Bold Predictions for 2016 NFL Free Agency

The 2016 NFL free-agency period is rapidly approaching as March 9 nears. The franchise tag deadline passed this week, and we now have a clearer picture of which top players will be on the open market. Unrestricted free agents have little reason to sign deals before they see what potential suitors can offer in terms of long-term guaranteed money.

The influx of cash and number of playoff contenders with money to burn could lead to franchise-changing acquisitions. According to Spotrac, 19 teams have over $20 million to spend this offseason, and contract restructures and veteran releases could free up more money before March 9. Six of those teams were playoff participants in 2015.

Free agency will be a drama-filled circus that will have fans refreshing Twitter for the latest breaking news. I have six bold predictions to help prepare you for the zaniness that's sure to come.

What are your bold predictions for free agency? Make sure you let me know in the comments section below.

Von Miller Will Become Highest-Paid Defender in NFL History

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The best edge-rusher in the NFL capped off a terrific 2015 season with a Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award. Just 26 years old, Miller has the talent, resume and youth for the Denver Broncos to be comfortable offering him an enormous contract. Only two active players had more sacks than Miller at his age: J.J. Watt and teammate DeMarcus Ware.

As the Broncos work to bring back other key cogs such as quarterback Peyton Manning, defensive end Malik Jackson and linebacker Danny Trevathan, they applied the franchise tag on Miller before the deadline. This ensures he'll remain a part of the franchise one more season unless another team offers a massive contract on top of two first-round picks. Our prediction is Miller will receive the biggest contract for a defender in NFL history from the Broncos.

The bar was set high last year by Ndamukong Suh. Suh hit unrestricted free agency and benefited from multiple suitors to drive up his price. NFL Network’s Albert Breer reported Miller is aiming to best Suh's average annual value and guaranteed money.

Miller has a strong argument for why he deserves that type of money. If Denver drags its feet on making him a fair offer, he could decide to play out the franchise tag and try to hit the market again next season.

Kelechi Osemele Will Be Paid as Top-Five Left Tackle

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

The top free-agent offensive lineman available this spring is Kelechi Osemele of the Baltimore Ravens. The 26-year-old showed he can be a standout left tackle in the final month of 2015, as the Ravens kicked him from left guard to tackle because of injuries. Now, he'll benefit from his ability to play a premium position at a high level.

Baltimore extended quarterback Joe Flacco to help open more cap space for re-signing players like Osemele. His lower cap number will partially alleviate the team's significant cap restraints. According to Spotrac, Baltimore had just $2.4 million open before his extension.

Baltimore views Osemele as a left tackle, per Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. But given the team's limited resources to bring him back into the fold, Osemele will likely find greener pastures elsewhere. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, he's looking for at least $10 million per year.

Tackle-needy teams such as the Oakland Raiders, New York Giants, Detroit Lions and San Diego Chargers are excellent matches for Osemele's services. The flush cap-space situation and demand for a quality left tackle bode well for Osemele. He should aim to earn an average annual value of $11.25 million, which would make him the fifth-highest-paid left tackle.

The Oakland Raiders Will Control Free Agency

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Armed with the second-most cap space and coming off a resurgent 7-9 season, the Oakland Raiders are primed to be major free-agent players. The franchise has an exciting young nucleus on rookie contracts.

This is a rare situation where spending in free agency can significantly boost a team—as opposed to recent free-agency splurges like Miami and Philadelphia that backfired. Oakland has an experienced coaching staff and budding stars on both sides of the ball. It has relied on the draft to get this far, which is unlike franchises that have failed to properly utilize free agency.

Oakland has about $74 million to spend this offseason. Upgrading left tackle and right guard would solidify an offensive line that is good but not great. The defense desperately needs safety, cornerback and inside linebacker talent. There are clear areas of need for general manager Reggie McKenzie to target.

The Raiders don't need to address each position via free agency, especially since they own the 14th overall pick in the draft. Coming away with two or three studs would be an excellent free-agency plan, though.

Their main targets should include Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith, Houston Texans right guard Brandon Brooks, Cleveland Browns safety Tashaun Gipson and Denver Broncos linebacker Danny Trevathan. Each is a young player who is in the prime of his career with several seasons left before an expected athletic decline.

The Jacksonville Jaguars Go All-In

Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

Like the Raiders, the Jacksonville Jaguars are loaded with cash to spend this offseason. No team has more cap space than the Jaguars. Coming off a 5-11 season, the front office and coaching staff need to build off the flashes seen in 2015 and produce a winner next season. A sense of urgency to hasten the rebuilding process must be in place.

Adding new talent at left guard, defensive end, linebacker and throughout the secondary must be a priority. The lack of playmakers on defense is especially alarming considering the pedigree of head coach Gus Bradley. He needs more talent than what he's had thus far.

Having $74 million in cap space should make it easier to land impact players. Young players who would fit the Jaguars' schemes include Kansas City Chiefs left guard Jeff Allen, Los Angeles Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins, Cincinnati Bengals safety George Iloka and Indianapolis Colts linebacker Jerrell Freeman.

Like the Raiders, the Jaguars must be wary of adding older players who cannot contribute more than one or two seasons. This offseason is about building for the next three seasons. Signing three of the aforementioned players, drafting effectively and bringing 2015 first-round pick Dante Fowler back from injury would add a boost of defense talent the Jaguars desperately need.

Cornerback Sean Smith Will Provide Biggest Upgrade of Any Free Agent

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Barring a last-minute contract agreement, the best free-agent cornerback this offseason will be Sean Smith of the Chiefs. The 28-year-old has the physical traits to make any evaluator drool, including his 6'3" frame and enough speed to cover without safety help. He was half of an excellent cornerback pairing in Kansas City along with Marcus Peters.

Smith's ability to play in press-man and off-man coverage and shut down top receivers will lead him to a major payday. He's still in the prime of his career for the next three seasons. That aligns perfectly with a free-agent deal, as most contracts have escape clauses built in after the third or fourth season.

The demand for a No. 1 cornerback is always high, and Smith will benefit from the money available. Nine teams have over $40 million in cap space, and eight could easily justify spending on Smith. Not only is he that good, but he is also the most impactful unrestricted free agent on the market this year.

Smith charted incredibly well in my 2014 and 2015 projects that measure how often a cornerback provides quality coverage. He's right in the discussion for the top seven cornerbacks in the NFL based on what he accomplished in Kansas City. Because of that type of impact, he will be the biggest upgrade of any free agent.

Olivier Vernon Will Be Traded Despite the Transition Tag Designation

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Olivier Vernon's production in the last two months of the season was less than ideal for the Miami Dolphins to figure out whether to splurge on him. The Dolphins also currently lack the cap space to be confident in signing him long term. They're $3.5 million over the cap before rollover, cuts and restructures are factored in.

According to Jordan Raanan of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, Miami could trade Vernon after tagging him to maximize its return for him. But there's significant risk with the transition tag, as Miami learned last year with Charles Clay, who left for the Buffalo Bills. There's no compensation for losing a player with this designation unless he is traded.

On the surface, it seems unlikely the Dolphins will be able to trade Vernon after assigning the transitional tag. The team saved about $2.3 million by not tendering him with the exclusive-rights franchise tag, and he'll count as $12.7 million against the cap in 2016 if he doesn't sign a long-term offer.

My prediction is Vernon will be traded to a team with more cap space. His value to Miami is not as high since the team needs to rebuild with limited resources. Adding a mid-round pick for Vernon's talent would be a quality return.

All stats used are from Sports-Reference.com. 

Ian Wharton is an NFL Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. 

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