Rams will begin off-season workout program on April 18

The Rams will begin their off-season workout program on April 18, the NFL announced Friday.

The league released workout and minicamp dates for all teams.

The Rams, preparing for their first season in Southern California in more than two decades, will train this off-season in Oxnard, where the Dallas Cowboys have held training camp.

The team will conduct organized team activities, known as OTAs, May 31, June 1, June 3, June 7, June 8 and June 10.

The NFL release also lists a mandatory minicamp for Rams players June 14-16, but Coach Jeff Fisher said last month at the NFL owners meetings that he could not remember holding a minicamp because player participation in the off-season program has been so good.

“I don’t necessarily want it,” he said of the minicamp. “I think the minicamp, the length of days, is a little long for the off-season.”

Fisher said he was aware that players might miss workouts because of some off-season commitments. He said it was not a problem if players keep him informed.

“I let them know early … ‘Hey, I know things are going to come up,’” he said. “‘You may have committed to a wedding. Or you might have … picked out a cruise to take your wife …. Just let me know.’”

The NFL and NFL Players Assn. divide the off-season workout program into three phases.

The first two weeks are limited to strength and conditioning and physical rehabilitation.

During the next three weeks, there can be individual player instruction and drills as well as team practices conducted on a “separates” basis. There can be no live contact or full-team drills pitting the offense against the defense.

During the next four weeks, team can conduct 10 days of OTAs. No live contact is permitted, but 11-on-11 drills are allowed.

Teams also can hold a post-draft rookie minicamp on the first or second weekend after the draft. This year’s draft will be held April 29-30 in Chicago.