NFL Free Agency and Trading Period 2025
Free Agents – Unrestricted & ‘Street’ Players 

QB Geno Smith Traded to Raiders  Wideout D.K. Metcalf Dealt to Steelers

Frank Coyle & Staff at  draftinsiders.com

Salary Cap per Team – Approx $$ entering Free Agency Period
March 12 – Salary Cap Per team: $279.2M – Increase of $23.8M Per Team

 Salary Cap and Compliance
    Teams must be in full compliance with the salary cap by 4:00 p.m. ET on March 12.
    Teams can carry over unused cap space from the 2024 season if they notify the NFL by the day
          after their final regular-season game.

Trades and Signings To be Announced March 12th
Player signings will be continuous starting today

 Retiring Players
G Zack Martin – Dallas
Edge Sam Hubbard – Cincinnati
TE Marcedes Lewis – Chicago
OL Mitch Morse – Jacksonville
OL Jon Feliciano – San Francisco

 Unretiring Player
WR Michael Gallup – Las Vegas (last team)

Trades to be Annoucned after Period start 
 Traded Players               Former Team        New Team              Draft Pick
Geno Smith                QB          Seat                         Las Vegas              3rd-round 2025
DK Metcalf                 WR         Seat                        Pittsburgh             2nd-round 2025
Deebo Samuel           WR         SF                           Washington          5th-round 2025
Christian Kirk           WR          Jax                          Houston               7th round 2026
Joe Thuney                OG           KC                          Chicago                4th round 2026
Jonah Jackson          OG          LAR                        Chicago                6th round 2025

March Free Agency Newsletter – Top 125 Free Agents
Pro Prospect Positional Rankings – Top 300 Rankings
Available Now – Special Deluxe Package $59.95 – Order Today –

Re-signed Veterans
Offense
Andy Dalton                            QB       Panthers           37
Jarrett Stidham                      QB        Broncos            29
Aaron Jones                            RB        Vikings             30
Marquise Brown                     WR       Chiefs               28
Tutu Atwell                             WR       Rams               25
Ronnie Stanley                       OT        Ravens             31
Mike Gesicki                           TE        Bengals            29
Tommy Tremble                    TE        Panthers           25
Zach Ertz                                 TE        Commanders   35
John Bates                              TE        Commanders    27
Tanner Hudson                       TE        Bengals            31
Austin Hooper                         TE        Patriots             31
Alaric Jackson                        OT        Rams                26
Cody Ford                               OG       Bengals            28

Defense
Baron Browning                    Edge    Cards               26
Marcus Davenport                Edge    Lions                30
Jarran Reed                            DT        Seahawks         32
Adam Butler                           DL        Raiders             31
Zack Baum                              LB        Eagles              28
Bobby Wagner                       LB        Commanders   35
Nick Bolton                             LB        Chiefs               27
Ernest Jones                           LB        Seahawks         25
Lavonte David                        LB        Bucs                 35
Jamien Sherwood                  LB        Jets                  26
Amen Ogbongbemiga           LB        Bears               27

NFL Draft 2025 – First Round Mock Draft 6.0

Frank Coyle/ Head scout

** April 24-26 – Annual Selection Meeting/NFL Draft (Green Bay, Wi) **
NFL Draft 2025

First Round
Pre NFL Free Agency

   Team  / Player  / Position  / School

1 Tennessee 3-13 – Cam Ward QB Miam
2 Cleveland 3-13 -Travis Hunter WR/CB Colorado
3 NY Giants 3-13 – Abdul Carter Edge Penn St
4 New England 3-13 – Will Campbell OT LSU
5 Jacksonville 4-12 – Tetairoa McMillan WR Arizona
6 Las Vegas 4-12 – James Pearce Jr. Edge Tennessee
7 NY Jets 4-12 – Kelvin Banks Jr OT Texas
8 Carolina 4-12 – Will Johnson CB Michigan
9 New Orleans – 5-11 Jaxon Dart QB Mississippi
10 Chicago 4-12 – Tyler Warren TE Penn St
11 San Fran 6-10 – Mason Graham DT Michigan
12 Dallas 7-9 – Ashton Jeanty RB Boise St
13 Miami 8-8 – Shedeur Sanders QB Colorado
14 Indianapolis 7-9 – Jalon Walker Edge Georgia
15 Atlanta 8-8 – Luther Burden WR Missouri
16 Arizona 7-9 – Mykel Williams Edge Georgia

March Free Agency Newsletter – Top 125 Free Agents
Pro Prospect Positional Rankings – Top 300 Rankings
Available Now – Special Deluxe Package $59.95 – Order Today –

