Tackle Nate Potter (76) and center Lyle Sendlein (63) walk off the field Thursday after OTAs ended.
Nate Potter had been a footnote in the right tackle competition for the majority of OTAs, with Bobby Massie and Bradley Sowell alternated between the starting and backup spots.
The nearly forgotten third-year man shouldn't be counted out just yet. Potter lined up with the first team on Thursday and afterward coach Bruce Arians said he is an option at the position.
"We're going to keep throwing all three guys in there to see who comes out on top," Arians said. "Bobby's done
very well. Bradley is inconsistent. Nate is probably the smartest of the three. It's just a matter of physically holding up."
Arians stressed "you wait for pads to go on" to truly determine the best fit.
Eric Winston manned the position last year but is currently a free agent, opening the competition to the other three players. Potter started six games as a rookie in 2012 but none last year as the line stayed relatively injury-free. Arians likes the versatility Potter brings.
"Nate always stays in the mix because he's so smart and he has position flexibility," Arians said. "He played guard for us last year, played left tackle, right tackle. He's a valuable guy when it comes to Sunday."
GETTING DONE EARLY
The Cardinals wrapped up their final OTA of the offseason about an hour before the scheduled finish. Rookie kicker Chandler Catanzaro needed to make a field goal for it to happen, and a wild cheer erupted when he sent it through the uprights.
"It wasn't even planned," Arians said. "We've been having outstanding participation and outstanding effort."
Arians said Catanzaro, who is in a three-way battle with Jay Feely and Danny Hrapmann for kicking duties, struggled with field goals this week, but was pleased so see him hit it when the pressure was on.
"I said, 'Alright, we're going to find out if this kid's got anything,'" Arians said. "There's no more pressure than peer pressure. And he knocked it down the pipe. That told me a lot about him."
JOHN BROWN CONTINUES TO IMPRESS
Third-round draft pick John Brown has been making plays on the field during OTAs, and he was also singled out by Arians as a rookie who has excelled in the mental aspect.
It has been an easy transition thus far from Division II Pittsburg State to the NFL for the speedy wideout.
"He's way ahead of most rookies, and coming from a small school, that's unusual," Arians said. "It doesn't overwhelm him at all. He learns fast and he can apply it fast."
OZIER MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF
Wide receiver Kevin Ozier played just down the road from the Cardinals facility at Arizona State, but was one of many foreign faces to Arians at the rookie mini-camp tryout two weeks ago.
"I didn't even know he was a local guy until after I asked him," Arians said.
Despite starting in anonymity, Ozier stood out enough during those three days to get signed.
"He came in and picked things up quickly for a tryout (player)," Arians said. "The guys that had been here for two weeks, he got it all thrown at him and he's out there performing better than the guys that had been here for two weeks."
