Tag: virtual offseason

Chiefs LB coach Matt House says virtual offseason allowed more 1-on-1 time with rookies

Coach House has a favorable opinion of the Kansas City Chiefs’ virtual offseason program.

Matt House is entering his second season as the linebackers coach for the Kansas City Chiefs. Thus far, he’s been really pleased with the work that his unit has been able to accomplish despite the challenges presented by the virtual offseason.

“Yeah, I’ve been very pleased with the linebacker room and how they’ve embraced what we’re doing,” House told reporters on Thursday. “I think they’ve grown within our scheme during this time.”

In fact, House has enjoyed the challenges presented by the virtual offseason. He doesn’t feel like the linebackers, specifically, the rookies are missing out on anything right now. He feels like he’s actually getting a little bit more one-on-one time with rookies, such as Willie Gay Jr., than he would during the normal offseason program.

“Well, I’ll be honest with you, I haven’t really looked at it that way,” House said. “As coaches, our job is to adapt and adjust, and in the times that we’ve been in, that’s kind of what we’ve been doing. Really, it’s been great because I don’t know if you get this much individual meeting time normally because you are racing to get out on the field. So hopefully it clears up any questions that he has in his mind so that when we do get out on the grass, we can hit the ground running.”

You won’t catch House complaining about two more weeks of the virtual offseason program, which the NFL announced on Thursday. At the end of the day, House feels that teaching is teaching no matter the platform.

“Yeah, I think the good thing is it’s still teaching,” House said. “Coaching is just teaching. One of the things, we’ve had to use different platforms, but at the end of the day, you’re still teaching off of the same concepts and using video and using the different avenues you have available to yourself and the group. There’s some trial and error for sure, but all-in-all, it’s still teaching in my mind.”

Perhaps the positive impact from the virtual offseason program will allow for some changes in how NFL teams handle the offseason in the future.

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How is Texans DE J.J. Watt handling the COVID-19 pandemic?

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt says he is like everybody else in the way that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected his daily routine.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the lives of almost everyone on the planet, and NFL superstars such as the Houston Texans’ J.J. Watt is no exception.

The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year met with Houston reporters via video conferencing on Wednesday, and Watt said he is trying to “wade through” the information like everyone else.

However, the defensive end does need to get ready for his 10th season in the league, so certain aspects of his routine have continued.

“For me personally, I go to the gym, and the gym is obviously fully wiped down and there’s protocols in place and you’re not close to anybody, things like that,” Watt said. “But other than that, I don’t really leave my house a whole lot.”

Occasionally, Watt will leave his home to pick up food, but with his wife, Kealia Ohai, preparing for a possible tournament style season with the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League, the 31-year-old is home alone with the dogs.

“It’s just me and the dogs down here in Houston,” Watt said. “They love that because I throw the tennis ball 650 times an hour and when I’m not training that’s literally all I do.”

The pandemic has disrupted appointments, routines, and other staples that make time pass on a daily and weekly basis. A new part of Watt’s schedule has been his “Ultimate Tag” show, which he shot over the 2019 summer and co-hosted with his brothers, Derek Watt and T.J. Watt, both of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“I think the best part about it is I get to share it with my brothers, and parents got to be out there for filming last year,” Watt said. “We had a lot of fun with it and it’s a foray into a foreign situation for us, and for it to have success in its premier [May 20], we were just very thankful to all the fans and we’re glad they like it.”

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Cowboys News: So Dak Prescott didn’t ask for a 5th-year salary of $45M

Dallas Cowboys News May 21 2020. Dak Prescott contract negotiations, Randy Gregory seeks reinstatement after Aldon Smith.

This week has been a positive one for the Dallas Cowboys and their fans as they saw one of their bigger off-season gambles start the trend in the right direction. Aldon Smith was reinstated by the NFL and joins a much different looking defensive line for the 2020 season.

