2013-14 Calendar: Key Dates for the Pats and the NFL
With the Pats announcing dates for this years OTAs it seemed that this would be a good time to update the 2013 calendar for the Pats and the NFL. Hopefully some of you will find this to be a handy piece of reference over the course of the season. Dates with an ~ elliptical are best guesses based on recent history, while the rest of the dates should be accurate. Updates will be made periodically throughout the year as more information becomes available.
Jan 28: 24 hour waiver claiming system begins.
- This begins on the first business day after the Pro Bowl, continuing until June 1
- Players with at least 4 previous pension-credited seasons that a club desires to terminate are not subject to the waiver system until after the trading deadline.
Feb 9-10: Regional Combine, Los Angeles
Feb 16-17: Regional Combine, Houston
Feb 17: Regional Combine, Cleveland
Feb 18: Teams may designate franchise or transition players
Feb 20-26: NFL Scouting Combine, Indianapolis IN
March 1: Teams are no longer required to grant permission to another team to discuss the position of head coach with an assistant coach
March 1-April 2: Colleges hold their Pro Days for NFL scouts
March 2-3: Regional Combine, New Jersey
March 4: Deadline for teams to designate franchise and transition players, 4:00 PM
March 9-11: Teams may begin entering contract negotiations with players who will be unrestricted free agents. Qualifying offers to restricted free agents who the team wants to retain should also be made during this time. This is the first season in which teams will be allowed a 3-day negotiating window with unrestricted free agents from other teams, though a contract cannot be signed or submitted to the league until the start of free agency.
March 9: Regional Combine, Tampa Bay
March 10: Regional Combine, Chicago
March 11: League announces official salary cap figure for 2013 ($123.9 million: $123 million, plus an automatic minimum of $900,000 per team). This represents a $3.3 million increase over the 2012 cap. The Patriots carry forward $5.6 million they did not use on the 2012 cap for an adjusted individual cap number of $128.6 million, giving them about $25 million available at the start of free agency and the new league year.
March 12: Official start of the 2012 league year, 4:00 PM
– All 2012 player contracts will expire.
– All clubs must be under the Salary Cap (top 51 players count against cap at this point).
March 12: Deadline for teams to submit qualifying offers to their restricted free agents (RFA) with expiring contracts and to whom they desire to retain a right of first refusal/compensation, 4:00 PM
March 12: Deadline for teams to submit a minimum salary offer to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2012 contracts (ERFA) and who have fewer than three seasons of free agency credit, 4:00 PM
March 12: Deadline for teams to exercise options for 2013 on all players who have option clauses in their 2012 contract, 4:00 PM
March 12: Start of free agency: all players with contracts ending in 2012 other than those outlined above become free agents (UFA) and can negotiate a new contract with any team, 4:00 PM
March 12: Start of the trading period, 4:00 PM
March 16: Start of RFA signing period
March 16-17: Regional Combine, Atlanta
March 17-20: Annual NFL Owners Meeting, Phoenix AZ
March 18: Compensatory Draft Picks Announced
March 19: With compensatory picks announced, the full order of all draft picks will be finalized and announced
March 23-24: Regional Combine, Seattle
March 23-24: Regional Combine, Baltimore
April 1: Teams that have hired a new head coach can begin off season programs
April 4: Preseason schedule announced
April 4: Patriots Hall of Fame Nomination Committee meets to nominate three finalists for this year's fan election process
April 7-8: Super Regional Combine, Dallas
April 15: Patriots announce three finalists for the team's Hall of Fame; fan voting commences, concluding on May 15. The winner will be announced May 21 and the induction ceremony will be held on August 11 July 29 with a halftime ceremony at the home opener on September 12.
April 15: Teams with a returning head coach can begin off season programs
Teams may have up to a maximum of ten Organized Team Activities (OTAs) during the offseason
April 15: Pats voluntary offseason strength and conditioning program begins, continuing until June 13
April 15-28: Per the CBA this is Phase One of OTAs and can last for two weeks. It is limited to just strength and conditioning and physical rehabilitation. Only strength and conditioning coaches may be present; other coaches may not attend or observe in any way. Footballs cannot be used, with the exception of quarterbacks throwing to uncovered receivers, and no helmets may be worn.
