Arizona Cardinals bench Jonathan Cooper

In 2013, the Arizona Cardinals used the seventh overall pick in the draft to select offensive guard Jonathan Cooper out of North Carolina.

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One year later, Jonathan Cooper has been beaten out for the starting left guard job by former sixth-round pick Ted Larsen.

Coach Bruce Arians was blunt in offering his explanation of why Larsen is starting Monday night instead of Cooper (via azcentral.com):

"“I don’t care about draft status,” Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said. “I want to see the results on the field, and Ted Larsen’s way outplayed (Cooper).”"

Larsen was brought in by the Cardinals on a two-year/$2.6 million contract to give them some depth on their perennially-problematic offensive line.

The original plan was for Larsen to back up center Lyle Sendlein but Larsen performed so well that the Cards decided to give him a look at left guard.

This likely was as much about sending a message to Cooper as anything. If so, it was a message Cooper did not receive.

Cooper’s play did not improve despite the nudge from the coaching staff, and now the first rounder is riding the pines while the sixth-rounder plays.

Arians did admit that Cooper still has some catching up to do after missing all of 2013 with a broken leg and a lot of this preseason with turf toe:

"“His play before the injury wasn’t stellar,” Arians said. “It looked like a guy that was coming back off a year’s injury. He’s going to be a heck of a player. It’s just a matter of time and taking the right approach with him and letting him get healthy.”"

You have to believe Arizona will give Cooper every shot to win back his starting job once he his healthy. For now, he will get to sit and watch while another man does the job he has thus far been unable to do himself.

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