Coaches, players make most of virtual offseason
Turns out there’s only so much that can be done virtually.
Six teams decided to end their offseason programs even with the NFL allowing two more weeks to keep working: the Bears, Titans, Rams, Texans, Cardinals and Redskins.
With coaches and players scattered and team facilities shut by the NFL because of the COVID-19 pandemic, video meetings helped the league act as if business was continuing as usual. Some coaches decided their teams had done everything possible until players are allowed to join them inside team headquarters and on the practice fields.
That won’t happen until July at the earliest when training camps are set to open, with coaching staffs trying to make up for lost time. Rookies face the biggest challenge having missed an estimated 400 repetitions on the field during a normal offseason.
“Walking through and practicing is the best way to teach,” Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians said. “So those are valuable reps missed. I don’t know how we’ll make them up. Hopefully we’ll get some extra time in practice in camp; a few extra days would help.”
Players have been working out — yes, including that new guy in Tampa, Tom Brady. With so many states reopening, quarterbacks are getting teammates together for workouts at a time they might’ve been in a final minicamp to cap the offseason program.
This very different offseason has allowed players to slow down a bit, focus on communication, and learn more than when everyone is together in person.
“It actually probably has provided a better opportunity to kind of share your input of ‘this is why I did this’ or ‘maybe on this route, do this,’ or ‘this is what you’re trying to make this look like.’ Things like that,” Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen said.
San Francisco cornerback Richard Sherman has seen a ton of growth out of the 49ers.
“This time everybody has to step back in and slow it down and take their time,” he said. “Guys are learning more and understanding more than they ever have.”
The last time the NFL had a disrupted offseason was 2011 when clubs locked out players during labor negotiations. Players didn’t have access to coaches or playbooks then, though they could work out together.
Now players have access to coaches thanks to technology. But workout options are so limited for some players that Bills special teams coordinator Heath Farwell said he was disappointed when he saw a video of what wide receiver/returner Andre Roberts lifted in place of weights.
2021 Pro Bowl to be played at new Las Vegas stadium
The Pro Bowl is headed to Las Vegas.
The NFL announced Tuesday that the 2021 all-star game will be played at the new Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday, Jan. 31 — one week before the Super Bowl in Tampa.
Plans include what the league calls a week-long celebration of football, and will include NFL FLAG Championship games and a Pro Bowl skills showdown in which players compete in a variety of events. There will be community and charity initiatives as well.
The game was played in Orlando the past four years.
All NFL activities during Pro Bowl week will adhere to the latest public safety guidelines set by medical and public health officials, as well as operate in full compliance with all local and federal government regulations, the league said.
Major League Baseball has delayed the start of the new international signings period from July 2 until Jan. 15, a move that will cause teams to push back deals for 16- and 17-year-old Latin American prospects.
MLB said the current signings year, scheduled to end Monday, had been extended until 5 p.m. EDT on Oct. 15. There has been a transaction freeze since March 28, and any agreements between the end of the freeze and Oct. 15 will count for the 2019-20 signings year.
No international amateurs can be signed from Oct. 15 until the new period opens on Jan. 15 at 9 a.m. EST. The 2020-21 signings period will extend until Dec. 15, 2021.
With the Premier League set to resume after a 100-day shutdown, it is already making plans for what to do if a second spike of coronavirus infections prevents games being played again.
The league’s priority for now is staging the remaining 92 games by July 26, starting Wednesday with Aston Villa hosting Sheffield United and Manchester City playing Arsenal. There is even hope the government will allow fans back into stadium when next season is scheduled to begin in September.
What the league is yet to resolve is securing agreement among clubs on how to conclude the season — this one or in the future — if it cannot be completed.
The league, like the rest of Britain, will be assessing the trajectory of COVID-19 cases and the rate of infection as lockdown measures are eased.