Earlier this week, the NFL released the 2013 offseason workout schedules for all 32 NFL teams on nfl.com.

I can't tell you how great it feels to have this coming into focus on the horizon, signalling the inception of the beginning of the beginning of the prelude to the preamble to the actual 2013 season. I can almost smell it!!

More: NFL announces dates for offseason workouts





Here are the details on the Saints' schedule, gleaned from the above article...

From April 15-June 13, the team will conduct the nine-week, voluntary component, which breaks down into three phases:

Phase One is the first two weeks, consisting of strength, conditioning, and physical rehab work only.

The next three weeks are Phase Two, and they add on-field workouts that may include individual player instruction, drills, and some team practices, although live contact and team offense vs. team defense drills are not allowed at this time.

Phase Three is a four-week stretch when teams may hold a maximum of 10 days of organized team practices without live contact, but they can run 7-on-7, 9-on-9, and 11-on-11 drills. The Saints have divided up their 10 days into the vaunted 3-3-4 formation falling on these days: May 21-23, May 28-30, and June 10-13.



Further, one mandatory veteran player minicamp is allowed at some point during Phase Three, and the Saints have decided to hold theirs from June 4-6.

Clubs may also hold a seven-week rookie developmental period, which may begin on May 13, and may not include weekend work except for one allowable post-draft rookie minicamp. These rookie minicamps must be held in either the first or second weekend after the draft, and the actual dates will be circulated at a later date.

Putting them all into chronological order gives us this sequence:

April 15-26 - Strength and conditioning and physical rehab work only (voluntary).

April 29-May 17 - Individual player instruction/drills, and SOME team practices. NO LIVE CONTACT (voluntary).

May 3-12 - Rookie minicamp window - date to be determined.

May 21-23 - Organized team practice I (voluntary).

May 28-30 - Organized team practice II (voluntary).

June 4-6 - Veteran minicamp (mandatory).

June 10-13 - Organized team practice III (voluntary).

Late July/Early August - 2013 NFL Training camps open.

* * *

Be like Hans and get out your sharpie so you can mark all these "don't miss" dates on your electronic calendar or PDA! Some of these events will be open to the public, so any and all intrepid, aspiring, roving CSC reporters who attend are invited to submit reports for publication.

Have you caught offseason fever as bad as me yet?