Offseason workouts kick into a higher gear for many NFL teams today.
Sixteen squads begin the organized team activity portion of the offseason:
An additional 12 teams begin OTAs on Tuesday -- Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers. The Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (each with a new head coach) opened OTAs last week.
OTAs remain voluntary. Players cannot be fined for skipping workouts. Teams are allowed 10 days of OTAs.
The beginning of OTAs represents the start of Phase Three of offseason workouts and signifies a change in work structure teams can conduct. Whereas previous workouts were mostly relegated to individual workouts, OTAs allow for team drills with coaching instruction. No live contact is allowed, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permitted.
