Posted at 2:03 p.m., Friday, June 15, 2007
Union complaints prompt Raiders to cancel workouts
Associated Press
ALAMEDA, Calif. — The Oakland Raiders canceled the final week of their offseason training program today after complaints from the NFL players' union about the intensity of the practices.In a brief statement, coach Lane Kiffin said the players' union believes the Raiders' offseason program violated league rules on practice standards.
"The union has complained about the high level of intensity, player aggressiveness and fast pace of our practices and, as a result, has taken away the final week of our offseason program," said Kiffin, the NFL's youngest and least experienced head coach.
The Raiders won't hold next week's scheduled offseason activities, which were expected to be mostly weightlifting sessions.
Oakland wrapped up a voluntary minicamp on Wednesday under Kiffin, a former assistant coach at Southern California. He had just one season of NFL training camp experience as an assistant in Jacksonville in 2000.
The Raiders' training camp opens July 27 in Napa.
