NFL Offseason Schedule 2015: Important Dates
By Josh Hill
The NFL offseason is almost here, so what important dates you need to know?
Now that Super Bowl 50 is behind us, it’s time for the NFL offseason and for teams to recharge and reset things for next season. There were teams like the Patriots, Packers, Cardinals and Seahawks who got close this year and don’t have much work to do to return to the playoffs. Other hopefuls like the Buccaneers, Raiders and Cowboys have a little work to do if they want to make a run at Super Bowl 51.
The offseason doesn’t officially start until March, but there are still some important dates for you to circle before next season kicks off.
Here’s a look at the important offseason dates you need to circle on your calendar:
February 8
– Waiver system begins for 2016.
February 13
– NFL Regional Combines, Houston Texans Methodist Training Facility, Houston, Texas.
February 16
– First day for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.
February 20
– NFL Regional Combines, Arizona Cardinals Training Facility, Phoenix, Arizona.
February 23-29
– NFL Scouting Combine, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana.
February 27
– NFL Regional Combines, Baltimore Ravens Under Armour Performance Center, Owings Mills, Maryland.
March 1
– Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.
March 5
– NFL Regional Combines, Minnesota Vikings Training Facility Max Winter Park, Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
March 7-9
– NFL Free Agency tampering period begins
March 9
– Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must exercise options for 2016 on all players who have option clauses in their 2015 contracts.
– RFA tender deadline, 4pm ET
– The 2016 league year and free agency period begins at 4:00 p.m.
– The first day of the 2016 league year will end at 11:59p.m.
– Trading period for 2016 begins at 4:00 p.m.
March 12
– NFL Regional Combines, New Orleans Saints Training Facility, Metairie, Louisiana.
March 20-23
– Annual Meeting, Boca Raton, Florida.
April 4
– Clubs that hired a new head coach after the end of the 2015 regular season may begin offseason workout programs.
April 18
– Clubs with returning head coaches may begin offseason workout programs.
April 22
– Deadline for Restricted Free Agents to sign offer sheets.
April 28-30
– 2016 NFL Draft, Chicago, Illinois.
April 30
– After the final selection in the Draft has been made, clubs may begin signing Undrafted Free Agents who were eligible for the 2016 Draft.
May 6-9
– First weekend after the NFL Draft: clubs may elect to hold their one three-day post-draft rookie minicamp from Friday through Sunday or Saturday through Monday.
May 9
– Rookie Football Development Program Begins.
May 13-16
– Second weekend after the NFL Draft: clubs may elect to hold their one three-day post-draft rookie minicamp from Friday through Sunday or Saturday through Monday.
May 19-22
– NFLPA Rookie Premiere. Invited Rookies (typically, first and/or second-round selections) must be permitted by their respective clubs to attend. Such players are unavailable for offseason workouts, OTA days, and minicamps during this period.
May 23-25
– NFL Spring League Meeting, Charlotte, North Carolina.
June 1
– Deadline for prior club to send “June 1 Tender” to its unsigned Restricted Free Agents who received a qualifying offer for a Right of First Refusal Only in order for such player to be subject to the CBA’s “June 15 Tender” provision.
June 15
– Deadline for club to withdraw qualifying offer to Restricted Free Agents and still retain exclusive negotiating rights by substituting “June 15 Tender” of one-year contract at 110 percent of the player’s prior-year Paragraph 5 Salary (with all other terms of his prior-year contract carried forward unchanged).
June 19-25
– Rookie Symposium, Aurora, Ohio.
July 15
– At 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for any club that designated a Franchise Player to sign such player to a multiyear contract or extension. After this date, the player may sign only a one-year contract with his prior club for the 2016 season, and such contract cannot be extended until after the club’s last regular season game.
July 22
– Signing Period ends for unrestricted Free Agents to whom a “May 10 Tender” was made by prior club. After this date and until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, prior club has exclusive negotiating rights.
– Signing Period ends for Transition Players with outstanding tenders. After this date and until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, prior club has exclusive negotiating rights.