2012 NFL Free Agent Predictions: XV Rumored Moves That Aren't Coming True

The 2012 NFL Free Agency period has been off to a fast start, with many of the elite free agents already finding new teams this past week.

There has been plenty of speculation over the past week regarding where certain free agents will land. While some of these rumors ultimately became true, there are some that did not come to fruition.

Here are 15 rumored moves that haven't become true.

Matt Miselis is an NFL Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.

14. Eddie Royal Signing to the Redskins

The Washington Redskins were very active early in free agency, signing veteran receivers Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan.

As CBS Sports columnist Will Brinson said, there were multiple reports that the Redskins had signed a third wide receiver in Eddie Royal to a new deal.

Mike Shanahan wanted to reunite with one of his former Broncos receivers and the deal appeared "imminent" at worst.

However, Royal did not sign with the Redskins. In fact, he stayed within the AFC West and signed with the San Diego Chargers.

13. Mario Manningham to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

One of the first rumors that occurred in the beginning of the offseason was Mario Manningham to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The former Giants wide receiver wanted to earn a big pay check, while getting the opportunity to play as a go-to receiver on a team's depth chart.

He was first linked to joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were in need of wide receivers.

However, Manningham ended up signing with the San Francisco 49ers, another team that was in need of a receiver.

12. Jarret Johnson to New York Jets or Indianapolis Colts

When Jarret Johnson left the Baltimore Ravens for free agency, there were two teams that were in heavy pursuit of the veteran line backer.

The Indianapolis Colts appeared to target Johnson, who played for new head coach Chuck Pagano while in Baltimore.

Rex Ryan's New York Jets were also pursuing Johnson, who played under Rex Ryan for a few seasons with the Ravens.

In the end, neither of those teams signed him. Instead, he took his talents out west to play for the San Diego Chargers.

11. Matt Flynn to the Miami Dolphins

Matt Flynn was going to command a decent market for teams that were in need of a quarterback.

The Miami Dolphins were rumored from the beginning of free agency, as Joe Philbin was the offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers last season.

However, the Dolphins never gave the money that Flynn was looking for. In the end, Flynn decided to sign with the Seattle Seahawks.

10. Eric Winston to the Detroit Lions

When Eric Winston was released by the Houston Texans, there were many teams attempting to sign the veteran right tackle.

The Detroit Lions, who reportedly were schedule to visit with Winston, are a team that is in need of an upgrade on the offensive line.

However, the Lions never got a chance to make a run at Winston, as he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs last week.

9. Peyton Manning to the Kansas City Chiefs

When Peyton Manning first became a free agent, the Kansas City Chiefs were rumored to be one of the favorites for his services.

They took a chance on Joe Montana years ago and there's no reason why they wouldn't plan to take a chance on Manning now.

In fact, Romeo Crennel even mentioned at the NFL combine that the Chiefs would take a look at the former Colts quarterback.

The problem was that Manning never considered them an option, as he did not even take the time to visit with the Chiefs.

8. Cortland Finnegan to the Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions seemed to be an ideal situation for Cortland Finnegan.

After all, they were in a great need of an elite corner back, as the secondary struggled against the top offenses of the NFC.

With Finnegan's former Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz as the head coach, there was hope that a move could happen.

However, both sides never entered heated discussions regarding a contract. Finnegan took his talents to St. Louis to reunite with Jeff Fisher.

7. Randy Moss to the New Orleans Saints

When Randy Moss announced he was returning to the NFL, there were many questions surrounding the interest that teams would have in him.

The New Orleans Saints worked out Moss, who reportedly impressed the team by running a 4.4 during the workout.

With the uncertainty of other Saints receivers, it seemed a legitimate possibility that Moss would join Drew Brees in the high flying offense.

Unfortunately for the Saints, Moss was impressed with Jim Harbaugh throwing passes to him in the workout. He signed with the San Francisco 49ers.

7. Robert Meachem to the Buffalo Bills

When Robert Meachem was visiting the Buffalo Bills, it appeared to be a done deal.

The Bills went as far as to pick him up and bring him to Buffalo in an attempt to convince him to sign with the team.

Unfortunately for the Bills, the rumors didn't turn out as well as hoped. Meachem later visited with the San Diego Chargers and signed a new contract with the AFC West team.

6. Carl Nicks to the Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins appeared to be in the running for All-Pro guard Carl Nicks.

They had plenty of cap space to spare in free agency. With a weakness at the guard position, it wouldn't have been a shocker if Dan Snyder made a blockbuster move on one free agent in an off season.

However, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the team spending money on the elite players and kept Nicks within the NFC South division.

5. Reggie Wayne to the Miami Dolphins

It appeared to be a forgone conclusion that Reggie Wayne would follow Peyton Manning to his newest destination.

That team was the Miami Dolphins, who were considered to be the favorites to sign Manning in the beginning of free agency.

With a home out in Miami, Wayne believed he would feel comfortable in Miami.

However, Manning hasn't made a decision on where he would land. In fact, he would rule out the Dolphins last week.

Reggie Wayne didn't want to wait for Manning's decision and decided to resign with the Indianapolis Colts.

4. Vincent Jackson to the Washington Redskins

Early on in free agency, the Washington Redskins seemed to be in hot pursuit of free-agent wide receiver Vincent Jackson.

Mike Shanahan was a big fan of Jackson and was upset that he missed out on the opportunity to draft him out of college.

The Redskins wanted to make it a priority to surround soon to be quarterback Robert Griffin III with explosive receivers.

They decided to go a different route and sign Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan. Jackson ended up signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

3. Mike Wallace to the San Francisco 49ers

Mike Wallace was allowed the opportunity to join a new team when the Steelers didn't franchise tag him.

In order to make the deal happen, a team would have to give Wallace a new contract while forfeiting their first round draft pick in this year's draft.

The San Francisco 49ers were highly regarded as the team that could sign Wallace. They were in need of a downfield threat no matter who the quarterback was going to be next season.

However, the 49ers went in a different direction. They signed both Randy Moss and Mario Manningham and ultimately kept the first round pick in the process.

2. Mario Williams to the Chicago Bears

Aside from Peyton Manning, Mario Williams was arguably the most coveted free agent on the market.

A team that appeared to have shown interest in him was the Chicago Bears, who wanted to have Williams alongside All-Pro defensive end Julius Peppers.

In the end, that signing never came to fruition. The Buffalo Bills brought him to Buffalo to discuss a contract and never allowed him the opportunity to seriously explore other options.

1. Peyton Manning to the Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins were viewed as the team to beat when it came to the pursuit of Peyton Manning.

With a great defense and plenty of cap space, the Dolphins could have certainly built their team around Manning.

But Manning never showed the desire to play in Miami. He met with the Dolphins staff, which appeared to be nothing more than a courtesy meeting.

The hype surrounding the idea of Manning joining the Dolphins and revitalizing the franchise never had a chance of happening.