The Miami Dolphins have, for the better part of the last month, been involved in a lot of mental reps, light work and team building. Between voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) and this past week’s mandatory minicamp, the Dolphins’ coaching staff has had a chance to get hands-on with their players quite a bit. The pace and environment may have been modified in order to meet the concerns of Dolphins players amid a push from the NFL Player’s Association to be more aware of overworking players early in the process, but nevertheless Miami has been quite busy with working towards the 2021 season.
But that ends now.
Because Miami, along with the rest of the NFL, is going to break for the next month or so before gearing up for training camp at the end of July. And as Dolphins head coach Brian Flores bid farewell to his players for the next month, he offered them this message of encouragement for the month ahead.
“My message (to the players) is to go on vacation, to take this time to recharge, get some rest; spend time with their families – friends, families, loved ones. I think you need that balance in your life, so that was my message to these guys this morning; but at the same time, keep themselves in some type of condition, train,” said Flores during Thursday’s press availability.
“Obviously this is what they love to do and if they want to be at the top of their game come training camp, they’re going to have to train. But I think it’s a good time for them to get away and recharge and come back refreshed with a lot of energy and ready to go.”
Such balance is often times difficult to come by, but one would imagine it a little easier when your head coach is encouraging you to find it. And so Miami will take the month to recharge; a calm before the storm that is training camp and, for the first time in two calendar years, preseason games. There’s a lot awaiting for the rest of the year, so as Brian Flores is wise to suggest, Dolphins players should get that rest and recreation time in now.