Daryl Johnston: CBA Limits Strength Training (with Team Trainer) to Only 9 Weeks

[Gossamer]

I originally mentioned this within another thread, but I decided that it might be worth its own thread.

Galloway: ...Give me (as Jason Garrett) some suggestions - What should I do? How should I plan for the 2012 season as the Head Coach? What would you tell him?


Daryl Johnston: I would tell him to do everything he possibly can to change the off-season schedule with the way that the league has made it because I was disappointed to find out that one of the things that I thought was really going to benefit the Cowboys was five months with Mike Woicik and come to find out that he's going to have about 9 weeks to work with these guys. I think what they did in the CBA by not giving the players the choice to work out more than is dictated by the CBA is a crime and it's embarrassing that these guys -- as me as a player that somebody could tell me 'You can not go into your weight room and workout in a supervised way with your strength coach until April 16th' -- I would be furious. Number One, you've got to figure out a way to structure your off-season program because this is when all your advancements are made. It's not just in training camp and the schedule that they have in place right now -- I would be very very upset if I was a player in the NFL today.

Link to audio: http://espn.go.com/espnradio/dallas/play?id=7429614

This topic begins at 15:04 into the interview.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

It sucks, but as a strength and conditioning coach he could provide his players with a work-out regimen to follow on their own, no?

 

[Hoofbite]

It sucks, but as a strength and conditioning coach he could provide his players with a work-out regimen to follow on their own, no?

Definitely could.

Will they?

Really not a big issue. You meet with them for like 2 weeks initially, give them a week off and then alternate with one or two 2 week spans of self-directed training.

Basically comes down to an every other week schedule. It might even be beneficial if they split the team up and had half come in during one week and the other half come in during the following week. More one-on-one time.

But it all comes down to the player to get it done during the off week.

 

[burmafrd]

that is one reason all this short offseason whining is a joke.

Players who WANT to make it will work out on their own using Woicik's plan.

Just like they could have this last offseason. Woicik was in place before the strike. He had given all the players their offseason plans, as I recall reading. So anyone that failed failed because they did not put the effort into it. Woicik can do NOTHING about that.

 

[sago1]

Sean Lee should be an example to everybody else on this team. He's got a great work ethic along with being very smart & athletic. When we drafted him in 2010, we knew his injury would prevent him from playing; but in his second season (first year as a starter) he really stepped it up & took over ILB position. When he's in there, our defense is much better. But we need at least 4-5 new defensive starters to improve this team enough to go deep into the playoffs in 2012. Jerry talks a big game but doesn't produce much. He better get it done so Garrett/Ryan have lot better players to play with.

 

[mmillman]

these guys are being paid a lot of money, they can follow his program and hire someone themselves. Not a big deal. It isn't like he works with 53 guys alone every day.

 

[CATCH17]

A Pro Athlete can get in pretty dang good shape in 9 weeks.

It's the guys you want to gain a lot of strength, like a David Arkin, that I worry about because he won't make much progress in 9 weeks.

 

[fifaguy]

It sucks, but as a strength and conditioning coach he could provide his players with a work-out regimen to follow on their own, no?

I interned as a S & C coach a year back. I can tell you all with confidence, 80% of the players do not do the workouts if they are not forced to come into the gym for the team workout. Also cutting down from 5 months to 2.5 months of consistent strength training is a big deal...

 

[Doomsday101]

Sean Lee should be an example to everybody else on this team. He's got a great work ethic along with being very smart & athletic. When we drafted him in 2010, we knew his injury would prevent him from playing; but in his second season (first year as a starter) he really stepped it up & took over ILB position. When he's in there, our defense is much better. But we need at least 4-5 new defensive starters to improve this team enough to go deep into the playoffs in 2012. Jerry talks a big game but doesn't produce much. He better get it done so Garrett/Ryan have lot better players to play with.

I agree and I think we will see Lee step up and become a leader. Hard to take leadership as a rookie or a backup player but now is the time for Lee to be the one to push his teammates this off season

 

[TellerMorrow34]

While I agree with Hoof that they can defiantely work this thing to make it still very beneficial I find it very stupid, and pathetic, that one of the things they did was cut down the strength and conditioning time.

These guys should WANT to be in there as much as possible getting that work in.