That joy was quickly taken away today as reports of a rejected contract offer by franchise quarterback Dak Prescott emerged. An abundance of news sites ran with this rumor and caused mass hysteria amongst the internet. Since then, a few well known trusted NFL analysts have broken up these rumors and have confirmed that none of it is true.

There are going to be a lot of different stories floating out there until the Dak Prescott contract is signed or at least until the July 15 deadline gets here. Outside of the Prescott negotiation news, find out about the virtual off-season along with how Xavier Woods is expecting new looks on defense. Demarcus Ware takes a small friendly jab at the tight end the Cowboys never had, LeBron James.

Why Cowboys QB Dak Prescott didn’t ask for $45 million in Year 5 :: USA Today

Jori Epstein was the first to report that the Chris Simms’-started rumor which was substantiated by some in the local Cowboys media just never happened.

 

Burleson: Dak will be even ‘better’ under McCarthy :: NFL.com

Dak Prescott is being labeled as the “Rodney Dangerfield” of the NFL according to NFL.com’s Nate Burleson. He’s not getting any respect at all.

Cowboys’ Aldon Smith ‘grateful’ to be reinstated by NFL :: ESPN

Fresh off his reinstatement to the NFL and joining the Dallas Cowboys, Aldon Smith took some time with TMZ Sports to explain his second chance at being a success story in the league.

Randy Gregory is working through the process of being reinstated to the NFL :: Blogging The Boys

Now with Aldon Smith being welcomed back into the league, Randy Gregory is officially making his push to also virtually rejoin the Dallas Cowboys defensive line.

DeMarcus Ware: “No Way In Hell” LeBron James Could Block Me :: Inside The Star

Taking a break from the Dak Prescott stories and reinstatements, hear what former defensive end Demarcus Ware thinks about the future NBA Hall of Famer when it comes to playing football.

A Glimpse Into The Cowboys’ Virtual Program :: The Mothership

Take a deeper look into what the Dallas Cowboys have been able to do in the five weeks worth of this virtual off-season program. Everyone is in the same boat except the Cowboys are learning from a brand new coaching staff.

 

Dak Prescott contract talks: Latest offer details, status of negotiations and outlook on looming deal :: CBS Sports

Science class is back in session with another installment from Patrik Walker of CBS Sports as he breaks down the latest on the Dak Prescott contract negotiations.

Woods Speaks On “Totally Different” Secondary :: The Mothership

With an entire new defensive coaching staff, Xavier Woods enters his fourth season as one of the leaders of the secondary. The defensive looks to confuse opponents in ways the Cowboys could not pull off in years past.

Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb Talked to Michael Irvin Before Choosing Jersey No. 88 :: Bleacher Report

The new Dallas Cowboys’ wide receiver wants to continue a legacy. Lamb spoke to “The Playmaker” Michael Irvin along with mentioning Dez Bryant as part of the history of No. 88.

Texans OC Tim Kelly says he is encouraged by the virtual offseason communication with players

Houston Texans offensive coordinator Tim Kelly says he is encouraged by the level of communication with players during the virtual offseason.

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Houston Texans offensive coordinator isn’t alone in his desire to get his hands on the players and build the foundation for the 2020 offense on the practice fields at NRG Stadium.

Every coach would relish that opportunity. However, the NFL has had to make adjustments in their preparations league wide as the COVID-19 pandemic hangs over the country like an interminable fog.

The Texans and the rest of the NFL have had to adapt with a virtual offseason consisting of video conferencing (through Zoom) and interactive video sharing services to watch game film together.

“As far as what we’re able to do throughout these Zoom meetings, it’s really kind of a unique deal because everybody seems to be more comfortable in front of the screen, whether it’s in front of their phone or their tablet or their computer, so the communication that’s going on right now between our players, between one another, between coach to player and player to coach, has really been encouraging,” Kelly told reporters on Wednesday.

Kelly, who enters his second season as offensive coordinator and first as the play-caller, will be sailing into uncharted waters with three-time All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins traded to the Arizona Cardinals. The new Texans offense is built on having diverse threats with running back David Johnson able to carry the ball and catch out of the backfield. Houston also seeks to take the top off defenses with speedy wideouts such as Brandin Cooks and Will Fuller.

