2015 NFL Free Agents: Early Rumors and Predictions for Coveted Options

Although there's still another month before the new league year and free agency arrive, the buzz is already starting to build around the NFL.

There are a lot of questions for front offices to answer before that point, and some will go a long way in shaping the offseason.

After deciding what to do with their own pending free agents, signing new players is always the first fresh step for teams in the build toward new season. The goal is to have most of the voids filled before the draft, which takes place starting in late April this year.

As always, the free-agent class won't be completely known until franchise tags are used and any long-term deals are worked out.

For now, let's check out some of the early rumors and make some predictions for where the highlighted players will end up.

Ndamukong Suh, DT

Suh is a monster in the middle of the defensive line. There's no doubt about that. He's racked up 239 total tackles and 36 sacks in 78 career games with the Detroit Lions.

Whether he deserves a massive investment given his character concerns is another debate.

Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports lists the "behavior discussion" as one of the three critical things teams must consider when it comes to the talented defensive tackle. Even so, he reports nearly one-third of the league could be involved in the sweepstakes should he hit the market:

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The sources told Yahoo Sports there could be as many as 10 teams interested in making titanic pitches to Suh. That number includes Suh's current team, the Lions, which still has the option of restructuring some contracts and retaining the four-time All-Pro via the franchise tag.

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He noted the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders were among the interested franchises.

Alas, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press passed along comments Lions president Tom Lewand made about Suh during an appearance on WDIV.

"He wants to have success in the NFL, obviously, but he wants to do that with us," Lewand said. "And I think that—I think there's a very, very good chance that we can get something done with him in the next few weeks."

It's a delicate situation for the Lions. A long-term deal comes with more risk, but the franchise tag would cost more than $26 million.

That should at least give other teams hope he could leave Detroit, but the likeliest outcome is his current team realizing it can't afford to lose him.

Prediction: Detroit Lions

Dez Bryant, WR

The Dallas Cowboys are obviously in a tough spot because they also have to decide what to do with DeMarco Murray. Running backs are usually more expendable, but he finally brought some much-needed balance to the offense this past season.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports the Dallas front office isn't convinced it wants to reward Bryant with a long-term contract at this stage. The team is still leaning more toward using the franchise tag on him than Murray, though:

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Bryant's off-field issues are having a significant impact in talks on a long-term deal, league sources said, and trepidation about putting a ton of guaranteed money on the table is likely to limit the tenor of long-term talks. Going year-to-year with Bryant is OK with Jerry Jones, even at this steep price, and in terms of on-field importance, Bryant is seen as more significant than franchising running back DeMarco Murray.

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Bryant would command plenty of attention if he was ever allowed to hit the open market. The demand for legitimate No. 1 wide receivers far outweighs the supply.

Some desperate team would likely overpay just to make sure it gets him.

It just doesn't seem like that's going to happen, though. The Cowboys know how valuable he is. Even if they don't hand him a massive contract extension in the next few weeks, it's hard to imagine a scenario where they don't tag him.

Prediction: Dallas Cowboys

Jake Locker, QB

There were times over the past four years when Locker would flash the upside that the Tennessee Titans were intrigued by when they selected him with a top-10 pick in 2011.

However, they didn't last long and injuries often derailed his progress.

So he heads into the offseason with a very uncertain future. While he would love to get another chance to start, it's unclear whether that opportunity will arise. Mark Eckel of NJ.com reports one team that will have interest for an undetermined role is the Philadelphia Eagles:

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At least, that is the informed-opinion of a long-time player agent, who has another quarterback about to be a free agent. According to the agent, who requested anonymity, there will be interest from the Eagles and head coach/personnel czar Chip Kelly in the 8th overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft.

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The report notes his eventual role with the Eagles would be a mystery. Kelly just likes the skill set, and rightfully so. Locker always seemed like a better fit in an offense where the quarterback is able to make plays on the move—at least before the injury woes.

There are a lot of teams looking for upgrades at the all-important quarterback position, so there should be some other interested teams—including the Chicago Bears, as mentioned in the Bleacher Report video above.

Locker may just need to wait awhile before the right situation arises.

Prediction: Chicago Bears