DMN Blog: Important coming dates NFL

11:49 AM Wed, Feb 06, 2008
Albert Breer

I've gotten a few emails about this, so I figured I'd post some important dates to come over the next few weeks on the NFL schedule. Here ... you ... go:

February 7-21: Period to tag franchise and transition players
February 20-26: NFL combine
February 28: Deadline for qualifying offers to restricted free agents
February 28: Free agency starts at 11 p.m. CT
March 30-April 3: NFL Annual Meeting, Palm Beach, Fla.
April 18: Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets
April 26-27: NFL Draft (Update: sorry for forgetting the big one)
May 19-21: NFL Spring Meeting, Buckhead, Ga.
July 15: Deadline for franchise players to sign offer sheets

Chances are, the Cowboys won't be franchising anyone (although LT Flozell Adams might be a candidate for the tag). But some players they could be eyeing -- like CBs Nnamdi Asomugha and Marcus Trufant -- may well get tagged and taken off the free agent market. So that'll be worth watching, starting tomorrow.

And it's also important to note that, as RFA tenders come across the next couple weeks, that there will be a two-month window for other teams to try and ink those guys. The Cowboys are expected to tender RB Marion Barber and DE Chris Canty at the highest level, forcing outside teams to pay compensation of first- and third-round picks to get them in the event Dallas didn't match an offer sheet.