April 18: NFL regular season schedule announced, 8:00 PM (NFLN and ESPN)
April 19: Deadline for signing of offer sheets by restricted free agents; after this date other teams cannot make offers to RFAs; if player does not sign tender offered him his old team can replace that offer with a tender of 110% of the player's 2012 base salary.
April 24: Deadline for Old Club to exercise Right of First Refusal to Restricted Free Agents
April 25: First round of the NFL Draft, New York City, 8:00 PM (NFLN and ESPN)
April 26: Second and third round of the NFL Draft, 7:00 PM (NFLN and ESPN)
April 27: Rounds 4-7 of the NFL Draft, 12 Noon (NFLN and ESPN)
April 27: Teams can sign undrafted free agents (UDFA) as soon as the draft is concluded.
April 29-May 19: Phase Two of OTAs begins, which can last three weeks.
- All coaches are now permitted on the field.
- Workouts may include individual player instructions and drills, with offense or defense only, but no offense and defense at the same time.
- Phase two includes on-field workouts, drills, and team practice conducted on a "separate" basis.
- Special-teams drills may also be conducted without opposing units on the field at the same time.
- There can be no live contact and no one-on-one competition, and no bump-and-run coverage of receivers by defensive backs.
- Helmets are still not permitted.
May 3-5: Pats rookie mini-camp
May 15: Fan voting for the team Hall of Fame concludes.
May 16: Except for a three day minicamp that may be held within 15 days of the draft (above), this is the first day that players eligible for the 2013 Draft are permitted to participate in minicamps or meetings. If final examinations at a player’s school conclude after this date, the player is prohibited from participating in any activities until after the player’s final day of examinations. If the player has left or leaves school, he is prohibited from participating in any club activities until after the final day of examinations at his school.
May 20-June 13: Phase Three of OTAs begins, which can last four weeks.
- A total of 10 days of Organized Team Activities may be conducted.
- A maximum of three OTA days may be conducted per week during the first two weeks of Phase Three, and four OTA days may be conducted in the third or fourth week, with the mandatory minicamp scheduled for the other week.
- In weeks with three OTA days, a Phase Two day may be conducted on the fourth day.
- Helmets may be worn, but no other pads.
- No live contact is permitted.
- No one-on-one offense vs. defense drills are permitted.
- Special teams drills are permitted, provided no live contact occurs.
- 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permissible.
- Participation is not mandatory.
- OTAs are closed to the public; media access is limited.
May 20-21: Pats' first OTA
May 20-22: Annual NFL Spring Meeting, Boston MA
May 21: Locations of Super Bowls 50 and 51 announced
May 21: Winner of the fan voting for induction to the Patriots' Hall of Fame announced
May 23: Pats OTA
May 28-30: Pats OTA
June 1: Deadline for teams to send tender to unsigned Unrestricted Free Agents to receive exclusive negotiating rights for rest of season if another team does not sign player by July 22.
June 1: Deadline for teams to send tender to unsigned Restricted Free Agents, or to extend a qualifying offer (110% of previous year's salary) to an RFA to retain exclusive negotiating rights.
June 1: Deadline for teams to submit a qualifying offer to unsigned exclusive rights free agents of 110 percent of previous year's salary to retain exclusive negotiating rights.
June 1: A three day waiver claiming period goes into effect, and continues until the last business day before July 4
June 3-4: Pats OTA
June 6-7: Pats OTA
June 11-13: Pats full squad mandatory mini-camp; this is also known as Phase Four of OTAs
June 15: Deadline for teams to withdraw qualifying offer to unsigned Restricted Free Agents and still retain exclusive negotiating rights by substituting June 15 Tender of one-year contract at 110 percent of previous year's salary.
June 23-29: Rookie Symposium, Aurora OH
Fri July 5: A 24 hour waiver claiming period goes in to effect from the first business day after July 4, continuing until the Friday prior to the final regular season weekend
Thur July 11: NFL Supplemental Draft
Mon July 15: Franchise players cannot sign multi-year contracts after this date; they may only sign a one-year contract with the old club, and contract cannot be extended until after the club's last regular season game.
