Football is just around the corner as the Oakland Raiders have officially announced their 2019 offseason program schedule, with team workouts beginning on April 15 at the practice facility.
According to the Raiders official website, the NFL offseason program includes three voluntary phases and a mandatory minicamp. Phase one, set to begin on April 15 has extreme limitations. It only permits classroom work with coaches, as well as strength and conditioning work on the field, where coaches are not allowed.
Phase Two allows a bit more leniency, with coaches being able to be present on the field but no team drills or live contact are yet allowed.
Phase Three of the program begins in late May and is the first official organized team activities (OTAs), including scrimmages without contact. Programs with returning head coaches are granted an additional mandatory minicamp following Phase Three, this is in addition to the one rookie minicamp allotted to each NFL club, which will be announced at a later date.
OTAs are officially scheduled for May 21-23, May 28-30, June 3-6 and then Mandatory Minicamp is set for June 11-13.
This offseason has been an extremely productive one for the Raiders so far as Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock have greatly improved a team that went 4-12 last year.
That began with acquiring one of the best wide receivers in football in Antonio Brown, also including big-name additions like Trent Brown, Tyrell Williams and Isaiah Crowell on the offensive side of the ball and Lamarcus Joyner and Vontaze Burfict on the defensive side.
