NFL Offseason Schedule: Key Dates For the Seahawks

Monday -tomorrow- rings in the first day the Seahawks' offseason workout programs can kick in, meaning in nine of the next ten weeks, the Seahawks are allowed to have players to VMAC, working out, and eventually getting coached up, albeit with some strict rules and regulations. If you didn't already see it - there's an explanation of the Seahawks' offseason programs here. Apart from the Hawks' workouts, practices, and OTAs though, there are some key dates to add to your football calendars. Here's a look at the upcoming offseason schedule, courtesy of Adam Caplan and the SidelineView.com.

-- April 16 -- Seahawks are officially allowed to begin offseason workout programs. It's a three-phase, ten-week program, as stipulated by the new CBA.

--April 20 -- Deadline for signing of Offer Sheets by Restricted Free Agents. I believe that Steven Hauschka is the team's only remaining RFA.

--April 25 -- Deadline for Seahawks to exercise Right of First Refusal to Restricted Free Agents. If Hauschka gets an offer from another club, this is the last day Seattle has to make a new offer.

--April 26-28 -- NFL Draft. Maybe you've been anticipating this weekend a bit?

--April 28 -- Undrafted Free Agents (UDFA) may be signed, once the final selection has been made in the Draft. I expect the Seahawks will hit this pretty hard again this year.

--May 16 -- Per Caplan - "Except for a three-day minicamp held within 15 days of the draft, this is the first day that players eligible for the 2012 Draft are permitted to participate in minicamps or meetings. If final 
examinations at a player's school conclude after this date, the player is prohibited from participating in any activities until after the player's final day of examinations. If the player has left or leaves school, he is prohibited from participating in any club activities until after the final day of examinations at his school."

This is probably the weirdest thing to think about - that players are still in school after being drafted by NFL teams. I don't know, just seems funny. "You finish up your school work before you can go play with your new friends in Seattle young man!"

--May 21-23 -- NFL Spring Meeting, Chicago, Illinois.

--June 24-June 30 -- NFL Rookie Symposium, Aurora, Ohio.

--Mid-July -- Supplemental Draft - unknown if this will even happen, but one guy to watch, now that Bobby Petrino is out at Arkansas, is QB Tyler Wilson. If he decides he wants to forgo his upcoming season and somehow figures out a way to finagle his way into the Supplemental Draft, he'll get some interest.

--July 16 -- Deadline at 4:00 p.m., ET for clubs to sign their designated Franchise Player to a multi-year contract or extension. Once this deadline passes, the franchise player may sign only a
 one-year contract with his Old Club for the 2012 season, and such contract cannot be extended until after the club's last regular-season game. It will be interesting to see what happens here with, say, Drew Brees.

--August 5 -- Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, Canton, Ohio. This year will be somewhat applicable to the Seahawks, as NFC West rivals the Arizona Cardinals will face off against the Saints.

--August 7 -- Players under contract must report to their teams by this date to earn an Accrued Season for free agency.

--August 9-13 -- Preseason Week 1 - Sat., August 11th - 7:00 PM PT - Seahawks vs. Titans

--August 16-20 -- Preseason Week 2 - Sat., August 18th - 6:00 PM PT - Seahawks at Broncos

--August 23-26 -- Preseason Week 3 - Fri., August 24th - 5:00 PM PT - Seahawks at Chiefs

--August 30-31 -- Preseason Week 4 - Thurs., August 30th - 7:00 PM PT - Seahawks vs. Raiders

--September 5, 9-10 -- Kickoff 2012 Weekend.

Make sure to head over to the SidelineView.com, where Caplan has listed off a few more key dates to keep an eye on as they relate to contract negotiations and free agency rules and regulations.