17 Cincinnati 8-8 – Armand Membou OT Missouri
18 Seattle 9-7 – Colston Loveland TE Michigan
19 Tampa Bay 9-7 – Jihaad Campbell LB Alabama
20 Denver 9-7 – Malaki Starks S Georgia
21 Pittsburgh 10-6 – Nick Emmanwori S S. Carolina
22 LA Chargers 10-6 – Maxwell Hairston CB Kentucky
23 Green Bay 11-5 – Derrick Harmon DT Oregon
24 Minnesota 14-2 – Trey Amos CB Ole Miss
25 Houston 9-7 – Matthew Golden WR Texas
26 LA Rams 10-6 – Jonah Savaiinaea OL Arizona
27 Baltimore 11-5 – Josh Simmons OT Ohio St
28 Detroit 14-2 – Jahdae Barron CB Texas
29 Washington 11-5 – Josh Conerly OT Oregon
30 Buffalo 13-3 – Kenneth Grant DT Michigan
31 Kansas City 15-1 – Marcus Mbow OT Purdue
32 Philadelphia 13-3 -Shemar Stewart Edge Texas A&M

March Free Agency Newsletter – Top 125 Free Agents
Pro Prospect Positional Rankings – Top 300 Rankings
Available Now – Special Deluxe Package $59.95 – Order Today –

Word on the Street’

Frank Coyle / Head scout

www.draftinsiders.com

Pro Day Schedule 2025 –

 Special Big 12 Combine Info

Dates, Schools – Updated Dates – 3/7

Draft Insiders’ Staff
Our scouting staff will attend many Pro Days thru April with key info in our Draft Yearbook 2025

Notre Dame University – March 27
Many prospects expected to participate in workout

Special Big 12 Pro Day Information – March 18-21

March

March 3
Ball State
Miami (Oh)

March 4
Indiana

March 5
Purdue

March 6
Illinois State

March 7
East Texas A&M
Washington State

March 10
Austin Peay
Eastern Kentucky
Georgia Southern
Washington
Western Michigan

March 11
Central Michigan
Kentucky
Monmouth University
Oklahoma
Tennessee

March 12
Georgia
Rutgers University
Southern Cal
Wyoming

March 13
Buffalo
Clemson
Colorado State
Illinois
Eastern Michigan

March 14
Delaware
Georgia Tech

March 17
Arkansas
Northern Illinois
Oregon State
Syracuse
Sam Houston
UCLA

March 18-21

Big 12 Pro Day – March 18-21 – Frisco, Texas

Colorado stars Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders are set to headline the Big 12 Pro Day at   The Star in Frisco, Texas. Big 12 Conference will partner with the NFL for the second annual event. The NFL Network will provide coverage of Pro Day from the Dallas Cowboys’ global headquarters as Big 12 football athletes begin the next chapters of their careers in front of NFL franchises inside Ford Center at The Star.

Big 12 athletes scheduled to attend this year’s Pro Day include Colorado’s Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and QB Shedeur Sanders, the Arizona tandem of Tetairoa McMillan and Jonah Savaiinaea, as well as star wideouts including Colorado’s Jimmy Horn Jr. and Jack Bech and Savion Williams from TCU, among others.

The running back class will be represented by names such as Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo, UCF’s RJ Harvey, Cincinnati’s Corey Kiner, KU’s Devin Neal, DJ Giddens from Kansas State, Ollie Gordon II from Oklahoma State and Tahj Brooks from Texas Tech.

Also scheduled to attend are defensive lineman Tyler Batty from BYU, Keith Cooper Jr. from Houston and J.R. Singleton from Iowa State, alongside Baylor linebacker Matt Jones, Utah tight end Brant Kuithe and offensive lineman Wyatt Milum from West Virginia. A complete list of the 200+ participants and final workout schedules will be announced at a later date.

Last year was the first-ever Big 12 Pro Day, which saw over 130 Big 12 student-athletes participate in front of NFL scouts and executives. Among those participants was former West Virginia and current Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Zach Frazier.

NFL Network will bring its talent and production teams to Frisco for live broadcasts with analysis of the event from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. CT on March 19 and 20. The Big 12 Pro Day coverage will also be featured within additional NFL Network programming.

Teams represented at the Big 12 Pro Day Workout
Arizona
Arizona State
Baylor
BYU
Cincinnati
Colorado
Houston
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Oklahoma State
TCU
Texas Tech
UCF
Utah
West Virginia

March 18
Central Arkansas
Memphis
Northwestern
Oregon
South Carolina
Virginia
Wofford

March 19
Alabama
Alabama A&M
Idaho State
Kent State
Minnesota
San Jose State
Stanford

March 20
California
Middle Tennessee
William & Mary

March 21
Florida State
Michigan
Missouri
Utah State
Youngstown State

March 24
Auburn
Boston College
Bowling Green
East Carolina
Iowa
Marshall
Miami (Fl)
North Carolina
Northern Iowa
SMU
Stony Brook
Toledo
UNLV
UTSA

March 25
Dartmouth
East Carolina
Louisville
Mercyhurst
Nebraska
N.C. State
Rice
Texas
Tulane
UConn

March 26
Boise State
LSU
Navy
Ohio State
Pittsburgh
South Dakota State
Texas
USF
Virginia Tech
Western Kentucky

March 27
Army
Florida
Holy Cross
Merrimack
Morgan State
North Dakota State
Notre Dame
Texas A&M
Villanova

March 28
Jacksonville State
Maine
Maryland
Mississippi
Penn State

March 31
Sacramento State

April 1
Albany
Nevada

April 3
Montana

NFL Franchise Tag Deadline

Frank Coyle

Wideout Tee Higgins & Guard Trey Smith Tagged

Today marks the official deadline for NFL teams to use a tag on players whose contracts are set to expire at 4 pm.  Two teams, the Bengals and Chiefs have announced they will tag wideout Tee Higgins and guard Trey Smith.

