Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians told first round pick Robert Nkemdiche to take it easy in camp because he’s crushing dudes.
This weekend marks rookie camp in the NFL. A lot of players are really excited to get out there and show off their talents. Show why the team that drafted or signed them in for evaluation made a good decision, even if we are five months away from the kickoff of the 2016 season.
Robert Nkemdiche fell down a lot of draft boards due to some character issues and fell into the lap of the Arizona Cardinals at the end of the first round.
Nkemdiche signed his rookie deal on Friday and became a millionaire. He was obviously excited to show the Cardinals from day one that they made a smart investment. So much so, that head coach Bruce Arians had to tell Nkemdiche to chill a little bit.
“He was killing people in walk-through,” Arians said, via AZcentral.com. “I had to slow him down. It’s a walk-through, and he bench-pressed a lineman already.”
These practices have no pads and no contact per league rules. It’s a way for rookies to get introduced to their playbook and then show that they understand the concepts and can use them on the field.
Chalk this up to a rookie being excited to get out there and show what he can do. Nkemdiche probably has a bit of a chip on his shoulder. After all, he had the talent to go a lot higher in the draft, maybe in the top 10.
Coach Arians is saying what he needs to say, because if he doesn’t there may be a fine for him. In the back of his mind, he’s excited that his first round pick is ready to get out there right now.
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