February 10

- Deadline for clubs to designate franchise & transition players.
- Deadline for submission of qualifying offers by clubs to their restricted free agents whose contracts have expired and to whom they desire to retain a right of first refusal/compensation.
- Deadline for clubs to submit offer of minimum salary to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with fewer than three seasons of free agency credit whose contracts have expired.

February 11

- Veteran free agency signing period begins.
- Trading period begins.

April 10

- Deadline for signing of offer sheets by restricted free agents.

April 14

- Deadline for old club to exercise right of first refusal to restricted free agents.

April 15-16

- NFL Draft - New York.

June 1

- Deadline for old clubs to send tender to unsigned unrestricted free agents to receive exclusive negotiating rights for rest of season if player is not signed by another club by July 15.
- Deadline for old clubs to send tender to unsigned restricted free agents or to extend qualifying offer to retain exclusive negotiating rights.

June 15

- Deadline for old clubs to withdraw original qualifying offer to unsigned restricted free agents and retain exclusive negotiating rights by substituting tender of 110% of previous year's salary.

July 15

- Signing period ends (4:00 p.m. EDT) for unrestricted free agents who received June 1 tender.

Terms Explanation

FP - Franchise player. A club can designate one franchise player, who must be offered a minimum of the average of the top five salaries at the player's position, or 120 percent of the player's previous year's salary, whichever is greater. If the player is offered a minimum of the average of the top five salaries of last season at his position, he can negotiate with other clubs. His old club can match a new club's offer or receive two first-round draft choices if it decides not to match. An "exclusive" franchise player is not free to sign with another club.

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TP - Transition player. A player who must receive a minimum of the average of the top 10 salaries of last season at his position or 120 percent of his previous year's salary, whichever is greater. Present teams maintain a first-refusal right to match any bids from new teams within seven days of the signing of an offer sheet after the player's contract expires. If the club matches, it retains the player. If it does not match, it receives no compensation.

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UFA - Unrestricted free agent. Player who has completed four or more accrued seasons of service and whose contract has expired, thereby making him free to sign with any club through July 15. On July 16, his exclusive rights revert to his original club if that club makes him a June 1 tender offer. His old club has until the 10th week of the season to sign him. If he does not sign by then, he must sit out the season. If no tender is offered, he can be signed by any club at any time throughout the season.

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RFA - Restricted free agent. Player who has completed three accrued seasons of service and whose contract has expired. Player has received a qualifying offer from his old club and is free to negotiate with any club until April 13, at which time his rights revert to his original club. If a player accepts an offer from a new club, the old club will have the right to match the offer and retain the player. If the old club elects not to match the offer, it may receive draft-choice compensation, depending on the level of the qualifying offer made to the player. 

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EFA - Exclusive-right free agent. Player with two or fewer years of experience who has no outside negotiating power. His rights belong to his '98 club, provided it makes him a minimum qualifying offer, which varies based on tenure. 

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Accrued season. Six or more regular season games on a club's active/inactive, reserved-injured or "physically unable to perform" lists.