8 NFL Players Who Will Be Wearing New Jerseys Next Season

It's time to get serious about the NFL offseason.

While fans of the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers are consumed by the prospect of their respective teams playing in Super Bowl 50, the general managers, personnel men, scouts and coaches of all 32 teams are making plans for the 2016 regular season.

While the Panthers and Broncos may not be going at it full speed at this point, they are starting to make their plans as well.

That's the way the game is. The NFL is a 365-day-per-year business, and those who take it easy or pat themselves on the back will fall behind.

Free agency will be here quickly, and there are a number of high-level players who are not under contract for the 2016 season. While teams can tag players with a franchise designation, here are eight players we believe will be wearing a new jersey next season.

RB Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Doug Martin had a spectacular year in Tampa Bay, shaking off a couple of injury-plagued seasons to rush for 1,402 yards with a 4.9-yards-per-carry average.

Martin nearly equaled the 1,454 yards he had in his rookie season in 2012, but while many critics thought Martin was just another guy after failing to crack the 500-yard mark in 2013 or 2014, the running back proved all the skeptics wrong.

Martin is a free agent and should attract a great deal of free-agent attention. Running backs are not the high-priced talent many of the other position players are, but Martin is a 27-year-old star who has plenty of explosion in his legs, and he can upgrade several teams' running attacks.

The Buccaneers seem more interested in developing their passing game under new head coach Dirk Koetter, so it's fairly certain Martin will be playing elsewhere next season.

DE Olivier Vernon, Miami Dolphins

Jeffrey G. Pittenger-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Dolphins made a huge move in free agency last year when they signed former Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

After they made that move, many thought the Dolphins would have the best defensive line in football with Suh, Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon providing an explosive pass rush.

The Dolphins did not dominate on defense this year and have brought in Adam Gase as their new head coach to turn things around.

The Dolphins can look at Wake and Suh, and they can realize they still have a powerful pass rush. Vernon, 25, is a good player, but the Dolphins may be well-advised to spend their money on other free agents.

Vernon had 7.5 sacks this year, but he reached the 11.5-sack mark in 2013. Players of Vernon's ability don't come around often, and he should be one of the more high-priced free agents during the winter.

DE Malik Jackson, Denver Broncos

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

When Super Bowl 50 is over, Denver Broncos general manager John Elway will have a lot of decisions to make about his roster, and he will almost certainly have to come up with a new game plan if the Broncos are going to remain in contention while they are in a transition year.

With Peyton Manning likely retiring after the big game, the Broncos are going to have to figure out their new offensive game plan, and it may not be as easy as simply designating Brock Osweiler as the new quarterback.

On the defensive side, Von Miller is headed toward free agency, and the Broncos can't afford to let him get away. They may not be so lucky with defensive end Malik Jackson.

Jackson is not a superstar, but he had 45 tackles in the regular season along with five sacks and seven passes defended. He's the kind of player who can make any defensive line better, and he should be a popular free agent.

DE Muhammad Wilkerson, New York Jets

Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

This may surprise a lot of observers because Muhammad Wilkerson is such a consistent player and can turn the corner and get to the quarterback.

He had 12 sacks this year and was productive playing for first-year New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles, and many expect him to be franchised.

However, the Jets have big-time defensive talent in Damon Harrison, Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams, and they may want to spend their resources at other positions.

Look for that to be the case here, and Wilkerson will be one of the most sought-after free agents this year.

RB Matt Forte, Chicago Bears

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Few players in the NFL have been able to match Matt Forte's consistency in his exceptional eight-year career with the Chicago Bears.

Forte is a versatile star who is as dangerous as a receiver as he is running with the football. Forte has rushed for 1,000 yards or more five times in his career and has had six seasons with 50 receptions or more, including a career-high 102 catches in 2014.

Forte is not optimistic about returning to the Bears.

"I mean, I want to return," Forte told ESPN.com's Jeff Dickerson. "But if you're saying, am I hopeful that I do return? There is not much to hope for that right now because, like I said, I talked to [the Bears front office] earlier, and they haven't said anything back. So there's nothing really to hope for."

Forte, 30, has plenty of miles on his tread, but he can help teams win. He could be especially valuable on a contending team that needs one or two players to get to the top of the mountain.

As an older running back, Forte will not get maximum dollars, but he can help a contending team improve quite a bit.

S Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs

Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images

Eric Berry enjoyed a remarkable season with the Kansas City Chiefs. His ability to bounce back from a serious illness and play a key role in the Kansas City secondary should make him a valuable addition to any defense in 2016.

Berry had 61 tackles, two interceptions and 10 passes defended in 2015. Those are good numbers, but the more impressive part of his battle was his comeback from Hodgkin lymphoma that kept him off the field for the majority of the 2014 season

Berry is a smart, sharp player who can come up with the big play at the key moment.

OT Russell Okung, Seattle Seahawks

Rob Leiter/Getty Images

Russell Okung is one of the best blockers in the league, and if the Seahawks don't franchise him, he has a chance to upgrade nearly any offensive line in the league.

Okung has been one of the reasons Marshawn Lynch and the Seahawks running game has been so effective for such a long time. At 6'5" and 310 pounds, Okung has the kind of size and wide base that offensive line coaches are looking for, but he is also an excellent athlete for such a large man.

Okung, 28, has superb movement skills for his position, and he should be quite valuable for years to come.

QB Sam Bradford, Philadelphia Eagles

Elsa/Getty Images

Sam Bradford was Chip Kelly's designated choice at quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles this season.

The Eagles had a disappointing season, and Kelly is no longer the head coach of the team. He was fired with a week to go in the season, and Doug Pederson will coach the team in 2016.

Pederson, formerly the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs, knows he may need a new quarterback in 2016. Bradford, 28, is a free agent, and it seems unlikely he will want to stay in Philadelphia.

Bradford's career has been plagued by injuries, but he has the physical skills and intelligence to be a solid leader at the quarterback position. 

Bradford may not make superstar money, but he should have a chance to be a decent quarterback in 2016. Look for him to wear a new uniform in 2016.