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NFL free agency kicks off on March 10, at which point there will be several waves of players signing. There will be the initial surge right out of the gates thanks to the allowed tampering period the weekend before (and the tampering that occurs before even that!). After that first burst, things will quiet down, only to pick back up a day or two later with another surge. Things will quiet down again, and we'll get another surge.
Free agency will inevitably quiet down as a sizable chunk of players remain unsigned and considering their options. For those players, the NFL has come up with a new way to push the market a bit. Earlier this week, the NFL announced they will conduct a veteran combine of free agents in Arizona on March 22. All free agents will be allowed to apply to participate, but only 100 will participate. Players can apply HERE, and there will be a $400 participation fee.
After those initial waves of the most notable free agents, teams will slowly bring in players over the course of the offseason to compete in training camp. This combine will provide a chance to observe 100 players in drills similar to what we see at the late February NFL Combine for draft prospects. We might see players sign shortly after the Combine, but at the very least it gives players a chance to at least convince a team to bring them in for a more personalized workout and interview.
Here is a list of the San Francisco 49ers' unrestricted free agents. Guys like Crabtree, Iupati, Cully, Cox and Gore are likely to have their situation figured out before March 22. And if they do not, they will at least likely have options in front of them, and probably not need the veteran Combine. Some of the other guys will likely find themselves applying to participate. We'll see what kind of list comes out of this.
Desmond Bishop, ILB
Chris Cook, CB
Perrish Cox, CB
Michael Crabtree, WR
Chris Culliver, CB
Mike Iupati, G
Blaine Gabbert, QB
Frank Gore, RB
Josh Johnson, QB
Brandon Lloyd, WR
Kassim Osgood, WR
Dan Skuta, OLB
Alfonso Smith, RB
Bubba Ventrone, S