The Buffalo Bills are doing actual football things! Their mandatory minicamp starts today and runs through Thursday, June 16.
Here’s a quick rundown of the start times of the practices.
Tuesday, June 14 - 10:15 AM
Wednesday, June 15 - 10:00 AM
Thursday, June 16 - 10:30 AM
Mandatory minicamp is open to the media and pictures / videos are allowed during stretches and individual periods.
As for what’s allowed by the CBA for the players during mandatory minicamp, Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com explained it all.
Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement the following rules apply to mandatory minicamp. On Monday of minicamp teams can only conduct physicals on players.
Practices must take place Tuesday through Thursday. Two practices are permitted on the field per day, but cannot exceed three and a half hours in total. The second practice in a given day is limited to walk through activity only.
Helmets are permitted, but no pads with the exception of protective knee and elbow pads. No live contact, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills are permitted.
If you follow the Bills’ Snapchat account (billsnfl... highly recommended) you saw many of the team’s stars signing an enormous amount of helmets, jerseys and other memorabilia on Monday. Also, head shots for players and coaches were taken and video segments for TV and on the Jumbotron in the stadium were recorded.
As for Stephon Gilmore, well, technically, he’s kinda-sorta ended his holdout by deciding to show up for the mandatory sessions:
#Bills CB Stephon Gilmore is expected at minicamp this week after sitting out OTAs mired in contract talks. Won't do much, if anything, tho
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 13, 2016
But, yesterday, Gilmore went the humorous, classic Marshawn Lynch route on Twitter to “explain” why he’s in town for the mandatory sessions.
I'm just here so I won't get fined
— The Gilly Lock (@BumpNrunGilm0re) June 13, 2016
Even if you’re not happy with Gilmore’s contract situation, you must admit... fine Twittering there by the veteran cornerback. Well done, sir.
After this week of mandatory minicamp, the Bills are off for “summer break” until training camp begins at St. John Fisher College on Saturday, July 30.