The 2020 NFL offseason has officially begun for the Dallas Cowboys and they have a lot of work to do in order to build a team and organization capable of winning another Super Bowl.
While the Cowboys have things to tend to that every other NFL team might not, they also have certain days and deadlines to meet that do involve the entire league.
Here is a full breakdown of every important date to know over the course of the 2020 NFL offseason.
- January 5th: Assistant coaches that are part of playoff teams that have byes during the Wild Card round are eligible to interview for head coaching jobs through the Wild Card round
- January 12th: Assistant coaches that are part of playoff teams that won their Wild Card games are eligible to interview for jobs through the Divisional Round
- January 17th: Deadline for underclassmen to apply for special eligibility to the 2020 NFL Draft
- January 18th: East-West Shrine Bowl
- January 18th: NFLPA Collegiate Bowl
- January 26th: An assistant coach whose team is in the Super Bowl that had previously interviewed for a head coaching job can have a second interview no later than the Sunday before the Super Bowl
- January 31st: Deadline for NFL teams to try out and negotiate with CFL players whose contracts expire at 12pm ET on February 11th
- February 3rd: Waive system begins
- February 11th: Starting at 12pm ET NFL teams can sign players whose 2020 CFL contracts have expired
- February 24th through March 2nd: NFL Scouting Combine
- February 25th: First day for teams to designate Franchise or Transition players (remember that barring a new CBA teams can use both a franchise and transition tag in 2020)
- March 10th: Prior to 4pm ET teams must designate Franchise or Transition players
- March 16th through 18th: Teams are permitted to enter into contract negotiations with agents for players that will become unrestricted free agents
- March 18th: Prior to 4pm ET teams must exercise options for 2020 on players who have option clauses in their 2019 contracts
- March 18th: Prior to 4pm ET teams must submit qualifying offers to their Restricted Free Agents
- March 18th: Prior to 4pm ET teams must submit a minimum salary tender to keep exclusive negotiating rights with players that have expiring 2019 contracts who have fewer than three accrued seasons
- March 18th: Trading period begins at 4pm ET
- March 29th through April 1st: Annual league meeting
- April 6th: Teams with new head coaches may begin offseason workout programs
- April 17th: Deadline for Restricted Free Agents to sign offer sheets
- April 20th: Teams with returning head coaches can begin offseason workout programs
- April 23rd through 25th: 2020 NFL Draft
- April 27th: Starting on this day teams can request permission to visit with, try out, or sign players that were under contract in the XFL
- May 1st through 4th: Teams can hold their one three-day post-draft rookie minicamp from Friday through Sunday or Saturday through Monday
- May 5th: Deadline for teams to send “May 5 Tender” to unsigned unrestricted free agents
- May 8th through 11th: Teams can hold their one three-day post-draft rookie minicamp from Friday through Sunday or Saturday through Monday
- May 11th: Rookie Football Development program begins
- May 14th through 17th: NFLPA Rookie Premiere
- May 19th and 20th: Spring League Meeting
- June 1st: Deadline for teams to send “June 1 Tender” to their unsigned Restricted Free Agents that received a qualifying offer for a right of first refusal
- June 15th: Deadline for teams to withdraw qualifying offers to Restricted Free Agents and still keep exclusive negotiating rights by substituting a “June 15t Tender”
- Late June: Rookie transition program is held with various teams
- July 15th: 4pm ET is the deadline for teams that designed a franchise player to sign a multiyear contract extension, if they do not do so by this day they will have to play out the season on the one-year franchise tag deal
- Mid-July: Teams can begin preseason training camp for rookies beginning seven days to the team’s earliest permissible mandatory reporting date for veteran players
- July 22nd: Signing period ends for Transition Players with outstanding tenders
- August 6th: Pro Football Hall of Fame Game
- August 6th through 9th: Pro Football Hall of Fame weekend
- August 11th: Deadline for players with contracts to report to their teams in order to gain an accrued season towards free agency
- September 5th: Teams must be down to 53-man rosters by 4pm ET
- September 10th: First game of the 2020 season
- September 13th: First Sunday games of the 2020 season
- September 14th: First Monday night game of the 2020 season
There is no official date at this time but just know that the 2020 NFL schedule will likely drop in late April, some time before the draft.