Head coach John Harbaugh apparently is ready to get going even though the Ravens won’t open training camp for a few more months.
Harbaugh recently told reporters at the NFL owners meetings that “Our training camp this year will be more physical than it was last year.”
“It’s going to be a tough, physical training camp. We’re going to wring everything we can out of every single second,” Harbaugh stated.
Slow down there coach, as much as it sounds like a great idea, sadly tough, physical, training camps are a thing of the past and not likely to change any time soon.
The golden era of two-a-days have gone to the wayside once the new collective bargaining agreement was agreed up in 2011. Instead, training camps have become a “kinder”, “gentler” build up to the regular season.
Prior to the new 2011 CBA, coaches were used to the idea of 24 practices in pads over the course of three weeks, post 2011, teams still manage around 24 practices except only 12 are allowed in pads. The other 12 practices are now merely just walk-throughs.
“The young guys are going to get more of that than the veteran guys. [Veteran defensive end Chris Canty, for instance, is not going to line up in two-on-one combination block drills. But [second-year defensive tackle] Brandon Williams is. He needs it.” Harbaugh said.
While Harbaugh has the right idea and it certainly will provide plenty of reps for a team featuring many new faces, the drills will be there however just not the tackling.
One other note of importance, there are just 22 days until voluntary offseason workout programs can begin for NFL clubs without new head coaches.
Here are a few rules per the NFL Players Association that teams must abide by under the current CBA policy.
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