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Cleveland Browns offseason: Important dates to know heading toward the 2025 NFL season
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- Cleveland Browns offseason: Important dates to know heading toward the 2025 NFL season
The NFL offseason started for the Cleveland Browns on Jan. 5 , a day after they wrapped up a 3-14 season . The offseason for the NFL as a whole, though, didn't get started until Monday, a day after the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl 59 .
Of course, with the NFL, there's not much "off" in the offseason. There's always something going on to keep the league in the news.
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While some of the exact dates aren't set yet, here's a look at the important dates to know for both the Browns and the NFL over the next few months.
Feb. 18-March 4: Franchise/Transition tags may be applied
The opening of the window for teams to designate players with the franchise of transition tags. The window for such designation runs until 4 p.m. March 4.
Feb. 24-March 3: Scouting Combine, Indianapolis
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski speaks to the media during the 2024 NFL Draft Combine on Feb. 28, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
NFL teams get a look at all of the top draft prospects, both in on-field workouts and individual interviews. The workouts take place at Lucas Oil Stadium, with other activities taking place at the adjacent Indiana Convention Center.
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March 10-12: NFL free-agency negotiation period
Teams can contact and enter into contract negotiations with the agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents. That starts at noon on March 10 and runs until 4 p.m. March 12.
March 12, 4 p.m.: NFL league year begins for 2025
At 4 p.m., the NFL's league year begins. At that time, teams can sign contracts with free agents and officially complete trades.
March 30-April 2: NFL annual meetings, West Palm Beach, Fla.
The league power brokers gather at The Breakers to discuss various business, as well as approve potential rule changes.
April 7: Team with new head coaches can start offseason programs
Teams that hired new coaches after the 2024 season — Chicago Bears , Dallas Cowboys , Jacksonville Jaguars , Las Vegas Raiders , New England Patriots , New Orleans Saints and New York Jets — may begin phase one of their voluntary offseason program.
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April 16: On-site draft workouts conclude
The final day a team can have draft-eligible prospects at its facility to time, test, visit, interview or conduct a physical examination.
April 18: Restricted free agents offer sheet deadline
Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.
April 21: Browns, other teams with returning head coaches can start offseason programs
Phase one of the Browns' voluntary offseason program is permitted to begin on this day. That phase is entirely an off-the-field one, with activities limited to meetings, strength and conditioning, and physical rehabilitation. Phase one lasts two weeks before transitioning to a three-week phase two in late April/early May, which includes on-field individual or group instruction and drills, including walk-through work without offense vs. defense.
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April 23: Restricted free agents first refusal; draft workout deadline
Deadline for prior club to exercise right of first refusal to restricted free agents who signed offer sheets. It's also the last day teams can time, test, visit, interview (including video and phone calls) or conduct a physical examination with a draft-eligible player at any location.
April 24-26: NFL draft, Green Bay, Wisconsin
NFL draft logo on Sept. 2, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis.
The NFL draft is held in Green Bay. The first round will be on April 24, the second and third rounds on April 25, and the remainder of the draft on April 26.
Cleveland Browns 2025 draft picks (as of Feb. 11)
The Browns have nine draft picks before the compensatory picks are made official. The three compensatory picks, due to free-agent losses from last offseason, pushes that total to 12.
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Cleveland has five of its own picks in the 2025 draft in these rounds:
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Round 1 (No. 2 overall)
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Round 2 (No. 33)
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Round 3 (No. 67)
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Round 4 (No. 103)
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Round 6 (No. 181)
The Browns have also acquired picks through four different trades over the last two years, including two different Za'Darius Smith trades. That includes deals with Buffalo ( Amari Cooper ), the Minnesota Vikings (in acquiring Smith ) and the Chicago Bears (Chris Williams).
Those trades have given them picks in the following rounds:
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Round 3 from Buffalo (No. 94)
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Round 5 from Detroit (No. 165)
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Round 6 from Miami via Chicago (No. 194)
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Round 6 from Minnesota (No. 202)
The Browns also will receive three compensatory picks. Those are:
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Round 6 (No. 216)
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Round 6 (No. 217)
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Round 7 (No. 257)
May 1: Fifth-year option deadline
Deadline for teams to exercise fifth-year options for players selected in the first round of the 2022 Draft. The Browns do not have anyone eligible this year.
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May 2-5 or May 9-12: Rookie Minicamps
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski (left) and general manager Andrew Berry watch rookie minicamp at the team's training facility, May 14, 2021, in Berea.
Teams have the option of one of the two weekends after the draft to bring in the rookies for their first real indoctrination into the NFL. The Browns have, over the last two years, typically chosen the second of the two weekends to conduct their rookie minicamp in Berea. The minicamp will feature not only players who were taken in the draft, along with the undrafted free agents, but also a handful of players brought in on a tryout basis.
Second week of May, approximately: NFL schedule release
The exact date won't become known until it's almost there. A year ago, it fell on May 16, right after the Browns' rookie minicamp. The year before, it fell on May 10, which was right before the rookie minicamp. Cleveland will likely learn the date and opponent of its game in London at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium within 24 hours before the full schedule comes out. The NFL announced the full slate of International Games last year on May 15, a day before the full schedule came out.
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Cleveland Browns 2025 road opponents
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New England Patriots
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New York Jets
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Chicago Bears
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Las Vegas Raiders
Browns heading to London in 2025: NFL picks Cleveland for 2025 game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Cleveland Browns 2025 home opponents
Note that one of these opponents will be chosen to be the team the Browns face in London.
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Ravens
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Bengals
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Steelers
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Minnesota Vikings
Week of May 19: NFL Offseason Team Activities begin
The third phase of the NFL's voluntary offseason program starts with the sixth week of the overall program, which is the week starting on Monday, May 19. The phase allows teams to conduct a total of 10 days of on-field organized team practice activity, or "OTAs." No live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permitted.
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June 3-5 or June 10-12, estimated: Mandatory Browns minicamp
Browns tight end David Njoku reaches for a pass during minicamp June 13, 2024, in Berea.
The last stage of the offseason program is the three-day mandatory minicamp every team conducts. They typically occur on one of the first two weeks in June. The Browns held theirs last year on the second of the two weeks.
Late July: Browns training camp begins
The exact dates won't come out for a while. However, based on last year, the most likely start date will be around the final weekend of July. The Browns aren't playing in the Hall of Fame Game, so they won't get the extra week of camp. There also hasn't been any official confirmation of the team starting camp at The Greenbriar in West Virginia as they did the last two years. However, there's been no denial of that possibility either.
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Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Browns offseason: Important dates, NFL draft, minicamp, more
