Tag: offseason program

Broncos can begin offseason program on April 3

With a new head coach, the #Broncos can begin their offseason workout program on April 3.

Because they have a new head coach in Sean Payton, the Denver Broncos will be allowed to begin their offseason program early this year.

The Broncos can begin their offseason workout program at their UCHealth Training Center on Monday, April 3 (teams with returning coaches can begin on April 17). After that, Denver will likely begin organized team activities in May.

Last year, the Broncos announced their offseason schedule in early April (we already know most of the key dates for the 2023 NFL offseason).

Before the offseason program begins in April, Denver will attend the NFL scouting combine (Feb. 28-March 6) and sign players during free agency, which officially begins on March 15.

The Broncos currently have five picks to use in the NFL draft (April 27-29). After that, the club will hold rookie minicamp from either May 5-8 or May 12-15.

The NFL is expected to announce its 2023 schedule in early May. Denver will later hold OTAs and minicamp in June before a summer break. The Broncos are expected to begin training camp in late July.

Preseason will begin in August and the regular season will start in September. Bring on the offseason!

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Seahawks announce changes to offseason schedule, minicamp dates

The Seattle Seahawks have announced the dates for their 2022 rookie camp and some changes to the mandatory minicamp schedule.

The Seattle Seahawks began their official offseason workout program on April 19 and have now entered Phase Two of the schedule. On Monday, the Seahawks announced a couple of changes to the upcoming practice dates.

Seattle’s rookie minicamp will take place this weekend, beginning Friday, May 6 and wrapping up on Sunday, Mother’s Day. The full rookie camp schedule is as follows:

  • Friday: 1:35 p.m. PT start time, coach Pete Carroll and selected players to speak following practice at 2:20 p.m. PT
  • Saturday: 1:35 p.m. PT start time, select players to speak at 2:20 p.m. PT
  • Sunday: 10:15 a.m. PT start time, Carroll to speak at 11:05 a.m. PT

Seattle has also announced a change to the Seahawks’ mandatory minicamp, which was originally set to take place from Tuesday, June 14 to Thursday, June 16. The Seahawks’ minicamp is now scheduled for a week earlier, commencing on Tuesday, June 7.

Practice times and media availability for the upcoming OTAs and mandatory minicamp will be announced at a later date.

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Cowboys to start voluntary portion of offseason program Monday

Dallas is one of 13 teams scheduled to begin their offseason program on Monday with voluntary workouts, meetings, and physical rehab. | From @ToddBrock24f7

It’s a back-to-work Monday for the Dallas Cowboys as the team’s offseason program for the 2022 campaign begins.

The Cowboys are among the 13 clubs kicking off their voluntary workout programs on Monday; seven other teams start Tuesday. The ten squads with new head coaches were allowed to begin their programs early, as per league rules. The remaining two teams will start workouts within the next two weeks.

For the Cowboys, the next two weeks comprise what is considered Phase One of the offseason schedule, where activities are restricted to meetings, strength and conditioning work, and physical rehab.

Workouts at The Star in Frisco are 100% voluntary at this stage. While players are not required to attend any part of the offerings, Dallas historically sees a majority of their key personnel participate.

The Cowboys’ walkthrough drills on the field are not slated to begin until May, after the NFL draft.

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Chiefs offseason program Phase 3 begins today

Phase 3 includes Organized Team Activities and Mandatory Minicamp.

The Kansas City Chiefs are set to begin Phase 3 of the offseason program on Monday.

The team completed one week of Phase 2 activities and now things will ramp up during Phase 3. The team will get a chance to participate in voluntary workouts called Organized Team Activities (OTAs) during this phase in addition to Mandatory Minicamp to close things out prior to training camp.

OTAs begin on Tuesday for Kansas City, but they still don’t include any live contact. It serves as an opportunity for teams to get their veteran players on the practice field and do various team drills for the first time during the offseason.

Here’s the NFL’s updated description of Phase 3:

“Phase Three (May 24-June 18) remains its customary four weeks in length. Beginning in Phase Three, clubs may conduct in-person meetings and classroom instruction subject to COVID-19 testing cadence, tracking, facility access and other protocols.  During Phase Three, 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.”

