Teams to see fruits of virtual offseason

Players are reconvening for a training camp unlike any other, and the ramifications of their remote offseason will soon become apparent.

When the NFL scrapped regular offseason training for virtual OTAs and videoconferences because of the coronavirus crisis, some players applauded and others plodded. Coaches had to get creative to replace face-to-face instruction, and many discovered teaching tools they’ll continue using even after the pandemic ends.

Training camps won’t be normal. No preseason games. No fans at practice. Daily COVID-19 tests for players, coaches, staff, media. And a slow ramp-up to padded practices in a few weeks.

Players have been preparing on their own for months, aside from quarterbacks such as graybeard Tom Brady and greenhorn Drew Lock, who gathered their new receivers to work on their timing, something the players union ultimately discouraged.

Some students thrived on their own when schools turned to online learning in the spring as the coronavirus surged. Others craved a return to the classroom where they could prosper among their peers.

Same thing with the NFL.

Self-starters could flourish even when the COVID-19 crisis forced them to work remotely, but players also had to navigate through more free time than ever.

These peculiar circumstances placed “a greater accountability on players to prepare, but on the coaches as well,” Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said.