Both players received the non-exclusive tender – meaning they are actually eligible to negotiate with other clubs yet also have until July 15 to sign an extension with their present employers in order to avoid the risk and uncertainty of playing on the one-year tag. In reality, it’s extremely rare for franchised players to move given it costs an outside team both contractually and a compensation package of two 1st-round draft picks to sign him from his original team is unwilling to match an offer sheet.

Other teams are rushing to sign potential free agents before the franchise deadline to avoid using the tag or lose a player in the Free agency market which starts March 12.  Last year, eight players received the Franchise tag with most being running backs. This year only  two players were tagged by the deadline, Higgins and Smith, the fewest in a number of years.

Franchise Non-Exclusive Tags

Cincinnati – WR Tee Higgins  – $26.2M for 2025 related to his position plus the increase for a tag for the 2nd year in a row
Kansas City – RG Trey Smith  – $23.4M for 2025

NFL Free Agency 2025 Newsletter – Coming up later this week
 Deluxe Package includes Yearbook and all Newsletters

Three Round Mock Draft & Top Value Board
Pro Prospect Positional Rankings – Top 300 Rankings
Available Now – Special Deluxe Package $59.95 – Order Today –

Key NFL Re-signings

RB Saquon Barkley – Eagles – 2 year $41.2M
DT Osa Odighizuwa – Cowboys – 4 year $80M
WR Khalil Shakir – Bills – 4 year $60.2M

High profile players not tagged include, QB Sam Darnold, LT Ronnie Stanley, edge Josh Sweat, LB Zach Baum, wideout Chris Godwin, DT Milton Williams, safeties Jevon Holland and Marcus Williams and corners Carlton Davis. DJReed, Charvarius Ward and Byron Murphy are several of the marquee players who will be available in the strong upcoming Free Agency class.

There are three tender options: 1) Non-exclusive franchise tag; 2) Exclusive franchise tag; 3) Transition tag.

Non-Exclusive Franchise tag: The most commonly used tag. When most refer to the “franchise tag,” they generally talk about the non-exclusive version. This is a 1-year tender of the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position over the last five years, or 120 percent of his previous salary, whichever is greater. The tagged player can negotiate with other teams, but his current team has the right to match any offer or receive two 1st-round draft picks as compensation if he signs with another club.

Exclusive Franchise tag: Unlike the non-exclusive version, the tagging team retains the sole right to negotiate with the player. The exclusivity raises the pay scale (current average salary versus averaging of the previous five years. This is a 1-year tender offer of the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position for the current year, or 120 percent of his previous salary, whichever is greater. Few receive the exclusive tag. Generally, players for whom other teams would gladly give up two 1st-round picks receive this version of the tags.

Transition tag: The transition tag is a one-year tender offer for the average of the top 10 salaries at the position — as opposed to the top five for the franchise tag. It guarantees the original club the right of first refusal to match any offer the player might receive from another club. The tagging team is awarded no compensation if it chooses not to match a deal.

Top 50 Pro Prospects for the NFL Draft 2025

       Feb. 27 2025 

Frank Coyle’ Head scout
             www.draftinsiders.com

Rankings before NFL Combine workouts

Rank  / Players/                Position /     Ht/Wt /School

1         Travis Hunter                   WR/CB             6-1, 185            Colorado

2         Abdul Carter                   Edge                    6-3, 250            Penn State

3         Mason Graham               DT                     6-2, 320            Michigan

4         Tetairoa McMillan          WR                   6-4, 200            Arizona

5         Will Campbell                 OT                     6-6, 325            LSU

6         Will Johnson                  CB                      6-2, 195            Michigan

7         Cam Ward                       QB                     6-3, 215            Miami

8         Mykel Williams              Edge                6-5, 265            Georgia

9         Kelvin Banks                 OT                     6-4, 320            Texas

10         Tyler Warren                  TE                    6-5, 260            Penn State

11         Luther Burden               WR                   5-11, 210          Missouri

12         Shedeur Sanders          QB                     6-2, 215            Colorado

13         Jalon Walker                 Edge                 6-2, 245            Georgia

14         Walter Nolen                 DT                    6-3, 295            Mississippi

15         Emeka Egbuka             WR                    6-1, 210            Ohio State

16         Armand Membou           OT                   6-4, 335            Missouri

17         James Pearce               Edge                   6-5, 245            Tennessee

18         Ashton Jeanty               RB                    5-9, 215            Boise State

19         Colston Loveland          TE                    6-2, 245            Michigan

20         Malaki Starks                S                       6-1, 205            Georgia

NFL Free Agency Newsletter – Upcoming

 Three Round Mock Draft & Top Value Board
Pro Prospect Positional Rankings – Top 300 Rankings
Available Now – Special Deluxe Package $59.95 – Order Today –

