It's hard to glean a whole lot from the first 10 minutes of media access at rookie minicamp Friday afternoon, but there are a few things that caught the eye of Tim Twentyman and Mike O'Hara during the session:
Not just first-year rookies: Recently drafted, undrafted and tryout rookies weren't the only ones taking part in rookie minicamp. Also among the players participating were receiver Austin Willis (the first signing of the Bob Quinn era), defensive tackle Kerry Hyder and offensive tackle Tyrus Thompson. All of them have either been in an NFL training camp or on a practice squad, but haven't accrued an accredited season. Hyder and Thompson were on the Lions' practice squad last season. – Tim Twentyman
Caldwell's O-line view: Having three draft picks on the offensive line in minicamp -- tackle Taylor Decker, center Graham Glasgow and guard Joe Dahl – allows an opportunity to run a half-line drill, if the coaches so desired.
It's also a chance to evaluate the players individually and collectively.
"Like most positions that we have, we want to really find out what they're all about from a physical standpoint within our system," said head coach Jim Caldwell. "We'll work fundamentals and techniques. Most of those guys are guys who have some flexibility in what they do and how they do it. They have to, at that position. It's an opportunity to get a real good feel for these guys. It'll take a while." – Mike O'Hara
Put together: Defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson was noticeably bigger and a little more put together than the other defensive lineman in drills. I guess that's to be expected from a player who entered the draft with a first-round grade. He looked powerful coming off the snap in bag drills. – Tim Twentyman
Getting low: Robinson's ability to get low – which gives him leverage – stood out when the defensive linemen were hitting the bag. At 6-3.5 and 307 pounds, Robinson is a powerful man. – Mike O'Hara
Big man: If you didn't know that Graham Glasgow played center, he could easily be mistaken for a tackle. He certainly looks the part at 6-foot-6, 308 pounds standing next to 6-foot-7, 310 pound Taylor Decker – Tim Twentyman
Friendly hands: It's not a big deal because it's the position they play, but there was a Michigan connection in one position drill at the start of practice. Glasgow was snapping to quarterback Jake Rudock. They were teammates at Michigan last season.
Or maybe Jim Harbaugh arranged a postgraduate satellite camp in Allen Park. – Mike O'Hara
