Category: Training Camp

Michigan’s stay-at-home order lifted but Lions cannot immediately return to action

Michigan’s stay-at-home order has been lifted but the Detroit Lions cannot immediately return to action just yet

Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer elected to end the state’s stay-at-home lockdown order effective June 8th. Whitmer’s latest executive order will allow outdoor athletic practices, training sessions, or games to re-start with groups of up to 100 people present.

However, the Detroit Lions won’t be able to immediately jump right back into business as usual.

The NFL extended the virtual offseason period through June 12th and that mandate covers all 32 member clubs. Other than injured players receiving treatment, no players are allowed within team facilities. The Lions scheduled mandatory minicamp, from June 9-11, will need to be held virtually despite the latest edict from governor Whitmer.

Beyond the NFL’s own restrictions, the social distancing requirements laid out in Whitmer’s executive order remain firmly in place. While loosening restrictions, it notes that “participants not from the same household (must) maintain 6 feet of distance from one another at all times” during athletic activities.”

This is a necessary step toward the Lions being able to host training camp in late July at the team’s facility in Allen Park. There is still no word on what will happen with training camp, preseason or fans being allowed into Ford Field for scheduled games in the fall.

Could the Lions hold training camp in West Virginia?

If holding training camp in Allen Park is unfeasible due to the coronavirus response, The Greenbrier in West Virginia makes a lot of sense

The Detroit Lions remain on virtual operations status, with everyone working remotely during the early offseason activities. Due to the current state of coronavirus pandemic response in Michigan and other places, that unusual status could be forced to continue well into the summer.

Could the restrictions in Michigan force the Lions organization to uproot training camp and host it in a location with looser restrictions on interpersonal contact and business?

There are unconfirmed reports that the Lions could be seeking to move training camp in 2020. The place that makes the most sense is The Greenbrier resort in West Virginia.

The Greenbrier has hosted NFL training camps for the New Orleans Saints and Houston Texans in prior years, most recently in 2018. The famed resort has also hosted The Spring League, an upstart developmental football league. Situated in the isolated mountains of southeast West Virginia, it’s an ideal location for a controlled-access camp. There are four NFL football fields including an indoor facility, as well as full training and rehab stations.

It has not come to the point of needing to find an alternate place to hold training camp yet for the Lions. But if the team is forced away from its Allen Park headquarters, the Greenbrier makes perfect sense.

Will the Lions host joint practices in training camp in 2020?

The Lions have hosted the Patriots and Giants in the last two training camps, but the popular practice might not happen in 2020

Will there be joint practices at the Detroit Lions training camp in Allen Park this summer? It’s a question nobody can definitively answer just yet.

The Lions have hosted opposing teams in advance of their scheduled preseason games at Ford Field for joint practice sessions in the last couple of training camps. Last year it was the New England Patriots, following the New York Giants in the summer of 2018.

This year’s joint practice candidate for Detroit would be the New York Jets, the team’s first home preseason opponent. New York’s coach is Adam Gase, a former Lions coach and Michigan native. Nothing has been officially scheduled, and based on the current coronavirus pandemic restrictions and accommodations, it might not happen in 2020.

From a recent ESPN piece from analyst Seth Wickersham on the idea of joint practices this summer,

The NFL has not provided teams with guidance at this point regarding events such as joint practices. The league is working with outside experts and the NFL Players Association to develop protocols for players returning to team facilities. The NFL then will work on procedures for training camp.

The Lions make ideal candidates to share a joint week with the Miami Dolphins leading into their third preseason game in Miami, the week after the Jets come to Detroit. Dolphins coach Brian Flores and much of the Miami staff has ties with Lions coach Matt Patricia from their days together with the New England Patriots. That potential joint situation has also has yet to be scheduled.

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Bears training camp still expected to begin in late July

The NFL is expected to begin training camps on time in late July and in person.

The NFL has had to call multiple audibles this offseason, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, such as holding a virtual draft and at-home mini camps for players. But when it comes to training camp later this summer, the league reportedly isn’t budging on its plans.

According to Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline, the NFL is expected to begin training camps on time in late July and in person. Pauline also states the league likely won’t make a decision on whether to cancel or postpone camps “until the last minute” and says first-year players will be allowed at team facilities. He goes into more detail below:

I’m told training camps are expected to open on time in July and the league will wait until the last minute before making any announcement should any changes be necessary. Team facilities are not expected to be fully opened until July camp. As one source told me, teams do not want players working out at their facilities in May or June.

The one exception to that will be physicals for rookies and undrafted free agents. As travel restrictions begin lifting across the country, most teams are expected to bring in the first-year players for comprehensive physicals.

Unlike the other three major sports leagues in the country, which were suspended in mid-March, the NFL has the benefit of starting their season in the fall. They can forge ahead with plans and make decisions at a later date depending on the situation. As of today, the only part of the NFL season disrupted by the pandemic was the league’s international series, which was cancelled Monday morning.

Like all NFL fans, the league is hopeful the season will begin on time and having training camp take place as scheduled will be a major step in achieving that goal.

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3 questions surrounding Bears heading into training camp

The Bears have plenty to prove following a disappointing year in what was supposed to be a title-contending season.

Heading into the 2020 season, the Chicago Bears have plenty to prove following a disappointing year in what was supposed to be a title-contending season.

There are plenty of questions surrounding the Bears heading into a currently-scheduled training camp — most of those questions coming on offense. But returning a top-five defense from a season ago, Chicago has the potential to take back the NFC North.

