The NFL offseason is here, but there are still many important dates that die-hard fans should circle on their calendars. In many ways, the offseason is a busier time than the actual season, as all 32 teams are furiously trying to build a roster that can compete for a Super Bowl. Of course, the team-building process is not done overnight, and these nine dates are vital for every single team in the league.
The 9 Most Important Offseason Dates For Every NFL Team
1. February 21, 2023 – Franchise/Transition Tag Window Opens
Teams currently have the right to negotiate long-term deals with their own impending free agents. However, those negotiations are not guaranteed to succeed, and on February 21st, team can place franchise or transition tags on their most important free agent. Each team is only allowed to tag one player, and it will essentially keep said player from reaching the open market.
For example, Lamar Jackson is set to be a free agent, and he and the Baltimore Ravens are reportedly far off in contract negotiations. Rather than have the former MVP hit the open market, the team will use the exclusive franchise tag to extend their negotiation window and keep him around for at least one more year. Of course, there is a chance that the two sides don’t reach an agreement and the Ravens decide to trade him, but that’s a story for another day.
2. February 28, 2023 – March 6, 2023 – NFL Scouting Combine
Perhaps the single most important event in the buildup to the 2023 NFL Draft, the Scouting Combine is crucial to the evaluation of the top prospects in the class. Last year at this point, the University of Georgia’s Travon Walker was widely considered to be a late-first or early-second-round pick. However, he ended up being the first-overall pick, in large part thanks to his insane performance at the combine.
National champion DL Travon Walker just ran a 4.6…
The #Bulldogs are owning this NFL combine. pic.twitter.com/sdz9bBfmbV
— Matt DeBary (@MattDeBary) March 5, 2022
3. March 7, 2023 – Franchise Tag Window Closes
As previously mentioned, teams can begin using the franchise tag on February 21st. However, if the tag is not used by the end of March 7th, any untagged player has a clear path to the open market. Teams still have the right to exclusively negotiate with their impending free agents, but nothing short of agreeing to terms will stop the player from seeing what the other 31 teams have to offer.
4. March 13, 2023 – Legal Tampering Window Opens
If teams and players haven’t agreed to terms by March 13th, said players are now able to negotiate with other teams and find new homes. While the deals won’t become official for a few more days (more on that later), they can agree in principal, and once that agreement is made, it is rare for either the player or the team to back out.
5. March 15, 2023 – New League Year Begins
The new league year officially begins on March 15th, which means that all those aforementioned agreement can officially be signed. Additionally, at this point in time, all 32 teams must be below the salary cap line. As of this posting, 15 teams are above the salary cap, which means they’ll have to work to do between now and March 15th.
6. April 3, 2023 – Offseason Programs Begin For Teams With New Head Coach
April 3rd is the first time that teams can officially get back on the field. Well, some teams at least. It should go without saying that first-year head coaches need more time to implement their system, so the NFL lets them start their offseason practices earlier than the rest of the teams.
7. April 17, 2023 – Offseason Program Begins For Teams With Returning Head Coaches
Two weeks after that, the rest of the league can join in on the offseason workouts. While these are never too intensive, they are important for fringe veterans to make their case to stay on the roster, as the NFL Draft is not far away, and nobody wants to see their team draft their potential replacement.
8. April 27, 2023 – April 29, 2023 – NFL Draft
The single most important part of the team building process finally arrives in late April. The three-day event will no doubt shape the course of every single franchise over the 2023 season as teams bring in the latest influx of young talent.
9. May 1st, 2023 – Fifth-Year Option Deadline
With the draft over and done with, we are down to the last of the important offseason dates. First-round picks have a fifth-year option in their contract, and every team in the league needs to make up their mind on what to do with their respective draft pick. Picking up the option means one more year of team control, but teams will only want to do that if the player is worth the fifth-year salary.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
