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The New Orleans Saints started their offseason rather early this year, to much surprise. Now the team must look ahead to 2020 and how it plans to reshape itself in order to again be a Super Bowl contender.

This offseason must answer many questions about the Saints’ long-term future: Will quarterback Drew Brees return, and what does that mean for the quarterback situation? How will the Saints approach free agency and the draft, and will their strategy defer from past philosophy? These are the types of questions the fans are yearning to have answered, and issues that the front office will need to address.

Here are some important dates for the 2020 Saints offseason, where these questions will be addressed:

January 25: Reese’s Senior Bowl

New Orleans will be looking for several key additions through this year’s draft, despite owning just five selections. Wide receiver, offensive line, and additions in the defensive secondary should rank atop the list for their biggest needs.

This all-star game in Mobile, Ala. figures heavily into the Saints’ draft strategy. It’s a first introduction for the coaching staff to many top prospects, and they’ve drafted many previous Senior Bowl alums — including Erik McCoy and Marcus Davenport, their first picks in the last two years.

February 24: NFL Scouting Combine

The NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis will give the Saints more information in order to better assess who could be available with their given picks. Aside from the actual NFL Draft, this is the biggest event for football fans during the offseason.

While teams can meet with players and see them practice at all-star events like the Senior Bowl, this is where they get to spend more time interviewing prospects and seeing how they measure up athletically. “The underwear Olympics” provide crucial data that does a lot to back up observations in film study, or sometimes raise questions about previously-unnoticed concerns.

March 10: Franchise and transition tag deadline

The Saints do not really have any candidates to issue the franchise tag to, though Teddy Bridgewater could be a long-shot possibility. Transition tags are not heavily utilized in the NFL, and the Saints hardly utilize them, if ever. However, if they do break that trend, the Saints will have until 3 p.m. CT to make a decision.

March 16: Legal tampering period begins

While no agreements can be signed, this is the real beginning of free agency. Teams can contact free agents to negotiate new deals, and they can also call each other to facilitate trades. Any deals can only be formalized in verbal agreements, and it’s possible for parties to back out if they so choose. This is where the Saints lost Mark Ingram and picked up Latavius Murray last season, even if pens weren’t put to paper until a few days later.

March 16: First day of 2020 league year

Beginning at 3 p.m. CT, all teams can start signing free agents and issuing new contracts to players. Recently, New Orleans has brought in players like linebacker Demario Davis and nose tackle Malcom Brown, who helped reshape the landscape of the defense. Additional help being brought in could be a real possibility this offseason, but the Saints could just as soon lose some of their homegrown talent like safety Vonn Bell or defensive tackle David Onyemata. This also opens the door for 2017 draft picks like Alvin Kamara to negotiate contract extensions, even if they have a year left on their current deals.

April 23-25: NFL Draft in Las Vegas

New Orleans currently holds pick No. 24 in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. It is anyone’s guess as to what the team will do with it. Drafting a wide receiver, offensive lineman, or even a quarterback have all been thrown out there, but the Saints usually like to address their needs in free agency. It gives them more flexibility on draft day.

The Saints do not have a second-round pick this year, having traded it to the Miami Dolphins. That pick was part of a package that turned into McCoy and breakout defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson. After the second round, the Saints own picks in rounds three through six, while their seventh-round pick was included in the Eli Apple trade with the New York Giants.

May 4: Fifth-year options for players drafted in 2017

New Orleans will have to decide if they want to exercise the fifth-year options for players such as offensive lineman Ryan Ramczyk and cornerback Marshon Lattimore. Neither of those decisions should go down to the wire — Ramczyk and Lattimore are two of the best players at their positions, and picking up their options will keep them under team contract control through 2021.

Late July: NFL training camp begins

The NFL hasn’t announced official start dates just yet, but we know teams will open up training camp late in teh summer. In 2019, New Orleans began their training camp on July 26 at their Metairie, La. practice facility. For many fans, this will be their first live look at their 2020 Saints team.

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