2021 Training Camp - What are you most interested in seeing?

[Rhino-Rhino]

To me the biggest ? Will be the TE position . Thomas I would say was serviceable but to be really successful I believe we need 2 TE’s.. who’s that number 2 going be ? Can’t wait to find out

 

[Boone]

Serviceable is being unkind in my opinion. He just about WAS the offense down the stretch. I actually see Thomas as well as McLaurin having less gaudy stats in 2021 because we’ve added other legit targets and it won’t be Alex Smith dumping to his safety valve Thomas over and over. Behind Thomas you are right, it’s question marks…

 

[Rhino-Rhino]

Didn’t take the check down king in to consideration. Your absolutely right in that . Albeit with success I’d like to throw more downfield as well and see him get less touches

 

[SkinsOrlando]

I'm going with the O-line and Fitz as my top 2, our team is going to go only as far as that unit and our QB go. More importantly what do I want to see - EVERYONE STARTING THE SEASON HEALTHY

 

[Henry]

A new wrinkle is the NFL COVID policy they just announced yesterday. The WFT is one of the least-vaccinated teams in the league.

Regarding the hype, I have not seen the Washington defense ranked lower than 3rd anywhere. Usually the pundits are ranking them #1. That is a little ... disconcerting.

In camp I'd look to see how the offense looks in general, and specifically how Fitz looks. If the defense is as good as advertised just an ok offense should at least win the division. Fitz ... that guy will look awesome for a three or four-game stretch, and then look average or downright crappy. The defense will feast when he's playing well, and will need to weather the storm when he's throwing picks all over the place. We'll see.

 

[Boone]

That’s an interesting point regarding COVID vaccination. All of our local health systems announced yesterday that COVID vaccines will now be mandatory for all employees. The staff who for (sorry) inexplicable and illogical reasons have not gotten vaccinated are up in arms.

The reason I bring it up is because this is going to happen across healthcare and it’s certainly possible other major employers including the NFL may change their position, especially if the new variant takes off (which is likely). We have doubled our COVID #’s in the past 2 weeks after getting to zero for a stretch.

 

[Om]

This is going to be a big story late in the season when it becomes clear Team X is going to miss the playoffs because of a forfeited "loss" game ...

NFL informs clubs that COVID-19 outbreaks among unvaccinated players could lead to forfeited games

As the NFL approaches the 2021 season, the league informed clubs that it would not extend the season to accommodate a COVID-19 outbreak among unvaccinated players that causes a game cancellation.

www.nfl.com

"As the NFL approaches the 2021 season, the league informed clubs that it would not extend the season to accommodate a COVID-19 outbreak among unvaccinated players that causes a game cancellation.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Thursday that the NFL sent a memo to its clubs stating that if a game cannot be rescheduled during the 18-week schedule due to a COVID-19 outbreak among unvaccinated players, the team with the outbreak will forfeit and be credited with a loss, per sources informed of the situation..."

 

[Neophyte]

If I'm a vaccinated guy and I lose a game check or miss the playoffs due to a forfeited game because I had unvaccinated teammates who got it...

 

[Chris]

What if a team is 100% vaccinated and suffers a Covid outbreak (which unfortunately is a possibility), what then?

 

[MikefromOH]

Penalizing and trying to cause tension because someone doesn't want to get the vaccine is absolutely stupid. That's a bully tactic and in no way what this "kinder and gentler" NFL brags to be.

If someone gets it, they get it. Sit them out. But, making everyone else lose a check because of someone else's personal beliefs is a bully tactic.

 

[Henry]

What if a team is 100% vaccinated and suffers a Covid outbreak (which unfortunately is a possibility), what then?

"If a game is cancelled/postponed because a club cannot play due to a Covid spike among or resulting from its non-vaccinated players/staff, then the burden of the cancellation or delay will fall on the club experiencing the Covid infection ... If a club cannot play due to a Covid spike in vaccinated individuals, we will attempt to minimize the competitive and economic burden on both participating teams."

This is about getting players vaccinated.

Not to derail this thread entirely, but I am fully supportive of this policy.

