The NFL is in a scheduling frame of mind. With less than a week before the release of the 2021 regular season game schedule, the league has now also set dates for all 32 teams’ offseason programs.
The programs occupy a nine-week span and are voluntary, as per the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The sessions are meant to give players “training, teaching, and physical conditioning” before the more physical training camps get underway later in the summer.
Here are the official dates for the Cowboys:
Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 24-25, May 27, June 1, June 3-4
Mandatory Minicamp: June 8-10
The offseason program is broken down into three phases that dictate the level of contact and exposure for players.
Dallas is currently in Phase One, a four-week period (up from the usual two) that includes strength and conditioning, virtual meetings, and physical rehabilitation only. Phase One ends on May 14, when Cowboys rookie minicamp commences.
Phase Two lasts for just one work week, May 17 to 21, down from the typical three weeks. On-field workouts may include individual player instruction and drills. Players are allowed to line up across from one another and do “walkthroughs” of plays, but contact is not allowed.
Phase Three begins on May 24 and goes until June 18, its customary four-week length. In-person meetings and classroom instruction are allowed, subject to COVID-19 testing and tracking, facility access, and other protocols. Ten days of organized team practice activity are permitted; the Cowboys have six days scheduled. There is no live contact, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are allowed.
It’s beginning to look a lot like football.
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