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When the Arizona Cardinals called the name of Mason Cole on day two of the 2018 NFL Draft, some wondered what the plan was.
After an injury that A.Q. Shipley sustained during the Arizona Cardinals Red and White Practice, Mason Cole was inserted into the starting line up.
Now, we don’t know the extent of Shipley’s injury yet, but we do know it was serious enough for him to have to be carted off, which means that Cole has a golden, if not unfortunate opportunity in front of him.
Since Steve Keim took hold of the general manager position for the Arizona Cardinals, he has set the goal of creating a dominant offensive line. That usually occurs with draft picks and filling in with free agents and veterans.
Well, it has been quite the opposite for the Arizona Cardinals, with a miss on Jonathan Cooper, the never materializing of Earl Watford, still waiting on D.J. Humphries, not seeing it yet on Evan Boehm, the already cut Cole Toner and Dorian Johnson, and the let’s see what we have in Will Holden.
No, the draft picks haven’t been great, but that doesn’t mean you don’t stop drafting them.
That’s why the Mason Cole pick could be so important. Cole could offer a long term solution to what has been a problem for the Cardinals.
He’ll get an opportunity to work out with the first team offense at the center position and if Cole has shown anything in his career while at Michigan, he’ll likely be tough to move out of the starting line up.
Cole has started an amazing 104 consecutive games dating back to high school. He was a true freshman starting left tackle for the Wolverines and moved around to different spots where John Harbaugh needed him, but always as a starter.
The plan was for Cole to sit and learn behind Shipley, but plans change and Cole can now earn the starting position and may never relinquish it... At least that is what the Arizona Cardinals hope for.