 

[Chris]

That seems impossible to police. Chicken and egg.

Just mandate vaccination.

 

[MikefromOH]

You want to force people to get vaccinated in order to do their job?

 

[Chris]

That is not what I said.

The policy seems impossible to police. If there is a breakout among a group of players (vaccinated and unvaccinated) how will they determine where it started? Good luck with that.

 

[Boone]

It's a complicated issue. In healthcare, we are 'forced' to take vaccines every year (and have been for more than a decade). Folks who refuse flu vaccines (unless they have a MD-sanctioned reason or religious issue) are terminated. The truth is, no one is forcing them. It's an employee expectation, and if the employee doesn't want to comply, they can work for another company. The reality is, in healthcare, you have no choice, because it's nearly a universal expectation. People comply. I've never heard of anyone quitting over that issue.

The NFL is a monopoly. If you want to play real pro football, you have to abide by NFL decisions - you can't 'go to another league'. That's probably why they haven't mandated it. Yet.

In healthcare, you put your co-workers AND patients at risk if you decide not to get vaccinated. That's just a fact. You shouldn't be in healthcare imho if you aren't willing to take proven preventative measures to ensure you aren't putting patients at risk.

Other jobs it may be less critical. But we know folks who did get vaccinated CAN get the new variant, so NFL players who don't get vaccinated are putting their peers at risk (perhaps less so than last year since the vaccine does seem to offer some protection).

It's definitely a complex issue and I don't think there are any easy black and white answers on either side.

 

[Henry]

That is not what I said.

The policy seems impossible to police. If there is a breakout among a group of players (vaccinated and unvaccinated) how will they determine where it started? Good luck with that.

I don't think it matters where it started. If a club can't field a team because of unvaccinated players getting COVID, the league won't bend over backwards to reschedule and the team will have to forfeit.

Basically what the league is saying is "If you won't take precautions against COVID, we won't feel obliged to make special accommodations for you."

And I agree with that.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

We can debate this all we want, but it doesn't matter. We have our own careers and have to deal with what our jobs say and what our family needs or wants. (Edit: Boone posted something similar right above as I was typing this)

For the football players though, this will be interesting. I know Montez Sweat was one of the first to speak out about not taking the vaccine. I believe Deandre Hopkins is the biggest name to speak against this policy. The real battle is between the NFL, NFLPA, and the players. What happens if there are more higher profile players that speak out against this? What if there are players for the policy that don't want to have players against it in the locker room? I think this will be the real battle. Will this tear apart teams? Does this weaken the union? It's clear that the NFLPA has agreed to something that seemingly a lot of players are against (based on the reported rates of vaccination). I'm not saying the NFL is trying to break the union or the players. I'm not going down that road. I just think this will cause a lot more division than anyone anticipated.

 

[MikefromOH]

Players make way more money for the NFL than the other way around. If the players went on strike because they were being forced to vaccinate or be fired it would hurt the owners much worse than it would them in the long run.

Trying to force any American citizen to take an unproven vaccination out of fear of losing their job is outright ridiculous. This is the land of the free, not communist Russia. You want them to carry papers to in order to prove they are legal?

I'm sorry, but telling people "do this or you're fired" is not right on any level.

PS - none of this is directed at anyone commenting or on this board. This is just how I feel in general about things. I am actually vaccinated myself due to a possibility of travel to Australia if (God forbid) something happens to my family there. But, I made that choice myself. I was not told "do this or else".

 

[Chris]

I don't think it matters where it started. If a club can't field a team because of unvaccinated players getting COVID, the league won't bend over backwards to reschedule and the team will have to forfeit.

Basically what the league is saying is "If you won't take precautions against COVID, we won't feel obliged to make special accommodations for you."

And I agree with that.

I guess I’m stuck on the ‘resulting from’ language in the quote you posted.

 

[Neophyte]

Boone - I have an acquaintance who is a traveling RN who is very vocal about not getting the vaccine and an activist against it in general. I'm not sure how she feels about the flu vaccine but she certainly has an expectation of continuing to work and avoiding the COVID vaccine.