Patriots captain Jerod Mayo has led a series of voluntary player workouts in Massachusetts for his teammates, according to a source, ensuring the Pats won't be as susceptible to injury when training camp eventually opens.
The workouts are completely permissible because they're being run by players, and the Patriots' staff has not been involved.
Safety Patrick Chung, quarterback Brian Hoyer and safety Bret Lockett have been among the players in attendance, although a few others have also been present, according to the source. It is believed that every Patriots player has been invited to attend the workouts.
Quarterback Tom Brady has not been in attendance for the workouts.
The workouts, which take place three days per week, involve a gym session, plyometrics training (strength and speed) and field work.
The Dolphins began similar workouts this week at a Florida high school.
The player workouts have been a controversial matter during the lockout for a couple of reasons. Some player representatives and agents don't want the players risking injury, because they're no longer covered by the league's health insurance policy, and the player reps don't want the players to be fully ready to return to camp at the conclusion of the lockout because they feel this gives the owners leverage to push the lockout as long as they can without it affecting the regular season.
By conducting team-oriented workouts, the Patriots can push themselves to get into better shape for the start of camp, whenever that happens. They can simulate the voluntary offseason workouts that teams typically run during this time of year, and that will help them avoid any nagging muscle injuries that arise when players show up to training camp out of shape.
