Giants Off-season Schedule Set
The New York Giants will begin their off-season schedule on April 19 in a slightly different format.
With five NFL teams having already decided to opt-out of the annual off-season workouts—which remember are voluntary—the NFL has set up parameters for a modified off-season workout that allows for a combination of in-person and virtual workouts.
While the new format will still be nine weeks total, the same as what was originally provided for in the current CBA under Article 21, the modified program structure is different from originally written.
The new format will see Phase 1, which begins April 19, lasts four weeks, and be held completely virtual. There will be no on-field workouts allowed with the coaches, either in person or virtually. Under the terms of the current CBA, Phase 1 was originally set for two weeks and was only to involve strength and conditioning work, with only those coaches having contact with the players.
Phase 2, which begins May 17, will last one week and will consist of virtual meetings and on-field work with position coaches. Originally, Phase 2 was to last three weeks. In both cases, on-field work can be done with position coaches, with absolutely no contact and no offense vs. defense drills.
Phase 3 will begin May 24 and end June 18, a total of four weeks, which is the same as what was originally written in Article 21. This phase will consist of the traditional 10 OTAs, in-person or virtual meetings, and one mandatory minicamp, the only mandatory activity of the off-season program.
According to the CBA, a club may conduct a maximum of three days of OTAs during each of the first two weeks of Phase 3. A maximum of four days of OTAs may be conducted during either the third week or the fourth week of Phase 3, with the Mandatory Veteran Minicamp held during the other week.
Although most of the off-season program will be virtual, players will still be eligible for workout bonuses if such a clause is included in their contracts.
The off-season plan includes a post-draft rookie minicamp and a rookie football development program, which was already provided for in the CBA under Article 22, Section 7. The rookie minicamp can be held either May 7-9 or May 14-16.
The NFLPA had been pushing for an all-virtual off-season program, same as was the case last year, and, according to NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero, did not agree to this modified off-season program structure.
Pelissero added that the league has the right to unilaterally implement rules as permitted by the current CBA.
Thus far, the Broncos, Seahawks, Bucs, Lions, and Patriots have all released statements through the NFLPA declaring their respective intentions to boycott the off-season program, which, again, is voluntary.
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