NFL Free Agents 2016: Latest Rumors and Predictions for Market's Top Names

The 2016 NFL free-agency period officially begins on Wednesday, March 9, but already the rumor mill is flush with whispers and buzz regarding potential player movement.

While many of the top players are getting slapped with franchise tags, there are still famous names liable to shop their wares around the league and change uniforms for the upcoming season.

Here's a look at three of the latest players generating some free-agency chatter.

Mario Williams

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

There could be quite the free-agent shuffle among talented pass-rushers this offseason, with Mario Williams, Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon among those likely to switch teams.

Released by the Bills on March 1—after a disappointing season in which the four-time Pro Bowler tallied just five sacks—Williams is reportedly wasting little time finding a new place to call home. NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported Williams was set to visit the Miami Dolphins on Saturday:

ESPN's James Walker noteed Williams would be a smart move for Miami in case they lose Vernon or Cameron Wake, but the money has to be right:

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As usual, this option comes down to money. Williams was cut in Buffalo because of his $19.9 million cap number this year. Miami will balk if he wants anything close to that. The team simply does not have the cap room.

But if Williams is open to taking much less, perhaps in the range of Wake's $8.4 million salary, this may be a cost-effective option to improve Miami's pass rush. The Dolphins have found ways to make big splashes in free agency over the past three seasons, and potentially adding Williams would be another one.

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The Dolphins have restructured defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh's contract and made a couple of roster cuts, per ESPN's news services, creating a bit of flexibility. They have to hope the former No. 1 overall pick doesn't garner too much attention shopping himself to other teams and is enticed by the team's pockets of young talent (and maybe even the weather).

On that note, Miami isn't the only franchise hoping to meet with Williams. NJ.com's Jordan Raanan said the New York Giants are looking into Williams and another defensive end: 

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Charles Johnson will be the first free-agent pass rusher to visit with the Giants. He's scheduled to meet with the team on Sunday.

Former Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams is likely to be next. The Giants are among four or five teams that Williams is likely to visit, a person with knowledge of the situation told NJ Advance Media.

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The Giants have plenty of cap space ($55.8 million)—third-most in the league, per Spotrac—and would likely jump at the chance to snag a pass-rusher of Williams' caliber and no longer have to deal with the risk of Pierre-Paul, who recorded one sack in seven games last season after returning from his gruesome fireworks-related hand injury. The Giants could perhaps even sign both if they really want to ramp up the pass rush.

Williams is 31 years old and might only have a few more years left in him. Miami's situation isn't much more attractive than that of New York's. Unless another team comes in as a strong suitor, look for the Giants to make Williams a great offer and add him to the team.

Prediction: New York Giants

Doug Martin

Steve Nesius/Associated Press

While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers brass has expressed optimism, per NFL.com, that the team would be able to re-sign star running back Doug Martin, it appears they won't be able to do so before the two-time Pro Bowler hits the open market. 

According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, the Bucs are unlikely to ink Martin to a new contract before Wednesday:

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Barring an unforeseen development in negotiations, Bucs running back Doug Martin is expected to make it to the legal tampering period of free agency that starts Monday.

Discussions between Martin's agent, Brian Murphy, and Bucs general manager Jason Licht as late as Saturday afternoon had failed to close the gap to prevent Martin from talking to teams and possibly reaching an agreement either Monday or Tuesday.

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Martin rushed for 1,402 yards and scored six touchdowns in 2015, recapturing the dazzling form he flashed in his 2012 rookie season. He's far and away the best free-agent back, and several teams will likely come calling.

Stroud rattled off the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Miami and the New York Jets as teams that could use Martin.

Whether he can get the kind of big deal that means straying from the team that drafted him is another question considering the injury and productivity risks that big-name backs carry in the rough and tumble NFL. Only two of Martin's four years in the league have been productive, and he played just six games in 2013 and 11 in 2014.

The 27-year-old likely only has two or three more years of real productivity left. He may want to go to a team that's a bit more contender-ready or at least has key pieces in place who don't need much time to develop.

If that's the case, the Cowboys would be an excellent fit and perhaps the most likely to chase his signature. They cycled through several backs in 2015 after losing DeMarco Murray to the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency. Tony Romo is a veteran quarterback who elevates the team to contender status if healthy, and the offensive line has the ability to make a quick-cut back such as Martin productive.

However, the Buccaneers could still snag Martin if he doesn't like what he sees on the open market. The team has plenty of cap space to work with and could extend Martin's NFL lifespan by continuing to mix in Charles Sims, who averaged 4.9 yards per carry last year and proved to be an adept pass-catcher with 561 receiving yards.

Plus, the Bucs have exciting young talent in quarterback Jameis Winston and wide receiver Mike Evans on offense, as well as stout veterans such as linebacker Lavonte David and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy on the other side of the ball. It's not a terrible situation to be in by any means.

With running backs seen as a risk in the pass-heavy NFL, look for Martin to check his options and gain some leverage before inking a long-term deal with Tampa Bay.

Prediction: Martin sticks with Tampa Bay


Robert Griffin III

Michael Perez/Associated Press

After quarterback Robert Griffin III's tumultuous, injury-riddled tenure with the Washington Redskins—a run that went way downhill after a phenomenal rookie campaign—some might be inclined to wonder who would want to take a chance on that guy.

Well, according to Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman, roughly a third of the league is interested, and the nub: 

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Despite all that we know about Robert Griffin III, according to interviews with a half-dozen front-office talent evaluators, he remains the most intriguing figure in the free-agent sweepstakes. There are at least 10 teams giving Griffin a hard look, these sources say.

Maybe 15. Maybe more.

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RG3 did not play in 2015, losing out on the starting quarterback role to Kirk Cousins. That alone would seem to be a death knell for most 26-year-old quarterbacks' free-agent value, but Griffin is an intelligent player who displayed real game-changing ability as a rookie in 2012, racking up 3,200 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns and just five interceptions.

Freeman tossed out three teams that could be the favorites for Griffin's signature: "The team officials interviewed believe the most likely landing spots for Griffin [are the] Los Angeles [Rams], Cleveland [Browns] or Houston [Texans]. Though, to be truthful, no one really knows. It's all guesswork."

Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson noted in a recent column that "Griffin is eyeing Houston as a potential long-term destination."

Houston made the playoffs last year and has at least one semi-capable quarterback in Brian Hoyer, so the Texans wouldn't need to throw Griffin into the fray immediately and could carry on pretty well if it turns out they can't revive his career.

You can come up with justifications for several teams. Chip Kelly might be salivating at the thought of bringing Griffin and his mobility to the San Francisco 49ers. The Los Angeles Rams QB situation is hardly appealing, and they might feel some pressure to make a big splash after their offseason move from St. Louis. Cleveland always needs quarterbacks.

While San Francisco might be the most entertaining from a narrative standpoint, the quarterback played high school ball in Texas and was a superstar at Baylor. The call of the Lone Star State will bring Griffin to Houston, where he doesn't necessarily have the pressure to start immediately but has a much better chance of overtaking Hoyer than Romo.

Prediction: Houston Texans