Thread: Rookies get lukewarm endorsement from Childress

Posted on Mon, May. 15, 2006

[size=18px]Rookies get lukewarm endorsement from Childress[/size]

JON KRAWCZYNSKI
Associated Press

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - The Minnesota Vikings 2006 rookie draft class didn't exactly earn high praise from coach Brad Childress at this weekend's minicamp.

Then again, Childress isn't one to laud players with compliments.

"You didn't notice them, they didn't stand out like sore thumbs from the standpoint of not knowing what to do," Childress said. "By the other token, you didn't see them show up because they made a great play ... Just about like you'd expect rookies to be, but I thought they all competed, they all were into it, they all were learning."

The minicamp marked the first time rookies like first-round linebacker Chad Greenway and second-round quarterback Tarvaris Jackson were on the field as professionals.

"There's a lot of big eyes, there's kind of a 'Hey, what's going on' period that goes on," Childress said.

Greenway agreed.

"Oh yeah, I was nervous," he said. "You're going to be nervous when you're out here for your first time. You're playing with professionals for the first time and you've got some nerves, but you just go out there and play hard and do what you can do and control the things that you can control and you'll be all right."

Part of the reason there may have been some big eyes out there is that some of these rookies aren't exactly coming from high-powered universities or metropolitan areas.

Though he went to Big Ten-power Iowa, Greenway is from Mount Vernon, a town of 450 in central South Dakota.

Jackson is from the sleepy Alabama capitol of Montgomery and played for Division I-AA Alabama State. Second-round center Ryan Cook played for little-known New Mexico.

"Just getting the terminology down, there's a lot more reads I have to go through than on the college level," Jackson said.

Starter Brad Johnson knows what Jackson is going through. He was an unknown coming out of Florida State 14 years ago and remembers how different life is in the NFL.

"I remember when I was a rookie 14 years ago," Johnson said. "You'd go to the line and hear 'double right check.' And you're like, 'Check what?'

"There's a lot to learn. They throw it at you fast."

Some pick up things more quickly than others. Childress and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell were impressed by Jackson's ability to communicate the plays in the huddle.

But defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin said Greenway still has to adjust to the pace of the NFL.

"He's really done some good things," Tomlin said. "To be quite honest with you, he needs to do a better job of hustling, but I say that and we're giving him extra reps."

Greenway has practiced primarily with the second and third teams, though the coaches are giving him plenty of reps in hopes that he will eventually become the starter on the weak side.

"I thought I did some good and bad things," Greenway said. "It's just like in college. I had some problems there right away when I was a freshman. ... But I should have a pretty good grasp by training camp."

The roles of the rest of the class are still unclear. Jackson clearly is a long-term project at quarterback learning behind the veteran Johnson.

Cornerback Cedric Griffin, the Vikings' third second-round choice out of Texas, missed the afternoon practice on Sunday and the entire practice on Monday for personal reasons.

Cook will be a backup behind recovering Pro Bowler Matt Birk, and fourth-round defensive end Ray Edwards and fifth-round safety Greg Blue still have a lot to prove.

Most of them will stay in the Twin Cities to continue working out and digesting the playbook, with an eye toward being ready to roll when training camp comes around in August.

"They'll get so much better here in the next two weeks before the veterans join them in June," Childress said.

Notes: FS Darren Sharper missed Monday's practice for personal reasons. ... Among those dinged up over the weekend were OL Adam Goldberg (hamstring), CB Marvin Ward (hamstring), FB Joey Goodspeed (knee). SS Willie Offord (knee) and LB Ben Leber (foot) were held out of some work to avoid aggravating injuries suffered last season.

Rookies get lukewarm endorsement from Childress

wait so we actually have a coach that isnt the players best friends? good.

Mount Vernon is in Iowa.

The players will have more respect and drive if the coach isn't their buddy.

exactly, that was the problem with tice

"Vikes_King" wrote:

exactly, that was the problem with tice

It seemed that he was always overhyping things and let his big mouth slip on what we were trying to do.

ok.. lets not get into a discussion with all the things that were wrong with tice, dont need another 100+ page thread right now lol

"stek" wrote:

Mount Vernon is in Iowa.

FYI,
There may be a Mount Vernon, Iowa, but Greenway is from Mount Vernon, South Dakota.

"stek" wrote:

Mount Vernon is in Iowa.

I'm not disputing that there is a Mount Vernon, Iowa but Greenway is from Mount Vernon, SD

As for Childress and the other coaches, this is the perfect time to be critical. Not that all the rookies that will be in training camp wouldn't be motivated, but some criticism should really make them battle for their spot- whether its a roster spot or a chance to start.

"Vikes_King" wrote:

ok.. lets not get into a discussion with all the things that were wrong with tice, dont need another 100+ page thread right now lol

Well considering we are just now getting our first chance to see how Childress deals with players, I think its more than fair to compare what he does to how Tice did things, even if it turns into everyone pointing out what Tice did poorly. I'll probably do this all year long, but I recognize how pointless it is. Its like comparing a Filet at Manny's to a Hardee's burger.