2012 NFL Free Agency: The Latest Buzz and Speculation for the NFC North

We're just one month away from the start of NFL free agency, and teams are trying to shore up their cap space in an attempt to keep their own free agents as well as potentially pick up ones released from other teams around the league.

Here are Monday's latest free agency storylines in the NFC North.

The Detroit Lions May Make a Play for Tennessee Titans CB Cortland Finnegan

The Detroit Lions might find themselves with yet another former Titans defender on their roster come free agency, if the newly minted rumors prove true. According to the Detroit Free Press, the team has its sights on Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan, who is set to be an unrestricted free agent come March 13.

The Free-Press' Carlos Monnarez cites the Titans' unwillingness to franchise or re-sign a number of defenders in recent years as an indicator that they'd be willing to let the 28-year-old Finnegan walk. The Titans and Finnegan have yet to enter into contract talks, a good sign that Finnegan will hit the open market.

There's no guarantee the Lions will land him, though the presence of former Titans Stephen Tulloch and Kyle Vanden Bosch may serve as a powerful negotiating tool. At least seven other teams have interest in Finnegan, according to Monnarez's sources.

Could the Chicago Bears Take a Look at WR Randy Moss?

Future Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss announced his retirement in 2011, but it was never a foregone conclusion that he'd never return to the NFL. Indeed, on the occasion of his 35th birthday, Moss took to UStream to announce he would be returning to the professional game in 2012.

Though Moss' career took a strange turn in 2010 when he was cut by the New England Patriots and then the Minnesota Vikings, only to land with the Tennessee Titans, where he barely made an impact, he's expected to draw a good deal of interest from a number of teams around the league, especially if he's clearly in football shape.

The Chicago Bears are one team that would be well-served to give Moss a look. They have a definite need to snare a highly productive veteran wide receiver, and none appears—at least on the surface—to shine as bright as Moss, one of the greatest receivers to ever play the game.

The Bears are in good shape when it comes to the salary cap, and Rotoworld projects that Plaxico Burress' one-year, $3 million deal with the New York Jets in 2011 will be a likely starting point for any contract negotiations with Moss.

If Chicago wants to put their hat in Moss' ring, they should do so soon. He was a free agent when he retired and is under no restriction to wait until March 13 to sign with a new team.

Green Bay Packers WR Donald Driver Open to a Pay Cut to Stay with Team

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver's 2011 season was his lowest-producing since 2001, with 37 receptions for 445 yards and six touchdowns on a team loaded with offensive weapons.

Though it seemed that his tenure with his long-time team was set to come to an end, Driver is now apparently open to taking a pay cut in order to play his 14th straight season with the Packers in 2012.

Speaking to WISN TV, Driver stated his desire to remain a Packer, adding, "If that means sitting down and taking pay cuts to stay around, then you take pay cuts to stay around. I’ve always said it’s not about the money for me anymore."

Driver will be owed a $2.6 million salary and $2.2 million roster bonus on March 13. If the money cannot be restructured, the 37-year-old receiver will likely have to play elsewhere if he wants to remain in the NFL for the 2012 season.

But the fact that he's willing to take a pay cut to stay might just increase his chances to continue playing and to retire on his terms as a member of the Packers.

Could Former Raiders CB Stanford Routt Land with the Vikings?

The Oakland Raiders released cornerback Stanford Routt last Thursday, sparking intense discussion over which team might pick up the 28-year-old. Because Routt was released, he's not beholden to the March 13th free agency deadline, meaning he's able to join a new team whenever he so chooses.

Routt has visits scheduled with the Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills, but according to his agent, the Minnesota Vikings have also expressed interest in meeting with him.

The Vikings certainly have need at cornerback, especially one as physical as Routt. The Vikings need to be mindful of the salary cap, though it's unlikely that Routt would command the kind of big payday he was about to get from Oakland.

Routt isn't the best cornerback option on the open market, considering the 500-plus yards and nine scores he gave up last season and the number of penalties he drew. But he's an upgrade for the Vikings' secondary nonetheless.

Don't be surprised if a meeting between him and the Vikings is announced sometime this week.

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