FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga -- It's been a little more than six months since Martez Milner got the call that no NFL rookie wants to get.
The fourth-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft injured his left ankle Nov. 11 at Carolina. Two days later his and the team's fears were confirmed. He would place him on injured reserve for the remainder of the year.
"The thing that was hard for me was actually getting that phone call and hearing the coach and trainer tell me I was going to be on IR," Milner said after a recent offseason workout. "It's hard as a player. You don't want to hear that stuff. You want to fight the injury and get back on the field as soon as possible."
In eight games on the active roster last season Milner caught nine passes for 50 yards. He caught two passes in three of his last five games, however, and was getting more involved with the offense. Through the first two mini camps of 2008 and the first week of organized team activities, however, he's committed to not letting an injury limit his career progress.
"Perseverance is the key," he said. "Things happen in football; things happen in life. But you have to keep working to get better."
The current roster seems right for Milner to make his move. With the departure of Dwayne Blakeley and Alge Crumpler, Milner is the only tight end on the team with game experience from 2007. Thus far he's worked opposite veteran tight end Ben Hartsock, who was signed in free agency.
Hartsock made a name for himself in Tennessee as a punishing blocker. Others have similar resumes, with the position group combining for 21 collegiate touchdowns and no professional scores. That's not to say Milner or others won't be making an impact in the passing game.
"I think the tight ends are one of the most integral parts of this offense," tight ends coach Chris Scelfo said. "To make it work they have to work and we're not anywhere near where we need to be. From the first day to where we are now (Milner) has improved. He's understanding the tempo of what we expect of him, how to react and how to handle the situations we're in. There's a lot on his plate and there's a lot to be corrected but I'm really proud of how much he's improved."
Milner made several nice catches during the team's last mini camp thanks to soft hands and speed that seems unaffected by his injury. Scelfo didn't see much of Milner on tape earlier this year due to the tight end's injury. He was excited when he saw him take the field a few weeks ago.
"It was a blessing in disguise," the veteran coach said. " I didn't know anything about him. As Coach Smith has said time and time again, this is a clean, fresh start for everyone. I judge by what I see in meetings, out on the practice field (and) how hard you study... He's doing a real good job of doing that."
Milner said offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, a former tight end in the NFL, expects the position group to know as much as the quarterback so don't be surprised if more than a few creative passing routes find their way into the playbook and tight ends don't stay locked to the line of scrimmage.
"We want it at a point where a defense can't say 'when he's in the game we're going to throw the football or when he's in the game we're going to run the football,' Scelfo said. "These guys are treated equal. They have to be good at it all."
Milner is confident -- baring another freak injury -- that he and others can make what is now an unforeseen offensive impact.
"With this tight end corps any one of us can go out and make catches (and) any one of us can block... It's unlimited what we can do," he said. "Whatever the coaches want me to do I'm able to do."