Even though Kelly can’t get his hands on his new offensive pieces on the practice field, he is optimistic about the 2020 season because of the high level of participation in the virtual offseason.

“For our guys to be able to come in here and approach this offseason the way that they have in such an uncertain time, it’s really been encouraging,” Kelly said.

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Texans Talk Podcast: How close are we to football?

The Houston Texans can open up their team facilities on Tuesday. Just how far away are we from seeing real football?

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It’s May 19. NFL facilities are permitted to reopen, pending certain stipulations, and the Houston Texans are one of the handful of clubs that can open up team facilities.

The Houston Chronicle’s John McClain joins the “Texans Talk Podcast” to talk about what the opening of team facilities means relative to the return of football.

“The General” also talks about how the virtual offseason may not be as beneficial for rookies in reality. Younger players need reps on the practice field and immediate instruction from coaches after drills. The rookies just aren’t getting it at the moment, and it could hamper their development.

Make sure to subscribe to the “Texans Talk Podcast” to ensure you don’t miss out on any exclusive interviews and all the latest news and analysis surrounding the Houston Texans. We are currently available on Apple, Google, Stitcher, and Audioboom.

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3 key Cowboys staying ready during virtual off season

The Covid-19 pandemic is effecting all 32 NFL Teams. The Cowboys have seen a few players go above and beyond to stay ready for what’s next

The 2020 NFL off-season is one of the most unique in league history. The Covid-19 pandemic has altered ways NFL teams can conduct any of their off-season programs such as rookie mini camps and OTA’s. Players are on their own when it comes to holding themselves accountable to be in premier shape if and when the NFL opens their doors to players being permitted in team facilities.

With the Dallas Cowboys having an entire new look with a new coaching staff, it is pivotal they hit the ground running once teams are permitted to do so. Members of the current Cowboys roster are finding unique ways to stay ready for this exact moment. Gerald McCoy, Tyron Smith and CeeDee Lamb are glowing examples.

A newly signed free agent defensive tackle, McCoy has gone above and beyond to be in the best shape of his playing life. McCoy took to Instagram and posted on his story that he’s down 20 pounds.

Working out isn’t the only way to drop the weight as he told ESPN‘s Marty Smith that his diet was changed to vegetarian. Some defensive tackles tip the scales a little over 300 pounds but McCoy stated that he felt off last year and primarily due to his weight.

Star offensive tackle Tyron Smith has taken the same approach when it comes to staying ready for the off-season programs to begin.

Instead of your traditional weightlifting he found quite the unique way to do a “Turkish get-up”. Instead of using body weight or dumbbells, Smith decided to use his son. The seven time Pro Bowler is finding unique ways to not only work on strength, but throwing in balance with this special “dad workout”.

Similar to free agent wide receiver Dez Bryant’s recent social media posts about being in the lab and staying ready, the man that will be wearing No. 88 this season is doing just that.

Lamb has been avidly working with Delfonte Diamond of Diamond Building to work on his route running, agility, and quickness to stay ready before he even steps on the field with his new offense.

In these tough and unusual times, it’s encouraging to see some of the marquee players of the Dallas Cowboys dedicating this time away from team facilities to making sure they can be the best versions of themselves as they prepare to enter a very hyped up 2020 NFL season.

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How have the Texans worked in the virtual offseason?

The Houston Texans have used a bevy of virtual tools to stay engaged in the virtual offseason.

The COVID-19 pandemic has most everyone working from home, even the Houston Texans, who seek to add a third straight season possessing the AFC South title.

Working virtually per the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s mandates has been a hurdle for first-year defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, who takes over after Romeo Crennel held the job for the past two seasons.

“We’ve tried to operate as best we could to keep things as we would if we were in the stadium,” Weaver told reporters on Wednesday. “So, early on all of us, the position coaches, had individual meetings with our players, and then right away we decided to teach some of the changes we made from a terminology standpoint and then get right into the install.”

