7 NFL Off-Season Dates Eagles Fans Need To Know
The parade is over. While the Eagles players now get a well-deserved break, the front office pretty much has to get right into things. To start they have to find a new offensive coordinator, but the NFL Off-Season begins very soon.
Eagles fans have not really had to think about the off-season much. We have all been too busy celebrating, winning, and parading down Broad Street. But now fans can look ahead, and start thinking about how this team can run it back to make it 2 Super Bowls in a row.
Related: 5 Things The Eagles Need To Do To Repeat As Champions
Here Are 7 Dates Eagles Fans Should Know For The NFL Off-Season
Feb 18th- Teams Can Franchise Tag Players
The last time the Eagles franchise tagged a player was in 2012 with Desean Jackson. They later signed him to a 5-year extension. Before that, they franchise-tagged Michael Vick in 2011, but again, only so they could extend contract negotiations. No player has ever played a full season on the tag in the Howie Roseman era. LJ Smith was the only Eagles player to ever do so. He was tagged by Joe Banner in 2008.
They also tagged Corey Simon and Jeremiah Trotter, both of which led to ugly fallout with the players, and both tags were rescinded leading to both players leaving the team.
So you should not expect the Eagles to tag anyone. It is not their way. That does not mean it is not relevant to the Eagles though. Last year the Eagles saw multiple potential targets taken off the board because of franchise tags. Notably Antoine Winfield Jr.
Feb 24th to Mar 3rd- Start Of The NFL Combine
The combine does not need much explanation. Most of the players in the draft will descend on Indianapolis to show off their athleticism and skills. They will also be asked some very dumb questions by teams, and be forced to play rock paper scissors or other competitive games with coaches.
Players can rise up the draft board with a good showing. We have seen guys show off their pure athleticism, and suddenly shoot up draft boards.
Mar 10th to 12th- “Legal Tampering”
Legal tampering is still the most nonsensical term. It is also kind of a lie. As former NFL Exec Andrew Brandt told us last year on The Best Show Ever, legal tampering is not the 1st time teams talk to agents. Otherwise, how would we get reported deals right near the start of the “Legal Tampering” period? And how would we know where some players are going before that period even begins?
Teams will talk to agents as early as the NFL Combine. They almost all have cover because you can just say you were talking about a player on their team that the agency represents. Unless the team or the agent says something, there is no way you could ever prove either side did anything wrong.
But “Legal Tampering” is when deals can be reported. They are not final, as Eagles fans once learned with Frank Gore, but for the most part, when a deal is reported, it is going to be finalized. The period begins at Noon on March 10th.
Mar 12th- Free Agency Begins
Many of the deals will be known before 4 pm on Mar 12th. But that is when those deals can be signed, and become official. It is also when trades can start to be made.
Mar 30th to Apr 2nd – Annual League Meetings
There is one specific rule change likely to be proposed at this meeting Eagles fans will need to keep a close eye on. Will the Tush Push be banned?
There was a push for it to be banned last year, but it never actually got traction at the League Meetings. But now we have known NFl Executives in favor of banning it. Packers President Mark Murphy called for it to be banned because he is sad his team can’t run it, and nor can they stop it.
The Competition Committee makes proposals, and the Owners vote on those proposals. Mark Murphy is not part of that committee and is not an owner, so he does not actually get a say. He can submit the proposal to the committee, but we do not know if anyone on that committee, or any owners, will support that plan. It had no traction last year, so hopefully the proposal goes nowhere again.
Apr 24th to 26th- NFL Draft
The Eagles currently own 7 picks. 1 1st, 1 2nd, 1 3rd, 1 4th, and 3 5ths. The first 3 rounds are all their own picks, meaning they will come at the end of each round. Do not be surprised if they jump around, trading back for 32, to acquire more assets, and be able to trade up from one of their day 3 picks.
Howie has been killing it at the draft. Each of the last 4 drafts has seen him acquire multiple players who just played a massive role in the Super Bowl they just won. Devonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, Milton Williams, Jordan Davis, Cam Jurgens, Nakobe Dean, Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Jalyx Hunt.
With the picks being later, on account of winning the Super Bowl, he will have to get more creative. But he got Nolan Smith at pick 31, so Howie is proven to be capable of finding great players without having great picks.
May 1st- Deadline To Excercise 5th Year Option For Players Drafted in 1st Round Of 2022
Teams have to decide if they will pick up the 5th year option of a 1st round pick after the end of their 3rd season. For the Eagles, that is Jordan Davis this year. They will almost assuredly pick up that option.
After 3 years, players are also eligible for an extension. We saw the Eagles extend Devonta Smith and Landon Dickerson last year as soon as they were eligible. They did not extend Milton Williams, hence him becoming a free agent. At some point, likely before this date, the Eagles will make that decision with Jordan Davis, Cam Jurgens, and Nakobe Dean. They tend to want to extend players early, so they can avoid the messes both the Niners and Cowboys went through with key players last off-season.
