NFL Free Agency Rumors: Surveying Gossip Around Top Offensive Players Available

The pickings are getting slim in the NFL free-agent market. The best players have already found new homes, leaving only the lower tiers of free agents available.

That's not necessarily a bad thing for those teams still hoping to find value this offseason. Emmanuel Sanders was in one of those lower tiers last year and had a career season. Sometimes, all it takes is for a player to find the right system and structure to unlock his potential.

The three players below haven't set the standard for excellence over the last few years, but they could be strong buy-low candidates for teams trying to boost their offenses.

Michael Crabtree

USA TODAY Sports

At this point, it would appear the San Francisco 49ers have decided to move on from Michael Crabtree. They added Torrey Smith earlier in the week and haven't made any serious effort toward re-signing Crabtree.

Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group astutely pointed out that Crabtree and the Niners needed a while to hammer out the details for his original rookie deal, so maybe it's too early to call time on his San Francisco career:

Should San Francisco actually want to retain the 27-year-old wide receiver, it might have some competition from inside the state. John Keim of ESPN.com reported the Washington Redskins have Crabtree on their radar but added that the San Diego Chargers are more serious contenders:

Mike Jones of The Washington Post also shed light on the Redskins' waning interest in Crabtree:

It's not a huge shock that Crabtree remains available. There were a lot of talented receivers to hit the market this year, so few teams were initially going to target a guy like Crabtree. His ceiling is limited by his lack of breakaway speed. He's also had the dreaded "attitude problems" label stuck to him over the years.

He might be a good fit for a team like the Chargers, which already have a No. 1 receiver in Keenan Allen. San Diego wouldn't need Crabtree to lead the way in the passing game, a burden he can't handle—based on his career numbers.

Jermaine Gresham

USA TODAY Sports

Staying in the Bay Area, the Oakland Raiders have apparently cooled on the prospects of signing tight end Jermaine Gresham, per Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson reported earlier in the month that Oakland had turned its focus to Gresham after failing to sign Julius Thomas. Now, for whatever reason, the Raiders don't view him as a viable option.

ESPN.com's Bill Williamson doesn't view that as a questionable decision for Oakland:

In his first five years, Gresham has flattered to deceive, catching 280 passes for 2,722 yards and 24 touchdowns. At times, he's looked like a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end, but those brief flashes were outweighed by untimely drops and nonexistent blocking.

Gresham will turn 27 in June, so it's still too early to write him off completely. But he certainly represents a drop from the likes of Thomas and Jordan Cameron for teams hoping to add a tight end this offseason.

Dwayne Bowe

USA TODAY Sports

Dwayne Bowe couldn't have picked a worse time to hit free agency. He's gone three years since his last 1,000-yard season, and he failed to score a single touchdown in 2014.

The Kansas City Chiefs officially announced Friday that they had released the 30-year-old wide receiver. The news wasn't all that surprising after the team spent a lot of money to bring in Jeremy Maclin.

Both Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reported that the Cleveland Browns are weighing the idea of adding Bowe.

ESPN's Josina Anderson spoke to Bowe, who confirmed he's in Cleveland preparing for a visit with the team.

Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com thinks the veteran wideout checks all of the major boxes except one:

As marginal as Bowe was last year, you could see him having a Steve Smith-like resurgence. It's not a coincidence that he's had his two worst seasons after the Chiefs hitched their wagons to Alex Smith. Smith is a talented quarterback, but his style isn't beneficial to a guy like Bowe.

During Smith's time in San Francisco, only once did a receiver or tight end crack the 1,000-yard mark (Crabtree in 2012). Throw in Andy Reid, and Bowe didn't stand much of a chance in 2014.

In a more aerial-inclined offense, Bowe might show shades of his old self in 2015.