CCBoy
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OTA’s Are For Teaching
http://cowboyszone.com/2016/06/otas-are-for-teaching.html
Offseason Team Activities (OTA’s) are over. School is out.
The Dallas Cowboys have put Rookie Minicamp, voluntary OTA’s and mandatory OTA’s in the rear view mirror. It was another good team effort as near 100% attendance was achieved in the voluntary portion and injuries are at a minimum when compared to last years.
I would be remiss to point out it’s difficult to keep a teams injuries to a minimum when you draft injured players with regularity. I will step down off my soapbox now. Thank you.
Moving on. Most long time fans fully understand the combine (otherwise known as the Underwear Olympics) is not the definitive statement on who will excel in the NFL. OTA’s are similar in that a player isn’t going to make the team because he shined with no pads on. A guy can get cut in OTA’s for bad performance, but he’s not going to cement his final 53 slot because he can out quick guys in flag football.
Sure, you can get more of an honest evaluation at some positions than others, but all observations will be revised once the pads come on. Ergo you will hear most of the coaches repeat the Marinelli OTA philosophy in some fashion during the offseason.
Rod Marinelli makes his OTA statement every year in various interviews with the media. He makes it every day with the players. “OTA’s are for teaching. Camp is for evaluation.” That’s that. Reporters hammer the coaches with evaluation questions every day. They try and respond honestly but to be frank, they really can’t. You see the coaches aren’t evaluating. They’re teaching.
“OTA’s are for teaching. Camp is for evaluation.” – Rod Marinelli
So yes, wide receivers looked fast and fluid when playing in contact free zones. Lot’s of big play touchdowns occur as QB’s are never sacked and RB’s are rarely touched. It’s fun to watch but it’s more like an episode of School House Rocks then Hard Knocks. There is a TON of teaching going on and if a player is missing his reps due to injury/holdout it totally impacts his progression on the field come game day.
Mental reps are valuable as well. Ask Sean Lee and now Jaylon Smith who both were taking mental looks at drills standing directly behind the individual events and mentally running with each player. It takes discipline and few can do it successfully on a consistent basis. If Smith can learn this skill from anyone, Lee is the man.
...
http://cowboyszone.com/2016/06/otas-are-for-teaching.html
Offseason Team Activities (OTA’s) are over. School is out.
The Dallas Cowboys have put Rookie Minicamp, voluntary OTA’s and mandatory OTA’s in the rear view mirror. It was another good team effort as near 100% attendance was achieved in the voluntary portion and injuries are at a minimum when compared to last years.
I would be remiss to point out it’s difficult to keep a teams injuries to a minimum when you draft injured players with regularity. I will step down off my soapbox now. Thank you.
Moving on. Most long time fans fully understand the combine (otherwise known as the Underwear Olympics) is not the definitive statement on who will excel in the NFL. OTA’s are similar in that a player isn’t going to make the team because he shined with no pads on. A guy can get cut in OTA’s for bad performance, but he’s not going to cement his final 53 slot because he can out quick guys in flag football.
Sure, you can get more of an honest evaluation at some positions than others, but all observations will be revised once the pads come on. Ergo you will hear most of the coaches repeat the Marinelli OTA philosophy in some fashion during the offseason.
Rod Marinelli makes his OTA statement every year in various interviews with the media. He makes it every day with the players. “OTA’s are for teaching. Camp is for evaluation.” That’s that. Reporters hammer the coaches with evaluation questions every day. They try and respond honestly but to be frank, they really can’t. You see the coaches aren’t evaluating. They’re teaching.
“OTA’s are for teaching. Camp is for evaluation.” – Rod Marinelli
So yes, wide receivers looked fast and fluid when playing in contact free zones. Lot’s of big play touchdowns occur as QB’s are never sacked and RB’s are rarely touched. It’s fun to watch but it’s more like an episode of School House Rocks then Hard Knocks. There is a TON of teaching going on and if a player is missing his reps due to injury/holdout it totally impacts his progression on the field come game day.
Mental reps are valuable as well. Ask Sean Lee and now Jaylon Smith who both were taking mental looks at drills standing directly behind the individual events and mentally running with each player. It takes discipline and few can do it successfully on a consistent basis. If Smith can learn this skill from anyone, Lee is the man.
...
