2015 NFL Free Agents: Last-Minute Rumors Before Signing Period Opens

Although the NFL's so-called "legal tampering period" causes the rumor mill to start spinning a little earlier these days, player movement can't become official until 4 p.m. ET today. That's when the new league year begins allowing for trades and free-agent signings.

It's always an interesting stretch for teams around the league. There's usually a flurry of movement almost immediately, and only when the dust settles after the marquee names have signed will the outlook for 2015 start to become clearer.

While certain players will elect to agree to new contracts right away, others may wait awhile to see if a bigger market develops. So let's check out some of the latest buzz from around the NFL before the signing period gets underway.

Darrelle Revis

Revis remained one of the best cornerbacks in football last season. He helped the New England Patriots capture a Super Bowl title while exhibiting his usual shutdown tendencies for most of the campaign. His impact on a defense is immediately noticeable.

The Pats decided to decline the option on his contract for financial reasons, according to ESPN.com's Adam Schefter and Mike Reiss. Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio Media Group reports the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs are all interested should New England be unable to work out a new deal with him:

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The Browns have expressed interest in Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis, who loved playing for coach Mike Pettine in New York, a league source told Northeast Ohio Media Group on Tuesday. …

The Jets are also expected to make a run at their former Pro Bowl cornerback, and the Chiefs are also planning to jump into the fray.

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Revis spent the first six years of his career with the Jets. He then made a brief stop with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before moving on to the Patriots. It wouldn't be a surprise if it ends up becoming a duel between the AFC East rivals for his services.

That said, he did enjoy success under Pettine during their time together in New York, and the Chiefs have the most competitive roster of the group outside of New England. The tiebreaker may end up being money, which would make for an intriguing bidding war.

DeMarco Murray

Talent is not the question when it comes to Murray. He racked up over 2,200 total yards of offense for the Dallas Cowboys in 2014. A running back who missed 11 games over his first three years and had nearly 500 touches counting the playoffs last season comes with risk, though.

In an era where teams aren't overly eager to hand out big contracts to running backs, it will be interesting to see what type of deal he gets. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network passed along word of three teams that could be involved:

A lot likely depends on how hard the Cowboys try to bring him back. He seemed to find a comfort zone in Dallas this past season, as the team finally committed to the ground game. If the Cowboys decide not to match the market value, then those other teams will battle it out.

When David Moore of the Dallas Morning News asked him about the situation last month, Murray said: "Obviously I think they want me here. I want to be here. It's just finding the…I think, the, you know…just what helps them, what helps me. Things like that."

Beyond that, the Arizona Cardinals always stand out when they are linked to a rusher. Add Murray to an already talented aerial attack with a full season of Carson Palmer, and there's no reason the unit shouldn't be among the league's best.

C.J. Spiller

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Spiller could be one of the players who decides to hang out on the market for a while. Murray is the top running back available, so it may be best for the Clemson product to wait until teams see where they stand in that sweepstakes before surveying his own options.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that's exactly what the former member of the Buffalo Bills and his camp are expected to do. They believe playing the waiting game could end up landing him a better deal in the end.

"For running back C.J. Spiller, that's not the case. Per a league source, the plan was and is to wait it out," Florio wrote. "Spiller's camp believed that the running back market would be better than expected and, so far, Spiller's camp has been proven right."

Florio also mentioned the Cowboys could become a potential landing spot should they be unable to retain Murray. So that's where the running back market really begins, and the secondary options are probably wise to see what happens there first.

Spiller is an explosive runner with home run capabilities. He's best served in a timeshare situation with a power back to create the prototypical thunder-and-lightning combo. It just may take awhile before that perfect situation presents itself, whether it be in Dallas or elsewhere.