Tag: offseason program

Broncos WR Courtland Sutton skipping offseason workouts in contract dispute

Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton is skipping the team’s (voluntary) offseason workouts as he seeks a new contract.

The Denver Broncos kicked off their (voluntary) offseason workout program on Monday and there was a notable absence.

Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton did not report to the team’s facility “as he seeks a new contract,” according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Because these workouts are voluntary, Sutton will not face any fines.

It’s a big statement for the receiver to make, though, because the team had great attendance under new head coach Sean Payton in 2023. The most notable player to skip workouts last spring was kicker Brandon McManus, and he was cut.

Denver probably won’t cut Sutton, but there have been rumblings about the possibility of a trade. Sutton has also written cryptic messages on social media, prompting speculation that he’s unhappy about his status with the club.

The Broncos already traded Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns earlier this year, so they’ll be thin at WR if they also send Sutton packing.

Sutton is set to have a base salary of $13 million this year, but only $2 million is guaranteed. His salary will increase to $13.5 million next year with no guaranteed money. The receiver is presumably seeking more security as he enters his age-29 season.

Sutton hauled in 59 receptions for 772 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2023.

Denver’s top wide receivers are Sutton, Mavin Mims, Tim Patrick, Josh Reynolds, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Jalen Virgil and Brandon Johnson.

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What to know about Phase I of Dolphins’ offseason program

The Dolphins are back in the building to begin prepping for the 2024 season. Here’s what they can (and can’t) do for the next two weeks.

The Miami Dolphins started preparations for the 2024 season Monday with the official start of their offseason program.

While the early portion of the program is voluntary, the Dolphins posted videos of players arriving at the facility to get to work, including quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and pass rushers Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips.

While the team is back in the building, work will be limited mostly to meetings at first. Per the terms of the NFL and NFL Players Association’s collective bargaining agreement, Phase I — which encompasses the first two weeks of the offseason program — consists of meetings, strength and conditioning, and physical rehabilitation only.

Not until after next week’s 2024 NFL draft will the Dolphins be allowed to begin on-field workouts, although those can only be performed at a walk-through pace and cannot include live contact or offensive players lining up against defensive players.

The Dolphins’ organized team practice activities (or OTAs) will be the first time the team can do 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills pitting the offense against the defense, although live contact still won’t be allowed. The dates for those 10 sessions are as follows:

  • May 20
  • May 21
  • May 23
  • May 28
  • May 29
  • May 31
  • June 4 (mandatory minicamp)
  • June 5 (mandatory minicamp)
  • June 6 (mandatory minicamp)

The dates for the Dolphins’ rookie minicamp and the report date for training camp haven’t yet been announced.

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New era begins for Dan Quinn and the Commanders

Dan Quinn and the Commanders begin their offseason program on Tuesday.

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn had a smile on his face last week when discussing the beginning of the team’s offseason program.

With Quinn being a new coach, the Commanders can begin their offseason program two weeks before other teams. On Tuesday, Quinn and general manager Adam Peters will welcome players back to Ashburn.

The offseason program comes in three phases.

  • Phase One consists of the first two weeks of the program, with activities limited to meetings, strength and conditioning, and physical rehabilitation only. The Commanders begin this phase on April 2.
  • Phase Two consists of the next three weeks of the program. On-field workouts may include individual or group instruction and drills. This includes “perfect play drills” and drills/plays conducted at a walk-through pace with offensive players lining up across from offensive players and defensive players lining up across from defensive players. No live contact or team offense vs. team defense drills are permitted.
  • Phase Three consists of the next four weeks of the program. Teams may conduct a total of 10 days of organized team practice activity, or “OTAs.” No live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permitted. Washington begins OTAs on May 15.

The Commanders will hold a voluntary minicamp later this month (April 22-24), and the mandatory minicamp is scheduled for June 11-13.

Washington has signed 22 new players this offseason, more than any team in the NFL. The Commanders added quarterback Jeff Driskel and running back Jeremy McNichols on Monday, just before the offseason program begins.

It will be a busy month for Washington. The Commanders will host multiple visitors this month ahead of the 2024 NFL draft. The draft begins on April 25.

Chargers begin 2023 offseason workout program

The Chargers began their offseason training program on Monday.

The Chargers’ 2023 offseason program is officially underway in Costa Mesa, CA.

Phase 1 of the nine-week voluntary offseason program is two weeks, with the activities strictly meetings, strength and conditioning and rehab work.

Players are not required to attend this portion of the program.

While the team isn’t yet in its final form, these workouts will provide invaluable experience for the players participating in it and should foster unit cohesion as the offseason progresses.

A more complete picture of what the team might look like at the start of the regular season will come into view after the NFL draft as the Chargers look to get their rookies in the fold on both sides of the ball during minicamp and training camp.

Look: Rams players arrive for 1st day of offseason program

Matthew Stafford and other Rams players arrived for the 1st day of the offseason program on Monday

The Rams are back in the building. After some time off following their 5-12 season in 2022, players have begun to arrive for the offseason workout program.

The first day of the program was Monday and players are getting back in the swing of things ahead of OTAs and eventually minicamp. Matthew Stafford and Cam Akers were among the first to arrive, as were Jordan Fuller, Brian Allen, Brycen Hopkins and others.

