The Bengals start their offseason program on Monday

The Bengals' offseason program starts on Monday, team can start working with rookies in May

The Bengals' offseason program with veteran players begins on Monday. 

Head coach Zac Taylor and his staff will conduct virtual meetings with the players on the roster, as all 32 teams wait to see how the NFL schedule could change moving forward.  

“You’re given a four-week period to select three consecutive weeks that you can do work up until Friday, May 15. Then, they reevaluate where things stand nationwide with all the clubs," Taylor said. "We chose to start April 27, instead of April 20. That way, we get three consecutive weeks that will butt up into that next decision the league will make."

The Bengals' coaches can meet with veteran players for two hours, four days a week during the three-week stretch. 

Even though the team added seven rookies in the draft and signed multiple undrafted free agents over the weekend, the rookie program cannot begin until May 11. 

“They can’t be reintegrated with the rest of our guys until then," Taylor said. "What can happen with them is we were given either this upcoming weekend or the following weekend to meet for three consecutive days for five hours a day virtually with the players. So now you can meet with them as a unit — a position group — or individually. We will likely move forward with that, starting on Friday [May 1] for us, utilizing those three days. As a position coach, you can then talk football one-on-one with those rookies up until that May 11 date. You have to allow them time to finish classes if they need to. You have to get with them and make sure there’s a good time that works.”

The Bengals' coaches cannot meet with a position group until rookie minicamp begins on May 11. That means Logan Wilson, Akeem Davis-Gaither and Markus Bailey can hold a virtual one-on-one meeting with linebackers coach Al Golden beginning on May 4, following what is essentially a three-day rookie orientation. 

These meetings are crucial for a young team like the Bengals, who will likely have a rookie quarterback starting in Week 1.