|
2003
OFFSEASON SCHEDULE
|
| Feb.
2 |
AFC-NFC Pro Bowl, Honolulu, Hawaii (ABC)
|
| Feb.
18-24 |
Scouting Combine, Indianapolis, Ind.
Coaches, scouts and other
personnel evaluators analyze NFL prospects.
|
| Feb.
20 |
Franchise and Transition Player Designation Date
Deadline for clubs to designate franchise and transition players.
From Feb. 20 to March 14, clubs that execute a multi-year contract with
their franchise players will not be deemed to have used their franchise
designation for 2003.
|
| Feb.
24 |
NFL Europe
NFL Europe League training camps open. |
| Feb.
27 |
Minimum Salary Offer
Deadline for clubs to make minimum salary offer to retain exclusive
negotiating rights for players with fewer than three years of free agency
credit whose contracts have expired.
Contracts Expire
Expiration date of all player contracts due to expire in 2003.
Qualifying Offer Deadline
Deadline for submission of qualifying offers to restricted free agents
whose contracts have expired and to whom they desire to retain a right
of first refusal.
|
| Feb.
28 |
Free-Agent Signings
Veteran free-agency signing period begins.
Trading Period
Trading period begins.
|
| March
23-26 |
NFL Annual Meeting
NFL owners meeting in Phoenix, Ariz. |
Late
March/
Early April |
NFL Schedule Announced
Full NFL and Vikings
schedule announced shortly after owners meeting. Exact date TBD.
|
| April
5 |
NFL Europe Begins
NFL Europe League season begins. |
| April
18 |
RFA Signing Deadline
Signing period ends for restricted free agents. |
| April
25 |
First-Refusal Deadline
Deadline for old club to exercise right of first refusal to restricted
free agents. |
| April
26-27 |
NFL Draft
Annual player selection meeting, New York. |
| May
9-11 |
Tentative Vikings Minicamp
Tentative dates for the first official developmental minicamp for Vikings.
Closed to the public. |
| May
20-21 |
Spring Meeting
NFL spring meeting, Philadelphia, Pa. |
| June
1 |
Qualifying Offers
Deadline for old club to send tender to its unsigned restricted free
agents or extend qualifying offer to retain exclusive negotiating rights.
Tenders to UFAs
Deadline for old club to send tender to its unsigned unrestricted
free agents to receive exclusive negotiating rights for the rest of the
season if player is not signed by another club by July 22.
|
| June
8 |
NFL Europe Ends
NFL Europe League regular season ends.
|
| June
14 |
World Bowl
World Bowl XI, Glasgow, Scotland
|
| June
15 |
Qualifying Offer Withdrawls
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.
|
| July
22 |
Tendered UFA Signing Ends
Signing period ends at 4 p.m. ET for unrestricted free agents who
received June 1 tender.
|
| End
of July |
Training Camp Opens
Exact dates not yet determined at time of posting.
|
| Aug.
7-11 |
First Preseason Weekend
NFL preseason 2003 kicks off with the fist weekend of a full schedule
of games.
|
| Sept.
7-8 |
First Regular-Season Weekend
The first weekend of the 2003 regular season.
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Some
dates tenative and subject to change.
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