If you’re having trouble keeping up with the chaos that is the NFL since the lockout ended, you’re not alone. So are the rookies.
The neophytes were hurt the most by the labor dispute because rookie camp was canceled, forcing them to learn the complexities of the NFL game in a matter of weeks, not the usual months.
“It definitely hurt them,” veteran Giants safety Antrel Rolle said. “Rookie camp is always good for them to try to get ahead of the game just a little bit. The guys who have been here, we can catch on right away, but for [rookies], they need the learning curve to get familiar with the defense and their assignments and things of that nature.”
The Giants are pleased with the rookies in camp, especially on defense. Though their first-rounder, cornerback Prince Amukamara, fractured a bone in his left foot yesterday and will be sidelined indefinitely, safety Tyler Sash of Iowa and linebacker Greg Jones of Michigan State, two of the Giants’ three sixth-round picks, have impressed the coaches and veterans.
“He’s a player,” Rolle said of Sash. “He’s a good player and he likes to learn. He’s progressing every day. He’s made a few great plays.”
Sash, listed as six feet and 223 pounds, made the All-Big Ten first team last year, and is showing the ability to learn on the fly.
“The coaches keep talking about his angles have improved in just a couple of days,” head coach Tom Coughlin said.
Sash has to continue improving to get significant playing time.
“In college, we only ran a few coverages,” Sash said. “We have basically the same coverages that I ran in college, but that’s just one package. Here we have multiple packages we have to run.”
Rolle explained Sash’s predicament further.
“At safety, you have to be the quarterback of the defense,” Rolle said. “You’re the deepest guy. You have to be able to make all the checks, all the calls, know what’s going on in front of you. You have to play the run and pass.”
Jones, at 5-foot-11, 240 pounds, is in the same boat. He was praised by Coughlin, but laments the lack of a rookie camp.
“I wish I could’ve learned more terminology of the defense,” said Jones, who was a prolific tackler in college. “That’s the biggest barrier right now. . . . I definitely feel I have the skills to contribute.”
The rookies also have less practice time during training camp than in years past because two-a-days were eliminated under the terms of the new labor deal. Practicing once a day provides fewer reps for the young players who need them most.
“We don’t know this schedule’s gonna get us ready to play games yet,” defensive end Justin Tuck said.