NFL Free Agents 2015: Latest Rumors and Predictions on Road to Pro Bowl

Slower than a 16-yard Nate Solder touchdown rush, the NFL rumor mill continues to take its time heating up.

Now the top players in the league are set to convene on Glendale, Arizona, on Jan. 25, for an event that is sure to come ripe with player-to-player pitches as agents work hard behind the scenes.

The floodgates of the market are a ways off from opening, but right now, major names such as DeMarco Murray and more are set to rush through.

For now, the biggest chatter centers on a promising young receiver and one of the league's scariest defenders.

Call it an appetizer of sorts.

Meet the Big Name, Duron Carter

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Duron Carter might never get this much press again.

The younger Carter, his father being Hall of Famer Cris, continues to see his name in headlines as he slowly goes through the paces of picking an NFL team.

According to ESPN.com's David Newton, Carter looks to favor one of two locations:

Then again, the Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers might face some serious competition, as Pro Football Talk points out:

Before his free-agency tour, Carter was best known for moving on from Ohio State after just one season due to academic problems. After jumping around, he landed with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League and posted 124 receptions, 1,939 yards and 12 touchdowns over the course of two seasons, per the official CFL website.

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At 6'5", 205 pounds, Carter is an NFL-ready talent with great size, speed and catch radius, so it makes sense so many names are hot on his trail.

Carter's wild ride has provided some uncertainty, but now he represents a low-risk, high-reward option for teams in need at the position.

Of course, the Vikings—where his father spent most of his pro days—make the most sense.

The Vikings have a young quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater that Carter can grow with and no real No. 1 wideout, as Cordarrelle Patterson caught just 33 passes last year.

A chance to follow in his father's footsteps, grow with a young core and even learn from a veteran such as Greg Jennings seems too good to pass up.

Prediction: Carter signs with Minnesota.

All Silent on the Justin Houston Front

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More often than not, players as talented as Justin Houston do not hit the open market. 

At 26 years old, the Kansas City Chiefs superstar is set to be a free agent after four years of nothing short of staggering improvement, the result being elite status:

SEASON	COMB	TOTAL	AST	SACK	FF
2011	56	46	10	5.5	1
2012	66	53	13	10.0	1
2013	44	40	4	11.0	1
2014	68	59	9	22.0	4

This production explains well enough why Houston graded out as the league's top 3-4 outside linebacker in 2014 at Pro Football Focus with a 51.1 score. Second place belonged to Baltimore's Pernell McPhee—at 26.0.

Houston's 56 hurries and five batted passes, not to mention the 22 sacks, means he will laugh all the way to the bank this offseason.

His impact is not just limited to himself, either, as defensive coordinator Bob Sutton told BJ Kissel of KCChiefs.com:

"

He also affects how a team protects. What they have to do to protect around him and that helps our entire defense because it obviously singles other people up. So his impact isn’t just in the number of sacks he gets, that’s certainly a huge factor, but it also helps us totally in defense.

"

That said, Herbie Teope of ChiefsDigest.com reports that nothing is in the works between Houston and the team: "The Chiefs and outside linebacker Justin Houston’s representatives have had 'zero talks' on a contract during that span, a source familiar with the negotiations informed ChiefsDigest.com Thursday."

That sound is the rest of the league licking its collective chops.

There is plenty of time for the Chiefs and Houston to work something out. Teams with a pair of elite rushers put themselves in this sort of situation, though, as the Chiefs recently hit Tamba Hali with a five-year, $57.5 million extension, per Spotrac, and can only have so much cash tied up at one position.

Alas, Houston will be paid like one of the league's top defenders no matter what.

For now, the ball resides in the Chiefs' court.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. Advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.