Rex Ryan recently pointed out that the Jets had 100 percent attendance in their off-season workout program. The coach feels this should help the Jets a great deal in the upcoming season.
If you think that 100 percent attendance is common in the NFL, think again.
The San Francisco 49ers had four key defensive players skip their entire off-season program. Outside linebacker Manny Lawson, defensive lineman Aubrayo Franklin along with cornerbacks Shawntae Spencer and Nate Clements sat out the 49ers entire off-season program.Â
“Those guys are working,” said San Francisco head coach Mike Singletary. “They are doing what they need to do. I’ll see them when I see them.”
No, they really aren’t “doing what they need to do.”
While off-season workouts aren’t mandatory, a lot of team building and teaching go on during this time, and teams with poor attendance probably pay a price during the season whether they want to admit it or not.