NFL 2019 offseason calendar: Free agency, Draft, preseason, Week 1

The NFL’s “legal tampering” period opens today at noon, which means we are nearly to the 2019 NFL league year. As we have already passed the Scouting Combine, the franchise tag period, and all of the college football “all-star” games, we now take another look at the NFL calendar and the upcoming important dates for the 2019 offseason, preseason, and regular season.

When does free agency begin? When is the Draft? When do training camps begin? When is the 2019 season kickoff? All of those questions can be answered.

Free Agency

• Legal Tampering period: March 11-13
• Free agency and trading begins: March 13, 4pm ET
• Deadline for RFAs to sign offer sheets: April 19
• Deadline for club to withdraw RFA offer and replace with June 15 Tender (1 year, 110% of previous salary): June 15
• Deadline to re-sign franchise player: July 15
• Deadline for new team to sign transition player: July 22

League Admin

• Spring league meeting: May 20-22
• Rookie Football Development Program begins: May 13
• Signing bonus spread over two years: June 2

Offseason Training Programs

• Teams with new head coaches (including Miami Dolphins) may start programs: April 1
• Teams with returning head coaches may start programs: April 15

NFL Draft

• 2019 NFL Draft: April 25-27

OTAs and Minicamps

• Rookie Minicamp: 3 days between May 4-7 or May 11-14
• OTA and Minicamp window: May 28 - June 24

Training Camp

• Training camp: Mid-July (Veterans: 15 days prior to first preseason game or July 15, whichever is later; Rookies: May report up to seven days prior to veterans; Quarterbacks and injured players: May report up to five days prior to veterans if rookies have reported

Preseason

• Hall of Fame Game: August 1
• Hall of Fame Weekend: August 1-4
• Deadline for signed players to report to receive accrued season: August 6

Regular season

• 53-man roster cuts: August 31, 4pm ET
• Practice squads: September 1, 1pm ET
• Week 1: September 5, 8-9