a single snap in 2013, has the physical tools, but has to prove it in other ways. In another article on the team's official website by Darren Urban, Goodwin also uses the phrase "make-or-break."
"It's all mental for Earl," said Goodwin. "He's coming along. He's just got to pick it up some. He's got to. It's the NFL. It stands for Not For Long. For Earl, (this season) is big. To me, in my mind, it's make-or-break from the standpoint of, you've got talent, but now it's about trying to take the next step. And once again, if you can't do it, we've got to go to the next guy."
Now, in fairness to Watford, both he and Massie have the same amount of time with this coaching staff -- one season.
Is it really "make-or-break" for both young players, or is this yet another case of offseason hyperbole?