Obviously, the team won’t be practicing just yet and the pads won’t come on until training camp, so football isn’t completely back yet. But seeing players back in the Rams’ building in April sure is exciting.

And with the draft taking place next week, there will be even more new faces in Thousand Oaks not long from now.

Cooper Kupp was unsurprisingly one of the first in the building, too.

Many of these players have already been working out and training at the Rams’ headquarters throughout the offseason, but this is officially the first day that coaches can meet with players and start establishing some structure  leading up to OTAs.

7 things that matter most during 49ers’ offseason program

The 7 things to watch closest as the #49ers begin their offseason program:

The 49ers on Monday will begin the voluntary portion of their offseason program.

There typically isn’t a lot to glean from the offseason workouts, especially early when work is limited to the classroom and the weight room. Attendance or absence doesn’t usually tell much of a story, and no huge roster decisions will be made based on any non-contact on-field work.

However, there are still some things we can glean from the entire, three-phase offseason program for San Francisco. Some of these will change a bit down the road, but here are the things worth keeping an eye on heading into offseason workouts:

Chase Young present as Commanders open offseason program

Chase Young is in Ashburn with his teammates.

The Washington Commanders have a big decision to make over the next two weeks. No, it’s not about the next owner, a new stadium, or even who the Commanders will take in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Will Washington pick up defensive end Chase Young’s fifth-year option?

NFL teams have until May 1 — right after the draft — to pick up the fifth-year options on 2020 first-round draft picks.

This would have once been considered a no-brainer, but the past two seasons haven’t gone as planned for Young. In fairness to the 2020 NFL defensive rookie of the year, he suffered a significant knee injury in Nov. 2021 that wiped out the second half of that season and all but three games in 2022.

Unfortunately for Young, he wasn’t exactly lighting it up in the nine games before his injury in 2021. He had 1.5 sacks in those nine games and had upset Washington’s coaching staff by skipping portions of the team’s voluntary offseason program in the spring of 2021.

Head coach Ron Rivera said in February that the Commanders were still considering a decision on his fifth-year option. He cited the knee injury being a part of the decision, but Young has a clean bill of health and looked explosive toward the end of last season.

One thing Rivera was trying to say: He wanted Young present for the team’s offseason program, which began on Monday.

As the players reported to Ashburn Monday, Young was present, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic.

There are merits to picking up Young’s fifth-year option and also merits to not picking up the option. Regardless, Washington is happy to have Young in town with his teammates for the start of the offseason program.

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Broncos begin offseason workout program with little fanfare

The Broncos started their offseason program with no pressers, no arrival videos. Sean Payton has said the team will be quieter this year.

The Denver Broncos kicked off their offseason program on Tuesday with little fanfare. No press conferences. No photos or videos of players arriving for meetings and weight training.

Broncos players have their heads down and they’re getting to work. That’s just the way new coach Sean Payton wants it.

“The work has started. I kind of use this term, ‘A little bit more anonymous donors this season,’” Payton said of his offseason approach in February. “Just know that we’re working, but with a little bit less visibility on social media and all those other things. We’re going to get to work, and ultimately, it’s how we do in the fall [that matters].”

This is in direct contrast to the team’s approach last spring. Following the arrival of then-coach Nathaniel Hackett and quarterback Russell Wilson in 2022, hype for the Broncos was off the charts, and much of it was created by the team.

Payton doesn’t want that to happen again. So, no player interviews until the NFL mandates them in May. No hype videos on social media. Not even Payton is speaking to the media.

Denver’s players are working, they’re just working quietly.

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Important NFL dates to calendar for April 2023

Here’s a look at some of the most important dates on the NFL calendar for April 2023.

March was a busy one in the NFL with the start of free agency and the new league year and April should prove just as or even more exciting.

Below is a look at some of the key NFL dates to log on your calendar, per NFL Operations.

April 3 Clubs that hired a new Head Coach after the end of the 2022 regular season may begin offseason workout programs.

 
April 17 Clubs with returning Head Coaches may begin offseason workout programs.

 
April 19 Deadline for  clubs to time, test, visit, interview, or conduct a physical examination with a draft-eligible player at its club facility.

 
April 21 Deadline for Restricted Free Agents to sign Offer Sheets.

 
April 26 Deadline for Prior Club to exercise Right of First Refusal to Restricted Free Agents.

 
April 27 Deadline for clubs to time, test, visit, interview (including video and phone calls), or conduct a physical examination with a draft-eligible player at any location.

 
April 27-29  Annual Selection Meeting/NFL Draft (Kansas City, MO)

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Dolphins offseason workout dates announced for 2023

Players will be back in the building in less than a month.

Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel are deep in the roster construction phase of the offseason, as they’ve signed a number of free agents from other teams as well as plenty from their 2022 squad.

However, not too long from now, the organization will switch over to season preparation mode, as the NFL announced the dates of offseason programs for all 32 teams.

For Miami, players will be back in the building for their first day on April 17. Organized team activities will follow in May (22-23, 25, 30-31) and into June (2). Mandatory minicamp comes after, going from June 6-8.

Dates for rookie minicamp and training camp have yet to be announced.

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