Tue July 16: Pats put single game tickets on sale, 10:00 AM
July 18-20: Pats mail tickets out to season ticket holders.
Sun July 21: Pats rookies report to training camp in Foxboro.
Mon July 22: End of signing period for Unrestricted Free Agents who received June 1 tender; old club now has exclusive negotiating rights to these players until the Tuesday after the 10th regular-season weekend.
Mon July 22: End of signing period for Transition Players to sign with new clubs.
Thur July 25: Pats veterans report to training camp (teams can begin training camp 15 days prior to first preseason game); limited media availability, and closed to public.
Fri July 26: Training camp practice, 9:00-11:30 AM (open to public)
Sat July 27: Training camp practice, 9:00-11:30 AM (open to public)
Sun July 28: Training camp practice, 9:00-11:30 AM (open to public)
Mon July 29: Pats 2013 team Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Tedy Bruschi and Gil Santos, on the NRG Plaza outside The Hall at Patriot Place; 5:00 PM
Mon July 29: Annual ticketed (free) in-stadium practice for season ticket holders and residents of Foxborough; 6:30-9:00 PM
Tue July 30: Training camp practice, 1:30-4:00 PM (open to public)
Wed July 31: Players Day Off - No Practice
Thur, Aug 1: Training camp practice, 2:00-4:30 PM (open to public)
Fri, Aug 2: Training camp practice, 2:00-4:30 PM (open to public)
Sat, Aug 3: Training camp practice, 9:00-11:30 AM (open to public)
Sat Aug 3: NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Canton OH, 7:00 PM (NFLN)
Sun Aug 4: Players Day Off - No Practice
Sun Aug 4: Hall of Fame Game (first preseason game), Dallas vs Miami; Canton OH, 8:00 PM (NBC)
Mon, Aug 5: Training camp practice, 10:00-11:45 AM (open to public)
Tue Aug 6: Deadline for players under contract to report to their clubs to earn an accrued season.
Tue Aug 6: Deadline for teams to trade rights for unsigned drafted rookies.
Tue Aug 6: Joint team practices in Philadelphia with the Eagles, 12:30-2:00 PM
Wed Aug 7: Joint team practices in Philadelphia with the Eagles, 12:30-2:00 PM
Thu Aug 8: Joint team practices in Philadelphia with the Eagles, 10:00-11:45 AM
Aug 8-11: NFL preseason week one
Fri Aug 9: Preseason week one, Patriots at Philadelphia Eagles; 7:30 PM (WBZ, NFLN)
Sun Aug 11: Players Day Off - No Practice
Sun Aug 11: Pats 2013 team Hall of Fame induction ceremony, for Tedy Bruschi and Gil Santos; 5:00 PM
Mon Aug 12: Training camp practice, 2:00-4:30 PM (open to public)
Tue Aug 13: Joint team practices at Gillette with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2:00-4:30 PM
Wed Aug 14: Joint team practices at Gillette with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2:00-4:30 PM
Thur Aug 15: Training camp practice, 2:00-4:30 PM (open to public) - Final practice open to the public
Aug 15-19: NFL preseason week two
Fri Aug 16: Preseason week two, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Patriots; 8:00 PM (FOX)
Thur Aug 22: Preseason week three, Patriots at Detroit Lions; 7:30 PM (WBZ)
Aug 22-25: NFL preseason week three
Tues Aug 27: Roster cutdown to a maximum of 75 players, 4:00 PM
Wed Aug 28: All tryouts on this date and for the remainder of the season must be reported to the League
Thur Aug 29: Preseason week four, New York Giants at Patriots; 7:30 PM (WBZ)
Thur Aug 29: NFL preseason week four
Sat Aug 31: Roster cutdown to a maximum of 53 players, 6:00 PM
