New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com

With most minicamps already done and players and coaches off until training camp, let’s take a look at some important upcoming dates:

•Mid-July: Teams are allowed to open training camp for rookies and first-year players no more than 22 days prior to the team’s first preseason game. Veteran players may report to training camp no earlier than 15 days before the first preseason game.

•Aug. 3: Hall of Fame enshrinement, which includes former Tampa Bay defensive tackle Warren Sapp.

•Aug. 4: Hall of Fame Game, Dallas against Miami.

•Aug. 6: Deadline for players under contract to report to their teams to earn an accrued season for free agency.

•Aug. 6: If a drafted rookie has not signed with his club by this date, he cannot be traded to any other club in 2013 and may sign a contract only with the team that drafted him until the first day of the 2014 draft.

•Aug. 8-11: First preseason weekend.

•Aug. 27: Teams must reduce their rosters to 75 players.

•Aug. 29: Final preseason games.

•Aug. 31: Teams must reduce their rosters to 53 players.

•Sept. 1: Teams can establish a practice squad of eight players.

•Sept. 5: The top 51 salary-cap figures no longer comprise the team’s salary-cap commitment. At this point, all contracts, practice-squad contracts, tender offers and miscellaneous amounts begin counting toward the salary cap.

•Sept. 5: The regular season opens.

•Sept. 24: The claiming priority for players that were waived begins to go in inverse order of the current season’s standings.

•Oct. 15: Starting the day after the conclusion of the sixth regular-season weekend and continuing through the day after the 11th regular-season weekend, teams are allowed to begin practicing players on the physically unable to perform and non-football injury or illness list. If a player is activated, it has to come within 21 days of the day he begins practicing.

•Oct. 29: Deadline for trading.

Upcoming key dates - NFC South Blog - ESPN