The Chiefs had strong attendance to start Phase 2 of the offseason program, so you can expect that Phase 3 will also have few absences. It’s even possible that the team inches even closer to 100% attendance. The returning veterans all seem highly motivated after the Super Bowl LV loss, but these are voluntary workouts.

Tuesday, May 25 will kick off the first of three sessions of OTAs for Kansas City. They’ll have a total of 10 practices spread out over three sessions. You can find the dates for each of those workouts here.

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Broncos rookies wrap up virtual offseason program

Broncos rookies have wrapped up their virtual offseason program.

Because of COVID-19, the Denver Broncos did not have in-person organized team activities or any minicamps this offseason. Instead, the Broncos had a virtual offseason program, hosting players for meetings and workouts online.

Last week, Denver’s veteran players wrapped up their portion of the offseason program. On Thursday, rookies completed their virtual offseason program, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

Klis tweeted that players are tentatively set to report for training camp on July 28 but that date could be moved up or moved back, presumably based on the status of the coronavirus in Colorado.

Denver’s first preseason game is scheduled for Aug. 15, two and a half weeks after players report for training camp. The NFL is considering shortening the preseason but as of now, the Broncos’ schedule is set.

Denver is scheduled to face the Tennessee Titans on “Monday Night Football” on ESPN on Sept. 14, one month after the start of preseason.

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Broncos veterans complete virtual offseason program

Broncos veterans have wrapped up their virtual offseason program.

Denver Broncos veterans wrapped up their virtual offseason program on Thursday, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. Because the Broncos will not have a minicamp this month, veterans now have off until reporting back to the team’s facility for the start of training camp on July 28.

Denver rookies still have another week of virtual meetings.

Broncos players have not had any on-field work with coaches this offseason because COVID-19 forced the NFL to move organized team activities and minicamps online. All NFL teams will have their virtual offseason programs wrapped up by the end of the month.

Denver’s first preseason game is scheduled for Aug. 15, two and a half weeks after players report for training camp. The NFL is considering shortening the preseason but as of now, the Broncos’ schedule is set.

Denver is scheduled to face the Tennessee Titans on “Monday Night Football” on ESPN on Sept. 14, one month after the start of preseason.

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What are Broncos players missing with no OTAs?

Broncos players aren’t getting a traditional offseason experience with no OTAs.

In a normal offseason, the Broncos would hold organized team activities (OTAs) around this time of year, complete with in-person meetings and light on-field practices to prepare players for going full-speed in training camp.

In an offseason impacted by COVID-19, Denver has turned to a virtual offseason program, with meetings and workouts held online. With no OTAs, Broncos players are missing out on hearing and visualizing plays in the huddle and running through their routes.

“You miss the huddle calls,” wide receiver Courtland Sutton said on May 14. “You miss being able to hear Drew [Lock] call out a play in the huddle, us break the huddle and lining up and ready to play. That’s something that’s so underrated. I think people see us at games and it looks so smooth, but that’s over time of practice before you even get to camp. When you start adding this time into is, the OTAs that we’re not getting, those reps that we’re not getting, those are reps that are quality.”

Sutton said one of Denver’s coaches estimated that the team ran through 300 plays during OTAs last spring.

“That’s 300 reps that you don’t have right now, that we don’t get in terms of getting in the huddle, hearing the whole play call, lining up and going and running whether that’s verses the defense or not,” Sutton said. “Being able to do that part as an offense is so huge.”

It’s unfortunate that Broncos players are missing out on those reps but the good news is that every team in the league is going through the same situation. Denver shouldn’t be more behind than any other team.

Sutton believes that when the Broncos are able to get back on the field, it won’t take too long to make up for the OTAs that were missed.

“It does set you back, but I have faith in the coaches and preparing every room,” Sutton said. “I have faith that we as players have taken every opportunity we can with this and running with it so that when we do get a chance to get on the field it’s not going to be something that could take a whole week to get people acclimated to it.

“It would be a couple days because you have such good teachers in terms of the coaches and the vets in each room.”