Sat Aug 31: Teams with players on the active/physically unable-to-perform or active/non-football-injury-or-illness lists must select one of the following options: (a) place player on reserve/physically unable-to-perform list or reserve/non-football-injury-or-illness (whichever applicable); (b) request waivers; (c) terminate contract; (d) trade contract; or (e) continue to count the player on the active roster, as of 6:00 PM
Sun Sept 1: Final day of preseason training camp for all clubs, as defined in CBA Article 23, Section 9
Sun Sept 1: Claiming period for players placed on waivers at the final roster reduction expires, 12 noon
Sun Sept 1: Teams may establish a practice squad of eight players by signing free agents who do not have an accrued season of free agency credit or who were on the 46-player active list for less than nine regular-season games; a player cannot be on a practice squad for more than three seasons; 12 noon
Tue Sept 3: Teams are now permitted to place one player on reserve/injured as "designated for return", 4:00 PM
Wed Sept 4: Deadline for all NFL player contracts, practice player contracts, tender offers and miscellaneous amounts to fit within each club's 2013 salary cap in anticipation of the midnight expiration of the Top 51 Rule
Thur Sept 5: Top 51 Rule expires for all teams, 12 midnight; full salary cap is now enforced
Thur Sept 5: First regular season game of NFL season; 8:30 PM (NBC)
Sun Sept 8: Week 1, Patriots at Bills; 1:00 PM (CBS)
Tues Sept 10: Players signed after this date are not guaranteed their full salary
Thur Sept 12: Week 2, Jets at Patriots; 8:25 PM (NFLN); game will feature a halftime ceremony for the newest inductees to the Patriots Hall of Fame, Tedy Bruschi and Gil Santos
Sat Sept 21: Pats 2012 team Hall of Fame induction ceremony, 5:00 PM
Sun Sept 22: Week 3, Bucs at Patriots; 1:00 PM (FOX)
Tues Sept 24: Waiver claims now ranked by inverse order of current (2013) standings rather than previous year's final standings
Sun Sept 29: Week 4, Patriots at Falcons; 8:30 PM (NBC)
Sun Sept 29: NFL International Series: Pittsburgh at Minnesota, in London
Sun Oct 6: Week 5, Patriots at Bengals; 1:00 PM (CBS)
Oct 7-9: Fall league owner's meeting, Washington DC
Sun Oct 13: Week 6, Saints at Patriots; 4:25 PM (FOX)
Tue Oct 15: Through Week 11, teams are now permitted to begin practicing players on reserve/physically unable-to-perform and reserve/non-football-injury-or-illness lists for a period not to exceed 21 days. Players may be activated during the 21-day practice period or prior to 4:00 PM on the day after the conclusion of the 21-day period.
Sun Oct 20: Week 7, Patriots at Jets; 1:00 PM (CBS)
Sun Oct 27: Week 8, Dolphins at Patriots; 1:00 PM (CBS)
Sun Oct 27: NFL International Series: San Francisco at Jacksonville, in London
Tues Oct 29: Trade deadline, 4:00 PM
Wed Oct 30: Players with at least four previous pension-credited seasons are subject to the waiver system for the remainder of the regular season and postseason.
Sun Nov 3: Week 9, Steelers at Patriots; 4:25 PM (CBS)
Nov 10-11: Week 10; Bye Week for the Pats
Tue Nov 12: Signing period ends for franchise players who are eligible to receive offer sheets. If still unsigned after this date, such players are prohibited from playing in the NFL in 2013, 4:00 PM
Tue Nov 12: Deadline for teams to sign unrestricted and restricted free agents to whom the "June 1 Tender" was made and draft picks. If still unsigned after this date, such players are prohibited from playing in the NFL in 2013; 4:00 PM
Tue Nov 12: Deadline for teams to sign their drafted rookies. If such players remain unsigned after this date, they are prohibited from playing in NFL this season.
