NFL Rumors: Lending Credence to the Week's Hottest Rumors

The NFL is amidst the perfect storm of rumors right now. NFL 365 is alive with increasingly loud chatter of franchise tagging, the NFL scouting combine and free agency flooding all things media right now.

Whatever the rumor, whatever the result, fans simply can't get enough.

While some rumors are nothing more than hot air, others have sustenance and will take shape shortly.

An Honorable Peyton Manning Mention Couldn't Be Avoided

Peyton Manning is ready to exit stage left in Indianapolis.

The rumors of the flip-flopping relationship between Manning and Colts owner Jim Irsay aren't quite true.

The truth is that there is no love left between the men and Manning will be on the move soon. The Colts will definitely cut him loose by the time his March 8 bonus worth $28 million is due.

Manning being Manning means that he'll sign with an AFC team in hopes of getting the chance to pummel the Colts for the next handful of seasons.

Alshon Jeffery Will Clean Up His Reputation During the NFL Scouting Combine

Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery has the most at stake during the upcoming NFL scouting combine.

He's a big man with even bigger potential. The downside for Jeffery is that he already has a notoriously bad reputation for being undisciplined and overweight.

Rumors are all over the board on Jeffery. Just type in his name on Google and the first thing you'll see behind his name is the word "fat."

Those rumors have now been counteracted with rumors of weight loss from Jeffery, so all Jeffery has to do now is show that he's matured and produce.

Knowing that his NFL livelihood is on the line, Jeffery will perform well in all facets of the upcoming combine.

Cliff Avril Won't Hold out When Tagged by the Detroit Lions

Cliff Avril had a breakout season for the Detroit Lions in 2011.

The fourth-year defensive end tallied 11 sacks and forced six fumbles. Avril even had a pick-six, as he proved to be vital part to the Lions turnaround.

He is now set to become an unrestricted free agent and the Lions will likely use their franchise tag on him and hand him a cool $10.6 million.

While there has been talk of a potential holdout from Avril if tagged by the Lions, he knows that the Lions are an up-and-coming juggernaut in the NFL.

Why would he want to jeopardize the Lions growth when he'll make $10.6 million? The only answer is that he won't.

Osi Umenyiora and the New York Giants Are Headed for a Split

Don't be surprised when the New York Giants deal Osi Umenyiora this offseason.

Once again, the constant bickering between Umenyiora and the Giants has begun, as he politely hinted that it's a definite possibility that a trade is near.

The defensive end has one year remaining on his contract and is now 30 years old.

While Umenyiora has plenty of games left in his NFL career, the Giants would get a nice return for him by dealing him now.

Umenyiora has had double-digit sacks every other year since 2005. In 2011 he had nine, which means he's due for another 10-plus sack season.

That stat alone is all the information an interested suitor needs.

No Words Between Todd Haley and Big Ben Mean That Mike Wallace Will Bolt

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in quite the predicament right now. 

Wide receiver Mike Wallace is a restricted free agent, but don't have enough loot to keep him. Truth be told, the Steelers don't have any money and are about $11 million over the cap. 

Another rumor that's adding fuel to the fire is that Steelers' new offensive coordinator Todd Haley has yet to speak with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. 

This leads one to believe that Haley knows he's up the river without a paddle.

Haley knows that running back Rashard Mendenhall's prompt return is doubtful after suffering a debilitating ACL injury late in the season.

Combined with the fact of realizing that Wallace won't stay means that Haley doesn't know how to present his plans for the Steelers offense to Big Ben just yet.

Steeler Nation is very unsettled at the moment, as their worst nightmare will soon come true. 

RG3 Will Give Andrew Luck a Run for His Money

Coming into the 2011 college football season, Stanford Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck was a shoo-in for the Heisman Trophy.

Wrong.

Out of nowhere, a dynamite quarterback from Baylor named Robert Griffin III stole the show and the Heisman.

Now on the eve of the NFL scouting combine, RG3 has captivated the football world heading toward the 2012 NFL Draft.

Although it's rumored he won't throw at the NFL scouting combine, he doesn't have to—he can leave everyone in awe by simply displaying the rest of his amazing athletic ability.

The hype right now is for RG3's upcoming 40-yard dash, which will only add lore to his already growing legend. 

From there, scouts and fans will be left drooling in anticipation of his pro day on March 21.

Clearly the anticipation for Griffin III and Luck are too big for the same pro day, as Baylor has moved their pro day up by one calendar day so RG3 can put the pressure on Luck.

Coming into the 2011 college football season, Luck was the certain No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. RG3 has now made the once guaranteed decision a tough one.

Ray Rice Will Be Tagged by the Baltimore Ravens, Then Hold out for $100 Million

Ray Rice is the best all-around running back in the NFL.

In four NFL seasons, he has 4,377 rushing yards accompanied by an astounding 2,235 yards receiving yards from a whopping 250 catches.

The fact that Rice becomes an unrestricted free agent on March 13 means that the Baltimore Ravens will certainly slap the franchise tag on him.

With franchise-tagged running backs slated to make $7.7 million in 2012, Rice will begin to play hardball with the Baltimore Ravens and request $100 million.

His career numbers are all the proof he needs for his argument to why he's worth the money. 

The Ravens know how important Rice is to the team and will eventually have to succumb to somewhere around $78 million.

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