After NFL insider Tom Pelissero broke the news about the NFLPA considering scrapping OTAs, the NFL world has been divided into two parts. While those in favor of this decision reminisce about Aaron Rodgers’ words on how no OTAs during COVID made him feel better than ever, a few, like former Colts safety Darius Butler, have been vocal against it.
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In the latest episode of the ‘Pat McAfee Show’, D-But fought for OTAs due to the immense benefit that young athletes gain from exercise alone. According to recent reports, the NFL could end up having an extended training camp in late June/early July instead of the OTAs that usually start in mid-April, then take a break and resume a couple of months before the season.
Sure, this can be a great way to mitigate soft tissue injuries in athletes due to the consistency in training. However, as Butler argued, this also means taking crucial time away from the youngsters who could use it to learn from the veterans.
The former Colts star further noted that a veteran like Aaron Rodgers would favor the scrap as he has nothing to gain from the OTAs. Rodgers, at this stage, knows all the tactics he needs to know, and plays by heart.
So from a conditioning point of view, it’s great for him. But it’s not the same for the rookies entering the league who could use the camp in April to acclimate to the team and learn.
“I hate this change they’re proposing,” Butler declared. “Like Aaron obviously is a guy that doesn’t necessarily need OTAs especially [because he has] been with Green Bay for so long, knows the system inside and out and can pretty much teach the coaches the system but for most players and honestly a lot of these young coaches too, like this is the first time a lot of these young guys are around vets. You see how they go about meetings, you see them taking notes you go.”
Butler also noted that having a longer window doesn’t favor the hunger in the rookies, as they only have a limited time to shine and make a name for themselves. Thus, cutting their learning curve for an extended period is an unfair trade-off.
“Time off is cool and I feel like you know the union that’s always kind of like a trade-off, ‘Oh we got more time off’. But like if you’re a player, like you got a small window to make your money, make your impact on the team, learn plays and then apply them to the field,” Butler said.
Apart from the COVID batch of players, co-host and former NFL player AJ Hawk also experienced no OTAs, as he was part of the 2011 NFL lock-out season. Yet Hawk agreed with D-But’s stance.
AJ Hawk Remembers the 2011 NFL Lock-Out Season
Back in 2011, the dispute between the NFL owners and the NFLPA over a collective revenue bargaining agreement went overboard and saw the NFL teams lock out the players from team facilities. This went on till July 25th.
After a resolution, all teams were fast-tracked to begin training camps. AJ Hawk unfortunately made his debut in that season, which started off in turmoil. However, when looking back, Hawk does remember that veteran players favored no OTAs back then.
“I’m not sure exactly how everybody feels but I know when people have that extended period of time often, you know the lockout situation then we went to Camp, right like July 31st August 1st, whenever it was bam, we all just went straight to Camp… No real ramp up. That was unbelievable. Everyone actually seemed to love that,” AJ recounted.
However, for a rookie like him, being thrust into the training camp directly was a tough task. Having no time to acclimatize, the former NFL linebacker used to get an earful from team veterans like Donald Driver and Mike McCarthy.
“Like D-But said though, the younger Player thing, I 100% agree,” AJ said. “I remember I got drafted and four days later, because Mike McCarthy, it was his first year and we had a full team veteran mini camp, not just a rookie camp. So I’m lining up trying to jam Donald Driver in the slot 15 yards downfield and he’s yelling at me ‘Hey sit in college, you can’t do this’.”
But thanks to a mini-camp organized by his team, Hawk soon felt better and credited his comfort level as being multifold due to the mini OTA.
“Just from taking part in that like two-day mini camp, being around the dudes like all the guys already made me a thousand times more comfortable when I came back to work in OTAs with them,” AJ added.
That being said, D-But’s point makes a lot of sense when you consider the aspect of player development. But with the league trying to take active steps to make the game safer, it’s hard to see the old OTA structure remaining valid in a few years. Thus, it will now be on the team to have off-season team bonding sessions to help the youngsters adapt better.
