1. NFL releases training camp schedule for players
We all know this year's training camp will look very different due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As veterans reported on Tuesday, it wasn't like report days they've experienced in the past. The NFL sent out several guidelines ahead of the first week of training camp, including a timeline of what the first week would look like.
Per the memo, players who reported on Tuesday will only do testing the first four days. During that time players will also attend virtual Covid-19 training and team/position meetings.
Players who test negative for coronavirus on Day 1, Day 2 and Day 4 will be able to enter the building on Day 5 in order to receive their physical and be fitted for equipment. Day 5 will be the first day of daily testing for players which will last through at least the first two weeks of camp.
Players also must wear contract tracers when they are in the building.
Players will be assigned Kinexon proximity tracking devices and instructed on their use. Clubs will familiarize players with Covid-19 related alterations to Club facilities (e.g., locker rooms, dining rooms and other restricted and non-restricted areas) and will review the rules applicable to those areas under the Covid-19 Protocols.
Per an NFLPA preseason calendar release, the acclimation period will last from August 3 to August 11 where players will participate in conditioning activities. The gradual ramp up period will be from August 12 to August 16 where players can participate in on-field activity. The contact integration period will last from August 17 to September 6, which is the time period padded practices will be held.
2. Did the Bills have the best offseason in the NFL?
The Bills didn't have a complete overhaul to their roster this offseason, but they did add in some key players on offense and defense. From a revamp on the defensive line to the addition of wide receiver Stefon Diggs, NFL Network’s Kim Jones thinks the Bills had the best offseason of any NFL team.
"I want to pay the Bills, and I want to pay them some respect because they've had a terrific offseason." Jones said on Good Morning Football. "Part of it are circumstances that none of us could have forseen. The Bills come into this training camp and then regular season with all kinds of returning starters, a young roster, a complete roster and very high hopes. At some point Stefon Diggs will meet the media, they will be happy to see him I predict. Josh Allen could be in for a terrific season after all the hardwork and team building he has done this offseason. The Bills should be very formidable, especially in the AFC East."
After a 10-6 season, the Bills hit training camp with a chip on their shoulder to push further into the playoffs in 2020. Soon enough the group will hit the field for their first practice to see if these new additions can propel this team to new heights under head coach Sean McDermott.
3. NFL plans social justice initiatives for Week 1
The NFL sent a memo to clubs this week which explained how the NFL plans to showcase some of its social justice initiatives in Week 1.
"As we continue to amplify and elevate the NFL's ongoing and long-term commitment to social justice, we will be incorporating several prominent elements on the field, into all broadcasts and across league and club platforms to begin the NFL season and beyond," the memo read in part. "In developing these concepts, we have worked directly with players and received input from the NFLPA."
Players can pay respect to victims of systemic racism by wearing a helmet decal of the person they choose to honor. Fields will also have sayings that read "It Takes All of Us" and "End Racism," as well as other on-field signage.
Among the other initiatives, the league will introduce the "It Takes All of Us" campaign in which "authentic imagery of our nation's journey in 2020" will recognize front-line healthcare workers, the social justice movement and NFL players' journeys to the season opener.
