Falcons mandatory minicamp: Highlights from all three days

The Atlanta Falcons wrapped up their three-day mandatory minicamp on Thursday, and signed a tryout player, linebacker Jeff Holland.

The Atlanta Falcons wrapped up their three-day mandatory minicamp on Thursday, and signed a tryout player, linebacker Jeff Holland, to a one-year deal. The team has yet to sign a single draft pick from the 2021 class, but now that the Julio Jones trade has gone through, Atlanta has $14.8 million in salary cap space to get all nine players signed.

But let’s stop focusing so much on numbers when there are camp highlights available. Check out videos from all three days, courtesy of the Falcons’ Twitter account below.

What are Chiefs missing with no mandatory minicamp in 2020?

Practice, classroom work, holdouts? What are the Chiefs missing out on without their mandatory minicamp?

Typically the Kansas City Chiefs would be starting their three-day mandatory minicamp around this time. We know that there’s nothing typical about this offseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Minicamp marks the final organized team practice session. The team will have a short break and then report for training camp in late July. Minicamp won’t be happening this year, though.

According to a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, there will be no in-person minicamps during the month of June. As a result, the NFL has extended their virtual offseason programs, but we learned from Chiefs HC Andy Reid on Wednesday that the team will conclude their virtual offseason next week.

“We have another week left here,” Reid said. “Next week we’ll finish. This week here we’re actually going back through like you guys know we do, going back through our opponents, AFC West opponents and our first game, which we know now. We’re going to get ourselves ready for camp.”

What is the team missing out on by not having mandatory minicamp practices? Well, they still aren’t allowed to have padded practices and must follow NFL guidelines for Phase 3 of the offseason program. That means they’d still be dealing with padless non-contact practices.

At minicamp they’d be doing some of the classroom work they’re doing right now, going back through AFC West opponents and studying out their first game of the 2020 NFL season. So they’re really not missing out on much in that respect either.

One thing that they’re not seeing is the extent of Chris Jones’ reported hold out. Back in late May, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport let us know that Jones hasn’t participated in any of the Chiefs’ virtual OTAs or had communication regarding an extension since the team applied the franchise tag. Rapoport also said that Jones wouldn’t be participating during in-person OTAs.

Jones missed mandatory minicamp in 2019 because of a contract dispute with the Chiefs. Would he have skipped out on mandatory minicamp in 2020 had it happened? Will Jones hold out when the NFL finally allows players in the facility for training camp?

In the grand scheme of things, a lack of a mandatory minicamp won’t hurt the Chiefs. Players and coaches alike have echoed the sentiment that they’ll be ready to go whenever they’re permitted to return to the field. But the question on Jones will remain unanswered until players have an opportunity to return to the practice field.

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Bears announce key dates for 2020 offseason

Here are a list of key dates for the Bears’ offseason, including two minicamps, 10 OTA practices and press conferences.

The Bears offseason has just started, and there’s plenty on the horizon for a team looking to rebound after a disappointing 2019 season.

While we already knew the dates of the NFL Scouting Combine and NFL Draft, the Bears released some new key dates, which include offseason workout dates and Ryan Pace/Matt Nagy press conferences.

Here are a list of key dates for the Bears’ offseason, which includes dates for Bears rookie minicamp, 10 OTA practices and mandatory full-squad minicamp.

February 2020

  • Feb. 24-March 1 – NFL Scouting Combine
  • Feb. 25 – Ryan Pace/Matt Nagy meet with media at NFL Combine

March 2020

  • Feb. 24 – March 1 – NFL Scouting Combine
  • March 18 – Free agency and new league year begins

April 2020

  • April 7 – Ed Block Courage Award presentation
  • April 20 – Bears may begin offseason workout programs
  • April 21 – Brian Piccolo Awards presented to rookie and veteran
  • April 21 – Ryan Pace will speak with the media ahead of NFL Draft
  • April 23-25 – 2020 NFL Draft in Las Vegas

May 2020

  • May 8-10 – Bears rookie minicamp at Halas Hall
  • May 16 – Bears Care Gala at Soldier Field
  • May 27 – May 29 – OTA practices

June 2020

  • June 2-4 – OTA practices
  • June 8 – 11 – OTA practices
  • June 16-18 – Mandatory full-squad minicamp

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