Sun Nov 17: Week 11: Flex Scheduling begins for Sunday night games
Mon Nov 18: Week 11, Patriots at Panthers; 8:30 PM (ESPN)
Nov 21 (Thanksgiving): three NFL games celebrating the anniversary of the Butt Fumble
Sun Nov 24: Week 12, Broncos at Patriots; 8:30 PM (NBC)
Fri Nov 29: Deadline for reinstatement of players listed as Retired, Did Not Report, and Exclusive Rights, and of players who were placed on Reserve/Left Squad in a previous season, 4:00 PM
Sun Dec 1: Week 13, Patriots at Texans; 4:25 PM (CBS)
Sun Dec 8: Week 14, Browns at Patriots; 1:00 PM (CBS)
~ Dec 11: Invoices for playoff tickets sent to season ticket holders, with payment due about a week later
Sun Dec 15: Week 15, Patriots at Dolphins; 1:00 PM (CBS)
Sun Dec 22: Week 16, Patriots at Ravens; 8:30 PM (NBC)
Sat Dec 28: A 10-day waiver claiming period goes in to effect, from the Saturday of the final regular season weekend through the conclusion of the final post season game
Sun Dec 29: Week 17, Bills at Patriots; 1:00 PM (CBS)
Mon Dec 30: Teams can sign free agent players to futures contracts for the 2014 season
Mon Dec 30: Earliest permissible date for clubs to renegotiate or extend the rookie contract of a drafted rookie who was selected in any round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Any permissible renegotiated or extended player contract will not be considered a rookie contract, and will not be subject to the rules that limit rookie contracts.
Mon Dec 30: Option exercise period begins for Fifth-Year Option for First-Round Selections from the 2011 College Draft. To exercise the option, the club must give written notice to the player on or after December 30, 2013 but prior to May 3, 2014.
Jan 4-5: 2014: Wild card playoff games
Jan 5: Assistant coaches under contract to playoff teams with byes on wild-card weekend may be interviewed for head-coaching positions through the conclusion of the wild-card games.
Jan 11-12: Division round playoff games
Jan 12: Assistant coaches under contract to playoff teams that won their wild-card games may be interviewed for head-coaching positions through the conclusion of divisional playoff games.
Jan 18: East-West Shrine Game, Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
Jan 19: AFC championship game, 3:00 PM (CBS)
Jan 19: NFC championship game, 6:30 PM (CBS)
Jan 25: Senior Bowl, Mobile AL
Jan 26: Pro Bowl game, Honolulu HI, 7:00 PM (CBS)
Jan 26: An assistant coach whose team is participating in the Super Bowl and who has previously interviewed for another team’s head-coaching job may have a second interview no later than the Sunday preceding the Super Bowl.
Feb 2: Super Bowl 48: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford New Jersey, 6:30 PM (CBS)
Feb 3: Waiver system begins for 2014. A 24-hour claiming period will be in effect through the Friday prior to the last regular-season game. Players with at least four previous pension-credited seasons whom a club desires to terminate are not subject to the waiver system until after the trading deadline.
~ Feb 15 - March 1: Existing season ticket holders invoiced for 2014 season tickets, with full payment due around March 31
Feb 17: First day for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players
Feb 19-25: NFL scouting combine, Indianapolis IN
March 3: Deadline for teams to designate franchise or transition players, 4:00 PM
March 8-11: Free agency contact period commences. Teams are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents upon the expiration of their 2013 player contracts on March 11; however, a contract cannot be executed with a new club until 4:00 on March 11.
March 11: Deadline for clubs to exercise options for 2014 on all players who have option clauses in their 2013 contracts, 4:00 PM
March 11: Deadline for clubs to submit Qualifying Offers to their Restricted Free Agents with expiring contracts and to whom they desire to retain a Right of First Refusal/Compensation, 4:00 PM
March 11: Deadline for clubs to submit a Minimum Salary Tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2013 contracts and who have fewer than three Accrued Seasons of free agency credit (Exclusive Rights Free Agents), 4:00 PM
March 11: Top-51 Begins. All clubs must be under the 2014 Salary Cap, 4:00 PM
March 11: All 2013 player contracts will expire at 4:00 PM
March 11: Trading period for 2014 begins after expiration of all 2013 contracts, 4:00 PM
March 11: Start of the 2014 NFL year, 4:00 PM
March 11: The 2014 League Year and Free Agency period begin at 4:00 PM. The first day of the 2014 League Year will end at 11:59:59 PM on March 11. Clubs will receive a Personnel Notice that will include all transactions submitted to the league office during the period between 4:00 PM and 11:59:59 PM on March 11.
Note: any times referenced are for the eastern time zone
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