The first day of rookie minicamp revealed many things to Bill O'Brien.
Above all else, it reinforced what he's seen in seven years as an NFL coach.
"We have a lack of conditioning," O'Brien said of the Texans' rookie class. "These guys need to get in better shape as a whole."
O'Brien, however, expected it to be the case and explained why.
"That's not entirely their fault," he said. "They've been training for the Combine. The 40-yard dash. The broad jump. The shuttle runs. That doesn't equate to football shape, especially in Houston."
Friday the temperature was in the high 80's, but there was a constant cloud cover and a breeze of 10 miles per hour. For some, that was a hot day. O'Brien warned that less favorable conditions
are on the way over the next four months.
"They ain't seen nothing, yet," O'Brien joked.
It wasn't all bad, though. The head coach liked the effort put forth by the rookie class, and emphasized later in the Saturday press conference that this group was no different than any other rookie class he'd encountered with the Texans last year or as an assistant with the Patriots from 2007 to 2011. Those six classes all showed up on the first day and weren't in the football shape they needed to be as professionals.
"I can't think of a year where I've been involved with this where it hasn't been that way," O'Brien said.
Day 2 of rookie minicamp continues with an afternoon practice at the Houston Methodist Training Center. A third practice will take place on Sunday.
Take a look at the best photos from day 1 of rookie minicamp.
