Tag: OTAs

Dak Prescott returns to practice on first day of Cowboys OTAs

The veteran QB returned to the field for live practice, the first real action he’s seen since his gruesome October 11 ankle injury.

Two hundred and twenty-five days. That’s how long Cowboys Nation held its breath. On Monday came the long-awaited exhale.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a horrific injury on October 11 in the team’s Week 5 game against the Giants. On a first-down play nearing the red zone in the third quarter of the contest, Prescott received a shotgun snap and took off running. Trying to pick up the first down, he went to the turf awkwardly in the grasp of a Giants defender. He had suffered a total dislocation and compound fracture of the right ankle. His season was over, and by the time he had been driven into the tunnel, in tears on the back of a cart, most Cowboys fans assumed their season was, too.

On May 24, the first day of voluntary organized team activities, Prescott was back on the practice field, wearing a helmet and throwing real-speed passes to route-running receivers being covered by actual defenders for the first time since.

Along the way, there were photos from hospital beds, visits with his teammates while balancing on crutches, a second cleanup surgery, and various appearances at local sporting events and community service opportunities. Oh, and the high drama surrounding whether he would come to terms on a new contract or play the second straight year on a franchise tag.

And through it all, a vow from Prescott himself that he would be ready in time to participate in the 2021 offseason program.

As recently as May 4, the five-year veteran said he could go play in a game “and be very successful.” He went on to say say, “By training camp, I’ll be in dominating fashion, better than I was before I came off the field.”

Seven months and 13 days after the injury, Prescott was back out there. Whether he was actually dominating on Day One or noticeably better than he had been before is something that perhaps only Prescott himself would be able to answer.

But for now, for Cowboys fans everywhere, for the team’s owners and coaches and players, this is cause enough for a collective sigh of relief.

[vertical-gallery id=670875]

[vertical-gallery id=665911]

[listicle id=670899]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Report: Packers QB Aaron Rodgers not reporting to start of OTAs

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers will not be reporting to the start of OTAs.

The Green Bay Packers will be without their three-time MVP quarterback when OTAs begin on Monday.

According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, Aaron Rodgers was not among the players reporting to the start of OTAs for the Packers on Monday.

Rodgers has a $500,000 bonus tied to participating in offseason workouts. The money has been used as an incentive for veteran players like Rodgers to attend workouts in Green Bay. His absence at the start of OTAs represents the next step in an ongoing conflict between the quarterback and organization.

Monday is the first day of Phase 3 of the offseason workout program across the NFL. OTAs are voluntary, but there is a mandatory minicamp involved in Phase 3.

According to Demovsky, Rodgers did not participate in either Phase 1 or Phase 2 of the program.

Teams are permitted to have 10 days of OTAs between May 24 and June 18. On-field work and both in-person and virtual meetings are part of Phase 3.

The Packers will have an OTA session open to the media on Tuesday.

[listicle id=58790]

11 Chiefs players to watch with OTAs beginning this week

Keep an eye on these 11 players when the Chiefs hit the field for OTAs later this week.

Organized team activities (OTAs) are just around the corner for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Several teams have already kicked off their OTAs, but the Chiefs will begin the first of three groups of practices on Tuesday. This is really the first opportunity for all of the Chiefs’ players to get on the field and work together with few restrictions. There is still no live contact permitted during OTAs, but the addition of 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills advances the offseason program significantly.

With great attendance at the beginning of Phase 2 of the offseason program, fans can expect the majority of the Chiefs’ 90-man offseason roster to participate. With that in mind, here are 11 players that you should keep an eye on once the team hits the field.

Report: Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes ‘ahead of schedule’ on injury rehab, will participate in OTAs

A new report says that Mahomes is “ahead of schedule” and will “do some stuff” when the Chiefs start Organized Team Activities.

The Kansas City Chiefs begin their first of three sessions of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) on May 25th and a very important player is set to be healthy enough to participate in some capacity.

