Important Offseason Dates Every Dallas Cowboys Fan Should Know

The Dallas Cowboys offseason is now in full swing. With the NFL Scouting Combine starting this week all the way through training camp in July, there are several offseason deadlines, meetings and activities knowledgeable fans need to know about. Therefore, here are a list of some of the more important offseason dates and events for our readers.

February 17-23: NFL Scouting Combine, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana.

February 21: NFL Regional Combine, Paul D. Bowlen Memorial Broncos Centre, Dove Valley, Colorado.

February 28: NFL Regional Combine, Under Armour Performance Center, Owings Mills, Maryland

March 2: Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.

March 7: NFL Regional Combine, Halas Hall, Lake Forest, Illinois.

March 7-10: Clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2014 contracts at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 10. However, a contract cannot be executed with a new club until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 10.

March 10: Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must exercise options for 2015 on all players who have option clauses in their 2014 contracts.

March 10: Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must submit qualifying offers to their Restricted Free Agents with expiring contracts and to whom they desire to retain a Right of First Refusal/Compensation.

March 10: Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must submit a Minimum Salary Tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2014 contracts and who have fewer than three accrued seasons of free agency credit.

March 10: Top-51 Begins. All clubs must be under the 2015 salary cap prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time.

March 10: All 2014 player contracts expire at 4:00 p.m., New York time.

March 10: The 2015 league year and free agency period begin at 4:00 p.m., New York time.

March 10: The first day of the 2015 league year will end at 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 10. Clubs will receive a personnel notice that will include all transactions submitted to the league office during the period between 4:00 p.m., New York time, and 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 10.

March 10: Trading period for 2015 begins at 4:00 p.m., New York time, after expiration of all 2014 contracts.

March 22-25: Annual (Owners) Meeting, Phoenix, Arizona.

April 24: Deadline for Restricted Free Agents to sign offer sheets.

April 29: Deadline for prior club to exercise Right of First Refusal to Restricted Free Agents.

April 30-May 2: 2015 NFL Draft, Chicago, Illinois.

May 8-11: First weekend after the NFL Draft: clubs may elect to hold their three-day post-draft rookie minicamp from Friday through Sunday or Saturday through Monday.

May 11: Rookie Football Development Program begins.

May 15-18: Second weekend after the NFL Draft: clubs may elect to hold their three-day post-draft rookie minicamp from Friday through Sunday or Saturday through Monday.

May 18-20: NFL Spring League Meeting, San Francisco, California.

June 1: For any player removed from the club’s roster or whose contract is assigned via waivers or trade on or after June 1, any unamortized signing bonus amounts for future years will be included fully in team salary at the start of the 2016 League Year.

June 1: Deadline for prior club to send “June 1 Tender” to its unsigned Unrestricted Free Agents. If the player has not signed a contract with a club by July 22 or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later, he may negotiate or sign a contract from that date until the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, at 4:00 p.m., New York time, only with his prior club.

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).

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 multi-year contract or extension. After this date, the player may sign only a one-year contract with his prior club for the 2015 season, and such contract cannot be extended until after the club’s last regular season game.

July 22: (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later): Signing Period ends for unrestricted Free Agents to whom a “June 1 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.

July 22: 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.

All the above dates and information was obtained from the NFL directly. Click here to download the league’s official pdf.

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