Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters last week the team would begin their offseason schedule a week later than they are allowed to. Teams with new head coaches can begin their offseason program April 1. The Cardinals will wait a week and start on April 8, eliminating what would have been a week break in the middle of the schedule.
The team will still take advantage of the full number of practices they can have in spring work but will compact them. The schedule was released on Friday.
Here is how it will look beginning April 8:
April 8: Offseason strength and conditioning program begins (league rules set Phase 1 at two weeks with only strength and conditioning staff on the field)
April 23-25: Voluntary veteran minicamp (teams with new coaches get this extra minicamp)
April 29: Phase 2 begins and runs for three weeks in the offseason schedule. Players get individual drills with their position coaches as well as offense or defense against dummies. No offense vs. defense is allowed. This runs for three weeks.
May 10-12: Mandatory rookie minicamp
May 20-22: Voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) Week 1
May 29-31: OTAs Week 2 (voluntary)
June 3-6: OTAs Week 3 (voluntary)
June 11-13: Mandatory minicamp for entire team
After that, the veterans are off until training camp, while rookies will remain for a few more weeks in the facility for meetings. There is no practice.
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