WESTFIELD, Ind. — When wide receiver Deon Cain fell into the Indianapolis Colts' lap in the sixth round of the NFL Draft this April, the immediate thought was that they got a steal.
Fast forward now a few days into Cain's first training camp experience and that thought is already at a fever pitch.
Through the first two practices, Cain has made three highlight-worthy catches. All three have been about 25 to 30 yards down the right sideline, and all three involved him having to seriously adjust himself to pluck it from the defender.
Natural talent aside, something that Cain did earlier this month in between mandatory minicamp and training camp may be playing a role in his strong start at 2018 Colts Camp.
In his hometown of Tampa, Fla., Cain got in a week's worth of work with Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss.
Cain spoke to the media on Friday before practice and gushed about his time with "The Freak."
"It was a blessing. I learned a lot from him," Cain said.
"Mostly just to learn how to attack DB's leverages, learn how to run certain routes in different coverages. Really just to learn about the NFL and how to be a pro. Mostly things about football, but he also told me things on how to be a pro, like showing up in meetings and how to approach different things. More than just on the football side, but I learned a lot from him."
The workouts — which took place in July but were planned all the way back in March — have obviously been fruitful so far.
Although the focus has been on Cain's spectacular plays on the field, he's more worried about establishing himself to the Colts organization.
Cain said on Friday that in order for him to earn more playing time, he'll need to first earn the respect of his teammates, coaches and the staff. To him, that stretches from practice, to the meeting rooms, nutrition — everything.
His hard work on his own earlier this month could certainly be perceived as a positive step forward in that progress. When asked if he could take just one thing from his time with Moss, Cain paused before answering: "When the ball's in the air, it's just you and the ball."
At the end of the day, that is a perfect summation of Cain's big plays so far in camp — and the best way to make sure that you "Moss" somebody.
