Rookies Make Good First Impression at Mini-Camp, Dungy Says
The first impressions have been made.
And although this past weekend’s 2007 Colts rookie mini-camp was very much a time for orientation and just as much not about evaluation, the Super Bowl XLI Champion’s rookie class did practice three times in three at the team’s complex.
The position coaches watched.
The personnel officials did, too, along with Colts President Bill Polian and Head Coach Tony Dungy, all getting a first feel for the 2007 Draft class.
The early impressions? So far, so good.
“I thought it was very good,” Dungy said after the rookie camp, which concluded with a Sunday morning practice at the practice facility.
Dungy said while it was far too early to make serious judgments about individual draft selections or collegiate free agents, he got an impression of a group that is fast – not only on the field, but off of it, too.
Dungy said when watching rookies, he watches for their ability to fit in quickly and adjust to their surroundings, something he said the rookies at the complex this weekend did well.
“We’ve got a group that takes in information and they’re serious about things,” said Dungy, now in his sixth season with the team.
“You always feel like they’re talented enough athletically, but this group really did a good job handling the schedule and the information.”
All nine members of the Colts’ rookie class, including first-round selection Anthony Gonzalez – a wide receiver from Ohio State University – attended the mini-camp, as did about 15 rookie collegiate free agents.
The rest of the draft class is as follows:
Offensive tackle Tony Ugoh (second round, Arkansas), cornerback Dameyion Hughes (third round, California), defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock (third round, Ohio State), safety Brannon Condren (fourth round, Troy), linebacker Clint Session (fourth round, Pittsburgh), wide receiver Roy Hall (fifth round, Ohio State), cornerback Michael Coe (fifth round, Alabama State) and defensive end Keyunta Dawson (seventh round, Texas Tech).
The rookies left Indianapolis shortly after Sunday’s late-morning practice, and most will return in mid-May, shortly before the Colts’ mandatory veteran/rookie mini-camp at the practice facility May 16-18. Rookies from schools that have yet to complete spring semesters may not return until after the school’s final examination period.
“The biggest thing we want to see (upon the rookies’ return) is just the recall, and being able to take what they got and go home and work on it, and come back and not start again from Square One,” Dungy said. “Most of them have the impression that they’ll take their notebooks with them and work on the things we worked on.
“We want to just build on this and if we do, we’ll be in good shape.”
The Colts, who typically under Dungy have drafted with an emphasis on speed, did so again during the 2007 draft, he said. That was particularly true on defense, where the Colts used six of their nine selections.
“We have some speed at a number of positions – at defensive end and linebacker,” Dungy said. “We have some receivers who can run, and (offensive tackle) Tony Ugoh. The athleticism is something we like. We’ll generally sacrifice a little size to get that. It is going to be a fast group.”
The draft and this past free-agency period continued an inevitable trend that has been ongoing since Dungy’s 2002 arrival – the departure of players who predated Dungy and the arrival of players, particularly on defense, drafted to play in his system.
Rob Morris, the Colts’ first-round selection in the 2000 NFL Draft who started at strong side linebacker throughout the playoffs, is now the only player on defense who predates Dungy. With the exception of defensive tackle Anthony “Booger” McFarland, acquired in a trade from Tampa Bay last season, the other Colts’ defensive starters next season all likely will be players drafted or acquired by the Colts as rookies since Dungy’s arrival.
“You really feel like Bill (Polian) and his group have done a good job of understanding what we’re looking for and incorporating that,” Dungy said. “The guys we’re picking really seem like they fit what we do.
“Rob does feel kind of like the lone wolf out there, but it is right now guys who have been tailored to our system.”
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