According to a new report from NFL Network’s James Palmer, Chiefs star QB Patrick Mahomes is ahead of schedule in his recovery from offseason surgery to repair a turf toe injury. The quarterback had surgery earlier this offseason to repair the injury suffered late last season that hampered Mahomes through the playoffs.

Mahomes already said he was ahead of schedule himself, but this report adds that Mahomes will participate in OTAs when they kick off later this month. He was previously not expected to be ready for any on-field work until training camp at the earliest. According to Palmer’s report, Mahomes will “do some stuff” but won’t be cleared to participate in full.

This wouldn’t be the first time that Mahomes made a quick recovery from an injury. He made a miraculous recovery from an in-season kneecap dislocation during the 2019 NFL season en route to Super Bowl LIV.

The key here is that the team protect their star quarterback from himself and his eagerness to get back out on the field. At the same time, if you take a look at Mahomes’ workout videos, it’s clear that he’s put a lot of work in when it comes to getting his body right for the upcoming season. If he’s truly ready to go, they shouldn’t put any restrictions or limits on him.

[vertical-gallery id=93163]

Colts’ Carson Wentz putting mobility on display at OTAs

Carson Wentz is showing off plenty of mobility.

When the Indianapolis Colts traded for quarterback Carson Wentz this offseason, it came with plenty of question marks. One positive aspect of his game, though, is his ability to make plays outside of structure and using his legs to create offense.

While Wentz has plenty more about his game that needs to be corrected behind the elite offensive line for the Colts, his mobility is something that has been on display early during the spring workouts.

Even though the Colts aren’t running any team drills, Stephen Holder of The Athletic noted it’s easy to see the difference in Wentz’s game when it comes to making plays on the run.

“Again, these practices aren’t the best gauge of what the regular season will look like because of the format and level of intensity. But one thing that was evident is how much Wentz’s mobility is an integral part of his game,” Holder wrote. “Even on standard routes-versus-air drills with his receivers, Wentz showed a tendency to bootleg and throw on the run. He’s quite comfortable doing it and executes such throws with good rhythm. Wentz also has the ability to make these throws with velocity. He’s never lacked arm strength, but throwing on the run doesn’t seem to negatively impact his ability to push the ball downfield.”

The Colts didn’t get a whole lot of mobility from Philip Rivers in 2020 or Jacoby Brissett in 2019. Rivers did well because of his intelligence and pocket manipulation against pressure but having a quarterback that can make plays outside of the pocket simply adds another layer to the offense.

Wentz has never been afraid to use his legs to gain yards or put pressure on the defense. Sometimes it would come at a detriment to the play but his ability to move and make plays on the run should help expand the playbook more in 2021, especially seeing as he already knows the foundational concepts of the scheme.

“This is likely going to be a skill that head coach Frank Reich taps into with his play-calling, looking to take advantage of Wentz’s movement,” Holder wrote. “Reich was the Eagles’ offensive coordinator in 2016-2017 and utilized Wentz’s mobility to the team’s benefit. There’s no reason to think he can’t do the same thing in Indianapolis.”

Wentz has plenty to overcome from his disastrous 2020 season, but the Colts believe they have the right support staff and personnel to correct his issues.

If they can do that, Wentz’s ability to make plays with his legs should help boost the offense greatly.

[lawrence-related id=58881,58879,58875]

9 things we learned from Week 1 of Colts’ OTAs

Week 1 of OTAs is in the books.

The Indianapolis Colts revised their offseason training program and will be holding two weeks of voluntary workouts. The first week of those workouts came to an end Friday.

The Colts won’t hold mandatory minicamp as they typically would in an offseason but instead opted to get all of their OTA sessions in before the month of June arrives. This will give them two full months of rest before arriving back for training camp.

The Colts aren’t doing much at this point in the offseason but there are some takeaways from the team’s media pool.

Here are nine things we learned from Week 1 of Colts’ OTAs:

Bears cancel first wave of OTA practices, will resume June 1

The Bears cut their first wave of OTA practices, and they’re now set to begin on June 1.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbve7kb6he6scwe player_id=none image=https://bearswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

The Chicago Bears wrapped up their rookie minicamp following a weekend of meetings and practices where rookies got their first taste of the NFL.

