2015 NFL Offseason Key Dates

By Dan Durkin-

(CBS) The New England Patriots were crowned Super Bowl champions less than two weeks ago, yet the focus has quickly shifted to the 2015 offseason. Below are key upcoming dates for the 2015 NFL and Bears' offseason schedule.

(All times are in Central Time)

-- February 16: First day for clubs to designate franchise or transition Players.

-- February 17-23: NFL Scouting Combine takes place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

-- March 2: Prior to 3 p.m., deadline for clubs to designate franchise or transition players.

-- March 7: NFL Regional Combine takes place at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Ill.

-- March 7-10: Clubs are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents upon the expiration of their 2014 contracts at 3 p.m. on March 10. However, a contract can't be executed with a new club until 3 p.m. on March 10.

-- March 10: The 2015 league year begins. Prior to 3 p.m., clubs must exercise options for 2015 on all players who have option clauses in their 2014 contracts.

-- Prior to 3 p.m., clubs must submit qualifying offers to their restricted free agents with expiring contracts and to whom they desire to retain a right of first refusal/compensation.
-- Prior to 3 p.m., clubs must submit a minimum salary tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2014 contracts and who have fewer than three accrued seasons of free agency credit.
-- Top-51 begins, whereby the offseason salary cap only accounts for the club's top-51 salaries.
-- All clubs must be under the 2015 salary cap prior to 3 p.m.
-- All 2014 player contracts expire at 3 p.m.
-- The 2015 league year and free agency period begin at 3 p.m.
-- Trading period for 2015 begins at 3 p.m., after expiration of all 2014 contracts.

-- March 22-25: NFL annual meeting in Phoenix.

-- April 6: Clubs that hired a new head coach after the end of the 2014 regular season may begin offseason workout programs.

-- April 20: Clubs with returning head coaches may begin offseason workout programs.

-- April 24: Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.

-- April 28-30: The Chicago Bears holds voluntary veteran mini-camp at Halas Hall.

-- April 29: Deadline for prior club to exercise right of first refusal to restricted free agents.

-- April 30-May 2: The 2015 NFL Draft is held at Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University in Chicago.

-- May 8-10: The Chicago Bears hold rookie mini-camp at Halas Hall.

-- May 27: The Chicago Bears hold a organized team activity (OTA) practice.

-- June 1: For any player removed from the club's roster or whose contract is assigned via waivers or trade on or after June 1, any unamortized signing bonus amounts for future years will be included fully in team salary at the start of the 2016 league year.

-- Deadline for prior club to send "June 1 tender" to its unsigned unrestricted free agents. If the player hasn't signed a contract with a club by July 22 or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later, he may negotiate or sign a contract from that date until the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, at 3 p.m., only with his prior club.

-- Deadline for prior club to send "June 1 tender" to its unsigned restricted free agents who received a qualifying offer for a right of first refusal only in order for such player to be subject to the CBA's "June 15 tender" provision.

-- June 3: The Chicago Bears hold an OTA practice at Halas Hall.

-- June 10: The Chicago Bears hold an OTA practice at Halas Hall.

-- June 15: Deadline for club to withdraw qualifying offer to restricted free agents and still retain exclusive negotiating rights by substituting "June 15 tender" of one-year contract at 110 percent of the player's prior-year Paragraph 5 Salary (with all other terms of his prior-year contract carried forward unchanged).

-- June 16-18: The Chicago Bears hold veteran mini-camp at Halas Hall.

-- June 21-27: The Rookie Symposium is held in Aurora, Ohio.

-- July 15: At 3 p.m., deadline for any club that designated a franchise player to sign such player to a multi-year contract or extension. After this date, the player may sign only a one-year contract with his prior club for the 2015 season, and said contract can't be extended until after the club's last regular-season game.

-- Mid-July: Clubs are permitted to open preseason training camp for rookies and first-year players beginning seven days prior to the club's earliest permissible mandatory reporting date for veteran players.