21         Derrick Harmon              DT                    6-4, 310            Oregon

22         Shemar Stewart              Edge                6-5, 280            Texas A&M

23         Jahdae Barron                CB                    5-11, 200          Texas

24         Kenneth Grant                DT                    6-3, 340            Michigan

25         Josh Simmons                OT                    6-5, 310            Ohio State

26         Nic Scourton                  Edge                6-4, 280            Texas A&M

27        Marcus Mbow                 OT                    6-4 310             Purdue

28         Mike Green                    Edge                6-3, 250            Marshall

29         Jaxson Dart                     QB                   6-2, 220            Mississippi

30         Jonah Savaiinea             OT                    6-4, 335            Arizona

31         Jihaad Campbell              LB                    6-3, 245            Alabama

32         Aireontae Ersery            OT                    6-5, 325            Minnesota

33         Princely Umanmielen     Edge                   6-4, 265            Mississippi

34        Azareye’h Thomas            CB                    6-2, 190            Florida St

35         Donovan Ezeiruaku         Edge                6-2, 245            Boston College

36         Trey Amos                        CB                    6-0, 195            Mississippi

37         Landon Jackson             Edge                6-6, 280            Arkansas

38         Nick Emmanwori           S                      6-2, 225            South Carolina

39         Josh Conerly                  OT                    6-4, 310            Oregon

40         Matthew Golden            WR                   6-0, 195            Texas

41        Donovan Jackson          OG                   6-4, 320            Ohio State

42         Ben Morrison                CB                    6-0, 185            Notre Dame

43         Tyler Booker                 OG                   6-5, 335            Alabama

44         Kyle Kennard                Edge                6-4, 250            South Carolina

45         Shavon Revel                CB                    6-2, 190            East Carolina

46         Jack Sawyer                  DE                 6-4, 265            Ohio State

47         Jack Bech                       WR                   6-1, 215            TCU

48         Max Hairston                 CB                   6-0, 190            Kentucky

49        Carson Schwesinger      LB                    6-1, 245            UCLA

50         Grey Zabel                      OG                   6-4, 315            North Dakota State

NFL Combine History
Top Sprinters and Lifters

Frank Coyle & Staff

The NFL Combine continues to develop into one of the most critical offseason events on the NFL Draft calendar. What started as an important medical 3-day event as evolved into a major TV production of over 300 pro prospects. The events have a wide range of value.  Fans quote speed and lifting numbers correlating those measurables into NFL stardom. Hardly the truth. Speed numbers from the 40 yard dash is strictly straight line speed which confirms a real number, though not necessarily field or open field speed. The breakdown of the 40 especially the 10-yard split actually is more indicative for positional scouting. The history of the sprint champions is a graveyard of NFL overrated prospects. Numbers lie often, especially raw numbers not integrated with football skills and scouting in all areas of player development.

Last year, the University of Texas Longhorns prospect and current Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy set the NFL all time combine record for fastest 40-yard dash with an amazing time of 4.21 seconds. His speed translated well to the field as a rookie after a long succesful football career at Texas. Most  among the record have produced only marginal NFL results and only an afterthought in NFL lore .

Veteran NFL runner Chris Johnson was one prospect who became a huge pro playmaker with impact as both a feature back and receiver. He has been the exception of the rule with most failing to be more than track stars in a football uniform. John Ross earned a top ten selection in the NFL Draft 2017 only to spend more time on the injured list than the playing field.

In addition to Worthy, two other current NFL players, cornerbacks DJ Turner and Tariq Woolen are active players and has started regularly. This year, players like wideouts Tez Johnson and Isaiah Bond head the skilled position prospects with the natural talent to put up elite numbers in the sprints.

Here’s a full list of the fastest 40-yard dash times in the NFL combine since electronic timekeeping began in 1999:

Fastest 40 Yard Sprinters
Xavier Worthy, WR: 4.21 seconds (2024)
John Ross III, WR: 4.22 seconds (2017)
Kalon Barnes, CB: 4.23 seconds (2022)
Rondel Menendez, WR: 4.24 seconds (1999)
Chris Johnson, RB: 4.24 seconds (2008)
Jerome Mathis, WR: 4.26 seconds (2005)
Dri Archer, RB: 4.26 seconds (2014)
Tariq Woolen, CB: 4.26 seconds (2022)
D.J. Turner, CB: 4.26 seconds (2023)
Henry Ruggs III, WR: 4.27 seconds (2020)
Stanford Routt, CB: 4.27 seconds (2005)
Marquise Goodwin, WR: 4.27 seconds (2013)

NFL Combine Bench Press

The NFL Combine recorded lifting numbers have been distorted statistics which rarely translates to the field for a few key reasons. Benching 225 lbs. proves work ethic, commitment and core strength in some form. Football is a game of explosive power, usually a one time confrontation. The better gauge of power is the bench press, squatted and dead lift, all numbers which proved raw strength to win one of one matchups.

