NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said it is the union's position that it is in the best interest of players to not participate in voluntary offseason workouts.
"I think what a lot of players have said that they've heard from their coaches is that they need to show up," Smith said Saturday on SportsCenter. "We've known for years that this is a voluntary workout where a lot of coaches put their finger on the scale and, while they call it voluntary, they expect players to show up.
"I think that what you're seeing now is for the first time players exercising their voice .