The Bears have bolstered their already-dominant defense with some offseason acquisitions, including pass rusher Robert Quinn, second-round cornerback Jaylon Johnson and strong safety Tashaun Gipson.

Chicago can’t continue to waste this championship-caliber defense — one that could potentially rival their 2018 unit. While there have been some key offensive additions, including quarterback Nick Foles, tight ends Jimmy Graham and Cole Kmet and offensive linemen Germain Ifedi and Jason Spriggs, this offense has a lot to prove in 2020.

The Bears offense was one of the worst in the NFL last season — for a plethora of reasons. All they need to do is be average for this team to make a playoff run. But that’s easier said than done with this team.

Let’s take a look at three questions facing the Bears heading into training camp.

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Kicker battle 2.0? Ryan Pace says there will be competition between Eddy Pineiro and Ramiz Ahmed

If you couldn’t get enough of last year’s kicking competition, Bears GM Ryan Pace has good news for you.

If you couldn’t get enough of last year’s kicking competition, Ryan Pace has good news for you.

During Pace’s pre-draft conference call with reporters, the Bears general manager revealed he expects an open competition between Pineiro and newly-signed kicker Ramiz Ahmed, according to Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times.

The news isn’t earth-shattering, considering Pineiro struggled at times during his first season in Chicago, converting 23of-28 field goals and 27-of-29 extra points. His low point of the season came on a missed game-winning kick against the Los Angeles Chargers that essentially derailed his season before he was able to find his footing (no pun intended) to finish the season strong.

Pace told reporters he still believes in Pineiro, but acknowledges the competition will be benefit both players.

“We see those guys competing,” Pace said. “We love Eddy and think his future’s very bright. But those two competing against each other is a really good thing.”

Ahmed, signed late last week, was brought in to push Pineiro in camp, but the stakes were raised when Pace signaled both would compete for the starting job. Ahmed last kicked in college as a member of the Nevada Wolf Pack in 2018. He made 15 of 20 field goals during his final season.

The competition, or kicker battle 2.0, is unlikely to replicate last year’s circus that saw nearly a dozen players compete to go to training camp. The competition came down to Pineiro and Elliott Fry, with Pineiro emerging as the winner. Barring any surprising developments, this year’s competition should be a bit more tame.

While all eyes will be glued to the heavily anticipated quarterback competition between Trubisky and newcomer Nick Foles, the battle between Ahmed and Pineiro will still be worth monitoring when the Bears begin training camp.

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Report: Browns to visit the Packers this summer for joint practices

The Cleveland Browns are set to visit the Packers this summer for joint practices in Green Bay

The Cleveland Browns will spend a few days in Wisconsin this summer for joint practices with the Green Bay Packers, according to Packersnews.com.

On Tuesday, during his press availability at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur announced that they had an agreement in place with another NFL team to host joint practices during training camp in 2020. The Packers hosted the Houston Texans last year on August 5th and 6th before the teams’ preseason opener on August 8th at Lambeau Field.

While Lafleur stated he was not in a position to announce who they would host on Tuesday, PackerNews.com has reported “barring unforeseen circumstances” it will be the Cleveland Browns.

The Packers and Browns both officially announced their opponent for joint practices on April 9th last year and the preseason schedule was available on June 5th.

The Browns went to the Indianapolis Colts practice facility last year on August 14th and 15th, prior to their second preseason game.

The Browns engaged in two days of fight-filled practices with the Colts. At the time, Freddie Kitchens lauded his team for not backing down, but was later was questioned about those very practices when the team continued to show a lack of discipline.

Twitter reacts to Bears leaving Bourbonnais for training camp

The Bears announced that they were moving training camp back to Halas Hall, which left many fans disappointed as it moves from Bourbonnais.

On Tuesday, the Chicago Bears announced that they would be moving their training camp back to Halas Hall for the foreseeable future. Halas Hall is home to a new state-of-the-art facility that will give the team access to everything it needs as it prepares for the 2020 season.

That marks the end of the “Bearbonnais” era for the team, which called Bourbonnais and Olivet Nazarene University their summer home for the last 18 years.

There were mixed reactions about the news, but most of it was disappointment at taking away a valuable fan experience that many people have embraced over the years.

Players practically rejoiced at the news.

Some fans were excited about the move.

Other fans didn’t have the same reaction. A majority were disappointed on missing out on the fan experience.

But Bourbonnais made it be known the Bears are always welcome.

The Bears will kick off training camp at Halas Hall in late July.

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Bears moving training camp from Bourbonnais to Halas Hall

The Bears have announced that they’re leaving Bourbonnais after 18 years of training camp and moving practices to Halas Hall starting 2020.

“Bearbonnais” is officially over for the Chicago Bears, as the team announced their plans to move their training camp practices from Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais to their headquarters at Halas Hall in Lake Forest on Tuesday afternoon.

The move marks the end of an era for both the Bears and their fans, as the team has called ONU home for 18 years, making the move from Platteville, WI after practicing at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville from 1984-2001.

“We will host training camp practices at Halas Hall in 2020, while maintaining a public component to many of the sessions to incorporate our loyal and passionate fans,” said Bears president and CEO Ted Phillips.

The move coincides with the recent renovations at Halas Hall that were completed in August 2019.

While the Bears will continue to hold public practices, the amount of tickets will be “limited” and crowds are not likely to reach the size of those in attendance at ONU, reaching as high as 9,000 over the last five years. Additional details will be released later this spring following the regular season schedule.

With the announcement, the Bears also thanked ONU, the village of Bourbonnais and the surrounding cities for all of their support over the years.

The Bears will hold training camp practices in late July.

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