Packers: Important offseason dates to know in 2021

The offseason is underway and the excitement of free agency is just around the corner. Below you’ll find some important offseason dates for the Green Bay Packers.

As general manager Brian Gutekunst navigates this team through a challenging offseason, he’ll need to balance the salary cap while strengthening the roster for another Super Bowl push.

There will be some important decisions to be made in the near future.

Here are some key dates this offseason:

Packers important offseason dates

March 9: Deadline to use franchise or transition tags

In less than a week, the Packers will need to decide whether to use either the franchise or transition tag. The two realistic candidates are running back Aaron Jones and center Corey Linsley. With both star players potentially departing in free agency, the Packers could use the franchise tag to keep one of them in Green Bay for 2021.

March 15: Packers can talk with other free agents

Free agency doesn’t officially begin until the start of the new league year two days later, but from March 15, the Packers will be able to begin conversations with agents of players with expiring contracts. Free agency effectively begins here.

March 17: New league year, free agency gets underway

Green Bay will need to be under the 2021 salary cap by 3 p.m. CT on March 17. Players with expiring contracts will become free agents at this stage, too.

April 19: Packers can begin offseason program

April 29-May 1: 2021 NFL Draft

Which players will Green Bay add to the roster in the 2021 NFL Draft? We’ll find out the answers when the three-day event begins on April 29.

The Packers own the 29th pick in the first round, but they have traded up in the first round in each of the past three drafts. They could be set to receive multiple compensatory draft picks which could realistically give them as many as 10 selections in total.