We recently introduced the three most important things about mandatory mini-camps. One of those factors bit the Lions on Friday night.
Detroit lost its last OTA session for having too much contact during out-of-season work.
Of course, any contact is too much contact. But virtually every team has at least some prohibited contact during offseason workouts.
Why else would teams like the Rams have players in red non-contact jerseys during OTAs? During the off-season, every jersey is a red jersey. In theory.
So it can’t possibly be just the Lions. The question becomes whether the NFL and the NFL Players Association are aggressively monitoring the situation. Apparently that is not the case, otherwise more punishments would follow.
Typically, the league and/or association become involved when a player complains or reports emerge of a scuffle during offseason work. As for the Lions, the fact that linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin is also serving as the new NFLPA president raises the possibility that he blew the whistle. What he absolutely should do when the rules are broken.
But they are certainly being destroyed everywhere. You think the Chargers haven’t attacked every OTA day with an enthusiasm unknown to man? Elsewhere, teams with inexperienced head coaches may not be able to contain fringe players who need to impress if they are to have any chance of being promoted from the 90-man squad to the 53.
While the Lions have only themselves to blame for the situation, they are right to be concerned about the inherent unfairness of the situation. They’re definitely not alone when it comes to going too far during offseason workouts. It will be interesting to see if new NFLPA Director Lloyd Howell decides to view the situation in Detroit not as the end, but as the beginning.
