The months between the end of the Super Bowl and the NFL draft are a flurry of activity—activity that can drastically alter the fortunes of a team.
There are college all-star games to attend, the NFL Scouting Combine in February. Pro days galore and private visits with prospects in the weeks after Indy.
That's hardly all that's going on, though. There are contract extensions to be signed. Franchise tags to be applied. Free agents to be pursued (and hopefully) acquired.
It's all intertwined. The free agents a team brings in can affect who it targets in the draft.