Offensive line is about collectively blocking and protecting against an opponent.
For the next two days, this carries new meaning and consequence.
About 50 NFL offensive linemen are expected to congregate in Frisco on Friday and Saturday for the third annual OL Masterminds Summit. The event, largely based inside a hotel ballroom, comes at a time when the state and region are experiencing record highs in COVID-19 cases.
In recent months, organizers mulled the event’s viability. Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller, who announced in April he was diagnosed with COVID-19, has hosted a similar gathering for pass rushers since 2017. His summit was held virtually in June.
With adjustments, the OL Masterminds Summit will proceed in person.
A group that includes some of the NFL’s premier blockers will meet at the Omni Frisco Hotel to review game film and discuss nuances about footwork, hand usage, mental processing and other finer aspects of the craft. Duke Manyweather, a private offensive line coach who co-founded the summit in 2018 with Philadelphia Eagles tackle Lane Johnson, will help guide the discussion.
There will be on-field work, too, at a walkthrough pace — the type of work NFL teams didn’t hold all spring but can resume when training camps begin later this month, barring delay.
“The main thing we have to do is make sure that we’re taking care of and looking after each other,” said Manyweather, who is based in Plano. “We all have a social responsibility to do what’s right by the guy next to us. And the cool thing about this is that’s really what O-line is all about: tapping that guy next to you on the shoulder and say, ‘I’ve got your back.'
“This is no different. We’ve got each other’s back, so we understand the importance for taking that even a step further, not just on the field but our livelihood to protect one another.”
Dozens of linemen will check in at the Omni on Friday afternoon.
In the past two years, the summit was held across the street at Baylor Scott & White Sports Performance Center. The nearby Omni provides a larger classroom. Consideration to switch locations was finalized when the performance center, in the past week, temporarily suspended operations in response to the pandemic.
Expected attendees this year include Johnson, New Orleans Saints tackle Terron Armstead, New York Jets rookie first-round pick Mekhi Becton, Las Vegas Raiders tackle Trent Brown, Minnesota Vikings center Garrett Bradbury, Tampa Bay Buccaneers center Ryan Jensen, New Orleans Saints center Erik McCoy and Houston Texans tackle Laremy Tunsil.
Cowboys right tackle La’el Collins and swing tackle Cameron Erving are also tentatively anticipated.
At the check-in desk, face masks will be supplied. Digital temperature readings will be administered. A liability waiver must be signed. Inside the ballroom, circular tables that usually seat eight will seat four. Chairs will be positioned apart like corners to a square. Tables also will be staggered about 10 feet apart with hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes stationed atop them.
To mitigate risk of transmission, no handheld microphone will be spoken into or shared, Manyweather said. No group photo will be taken with everyone clustered together. Manyweather said that he and other speakers may not wear a mask when speaking in the ballroom, but he’s expected to stand at least 15 feet apart from the nearest table.
Hotel staffers are slated to sanitize the ballroom before Friday’s meeting and again before Saturday’s.
An optional Happy Hour event and steakhouse dinner are on the itinerary for Friday evening.
Texas has imposed looser restrictions than most states during the pandemic. Currently, face masks are not required at restaurant tables, and restaurants can operate at 50% capacity. Meanwhile, just south of Frisco, Dallas County has reported more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases each day this week. Ten deaths were reported on Thursday. Related emergency-room visits and overall hospitalizations are also on the rise.
“This was discussed for a long time,” said Johnson, who disclosed that he tested negative in both viral and antibody coronavirus testing last week. “We were thinking about maybe having it through Zoom. Some of the guidelines in Texas had changed. They had come back in order and then out of order. Ultimately, I think masks will be required, and then we’ll all be staying at a hotel. …
“It’s something we don’t want to take lightly.”
Johnson and Manyweather both made a point about mental health.
For most NFL players, there have been no formal team activities since the regular season concluded in December. Many athletes have trained at home gyms and public parks rather than their team facility. Players were barred from their club headquarters in March; injury rehabilitation is among the few exceptions.
Amid social distancing, Manyweather said the value of in-person human interaction should not be overlooked.
“A lot of people have been locked in their houses, and a lot of people have taken it to the extreme where they haven’t been around people,” Manyweather said. “Mentally, it’s kind of done something to them. I don’t think we should make light of that. Sometimes, situations like this, yes, we are going to do any and everything possible to make sure that we’re staying safe. A lot of guys feel like they need this for their mental psyche, to be involved, to have that fellowship. It’s been a long six months for a lot of people.
“It will be interesting to see the response and how it plays out. There will always be critics. At the end of the day, these guys all are making decisions for their own to try to be the best player they can be. For me, I want to make sure we’re putting these guys in a safe environment.”
+++
Find more Cowboys stories from The Dallas Morning News here.
