The Super Bowl might be the NFL's annual celebration, but the scouting combine in Indianapolis is its annual convention.

It's the only time during a year that the entire league assembles. Assistants usually don't go to owners meetings. Scouts don't head to the Super Bowl. Not all assistants make it to the Senior Bowl. But virtually everyone in football operations makes it to Indianapolis in late February to see the college eligible players.

Approximately, 326 players will fly to Indianapolis for the most intense examination they've ever experienced. Top players usually don't work out.

But every player will be examined. Doctors will check out past injuries. Scouts, general managers and coaches will spend time getting to know the players. Those players without agents will be hounded. And assistant coaches will be there to watch those who work out in the RCA Dome.

What gives this a convention-like atmosphere is that everyone is there and plenty of business will be conducted. Thursday is the first day that players can be released, so late-minute negotiations on contracts will occur during the evenings. Free agency begins at the end of the month, so general managers will be doing their best to keep their own while others will be setting the stage for quick bidding once free agency starts.

	Before suffering a knee injury, Willis McGahee would have been a top five pick.

Members of the Competition Committee will have a few preliminary meetings with head coaches to solicit ideas that they can take to their formal meetings next month. The NFL Players Association will hold a regional seminar for agents on Friday.

Here's a few things to watch during what should be a crazy week.

1. Getting an extension
There have been a few structural changes in how the combine is run. The 32 teams extended the combine by two days, starting Tuesday and ending next Monday, and they will have the players spend three nights in Indianapolis. The reason for the change is to better manage interview times among the teams. Each team can put in for 60 interviews. Those interviews will last 15 minutes. Offensive linemen, for example, land Tuesday and will have interviews Tuesday night, physicals and lifting on Wednesday, and psychological testing on Thursday. On Friday, the offensive linemen, defensive linemen and kickers will work out at the RCA Dome. Workouts for other positions go through the weekend and until Monday. One of the reasons for the revised schedule is that scouts got into shouting matches trying to fight over players to get them into their meeting rooms for interviews.

2. Doctor, doctor, give them the news
Two of the most important medical studies involve Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich and University of Miami halfback Willis McGahee. Leftwich will have doctors poking around his shin to see why he's had two years of problems. There will be x-rays, MRIs and physical checks. Leftwich is clearly a top-five talent, but if he has some kind of a stress fracture that could be a chronic problem, teams might be more conservative in their selections. McGahee is coming off major knee reconstruction, and doctors will be checking him for his progress. His doctors say that he is on course to play this fall. When healthy, McGahee was a top-three choice. Now, he probably will go in the third or fourth round. But if the medical report is encouraging, it's not out of the question for him to go in the second round.

	Former Florida quarterback Rex Grossman could be a first-round pick.

3. Quarterback scramble
Quarterbacks will be jockeying for draft positioning in what is considered to be a good quarterback class. Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer probably won't work out. He played in the Senior Bowl and will probably wait until his individual workouts to show his speed and throwing. Leftwich won't do much because of his injuries. Still, those two are considered top-five picks and can dictate when they will show their skills. Others have to scramble. Rex Grossman of Florida may have to throw and run because he's the only underclassman among the first- and second-round quarterbacks. A good combine could lock him into the mid or lower part of the first round. Kyle Boller of California, who had a great week of throwing at the Senior Bowl, is expected to run and hopes to wow scouts if he can do a 4.5 or 4.6 in the 40-yard dash. Dave Ragone of Louisville didn't have as good a week at the Senior Bowl, so he may feel compelled to do more at the combine to win back some support to be a low first- or high second-round choice.

4. Lining up on defense
All eyes will be the on the defensive linemen. Between 10 and 13 defensive linemen could go in the first round. At the combine, the defensive linemen will begin the process of creating an order for drafting. Defensive tackles dominate the proceedings. Defensive coordinators will be drooling over Jimmy Kennedy of Penn State, William Joseph of Miami, Dewayne Robertson of Kentucky, Kevin Williams of Oklahoma State, and Jonathan Sullivan of Georgia. Terrell Suggs is clearly the top defensive end in the draft, but he has to convince teams to take him in the top five. Those teams who can't draft Suggs will be looking closely at Jerome McDougle of Miami, Rien Long of Washington State, Michael Haynes of Penn State and Chris Kelsay of Nebraska. Haynes was dominating in the Senior Bowl and may have put himself into the first round.

5. Running on empty?
A year ago, coaches were disappointed in the slow times of the halfbacks who ran in the combine. With McGahee unable to work out, they may be equally disappointing this year. Larry Johnson is considered the only back assured of going in the first round, but he's not a speed burner. If he goes to the combine and runs a 4.4, he may push himself into the upper part of the first round. If he elects not to run or runs his usual 4.5, that could put him in the bottom half of the round.

6. (Corner)Backs in need
Coming off one of the greatest quarterback throwing years in NFL history, teams will spend extra time looking at cornerbacks. It's not considered a great position in this draft, but it's a need for most teams. With Dre Bly of the Rams being the only main option in free agency, defensive coaches may have to use their imagination trying to convince themselves when to gamble on the handful of top cornerbacks available. Terence Newman of Kansas State is the top-rated cornerback, and he could gain distance on the pack if he decides to run and comes in under 4.4 seconds in the 40. The hottest rising cornerback is Marcus Trufant of Washington State, who had such a great week at the Senior Bowl that he moved ahead of Andre Woolfolk of Oklahama.

7. Receiving their praise
It's another great year for wide receivers. Charles Rogers may not run at the combine because he is starting to believe that the Lions will make him the second choice in the draft. Andre Johnson may bring that University of Miami confidence and try to make a push into the top seven or maybe even the top five. Other receivers jockeying for position will be Taylor Jacobs of Florida, Anquan Boldin of Florida State and Bryant Johnson of Penn State. It's an impressive group. Each receiver is at least 6-foot tall. Each has speed. Each has great pass-catching skills.

	USC's Carson Palmer could be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.

8. Spotlight on Lewis
All eyes will be on Bengals coach Marvin Lewis. How much time will he spend with Palmer and Leftwich? Verbally, they will be bragging about the skills of these two quarterbacks to try to bring more trade value for the top pick in the draft. But it's not out of the question for the Bengals to take Palmer if they can't get the right deal. All Lewis has said is that Jon Kitna will be the starting quarterback going into the season. He has not eliminated the idea of taking one of these signal callers and grooming him to be the franchise quarterback of the future.

9. QB or not QB?
The Bears will be the most thorough in looking at the quarterbacks. They know they can't go back into the season with a trio of Jim Miller, Chris Chandler and Henry Burris. Jerry Angelo's preference is not putting his big money into a first-round quarterback. He's reluctant trading up from the fourth pick in the draft to the No. 1 selection because it would prevent him from looking at other positions. So he will spend a lot of time with Grossman, Boller, Ragone and others to see if they may be there for him and be the right fit in the second round. Angelo will also spend time reviewing the veteran free-agent list. Jake Delhomme of the Saints intrigues him as an option. If he signs Delhomme, then they can look to take a quarterback in the second round.

10. Mr. Popular
The most talked to general manager will be Charley Casserly of the Texans. He has 14 draft choices, and he has already said that he wants to trade down from the third selection. With so many draft choices, the Texans will be one of the biggest wheeler-dealers for the next couple of months.

John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com.