:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49215447/usa-today-8726292.0.jpg)
The Cincinnati Bengals have announced their full offseason dates for Organized Team Activities.
The first day of these workouts will come just over a week before the 2016 NFL draft kicks off as Cincinnati hits the field April 18th for a voluntary day of work. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports the Bengals will host local draft hopefuls on April 19. That workout will include players from colleges like the University of Cincinnati and Xavier while also hosting players at other college who went to high school in and around Cincinnati.
The Enquirer also reports Cincinnati will have a rookie minicamp from May 6-9 as the newest Bengals get used to life in the pro league.
The Bengals will then be back for more OTAs from May 24-26. By then, the team's draft class will be able to come to Cincinnati for their first NFL workouts with the veterans and hopefully get some pointers from them.
The Bengals OTA's will wrap up from June 14-16 when they hold their lone offseason minicamp for the whole team.
In case you need a refresher, here's how the NFL offseason works, per the collective bargaining agreement:
-
Phase 1: Players can undergo strength and conditioning, rehabilitation from injuries and nothing else during this period. This phase lasts two weeks.
-
Phase 2: On-field instruction and drills are allowed, but contact is not permitted and offensive and defensive players cannot be pitted against one another in drills. This phase lasts three weeks.
-
Phase 3: Teams are permitted 10 days of OTAs. Again, contact isn't allowed but seven-on-seven, nine-on-seven and 11-on-11 drills are allowed. This phase lasts four weeks, and teams are also allowed to hold a mandatory veteran minicamp during this time.
To recap, here are the dates for the Bengals' OTAs in 2016:
Voluntary OTA: 4/18
Rookie Minicamp: May 6-9.
OTAs: May 24-26, May 31- June 2, June 6-9
Minicamp: June 14-16