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I just hope they're not encouraging players to stay away who otherwise might attend.

j/c...

Just someone trying to create a narrative where there is none...

Maybe if we were dysfunctional.
Maybe if this were something akin to players refusing to show up for camp because of some grievance.
Maybe if our FO, coaches or Tretter were in any way unprofessional.

There are probably players with a great deal of respect for Tretter, but I don't think that will influence their personal decision in any way, shape or form.

Voluntary has been voluntary, no one on either side has shown animosity towards the other... that's true league wide.

Slow sports day.

I don't think they really are. Rookies and people who are new to the system understand they must learn the system and earn their place in the pecking order. It's in their professional interest to attend.

Players who know the system and were on the roster last year have already established themselves on the roster and have played under the system.

I think it boils down to risk verses reward like most things do in life. Are you a player who needs to risk injury to prove yourself to your current team? If not, why would you attend?

My experience as a non-union office worker is that when my employers would announce some extra-curricular event as being "not mandatory, but highly recommended", it was a lot like when your wife tells you "we should skip the anniversary gifts this year.".

Only these guys have an actual contract that states it's voluntary and the team can't withhold sex from them.

My point was nothing to do with withholding anything. It was about the difference between what they (employers) agreed to and what their actual expectations are.

That's exactly why you have a contract. The owners agreed and signed a contract making OTA's voluntary.

It's a shame more employees have no protections and believe me, I've worked under those conditions where I didn't have a contract. A verbal agreement means nothing.

Yup. At first, I wanted to express exasperation, but remembering that these are VOLUNTARY workouts, well.... don't call them that if that isn't what you want them to be.

The NFL agreed to them being voluntary in the CBA, so that's what they are, regardless of any expectations to the contrary.

Expectations of someone doing something that they haven't agreed to do is just a resentment waiting to happen.


I fully get where teams and organizations are coming from, but this isn't any different than any other year. Voluntary workouts are voluntary workouts. We had quite the team environment last year with NO WORKOUTS, so some guys having some workouts is going to be just fine.

The biggest and best thing teams can do is to NOT make this a divisive issue when it isn't one.

Owners agreed to the terms. But then the coaches have to make "evaluations" in addition to being educators. That can't be done "remotely." There will be a line-up made and tiered according to those evaluations. Coach/Player is not the same as Employer/Employee. Good luck Stefanski.

Good point.

It comes down to how hungry a player is for his TEAMS success imo.

The workouts are essentially like pieces of flare.

I would hope guys new to the system show, there are a lot of new parts on the defense that need to be up to speed come training camp. I can understand guys like Tretter, Bitonio, Myles, even the WRs. My hope is the FAs at least make an appearance, along with rookies.

jc -

It's interesting that many teams had all their players show up, 80+ in some cases.

If this was a union thing, why are there some teams doing it and some not? Why is the union president preaching one thing and union members doing another?

I think that's the "problematic" part.

It also makes me feel that Cleveland Browns players that want to be there are staying away out of respect for Tretter.

True.

But knowing myself, if I was a bubble player, I would be there. No doubt it couldn't hurt, and it probably helps some.

As for Treeter, I think he knows he is probably getting cut after this season and will be able to sign one more contract somewhere else, so he isn't worried.

I would be SHOCKED if every last UDFA wasn't there, as well as any of the guys who feel they will be fighting for a roster spot.

Hell, any Draft picks that have finished school ought to be there as well.

It's voluntary.. Used to be most vets showed up,, but last year kinda proved that it can be done without putting vets in danger of injury.

As a fan I hate it because I wanna see them out there.. But I get why they may not want to participate

Securing/keeping "Jobs" in pro sports is/are more competitive than with jobs in any other realm.

If I am on the roster, I am showing up. If I'm concerned about getting injured - which I think is hooey - then I lift some weights, run...meaning I simply do the same things I would be doing at home, but now doing it in the team environment.

If I'm trying to win a spot on the final roster, I'll do all that I'm asked and all that I can.

If I'm a vet and confident of my spot on the final roster, I'm attending and doing all that I can to show that I'm all about being the best I can be and help my teammates get there as well...even if I take a 'vet day' and/or skip certain reps.

If I am in-between, I'm doing all I can to not slip up and/or have a hungry/seemingly-hungrier-guy take my spot.

It's a team thing...they should be there for the good of the team.

I think there's some room for lessons learned from the changes to last year's pre-season. I do get the feeling that this is just negotiation tactics, though.

The Browns cut TE Kyle Markaway, and signed TE Connor Davis.

Connor Davis is 6'8, a former practice squad off the Jets and XFL + other aaflzcx- team, I forget, similar to xfl, where he played in about 3 total games and didn't do much.
Interesting, for a TE/ he's a slash OL, slash DE, slash "off ball linebacker, Slash blocks on offense on kicks.

4.81 40 at 6'8 240-260, that's actually pretty skinny.

If he can avoid the penalty for , early lineman blocking downfield, wait, if he's a, technically a TE, then he's allowed,
Get him to use that 4.81 to really get down field and lay a block for a skilled pos. player coming around the edge.
-----

Cleveland Browns Daily, coming to me from team headquarters,
(they don't stay on topic, and raccoons have stripes on their fur, and if you "golf games? seriously?" want a quick listen on football,
whatever,
you'd think the one that says they come to you from team headquarters would, whatever, make you listen to 28 minutes for 10 minutes to off topic to on topic.
Yes May 22 is the offseason, they should talk about football! I do care that much,
It does matter the 89th guy they changed on the roster, If the new guy blocks they may keep 5 TE's on opening day, they did last year on cut down day.

