FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The practice jersey may still be red, but plenty has changed for Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez over the last 15 days.
In that span, the 10-time Pro Bowler was traded from Kansas City to Atlanta, held an introductory press conference for Falcons fans, said goodbye to Chiefs faithful and got to workouts with a new team.
On Friday he took the field for the first time with a new team.
“My head is spinning a little bit learning the language of this offense but last year in Kansas City Chan Gailey brought in a new offense,” Gonzalez said. “This is my third offense in three years so I’m used to it. I can’t say I like it; I’m frustrated because it’s not as comfortable (to me) as it could be but that just comes with experience and coming out here and working. I have no problem doing that. Yeah I’m going to mess up some plays. I might be a little hesitant at times but, once it gets together, I’ll be back to my old form.”
The Falcons were not in pads in the first mini camp practice of 2009 but Gonzalez adjusted his body and positioned himself for impact like a true veteran. He was smooth in his routes and got open on defenders young and old.
Second-year quarterback Matt Ryan looked to No. 88 early and often.
"As a quarterback, any time you get a new toy you want to try it out," Ryan said. "I threw a few balls his way and he didn't disappoint."
Since the Falcons acquired media, coaches, fans and players have talked about what the tight end can do for the offense. Logic suggests a Pro Bowl threat at the position creates more options for a growing quarterback.
It also makes defenses think twice about committing an extra defender to stop running back Michael Turner.
"Guys can't bring a safety down as much," Turner said. "We can use the middle of the field more."
"It's big for us to pick up Tony," added Ryan. "He's one of the greatest players of all time. Any time you can add him to your team it certainly helps you improve. He's done a great job so far since he's been here the last couple weeks working hard in the weight room and getting out here this morning on the practice field. I've been very impressed. It just goes to show you that the hard work he puts in has proven why he's successful."
Gonzalez is the league’s all-time leader among tight ends in receptions (916), touchdowns (76) and receiving yards (10,940). He’s played in 191 career games and missed just two starts since 1998. His 93 catches (1,058 yards) last season marked the third-highest single-season total of his career. He also added 10 touchdowns, the third time he’s had 10 or more scores in a season.
Numbers alone make him a threat.
"In terms of what we expect, Tony, it's new to him," Head Coach Mike Smith said. "It's a new system and he's going to have to catch up with the rest of the guys. And he will. Tony has been doing this for a long time. I'm sure some of the verbiage he's familiar with."
Gonzalez said he's prepared to put in the extra time.
“Our first game is a long time from now,” The 12-year veteran said Friday. “I’m not going to stress too much but I am going to put a little pressure on myself to learn (the offense) as quickly as possible and get on the same page… We have a lot of weapons on te offensive side of the ball. We just have to come up with some chemistry and make sure we’re doing it right.
"These guys are enthusiastic. That's one thing that really stood out to me -- how enthusiastic and how everybody was ready to go. It's contagious. It makes you want to go out there and work hard."
LEARNING CURVE: Being a rookie in the NFL isn't easy.
Just ask Ryan, who took on the role of starting quarterback as a fresh-out-of-college player and handled the pressure en route to Rookie of the Year honors.
"I remember being in here last year and your head is swimming trying to learn the plays and get used to the practice schedule," he said. It's definitely nice to be in your second year and to feel a little bit more comfortable but those guys did a great job this morning. All our rookies came in and worked really hard."
Smith said he expects rookies to be confused.
"As a staff we try to throw as much at them as we can," he said. "It's really by design. We put the whole package out there at the beginning of the practices and then we come back and break it down into small parts. I think it's important that we see how they handle that learning curve."
INJURY REPORT: Five players were held out of practices due to injuries while others, including center Todd McClure and Gonzalez, were kept out in the afternoon. Smith said some veterans will get some time off as the team goes through the offseason.
Center Alex Stepanovich, cornerback Von Hutchins, cornerback David Irons, kicker Jason Elam and defensive end John Abraham missed both practices.
“We felt they weren’t 100 percent ready to go so we made the decision to limit those guys in practice today,” the coach said.
Abraham nursed several injuries through his 16.5-sack season in 2008. Smith would not go into detail about his current ailments other than to say he and other Falcons were taking it slow after the “rigors” or the NFL season.
Abraham was replaced in the starting lineup by second-year player Kroy Biermann. Hutchins, a free agent addition prior to 2008, missed all of last season after a foot injury on the first day of training camp.
2009 MINI CAMP COVERAGE:
- NOTEBOOK: Gonzalez ready to get to work
- J. MIKE'S MISSIVES: Learning the Ropes | 'A Very Spirited Practice'
- J. MIKE'S MISSIVES: Six Tryout Players in Camp | Now... Do it Backwards
- TIGHT SPIRALS: Quick Hits from the First Practice
- TWITTER: Follow the AF.com Team from Flowery Branch
- PHOTOS: More images from mini camp on Flickr
- YOUTUBE: Gonzalez at Workouts | Wide Receiver Drills
- INTERVIEWS: Head Coach Mike Smith | Gonzalez | Ryan | Jerry | Moore
- NFL NETWORK: Steve Wyche recaps Gonzalez first day with the Falcons
- CAMP: More information and news from mini camp
