Arizona Cardinals rookie defenseman Justin Bethel up for learning – NFL News
Whenever a rookie enters the professional league, he is expected not be the master of his game, but having the skill set that will enable him to learn and groom into the role offered by the team.
The case of Arizona Cardinals defenseman Justin Bethel is not different as well. He is young, learning and is naturally ambitious to become one of the best players in the league.
According to earlier assessment, the defenseman was capable of playing at multiple positions, but the recent reports suggest that he has not been able to adjust into the system while playing at different positions.
This has made the Cardinals to give him one position and allow the player to develop into the role as per his potential.
Cardinals tested Bethel at cornerback, safety and nickel back, but now the management is hoping to groom him at safety.
As per the details present on the team’s official website, Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton has confirmed that Bethel will play at safety. Horton said:
“I think we’ll move him to one place. But playing out here and in here and back there, I think he knows how the defence works and will be a better player for it.”
As far as the player is concerned, he is up for learning as much as possible. Many have criticised his ability to learn and adjust into the system quickly maybe because of his small-school background, but he is hopeful of proving his critics wrong.
Owing to his background, Bethel’s performance has been monitored consistently and even if he commits a minor mistake, he gets in the limelight.
The player has also begun to realise it, but is still confident of his ability to learn and grow quickly. He said:
“I really don’t think my learning curve is as bad as everyone thinks it is. When I mess up, everyone’s eyes are already on me because they expect me to mess up because of that learning curve. I think I’m getting it.”
Interestingly, different analysts had suggested even before the start for the draft season that Bethel could take a while to adjust into the professional league.
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