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Eagles Players Reach Compromise with Nick Sirianni on Modified Offseason Schedule
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Let’s clear up some of the confusion.
About a month ago, the Eagles were one of the myriad NFL teams that announced they wouldn’t be participating in voluntary in-person workouts this spring. In simple terms, the Players Association was using COVID-19 as a front for getting rid of spring OTAs entirely. It’s the idea that these workouts are more or less useless, based on the thought that last year’s virtual setup cut down on injuries without affecting the quality of regular season play.
This week, however, we got reports that players were indeed going to show up for OTAs, and what happened is that there was actually a compromise with head coach Nick Sirianni, which Dave Spadaro detailed on the Birds’ official website:
As Sirianni and his staff set out to build the offseason program, they reached out to team leaders for their thoughts. In the end, the team decided a modified schedule over the next three weeks was the best course of action. It’s a program that puts a premium on training, teaching, and physical conditioning in order to set the team up for Training Camp this summer.
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This modified offseason schedule boils down to the following:
1. This week, the team is conducting Phase Two which includes meetings and on-field sessions geared toward fundamentals, schemes, and strength and conditioning.
2. The following two weeks will fall under Phase Three OTA rules designed to provide more time for players and coaches to work together on and off the field. On-field drills will closely mirror that of Phase Two. This year, there will be no 11-on-11 or 7-on-7 work.
3. Following these three weeks of practices, the Eagles’ offseason program will conclude. The players will next convene for the start of Training Camp at the NovaCare Complex when permitted under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
So essentially there is no longer a three-day mandatory minicamp in June, but the players will participate in this phase and then return when training camp begins in July.
What’s amazing to me is the concept of grown men meeting and talking to each other and coming up with a compromise. Imagine if the doofuses in Congress could do something like this.
It may sound like it’s not a big deal, since it’s just OTAs we’re talking about here, but there’s a brand new coaching staff in place and new systems are being installed. New players are being introduced. All practice time is valuable. Each on-field rep is crucial. In this case, they found a way to make it work, which should benefit all involved parties.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com