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Bengals kickoff offseason training program

The Cincinnati Bengals offseason training program kicks off on Monday. We review the offseason rules, the dates that you need to know, contract bonuses and what all of this means.

By Josh Kirkendall
Andy Lyons/Getty Images

The Cincinnati Bengals open their offseason training program on Monday, kicking off the mandated offseason program that's broken down into three parts:

PHASE ONE restricts most activities to strength and conditioning and physical rehabilitation only. It's so restricted that the language in Article 21, Section 2(i) of the CBA reads that, "only full-time or part-time strength and conditioning coaches, who have no other coaching responsibilities with the Club, shall be allowed on the field; no other coaches shall be allowed on the field or to otherwise participate in or observe activities."

The language speaks for itself. Position coaches, coordinators and head coaches are not allowed to be part of this portion of the program. If you're hoping for updates on Monday, there won't be many.

PHASE TWO is a three-week program in which all coaches are allowed on the field, observing and supervising individual workouts, drills and instruction. However teams are only allowed to conduct "perfect play" drills; only the offense or the defense (no offense vs. defense). Additionally no live contact is permitted, nor offense vs. defensive drills (offensive linemen vs. defensive linemen, receivers vs. secondary, etc.). The same is applied to special teams. In fact players aren't even allowed to wear helmets during Phase Two.

PHASE THREE is 10 organized team practice activities (aka, OTA) later this summer. According to the CBA, three practices may take place in the first two weeks of Phase Three with the third or fourth weeks allowing a maximum of four practices each. Much like phase two, there are contact restrictions. No live contact is permitted, nor any one-on-one offensive versus defensive drills. Teams may require players to wear helmets, but no shells. The fourth week (or third, depending on how the OTAs are distributed) will be the team's mandatory minicamp which takes place on June 16-18.

INJURIES

Tight end Tyler Eifert and offensive tackle Andre Smith are expected to join Vontaze Burfict as nonparticipants out of the gates, as they recover from offseason procedures and injuries that forced them on season-ending injured reserve.

DATES

First Day: The first day of the team's offseason training program is April 20. 
Phase One: April 20 - May 3
Phase Two: May 4 - May 25
Phase Three:
OTA: May 26-28
OTA: June 2-5
OTA: June 8-11
Mandatory Camp: June 16-18

WORKOUT BONUSES

The Bengals workout bonuses are as follows (h/t to ESPN's Coley Harvey):

$300,000

  • DE Carlos Dunlap
  • LB Rey Maualuga
  • DT Geno Atkins

$200,000

  • QB Andy Dalton
  • OT Andre Smith
  • OT Andrew Whitworth
  • OG Clint Boling
  • DE Wallace Gilberry
  • LB Vontaze Burfict

$100,000

  • LB Vincent Rey
  • CB Leon Hall
  • CB Adam Jones
  • K Mike Nugent

$50,000

  • RB Giovani Bernard
  • DE Margus Hunt
  • LB A.J. Hawk
  • S Reggie Nelson
  • P Kevin Huber

$30,000

  • WR Brandon Tate
  • DT Devon Still
  • DT Pat Sims
  • LS Clark Harris

$10,000

  • DE Will Clarke

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