NFL Rumors: Latest Chatter Involving 49ers, Buccaneers and More

If recent activity on the NFL trade market is indication, free agency should hold a lot of surprises when it kicks off at 4 p.m. today.

Teams can officially begin signing free agents at that time, but we already have a pretty good idea of where some of the top names are going to land. According to Peter King of Sports Illustrated, the Miami Dolphins are almost assured of landing star free-agent receiver Mike Wallace, and while he’s arguably the biggest name on the market he’s just one of many players likely to ink a new deal this afternoon.

The San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles are all in pursuit of free-agent targets, and we’ll break down each rumor involving the players they are targeting.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers dealt for Baltimore Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin on Monday (per ESPN), but they still have a lot of needs to address on the defensive side of the ball, specifically in their secondary.

It looks like San Francisco will look to address those needs early in free agency. According to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, the 49ers plan to make a push for free agent cornerback Sean Smith:

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The 49ers are expected to make a run "at the right price" for Miami Dolphins cornerback Sean Smith, who is scheduled to hit the free-agent market on Tuesday, a league source told CSNBayArea.com. The 49ers are expected to face competition from the Philadephia Eagles, the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Smith, a four-year veteran from Utah. Smith was a second-round draft pick in 2009.

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The 6’3, 218-pound cornerback is an imposing defender at the position. He’s one of the best press-man cornerbacks in the NFL, though Smith has never put up impressive numbers in pass defense. In four years in the league Smith has recorded just five interceptions.

Still, the 49ers play a very physical style of football, and Smith is an excellent fit for their defensive schemes. If the 49ers can outmaneuver Smith’s other suitors they will be well on their way to shoring up a defensive backfield that was exploited all too often late in the 2012 season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

After finishing last in the league in pass defense in 2012, Tampa Bay needs to focus on solidifying its secondary this offseason. According to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune, free-agent cornerback Derek Cox is on the Buccaneers’ radar:

The Buccaneers were never able to recover from trading Aqib Talib to the Patriots. Without a true No. 1 cornerback, Tampa Bay didn’t stand a chance against the firepower in the NFC South.

Cox isn’t an elite talent, but he would be a good start in Tampa Bay’s attempt to shore up its secondary. With the No. 13 pick in the draft, the Buccaneers could choose to add a top-tier defensive back in April as well.

If Cummings’ report is correct, expect Cox to be inking a contract with the Buccaneers as early as this afternoon.

Philadelphia Eagles

According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the St. Louis Rams will likely be parting ways with wide receiver Danny Amendola when free agency commences:

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The lean market also could work in Amendola’s favor. Brian Hartline provided a benchmark of sorts Friday when he re-signed with Miami for a reported $6.1 million a year over five years, saying he gave the Dolphins a home-team discount at that.

That’s the kind of deal Amendola seeks, according to those familiar with the negotiations. That’s more than the Rams are willing to invest, given Amendola’s recent injury history. So he appears headed to the market once free agency starts Tuesday. And if the market materializes as expected by Amendola’s agents, he will be headed to a new team sooner rather than later.

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The 27-year-old receiver will garner a lot of interest on the open market, and it appears the Philadelphia Eagles will be in the mix when free agency begins.

According to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com, Amendola could be reunited with former coach Pat Shurmur (who is now the Eagles’ offensive coordinator) next season:

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They’re interested in pursuing Rams wide receiver Danny Amendola, a person with direct knowledge of the team’s free agency plans told CSNPhilly.com. Amendola, who has two 60-plus catch seasons in the past three years, is one of the NFL’s most productive slot wideouts, although he can also play outside and is an excellent return specialist.

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As Mosher noted, Amendola is a versatile offensive weapon, but injuries have slowed him down in recent years. If he chooses to play for the Eagles in 2013—assuming he can stay healthy—he stands to benefit from being in the mix with stand-out wide receivers Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson.