Most NFL teams have spent the last few weeks self-scouting their 2014 seasons, putting together free agent plans and learning of the college prospects available in the upcoming draft.
Now that the Super Bowl is over, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks can join the rest of the NFL in preparing for the 2015 season.
With that said, the 2015 NFL offseason has now officially begun.
As the players take the next couple of months to relax and do their own thing; the personnel departments, coaches and front office staff's work diligently to find answers to questions their teams face this offseason.
Those questions will lead to answers that will determine the success of a season that's still seven months away from beginning.
But as is the case with anything, success for an NFL team is the result of hard work and preparation. Not only from the players, but from the scouts, coaches and personnel directors who spend tireless hours this time of year combing through every possible scenario to put together the best team.
Photos from the 4th quarter of the 2014 season, games 13-16.
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For the Kansas City Chiefs, the work being done by general manager John Dorsey and his staff right now will be key to how the Chiefs' 2015 roster will be shaped.
The calendar below shows you the key dates for the offseason, including the window for franchise tag designations (February 16-March 2), window for signing your team's own upcoming free agents (March 7-10), the start of the new league year (March 10) and the day teams can begin offseason workouts (April 20).
| 2015 | |
|---|---|
| February 2 | Waiver system begins for 2015. |
| February 7 | NFL Regional Combine, Doctors Hospital Training Facility, Davie, Florida. |
| February 10 | Beginning at 12 noon, New York time, NFL clubs may begin to sign players whose 2014 CFL contracts have expired. Players under contract to a CFL club for the 2015 season or who have an option for the 2015 season are not eligible to be signed. |
| February 14 | NFL Regional Combine, Methodist Training Center, Houston, Texas. |
| February 16 | First day for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players. |
| 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.
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 19-21 | NFL Career Development Symposium, Arizona Biltmore, Phoenix, Arizona. |
| March 21-22 | Super Regional Combine, Arizona Cardinals Training Facility, Phoenix, Arizona. |
| March 22-25 | Annual Meeting, Phoenix, Arizona. |
| April 6 | Clubs that hired a new head coach after the end of the 2014 regular season may begin offseason workout programs. |
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April 20 | Clubs with returning head coaches may begin offseason workout programs. |
| 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. |
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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). |
| June 21-27 |
Rookie Symposium, Aurora, Ohio. |
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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. |
| Mid-July | Clubs are permitted 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 veteran players.
Veteran players (defined as a player with at least one pension- credited season) other than quarterbacks or "injured players" (as defined in CBA Article 21, Section 6) may report to a club's preseason training camp no earlier than 15 days prior to the club's first scheduled preseason game or July 15, whichever is later. Veteran quarterbacks and injured players may be required to report to the club's preseason training camp no earlier than five days immediately prior to the mandatory reporting date for all other veteran players, provided the club has already opened (or simultaneously opens) its official preseason training camp for all rookies and first-year players. A three-day acclimation period will apply to players who are on a club's roster up to and including the mandatory veteran reporting date. Players who join the roster after that date may practice (including wearing pads) and play immediately after passing a physical. |
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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. |
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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. |
| * or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later. | |