In what will come as a surprise to no one, the focal point of the weekend was quarterback Justin Fields, who shined in his first practices as a Bear. Matt Nagy and media members in attendance raved about Fields’ poise and impressive performance, which has fans excited for the future — even if it was just practice.

Fields, along with the rest of Chicago’s rookies, were set to return to the practice field with their veteran teammates a couple of weeks later for the start of Organized Team Activities on May 25.

But the Bears announced that they’ve cancelled the first wave of OTA practices that were set to be held May 25-27. That doesn’t come as a surprise following the uncertainty of whether players would participate in voluntary workouts as COVID-19 remains a risk.

The second phase of the offseason begins May 17, which includes virtual meetings, strength and conditioning and on-field work at a “teaching pace.”

That means the Bears will hold their first OTA practices starting June 1 with the first practice open to the media on June 2.

Here’s an updated look at the Bears’ offseason schedule:

  • OTAs – June 1-3 and June 7-10
  • Veteran minicamp – June 15-17
  • Training camp – late July

[listicle id=472983]

Report: Dolphins players considering on-field workouts during OTAs

Report: Dolphins players considering on-field workouts during OTAs

The NFLPA has seen a significant push this offseason to move players towards more virtual offseason programs — citing concerns regarding player safety after data from the 2020 season showed players across the league missed less time on the field in the fall. And while the Miami Dolphins have committed to “stand in solidarity” with the league’s other players regarding the right to not participate in voluntary on-field workouts, it appears as though the Dolphins themselves may be taking part in some of the typical on-field programs this summer.

A report from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald confirms there’s some traction with Dolphins players to partake, provided the tempo and the volume are cut down to keep the wear and tear on their bodies at a minimum.

“A Dolphins player confirmed an NFL Network report that Dolphins players have discussed the matter and are receptive to participating in the on-field component of the offseason program in exchange for shorter work days and a walk-through tempo during May and June practices.

The NFL Network report by Tom Pelissero implied that an agreement has been reached with Dolphins coaches and players to execute that plan, though one Dolphins player said he hasn’t been told a final decision on the matter.” — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald

Such a maneuver by the Dolphins would not necessarily serve as an about-face for the team, as the Dolphins’ statement filed earlier this spring never explicitly said that the team would be avoiding offseason programs; only that they stood in solidarity with the NFLPA on the issue.

There are several weekends of on-field workouts coming up for the Dolphins over the next month and a half:

  • May 24-26
  • June 1-3
  • June 7-8
  • June 10

The Dolphins also have rookie minicamp this upcoming weekend — a chance to get the team’s young additions into the fray and acclimated with the team facilities ahead of the summer months when everyone must be ready to hit the ground running.

Cowboys’ offseason workout dates announced

The NFL has announced dates for all 32 teams’ voluntary workout programs, plus details of what’s permitted in each phase of the offseason.

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.

[listicle id=670614]

[listicle id=670399]

[vertical-gallery id=670530]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Colts’ 2021 offseason workout schedule released

Here is the offseason workout schedule.

The offseason workout schedule for the Indianapolis Colts was released by the NFL on Thursday.

The Colts are set to begin their rookie minicamp on Friday, which will include most of the draft class, and the remaining schedule for the veterans has also been released.

Here’s a look at the offseason training schedule for the Colts in 2021:

  • Rookie minicamp: May 7-9
  • OTAs, Week 1: May 25-27
  • OTAs, Week 2: June 2-4
  • OTAs, Week 3: June 7-10
  • Mandatory minicamp: June 15-17

While the Colts, along with the rest of the league couldn’t conduct offseason workouts together in 2020 due to COVID-19, it seems they will be able to do so in 2021. This will be a huge advantage for the rookie class, who will be working to get assimilated into the NFL life.

The Colts have signed five of their seven picks from the draft class and also announced the signing of five undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

[lawrence-related id=58496,58494,58492]