Offseason Workouts

NFL Offseason workouts, or OTAs, are about to start. The eight teams that hired a new head coach this offseason are allowed to start this week.

Three started yesterday:

Cleveland Browns
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Miami Dolphins

One starts today:

Denver Broncos

Four start next week:

New York Jets
Arizona Cardinals
Cincinnati Bengals
Green Bay Packers

The teams that are waiting a week to start are doing so because it will allow them to run their offseason program without taking a break. The teams that start this week have to take a week break at some point before the end of the offseason.

23 of the other 24 teams will start their offseason workouts on April 15. The New Orleans Saints are jumping into the preparation for 2019 later than the rest. They are getting things rolling on April 22.

OTAs are divided into three phases.

Phase One
Two weeks
Strength and Conditioning
-only strength and conditioning coaches are allowed with the players

Phase Two
Three weeks
Strength and Conditioning
-all coaches are allowed on the field
Some drills
No offense vs. defense

Phase Three
Four weeks total
Three weeks for 10 total OTAs
A maximum of 3 OTAs each week for the first three weeks
One week for minicamp
No pads
No live contact
Offense vs defense finally allowed

Some say that the reasons for the often shoddy play (especially on the offensive line) on Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays in the fall can be traced to all the practice restrictions in the spring.

The offseason schedule of the Minnesota Vikings was released yesterday:

First Day: 
April 15

OTA Offseason Workouts:
May 21-23
May 28-30
June 3-6

Mandatory Minicamp:
June 11-13

Since the end of the 2018 season all 32 NFL teams have been putting together the rosters that will be taking the field for the 2019 season. This month, teams will take to the field to really start working toward the 2019 season. April's not all about the draft.