LA Rams important dates update

The LA Rams important dates have changed this year. So here is the latest update for LA Rams important dates

When the LA Rams prepared for the 2020 NFL season, the league created a set of important dates to highlight important events in the upcoming NFL season.  If you have not been paying attention, those dates are now obsolete, as the NFL and NFLPA have crafted a new set of procedures, schedules, and protocols to address the risks associated with COVID-19.

For example, the NFL and NFLPA have agreed to cancel all preseason games this season. The league is also prepared to play a season with no fans in the stands as well. So we’re saying some things have changed? Yes.  So what is different?  For starters, the NFL schedule is not just tweaked or amended, it’s a brand new schedule altogether. So we really ought to just come out with it, right?  So here goes:

New schedule

NFL teams opened on July 28, 2020.  But for the first four days, from July 28-31, teams are testing players for COVID-19 only. All other team events, like team meetings and the like, will be held via the virtual meeting format. If any player tests positive initially, they will be subject to the team’s COVID-19 protocol. That will involve self-quarantine, testing, and a period of isolation until the minimum number of days and negative tests have been met.
July 28-21: COVID-19 testing, virtual meetings.
The next item on all NFL team agenda are the physicals and follow up daily COVID-19 testing.  Physical exams and three negative COVID-19 tests are required before players will be issued equipment and gear.
August 1-2: Daily COVID-19 testing, Physicals, virtual meetings

All of this is merely to get both the team and players to the point of strength and conditioning workouts and walk-throughs.

Mini Organized Team Activities (OTAs)

The LA Rams will run a mini OTA from August 3-11. At that time, the players will be subjected to vigorous strength and conditioning exercises (to prevent excessive injuries this season) and will install new plays via walkthroughs.
August 3-11: Daily Strength and conditioning exercises, new plays installed, walk-through practices

Mandatory day off on August 8th, then one day off every seven days.
August 8th: Day off

Following this, helmets will go on to continue team practice at a somewhat quicker speed.
August 12-16: Daily Strength and conditioning exercises, helmets-on, quicker practices.

From this point, teams may elect to add full football pads to practices for as many as three days a week for a total maximum of 14 practices with pads.
August 17: up to three padded practices per week

Rosters reduced, and practice resumes

August 16: All NFL rosters must be reduced to 80 players

September 5: All team rosters must be cut to 53-man rosters. The team can assign up to 16 players to practice squad, with up to four players protected from signing with another NFL team.
September 5: 53 man roster limit. Practice squad of 16 players created.

From this point on, NFL teams will be in semi-normal scheduling mode of preparing for games and cleaning up any trouble spots from previous games or practices.
September 10-14: Practice for week 1 football game.

This will not be smooth. Early NFL games will appear to be as bad if not worse than preseason games. And for many games, some serious contenders may come out and lay a big fat egg on the national stage. It’s to be expected. What coaches do to clean it up is the litmus test of the new season.  For the Rams, players trust the coaching staff completely. So coaching corrections in mid-season will work.

But what about teams that struggled recently? Or teams with new head coaches? Those teams will be put through their paces this year as any adversity will challenge coaches to make mid-course corrections without the complete trust of the players. The NFC West will be very strong in the trust factor. But there are many NFL teams projected to do very well that may struggle to find much success as a result.