The NFL Scouting Combine is not only the biggest collection of NFL draft prospects every year, but also the biggest collection of NFL scouts, coaches and personnel. It’s an opportunity for teams, agents and players to talk NFL draft projections and future free-agent deals, as well as blockbuster trades (such as Washington’s Kirk Cousins).

Available NFL quarterbacks were the talk of the NFL Combine, and teams are bracing for substantial movement for quarterbacks such as Kirk Cousins, Jimmy Garoppolo and Colin Kaepernick.

Among other questions: Where will each of the draft-eligible passers end up on draft day? How high will Patrick Mahomes go? Which quarterbacks blew their chance to rise up draft boards?

Here's a look at the latest NFL rumors.

NFL free agency: QB moves

— I talked about the quarterback free agents and possible trade candidates quite a bit with scouts and agents, but Colin Kaepernick’s future became the most polarizing of the discussions. One thing is clear: The market for Kaepernick is remarkably unclear. One agent said that he still could command a Tyrod Taylor (or Mike Glennon) type contract if a team misses out on one of the other top quarterbacks on the market and panics.

— Another said he’d shoot for a Chase Daniel-like deal, allowing Kaepernick to become a clear backup with a good franchise, stay in the league and see whether another opportunity arises. And then one long-time scout mentioned that if his team needed a quarterback, it would only bring Kaepernick in on a one-year deal, with less guaranteed than whatever Michael Vick got. Three different contract predictions for a quarterback who should remain in the news a bit longer.

— I had been told to hold off on breaking the news that Kirk Cousins to the 49ers was all but done, but it seems like it’s become well known in the industry. While it’s not completely a done deal, the Redskins interviewed a handful of quarterbacks multiple times at the Combine. I’d expect that, as long as one or two intrigued them enough, they’d be OK with trading Cousins. If they get the second overall pick, I’m confident it’ll be Mitch Trubisky. If they wait until round two, I’m confident (at this point) it’ll be Nathan Peterman.

DIAMOND: Don't believe Patriots' posturing on Jimmy Garoppolo

— Mike Glennon’s contract numbers aside, his deal with the Bears may show that Chicago truly feels that Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t going anywhere. The Bears were the favorites to land Garoppolo, but it’d be a massive waste of money to sign Glennon and then trade for Garoppolo. I still believe it’s closer to 50/50 that Garoppolo gets traded before the start of the 2017 season, but Bill Belichick is holding firm at his desired first-round compensation.

— Tony Romo to Houston is assumed by most, and one scout I spoke with said his team (which plays Houston this year) expects him to be the starter. The location, contract dynamics and Bill O’Brien’s desire to give his team a viable Super Bowl chance all make perfect sense.

— As far as free-agent contracts, I don’t expect the receiver market to be as crazy as some expect. Teams are going to hold firm at not overpaying at the position. The top receivers should get around $11 million, but non-No.1 receivers should be in the sub-$11 million range. Offensive tackles, on the other hand, should see some massive contracts handed out. A handful of agents who represent offensive linemen were very happy with the contract the Chiefs gave Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. Expect any capable offensive tackle to get at least $9 million per year.

— I believe in the Johnny Manziel return hype. Two teams I’d watch out for as possible training camp destinations: Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints.

2017 NFL draft: QB class still undetermined

— The Chiefs, who have been linked to most quarterbacks during the 2017 NFL Draft process so far, are in no rush to find a quarterback savior. With Alex Smith slated to be the starter in 2017 but ideally not in 2018, the Chiefs are looking for a passer with the highest upside without needing him to play as a rookie — a dream scenario for a quarterback prospect.

— I believe Patrick Mahomes is the Chiefs' QB1 from what I’ve heard, but Deshaun Watson makes sense as well. They’ll need to trade up for both. If they stay at 27, the one quarterback whom they could shockingly have interest in is Davis Webb of California. They’ve also shown interest in Nathan Peterman and Brad Kaaya, but likely don’t value either as top-two rounders.

— I’ll be writing more about Deshaun Watson’s draft stock changes over the past five months, because it’s been a genuine up-and-down shift for scouts, not a media-fabricated one. As I said in early February before the Combine, every NFL team I spoke with liked Watson as a prospect, but in varying degrees, and all were waiting to interview him at the Combine. He really impressed every NFL team I spoke with (and tested very well) and has reassumed his position as a possible top-10 pick.

MORE: Top free agents, best players by position, key dates

— No player has received more buzz and intrigue this draft season than Nathan Peterman of Pittsburgh. Teams were intrigued before the Senior Bowl, thoroughly impressed with his play during practices (as I was) and excited to see whether he’d follow it up with a great Combine. He got most of the interviews out of the way at the Senior Bowl, but still was busy with formal (and informal) interviews during the Combine. His five most likely destinations: 49ers, Jaguars, Saints, Redskins and Chiefs. I’ll be writing soon about why the Kirk Cousins comparison, which many NFL teams see, is justified, accurate and a big reason why NFL teams value him highly. He’s going to be a top-54 pick.

