The Redskins veterans and rookies are getting together on the practice field at the team’s facility today (or in the practice bubble, depending on the weather). So the team is getting together and there will be activities, and they will be organized. But organized team activities, better known as OTA’s, don’t start for another week.
What?
The details are in the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in Article 21, Section 2. Per that document we are in Phase 2 of the nine-week offseason program. Phase 1 is the first two weeks, which basically consists of conditioning. We are in weeks 3-5, when players may go onto the field with coaches but they can’t wear helmets and defensive players can’t line up against offensive players. Footballs may be used only for quarterbacks to throw to uncovered receivers (the use of footballs is not permitted in Phase 1).
Phase 3 starts next Monday and then offense can go up against defense, helmets can be worn, and footballs can be used more liberally. As in the other phases, contact is not permitted. They can have three OTA’s next week and the following week, four the week after that and then they wrap up the offseason program with a three-day minicamp. The rules are the same as they are for the OTA’s except that they are not voluntary; veteran players who miss the minicamp are subject to fines.
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