Former Cowboys guard Larry Allen was the strongest player in the NFL during the 1990s. He has been shown on video bench pressing 635 lbs. at the Cowboys facility. He benched 675 and 705 with assistance. He also squatted over 800 lbs. What made Allen, one of the greatest guards in NFL history, in addition to his incredible power was his highly developed technique. When Larry Allen rolled his hips the defender was buried. No maybe about it.  His incredible strength translated to the field and the position at an elite level.

The NFL Combine bench press record is 49 reps of 225 pounds, set by Stephen Paea in 2011. At the time, the defensive lineman was a consensus All-America selection from Oregon State. He went on to hear his name called in the second round by the Chicago Bears. He was a solid starter for the Bears where his power and quickness allowed him to rank among the better interior defenders of his era.

Paea set the new mark just one year after offensive guard Mitch Petrus entered the three-way tie for the NFL combine record with 45 bench press reps. Petrus was a 3rd day draft pick by the NY Giants and made the club for a few seasons, though saw only marginal playing time with a limited number of starts. My favorite players was Leif Larsen from Texas-ElPaso, the Norweigian cowboy. He actually had a good NFL Combine with 45 reps and ran a fine 5.08 time at 6’4″ 300 lbs.  He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the  6th round of the NFL Draft 2000 and played two seasons. He was also a track star, competing in the Shot put and a professional boxer. Since his first fight in 2003, he has won nine out of nine matches, eight of these by knockout. He defeated British heavyweight boxer Danny Williams in Pabellon Municipal, Silla, Valencia, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain on December 2, 2011.

Justin Ernest, DT Eastern Kentucky, in 1999, completed 51 bench press reps of 225 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine, which remains the most of all time. He went undrafted and never played an NFL game despite his impressive performance at the 1999 NFL Combine. Ernest was on the Saints’ practice squad for one season.

In the 13 times the NFL combine has taken place since 2011, Stephen Paea was only one of  eight other players who surpassed 40 reps on the bench press. None of them have reached even 45 reps, though defensive tackle Dontari Poe got to 44 in 2012, and offensive guard Netane Muti also reached 44 in 2020.

In addition to Stephen Paea, DT Dontari Poe (Chiefs) and Vita Vea  (Bucs) became strong NFL starters who established themselves as top flight pro regulars.

Best Lifters 225 lbs. Reps
1. DT Stephen Paea, 49 reps (2011)
T-2. OL Mitch Petrus, 45 reps (2010)
T-2. DL Mike Kudla, 45 reps (2006)
T-2. DT Leif Larsen, 45 reps (2000)
T-5. OG Netane Muti, 44 reps (2020)
T-5. DT Dontari Poe, 44 reps (2012)
T-5. DT Jeff Owens, 44 reps (2010)
T-5. DL Brodrick Bunkley, 44 reps (2006)
T-9. DT Harrison Phillips, 42 reps (2018)
T-9. C Russell Bodine, 42 reps (2014)
T-9. DL Tank Tyler, 42 reps (2007)
T-12. DT Vita Vea, 41 reps (2018)
T-12. C David Molk, 41 reps (2012)
T-12. LB Terna Nande, 41 reps (2006)
T-15. OL Justin Blalock, 40 reps (2007)
T-15. OL Manny Ramirez, 40 reps (2007)

NFL Combine 2025

Frank Coyle/ Publisher

The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium (home of the Colts) in Indianapolis. The event has been held annually in Indianapolis since 1987. The week long is underway with players arriving at their designated times and schedules. The events take place from Thursday, Feb. 27 to Sunday, March 2. Different position groups will participate on designated days.

NFLCombine.net

The day-by-day schedule is as follows:

Thursday, Feb. 27 (3 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET): Defensive linemen, linebackers
Friday, Feb. 28 (3 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET): Defensive backs, tight ends
Saturday, March 1 (1 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET): Quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs
Sunday, March 2 (1 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET): Offensive linemen

Draft Insiders’ will have a few scouts at the event. We will provide info via our Email service and include Special emails to Subscribers
We will have extensive NFL Combine scouting evaluation in the emails, Newsletter and Yearbook. 

Standard Dills at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine

40-yard dash
Bench press
Vertical jump
Broad jump
Three-cone drill
20-yard shuttle
60-yard shuttle

In addition to the above drills, there are position-specific drills that players will participate under the direction of NFL coaches.

2025 HBCU Legacy Bowl

Rosters & Coaching Staffs
Combine Info
Game time – TV Channel

The 2025 HBCU Legacy Bowl is set for Saturday, February 22 in New Orleans. The HBCU Legacy Bowl closes the postseason All-star series. The week also included the HBCU Combine viewed by hundreds of NFL personnel men.