According to coach Bill O’Brien on April 16, the Texans coaches were planning to have meetings using Zoom, a video conferencing service, and go over film with players using Discord, an application mostly used by video gamers.

What Weaver appreciates the most about the virtual offseason is it is sort of a state of suspended animation; there are only putative time constraints, which affords coaches to go over more in-depth material with players.

Said Weaver: “The one thing about this format is we can get into some graduate level details where we’re not under the gun, we’re not in a rush.”

The virtual offseason will continue through May 29, according to an addendum to Goodell’s mandate, and that only gives Weaver more time to go over “graduate level stuff” with the players.

“Obviously the Commissioner extended the virtual program [Wednesday], which I kind of guessed that was probably going to happen,” said Weaver. “So, we’re being able to teach some graduate level stuff that probably you would skim over otherwise.”

Weaver was previously the defensive line coach for the Texans from 2016-20, and will continue to double up in that role even as he takes over as defensive coordinator.

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Browns virtual offseason activities extended to the end of May

The Cleveland Browns will only be able to conduct virtual training and workouts until at least May 29th

The Cleveland Browns were poised to be able to gather in person as a team in the next phase of the offseason activities as soon as the end of this week, but it will have to wait. The NFL extended the virtual workout period must extend to May 29th, an extension of two weeks beyond the former scheduled end of this Friday.

As a result, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski will not be able to work with the team in person just yet. Stefanski and the players will continue to meet via teleconferencing apps, with the players scattered all over the country.

Normally the Browns would be entering Phase 2 of the offseason plan. Those activities include positional drills and work with coaches. Phase 3, which includes full team drills and supervised contact and the mandatory minicamp, is also delayed until at least June.

In a memo to all 32 NFL clubs, the league stipulated that “all offseason workout programs must conclude by June 26.” The Browns are in the fourth week of their virtual offseason program, which included a rookie minicamp conducted remotely.

 

NFL extends virtual offseason as Cowboys, teams move towards camp

The NFL has extended the date in which teams will be conducting their virtual offseason.

The Covid-19 pandemic has made the 2020 NFL offseason unlike any that came before it. On April 20 teams began the first ever virtual offseason. This new-look offseason program was originally scheduled to run from April 20 until May 15, but according to a memo obtained by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the league has extended the date of the virtual offseason two weeks, or until May 29.

This comes as no surprise, as the original end date is just two days away and state laws would still prohibit much of the league from gathering in each teams respective facilities.

The original statement from the league to the NFL teams explained the  virtual offseason well; “classroom instruction and on-field activities that customarily take place at the Club facility … are being supplanted by on-line classroom instruction and virtual workouts for an indeterminate period.”

This latest announcement occurred just a week after teams were given the details on how to slowly begin reopening their facilities.

Training camp, as of now is still scheduled to start in mid-July, but it’s anyones guess whether or not that timeline will hold up.

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson working virtually with draft picks

The coronavirus pandemic isn’t stopping Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who is working virtually with Seattle draft picks.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is busy leading his team from a distance. Wilson spoke with 710 ESPN Seattle on Tuesday when he jumped on with host Jake Heaps, who is down in California training the signal-caller.

“Russell Wilson just took my mic from me and he’s so outraged that he heard this conversation and had to come say something,” Heaps said of the interview.

Wilson was asked about the virtual offseason and how things were working out in the new digital training world.

“In terms of the rookies, I’m in a group message with all of the draft picks, so we’re having a good time getting those guys ready,” Wilson said. “We’ve spent a lot of time – hours upon hours. I spend about two hours with them every day.

“We’ve been putting the work in, so they’re way ahead, so it’s been good.”

The Seahawks, like the rest of the teams around the league, won’t be able to return to Virginia Mason Athletic Center until they meet the strict standards set out by the NFL to ensure the safe opening of club facilities.

Until then, Wilson will continue to mentor his rookies however he can.

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