One of the biggest half-truths about the NFL scouting combine is that it's all about the upcoming draft. Sure, there are 300-plus prospects and even more coaches and scouts in town. What happens in the workouts will be a factor in the April draft, but it won't do nearly as much in shaping the immediate rosters of teams as what's happening just outside the walls of the RCA Dome.
That's where front offices and teams have started the process of free agency, even though that process doesn't officially start until Friday morning. With lots of winks and nods, visits are being scheduled and some negotiations have begun.
Sure, it all violates the NFL's rules against tampering. But nobody cares.