NFL rescinds part of scouting combine ban

Three uninvited NFL draft entrants will be able to attend the league scouting combine after all - sort of. Earlier this week, the NFL informed Louisiana Tech defensive end Jaylon Ferguson that he couldn't work out for teams at the combine because of the discovery of a prior legal issue. He joined Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and Colorado State wide receiver Preston Williams in being forced to sit out for that reason.

But Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported Friday that the three players may travel to Indianapolis later this month to undergo medical evaluations. They will not be permitted to take part in other events or evaluations at the combine, however. Simmons, another potential first-round pick, sustained a torn ACL in training this month.

The players' expenses - transportation, meals and lodging, if required - will be covered by the NFL, he said. On Thursday, Ferguson's agent expressed that the NFL's decision to rescind his client's combine invitation sent the wrong message to players who make mistakes and try to make amends.

Ferguson, a potential first-round pick in April's NFL draft, was convicted of misdemeanor simple battery following an incident at a McDonald's during his freshman year at Louisiana Tech. According to a statement from his agent, Safarrah Lawson, Ferguson received a deferred judgment and a $189 fine.

"A proper punishment for a fight between two teenagers," Lawson wrote. Under NFL rules, players who have been convicted of various assault, domestic violence or weapons charges may not attend the combine or draft.

-- Field Level Media