Bengals OTA and minicamp dates announced by NFL

The NFL has announced the offseason dates for all 32 teams.

The Bengals will begin their offseason workouts on April 16, less than two weeks before the 2018 NFL Draft kicks off. The team has also revealed that the report day for training camp will come July 26.

The team will begin three sessions of organized team activities (OTAs), the first beginning May 22. The final day of regular OTAs is June 7.

The Bengals will then get a brief break before the start of mandatory minicamp from June 12-14. That will conclude OTAs until the team returns for the start of training camp in late July.

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.

Here is the entire schedule for the Bengals’ OTAs and other offseason dates to know:

• First day of offseason workouts: April 16
• Local college players’ workout: April 17
• Marvin Lewis pre-draft news conference at 12:15 pm: April 24
• 2018 NFL Draft: April 26-28
• Rookie minicamp: May 11-13
• OTA Offseason Workouts: May 22-24, May 29-31 and June 1, June 4-7
• Mandatory Minicamp: June 12-14
• Players report to training camp: July 26