2012 NFL Free Agency: Predicting the 10 Biggest Winners & Losers

The 2012 free agency period should prove to be as exciting as last season without the frenzy caused by a lockout.

Quarterbacks and receivers and linemen, oh my.

While names like Drew Brees, Arian Foster and Jeremy Mincey figure to remain with their current teams, there are still plenty of teams out there looking for great players and players looking for the right fit in the quest to reach the playoffs and the Super Bowl.

There figures to be major winners, and on the other side of the ball, losers who have major players leave for "greener" lands.

Here is a look at teams and players who could score very big or take a huge tumble after free agency is over.

Loser: New Orleans Saints

I say this because while the team will re-sign Drew Brees to retire in The Big Easy, they could lose two of their key components in Robert Meacham and Marques Colston.

Somehow, Tom Benson needs to keep this team together.

If Brees loses two of his best receivers, do the Saints find other receivers to fill in the gaps? And does this prove they can win with anyone in this system, or does the offense take a major hit?

Winner: Matt Flynn, Green Bay Packers

Something tells me Flynn is going to be a very rich man.

Who will be his new team? Miami, Dallas, Washington, Seattle, Arizona, Cleveland or even New York with the Jets?

Flynn proved he has a cannon for an arm with 480 yards in his only start of the season. He is a good, dependable player who can make an offense go.

And when he settles on a new team, he will prove to be another former Packers backup who could play in the NFL.

Loser: San Diego Chargers

If the team loses Vincent Jackson to free agency, who steps into his spot?

At 6'5", he was a great red zone threat and proved to be Philip Rivers' favorite target with Antonio Gates.

The Chargers need to make some headway in re-signing him, but honestly it looks like this will be the final season we see Jackson in powder blue.

Winner: Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks

If the Seahawks work out a contract extension with Lynch and can find a quarterback, this is a playoff contender.

Was there another runner in the game as underappreciated as Lynch? And was there a team that looked solid at every position except passer as the Seahawks did?

Pete Carroll needs to tweak this team only so much and Seattle will be knocking on the postseason door.

Loser: Robert Mathis, Indianapolis Colts

This is one time where I do not think a speed pass rusher will land a huge contract with another team.

The Colts defense was pitiful this past season, and at 31 years old, will a team take a chance on him to give them huge sack numbers?

Also, a lot of what Mathis does and creates is because of Dwight Freeney playing on the other side of the line. If Mathis is the primary rusher for a new team, does he get the same angles as he does while playing in Indianapolis?

Winner: Dallas Cowboys

I say the Cowboys because Jerry Jones is tired of the situation of his own team.

Is Tony Romo the answer at quarterback? Can the receivers stay healthy?

Will the offensive line adjust, and can DeMarco Murray be the back again to carry the load?

And if Romo is released or traded, does Matt Flynn figure in the mix?

All of this and more....

Loser: Chicago Bears

If they lose Matt Forte and cannot find another receiver in free agency, they may have to turn to the draft and try their luck there.

But losing Forte is a huge blow to this team. The Bears should have someone like a Vincent Jackson or Stevie Johnson on their radar so that new offensive coordinator Mike Tice can have someone to work with in the offseason.

If everyone comes back and their needs are met, then this is a very good team. But the Bears always have deficiencies on offense.

Winner: New England Patriots

The team figures to sign Wes Welker to a new contract after leading the NFL in receptions. And for some reason, Bill Belichick and team brass always find important cogs to fill in starters and key reserves.

I am always curious who will be wearing red, white and blue during the NFL season.

The Patriots just seem to get it right, and that is why they are always among the best in the NFL and are a constant playoff contender.

Loser: Jacksonville Jaguars

This team has five key free agents, four on defense, and their kicker, Josh Scobee.

The team must first sign Jeremy Mincey and Matt Roth at defensive end, Dwight Lowery and Rashean Mathis a defensive back and Scobee to at least have a foundation. The chances on signing all of them is slim.

I figure Mathis gone since he is one of the older players on the team and the Jaguars were not negotiating a new contract with him before he tore an ACL against the Colts.

Mincey needs to be re-signed after leading the team in sacks the past two seasons. Lowery helped in coverage and Roth as a great signee from Cleveland.

And Scobee is the team's most consistent scorer.

If any of these players are lost, it could be more devastation on north Florida.

Winner: Matt Forte, Chicago Bears

This is a tale of a guy who had leverage with his play during the 2011 season and then went down with a knee injury against the Raiders.

If Forte is fully healed, then he is one of the hottest commodities on the market. If not, he is just another player.

And will the Bears make a play to keep him with his running and receiving ability?

Once he and quarterback Jay Cutler went down with injuries, the Bears offense fell apart and the team's playoff chances went south.

Forte will sign a long-term deal with someone, whether Chicago or someone else.