LaFleur called what Love and his fellow first-year players did on Friday "an extension of the meeting room." The learning curve in theory won't be steep for Love, who praised the teaching of his coaches at Notre Dame and said football knowledge is mostly "universal."
It doesn't hurt he plays running back, a position that can be argued is the easiest to digest in the transition to the NFL.
"It's semi-fair to say, in terms of a halfback compared to someone who has to move around from a formation standpoint, a la the receivers," LaFleur said. "But there is still a lot to learn. From a protection standpoint, physically he's a good protector and now we have to teach him the scheme of it.
"He's a smart dude. We're not worried about him picking that stuff up."
Said Love, "The switch to the NFL has been pretty seamless for me."
On Friday, the players were so scarce that some of Love's main "work" was simply taking a few handoffs from third-round quarterback Carson Beck, in front of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and no other players.
Love said he was looking forward to Monday, when the vets come in and he begins to forge relationships (although he has already connected with tackle Paris Johnson Jr., saying "that's my guy.") He called it a "relief" to get back into some workouts after the chaos of the draft and everything before it, going back to train at Notre Dame for 10 days and taking in the spring game (and meeting Devin Fitzgerald, Larry's son and new Irish wide receiver.)
"I just wanted to get into my routine and play ball," Love said. "I just want to work."
For which he'll be paid handsomely.
Love's contract, slotted as the No. 3 overall selection (it would've been the same had the Cardinals taken an edge rusher or an offensive lineman there), is a fully guaranteed $53 million for four years, with a fifth-year team option. His signing bonus is $35M, and his $13.3M average per year makes him the seventh highest-paid running back in the league. Love isn't gonna touch it.
"That's the plan," Love said, before noting, "plans change sometimes" to a chorus of laughs from the media.
"But that's the plan."