Just flat out stupid.

 

[JoeCorrado]

While I agree with Hoof that they can defiantely work this thing to make it still very beneficial I find it very stupid, and pathetic, that one of the things they did was cut down the strength and conditioning time.

These guys should WANT to be in there as much as possible getting that work in.

Just flat out stupid.

Funny thing, is that the language to prevent even voluntary workouts with the team, is intended to protect the players who have no motivation to work out at all. This way, the lazy can be lazy without being worried that the team will notice them... because they are "prohibited" from doing what they need to do.

A joke. Bad move.

Players who "want" to do the things they need to do, will do it regardless.

The ones who avoid doing the work needed, will soon find that the "personal accountability" thing that Garrett talks about- will find them. And they will find themselves wondering where that dream job they had last week disappeared to.

Root out the rot, and move on.

 

[arglebargle]

I interned as a S & C coach a year back. I can tell you all with confidence, 80% of the players do not do the workouts if they are not forced to come into the gym for the team workout. Also cutting down from 5 months to 2.5 months of consistent strength training is a big deal...

Do you think the week-on week-off schedule would be the best plan under the circumstances? Some other plan?

 

[cowboy_ron]

The softer players, Goodell, and the cba is about to kill this sport

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I interned as a S & C coach a year back. I can tell you all with confidence, 80% of the players do not do the workouts if they are not forced to come into the gym for the team workout. Also cutting down from 5 months to 2.5 months of consistent strength training is a big deal...

True, but the key is that every other team is in the same boat as well.

 

[Doomsday101]

The softer players, Goodell, and the cba is about to kill this sport

Goodell is or the NFL players union? They are the ones who made these demands

 

[Risen Star]

I hated this change. I pretty much hate anything the players want, as they don't know what's good for them.

This was merely placating their laziness.

 

[arglebargle]

Great interview, btw. Moose is hitting on all cylinders.


One thing about the way off season workouts have been restructured: I think they were set up this way because of the tendancy in the NFL for 'voluntary' stuff to become mandatory.

Still doesn't make it a good idea.

 

[AbeBeta]

that is one reason all this short offseason whining is a joke.

Players who WANT to make it will work out on their own using Woicik's plan.

Just like they could have this last offseason. Woicik was in place before the strike. He had given all the players their offseason plans, as I recall reading. So anyone that failed failed because they did not put the effort into it. Woicik can do NOTHING about that.

Exactly.

I expect that every single player on the team received a detailed off-season plan from Woicik. They likely got some recommendations for personal trainers who could work with them as well.

Really the only off-season issue here is that Woicik didn't have the time to get to study the players in detail before he gave them a plan.

 

[Staxxxx]

Definitely could.

Will they?

Really not a big issue. You meet with them for like 2 weeks initially, give them a week off and then alternate with one or two 2 week spans of self-directed training.

Basically comes down to an every other week schedule. It might even be beneficial if they split the team up and had half come in during one week and the other half come in during the following week. More one-on-one time.

But it all comes down to the player to get it done during the off week.

I'm not sure if that's how this works. Though I can't find anything that directly spells it out, after reading a couple of articles on this I believe that the offseason workouts start in mid April and run consecutively for 9 weeks. I would love clarification if anyone can provide it. Having said that I did find this breakdown on how the offseason workouts will be structured here.


Offseason Workouts
•Limited to 9 weeks
•Three Phases
–Phase One
•Two weeks; limited to strength and conditioning activities (“dead ball”); only strength and
conditioning coaches allowed on field
–Phase Two
•Three weeks; individual and “perfect play” drills allowed (no offense vs. defense); all coaches
allowed on the field
–Phase Three
•4 weeks; 10 OTA’s; maximum of three OTA’s for the first 2 weeks; maximum of 4 OTA’s for the
3rd or 4th week, with the other week being the minicamp
–Fines for violations (in addition to week of lost workouts):
•Coaches - $100K for 1st violation; $250K for 2nd
•Clubs - $250K for 1st violation; $500K for 2nd
Minicamp
•Physicals on Monday but not practice; practices Tuesday – Thursday; day off on Friday
•Maximum of 3 ½ hours on the field per day
–One practice per day up to 2 ½ hours
–Second practice limited to walk through activities only