The Super Bowl was played in the Bay Area this season so, between a locally-played NFL championship and all the Raiders relocation drama, the league’s offseason seems to be evaporating pretty fast.
The waiver system has already started and teams can apply franchise tags starting Tuesday afternoon. The NFL scouting combine starts next week and free agency hits next month.
Let’s take a look at key dates as we work through this NFL offseason towards another Raiders season in Oakland.
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SIGN UP HERE February 16: First day for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition players.
February 23-29: NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
March 1: 1pm PT deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition players.
March 7-9: Clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents.
NFL
March 9: -- All clubs must be under the 2016 salary cap.
-- All 2015 player contracts expire.
-- The 2016 league year and free agency period begins.
-- Before 1pm, clubs must exercise options for 2016 on all players who have option clauses in their 2015 contracts.
-- Before 1pm, 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 20-23: NFL annual owners meetings in 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 in Chicago, Illinois.
April 30: After the final selection of the draft, clubs may begin signing undrafted free agents.
May 6-9: The 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-June: NFL teams hold OTA sessions, mandatory minicamp.
Late July: Training camp begins