One of the common concerns we heard at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis related to the still-new restrictions on offseason workouts. Coaches and General Managers worry that new restrictions on communication and practice and other football-related activities prevent teams from being prepared.
Passed in August 2011 as part of the new labor deal, last year became the first year in which the rules applied to the offseason, since there was no offseason in 2011.
The league meetings in Arizona included more extensive information about the things that are and aren’t allowed by the CBA, according to a source with knowledge of the session.
For most teams, the information provided means that they’ll be doing more, not less, in 2013.
And that’s good news for teams and players alike. While it’s important to limit contact and facets of the offseason and preseason that can injure players, many of them want to do more than the rules allow. The rules should let them.