Before rules changes, Packers specialists had to take their offseason show on the road

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GREEN BAY, Wis. — The confused looks almost made the inconvenience worth it. Almost.

When the NFL and NFL Players Association ratified a new collective bargaining agreement during summer 2011, among the changes implemented the following spring was a more structured approach to the so-called voluntary offseason workouts. Not only did it mean a later start to the offseason program than in prior years, but also stricter rules on what teams could ask players to do.

“We’d always kind of laugh as we were out there kicking,” Packers kicker Mason Crosby, right, said of himself and punter Tim Masthay having to work out on their own before NFL rules changes. “You could tell people were kind of wondering who we were.” Benny Sieu/USA TODAY Sports

The first few weeks, for instance, are set aside for strength and conditioning work only, with no football drills allowed. While the lessened workload might have delighted, say, offensive and defensive linemen, the unintended consequence was it left teams’ specialists — kickers, …

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