NFL Rumors: Latest Rumblings on Michael Crabtree, Evan Mathis and More

The wildfire NFL rumor mill continues to fade. 

Blame the deadest part of the offseason, about one month removed from the NFL draft while the globe turns its attention to madness and brackets.

At this point, teams have most of the necessary chips in place after free agency to hit the draft with confidence. Those teams pondering a draft trade won't make major deals before the big day.

What's left is the scraps on the market still looking for homes and teams weighing options when it comes to trading away players for future assets and cap space.

The latest rests below.

Trade Block Hot for Mike Glennon? 

Things are slow when Mike Glennon headlines the rumor mill.

In all seriousness, though, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers figure to be in a position to grab one of either Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota in the draft. This opens the door to shopping around Glennon, who is just 25 years old.

Glennon, a third-round pick in the 2013 NFL draft, offers some value to a team in need. He's shown flashes of potential, highlighted by appearing in 13 games as a rookie and throwing 19 touchdowns to nine interceptions.

As ESPN's Adam Caplan points out, there are other reasons Glennon is an attractive piece for so many teams:

The putrid state of the quarterback position throughout the league is a major win for the Buccaneers.

For a team in need but without a top-five pick, there's nowhere to turn—free agency is a wasteland and the top name after Winston and Mariota is up for debate, let alone not good enough to start as a rookie.

If the Buccaneers are to unload Glennon, now seems to be the perfect time, even if it does perhaps give away draft plans.

Evan Mathis' Hot Seat 

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

These days, spending a lot of cash on an interior offensive lineman doesn't make a lot of sense. 

For some teams, even the best of the best at the position aren't worth the cash. Just ask the Philadelphia Eagles, a team needing to figure out what to do with veteran Evan Mathis.

Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com notes the front office may be willing to pull the plug soon:

"

Mathis, who was on the trade block last offseason and is back there again, might be cast off into the free-agent waters if the Eagles can’t deal him, according to a source close to the situation.

Right now, the source said, the team is “actively looking” to deal the 33-year-old lineman.

"

Here's the problem—teams aren't going to trade for Mathis when it seems common knowledge he'll hit the market. Of more importance is his contract, something other teams won't want to take off Philadelphia's hands.

Now 33 years old, Mathis played in just nine games last year and represents a $6.5 million cap hit next season and a $7 million hit in 2016, per Spotrac.

The upshot, of course, is he ranked as the No. 2 guard in the NFL at Pro Football Focus last season and No. 1 in each of the three prior seasons.

Mathis will be a hot commodity if he reaches the open market, but it's a rough position for the Eagles to sit in, so expect a decision soon.

Michael Crabtree and the Waiting Game

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

When it comes to Michael Crabtree, though, don't expect anything to happen in a quick manner. 

Reality caught up with Crabtree in a rough way when he hit free agency this offseason. A serious injury and recent return has slowed the 27-year-old Texas Tech product.

While 2014 was a down season as a whole for the San Francisco 49ers, the numbers back up the thought:

SEASON	GP	REC	TGTS	YDS	TD
2009	11	48	86	625	2
2010	16	55	101	741	6
2011	15	72	114	874	4
2012	16	85	126	1,105	9
2013	5	19	33	284	1
2014	16	68	108	698	4

With Crabtree receiving little interest on the market, it's a foregone conclusion the 49ers will re-enter the picture at some point.

One problem—Crabtree might not want any part of his former team.

According to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, Crabtree wants out of a scheme he might blame for his diminished numbers last year: "The 49ers are interested in re-signing Crabtree, but the six-year veteran prefers to seek a contract with a team that places a greater emphasis on the passing game, according to a league source at the NFL owners meetings."

It's easy to think where this one is going. If Crabtree wants to go to a pass-happy team (those aren't hard to find), it perhaps means he wants a short-term deal to inflate his numbers and then cash in on one last major deal before he turns 30.

There might not be much of a spot left for Crabtree in San Francisco's offense either way considering the team signed Torrey Smith this offseason to pair with Anquan Boldin.

At some point a team will show an interest in Crabtree, but it sounds as if it will need to be a team of his liking.

Expect this one to drag out.

Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com as of March 29. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.