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News | Washington Commanders - Commanders.com

Joe Gibbs Rookie Camp Media Session

On the first day of Rookie Camp:

"We had our first rookie camp practice. I don't think it does any good to talk about players and what they did because you can't tell in one day. We started meetings this morning at 7:00am and had 3 1/2 hours of meetings trying to get them all indoctrinated with what they need when they leave so when they come back for OTAs (Organized Team Activities) they are ready to go. I know it is hard for them because we have a lot going on. Over the next three days we will get a good feeling about some guys."

On what he is looking for on days like today:

"You get a really good feeling for how football smart someone is. Football smart is different. You have to perform your assignment against a moving target, which is hard, most people don't have to do that. You get a real good feel for how sharp they are and how quick they are going to pick stuff up. Out here on the field you get a real good feel for their athleticism and how they move around which is hard to tell on film. You start to get a general feeling and after three days we will have a good feel for a bunch of them."

On the group of players that worked out today:

"It seems like a real good group. The scouts did a terrific job. We have four players that were on our draft board that did not get drafted. We were really surprised and were able to get all four. They could have gone anywhere. I appreciate how hard our scouts work. Out of this group there will be somebody that is going to make the team and make us a better football team."

On what is good about the rookie mini camp:

"What is good about this mini camp is it's the first time that the defense and offense are working against each other. It is a good coaching clinic for us with our new coaches Al (Saunders), Bob (Saunders) and Jerry (Gray). It was very good for them."

On what led him to recruit TE Buck Ortega out of the University of Miami:

"He is athletic. He comes from a very good background. He played at a school that has had a lot of very good football players. We thought he would fit in very well in our H position."

On how many players he feels will make the team from this group:

"It is really hard to say. Last year we signed a really good group out of this. You have a lot of options. It will depend what we think of them. Obviously we could make moves on the other part of our roster to free up room if we chose to. It will be strictly what the coaches think. Last year it was between eight or 11. It really just depends on what the coaches think."

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