Tuesday marks the beginning of mandatory minicamp for 12 NFL teams.
The Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers kick off minicamp today.
The Collective Bargaining Agreement allows each club to hold one mandatory minicamp for veteran players during Phase Three of the offseason program.
Each of the 12 teams is scheduled to conduct their minicamps today through Thursday. Much of the rest of the league will hold their mandatory sessions next week.
Mandatory minicamp marks the first time each offseason most players are able to fully dive into their preparation for the upcoming campaign. With fewer veterans skipping the sessions and, unlike earlier workouts, coaches able to work with players on the field, it’s the first time for most teams that the offseason feels somewhat like real practices.
For some players who have skipped organized team activities, like reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, it’s a chance to get good work in with a revamped receiver corps. For players like Matt Ryan, who changed teams after more than a decade with the same club, it’s a chance to continue getting to know the new surroundings. For teams like Seattle, the quarterback competition between Geno Smith and Drew Lock will be highlighted.
NFL Network’s Judy Battista provided eight other intriguing storylines to follow during this year’s mandatory minicamp.
While there are fewer holdouts than in the past, there is still a chance players could skip minicamps. If an absence isn’t excused (like Jimmy Garoppolo), players who miss mandatory minicamp are subject to a fine (but unlike training camp, it’s not compulsory for teams to enact a fine for a missed minicamp). Deebo Samuel was a big one to watch for today after he requested a trade and skipped OTAs earlier in the offseason, but the 49ers WR is now expected to attend minicamp, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
For most teams, the media is also allowed more access to minicamp sessions than OTA workouts, so we’ll get a cornucopia of new reports and hear from a host of players over the next three days as teams gear up for their summer break.
Giddy up.