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NFL extends virtual offseason programs until May 29

The NFL has extended its virtual offseason program through the end of the month.

The NFL has extended virtual offseason programs until May 29, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

“If a Club begins but subsequently discontinues the Virtual Period, the Club may resume its offseason workout program at a later date, either on a virtual basis or on-field if all NFL facilities have reopened,” the league said in a memo sent to teams.

All teams must have their offseason workout programs completed by June 26. If possible, the NFL will aim to start training camps in late July.

The Broncos previously started virtual meetings and workouts for veteran players and rookies joined the meeting this week. Denver kicker Brandon McManus told The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala that he doesn’t expect players to return to the facility until training camp.

“My guess is we don’t go in there at all until training camp,” McManus said. “I think we’ll be in there July 28.”

After the draft, Broncos GM John Elway said the league is hoping to start training camps — and the NFL season — on time.

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Andy Reid says Chiefs had 100 percent attendance for virtual offseason program

Kansas City Chiefs players are completely bought in after the 2019 season and Super Bowl LIV.

Usually this time of year the newest rookie players would be getting their feet wet for the first time, veterans would be getting ready for voluntary workouts, and we’d be getting an early look at the 2020 Kansas City Chiefs. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how the NFL is operating this offseason, with the league and the NFLPA agreeing to a voluntary virtual offseason program supplanting what would normally take place at this time.

During the Chiefs’ live broadcast revealing the 2020 NFL schedule, head coach Andy Reid revealed an interesting tidbit about the virtual offseason program and how it has gone for Kansas City. Reid said that thus far, the team has seen 100% attendance from their players during the virtual offseason program.

“. . .Our guys have attacked this whole deal with the virtual installs, the scheme evaluations that we did, all the plays from last year that we can learn from for this year,” said Reid. “The guys have gone back and it has been 100% attendance, which is ridiculous. These guys are into it. They want to learn and then we get to add the rookies in this thing in the next go around. We did have a three-day virtual rookie minicamp where we also could do some installs with them and get them caught up, sort of, to where they need to be.” 

After the 2019 season, the players in Kansas City are so bought in with the culture and coaching that they had 100% attendance for the earliest portion of the voluntary virtual offseason program. Other teams, like the New Orleans Saints, aren’t even having a virtual offseason program. Chiefs players appear to be dedicated to using every ounce of time possible toward getting prepared and better for the 2020 NFL season.

Having perfect attendance also means that defensive tackle Chris Jones, who was franchise tagged by the Chiefs and still seeks a long-term contract extension, was present and accounted for during this period. If you’ll recall, Jones sat out all of the Chiefs’ voluntary workouts in 2019, missed mandatory minicamp, but reported on time for training camp. Jones’ attendance perhaps signals some work that has been done behind the scenes, working toward a new contract extension.

At the same time, unlike with on-field workouts, this virtual offseason program doesn’t run the same risk of injury. So Jones really has no good reason to hold out from this period. Nevertheless, it’s very good news that Jones, a defensive leader on the team, is present during this time.

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Broncos safety Kareem Jackson says virtual meetings have been ‘very productive’

The Broncos’ virtual offseason program has worked well so far.

With NFL facilities closed down due to COVID-19, the Broncos — and every other team — have turned to online meetings and video workouts in the place of in-person offseason programs.

Denver’s virtual meetings have gone so well that safety Kareem Jackson suggested the team should use them every offseason.

“I usually get up at about 6:15,” Jackson said during a Zoom conference call with reporters on Tuesday. “I work out at about 7:15-7:30. I’m usually back home in enough time to jump on meetings. I think the virtual meetings have been going pretty good. We’ve been able to get things done as if we were in meetings.

“I actually told the coaches, I said I think for the first two phases of OTAs we should do this that way everybody can stay home and do whatever we need to do. Then come in and we just practice in Phase 3 and minicamp. It’s been going pretty good. I think it’s been very productive for us.”

Jackson has been working out one-on-one with a trainer in Houston so he’ll be ready to go whenever teams are allowed to open their facilities again. The Broncos remain hopeful that training camp will start on time in July.

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