NFL Free-Agency Rumors 2015: Buying or Selling Latest Buzz

Are the San Francisco 49ers shopping Colin Kaepernick? Is Torrey Smith really signed, sealed and delivered to the Bay Area?

Free agency is about to light the NFL on fire, but we have already seen some fireworks.

The lead-up to the annual feeding frenzy has been quite the show, with rumors and handshake deals coming down the pipe as if the floodgates were already opening. 

Let's take a look at the latest buzz and make sense of it all.

Legal Tampering, Indeed

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Some buzz is just about fact.

The "legal tampering" period—as oxymoronic as that sounds—began on Saturday, a time when teams and players are legally allowed to talk. They are supposed to avoid discussing specific terms, but, well, human nature and all.

At any rate, some reports are all but etched in stone at this point. There is no sense in buying or selling them because they seem to be true, even if anything could technically happen between now and when free agency officially opens.

Ndamukong Suh Lands in Miami

It looks like free agency's biggest prize won't even give teams a chance to vie for his services.

Ndamukong Suh has reportedly agreed to become a Miami Dolphin to the tune of $114 million or so over six years—$60 million of which will be guaranteed, according to ESPN.com's Chris Mortensen.

Nothing is official, of course—wink-wink, nudge-nudge—but Suh's South Beach commitment seems all but done based on multiple reports.

Byron Maxwell Flies with the Eagles

Similarly, it seems cornerback Byron Maxwell is going to be paid handsomely to upgrade the cornerback position over in Philadelphia.

The former Seattle Seahawk has unofficially agreed to a five-year deal to join the Eagles as soon as the new league year hits on March 10.

Frank Gore Lands in Philadelphia

Following his former rival east is Frank Gore. The 31-year-old running back is reportedly set to sign a three-year deal with $7.5 million guaranteed to replace LeSean McCoy in the Eagles backfield, per ESPN's Adam Schefter and Adam Caplan.

This move would certainly help fill the gaping hole left in McCoy's wake, though how much Gore has in the tank is certainly a concern.

Orlando Franklin Staying in the AFC West?

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

The San Diego Chargers are in dire need of an upgrade along the offensive line, so it makes sense to see them tied to one of the biggest free-agent names in that department.

The Philadelphia Eagles are courting Orlando Franklin—along with plenty of other free agents after they cleared out tens of millions of dollars in cap space—but beat writer Jeff McLane tweeted that Franklin will be staying in the AFC West, according to his sources.

Franklin is reportedly set to sign with the Chargers, though we haven't gotten any official proclamations from the Adam Schefters of the world.

The Chargers have plenty of cap space and plenty of need, not to mention it might feel good to steal a quality player from a division rival.

Verdict: Buy

Are the 49ers Trying to Trade Colin Kaepernick?

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

The NFL never sleeps, apparently.

News broke near 1 a.m. ET on Monday morning that the San Francisco 49ers are looking to trade quarterback Colin Kaepernick. It was a late-night bombshell that is sure to cause insomnia among 49ers faithful. 

The news broke courtesy of Houston area radio host Jayson Braddock, who tweeted the 49ers had put their starting quarterback on the trade block. The report was doubled by Sportsnaut's Vincent Frank—former 49ers writer for Bleacher Report—within minutes.

Sound crazy? It certainly does. But it's not too far-fetched, either.

San Francisco pushed his biggest champion—head coach Jim Harbaugh—out the door before the custodial staff could clean up Levi's Stadium after Week 17. Kaepernick didn't exactly live up to the big contract extension he signed last offseason, and questions abound about whether he has already reached his potential.

Of course, not an hour after the news broke, Fox Sports' Mike Garafolo negated the trade-block rumors. Then CSNBayArea.com's Matt Maiocco tweeted that general manager Trent Baalke "strongly denies" Kaepernick is on the block.

This is the same general manager who denied any longstanding issues with Harbaugh, for what it's worth.

Maybe someone in the 49ers organization thinks Kaepernick might be on the outs, but this is one of the NFL's silly seasons. Take these sort of reports with a grain of salt. 

Verdict: On the Fence

Is Torrey Smith's Contract with the 49ers a Done Deal?

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It looks like Torrey Smith is definitely leaving the Baltimore Ravens, given he wrote a farewell letter to his city. Of course the one thing he didn't put in the letter is his intended destination.