The National Football League, in partnership with the Black College Football Hall of Fame, announced the players attending the 2025 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Combine. The HBCU Combine will be held at the New Orleans Saints practice facility, the Ochsner Sports Performance Center, on Monday, February 17. Offensive prospects will work out at 8:45 a.m. – 12 p.m. CT and defensive prospects will work out between 12 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. CT.

The HBCU Legacy Bowl is a postseason HBCU football all-star game that features the top draft-eligible prospects from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The HBCU Legacy Bowl began in 2022 and is presented yearly by the Black College Football Hall of Fame. In 2023, the HBCU Legacy Bowl partnered with the NFL to host the HBCU Combine ahead of the game. In 2024, Allstate joined the HBCU Legacy Bowl as a title partner.

HBCU Legacy Bowl 2025

When: Saturday, Feb. 22
Time: 4 p.m. ET TV: NFL Network
Location: Yulman Stadium (campus of Tulane) New Orleans, La

2025 HBCU Legacy Bowl Coaches

The two HBCU Legacy Bowl teams are Team Gaither and Team Robinson, named after legendary HBCU head coaches Jake Gaither (Florida A&M) and Eddie Robinson (Grambling State).

Team Gaither will be led by co-head coaches Chennis Berry (South Carolina State) and Alvin Parker (Virginia Union)
Team Robinson will be led by co-head coaches T.C. Taylor (Jackson State) and Sam Shade (Alabama A&M — coached at Miles in 2024)

2025 HBCU Legacy Bowl Rosters

Team Gaither — consisting of players from the MEAC, CIAA, NAIA or non-HBCU conference HBCUs — has 48 players in the 2024 HBCU Legacy Bowl and Team Robinson — consisting of SWAC and SIAC players — has 57 players. Here’s a complete list of the 2024 HBCU Legacy Bowl rosters. You can click or tap here for roster updates.

Here’s the full list of Team Gaither and Team Robinson rosters:

Team Gaither
Position Athlete School
Offense

QB Draylen Ellis Tennessee State
QB Eric Phoenix South Carolina State
QB Romelo Williams Virginia State
RB Jada Byers Virginia Union
RB Jarett Hunter Howard
RB Jaden Sutton Delaware State
RB Walter Wilbon III Florida Memorial
TE Kameron King Fayetteville State
TE Keshawn Toney South Carolina State
WR Ah’shaan Belcher Shaw
WR Joaquin Davis North Carolina Central
WR Jalal Dean Tennessee State
WR Kasey Hawthorne Howard
WR Jacquez Jones Norfolk State
WR Justin Smith-Brown South Carolina State
OL Jared Achuff Bowie State
OL Eric Brown Jr South Carolina State
OL Darius Fox Howard
OL Cam Johnson South Carolina State
OL Larry Jones Jr Virginia Union
OL Nick Taiste South Carolina State
Defense DL Isaac Anderson Virginia Union
DL Keandrew Booker Tennessee State
DL Jayden Broughton South Carolina State
DL Shi Gaskin Fayetteville State
DL Saevion Gibbs Shaw
DL John Hannibal Jr South Carolina State
DL Quantez Mansfield North Carolina Central
DL Jamaree Moyer Virginia Union
DL Elijah Williams Morgan State
LB Benari Black Johnson C. Smith
LB Carson Buchanan Tennessee State
LB Antwan Davis Florida Memorial
LB Carson Hinton Howard
LB Ahmad Nelson Tennessee State
LB Sadiq Salawu Bowie State
LB Aaron Smith South Carolina State
LB Jack Smith Johnson C. Smith
CB Karon Prunty North Carolina A&T
DB Marcell Blocker Florida Memorial
DB Carlvainsky Decius Morgan State
DB Justin Fleming Winston-Salem State
DB Kenny Gallop Jr Howard
DB Robert Jones III Howard
DB Terron Mallory Norfolk State
DB Kolby Merritt Fayetteville State
DB Xavier Robiou Howard
DB Jarod Washington South Carolina State
DB Jordan White Hampton

