Quarterback Drew Brees is among 40 Saints players working out at Tulane University in New Orleans.
Elsewhere in the NFL, about 30 Atlanta Falcons players have been working out together in sessions organized by linebacker Coy Wire and offensive tackle Tyson Clabo, who was signed by the Broncos as an undrafted rookie in 2004.
Southern California product Mark Sanchez has tried to organize workouts for New York Jets players in the Los Angeles area.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne and some of his teammates have been working out on a soccer field near their team headquarters. Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy and some of his teammates are working out together in Austin, Texas.
Veteran safety Brian Dawkins has had a prominent role in organizing workouts for the Broncos.
Most draft picks are trying to figure out how to get playbooks.
Welcome to the world of the NFL lockout.
Players have a difficult decision: Do they work out on their own during the lockout? NFL careers are short enough without getting hurt on your own time. Players have no team-provided medical insurance during the lockout. If they get hurt working out, they pay the bill.
Also, players aren’t paid for working out during the lockout. In a regular NFL offseason, players are compensated for attending team workouts. If the lockout had stayed lifted, players would have received $130 a day for attending team workouts. And rookies would have received team-provided lodging.
The Falcons, meanwhile, believe they’re on the doorstep of a Super Bowl. That’s why they traded a bagful of draft picks to move up in the first round to select Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones. Clearly there’s a sense of urgency among the Falcons, and the lockout prevents them from doing offseason teamwork designed to get them to the Super Bowl.
As for the Saints, they believe their window of championship opportunity remains open. Perhaps that explains why Brees is paying the bill for his and his teammates’ use of Tulane’s facilities.
Coaches are big fans of official offseason team activities. They see them as vital to building a title contender.
That’s not happening in this odd offseason.
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com
