Six NFL teams open minicamp Tuesday, which marks the beginning of the end to their pre-training camp workouts.
The teams include:
Minicamps mark the first time this offseason that attendance is mandatory and players can be fined for skipping. Per the Collective Bargaining Agreement, players are subject to fines starting at $10,000 for the first missed day and can total up to $60,000 for missing the entire minicamp. (Note: Franchise-tagged players who have not signed their tenders, like Demaryius Thomas, aren't subject to fines.)
Teams can hold two practices on two of the three minicamp days, but one must be a walkthrough, no on-field session can last longer than 2.5 hours and players can't be on the field more than 3.5 hours in one day.Â
There is no contact work allowed in drills, which includes live blocking, tacking or physical coverage. Teams are subject to punishment for violating the contact rule -- the Seahawks forfeited two days of minicamps after being cited for physical practices in 2012.
There is a bevy of storylines for each of the six teams that we will be tracking over the course of this week.
» How does Carson Palmer look after ACL surgery? How will the Cardinals' defense attack without Todd Bowles' elaborate schemes? Does Arizona have a complement at running back for Andre Ellington?
» What shape is Peyton Manning's arm and thigh in and how will he adjust to a different offense? How will the Broncos replace Ryan Clady? What role will first-round pick Shane Ray play?
»How will veteran additions Frank Gore and Andre Johnson look alongside Andrew Luck? How will the Colts spread the ball around? Did Chuck Pagano's defense finally improve enough to get Indy to a Super Bowl?
» How will the Jets' loaded defensive line rotation look? Will Geno Smith show enough to quiet the doubters? Will Brandon Marshall get stranded on Revis Island all week?
» How healthy is Derek Carr and how much improvement has he made in Year 2? How will the running back rotation pan out? Will the Raiders send Khalil Mack at the quarterback more in his second year?
» How have all departures affected the Niners' psyche and on-field rotations? Will we see a new and improved Colin Kaepernick? Can Torrey Smith's presence open up the offense? How will the linebacker corps shake out?
We'll track these and many, many, many more developments as minicamps unfold. Be sure to tune into NFL Network today at 4 p.m. ET for updates on all of today's minicamp news.
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