NFL Rumors: Analyzing Buzz Surrounding Reggie Wayne, Devin McCourty and More

We're currently in the midst of a three-day window in which any NFL team is officially allowed to contact and negotiate with any player who will become an unrestricted free agent on March 10. Although, just because other franchises can begin speaking with these veterans, re-signing with their current teams certainly isn't out of the question.

At least that was the case Saturday, as several would-be free agents struck new deals just before zero hour. Wide receiver Randall Cobb agreed to a new deal with the Green Bay Packers, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The ESPN insider also reported cornerback Kareem Jackson locked up a new contract with the Houston Texans. Also, offensive guard Doug Free inked a deal that will keep him with the Dallas Cowboys, according to Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram.

So, what about the players who are still slated to hit the open market? Well, there are plenty of rumors regarding their unique situations circulating around the Web. Let's take a look at a few of the most recent.

Reggie Wayne

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne has never played a down for another NFL team in his 14 seasons. The 36-year-old veteran has accumulated 1,070 receptions for 14,345 yards and 82 touchdowns during his storied career with the team. However, things may be about to change.

The Colts released an official statement regarding their intention to refrain from re-signing the wide receiver for another season. This led to speculation of his retirement until NFL Network's Ian Rapoport tweeted this interesting rumor:

Could we possibly see Wayne in a different uniform in 2015? After all, the wide receiver proved he's still productive, recording 64 receptions for 779 yards and two touchdowns last season coming off an injury-plagued 2013 campaign. Cap space may not be an issue here considering Wayne's desire to play for a contender—we can speculate he can be had by the right team at a discounted price.

A potential suitor hasn't been named, but certainly a reunion with Peyton Manning is an intriguing thought.

Devin McCourty

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Safety Devin McCourty put together five very solid seasons with the New England Patriots, racking up 388 tackles, eight forced fumbles, 17 interceptions and 58 passes defensed in that span. He's slated to hit the open market this offseason, and he's already been generating plenty of interest.

Dianna Marie Russini tweeted two interested teams from the NFC East:

Both are in need of a safety, as the Philadelphia Eagles finished the 2014 season with the league's 31st-ranked pass defense and the New York Giants may need a replacement for impending free agent Antrel Rolle. According to Spotrac.com, the Eagles have far more cap room than the Giants, and a tweet from Charles Robinson may indicate Philadelphia is willing to use its financial flexibility to land McCourty:

So, if the Eagles truly want to snatch the safety from the Patriots and outbid the Giants, what will they have to pay? Bleacher Report's Jason Cole tweeted the answer:

The way things look now, the Patriots will need to strike a new deal before March 10 to keep McCourty in the fold.

A.J. Hawk

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Veteran linebacker A.J. Hawk hasn't been overly efficient in recent seasons, but he does have nine years of NFL experience. A productive player, Hawk has started all but two games during his NFL career, amassing 923 tackles, 19 sacks and 35 passes defensed. Although, he lacks consistency, as Pro Football Focus gave Hawk a minus-11.6 grade in 2014—good enough to rank 52 out of an eligible 60 inside linebackers.

That was a likely reason why the Packers haven't pulled out all the stops to keep the linebacker in the fold. Still, any team that is in need of depth or experience at the position could find a role for Hawk, and according to ESPN's Ben Goessling, that team could be the Minnesota Vikings:

Yes, there's probably some joke to make here regarding the mass amount of former Packers the Vikings have acquired over the years, but it's difficult to doubt the motives of head coach and defensive guru Mike Zimmer.

Speaking of Zimmer, his former team is also interested in Hawk's services, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:

The Cincinnati Bengals did just re-sign middle linebacker Rey Maualuga to a three-year deal, according to Coley Harvey of ESPN.com; however, the team severely lacked depth at linebacker in 2014 and could look for Hawk to solve that problem.