FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The Atlanta Falcons opened the first veteran mini camp under new Head Coach Mike Smith Monday afternoon under cloudy skies and brisk temperatures.
But that didn't keep the Birds from turning up the heat.
Smith and the team's coaching staff ran an up tempo and highly-spirited practice and, by all accounts, players were energized by their leader's hands-on attitude.
"He's very energetic," veteran linebacker Keith Brooking said of Smith. "This game is about having energy on every snap. I don't think he changed his mannerisms the entire day. He was very energetic from the time we started till the time we ended. I think that's very important. We lost a lot of games in the fourth quarter last year. We just have to keep that energy level up and have fun."
The Falcons are looking to rebound from a 4-12 2007 with help from Smith, a former defensive coordinator, and new General Manager Thomas Dimitroff, who was once the scouting director for the New England Patriots.
After Monday's mini camp practice, it became apparent the team's new era would come with a heavy dose of excitement and positive vibes.
"This has been a great day for us as a coaching staff," Smith said in his first, post-practice talk with the media. "For the last 10 weeks or so, we have not had an opportunity to get out there and really coach football. I was excited to see our coaches out there coaching and our players out there playing. It's been fun to meet some of you guys over the last two months. This is a lot better when you are out there coaching football, I can assure you that. We had one practice today. That's one down and we have two more to go this week. We are really excited and I know the players had a lot of energy. We want to keep that energy and that’s the type of tempo we are looking for."
Smith spent the day roaming between offense, defense and special teams. He was seen talking with players during breaks and sneaking in quick instruction and encouragement between drills.
He called for "energy" and positive "body language" during the workout and didn't leave the field disappointed.
"There was a lot of excitement out here," new running back Michael Turner said, applauding Smith's "laid back" coaching style. "Guys are ready to get back to work and it feels great."
Smith sees nothing special about his style.
"I’m a coach and that’s the way I do things," he said. "I hope I wasn't overbearing out there. I want to have an insight to what we are doing. We've put a plan together and this is the next step in the process. I'm really looking forward to getting out there tomorrow and seeing that we've made corrections from what we did wrong today."
FROM THE TRAINING TABLE: Linebacker Michael Boley was one of eight players to sit out the first day of mini camp with injury concerns. He and Turner were in uniform but did not participate in drills. Smith did not express concerns in the injuries however, saying they will be back soon.
Tackles Todd Weiner and Renardo Foster, defensive tackle Trey Lewis and quarterback D.J. Shockley were also among the inactive.
"We're eager to see what all of the guys who are hurt can do. D.J. is anxious to get out on the field," Smith said of Shockley, who tore a ligament in his knee in the second preseason game last season. "He is way ahead of his schedule as far as his rehabilitation is concerned. As soon as the doctors clear him, we'll get him out there."
In all, 59 of the team's 67 veteran players participated in Monday's workout.
CAMP PLANS: This mini camp, due to its proximity to the NFL Draft, is important to the team and its personnel executives. It's not a perfect look at everyone on the roster, but it could provide some more info as to what moves to make in the draft.
"I think we are always evaluating," Smith said. "I tell my guys that we want to compete on every play in every game. In terms of making hardball decisions, I don't know if we can do that in three days. I think we'll have an idea of how guys learn and what they can retain. We are going to throw a lot at them over these next three days. It's been very important for us as a coaching staff for us to be able to evaluate these guys."
Smith said the camp will be a chance to establish relationships and develop a routine. But it's not too early to rate the team on it's most important goal -- winning at the line of scrimmage.
"We want to be able to give the feel that we’ll be able to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football," Smith said. "That's something that we've said from the get-go. It's something that's difficult to do when you're not in pads, but it's something that you can set as a tempo. You can let your guys know that you want them to roll off the ball, knock the line of scrimmage back and fit. Defensively, from day one we said we want to stop the run. Offensively, we said we wanted to control the line of scrimmage. That doesn’t mean we are going to run the football and be a running team. It means we are going to be two-dimensional and be able to take advantage of what the defense is giving us."
HITTING THE LINKS: Keith Brooking’s Celebrity Golf Tournament is set for Thursday, May 1, 2008. The tournament will take place at the beautiful Hamilton Mill Golf Club in Dacula.
Funds raised will benefit the programs and services of The Keith Brooking Children’s Foundation and will make a difference in the lives of hundreds of metro Atlanta’s children and youth. The events of the day will include golf on the beautiful Hamilton Mill course, breakfast, lunch, a delicious dinner, live and silent auctions, door prizes, celebrity guests, and other surprises.
"Many of my teammates and other celebrity guests will participate in my golf tournament to lend their support to the ongoing work of my foundation," Brooking said.
For more details please contact Gina Weathersby at 770-683-4377 or visit the foundation’s website at keithbrookingfoundation.org.
RELATED LINKS:
- VETERAN CAMP: Mini Camp Homepage
- BLOG: Camp thoughts from J. Michael Moore
- NEWS: Koenen, Davis sign tenders
