Free-agent deadlines and what they mean
Today is the deadline for restricted free agents to receive offer sheets. Miles Austin, Gerald Sensabaugh, Sam Hurd and Duke Preston are the only restricted free agents who have yet to sign. Austin said he expects to sign by the June 15 deadline. Sensabaugh isn't working out at Valley Ranch and might not return until the mandatory workouts start in May.
April 21 is the deadline for an old club to exercise right of first refusal to restricted free agents. This doesn't apply to the Cowboys, or to almost any team in the league. None of the Cowboys' restricted free agents have received an offer from another club. Sensabaugh's agent, Kevin Conner, said some teams were interested but nothing serious evolved.
June 1 is the deadline for old clubs to send tender to unsigned unrestricted free agents to receive exclusive negotiating rights for rest of season if a player is not signed by another club by July 22. No worries here for the Cowboys.
Also, June 1 is the deadline for old clubs to send tender to unsigned restricted free agents or to extend a qualifying offer to retain exclusive negotiating rights. The Cowboys have sent tenders to all of their restricted free agents and signed their exclusive rights free agents.
June 15 is the deadline for old clubs to withdraw an original qualifying offer to unsigned restricted free agents and still retain exclusive negotiating rights by substituting tender of 110 percent of the previous year's salary. This means all restricted free agents have until this day to sign their deals or get 110 percent of the previous year's salary.
Calvin Watkins
ESPNDallas.com
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Calvin Watkins
Calvin Watkins joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. He's covered the Cowboys since 2006 and also has covered colleges, boxing and high school sports.
Todd Archer
Todd Archer joined ESPNDallas.com in November 2010. He's covered the NFL since 1997 and the Cowboys since 2003. He covered the Bengals and Dolphins before arriving in Dallas. A Massachusetts native, Archer lives in the Dallas area with his wife and two children.
Tim MacMahon
Tim MacMahon joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. Tim covers the Cowboys and Mavericks. He has covered the local sports scene from high schools to colleges to pros during his six-year tenure at The Dallas Morning News. MacMahon is a graduate of UNT.
Jean-Jacques Taylor
Jean-Jacques Taylor joined ESPNDallas.com in August 2011. A native of Dallas, Taylor spent the past 20 years writing for The Dallas Morning News, where he covered high schools sports, the Texas Rangers and spent 11 seasons covering the Dallas Cowboys before becoming a general columnist in 2006.
Ben Rogers
Ben Rogers joined ESPNDallas.com in November 2009. He is one half of "The Ben & Skin Show," heard weekdays from 9a-12p on 103.3 FM ESPN.
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