Rookies Need to Get Their Heads Into Their Playbooks...........

Some advice for rookies: get in your playbook

It all starts with knowing where to line up. Matt Bowen



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Print This May 11, 2012, 05:30 AM EST







Know your assignments. That’s the one piece of advice I would give every rookie this offseason as they go through mini-camps and prep for OTAs.
http://cdn.cloudfiles.mosso.com/c191...hill1-7732.jpgFor Stephen Hill and the rest of the rookie class, the playbook has to be a priority this offseason.


Your technique? It probably needs a lot of work. The coaching staff is going to break you down and build you back up. Part of the process as a rookie. That will come with time on the field.


But if you can’t line up and make simple adjustments, well, then you won’t play. It’s that simple in the pro game.


This afternoon I am going to watch the Bears rookies go through mini-camp practice here in Chicago. Shea McClellin, Alshon Jeffery and the rest of the draft class (along with undrafted free agents) on the field for the first time as pros.


And what I will initially look for is their ability to pick up the schemes.


Sure, I will check out the South Carolina WR running routes, McClellin’s first step off the ball and safety Brandon Hardin playing Cover 2—driving on routes in the deep half. That’s football. You want to see where they are from a developmental perspective.


But I’m really curious to find out who can pick up the scheme after they are rushed though a quick install meeting before they hit the field. That’s tough.


The speed of practice increases in the NFL, as does the learning process. And the coaching staff wants to see if these rookies can pick up the Xs and Os of the game, make the proper pre-snap adjustments and go play ball. It is a challenging transition. A topic I discussed in a column this week for the Chicago Tribune.


As I said above, the technique will be coached hard. That’s why staff is on the field and in the meeting rooms. You make corrections as a pro and improve your skill set in the spring and summer.

However, it starts with the playbook. You can’t make plays if you are thinking too much on the field or worried about your initial alignment. A simple pre-snap adjustment can't impact how you approach the game. Understand shifts and motions from a defensive perspective or know the proper depth for certain route schemes on the offensive side of the ball.


This is a job now. Make the playbook a priority, ask questions during meetings and learn from the (multiple) mistakes you make on the field. The coaches won't expect you to be perfect the first time out, but show them you can pick up the scheme.


Because they won't slow down for you in the NFL.


Follow me on Twitter: @MattBowen41

Should be interesting to follow Matt Bowen's articles as we got though these pre-camp OTA"s.

Bears rookies to get real wake-up call at first minicamp

This isn't college anymore; speed of practices to increase significantly

http://www.trbimg.com/img-4fa7125f/t...120507-001/600 Shea McClellin holds up a jersey as he stands on stage after he was selected No. 19 by the Bears. (Al Bello/Getty Images / May 6, 2012)

Matt Bowen Scouting the Bears 7:27 p.m. CDT, May 6, 2012

You're not on scholarship anymore.

That's the advice I would give to Shea McClellin, Alshon Jeffery, Brandon Hardin and the rest of the Bears draft class. No more draft hype, high-fives or news conferences.

Those days are gone. You're just a rookie now.

Try not to get lost on your way to Halas Hall, don't bother the veterans and get ready for your first test in minicamp.

The goal is to get noticed this weekend. Do something. Anything. Give the coaches a reason to talk about you in the staff meeting after dinner.

Play under control, stay off the ground and don't be caught bent over at the knees, sucking air after four plays.

Most of these rooks are still in "workout" shape. They trained all winter and spring to run the 40-yard dash, three-cone drill and short shuttle. Great for the combine and your pro day, but that doesn't help when you get a taste of the speed in an NFL practice.

And if you are going to play for Lovie Smith, I recommend bringing your track shoes. His practices are fast and efficient. You can't take plays off, and forget about loafing on film. Let me tell you, that's not a good idea with the head coach in Chicago.

Remember, this isn't spring ball back in college. That's easy. Run over to practice after a morning schedule of elective classes, get on the grass for a couple of hours and coast through the afternoon. You can even get away with some sloppy technique when you are one of the top players in the nation.

Not in the pro game.

I've been there as a rookie with the Rams in 2000. You are handed a playbook the night before minicamp, one that is the size of a textbook, and are expected to be fundamentally sound in your assignments the next day. Your head spins and you can't sleep in the hotel room they give you.

Everything is foreign, from the terminology in the offensive and defensive schemes to the city you now live in as a pro. The transition from college to the NFL isn't easy without the comforts of campus life, your teammates or your college position coach.

In St. Louis, I knew I-55 would get me back home to Chicago, but that's about it. I lived in a Holiday Inn during the offseason and there was only one restaurant within walking distance — a Waffle House. Not the best menu there to stay in shape.

A car? No chance. I didn't think my 1986 Bronco II would make it there, nor would it fit with the type of luxury rides in the player's parking lot.

I was given a locker stall next to Marshall Faulk and I don't think I said anything to him for close to a month. What was I going to say to the best running back in the NFL? I was just a sixth-round pick trying to win a job on the roster.

That's life for most rookies when you first arrive on the scene. The offseason can be lonely and it doesn't matter where you were drafted. You haven't played a down yet in the NFL and you have plenty to prove in the eyes of the coaches and veterans.

But don't expect anyone to slow down for you. Learn the playbook, figure out how to practice at NFL speed and try to improve.

Good luck, rookie.

Special contributor Matt Bowen, who played at Glenbard West and Iowa, spent seven seasons in the NFL as a strong safety. You also can find his work at nationalfootballpost.com.