NFL Free-Agency Rumors: Examining Buzz for Randall Cobb, Julius Thomas and More

The NFL free-agent market has already been extremely active, and no end is in sight.

Over the past week or so, the rumor mill has worked overtime to keep up with all of the buzz surrounding the top stars in the league. While plenty of marquee players received the franchise tag, a large number didn't, which means teams will be tripping over themselves to try to make an impact this offseason.

Below you'll find updates for three players who find themselves not lacking for attention.

Randall Cobb

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If Randall Cobb wants to re-sign with the Green Bay Packers, then it will come at a cost. Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson (h/t ESPNWisconsin.com's Jason Wilde) reported Cobb would have to sacrifice roughly $1 million or $2 million annually to stay in Green Bay.

The 24-year-old enjoyed the best season of his career in 2014, setting personal bests for receptions (91), receiving yards (1,287) and touchdowns (12).

The opportunity to remain with the Packers and have Aaron Rodgers as your quarterback is awfully enticing.

Then again, Cobb's value will likely never be higher than it is now. Does he want to leave money on the table, even if it is a couple of million dollars a year?

The San Diego Chargers might be willing to test Cobb's resolve. According to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego, the Pro Bowl wideout is on the team's wish list:

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The Chargers are expected to make a run at 49ers guard Mike Iupati, a source said Saturday, while Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb also is regarded as someone to watch -- there is clear interest in pairing him with quarterback Philip Rivers. NFL Network also reported the team is in the mix for Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

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While the Chargers don't have a ton of cap space with which to play around, they've got roughly $30.5 million to spend, per Spotrac. That's enough to get Cobb and another somewhat marquee signing, be it Iupati or someone else.

The Oakland Raiders are also likely to heavily pursue Cobb, since they've got cash to burn and won't be afraid to overpay. Speaking on Bleacher Report's Team Stream Now, Chris Simms made the case that Cobb will prioritize more money and a larger on-field role over sticking with the Packers.

It's hard to argue with Simms. The Raiders have to be in pole position to sign Cobb right now.

Julius Thomas

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Another pass-catcher who's garnering a ton of interest is Julius Thomas. Thomas has his flaws, but teams are lining up to try and sign him.

Somebody that might push very hard is the Jacksonville Jaguars. Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson reported that the Jags appear to be striking out with a majority of their free-agent targets and will thus pay more attention to Thomas:

Blake Bortles was a pleasant surprise for Jacksonville last year, and adding a player like Thomas would almost certainly speed his development. Plus, the Jags can easily afford to throw a ton of money Thomas' way and outspend just about any other team.

One area in which the Jaguars suffer is on-field success. If Thomas values playing for a winning franchise, Jacksonville might not be the place for him.

The Seattle Seahawks would be a great fit in that regard. Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio believes the reigning NFC champions might throw their name into the hat after releasing Zach Miller:

Seattle couldn't afford to get in a bidding war with the Jaguars, but the Seahawks have enough flexibility that they could make Thomas a more-than-reasonable offer.

Still, Jacksonville is in the best position to grab the two-time Pro Bowler. If it comes down to money, the lack of a personal income tax in the state of Florida will put the Jaguars a leg up on the Seahawks and potentially the Raiders as well.

Mark Sanchez

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This offseason couldn't be much worse for those teams in search of a quarterback. The free-agent market is pretty barren, while this year's draft class isn't much better beyond Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota.

Mark Sanchez is arguably the best free-agent quarterback available, but he might already be spoken for.

Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ Advance Media reported Sanchez and the Philadelphia Eagles are both interested in a reunion.

It's hard to see how this would be a bad idea. Re-signing Sanchez would be a smart move for the Eagles, and returning to Philly would be a good idea for Sanchez.

Nobody's banging down Sanchez's door and asking him to start in Week 1. The best he can hope for is a backup role, one in which he's able to start at a moment's notice in the event the No. 1 guy goes down like Nick Foles did last year.

The 28-year-old was pretty solid in his one season with the Eagles, throwing for 2,418 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Considering that and the fact he already knows Chip Kelly's offensive scheme, Philadelphia should make every effort to keep Sanchez through at least 2015.