The Scouting Combine is right around the corner which means free-agency buzz is going to begin in earnest very soon and the offseason will start to take off. There are plenty of offseason dates to keep track of so here are a few of them to help follow along over the next few months.
February 20
This is when the window opened for teams to use their franchise or transition tags. The Jets seem unlikely to use the tag this year. Bryce Huff could be a candidate but that would commit $23 million on a one-year deal to Huff.
February 27 - March 4
The dates for the 2024 Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was recently announced that the Combine will stay in Indy through at least next year.
The Combine is the big job interview for over 300 draft prospects but is also where plenty of free-agency buzz and potential draft trade talks begin as all 32 teams will be in attendance. Jets general manager Joe Douglas will speak to the media but head coach Robert Saleh will not as he typically does not go to Indianapolis.
March 5
At 4:00pm eastern time, the window to apply the franchise or transition tag closes. By this point, if a player does not have the tag, he is set to hit the open market, unless a deal is reached with his current team beforehand. Perhaps the Jets and Huff will come to an agreement before free agency starts, but as mentioned earlier, he is not expected to get either tag.
March 11
On this day, at noon eastern, teams can begin talking with upcoming free agents before the new League Year officially begins. This is the “legal tampering period”. Players and agents can agree to new contracts but deals cannot be made official until the league year begins a few days later.
March 13
The new league year and free agency officially begins at 4:00pm eastern on March 13. Any deals that were agreed upon during the legal tampering period as well as any trades that were negotiated can become signed and official at this time.
March 24-27
These are the dates for the annual league meeting. This year, they will take place in Orlando, Florida. This is where rule changes will be discussed — Tush Push, perhaps? — but could also lead to more talk between teams and general managers heading into the draft.
April 15
April 15 is when Aaron Rodgers and company can return to team facilities as the Jets can begin their offseason workouts. The teams with new head coaches this season will begin their programs two weeks prior on April 1.
April 17
This is the last day teams can have draft prospects visit their facilities for interviews and on-field workouts. Expect the Jets to do plenty of homework on the offensive tackle class over the next couple of months leading up to this point.
April 19
April 19 is the deadline for restricted free agents to sign their offer sheets if offered by another team. The Jets have three restricted free agents this offseason: TE Kenny Yeboah, OL Jake Hanson and DL Bradlee Anae.
April 24
There are two important notes on April 24, the day before the NFL Draft kicks off. First, this is the last day teams can have any contact with draft prospects either virtually or in-person at any location other than their team facilities.
Second, this is the deadline for teams to exercise their right of first refusal on restricted free agents who signed their offer sheets. So for example, if Kenny Yeboah signs an offer sheet from another team, the Jets have until April 24 to match that offer or let Yeboah walk.
April 25-27
This is it, the day many NFL fans are waiting for: the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit. The Jets could have as many as eight draft picks, once compensatory picks are finalized. However, the team currently has just two picks in the top 100: No. 10 and No. 72. Green Bay has their pick in the second round from the Aaron Rodgers trade.
May 2
May 2 is the deadline for teams to exercise the fifth-year options on their 2021 first-round picks. For the Jets, they technically have two players to decide on: No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson and No. 14 overall pick Alijah Vera-Tucker.
Wilson is a no-brainer to not have his option picked up as he is expected to be traded at some point this offseason. Vera-Tucker is an interesting decision. He’s arguably been the best offensive lineman for the Jets since joining the team in 2021 but injuries have limited him to just 12 out of a possible 34 games in the last two seasons. Picking up the option would lock AVT in to a projected $15.4 million for 2025.
