NFL Free Agent Rumors: 5 Biggest Whispers the Weekend Before Free Agency Starts

At 4:01 P.M. on Tuesday, March 13, telephones across America will start ringing off the hook, as the annual maelstrom that is free agency in the National Football will begin in earnest as teams all over the league scramble to add what they hope will be an important piece in a playoff puzzle.

As the final weekend before free agency kicks off winds down, let's take a look at some of the story lines surrounding the most sought-after prizes in this year's class in an precognitive effort (albeit a likely futile one) to discern where these players might land.

The Latest on Peyton Manning

After being released by the Indianapolis Colts last Wednesday, quarterback Peyton Manning has been the center of a firestorm of speculation, and after meeting with the Denver Broncos Friday, the four-time NFL MVP is in Phoenix Sunday meeting with the Arizona Cardinals, who are expected to pull out all the stops to woo Manning to the Valley of the Sun, according to a report by ESPN's Adam Schefter.

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The Cardinals will make a hard push and put on what one team source said is a "Louisville-style full-court press." Manning also is close with Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt and has played golf with him.

Manning arrived at the Cardinals' facility with Whisenhunt shortly after noon ET on Sunday for his visit with the team. He stepped out of a white SUV and nodded and waved to cameramen as he walked past a security gate and into a building.

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The report goes on to say that while Manning will almost certainly still visit with other potentially interested teams such as the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs, the Cardinals and Broncos have emerged as the front-runners to sign Manning, and much to the dismay of Tim Tebow's legions of fans, it appears that as of right now, the Broncos may have the early edge.

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One source who spoke with Manning prior to his visit with the Cardinals said "his gut is that Manning is leaning toward Denver."

The Broncos' advantages include Manning's relationship with executive vice president of football operations John Elway and coach John Fox and the fact that joining them would keep him in the AFC, where he has played all his professional football with the Colts.

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Miami Dolphins Looking at Matt Flynn as Plan B?

The status of free agent to be Matt Flynn may well hang in limbo until Peyton Manning has chosen a destination, because as one NFC executive told Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports, many teams likely won't make any real play for the Green Bay Packers backup quarterback until Manning has selected a new home.

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You can’t do anything until you get a final answer from Manning. Even if you think it’s a long shot, you have to wait … normally, you’d be lining up the contingency plan, but this is so unique, you can’t even think about it.

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That could potentially open the door for a team that's not realistically in the Manning sweepstakes to make an early run at Flynn, such as the Seattle Seahawks or Cleveland Browns, but as Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel points out, the Miami Dolphins, who have reportedly lost ground in the race for Manning, may want to reconsider their "all in" approach on Manning and be prepared to take a harder look at the fifth-year pro.

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If Miami loses out on Manning (which my glass-half empty mentality expects) then don’t be shocked if the Dolphins take [that same] ALL-IN approach with Matt Flynn, who would welcome the opportunity to be Joe Philbin’s starting quarterback. Flynn has always been plan B, and should be viewed as a VERY good option.

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Can the Steelers Hold on to Mike Wallace?

One of the biggest question marks surrounding the salary cap-strapped Pittsburgh Steelers is whether or not the team will able to retain fourth-year wide receiver Mike Wallace, who is a restricted free agent that will all but certainly receive a first-round tender before Tuesday's deadline that would pay Wallace $2.7 million in 2012 and net the Steelers a first-round pick should they choose not to match an offer made by another team.

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette broke down the potential scenarios surrounding the talented young pass catcher on Sunday.

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Wallace's first-round tender could set up three separate dramas, one of which may not end until around this time next year. The first is whether another team will offer him a contract and whether Wallace will sign it.

If he does, it sets up the second, whether the Steelers will match it (if they CAN match it) or take the first-round pick. The third would occur if Wallace does not sign elsewhere, whether he and the Steelers can come to an agreement on a multiple-year contract or whether he plays the 2012 season for $2,742,000 and becomes a UFA next year.

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Pittsburgh general manager Kevin Colbert has said publicly that Wallace will be a priority, stating that "We're going to do everything we can to make sure Mike Wallace remains a Pittsburgh Steeler", but if a team with loads of cap space and the guts to give up a first-round pick in addition to a big contract for Wallace comes along, it may well be financially impossible for Pittsburgh to do so.

Super Mario Staying Put or Headed for Super Payday?

The crown jewel of this year's free agent class on the defensive side of the ball is probably outside linebacker Mario Williams of the Houston Texans, who the Texans were essentially forced to allow to hit the open market due to his ridiculously prohibitive $22 million franchise tag number for 2012.

Williams could easily be in line to become the highest-paid defensive player in the National Football League, but the six-year veteran insists that money won't be the primary factor in his decision making process, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Sunday that there's still a good chance that Williams will remain with the team that drafted him first overall in 2006.

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A source with knowledge of the situation tells PFT that, as of right now, there’s a 50-50 chance that Williams will remain with the Texans. The next 24 hours will give a more clear picture.  Within 24 hours or so after that, Williams will be free to leave.

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Once Williams does hit the open market there will be no shortage of suitors lining up to offer him a very lucrative contract, and Dan Pompei of the Chicago Bears believes that the Bears should be at the top of that list.

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Williams is Julius Peppers all over again, except he's three years younger than Peppers was when the Bears signed him. It's easy to envision Williams thriving in Chicago, playing on the opposite side of the line of Peppers and being coached by one of the finest defensive line teachers and motivators in the NFL in Rod Marinelli.

The Bears could bring out the best in Williams, and he could bring out the best in them. Their defense badly needs another pass-rushing force to maximize the talents of Peppers. Last season Peppers created havoc without reaping a benefit far too often. If Williams were on the same line, that would change.

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Nicks Set to Become NFL's Highest-Paid Guard

The past week has not been kind to the New Orleans Saints, as not only is starting quarterback Drew Brees reportedly livid about receiving the franchise tag and the team embroiled in a player bounty scandal, but it appears that they will also lose one of the cornerstones of their offensive line once free agency opens.

Two-time Pro Bowl guard Carl Nicks is probably the top offensive lineman set to hit free agency Tuesday, and with the Saints reportedly not even having made the four-year veteran an offer to this point, Nicks recently told WLW Radio in New Orleans that he's all but certain that his days in the Big Easy are numbered.

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In my mind, I pretty much am gone, to be honest. They’re gonna do something in the next four days that they haven’t done in the last four weeks? I really don’t think so.

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Nicks has professed a desire to stay with the Saints, but his contract demands, New Orleans's salary cap situation, and the money that the Saints already have invested in fellow guard Jahri Evans (who recently restructured his contract) make it unlikely that the team can afford to keep Nicks given the hefty payday he could see on the open market.

Once Tuesday does roll around any number of teams will likely take a run at acquiring Nicks, but those teams had better bring their checkbooks, as Nicks wasn't coy about what he's looking to achieve in free agency during the interview.

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I plan to be the highest paid guard in the NFL. You can take that whatever kind of way, but that’s my goal. I don’t want to sound cocky or anything, but I’ve busted by butt for four years and made a couple of Pro Bowls.

For my first three years, I was the lowest paid guard of all the starting guards in the NFL. I never complained. I never held out. I came in early when no one else was doing that. I’ve been dedicated to the team, and I’ve proven myself. I feel like I should get paid what I deserve.

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