Titans Practice Patience With Virtual Training
NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Titans don’t want to rush into the NFL’s first virtual offseason. And they don’t want to rush through things with their newest players once they get started either.
Coach Mike Vrabel said Monday that coaches will proceed judiciously as they introduce schemes to members of the 2020 draft class and rookie free agents amid the social distancing required by the COVID-19 pandemic.
NFL teams may conduct three weeks of virtual training between April 20 and May 15. Beginning May 18, if circumstances allow, they will then be permitted to transition to an “on-field” format.
Tennessee elected to wait until April 27 to start their offseason program, which means the three-weeks of online work will take them right up to the next phase, if it materializes as presently scheduled.
“We thought instead of having a week off [at the end] and starting on the 20th, we’re just going to start on the 27th and kind of go straight through,” Vrabel said in a virtual press conference. “At that point in time, [we will] just take it one day at a time, try to focus on some positive learning and really get our guys brought back up to speed on the things that we’ve changed and the things that we’re going to remain consistent at.”
The draft takes place Thursday through Saturday, which means by the time the Titans begin their official offseason work they will have a bunch of newcomers to indoctrinate into their way of doing things.
The fact that those players cannot come together as a group will alter the way in which – and the speed at which – coaches introduce concepts to them. Those players will be involved in virtual meetings with the veterans but also will have additional sessions of their own, which typically last until mid-May.
“We try to give them a lot and see what they retain and then fill in the blanks as you go,” Vrabel said. “And you’re giving it to them at rookie minicamp, normally. You’re giving it to them during the offseason program. You’re giving it to them in the OTAs and you start to see what they can develop and what they can understand.
“I think this year will be critical that we don’t do that, that we don’t throw a bunch at them, so we don’t lose them over these virtual meetings and classroom sessions. I’m very conscious of what that schedule looks like for those rookies. … So, this year may be a little different.”
