NFL Free Agency 2015: Rumors and Predictions Following Franchise Tag Deadline

Monday marked the deadline for all NFL teams to apply the franchise tag to a player they didn't want hitting the open market in free agency. Several squads took advantage.

The Kansas City Chiefs kept reigning sack leader Justin Houston in the fold, the New York Giants did the same with defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and both the Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys hung onto elite pass-catchers Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant, respectively, with the franchise tag. Of course, several notable names didn't make that short list.

Now that we know which players will officially hit the open market if they can't agree to a new contract by March 10, we can begin to speculate on their futures based on rumors that have recently surfaced across the Web. Here's a look at some predictions for a few big-ticket veterans.

Ndamukong Suh Generating Interest

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

The Detroit Lions (smartly) didn't franchise tag defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. After all, the tag would have cost the team a ridiculous $26.8 million for the upcoming season, leaving it with virtually zero financial flexibility. Instead, the Lions will attempt to strike a deal with Suh before free agency begins.

Well, Detroit is likely feeling the pressure, as Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 reported that there are three very interested teams:

So, what will it cost to sign Suh? According to Kevin Patra of NFL.com, the defensive tackle is seeking somewhere in the vicinity of the six-year, $100 million deal Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt received. Interestingly enough, all three reportedly interested teams have enough cap space to get such a deal done.

It will likely come down to guaranteed money for Suh. Due to the contracts of Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford—and the escalations in Golden Tate's contract—it may be difficult for Detroit to reach Suh's asking price. If that's the case and he does hit the open market, the prediction goes to the team expected to be extremely active. In this case, that's the Oakland Raiders.

Prediction: Suh signs six-year, $103 million contract with Raiders.

Miami Dolphins Looking for Corner Help

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When Tom Brady resides in your division, having some very capable cornerbacks should be considered a priority. The Dolphins got the memo.

With a very solid corner in Brent Grimes already in the fold, Miami is looking to upgrade on the other side of the field, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald:

"

The Dolphins want to add at least one quality corner to upgrade over Cortland Finnegan, and free agents Kareem Jackson and Brandon Flowers are among those who have been discussed internally, according to a person with knowledge of Miami's discussions. (I'm sure there are other cornerbacks also of interest to Miami; these were merely two of the names we know have been talked about.)

"

That's some pretty solid information from Jackson, but this surprising tweet from the Miami Herald's Armando Salguero makes a potential free-agent acquisition even more likely:

Both Kareem Jackson and Brandon Flowers had very solid 2014 campaigns. Here's a look at how they measure up:

Player	Tackles	INT	Pass Def.
Kareem Jackson	57	3	9
Brandon Flowers	52	3	10

Adding to their similarities, both players were given good grades by Pro Football Focus, as Jackson ranks 11th with a plus-9.5 efficiency rating and Flowers ranks 15th with a plus-8.2 rating (out of 108 eligible cornerbacks).

Flowers has been exceptional out West, but we could question his schematic fit as a factor in his success. Meanwhile, Jackson has put together a few phenomenal seasons after a rocky start to his NFL career. Grimes took his play to a whole new level in Miami, and it's conceivable Jackson will do the same in a complementary role.

Prediction: Jackson signs five-year, $35 million contract with Dolphins.

Mike Iupati Testing Market

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Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com made it known the San Francisco 49ers would allow offensive guard Mike Iupati to test the open market, and the veteran is already receiving interest, according to a tweet from Russini:

It's easy to see why some teams in need of upgrades along the offensive line appear ready to pursue the guard. The 6'5", 331-pound Iupati has been stellar on the interior for the 49ers, ranked 14th of 78 eligible guards with a plus-11.2 rating by Pro Football Focus. Iupati is a mauler in the trenches, and while he hasn't been overly consistent in pass protection, he's a monster when blocking for the run.

Iupati is traditionally a left guard, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have Logan Mankins residing at that position—a potential swap would be in order in that scenario. The Washington Redskins could use an upgrade over Shawn Lauvao, who is solid in pass protection but lacks consistency blocking for the run.

While both teams have reasons—and cap space—to sign Iupati, the better fit here is in Washington. Tampa Bay is still figuring out its quarterback and running back situations, and Jay Gruden's offense excels behind bigger offensive linemen—he had one of the league's heaviest offensive lines while serving as offensive coordinator with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Prediction: Iupati signs five-year, $39 million contract with Redskins.