NFL Free Agency Rumors: Analyzing Buzz on Greg Hardy, Dwayne Bowe and More

There's a pattern to NFL free agency every year. It starts with a wave of big-money contracts for the elite players available, then the second-tier stars begin to sign after the market has been set. After that, it's about teams finding bargains. 

A bargain can come for any number of reasons. Sometimes a really talented player just doesn't have the market he wants, so he bets on himself with the hopes of getting paid next year. Other times, it can be a player coming off an injury-plagued year needing to rebuild his value. 

There are also special circumstances, like a player gets released after free agency has begun, which really throws the market for a loop because teams aren't sure what they want to do. It's all fascinating and makes for great drama. 

Here are the latest rumors about players loaded with talent who have to answer questions about themselves and where they stand in the negotiating process. 

Conflicting Greg Hardy Information

Depending on where you look, Greg Hardy is either talking to teams or sitting by the phone waiting for anyone to call. It's not a surprise given the baggage that comes with the former Carolina Panthers defensive star, but it makes figuring out his market virtually impossible. 

For instance, Jordan Schultz of The Huffington Post reported the Oakland Raiders have had talks with Hardy:

However, per Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Raiders did not have any contract talks with Hardy:

Then there were comments made by Raiders owner Mark Davis to Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News saying that any reports of interest in Hardy are "false, falser and falsest" and "not true."

It's easy to see why any team would be skittish about adding Hardy. He's still on the commissioner's exempt list, which further complicates matters. 

Hardy's domestic violence charges were dismissed in February, per The Associated Press (h/t NFL.com), but NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in the report the defender's "status remains unchanged," meaning he could be subject to a suspension under the league's personal conduct policy. 

There's also the public relations dilemma that would go into signing Hardy, which is something that Schultz also reported on:

Hardy is a fascinating test case. There's no denying the immense talent he possesses on a football field. The 26-year-old had 26 total sacks in 2012-13 and was in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. 

Yet there's that massive dark cloud hanging over Hardy's head. The AP report about Hardy's charges being dismissed stated it happened because "the accuser in the case couldn't be found." That's something teams are going to take note of, as well as the NFL. 

If you just looked at Hardy as a football player, there's little doubt he would be on a roster already because teams always want to find someone who can get after the quarterback. It's just everything else that comes along with it that makes him hard to invest in. 

The Dwayne Bowe Market

In an effort to completely rebuild their receiving corps, the Kansas City Chiefs announced the release of Dwayne Bowe on Thursday. The move does give the 30-year-old some leverage, as he's one of the few wideouts left with a history of success. 

Granted, Bowe hasn't had a 1,000-yard season since 2011 and hasn't averaged more than 13 yards per catch since 2012, but he's not without ability and can help a team in need of depth. 

Enter: Cleveland. 

The Browns are as desperate for wide receiver help as any team in the league, knowing that Josh Gordon is unreliable and won't play again for at least one year. 

According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports and confirmed by Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, Bowe is on the Browns' radar:

As La Canfora mentioned, Browns general manager Ray Farmer knows Bowe very well after working in Kansas City as director of pro personnel from 2006-12. 

Even though Bowe finished 2014 with no touchdown catches, like all of Kansas City's wide receivers, it's hard to put that all on him. 

As noted by Pro Football Focus, Bowe's negative grading last year could have been as much a product of the offense than a significant decline in his skills:

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Though rarely a dynamic deep threat in his career Bowe has doubtless suffered from the Chiefs unwillingness to put the ball down the field with Alex Smith at quarterback, targeted only 12 times on targets of 20+ yards in the last two seasons Bowe has just three catches for 65 yards since the start of 2013.

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That's not to say Cleveland has the best quarterback situation in the NFL, but Josh McCown showed in 2013 with Chicago that he can be effective with the right weapons. Bowe, at 6'2" and 221 pounds, isn't much smaller than Brandon Marshall or Alshon Jeffery. 

The Browns need to find some wideouts, even on a one-year deal, to supplement their roster as they look to possibly make additions through the draft. Bowe is a strong fit given his ability to play in traffic and his relationship with Farmer. 

Stevie Johnson's Situation

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

There was a time when Stevie Johnson was among the better receivers in football. He had three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 2010-12, but injuries and inconsistent play have sapped all of his value the last two years. 

The 49ers released Johnson after just one season with the team. He did show some of the ability from his days in Buffalo with a 103-yard performance in Week 3 against Arizona and catching three touchdowns in a four-week span from Week 4 through 7. 

There's going to be a market for Johnson, who is just 28 years old. In the Bowe tweet reference above, La Canfora notes the Browns could take a look at him. 

It's also possible Johnson could return to San Francisco, as Pro Football Talk tweeted the door isn't all the way shut for a reunion tour:

However, per Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 in Washington D.C., the 49ers are going to have company if they really want Johnson back:

The Patriots' entrance into the Johnson sweepstakes could change everything. Bill Belichick is a master at playing the market in his favor. He was criticized two years ago for letting Wes Welker leave, but that looks like a brilliant move in retrospect. 

Even if the deal for Danny Amendola hasn't worked out perfectly, he played a key role in the team's Super Bowl run in January.

Harry How/Getty Images

Johnson's six-year tenure with the Bills gives him plenty of experience in the AFC East, which has become the hot division for free agents this offseason with all the additions for the Bills, Dolphins and Jets. The Patriots aren't going to go gently into that good night. 

The Patriots don't appear to be as starved for help at wide receiver as it seemed they would be when last season started, thanks to the growth of Brandon LaFell and Julian Edelman continuing to be the perfect slot wideout for Tom Brady. 

Johnson didn't get much out of his experience in San Francisco and didn't seem to be too much of a priority for the team, so he may want to close that chapter by getting a fresh start with one of the best quarterbacks in history. 

It certainly makes sense, as Johnson could take a short-term deal and hope to rebuild his value, then hit the market again to get a bigger deal.