Important dates for Saints summer announced

Most NFL fans know by now that the NFL schedule is set to be announced on Wednesday, May 12th, and fans of the New Orleans Saints are already looking forward to their first 17-game regular season.

But May 12th isn’t the only important date this May, as the NFL has just announced important offseason workout dates for all 32 NFL teams. For the New Orleans Saints, the offseason schedule looks like this:

• OTA Offseason Workouts: May 25-27, June 1-3, June 7-10
• Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17
• Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

Here’s a snippet of the NFL’s recent press release:

Phase One (April 19-May 14) has been extended from its customary two-week period to four weeks, with activities limited to strength and conditioning, virtual meetings, and physical rehabilitation only.

Phase Two (May 17-21) has been shortened from three weeks to one week. On-field workouts may include individual player instruction and drills, “perfect play” drills, drills and plays conducted with offensive players lining up across from offensive players and defensive players lining up across from defensive players, with each group permitted to align eleven or fewer players across from eleven or fewer players. Players on one side of the ball may execute a play, but players on the opposite side of the ball may not initiate contact with, or attempt to impede the progress of, players who are running the play. All such drills must be conducted at an acceptable walkthrough pace (i.e. Pro Bowl practice).

Phase Three (May 24-June 18) remains its customary four weeks in length. Beginning in Phase Three, clubs may conduct in-person meetings and classroom instruction subject to COVID-19 testing cadence, tracking, facility access and other protocols. During Phase Three, teams may conduct a total of 10 days of organized team practice activity, or “OTAs”. No live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permitted.

As you recall, in a statement released by the NFL Players Association last month, the New Orleans Saints became the 17th NFL team to opt out in-person, voluntary workouts due to ongoing Covid concerns.

The above schedule for the New Orleans Saints offseason workout program is still tentative and subject to change at the discretion of the Saints organization.

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