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The NFL's offseason is underway, and one of the first dates on the league calendar for dealing with free agents is almost upon us. Although there are still a few weeks until the opening of free agency, the league's calendar is chock-full of important events and deadlines, starting with the opening of Franchise and Transition tagging.
Here is a rundown of the critical events on the league schedule in the coming months. Of course, these events focus primarily on player acquisition and development, with free agency, the NFL Draft, and rookie camps covering the bulk of the dates.
| Date | Event | Location |
| Feb. 13 | NFL Regional Combine | Houston, TX |
| Feb. 16 | First day for NFL teams to designate Franchise/Transition players | |
| Feb. 20 | NFL Regional Combine | Phoenix, AZ |
| Feb. 23-Feb. 29 | NFL Scouting Combine | Indianapolis, IN |
| Mar. 1 | Deadline to designate Franchise/Transition players (4:00 PM ET) | |
| Mar. 5 | NFL Regional Combine | Eden Prairie, MN |
| Mar. 7-Mar. 9 | Teams may contact and negotiate with agents of Unrestricted Free Agents | |
| Mar. 9 | Deadline for teams to submit qualifying offers to Restricted Free Agents (4:00 PM ET) | |
| Mar. 9 | Unrestricted Free Agency begins (4:00 PM ET) | |
| Mar. 9 | Top 51 rule begins; teams must be under the 2016 salary cap (4:00 PM ET) | |
| Mar. 12 | NFL Regional Combine | Metairie, LA |
| Mar. 20-Mar. 23 | NFL Annual Meeting | Boca Raton, FL |
| Apr. 4 | Teams with new head coaches may begin offseason programs | Team facilities |
| Apr. 18 | Teams with returning head coaches may begin offseason programs | Team facilities |
| Apr. 28-Apr. 30 | 2016 NFL Draft | Chicago, IL |
| May 6-May 9 | First weekend for Rookie Minicamps | Team Facilities |
| May 13-May 16 | Second weekend for Rookie Minicamps | Team Facilities |
| May 23-May 25 | NFL Spring Meeting | Charlotte, NC |
| June 19-June 25 | Rookie Symposium | Aurora, OH |
| July 15 | Deadline for teams to sign Franchise-tagged players to long-term contracts (4:00 PM ET) |