Key dates on NFL offseason calendar

Even if we’re in the midst of a rare quiet time in the NFL calendar, below is a look at what’s coming up for the Ravens and the other 31 NFL teams as the offseason kicks into high gear in the coming weeks:
February 16 — First day for clubs to designate franchise or transition players
February 17-23 — NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis
February 24 — Ravens hold their 2014 season-review/2015 season-preview press conference at 2 p.m. in Owings Mills
March 2 — Prior to 4:00 p.m., deadline for clubs to designate franchise or transition players
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 4:00 p.m. on March 10. However, a contract cannot be executed with a new club until the official start of free agency on that day.
March 10 — Prior to 4:00 p.m., clubs must exercise options for 2015 on all players who have option clauses in their 2014 contracts.
March 10 — Prior to 4:00 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.
March 10 — Prior to 4:00 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.
“Rule of 51” begins. All clubs must be under the 2015 salary cap prior to 4:00 p.m.
All 2014 player contracts expire at 4:00 p.m.
The 2015 league year and free agency period begin at 4:00 p.m.
Trading period for 2015 begins at 4:00 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 29 — Deadline for prior club to exercise right of first refusal to restricted free agents
April 30-May 2 — NFL draft in Chicago
May 8-11 or May 15-18 — Clubs may elect to hold their three-day post-draft rookie minicamp from Friday through Sunday or Saturday through Monday.
May 18-20 — NFL spring league meeting in San Francisco
June 21-27 — Rookie symposium in Aurora, Ohio
July 15 — At 4:00 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 such contract cannot 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.
Veteran players (defined as a player with at least one pension-credited season) other than quarterbacks or “injured players” may report to a club’s preseason training camp no earlier than 15 days prior to the club’s first scheduled preseason game or July 15, whichever is later.
Veteran quarterbacks and injured players may be required to report to the club’s preseason training camp no earlier than five days immediately prior to the mandatory reporting date for all other veteran players, provided the club has already opened (or simultaneously opens) its official preseason training camp for all rookies and first-year players.
A three-day acclimation period will apply to players who are on a club’s roster up to and including the mandatory veteran reporting date. Players who join the roster after that date may practice (including wearing pads) and play immediately after passing a physical.