OPINION

By Dennis Dillon

updated 5:51 p.m. ET May 6, 2008

Rookies, don't try this at minicamp.

Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis failed to show up for Sunday morning's practice because -- are you ready for this? -- he overslept. That's not the kind of first impression that will endear him to owner Daniel Snyder or coach Jim Zorn. In fact, it earned the second-round draft pick from Southern California an involuntary trip to principal Zorn's office.

"That was the rap on him" coming out of college, one AFC scout said of Davis. "How important is (football) to him?"

Several NFL teams got to meet and greet their rookies at minicamps over the weekend. Here are some other early impressions.

Bengals rookies impress Lewis
Linebacker Keith Rivers and defensive tackle Pat Sims, Cincinnati's first and third draft picks, respectively, drew praise from Bengals coach Marvin Lewis. "He already gets it," Lewis said of Rivers. "Every time he was not in a meeting, he was upstairs watching tape on his own." Lewis saluted Sims for his conditioning level. After minicamp, Sims planned to fly to Atlanta to resume working with a personal trainer.

A new Samuel for Pats?
Who was that wearing Asante Samuel's old uniform number and lining up in Samuel's vacated spot in Foxborough? That was cornerback Terrence Wheatley, a second-round pick from Colorado. Wheatley looked the fastest among the 27 players who participated in the Patriots' minicamp, and he broke up several passes during one-on-one drills in the opening practice.

Charged up
Antoine Cason, the Chargers' first-round pick, looked steady as he lined up to cover the slot receiver in nickel and dime formations. Cason is expected to compete for the third cornerback spot behind starters Antonio Cromartie and Quentin Jammer.

Speaking of Cromartie, the NFL's interceptions leader last season (10) looked to be in midseason form according to one staffer as he picked off several passes during the weekend. Quarterback Philip Rivers, who is coming back from surgery for a torn knee ligament, threw the ball well in individual drills and seven-on-seven drills.

McNabb may have a go-to guy
Among the players who stood out at Philadelphia's minicamp, which involved veterans as well as rookies, were second-round wide receiver DeSean Jackson and fourth-round safety Quintin Demps. Jackson, who has a good chance to be the Eagles' fourth wideout, picked up the offense quickly and showed separation on some of his pass routes. He also is expected to replace Reno Mahe as the No. 1 punt returner. Demps looked good in coverage in one-on-one drills.

Cherilus may start ASAP
The Lions' top five draft picks -- offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus, linebacker Jordon Dizon, running back Kevin Smith, defensive tackle Andre Fluellen and defensive end Cliff Avril -- all did something to catch the coaches' eyes. The team was particularly surprised by Cherilus' quickness. Although offensive coordinator Jim Colletto wasn't ready to anoint Cherilus a starter, he said, "He's going to make all those other guys move their feet faster, I know that."

Tough start for Mendenhall
The Steelers didn't get to see much out on the field from running back Rashard Mendenhall, their top pick, who was held out of several practices as a precautionary move because of his hamstring injury. Things turned scary for Mendenhall after he returned to Chicago, where he and a companion were robbed at gunpoint while walking along the city's lakefront early Monday morning. Mendenhall was not hurt in the incident.

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