NFL Veteran Combine Participants Announced

On Sunday, March 22, the NFL will hold the first ever Veteran Combine.  The event will take place in Arizona at the Cardinals' practice facility, placing it near the league meetings that will take place in Phoenix this week.

There will be 100 players attending this year's inaugural Veteran Combine, and their experience ranges from those who have started games at the NFL level to those who have never even appeared in a regular season contest.  Very similar to the annual NFL Scouting Combine in which draft hopefuls convene in Indianapolis to work out for scouts, these players will work out for scouts hoping to earn a spot on a team's 90-man offseason roster.

It's a great idea for the NFL to hold this event, as it gives those players still hoping for another chance in the NFL to show off their skill.  There are some notable names that you might recognize, but for Colts fans, probably the most significant and noteworthy player who will be participating is defensive end Jamaal Anderson.  He spent the 2011 season with the Colts, playing in 15 games and starting one and recording 24 tackles, three sacks, and a pass defensed.  It was an awful year for the Colts, but Anderson did a solid job and stepped up into his role with the team.  In his career with three teams, Anderson has played in 77 games (starting 48) and has notched 132 tackles, 7.5 sacks, ten passes defensed, and two forced fumbles.  On Sunday, he'll be working out trying to get a shot to continue his playing career.

Also seeking another shot is a former Colts safety, Joe Young - who you might recognize better as Joe Lefeged.  He spent three seasons with the Colts (2011-2013), playing in 36 games and recording 66 tackles, four passes defensed, and two interceptions.  He was best as a special teams player, however, and there he really excelled.  He spent the 2014 offseason with the Jaguars but was released before the season started.  He's also looking for another shot in the NFL.

Other players such as fullback Dan Moore (2013), offensive lineman Jack Breckner (2014), cornerback Keon Lyn (2014) spent time with the Colts in offseason work, while linebacker Scott Lutrus played in four games with the Colts in 2011, recording seven tackles.

Here's the full list of players who will be participating in this weekend's first ever Veteran Combine (list courtesy of Gang Green Nation):