ENGLEWOOD, Colo. --When many rookies get to the NFL, they point to the same things when explaining the differences between the collegiate and NFL games: namely speed and power.

But there are other differences, too, little details that each person picks up that help him become a better player.

For tight end Virgil Green, that was stretching.

"I'm a lot more focused on stretching after I'm lifting and getting in the cold tub, things of that nature," Green said.

At the professional level, players' bodies take much more punishment than at other levels. The season is longer and the hits are harder.

Green learned that taking care of his body, whether it's eating healthier or taking the necessary precautions after games and workouts, is something that could help prolong his career.

"You shouldn't have to have the trainers come in and tell you to get treatment.," Green said. "You should just go in there on your own and do something because you're at the professional level now and this is how you make your living so you have to do what you've got to do to take care of your body.

"You start to learn and it's something that takes a little time to get used but once you see how things are working you understand things you have to do to keep your body healthy."

For linebacker Mike Mohamed, he's going to spend a lot of time this offseason focusing more on his mechanics and his build.

"Just definitely work on my strength," Mohamed said. "Get a little bit bigger and work on foot quickness and I think having a season under my belt will help. I'm a lot more familiar with the coaches and players and the system and I think that'll help."

Mohamed and Green will get a chance to showcase the improvements they've made at next season's training camp, which will be a lot more familiar to them the second time around.

With no offseason due to the lockout last year, the players were thrown into the mix right away – baptized by fire.

This coming season, they'll have their first full offseason filled with Organized Team Activities and mini camps, which will help take the edge off of their second training camp in August.

"The rookies that we're going to have will know what to expect coming into camp," Green said. "This last camp, it just seemed like everything was like, 'Oh my gosh what's going on, what's happening?' It took us a little bit to get settled in. Going through OTAs and getting a chance to look at the playbook before training camp, it will not only help the rookies but help the guys returning to get back in that mind frame that we need to be in."