Reports have surfaced that Smith may be signing with San Francisco come Tuesday, which would fill a big need for the 49ers with or without Colin Kaepernick. Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun wrote that the signing is a "done deal."

The problem? He's the only one reporting it, and that's all we have heard. Unlike some other players, there were no contract particulars.

While Wilson's sources may be on the right track, Smith's situation seems to be more fluid than some of the other reports we have seen.

Why would Smith agree to sign with a cap-strapped team when there are so many just itching to burn money? With the Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns—all teams with stacks of money to ignite—all whiffing or staying largely quiet, Smith could be in line for a big pay day by way of a bidding war.

What if the Philadelphia Eagles up the ante after losing Jeremy Maclin? What if the Raiders feel desperate and offer him $50 million?

He may well end up in San Francisco, but the notion that it's a done deal seems premature.

Verdict: Sell

Is Rodney Hudson Going to Be Oakland's Signature Signing?

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

The Raiders haven't exactly had much success during this legal tampering period, despite the massive amount of cap space they currently hold.

Some free agents have been rumored targets for Oakland, but most of them have either re-signed or unofficially committed elsewhere. They are the front-runners to land the best center money can buy—Rodney Hudson.

According to CSNBayArea.com's Scott Bair, the Raiders are heavily interested in Hudson, and he could be in line to set a record for center contracts. Considering the need and money to spend, this seems like a likely scenario.

Time to celebrate, Raiders fans!

Verdict: Buy

Is Jeremy Maclin Really Reuniting with Andy Reid?

Mike Groll/Associated Press

By now you should know Chiefs receivers scored exactly zero touchdowns last season. Hence, Kansas City is in the market.

Enter Jeremy Maclin, a free-agent receiver coming off a big season.

Despite the fact that, like with Torrey Smith, we only have a report about this deal—this time from ESPN.com's Chris Mortensen—there is far more smoke to this fire.

Here is what Mortensen had to say about the situation:

"

The wild ride of subtraction and addition will apparently continue with the Philadelphia Eagles because receiver Jeremy Maclin plans to reunite with former coach Andy Reid on the Kansas City Chiefs once free agency officially begins on Tuesday, according to league sources.

The Chiefs will need to clear salary-cap space to sign Maclin, whose new contract would project in the range of what Randall Cobb received to stay with the Green Bay Packers at $10 million per year. It's possible Maclin could slightly exceed Cobb's salary when negotiations are finished. 

"

This one does seem like a done deal.

Verdict: Buy

Will the Jaguars Hit It Big in Free Agency?

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

The Jacksonville Jaguars have the most cap space in the league heading into free agency, so it's no surprise they've been tied to some of the biggest names on the market.

They have already lost out on a few of them—defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and wide receiver Randall Cobb are just a couple—but there are still some big free agents at positions.

Namely, running back DeMarco Murray and Julius Thomas are still available. More importantly, both names were recently reported as serious targets for the Jaguars.

Whether or not those reports pan out will almost certainly be revealed in the next few days, but until then, this will be interesting to watch. The Jaguars certainly have need at both positions, and their recent spate of strikeouts might up the ante for that front office.

Verdict: Buy

Are the Cardinals Really Pursuing Adrian Peterson?

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

Whether Adrian Peterson stays with the Minnesota Vikings or not likely depends on his willingness to take a pay cut. Given the kind of money LeSean McCoy and Marshawn Lynch got—not to mention what DeMarco Murray might command—he may not be willing to trim his salary.

If the Vikings trade or cut Peterson, it seems the Cardinals are readying themselves for a run at the former MVP. At least that's what Yahoo Sports' Rand Getlin reported on Twitter.

Once bereft of cap space, Arizona has worked itself into the mix for free-agent signings by restructuring Larry Fitzgerald's contract and cutting defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, among other moves.

But is that actually happening?

The Cardinals have a need at running back, to be sure, but how much do they really want to sink their cap savings into a 29-year-old running back who missed last season due to off-field issues? Peterson may well come back with a vengeance, but is he the missing piece for a deep postseason run?

Andre Ellington wasn't healthy last season, and there are plenty of other quality options for Arizona in free agency or the draft that will be a fraction of the price.

Besides, why make room for a guy who may not hit free agency at all? Would the Cardinals trade a draft pick on top of paying out all that cash?

Verdict: Sell

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