NFL OTAs: Jaguars And Lions Both Penalized For OTA Rules Violations

We went three years without a single team being penalized for violating OTA rules.

This year there are four (including two today). The latest are the Detroit Lions, according to NFLPA spokesman George Atallah.

As many people may not know, OTAs in the NFL are non-contact and there are certain other limitations for the practices such as how long the players can be on the field. In 2007, the Raiders were busted for violating those rules.

Three years passed before another team was caught breaking the OTA rules. This year, as the league and the union enter into CBA negotiations, two teams -- Raiders and Ravens -- have been penalized for violating the rules.

Most head coaches would be upset if one of their best players decided to skip the offseason program and participate in ABC’s ‘Dancing With The Stars’.

Bengals’ Marvin Lewis is not one of those coaches.

SB Nation’s Buffalo Rumblings has confirmed that Marshawn Lynch is finally practicing with the Bills.

Lynch arrived in Orchard Park, NY several weeks ago but only hit the team’s weight room not the practice field as they participated in OTAs.

This sounds familiar: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Marshawn Lynch is in Buffalo and planning to attend the Bills OTAs on Tuesday.

He was supposed to attend on June 3rd, but he didn’t. Then it was June 4th, but again, he didn’t practice. And then June 6th, but you guessed it, no practice again.

Chad Ochocinco is in the house.

Absent from the Bengals offseason program thus far, Ochocinco arrived in Cincinnati and practiced with his teammates on Tuesday for the first time this offseason.

The bad news keeps rolling in for the Titans.

First, there was Vince Young’s fight at a strip club. Then there was Gerald McRath’s four-game suspension. Of course, there’s always Chris Johnson’s unhappiness with his contract and refusal to show for minicamp.

Titans running back Chris Johnson hasn’t attended any of the Titans offseason workouts because of his desire for a new contract.

Don’t expect that to change at the Titans minicamp Monday, which is mandatory, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.

Last week Jets center Nick Mangold said he was “50-50” regarding his chances of attending the Jets mandatory minicamp, which starts today.

According to Rod Boone of Newsday, Mangold is in attendance.

On Friday morning, the Dallas Morning News reported that the Cowboys had not sent a letter to restricted free agent Miles Austin informing him that his tender would be reduced on June 15 to 110% of his 2009 salary.

Here’s the reason why: Austin signed his tender on Friday, according to Michael Lombardi of NFL Network.

Antoine Bethea was looking for a new contract. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, he got it.

Schefter reports the Colts and Bethea agreed on a four-year deal worth $27 million. The first two years of the deal will pay out $18 million.

Jason Smith struggled with a concussion to end the 2009 season. It was a disappointing end for the No. 2 overall pick of the Rams.

Things aren’t getting off to a much better start this offseason.

The Broncos are conducting a minicamp this weekend and Elvis Dumervil, who has signed an injury waiver, will be there. By no later than Monday, he’ll sign his tender and officially become a member of the Broncos once again.

The Denver Post reports Dumervil “doesn’t want to bring hostility into what had been civil contract negotiations with the Broncos.”

Shalize Mansa Young of the Boston Globe reports that the Patriots have informed guard Logan Mankins that if he does not sign his restricted free agent tender by Monday, they will reduce his salary his salary by approximately $1.7 million, per league rules.

Jets C Nick Mangold is entering the final year of his rookie contract and, already one of the best players at his position, is looking to get paid.

The Jets haven’t extended Mangold at this point and it’s unclear if they plan to do so. if the franchise tag is around in 2011 (heck, if football is around in 2011), Mangold understands it’s a possibility that he could be hit with the tag.

News broke moments ago that Bucs first round pick Gerald McCoy went down with a left leg injury and was helped off the field.

According to Jason La Canfora of NFL Network, it’s nothing to be concerned about.

Potentially bad news for Bucs fans:

This would be one injury the Bucs can’t afford. Defensive linemen generally take longer to develop than most positions so he needs all the reps he can get.

Browns kicker Phil Dawson reported for mandatory minicamp Thursday morning after missing all of the voluntary sessions, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.

Dawson pulled a similar stunt last year skipping the voluntary portions of the offseason because he wasn’t happy with his contract that will pay him $1 million in 2010.

Panthers LB Thomas Davis received crushing news...again. An injury he suffered at Panthers OTAs this week was indeed another torn ACL, according to the Charlotte Observer.

You gotta feel for him on a personal level -- and we haven’t even gotten to the financial part. Davis was a restricted free agent making about $3.2 million. If the CBA mess got figured out, he was likely to land a new contract with the Panthers in the $8 million per year range.

Earlier this week the Ravens were penalized one week of OTAs for an apparent violation of OTA rules. It’s unclear exactly what the rules were but they can rest easy knowing they’re not the only ones doing it.

According to David White of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Raiders have also lost two days of OTAs.

After Bills offensive lineman Ed Wang went down with an injury in OTAs last week, coach Chan Gailey said he was hoping they hadn’t lost him for the season.

As it turns out, the news is much better than that.

Brandon Marshall had what was described as a minor hip surgery at the start of the Dolphins OTAs. The surgery was actually on the other hip that was previously surgically repaired.

Initial reports indicated Marshall would be out until training camp but, according to Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel, Marshall participated in the morning session of Dolphins OTAs on Wednesday.

Troy Polamalu rarely attends the Steelers offseason voluntary practices and, as the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review points out, it’s generally the most overblown story of the offseason.

Polamalu prefers to work out on his own but he returned this week to Pittsburgh for a week of practices.

It’s no reason for concern but Dez Bryant is injured. According to the Dallas Morning News, Bryant participated in the first half of Tuesday’s practice at the Cowboys complex but came up with some tightness in his hamstring. After that, the Cowboys decided to hold him out for the rest of the day.

On Monday Ravens right tackle Jared Gaither signed his restricted free agent tender. On Tuesday, he was nowhere to be seen and no one seems to know why.

Gaither practice yesterday for the first time in a month after injuring his foot earlier in the offseason. But Harbaugh indicated the absence was not injury related.