Against the advice of some on the players’ side of the ongoing labor dispute, players on the Dolphins are starting organized activities of their own today.
Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel reports that offensive tackle Jake Long and quarterback Chad Henne have set up the workouts at Nova Southeastern University’s athletic facilities in Davie, Florida.
Kelly reports that Henne and Long aren’t expecting the participation level to be high. But some people think the participation level to be zero.
As we noted in discussing the Dolphins’ plans last week, there are agents (including Drew Rosenhaus, who represented eight Dolphins last season) who are telling their clients it would be a mistake to get together for organized activities. Participating in organized workouts right now is essentially working for free for owners who are locking the players out -- and for owners who won’t show the least bit of sympathy for players who suffer injuries during the lockout. If a player gets hurt now and the injury is serious enough that it still affects him when the season starts, he’ll go on the unpaid non-football injury list.
So while players would be wise to stay in shape during the lockout, staying in shape by getting together for team workouts doesn’t sit well with everyone on the players’ side. But Long and Henne think it’s the right move for the players on the Dolphins.