— The quieter teams are about a quarterback prospect, the more likely that passer is to fall. Last year, most teams I spoke with thought Hackenberg would go high because of his tools and flashes, but none said they’d vouch for him early. That same scenario, at least with my sources, is happening with DeShone Kizer. One scout said he was a “head case” and a “my bad” guy when you’re playing pickup basketball. It may be a funny way to phrase it, but NFL teams want quarterbacks who not only assume leadership but also have a short memory and confidence in themselves. Kizer didn’t show that consistently in college, and scouts have that same pause now after interviews.

— Bold prediction: Despite how much more talented Kizer is, Nathan Peterman will be drafted before him in round two.

— NFL teams were excited to interview who they hoped would be this year’s Carson Wentz, North Carolina’s Mitch(ell) Trubisky. Trubisky did fine in interviews, though showed a bit of his mental rawness in at least one interview that I was told about. Teams are still bullish on what he could become, but he didn’t win over the room with confidence and poise like teams were expecting, and that stuff matters when speaking with teams. Leadership capability has become a surprising concern.

— I’ve been talking up Patrick Mahomes as a top-15 pick since December, and it was grounded in my own evaluation and in speaking with teams. After the Combine, I remain even more confident that Mahomes will be going top-15. The Browns at 12 and Cardinals at 13 both have interest, and teams later in round one know that’s the range you’ll have to get to land Mahomes. The Matt Stafford-like passer will remain our QB1 after the Combine.

— Why Davis Webb of California has top-two round NFL interest I don’t know. That said, it’s reserved to just a few teams, and Webb could easily go from a top-two round party crasher to a Tom Savage-esque slide until late Day 3.

Individual player notes

— As expected, Leonard Fournette tested remarkably well at the NFL Combine and possesses rare running back upside in a different way than Todd Gurley or Ezekiel Elliott did. He’ll be taken somewhere in the top 10, and multiple teams would consider moving up to land him.

— Dalvin Cook’s poor Combine performance won’t be the only thing pushing down draft boards. After in-season concerns from scouts about his character and associates in the little information they were able to gather on the junior, those concerns came to a head at the Combine. He’s still a special talent, but one scout brought up that his non-football issues may affect whether he’s a second contract running back. Cook isn’t a lock for the first round, though most I spoke with would be surprised if he didn’t get taken in round one at this point.

— Western Michigan’s Taylor Moton had an awesome NFL Combine and he’s been someone I’ve under-appreciated much of the season. After his workout, re-watching film and speaking with scouts, I won’t do that anymore. In a remarkably shallow offensive tackle class, Moton has emerged as a favorite of teams. He’s a dark horse to crash round one.

— Age of prospects has come up often in the media. I asked a handful of agents and scouts about it, and it was surprisingly split. On one hand, younger prospects have substantially more upside and room for growth, and when they hit their second contract (at age 25 or 26) they’re more likely to stay in their prime, whereas older prospects may not. On the other hand, as the window on general managers and coaches shrinks, teams are looking at prospects that can help them in a three-year window or else they may not have a job to see their younger players develop. Utah’s Garett Bolles (who will be a 25-year-old rookie) or Alabama’s Cam Robinson (who will be 21) were the prime examples.

MORE: NFL free agency: Rumors, reported deals, updates by position

— Two prospects whose interviews mattered a lot, Tim Williams of Alabama and Dede Westbrook of Oklahoma, had differing results in Indianapolis. Williams struggled in drills, but did as well as he could have in interviews, and should be in the second-round consideration still. Westbrook didn’t do well in interviews at all, and with major off-field concerns, being an older prospect and not having an ideal NFL body type, he’s not a lock to be drafted.

— Alabama’s Jonathan Allen won’t be a top-five pick, and may be in for an even further fall on draft day. While his workout or measurables didn’t help his cause at the Combine, his injury concerns (arthritis in shoulders especially) will make him a tough sell for teams early in the draft. Most importantly, it’s doubtful any team will trade up for him on draft day, so it’s going to take a team picking in their designated spot to snag him. Don’t be surprised if he falls into the teens. The Bears are the only team in the top five that would even consider him in the top eight picks. Expect Solomon Thomas to go higher than him on draft day.

— Similar to Allen, John Ross won’t be a player teams trade up for because of his past knee injuries, but that shouldn’t be a big deal for Ross’ draft stock. I’ll be shocked if he makes it to the Eagles at pick 15.

— Don’t make too much of a big deal of Reuben Foster’s incident at the NFL Combine, as he’ll get rave reviews from the coaching staff at Alabama. That said, the top-15 seems unlikely. The two top-20 teams most likely to draft him: the Bengals and Redskins.

— One scout I spoke with prefers Washington’s cornerback Kevin King to his often first-round mocked teammate Sidney Jones. I don’t believe either is a top-20 pick, but both should be considered in the 25-45 range on draft day.

— I asked one scout about UConn Obi Melifonwu, he simply said, “Byron Jones. Enough said." Melifonwu, like Byron Jones, should be mocked in the top-40 picks and a potential late first-round pick.

— As I said in February, expect Jordan Willis of Kansas State and Tyus Bowser of Houston to be in the first-round consideration. Both helped themselves at the Combine, as expected. Willis should be picked somewhere in the 20s, whereas Bowser will be taken sometime before pick 50.