Important dates for this offseason

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March 8-11: 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 2013 player contracts at 4 p.m. ET on March 11. However, a contract cannot be executed with a new club until 4 p.m. ET on March 11.

 

March 11: New league year, free agency begins

 

March 11: Before 4 p.m. ET, clubs must exercise options for 2014 on all players who have option clauses in their 2013 contracts.

 

March 11: Before 4 p.m. ET, clubs must submit qualifying offers to their restricted free agents with expiring contracts.

 

March 11: Before 4 p.m. ET, clubs must submit a minimum salary tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2013 contracts and who have fewer than three accrued Seasons of free agency credit.

 

March 11: All clubs must be under the 2014 salary cap before 4 p.m. ET.

 

April 7: Clubs that hired a new head coach after the end of the 2013 regular season may begin off-season workout programs.

 

April 21: Clubs with returning head coaches may begin off-season workout programs.

 

May 2: Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.

 

May 7: Deadline for prior club to exercise right of first refusal to restricted free agents.

 

May 8-10: NFL draft, New York, Radio City Music Hall. First round begins at 8 p.m. ET.

 

May 19-21: NFL Spring meeting, Atlanta

 

June 16: Deadline for a club to withdraw a qualifying offer to restricted free agents and still retain exclusive negotiating rights by submitting a June 15 Tender -- a one-year deal at 110 percent of the player's prior-year salary.

 

June 22-28: NFL rookie symposium in Aurora, Ohio.

 

July 15: Deadline for any club that designated a franchise player to sign that player to a multi-year contract or extension. After this date, the player can not be signed beyond that team's last regular season game.

 

Mid-July: Clubs are allowed to open preseason training camp for rookies and first-year players beginning seven days prior to the club's earliest permissible mandatory reporting date for veterans. Veteran players may report to training camp no earlier than 15 days prior to the club's scheduled regular season game, or July 15, whichever is later.

 

July 22: 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. (* or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later.)

 

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.