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What boycott? Much of Miami Dolphins’ roster present for Day 1 of voluntary program

From the actions-speak-louder-than-words department:

Three days after collectively saying they “stand in solidarity” with their peers who are skipping voluntary in-person workouts this offseason over health and safety concerns, a good number of Miami Dolphins players chose to attend the first day of voluntary in-person workouts, according to a source familiar with the organization.

A surprising number of Dolphins players, including established veterans, decided to report Monday — the same day their union chief was stressing to reporters that those players were putting themselves at risk by doing so.

“This is not a boycott,” NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said on a national conference call Monday afternoon. “This is not a strike. This is not a labor action. Players have the right to make their own decisions. We made it clear that if players have money on the line — bonuses or de-escalators — we are never going to stand in the way of a player making a financial decision.

But Smith stressed later in the call: “You are better off, you are safer, by not going to [organized team activities].”

The data NFLPA uses to back up that claim: A 23-percent drop in missed playing time in 2020, when there was no voluntary program, no mandatory minicamp and no preseason.

Two of those three items — compulsory minicamp and exhibition games — are back in 2021, and won’t go away unless it’s collectively bargained.

The league has shown no desire to do away with either completely, although the NFL did shrink its preseason from four to three games this year with the addition of a 17th regular season game.

Players for years have griped about the voluntary-in-name-only offseason program, and with the pandemic still raging, many have decided to skip it. Roughly two-thirds of the league’s teams have released statements pledging to either mostly or totally stay away from their respective team’s training facility.

The Dolphins’ statement, released late Friday, was a bit vaguer than others:

“Our team came together to discuss the current situation regarding COVID-19 and the lack of clear and timely protocols put into place by the NFL. The most significant fact from the discussion was the health and safety benefits of a fully virtual offseason. Last year, leaguewide injury data showed players experienced a 23 percent reduction in missed time.

“For these reasons, the Miami Dolphins stand in solidarity with players across the league who are making informed decisions to exercise their right not to attend voluntary in-person workouts this offseason. We will hold each other accountable in making sure every player is getting their work in. Fins Up!”

And to be sure, attendance Monday, the first day of the program, was not 100 percent. But it also wasn’t close to zero.

Teams like the offseason program because they get eight more weeks of in-house work with their players. But when the spring schedule went virtual due the pandemic, the NFLPA saw an opening to make the change permanent.

Just a small percentage of the two-month program is spent in actual 11-on-11 practice.

Players who participate will not spend much, if any, time in team headquarters for the first four weeks of the regimen.

The first phase will be limited to virtual meetings with no on-field drills or work with coaches. During this time, clubs are “to make every effort to have the vaccine available for players, staff and families,” the NFL wrote.

From May 17 to May 21, the league will allow some on-field drills with coaches, but the meetings will remain virtual.

That leads up to the four-week third phase, which features 10 days of OTA practices and the mandatory minicamp. Meetings are allowed to be in-person at that time, but teams can choose to continue holding them remotely.

Those who skip the mandatory minicamp, should teams decide to still hold them, will be subject to a fine. The NFLPA is hoping to convince teams to cancel those practices altogether.

“This doesn’t make sense,” NFLPA president J.C. Tretter said of the voluntary program. “It’s unnecessary. It’s not exactly safe. If we’re in the middle of the pandemic, why are we doing things that are unnecessary?”

Meanwhile, Smith and the union again said they will not make COVID-19 inoculation mandatory among their membership, but stressed that everyone should get the vaccine.