Training Camp In Two Weeks?
July 16th, 2011
Regular readers of Joe know he pretty much ignores covering anything related to the lockout, other than acknowledging its asinine existence and the hatchetman comissioner that presides over the whole mess.
However, that doesn’t mean Joe isn’t up on what’s happening. So Joe knows very well that signs from all kinds of NFL sources now point to an end to the lockout in a matter of hours. And Joe suspects from the massive traffic numbers on this site yesterday loads of Bucs fans are feeling the excitement and ready to immerse themselves into one of the most interesting Bucs seasons in years.
Joe certainly is.
A quick look at Joe’s calendar shows Bucs training camp was (is?) scheduled to kick off in exactly two weeks, with the first preseason game just four weeks from last night in Kansas City. (Holy crap. That’s a Bucs football game.)
Joe’s not having a pool party, as Raheem Morris enjoys, just yet. But Joe’s going to stock up on beer today to get ready.
July 16th, 2011 at 7:48 am
It’ll all be official by Thursday.
What will follow is an entire offseason condensed into two weeks. Should be non-stop football news.
Are you ready for some football???
July 16th, 2011 at 7:53 am
There is going to be a ton of extremely tired coaches and management staffs.
July 16th, 2011 at 7:57 am
I CAN’T WAIT!!!!
I hope someone signs me. I went undrafted. AGAIN.
July 16th, 2011 at 7:58 am
Matt, please be right.
July 16th, 2011 at 8:34 am
Great news!! Like a vegetarian getting to eat red meat, a celibate getting to…. you get the idea. More good news coming when Joe reports on Jason La Canfora.
July 16th, 2011 at 8:58 am
I am getting ready for this season by watching the Super Bowl win by the Bucs from Netflix. Great game and it satisfies the football fix til training camp.
July 16th, 2011 at 9:15 am
Joe, I didn’t know you came by my pool party last weekend!
July 16th, 2011 at 9:40 am
A Seattle Seahawk LB (last name Follet I think) tweeted last night that his agent gave him some great news. According to the agent, if the owners approve the new CBA when they take a vote on July 21, the lockout will be officially lifted on the 25th. 9 days boys! I am officially giddy!!
July 16th, 2011 at 10:00 am
Let me correct myself… If the owners approve the CBA on the 21st, the lockout is lifted on the 22nd. Teams have 72 hours to re-sign their own FAs, then the official FA begins on the 25th. Still giddy!
July 16th, 2011 at 11:42 am
According to Mort, players are now asking for a complete reduction of OTAs and off-season contact. Also according to his “player source”, they will not back off on this.
There is no way a team can prepare their players properly, especially the rookies, without an off season program. So if this is a deal breaker for the players, don’t count on the lockout ending.
That said…I think the “player source” is talking out his hind quarters. At most, I can see a reduction THIS year (clearly) and instead of cramming an entire off season into the next 2 weeks as Matt suggests, I think we might see only one workout before training camp and it will be voluntary for non-rookies.
Other than that, I could also see most of the time before training camp being spent in classrooms reviewing film and playbooks.
@MOBucs
The way I heard it was the teams have lost first right of refusal and for hte first 72 hours, anything goes. I may have misunderstoo it, but PFT referred to it as the “Tampering Period” in which players can recieve offers from everywhere, but cannot sign with other teams until after the 72 hours.
So a lot of teams are going to possibly lose some great players.
July 16th, 2011 at 12:36 pm
What about the franchise tag? Im wanting the bucs to sign vincent jackson but wont happen if franchise tag is available. Might not happen even if they dont have it.
July 16th, 2011 at 2:33 pm
@ Bob
Every team has one franchise tag and one transition tag just like in previous years.
@ Pete
Not sure if negotiating with UFAs on other teams is allowed during the 72 hours from the end of the lockout to the start of FA. My perception was that the 3 days are for the individual teams to more or less get their sh*t together before the chaos of FA. Sign draft picks, get players organized, etc..
July 16th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
well i guess my dream of signing v jax is over. that 72 hour period will be full of tampering. every team will be doing it so i dont know if it will be considered that big a deal. ive already heard reports of certain teams being interested in certain players.
July 16th, 2011 at 6:46 pm
I’d be tampering my A$$ off right now. No doubt about
July 16th, 2011 at 6:47 pm
Oh, and nice set of jugs.
July 17th, 2011 at 9:05 am
I had to look twice, this picture almost looked like Morning Cup Of Joe:)