NFL Rumors and Speculation: 5 Whispers Sure to Heat Up Around Draft Time

Trade rumors always flare up around draft time, and with the 2012 NFL draft quickly approaching, those potential trades will start to take form.

Throughout the offseason, whispers of teams trading draft picks and players getting traded have circulated, and those whispers are soon to heat up.

Here are five as the draft approaches.

Dolphins Moving Up to Take No. 3 Spot

The Minnesota Vikings are all ears for their No. 3 pick, and there is plenty of speculation that the Miami Dolphins will be contemplating making a move for Ryan Tannehill.

With the Cleveland Browns deciding between Trent Richardson and Tannehill, former NFL executive Bill Polian believes the Dolphins should trade with the Vikings.

This makes me want to scratch my head in so many ways. The first being that Tannehill could actually be the third selection in the draft, especially when I thought it was crazy that he would be a Top 15 selection.

Obviously, he's impressed scouts at combines, but this isn't a guy who's going to be ready to come in right away and start for an NFL team. That's what the Dolphins are looking for, right?

Another thing that gets me is the fact that Tannehill might not be on the board by the eighth pick for the Dolphins to grab him. The Browns' uncertainty (via Fox Sports Ohio) of choosing Richardson or Tannehill could force Miami's hand at trading up.

Seahawks Trading Down

Tony Pauline of si.com and draftinsider.net is reporting that the Seattle Seahawks want Dont'a Hightower or Mark Barron, so they're looking to trade down.

With the No. 12 pick in the draft, Hightower and Barron would both be available, and they would most likely be available later in the first round, especially Hightower.

The Seahawks have only six picks in the draft, and if they could make a deal with another team to trade down to get more picks in the draft and still grab Hightower or Barron, that would be the ideal situation.

This one's a no-brainer for the Seahawks, but it all comes down to whether a team wants to trade up for the 12th pick.

Look for this idea to get put into motion in the next coming weeks.

Cowboys Trading Their 14th Pick

The Dallas Cowboys filled some big-time needs on the offensive line during free agency, and that has owner Jerry Jones wanting to trade down.

Jones said signing guards like Nate Livings and Mackenzie Bernardeau will help the Cowboys be more flexible with their pick and allow them to trade down.

The fact that Cowboys offensive coordinator Bill Callahan was impressed with Peter Konz in a private workout, according to Pauline, furthermore gives me more reason to believe that the Cowboys will trade down in the draft.

There's no way they would take Konz at No. 12, as Konz is projected to be a late first-round to early second-round pick.

With Jones normally telling it like it is and being so straightforward about a possibility of moving down, it should come as no surprise if the Cowboys start looking to make a deal.

Asante Samuel to the Titans

The Tennessee Titans' search of replacing Cortland Finnegan with a veteran cornerback has been unsuccessful so far.

However, the Titans have "some interest" in Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel, according to Terry McCormick of Titan Insider, and this trade could involve the 2012 NFL draft.

The Titans starting cornerbacks have a combined five years of experience in the league, and with the league becoming a passing league, they need a veteran playmaker on the outside.

With Samuel's hefty $21.3 million over two years attached to him, the Eagles might be willing to ship him off for a few draft picks.

As the draft gets closer and closer, look for the Titans to try and get this deal done with the Eagles.

Giants Grabbing Keith Rivers

Of all the whispers on this slide, this one may have been the quietest.

On a fan forum called Big Blue Huddle, a fan dropped some news that the New York Giants were close to a deal with Keith Rivers.

Why is that worth reporting? Well, the fact that Rivers was in the area made the post sound more legit, and it makes a lot of sense on the Giants' end of the things.

While the trade is unofficial at this time, the talk was later confirmed by Mike Garafolo of The Star-Ledger, who says the transaction is in the final stages.

They'd be getting a linebacker in Rivers for cheap because he missed last season with a wrist injury, and Rivers is still considered to be a great talent at linebacker. The 25-year-old made 77 tackles in 2010.

Don't be surprised to see this rumor build into an actual transaction in the next coming weeks.