NFL Free Agency 2015: Latest Rumors and Predictions for Top Available Players

The first few days of the 2015 NFL free-agency period have brought a whirlwind of big deals and surprise trades, but there remains plenty of dust left to be settled.

A handful of franchises have already made huge moves by signing some of the biggest names on the market, and rosters around the league—along with the NFL hierarchy, perhaps—are receiving a major face lift. But plenty of notable free agents are still out there, ripe for the picking.

As time goes along and more players come off of prospective free-agent boards around the league, certain players will see the market open up for them as teams get more and more desperate to fill holes. 

Let's take a look at the latest news regarding the biggest names still out there and where they might land.

DeMarco Murray

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The Dallas Cowboys always knew they would end up in a bidding war for DeMarco Murray's services this offseason, but nobody expected a chief opponent would be a divisional rival.

Alas, the Philadelphia Eagles have jumped in after swinging and missing on Frank Gore and are awaiting a visit from one of the most coveted free agents in the market, per ESPN's Adam Schefter:

After trading LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills and snagging Byron Maxwell with most of the free cap space, many wondered what the Eagles had planned for the backfield. They seemingly answered that with Schefter reporting Philadelphia agreed to terms with former Chargers back Ryan Mathews, but they don't appear to be done.

The Eagles didn't even plan on courting Murray until he approached them directly, per ESPN's Ed Werder:

Of course, the whole dynamic of Murray approaching the Eagles—and not the other way around—tended to raise some eyebrows. Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson wondered if it was nothing more than an act to spurn an NFC East rival:

Assuming that the Eagles' interest in Murray doesn't hold any water would be a short-slighted look at the situation. Murray is one of the most dominant running backs in the league, and his downhill style would pay dividends in Chip Kelly's offense if the holes opened up.

With that said, the Cowboys have always been the ones to beat. The Eagles are in a good position at the moment to pull the trigger, but they have too much money lined up already in Mathews and Maxwell to make the proper push.

In the end, Dallas giving in and re-signing its workhorse remains the likeliest option.

Prediction: Murray re-signs with Cowboys.

C.J. Spiller

Gary Wiepert/Associated Press

The aforementioned trade of McCoy to Buffalo had a trickle-down effect on a number of running backs, most notably C.J. Spiller. The 27-year-old free agent is now one of the most coveted rushers out there, and he's receiving plenty of interest.

The Bills may have opted for an upgrade, but the New Orleans Saints wasted no time lining up their pursuit of Spiller, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

Schefter doubled down on Rapoport's report, stating that the two sides are scheduled to meet:

A five-year veteran out of Clemson, Spiller has been a model of consistency since entering the league with an average yards per carry of five. Durability has been an issue throughout, as he only surpassed 200 carries in two seasons and missed seven games last season with injury.

The Cowboys were mentioned as being interested by Rapoport, but they still have their focus squarely set on Murray. And if they happen to be replacing him, doing so with Spiller will be a tough sell given his durability issues.

As for New Orleans, he can fit in nicely alongside recently re-signed back Mark Ingram. The recent trade for Max Unger signals the beginning of a shift toward a more run-oriented offense in Drew Brees' final years, and securing Spiller would guarantee two workhorses in the backfield.

Prediction: Spiller signs with Saints.

Brandon Browner

David Goldman/Associated Press

The start of free agency has not been kind to the defending Super Bowl champions. The New England Patriots' secondary took a big hit with Darrelle Revis signing on to join the New York Jets, and the Pats could be out another starting cornerback before it's all said and done.

Cornerback Brandon Browner is generating his fair share of interest following his help in leading the Patriots to the Super Bowl. As Schefter reported, he's scheduled to visit two teams:

After leaving the Seattle Seahawks following the 2013 season, Browner proved his ability to still be a top-flight cornerback in 2014 with the Patriots. He was often picked on playing opposite Darrelle Revis yet played his best in the postseason and had a big part in New England's championship.

But with the likes of Maxwell and other top cornerbacks flying off free-agency boards, Browner is becoming more and more coveted. At least one teammate, receiver Brandon LaFell, doesn't make it sound like Browner is returning:

The Patriots are methodical with these types of situations, and after losing out on Revis to the Jets, they won't opt to keep Browner and bestow a much larger workload on him. He has, however, prove his worth to other teams and should command a starting spot for a cornerback-needy team.

The Washington Redskins certainly fit the mold. While the Saints are in hotter pursuit of some key offensive players, Washington has been quieter in the free-agency cycle but nonetheless has a huge need at cornerback that the Redskins won't be filling with their early pick in the draft.

Prediction: Browner signs with Washington.