Starting on Tuesday, June 12, the Arizona Cardinals will begin their first mini-camp in almost two years. All NFL teams were forced to skip them last year because of the labor battle that was ensuing.
Unlike the organized team activities (commonly referred to as OTAs), the mini-camp requires mandatory participation. If a player decides not show up for the three day session, they will be fined a total of $60,000 per day. Fortunately for the Cardinals, there are not any players expected to hold out.
While attending camp, players will still be severely limited in what they are able to do because of the new collective bargaining agreement. The new CBA states that players are only allowed to be on the field for a maximum of 3 1/2 hours per day, with only 2 1/2 of those hours being designated to full-speed drills and contact. The second practice, usually coming sometime in the afternoon, is basically a walkthrough. Players can have no physical contact with one another, as helmets and shoulder pads are forbidden.
As aforementioned, the camp begins on the 12th and will come to a close on June 14. The players will still be trying to get accustomed to their playbooks and gain chemistry with their teammates. Once mini-camp breaks, they will need to wait until July when training camps open for business.
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