The newest class of Houston Texans rookies wrapped up their three-day minicamp on Sunday. Bill O'Brien tested the rookies Saturday morning on what they learned so far, but according the Texans new head coach, they have a long way to go both physically and mentally.
"They haven't been here," O'Brien said after Saturday's minicamp practice. "They don't know how fast we practice, they don't know how we call plays on both sides of the ball, how we do special teams. I just talked about conditioning. They're not in top condition like the veterans are that have been here for a long time or have played a lot of football. I'd say everybody is starting at basically the same spot."
Most players arrived just days before their NFL experience began. Their 12-hour days during minicamp consisted of meetings, walk-throughs, meetings, practice, and more meetings. Coaches were teaching and rookies were expected to not only absorb the new informations, but also apply it on the practice field.
"Yeah, there is a lot of information that is thrown at these guys," O'Brien said. "It's pretty interesting to watch these guys, how they learn and how they process through this information and then eventually be able to put it on the practice field. For these two days, give these guys credit. They've been on time. They've worked hard. It's a good group to work with."
They may have a lot to learn, but the rookies already have a handle on the focus on teamwork that O'Brien wants. It's not about individual efforts but about the team in what O'Brien refers to as "the greatest team sport." Still, the learning curve can be a humbling experience for many who have had a lot of success during their collegiate careers.
"We don't know what we think we know," Jadeveon Clowney said after practice on Friday.
Rookies will be joined by the veterans for OTA offseason workouts on the following days: May 27-29, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-10, June 12-13. Mandatory minicamp is scheduled for June 17-19.
