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Fans attending the New Orleans Saints’ open minicamp practices in the next three days may notice a difference in the intensity level of the workouts from previous years.

Because of changes in the new collective bargaining agreement that went into effect in August, NFL teams and players are limited in what they can and can’t do during veteran minicamps.

So when the Saints take the field for five practices between Tuesday and Thursday at their Metairie training facility, there will be no contact work (defined in Article 22, Section 5 of the CBA as “live” blocking, tackling, pass rushing, bump-and-run) or use of pads. Helmets are permitted.

Each of the Saints’ five workouts will be open free of charge to the public, although practices that have to be moved to the team’s indoor facility because of inclement weather will be closed to fans.

The Saints have practices scheduled for 10:15 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday and wrap things up with a single workout at 10:15 a.m. Thursday. Gates open 45 minutes before the start of each workout.

“We want as little contact as possible, and I’m all for that,” Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt said of the rules limitations. “The season is grueling, it’s long.

“I think for our offensive and defensive linemen, what we’ve tried to teach is, ‘Bring your hands first, your feet second, shut it down, and try to have as little helmet-to-helmet contact as we can.’”

Vitt admitted it will be a change for the Saints, who in the past had some spirited minicamp work with the competitive juices flowing in the heat and humidity of early June.

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New rules will give Saints

Danno

So basically its just a walk-thru, strength, and conditioning camp?

RockyMountainSaint

Seahawks violate contact rules, lose two OTA days | ProFootballTalk
By rule, NFL teams are not allowed to engage in contact during Organized Team Activities.

The Seahawks violated that rule and they will lose two days of practice time as a result. The NFL and NFLPA announced the penalty in a joint statement on Tuesday afternoon.

“The NFL Management Council and NFL Players Association have determined that the Seattle Seahawks violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement’s offseason workout rules on the prohibition of live contact during one of the club’s organized team activity days. As a result, the Seahawks will forfeit two of their scheduled OTA practices (June 6 and 7) as well as an additional offseason workout day on Friday, June 8. Seahawks’ players are not permitted to be at the facility on those days, but will be paid for the sessions. The club cannot reschedule the cancelled days.”

Several members of the Seahawks tweeted about the penalty before it was officially announced. Wide receiver Ricardo Lockette wanted Seahawks fans to know that “its about to go down and we were going hard at practice for you guys.”

This is the first offseason under the rules put in place by last year’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. The CBA limits teams to 10 OTA days, during which players may practice for two hours while wearing a helmet and no other pads. The CBA also requires that OTAs be filmed so that there is a record to refer to in case any drills need to be reviewed.

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Rugby Saint II

So much for the competitive juices flowing.........