Packers: Next step of the offseason, OTAs, begins next week

We’re one step closer to the start of the new season.

The Green Bay Packers’ organized team activities (OTAs) are just over a week away, kicking off the next stage of the offseason.

The time for roster building is almost over. General manager Brian Gutekunst could still sign another free agent or two, but the majority of his work is done. The excitement of free agency and the 2018 NFL Draft is over. For Mike McCarthy and his roster, now is all about preparing for the new season.

Training camp doesn’t get started until late July, but OTAs are just around the corner. They get underway on May 21, and run all the way through to June 7. Here’s a list of dates of the Packers’ OTAs: May 21-23, May 30-31, June 1, June 4-7. The three-day mandatory minicamp runs from June 12-14.

First of all, it’s important to stay healthy. Vince Biegel missed almost the entire offseason program last year, and also he sat out for half of the regular season. Now healthy, Biegel will benefit from a full offseason to improve.

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McCarthy will get a chance to see the rookies working alongside the veterans. How will the new additions on defense perform during these early practices? What about the young receivers competing for roster spots? Will DeShone Kizer prove he’s the second-best quarterback on the roster behind Aaron Rodgers?

These positional battles won’t be decided in May or June. The real work begins at training camp when the pads are on. But OTAs begin the next step of the offseason.

For those on the roster bubble, especially undrafted free agents, each practice counts. From May 21 right up until the end of training camp, every practice is like an audition in front of the coaches.

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The Packers have a lot of work to do before Week 1 of the regular season. With the draft in the books, the attention now shifts to OTAs.