Giants offseason guide: Keys dates to mark on your calendar

The Super Bowl is over and football fans are jonesing for the next phase in the never-ending story that the NFL has become.

Do not fear, there is plenty on the horizon to hold your interest.

Next weekend, the NFL Scouting Combine will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

The schedule is as follows:

• Thursday, February 27: Defensive linemen and linebackers
• Friday, February 28: Defensive backs and tight ends
• Saturday, March 1: Quarterbacks, wide receivers, and running backs
• Sunday, March 2: Offensive linemen

The New York Giants will particularly be interested in Friday’s session as they are heavily in the market for a quarterback this offseason.

The day after the Combine, March 4, the deadline for clubs to designate franchise or transition players expires at 4:00 p.m. ET New York time.

The Giants are not expected to use either tag this season.

The league new year begins at 4:00 p.m. ET New York time on Wednesday, March 12. The salary cap will be set and all teams will be required to be under the number, which has not been formalized.

This week, the NFL announced the cap will be “somewhere between $277.5 million and $281.5 million.”

The Giants are expected to have approximately $53 million in available cap space to use on free agent deals and current player contract extensions.

The “legal tampering” period begins on Monday, March 10 at noon.

Clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2024 Player Contracts at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 12.

Expect Giants general manager Joe Schoen to be very active once again in the free agent market. The Giants will be seeking help at quarterback, cornerback, interior defensive line, and even wide receiver.

More key dates:

• March 30-April 2: Annual League Meeting, Palm Beach, Florida. Rule changes and other major issues will be discussed.
• April 16: Deadline for clubs to time, test, visit, interview, or conduct a physical examination with a draft-eligible player at its club facility.
• April 21: Offseason workout program can begin for teams with returning head coaches.
• April 23: Deadline for clubs to 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

Other things to keep an eye on…

The NFL will announce the awarding of compensatory draft picks sometime during the first week of March.

The Giants could be active in the trade market. A rumored deal for a veteran starting quarterback could become a reality if, let’s say, the Los Angeles Rams and Matthew Stafford can’t come to an agreement on a restructured contract.

The Giants will also look to trim the fat on their own roster, restructuring contracts where they can and perhaps even letting some players go.

The Giants have until May 1...