Specialists
K/P James Lowery Tennessee State
K/P Dylan West Howard

Team Robinson
Position Athlete School
Offense

QB Myles Crawley Grambling State
QB Daniel Richardson Florida A&M
QB Jhaydon Sullivan Savannah State
RB Ike Brown Lane
RB Brandon Marshall Fort Valley State
RB Irvin Mulligan Jackson State
WR DeJuan Bell Fort Valley State
WR Jamari Gassett Florida A&M
WR Shemar Savage Prairie View A&M
WR Da’Shun Mitchell Savannah State
TE Tavarious Griffin Alcorn State
TE Thomas Nance Bethune-Cookman
TE Jeremiah Pruitte Florida A&M
OL Steve Carter Alcorn State
OL Austin Euler Clark Atlanta
OL Jalen Goss Florida A&M
OL Evan Henry Jackson State
OL Jordan Taylor Benedict
OL Christian Twymon Miles
Defense DL Malachi Bailey Alcorn State
DL Aaron Miller Benedict
DL Donte Reed Mississippi Valley State
DL Fred Stokes Jr Prairie View A&M
DL Treqwan Thomas Alabama State
LB DeMarkus Cunningham Alabama State
LB Rico Dozier Alabama State
LB Stemarion Edwards Alcorn State
LB Tyshun Gaiter Lane
LB Jalil Lenore Central State
CB James Burgess Jr Alabama State
DB Kendall Bohler Florida A&M
DB Robert McDaniel Jackson State
DB Amon Scarbrough Alabama State
DB Edwin Summerour Alcorn State
S Javius Williams Texas Southern
S Raymond Woodie III Bethune-Cookman

Specialists
K/P Matt Noll Jackson State
LS Braxston Blackwell Southern

The following players participated in the HBCU Combine Only

Edge Nana Asante, Morgan State
DB Kenny Bennett, Virginia State
DB Jamarius Brown, Southern
DL Darren Cook, Delaware State
WR Jacolby Hewitt, Alabama A&M
OL Jason Ivey, North Carolina A&T
LB K’Vaughan Pope, Virginia State
DB Canary Simmons, Texas Southern
Edge Chris Walker, Tennessee State

 New NFL Team Salary Cap Sets New Record 

NFL Free Agency and Trading Deadline Starts March 12, 2025

‘Word on the Street’

Frank Coyle / Head scout
www.draftinsiders.com

NFL teams now have a reference point when it comes to how much money they will have to spend when the new league year officially begins on March 12.

The NFL league office informed teams this week that the salary cap for the 2025 season will fall in the range of $277.5 million and $281.5 million. That’s a huge increase from last year’s salary cap of $255.4 million and an amazing $53 million the past two seasons from the 2023 salary cap of $224.8 million.

The salary cap, which actually decreased in 2021 due to the impacts of COVID-19, crossed the $200 million mark for the first time in 2022. This year’s cap could end up being $100 million more than it was in 2021, when the cap was $182.5 million.

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Recent NFL Salary Cap by Year

Year    Salary Cap
2025   $277.5 million-$281.5 million
2024   $255.4 million
2023   $224.8 million
2022   $208.2 million
2021   $182.5 million
2020   $198.2 million
2019   $188.2 million
2018   $177.2 million
2017   $167 million
2016   $155.27 million

The NFL has seen the salary cap increase significantly, primarily through the most recent TV rights deals with broadcast partners. Last year’s $30 million salary cap increase was the result of the full repayment of all amounts advanced by NFL teams and deferred by the players during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as a massive increase in media revenue for the 2024 season, according to the league’s operations site. The Thursday night game has generated huge dollars as part of the Amazon Prime addition. The players received a significant piece of new revenue and have benefitted immensely from the new revenue sharing by the players union.

Both NFL Free agency and the trading period starts on March 12th, the first day of the new NFL calendar. The trade market may be equally busy this year with several high-profile players demanding deals – wideout Deebo Samuel and edge defender Myles Garrett. In addition, a few star QBs, Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford and Kurt Cousins will be part of decisions in several NFL front offices as the QB carousel begins this offseason. Expect numerous big names exchanging teams with salary cap numbers determining which veterans remain with their current roster.

NFL Combine 2025 – Feb. 24 – March 3 (Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, In)

Frank Coyle/ Don Hope – draftinsiders.com

The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine begins on Monday, February 24^th with team interviews, physicals, medical exams and media interviews. The athletic testing and field drills get underway on Thursday, Feb 27th. The events will once again take place at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis. Television coverage can be found on the NFL Network. DraftInsiders.com will have scouts at the NFL Combine and provide scouting insights for the 2025 Draft Yearbook and exclusive emails to Full subscribers.

This February, over three hundred of the very best college football players will be invited to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine (National Invitational Camp) in Indianapolis, Indiana. Top Executives, Coaching Staffs, Player Personnel Departments and Medical Personnel from all 32 NFL teams will be on hand to evaluate the nation’s top college players eligible for the upcoming NFL Draft. This intense, four-day job interview is an exciting time for the athletes and a vital step in achieving their dreams of playing in the NFL.

The NFL released the list of players invited to the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. A total of 329 prospects have been invited to attend this year’s event, which will take place in Indianapolis from February 24 through March 3. Live coverage of the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine beginning Feb. 27 on NFL Network. Over the past decade, over 85% of all players that were drafted attended the NFL Combine.

           NFL Scouting Combine will be held Feb 24 – March 3

NFL Combine 2025 – Top Ten Schools – Participants

1 Ohio State (15 Invitees)
The Buckeyes complete this national championship season with the leading number of participants. With an impressive 15 invitees, the Buckeyes lead all schools in participation.

