NFL timetable

[Bonegavel]

<TABLE id=Article style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" cellSpacing=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>2004 NFL Timetable




<TR><TD class=content><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=600 border=0><TBODY><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top width=127>January 18</TD><TD vAlign=top width=11></TD><TD vAlign=top width=462>Conference Championships.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>February 1</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Super Bowl XXXVIII, Houston, Texas (CBS).</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>February 8</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>AFC-NFC Pro Bowl, Honolulu, Hawaii (ESPN).</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>February 8</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>NFL Europe League NFL Allocated Player Draft.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>February 18-24</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Scouting Combine, Indianapolis, Indiana.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>February 24</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Deadline for clubs to designate franchise and transition players.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>February 24</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Waiver system begins for 2004. Waivers will expire on the first business day of the new League Year. Players with at least four previous pension-credited seasons that a club desires to terminate are not subject to the waiver system until after the trading deadline.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>February 25</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>First day clubs may sign designated Franchise Players to multi-year contracts or extensions.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>February 27</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>NFL Europe League training camps open.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>March 2</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Deadline for submission of qualifying offers by clubs to their restricted free agents whose contracts have expired and to whom they desire to retain a right of first refusal/compensation.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>March 2</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Deadline for clubs to submit offer of minimum salary to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with fewer than three seasons of free agency credit whose contracts have expired.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>March 3</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Veteran free agency signing period begins.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>March 3</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Trading period begins.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>March 28-April 1</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>NFL Annual Meeting, Palm Beach, Florida.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>April 3</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>NFL Europe League season begins. </TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>April 16</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Signing period ends for restricted free agents.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>April 23</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Deadline for old club to exercise right of first refusal to restricted free agents.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>April 24-25</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>NFL Draft, New York City.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>May 10-13</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>NFL Coaches Career Development Symposium, Orlando, Florida.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>May 16</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Except for a three-day mini-camp held within 15 days of the draft, this is the first day that players eligible for the 2004 Draft are permitted to participate in mini-camps, practices, 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.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>May 25-26</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>NFL Spring Meeting, Jacksonville, Florida.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>June 1</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Deadline for old clubs to send tender to unsigned unrestricted free agents to receive exclusive negotiating rights for rest of season if player is not signed by another club by July 22.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>June 1</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Deadline for old clubs to send tender to unsigned restricted free agents or to extend qualifying offer to retain exclusive negotiating rights.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>June 6</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>NFL Europe League regular season ends. </TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>June 12</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>World Bowl XII, Düsseldorf, Germany.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>June 15</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Deadline for old clubs to withdraw original qualifying offer to unsigned restricted free agents and still retain exclusive negotiating rights by substituting tender of 110 percent of previous year’s salary.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>June 27-30</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>NFL Rookie Symposium, San Diego, California. </TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>Mid-July</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Training camps open.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>July 15</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>On or after this date a club that extends an existing Player Contract for a Franchise Player shall not be deemed to have utilized its Franchise Player designation for the period of the extension.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>July 22</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Signing period ends at 4 p.m., New York time, for Unrestricted Free Agents to whom a June 1 tender was made by Old Club, and for Transition Players. After this date and through 4 p.m., New York time, on the Tuesday after the 10th regular season weekend, Old Club has exclusive negotiating rights to these players. *or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later.



</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>July 22</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Signing period ends at 4:00 PM ET for unrestricted free agents who received June 1 tender.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>August 9</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, Canton, Ohio.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>August 12-16</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>First preseason weekend.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>August 31</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Roster cutdown to maximum of 65 players. </TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>September 5</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Roster cutdown to maximum of 53 players. Simultaneously with the cut-down to 53, clubs that have players in the categories of Active/Physically Unable to Perform or Active/Non-Football Injury or Illness must take one of the following options: place player on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform or Reserve/Non-Football Injury or Illness, whichever is applicable; ask waivers; terminate; trade; or continue to count him on Active List.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>September 6</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Claims on players placed on waivers at the final roster reduction will expire at 12 noon, New York time.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>September 6</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>After 12 noon, New York time, clubs may establish a Practice Squad of five players by signing free agents who do not have an accrued season of free agency credit or who were on the 45-player Active List for less than nine regular season games during their only Accrued Season(s). A player cannot participate on the Practice Squad for more than two seasons.</TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR align=left><TD vAlign=top>September 9-13</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD vAlign=top>Kickoff 2004 Weekend.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[Bonegavel]

Not sure if this does anyone any good, but I saw this on the Seahawks site and thought it may be interesting.

[WSUCougar]

Evening of September 13: Arizona Cardinals officially eliminated from the playoffs.

[Bonegavel]

Evening of September 13: Arizona Cardinals officially eliminated from the playoffs.Nice!

Actually, reading this a bit more carefully, no wonder Jim or Arlie haven't emulated the entire contrct process in their games. I can't believe how screwy that system is.

[ice4277]

roll on August 9th!

[tucker342]

good god that contract process is really confusing....