Actually the players already won the negotiations. That's why they are voluntary.

For those who may not know, they can't even suit up during OTA's. They can only wear a helmet. Hell, they can't even wear practice pants, only shorts. It's more like walk throughs. There's too much being made about this.

For the rookies, UDFA's and those fighting for a roster spot, OTA's make a lot of sense.

GC. Lemme take a look at how Connor Davis, TE could help Anthony Schwartz' game. Connor is a super tall 6'7.5 quick tight end slash skinny quick Ol, with a 10 foot broad jump.

If Connor and Schwartz line up left side, and alternating plays with the same pre snap,

1. Schwarts goes, go, up the left sideline, (teach him how to draw the pass interference penalty, and also catch a deep stretch pass.)

2. On this play action fake to the tailback, the whole OL blocks left in unison, actually, ok I did it wrong...

If a third player went up the left side on play #1.

2. On this play action fake to the tailback, the whole OL run blocks left in unison, Connor Davis, '
is pulling from the left side TE near the RT at the snap, and QB1, has a chance for one read on the left sideline pass, before
a delayed handoff to Schwartz coming left to right in the backfield with Connor Davis out ahead of him as a lead block around the right side,
QB1 responsible for anybody following in backside pursuit.

Just a Quick pulling huge TE who can get down field and lay the wood on an explosive block in the 2nd level of a defense, (size advantage against a 5'11 safety, or 6'0 linebacker) is a thing of beauty.

He is a interesting prospect.

That didn't take long.

A Browns player tested positive for COVID-19 before on-field work Tuesday; several others sent home as close contacts

Updated May 25, 2021; Posted May 25, 2021
link

By Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Browns player tested positive for COVID-19 before on-field work Tuesday in a modified version of the offseason program, and several others were also sent home as close contacts, a league source told cleveland.com.

Lindsay Jones of The Athletic first reported the news.

The several players who were close contacts were between their first and second doses of their vaccines, the source told Jones. Close contacts who aren’t fully vaccinated must quarantine for five days after exposure, according to current NFL COVID-19 protocols. The player who tested positive must quarantine for about two weeks.

Unvaccinated players must also be tested daily while at the team facility, while vaccinated players and Tier 1 and Tier 2 employees who are permitted to work with them are tested weekly.

As Phase III kicked off on Tuesday, the Browns did light work with limited attendance, and continued to conduct their meetings virtually -- same as they did last week in the week-long Phase II.

Phase III consists of three weeks of organized team activities followed by the mandatory minicamp, but Browns players have worked out a plan with coaches that resulted in the light work for a smaller group of players this week, and then OTAs the next two weeks for a presumably a larger contingent -- possibly almost the full squad.

The Browns were one of about 21 NFL teams that initially announced they’d skip the voluntary practices upon the advice of the NFLPA and its president JC Tretter, their starting center, to keep players safe and healthy amid the ongoing pandemic.

But about 22 teams have negotiated a reduced OTA workload that resulted in increased or full participation beginning last week in Phase II or this week in Phase III.

Among the teams out in full force are the Chiefs -- the Browns’ Week 1 opponent -- the Ravens and the Bills.

Browns defensive tackle Andrew Billings told cleveland.com last week that players decided to keep their updated decision on OTAs in-house, but that they were committed to sticking together as a team.

“Whatever decision comes through, it’s going to be whatever we decide as a team, and that includes players and coaches,’' he said. “We’re about keeping the team together. We’re taking our time and we’re all keeping it within the team as well.’'

He said he watched from afar last season as coach Kevin Stefanski held the team together during COVID-19 challenges, racial strife in the U.S., and more. He believes it will be more of the same this season as the Browns work to go deeper into the playoffs.

“It starts at the top,’' he said. “Kevin Stefanski has been keeping us together as a team, and we really see the value of staying together. All of this will work out for sure.’'

The Browns were one of the teams hardest hit with positive COVID-19 tests last season, with players such as Myles Garrett contracting the virus. Stefanski also sat out the 48-37 victory over the Steelers in the Wildcard Game after coming down with the virus.

j/c:

Sure hope so. I remember him being average-ish last year at best. Maybe I'm wrong.

j/c...

Looking forward to this story...

I listed to almost an hour long live streamed interview with him and his wife the other day, but I just spent 20 minutes trying to find it and it's nowhere to be found. Shame because it was kind of good.

It was to real young guys doing a live stream interview with him and his wife after they got back from their honeymoon. They talked about mostly non-football things but most were still related to him being a player. I think it was called the same old browns show... the title was about teller or browns guard... still can't find it.

The only thing football players love more than playing football is lifting weights.

Muscles are great, but you also need to be limber and flexible or those muscles, or ligaments, will tear when under stress.

Maybe player participation in it is just something that is not publicized as much, but I've always wondered why there hasn't been more of an emphasis on players doing things like yoga or other exercise regimens that emphasize flexibility.

No kidding. I have been saying that on these boards for 20 years. We have had a few goofy strength coaches that got these guys muscles as tight as piano strings.

I have long said a yoga coach would be a valuable addition. Strength isn't a problem for 95% of these guys. Flexibility is.

Some years ago we had guys tearing bicep muscles. That isn't anywhere close to normal.

That’s a great idea. I know a professional hockey coach who makes his team do yoga. He absolutely sees the value.

j/c: