The offseason has officially arrived: Key dates for Seahawks fans

Sunday saw the 2020 NFL season come to a close, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers obliterating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV and Tom Brady once again raising the Lombardi for the seventh time in the past two decades. That, of course, means that the offseason has officially arrived, and at least at this point all signs seems to indicate that much of the 2021 offseason will be held virtually, just as was the case in 2020.

That said, with no actual meaningful NFL football to be played until September, here is a look at the key dates on the calendar for the offseason:

February 23 - March 9: Franchise and transition tag window

March 15 - March 17: Legal tampering period

March 17: New league year begins (all teams must be in compliance with salary cap for 2021 by this time, free agency officially begins and teams must make decisions regarding tender offers for exclusive rights free agents and restricted free agents)

April 23: Last day for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets

April 29 - May 1: 2021 NFL Draft

So, while the 2020 season of the Seattle Seahawks ended weeks ago, there are plenty of important decisions to be made in the coming months. Specifically, how will the team handle the members of the roster set to be free agents, what will the Hawks do when it comes to the salary cap, and will they actually go into the draft with just a handful of picks at their disposal?