Patriots look-ahead

Mike - when are the schedules formally announced? I know we have the opponents, but I am very curious to see dates and the order of opponents, particularly how the four separate West Coast trips are going to play out over the course of the season. Also, when is the initial national tv schedule typically finalized? That plays a huge role as well, i.e. a road 4PM EST game isn't as big a deal on the team as a road Sunday or Monday night game followed by a tough opponent the next week.

Prediction - first Sunday night game of the year is Pats at San Diego.

You missed a date, schedule release date.

Anyone know if the draft is on ESPN or the NFL Network?

Hi Rob & Seth. The NFL does not release the official date that schedules will be finalized. I read the website profootballtalk.com the other day and they had an item about a reader who emailed a page from the NFL.com site that the date will be April 3. The page from NFL.com was a broadcast calendar for NFL Network. I'm not sure that date is official.
--Mike

There is one more important date: June 1st when teams release players (typically high priced veterans they can't afford to get them off their books and free up salary cap space). Not as big a date as it once was with the increase to the salary cap in the last couple of years but it's a chance to pick up valuable guys before training camp and see if they can help you team. That date and the last cut down date is a chance for a well managed cap team to pick up talent at bargain prices. And the Pats love value!