Will Howard (QB)
TreVeyon Henderson (RB)
Quinshon Judkins (RB)
Emeka Egbuka (WR)
Donovan Jackson (OL)
Seth McLaughlin (OL)
Josh Simmons (OL)
Jack Sawyer (DL)
JT Tuimoloau (DL)
Ty Hamilton (DL)
Tyleik Williams (DL)
Cody Simon (LB)
Denzel Burke (DB)
Jordan Hancock (DB)
Lathan Ransom (DB)

2. Georgia (14 Invitees)

Recent two-time national champion program continues to be one of the best programs at developing NFL talent.  14 Players equally split on both sides of the ball.

Trevor Etienne (RB)
Dominic Lovett (WR)
Arian Smith (WR)
Dylan Fairchild (OL)
Tate Ratledge (OL)
Xavier Truss (OL)
Jared Wilson (OL)
Nazir Stackhouse (DL)
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (DL)
Mykel Williams (DL)
Warren Brinson (DL)
Jalon Walker (LB)
Smael Mondon Jr. (LB)
Malaki Starks (DB)

3. Texas (14 Invitees)
   Texas has become a top producer of NFL talent. Sending 14 invitees to Indianapolis.

Quinn Ewers (QB)
Jaydon Blue (RB)
Isaiah Bond (WR)
Matthew Golden (WR)
Gunnar Helm (TE)
Kelvin Banks Jr. (OL)
Hayden Conner (OL)
Jake Majors (OL)
Cameron Williams (OL)
Vernon Broughton (DL)
Alfred Collins (DL)
Barryn Sorrell (DL)
Jahdae Barron (DB)
Jalen Catalon (DB)

4. Oregon (12 Invitees)

The Ducks sent a strong contingent of prospects this year with 12 players at the combine. QB Dillon Gabriel heads the group and looks to make a strong impression in the drills.

Dillon Gabriel (QB)
Jordan James (RB)
Traeshon Holden (WR)
Tez Johnson (WR)
Terrance Ferguson (TE)
Josh Conerly Jr. (OL)
Ajani Cornelius (OL)
Jordan Burch (DL)
Derrick Harmon (DL)
Jamaree Caldwell (DL)
Jabbar Muhammad (DB)
Jeffrey Bassa (LB)

5. Ole Miss (11 Invitees)

Ole Miss continues to impress as a leading national contender. Look for this group to impress in positional drills. QB Dart will get special attention.

Jaxson Dart (QB)
Ulysses Bentley IV (RB)
Tre Harris (WR)
Jordan Watkins (WR)
Antwane Wells Jr. (WR)
Jared Ivey (DL)
Walter Nolen (DL)
JJ Pegues (DL)
Chris Paul Jr. (LB)
Princely Umanmielen (DL)
Trey Amos (DB)

6. South Carolina (11 Invitees)

The Gamecocks made impressions this year, with 11 players representing them at the combine. Look for runner Raheim Sanders at the top on this strong class.

Raheim Sanders (RB)
Joshua Simon (TE)
Torricelli Simpkins III (OL)
Tonka Hemingway (DL)
DeAndre Jules (DL)
Kyle Kennard (DL)
T.J. Sanders (DL)
Demetrius Knight Jr. (LB)
Bam Martin-Scott (LB)
Nick Emmanwori (DB)
O’Donnell Fortune (DB)

7. Miami (9 Invitees)

Miami is sending a strong class of 9 players to Indianapolis, including some high-profile names, led by Cam Ward. He could potentially be the #1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Cam Ward (QB)
Damien Martinez (RB)
Sam Brown Jr. (WR)
Jacolby George (WR)
Xavier Restrepo (WR)
Jalen Rivers (OL)
Tyler Baron (DL)
 Francisco Mauigoa (LB)
Andres Borregales (K)

8. Alabama (9 Invitees)
   Another good Alabama class for the NFL.

Jalen Milroe (QB)
CJ Dippre (TE)
Robbie Ouzts (TE)
Tyler Booker (OL)
Tim Smith (DL)
Que Robinson (DL)
Jihaad Campbell (LB)
Malachi Moore (DB)
James Burnip (P)

9. Florida (8 Invitees)

The Gators continue to be a force in producing NFL-caliber talent, with 8 players heading to the combine.

Graham Mertz (QB)
Montrell Johnson Jr. (RB)
Elijhah Badger, Florida (WR)
Chimere Dike (WR)
Cam Jackson (DL)
Shemar James, Florida (LB)
Jason Marshall Jr. (DB)
Jeremy Crawshaw (P)

10. LSU (8 Invitees)

With 8 invitees, LSU remains a reliable source of top-tier talent, most impressively seeing four offensive linemen invited to the NFL Combine.

Mason Taylor (TE)
Emery Jones Jr. (OL)
Will Campbell (OL)
Miles Frazier (OL)
Garrett Dellinger (OL)
Sai’vion Jones (DL)
Bradyn Swinson (DL)
Zy Alexander (DB)

Frank Coyle has published Draft Insiders’ Digest for 34 years             www.draftinsiders.com   Publication and Web Site