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The Do's and Don'ts of NFL OTAs

Robots. Grievances. Unexpected injuries. Quarterback controversies that will boil over before Memorial Day.

OTAs aren't as easy for teams as they used to be.

Gone are the days when players lifted weights, blocked sleds, memorized plays and milled around team headquarters for a few weeks in the spring. Minicamps and OTAs have become minefields as coaches search for the best way to prepare players for the season without risking injury. Some teams have gone high-tech. Others have gone old school (too old school in some cases, according to the collective bargaining agreement). And no detail is too minute for the fans, who gobble up every nugget of news and are sure to blame that Week 7 loss on the time when coach gave the boys Thursday afternoon off in early June.