It was a busy week regarding the NFL and Covid-19 protocols, or until Monday, lack thereof protocols. Training camp is set to get underway next week, and no plans had been submitted to the NFLPA for approval.

For the Ravens, rookies arrived at “The Castle” Tuesday with quarterbacks and injured players coming in Thursday. It wasn’t until Monday, the day before rookies arrive, that the NFL finally met the Players Association with transparency on some safety measures to be put into place. Measures the union agreed to. The NFL had more than enough time to figure this out. Why waiting until crunch time to show any signs of actual concern for players safety is anyone’s guess. On the other hand, sounds like par for the course given the league.

Baseball and its Players Union got into a messy dispute that put any semblance of a season in jeopardy. Both sides, players and owners, looked bad in their negotiations. While their argument was mostly about money, the NFLPA’s concern is focused on safety. Players, just like every citizen during this pandemic, have every right to be concerned about their safety. How their company will handle testing. How long the tests take. What to do in the case of a positive test? Who will be notified? Will there be contact tracing? How? It is vitally important that these issues be covered before players report.

The NFLPA coordinated a social media blitz on Sunday afternoon that had the players taking the high road, while the NFL was still sitting on their hands, with less than 48 hours before the first players report. The trending hashtag was #WeWantToPlay.

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Back in June, the NFL came up with plans for limiting the spread or Coronavirus. Rearrangement of locker rooms for social distancing, virtual meetings, social distance when possible, wear a mask when possible. What the NFL hadn’t addressed until the day after the Sunday Twitter bombs, was what happens when someone tests positive.

With the league hand forced, here is what we now know in regard to player safety surrounding training camp.

All players will be tested every day for the first two weeks of training camp which starts July 28th. All players will need two negative tests in order to enter the team facilities. Meaning the rookies who reported on Tuesday, reported just to take the test. They will report again on Thursday to take their second test. When the rest of the team reports on July 28, they will be tested, then the next two days will be virtual sessions, then they will report again August 1st for their second test.

Positivity rate will be assessed at the two-week mark, and if it is below 5%, testing moves to every other day. 

If a player tests positive, asymptomatically, they can return in ten days, or with two negative tests within five days. If a player tests positive with symptoms, they can return in ten days, and 72 hours since last showing symptoms.

Players coming in contact with someone with symptoms will be tested and isolated as soon as possible. They may return but will be subject to increased testing and symptom monitoring. Players coming in contact with someone who tests positive, would need two negative tests and no symptoms in order to return.

Players will report for day one of camp, then the next two days will be virtual sessions, before returning for day four. The belief is this will help prevent the spread of the virus as it incubates.

A national lab will handle test results to no drain localities, and results would come back in 24 hours. 

Contact tracing information will be conducted by proximity recording devices the players will wear at all times. Likely something similar, if not exactly the same thing, they wear at practice and in-game to measure their performance.  

According to Ravens.com insider Garrett Downing, the league and the NFLPA are still trying to workout appropriate times for going into padded/contact practices. It used to be sometime in the first couple days they would put pads on. Now it could be a couple weeks.  

Last night, the players got the upper hand when they and the league agreed to cancel the preseason. They wanted no games, the league wanted two, then one, then gave in to the players wish of none.

What does this mean for the Ravens? Rookie linebacker Patrick Queen who we expect to earn a starting role, will see his first game action in one that counts. Provided that there is a season at all. Let’s face it. As the days go by, the dominoes keep falling. Everything went virtual, then there were no mini camps, no OTAs, Hall of Fame Game, out. Reduced stadium capacities, then some (Giants and Jets) reported they would have zero fans. Now the preseason has been chopped. There are only two things left. Training camp, and games that count. Golf, NASCAR, MLB has been able to return. Sports that are easy to social distance in. NHL and NBA are around the corner. But we know that football is a different animal.

It also means that the Ravens won’t get any in game looks at their undrafted guys against competition outside their house. They likely keep the streak of retaining a UDFA with Jacob Breeland battling Charles Scarff for the third tight end spot. But the other players who will likely be cut, need that exposure. Ross Tucker, former journeyman offensive lineman and now podcast host, tweeted, “0% chance I make the team as a rookie in 2001 without any preseason games.” He was undrafted by Washington in 2001 and played seven seasons across five teams. Also consider that UDFA’s aren’t just auditioning for the team they are on. They are auditioning for the rest of the league during preseason.

Last preseason helped the Ravens earn a fifth-round pick for kicker, Kaare Vedvik. A pick they would use to ultimately acquire Calais Campbell. Side note: Campbell got a 95 rating in Madden 21. Lamar Jackson got a 94. Are we to believe the league MVP and Madden cover star, isn’t the best player on his own team?

With no games, I can’t see how teams inquire about a player when they see nothing on the NFL field. The 46th to 90th guys on the camp roster, have the most to lose without preseason games while the games stars, obviously, don’t need preseason and have the loudest voices. It’s great that their voices helped wake the NFL up from its summer slumber. But the greed of wanting no preseason, which they have said they don’t need for a long time now, hurts a lot of guys who this might be their only shot.

Furthermore, in the name of safety, at least one preseason game at home and away, allows a trial run at going through the Covid-19 protocols for gameday, for travel, with a visiting team, or as a visiting team. If you are allowing limited fans, it allows the stadium security, gate attendants, ushers, a trial run at handling the aspect of social distancing, where the Ravens are set to host 14,000 people a game.

At the end of the day, what matters most is playing games this season. The Ravens have a unique opportunity, sporting arguably the most complete roster in the league, and the reigning NFL MVP. To lose parts of training camp, to lose games or this entire season for any number of reasons related to Covid and player safety would be devastating. They want to play; we want to watch. The NFL needs to make it happen instead of having its hand forced at every turn.

Mike Randall
Mike Randall

Ravens Analyst

Mike was born on the Eastern Shore, raised in Finksburg, and currently resides in Parkville. In 2009, Mike graduated from the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland. Mike became a Baltimore City Fire Fighter in late 2010. Mike has appeared as a guest on Q1370, and FOX45. Now a Sr. Ravens Analyst for BSL, he can be reached at [email protected].

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