NFL Rumors: Analyzing Buzz on Julius Thomas, Justin Forsett and More

The NFL free-agency period hasn't officially begun just yet, but this stage of the 2015 offseason is already stirring plenty of speculation as to where some of the big-name players might land.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that Ndamukong Suh is headed to the Miami Dolphins, while colleague Adam Schefter adds that Randall Cobb will return to the Green Bay Packers. If ultimately true, there go two huge stars.

But there are more standouts to monitor, such as Julius Thomas, Justin Forsett and Torrey Smith. All of them may be destined to play elsewhere in 2015 and beyond.

Check out the latest buzz on Thomas, Forsett and Smith below.

Buzz: Julius Thomas to Sign with Jacksonville

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Bleacher Report NFL insider Jason Cole has the scoop on Thomas' choice, as the talented tight end appears destined to become a Jaguar:

This is quite an interesting decision by Thomas should it prove to be true. Jacksonville has a plethora of young receiving talent, but also an unproven commodity in quarterback Blake Bortles.

The front office must have done quite a job selling Thomas on Bortles as a viable franchise passer. There are reasons to doubt such a notion, but Thomas is a matchup nightmare who would open up room in the passing attack for the likes of Marqise Lee, Allen Hurns and others.

Thomas has also missed five games over the past two seasons, which were his only productive ones as a pro. And those came with the Denver Broncos and Peyton Manning throwing him passes.

Although the 26-year-old Thomas hauled in 12 touchdown receptions in each of his last two seasons in Denver, he's going to experience such a huge downgrade at QB going from Manning to Bortles.

Time will tell whether Thomas was a pure product of Manning's greatness. If that turns out to be the case, it will be a huge swing and miss by Jaguars general manager David Caldwell.

With so much money to spend, Jacksonville is taking a calculated, reported risk on Thomas, but it must find ways to improve other areas in order to compete anytime soon.

Report: Saints, Redskins Interested in Forsett

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Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Baltimore Ravens breakout star running back Justin Forsett can count New Orleans and Washington among his suitors if and when he hits free agency:

"

#Ravens RB Justin Forsett has an interesting market if Baltimore doesn’t sign him. #Saints & #Redskins ready to make a play for him.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 6, 2015"

While the possibility looms for Baltimore to re-sign Forsett, given the value placed on running backs these days, a lucrative deal doesn't seem too likely. Forsett has a diminutive frame, and only proved in 2014 that he can take on a workhorse role.

FootballGuys.com's Sigmund Bloom weighed in on the presented destinations for Forsett:

Schefter reports that the Saints are bringing back Mark Ingram, so Forsett would be relegated from the peak of the depth chart he occupied in Baltimore. There's no doubt he'd see the field often, though, providing a speedy and powerful changeup to Ingram; perhaps taking on more of a 50-50 split in carries.

Washington also has an incumbent starter in Alfred Morris for Forsett to battle for touches. The presence of mobile QB Robert Griffin III should open up running lanes if he can still be a threat as a runner.

Based on these two teams that have surfaced as interested parties, Forsett is going to be hard-pressed to find a starting job elsewhere if he doesn't remain a Raven. Hard to believe for someone who ran for 1,266 yards on just 235 carries in 2014.

Forsett's receiving ability is often overlooked as well. He caught 44 passes last year and would serve as a viable option to fill the void in New Orleans left by released veteran Pierre Thomas, or in the nation's capital in lieu of Roy Helu.

Source: 49ers Are "Front-Runner" To Land Torrey Smith

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Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun reports that former Ravens standout receiver Torrey Smith will take his talents to San Francisco this offseason.

ESPN's Adam Caplan believes Smith will be a 49er as well, barring an unforeseen dispute over the financial details of a prospective contract:

Smith indicated he would not return to the Ravens in a lengthy blog post, where he expressed gratitude for his time with the organization that originally drafted him:

"

I will be playing for a different organization, but I will remain committed to the City of Baltimore. I will continue to give back and help build a better future for our young men and women. MY COMMITMENT TO THE CITY IS FOR LIFE. This isn't a goodbye because I will still be around and Baltimore will continue to be my home in the offseason and when my career is done. I'm on to the next chapter of my life and football career, but I will see you guys later.

"

It would be interesting to see Smith go to the team that Baltimore defeated to win its most recent Super Bowl. Pairing Smith with a cannon-armed QB like Colin Kaepernick would give the 49ers a downfield duo to open up the offense in the post-Jim Harbaugh era.

Should the Ravens lose two huge offensive contributors in Forsett and Smith, they ought to prioritize finding playmakers to replace them. Baltimore doesn't have many viable receiving options outside of the aging Steve Smith, and certainly no one to help Joe Flacco stretch the field with his deep-ball prowess.

And it appeared as though the Ravens wouldn't have a great running game until Forsett burst onto the scene in 2014. Under new offensive coordinator Marc Trestman, the AFC North stalwarts are learning a new system as well.

As stable as the Ravens have been in recent years in terms of success, their offense needs an infusion of talent to continue the momentum built under new Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak last year.