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Usually in late-May, Ravens players convene for minicamps at team headquarters, where coaches get to work with players on new portions of the playbook, and a bulk of the team is on hand to take the first step in preparing for the upcoming season.
Today, about 20-25 Ravens will convene at Towson University for players-only workouts which will consist of speed drills, core and strength training, and light football activity.
OK, so it's not quite the normal spring football routine, but given the ongoing NFL lockout, which bars players from having any contact with team officials, this week's informal practice sessions at Johnny Unitas Stadium will have to do.
Starting today, a number of players will take part in a three-day workout session organized by Derrick Mason and a couple of his veteran teammates. None of the workouts will be open to the public (Towson's commencement ceremonies will put parking at a premium), and reporters will only be allowed to attend today's session.
While those in attendance will put in a good bit of work over the next few days, in reality, these workouts are mostly an opportunity for the players to get together as a group, catch up with one another, and make sure none of their teammates are slacking off with their offseason conditioning.
Largely because of health concerns (any players injured at these workouts will have to pay for their own medical expenses, as the NFL does not provide health insurance during the lockout), little actual football work will actually be accomplished during the workouts, especially when it comes to the defensive players.
While the quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs can go through routes and work on aspects of the playbook, there isn't much that a defensive lineman or a cornerback can accomplish in a low-tempo workout without coaches present.
Still, a handful of defensive players are expected to attend and put in some conditioning work alongside their offensive teammates.
We might not see exciting 7-on-7 battles or hard hitting matchups between offensive and defensive linemen, but with the lockout in full swing, we'll take what we can get.
I'll have updates here on all the goings on from Towson throughout the day, and if you're really interested in what players are in attendance and how the workout is going, follow me on Twitter. I'll be tweetin' up a storm.
