2016 NFL Free Agents: Top Rumors, Speculation and Predictions

As the NFL regular season reaches its conclusion Sunday a majority of teams—the 20 that don't qualify for the playoffs—are forced to start looking ahead to next season. As always, free agency is one of the key ways of bolstering a roster during the offseason.

It's going to take some time before the market fully takes shape. Between contract extensions and franchise tags, the number of projected free agents will steadily fall before teams have the ability to sign players starting in March. There should be at least some impact players available, though.

Let's check out some of the early buzz surrounding a few notable potential free agents and make predictions for where they will be when the 2016 campaign gets underway.

Alshon Jeffery

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

Jeffery's injury-plagued season came to a premature end this week when the Chicago Bears placed him on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. He only appeared in nine games and never looked fully healthy after suffering a calf problem during training camp.

The lack of action limited him to just 54 catches for 807 yards and four touchdowns after tallying over 2,500 yards during the previous two seasons combined. Despite the drop-off in production and the injury concerns, John Mullin of CSN Chicago reports the team is still interested in a long-term extension:

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But indications now are that the Bears are seriously interested in the possibilities of a long-term deal with the highly productive wide receiver who is squarely in his playing prime. If contract numbers cannot be mutually agreed upon, the Bears still can secure Jeffery for one year with their franchise tag, or at least extend their negotiating window without Jeffery going uncovered into free agency next March.

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Obviously there's an extra element of risk when it comes to handing out a big contract to a player who dealt with nagging injuries over an entire season. But Jeffery played all 16 games in each of the previous two years, which helps alleviate at least some of those concerns.

Since fellow wideout Kevin White, who Chicago selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2015 draft, missed his entire rookie season with a leg injury, the Bears need to keep Jeffery to provide stability. So it makes sense for the sides to stick together for at least a few more years.

Prediction: Signs three-year deal with Bears

Kirk Cousins

Andrew Harnik/Associated Press

Cousins struggled in 14 appearances across his first three seasons (18 TD and 19 INT). Finally given a chance to serve as the full-time starting quarterback this year, he provided stability for the Redskins, which played a key role in them winning the NFC East.

His numbers, highlighted by completing nearly 70 percent of his throws and tossing 26 touchdowns, warrant keeping the job heading into 2016, regardless of the playoff result. That makes the comments Josina Anderson of ESPN received from a team source no surprise:

The bigger question is whether the Washington front office is willing to bet big on him after one strong season. Given the fact the demand for reliable quarterbacks far outweighs the supply, keeping the ones that play well, even for short periods, is crucial.

That said, since Cousins' stats made such a big jump, the Redskins likely want to see a bigger sample size before giving him the type of deal a franchise QB demands. That makes the franchise tag a likely outcome to give them another year to make a decision on Cousins.

Prediction: Gets franchise tagged by Redskins

Matt Forte

Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Forte has become a Bears legend over the past eight years. He's rushed for over 8,500 yards and added more than 4,000 additional yards as a receiver out of the backfield. Few running backs during the current pass-happy era can match that all-around production.

That said, the veteran recently turned 30, and teams don't usually make strong commitments to rushers once they reach that magic number. In this case, Chicago may be prepared to move on with Jeremy Langford and Ka'Deem Carey on the roster.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported back in October that the Bears had made Forte available for the right offer. This week, the rusher admitted he'd like to stay in Chicago, but it's an uncertain situation, as highlighted by Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune.

"Also it's, like, bittersweet. I've done a lot of good things. I would like to continue that," Forte said. "But that feeling of this might be my last game and not really knowing if it is or not, that's what's kind of like, 'Dang.' You just don't know if it is or if it ain't."

In the end, a change of scenery feels likely. A team like the Tennessee Titans, which has failed to establish a reliable ground game in recent years, is a nice fit. Quarterback Marcus Mariota would benefit from working with Forte, who's seen every approach from NFL defenses over the years.

Prediction: Signs one-year deal with Titans