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'SKINS INVESTIGATED FOR OTA VIOLATIONS
The Washington Redskins are in hot water with the NFL Players Association for alleged offseason workout violations.

We've heard from multiple league sources that the NFLPA is looking into whether the 'Skins have been engaging in 1-on-1 drills, which are a no-no for so-called Organized Team Activities.

And the evidence of the alleged violation hasn't come from an anonymous tip to the union. Instead, the investigation has been fueled by video of practices posted on the team's official web site.

More to come.

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OTA Video Draws League Interest


June 2, 2005



The Washington Redskins' video coverage of ongoing Organized Team Activities (OTAs) at Redskins.com has drawn raves from fans--and scrutiny from the NFL.
An employee of the NFL Players Association viewed the Redskins.com video and notified the league of their concern that the O-line vs D-line work was too physical. League officials contacted the team, which has forwarded team video of relative portions of practice for review.

"These drills go on at every team in the league, during all portions of the practice year," Assistant Head Coach-Offense Joe Bugel, the 28-year veteran responsible for the offensive line, said on Thursday. "We have no problem with the review. Anyone who has ever played on the O-line or D-line at this level knows that the physical contact bears no resemblance to that experienced in a regular-season practice or game."

The team's union representatives have been in touch with the league and the NFLPA to represent the players' view that nothing in the OTA workouts is outside the rules.


Chris Samuels and Derrick Dockery walk off the field after a recent OTA practice.
Since the onset of OTAs two weeks ago, Redskins.com has given fans a unique view of the previously private practices. Fans have flocked to the daily video updates in increasing numbers as team cameras provided player interviews, behind-the-scenes looks at Redskins Park and never-before-seen glimpses of OTA activities.

"When we decided to give Redskins.com access to these sessions we knew fans would be seeing things they never have seen before," Head Coach Joe Gibbs said.

Added Larry Michael, the team's executive producer of the videos: "Upon launch of our 'Redskins Unfiltered' video view at Redskins.com we knew we'd be providing a special view of the team's world and fans have responded accordingly. The team has given us unprecedented access and fans are watching in numbers we didn't expect this early in the development of Redskins.com video."

Each day, Redskins.com has targeted a different position drill. Recently, the cameras focused on drills pitting offensive and defensive linemen against one another. The drills, at reduced speed, are intended to help players on each side of the ball improve their techniques, particularly with hand- and foot-work.

Under OTA rules, players do not wear pads--only helmets. Intensive physical contact is kept at a minimum.

NFL to investigate Redskins practices

NFL.com wire reports

ASHBURN, Va. -- The NFL wants to know if the Washington Redskins have been playing too rough in the offseason.

The league and the players' union said they are investigating the Redskins' offseason practices. At issue are the team's one-on-one drills between offensive and defensive linemen, which the union says are forbidden, and whether those drills violate a prohibition against "live contact."

The players' union was first alerted of the possible infractions after the team posted video from the drills on the Internet. The practices are closed to reporters.

"Do you know how we caught them?" NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw said. "We saw it on their Web site."

Coach Joe Gibbs said the team has turned over tapes of its practices to the league for review. If the team is found in violation, it could lose part of its allotted number of offseason practice days.

"We think we're doing what we need to be doing, trying to get everybody ready," Gibbs said. "And if it fits within the rules, we'll just have to see."

The practices -- called OTAs or "organized team activities" -- are essentially practices without pads. The collective bargaining agreement forbids "live contact drills between offensive and defensive linemen" during the practices.

Of course, "live contact" can be open to interpretation. Asked to describe the one-on-one drills, tackle Chris Samuels said: "We're locking up, just working our hand placement and technique, but we're not, like, finishing guys or driving guys to the ground."

NFLPA spokesman Carl Francis said the team shouldn't be doing one-on-one drills in the first place.

"The only thing that is allowed at OTAs is 7-on-7, 9-on-7 and 11-on-11," Francis said.

Gibbs said he thinks the Redskins are "well within the rules." He said his interpretation is that one-on-one drills are allowed for teaching pass rushing techniques and that the drills are not too physical.

"What they don't want is one-on-one physical stuff, competitive, where you wind up with players on the ground getting injured," Gibbs said.

Assistant coach Joe Bugel defended the drills by saying that their "physical contact bears no resemblance to that experienced in a regular-season practice or game."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed that the league is looking into the matter. Neither Francis nor Aiello offered a timetable for a decision.

This is the second time since his return from retirement that Gibbs has drawn the attention of league officials for possible transgressions during practice. Last year, during the regular season, the coach tried to flaunt the rules by using an extra practice squad player until the league told him to stop.

NFL Penalizes Redskins Over Workouts
By Associated Press

ASHBURN, Va. -- The NFL has docked the Washington Redskins three days of offseason practices for conducting workouts that were too physical.

The team will lose its "organized team activities" -- essentially practices without pads -- scheduled for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. In addition, there can be no player meetings or conditioning sessions at Redskins Park from Friday through Wednesday. The team's mandatory three-day minicamp begins June 17.

Redskins Lose Three OTA Days
By Gary Fitzgerald
Redskins.com
June 9, 2005



With the completion of this week's OTA practices, Redskins players will have off until June 16, head coach Joe Gibbs said on Thursday. The team has lost three OTA days as the NFL has deemed some recent practices to be too physical.
"They found that our offensive lineman and defensive lineman drills were too physical," Gibbs said. "We'll not have work here of any kind other than treatment. Next Thursday, we'll resume our workouts with an OTA day, which will lead right into mini-camp."

The NFL and the NFL Players Association issued the following statement:

"The NFL Management Council and the NFL Players Association have resolved a complaint by the Players Association against the Washington Redskins concerning violations of the Collective Bargaining Agreement's off-season workout rules.

NFL Executive Vice President Harold Henderson and Players Association Executive Director Gene Upshaw have determined that the Redskins violated the rules concerning the intensity and tempo of drills conducted on the club's organized team activity days (OTA days).

As a result, the Redskins will forfeit three days of their off-season program (June 13-15, 2005). Redskins' players are not permitted to be at the facility on those days, but will be paid for the sessions."

The ruling came after an employee of the NFLPA viewed video from Redskins.com and notified the league of their concern that the line work was too physical. League officials contacted the team and required officials to forward video of relative portions of practice for review.

Gibbs said team officials and coaches believed they were operating under the guidelines of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

"What's important to me is our players," Gibbs said. "We always want to have a great relationship with the player's union. Obviously we want to be within the rules and we want to stay within the rules. The rules specifically state that you can have offensive lineman versus defensive lineman. But it can't rise to the point of being full-go. You can't have bull-rushes. After we turned the film, in they felt like our [drills] were too physical."

The Redskins were initially scheduled for OTA work from Monday-Wednesday next week, with Thursday an off day. Now the team will hold an OTA session on Thursday when players return from the break.

The Redskins will host their only full-squad mini-camp starting on Friday, June 17 and culminating Sunday, June 19.