Philadelphia Eagles: Important offseason dates to place on the calendar
By Bruce Ewing
Some NFL fans will tell you we’ve reached the offseason. Super Bowl LVII is in the books. The players cleaned out their lockers and the stadiums are empty. Philadelphia Eagles fans will tell you there is no offseason. There’s work to be done.
The plan is to reach Super Bowl LVIII, and the process of doing so starts now. The Eagles have to find a way to replace two coordinators, re-sign players and draft new talent. There’s a lot to do. There isn’t as much time to get it done as you might think.
Here are some important dates Philadelphia Eagles fans need to know.
February 21st – March 7th: Franchise tags
NFL teams can name franchise or transition players. Don’t expect any news from the NovaCare Complex though. The Eagles haven’t used a franchise tag since 2012 when they tagged DeSean Jackson. David Akers was the last to receive a transition tag in 2011.
February 28th – March 6th: NFL Scouting Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine opens at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The city has hosted the event since 1987.
March 13th – March 15th: Legal tampering
What the NFL calls ‘the negotiating period for prospective unrestricted free agents’, we know as ‘legal tampering.’ During this time teams and agents may exchange figures, but no agreements can be announced before free agency.
March 15th: Free agency and the trading period begin
Free agency begins. Last year’s crop included talented players like Kyzir White, Haason Reddick, and James Bradberry, but Eagles fans need to temper expectations for 2023. Philadelphia has 19 unrestricted free agents and one restricted free agent.
Players who are currently at the end of their deals include Bradberry, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Javon Hargrave, and Jason Kelce. It’s also time to start hammering out an extension for Jalen Hurts. Any big names signed to a contract in 2023 are probably already on the team.
March 26-29: Annual League Meeting in Phoenix
We don’t talk about this one very often, but we’ll do so this year as doing away with the ‘tush push’ could be on the voting table which will affect how the Eagles and every other team are able to execute the quarterback sneak.
April 3rd: Rookie head coaches can begin offseason workouts
Jonathan Gannon (Arizona Cardinals), Shane Steichen (Indianapolis Colts), and every other team with a rookie head coach get the two-week head start on everyone else as they can begin offseason workouts.
April 17th: Teams with returning HCs can begin workouts
The Philadelphia Eagles and every team with a returning head coach can begin offseason workouts.
April 21st: Offer sheets for RFAs must be signed
Restricted free agents must sign offer sheets unless they receive a better offer from another team. Tight-end Tyree Jackson is the Philadelphia Eagles’ only restricted free agent.
April 27th – April 29th: 2023 NFL Draft
This year’s draft will be held in Kansas City. Talk about adding insult to injury. The Eagles only have six picks in the 2023 draft, but four of those picks are in the first three rounds. The Eagles have the 10th overall pick courtesy of New Orleans and the 30th pick in the first round.
TBD
At the moment no dates are available for training camp, preseason games, or the season opener. However, when these dates become available you can be sure Inside the Iggles will have you covered.