2015 NFL season unofficially kicks off Today; Teams can begin tagging players
The 2015 season has unofficially kicked off today. Teams can begin tagging players, and teams will be at the 2015 NFL Combine floating players around who are on the trading block. Here are a few other things to keep in mind that all start this week:
Tags: Teams have between Monday and March 2 to place a franchise or transition tag on pending free agents. The NFL hasn’t released exact figures because the 2015 salary cap has not been set, but count on roughly a five percent increase from the 2014 numbers listed here. (Franchised players must be paid the average of the five highest-paid players at their position, or 120 percent of the previous year’s salary, whichever is higher. Depending on the designation, the tags require at least a first-round draft pick in compensation to sign as a free agent.)
Combine: The traditional schedule for the 2015 combine in Indianapolis has been moved up a day. That means the first group of players will begin arriving Tuesday for health evaluations and measurements. The first workouts — for offensive linemen, tight ends and special teams — will be Friday.
Competition committee: The group charged with maintaining on-field integrity and fair competition will meet at the combine to begin discussing possible rule changes for 2015. According to vice president of officiating Dean Blandino, topics include expanded instant replay and how better to judge whether a receiver has made a catch. Also expected to be on the agenda: Expanding the postseason and re-imagining the extra point.
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