June 21, 2023
Oh hey, we have some news to cover during this dead period of the NFL offseason. It's the NFL's press release of the important dates over the next calendar year. So let's go through that and opine on what those dates mean to the Eagles. (We'll omit a bunch of obvious or unimportant dates for the sake of brevity.)
• July 17: Deadline for any franchise-tagged player to sign a multiyear contract or extension. After this date, the player may sign only a one-year contract with his prior team for the 2023 season. That contract cannot be extended until after that team's last regular season game.
What it means for the Eagles: The Eagles didn't franchise tag any players, so it doesn't mean anything to them. However, the Giants franchise tagged RB Saquon Barkley and the Cowboys franchise tagged RB Tony Pollard, so it will be interesting to see how those situations play out, especially with Barkley, who has voiced frustration over his contract situation.
• August 29: Final cutdown day to 53 players.
What it means for the Eagles: Same as always. For me, it will be the day that I defend my reign as the King of the Eagles Beats, a title reserved for the Eagles beat writer who most correctly predicted the Eagles' final 53 the previous season.
• August 30: Claiming period for players placed on waivers at the final roster reduction will expire at 12:00 noon, EST.
What it means for the Eagles: The Eagles have a loaded roster, and they are second-to-last in the waiver order, so this year they will be hoping their roster cuts make it through waivers, as opposed to aggressively trying to claim other teams' trash.
• October 31: Trade deadline.
What it means for the Eagles: An October 31 trade deadline is dumb. It's way too early. The NFL won’t even be halfway through the regular season, and some teams will have only played seven games. There will be like 3 or 4 teams at best that think their season is over by then, and thus won't be properly motivated to sell. The NFL should really consider pushing the trade deadline closer to Thanksgiving than to Halloween.
As for how the trade deadline affects the Eagles, it sucks for them that it's not later in the season. Howie Roseman loves to wheel and deal at the deadline, and a later date would put more teams/players in play.
(He'll still probably make a deal, as he usually does.)
• November 14: Deadline for teams to sign their unsigned franchise-tagged players. If still unsigned after this date, those players are prohibited from playing in the NFL in 2023.
What it means for the Eagles: Again, nothing, because the Eagles didn't franchise tag any players. BUT... In the unlikely event that Barkley decides not to sign his franchise tag and sits out the first couple months of the season, this would be the date of no return.
• February 11: Super Bowl LVIII.
What it means for the Eagles: TBD.
• February 27 - March 4: NFL Scouting Combine, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana.
What it means for the Eagles: They draft a lot of dudes with impressive spider charts.
• March 5: Deadline for clubs to designate franchise or transition players.
What it means for the Eagles: The Eagles last used the franchise tag way back in 2012, on DeSean Jackson. As of right now, the Eagles don't have any good 2024 franchise tag candidates.
• March 11-13: March 11 is the start of "legal tampering." March 13 begins the new league year (free agency, etc.).
What it means for the Eagles: Howie season.
• March 24-27: Annual League Meeting, Orlando, Florida.
What it means for the Eagles: Same as always. For me... Orlando, huh? Maybe I'll bring my kid.
• April 19: Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.
What it means for the Eagles: Restricted free agents are players who have three accrued NFL seasons, and expiring contracts. They're usually players who went undrafted and signed three-year contracts.
The Eagles would have the option of tendering each player at varying levels. Stoll is the most likely player to be tendered. The NFL's memo did not include a date when these players can be tendered by their original team, but I believe that it is the same day as the new league year (so in this case, March 13).
• April 25-27: NFL Draft, Detroit, Michigan.
What it means for the Eagles: Howie season, continued.
• May 2: Deadline for Clubs to exercise Fifth-Year Option for players selected in the first round of the 2021 Draft.
What it means for the Eagles: The Eagles didn't exercise the fifth year option for Andre Dillard last offseason, and their 2020 first-round pick, Jalen Reagor, is gone, so there was nobody to place that option on this offseason. If the Eagles don't extend DeVonta Smith's rookie contract by May 2 of 2024, you can be sure as hell that they'll exercise his fifth-year option.
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