NFL Free Agency 2017: Start Date, Rumors and Early Predictions

The buzz surrounding Super Bowl 51's incredible finish is still in the air, but that doesn't mean we can't look forward to next season.

While it was impressive to watch Lady Gaga jump off the top of NRG Stadium at halftime and Tom Brady orchestrate a comeback for the ages in a 34-28 overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons, it's time to move on—unless you're a Patriots fan.

For the majority of football fans around the league, it's time to look ahead to the NFL draft and free agency, where fortunes can change for the better or worse. Here, we will examine four players who will enter free agency with a lot of chatter surrounding their futures.

Where will they end up when teams are allowed to sign and complete deals with free agents on Thursday, March 9?

More than two months remain until the NFL's version of national signing day, and there's a lot of money on the line for these players, who have to answer the most difficult question of all: Should I stay, or should I go?

Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington Redskins

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The worst-kept secret in the NFL is that no matter how good your 53-man roster is, you won't win a championship without an elite-caliber quarterback. The times are gone when a Trent Dilfer or Rex Grossman could lead a team to a Super Bowl victory.

Is Kirk Cousins a max-contract quarterback in a quarterback-driven league? The jury may be out on that matter, but no one can argue that his 2016-2017 campaign with the Washington Redskins didn't impress even his harshest critics, with 4,917 passing yards and a completion percentage of 67 percent to go along with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

More impressive than his stats, however, is the heart Cousins shows every time he goes out on the field. And no, I'm not talking about his impassioned "You like that!" postgame sound bites. It's the plays he makes when nobody expects them.

Take the Pro Bowl, for example—a game where not even the players care about who wins or loses. Well, except for Cousins, that is.

Sure, he threw a pick in the red zone on the play, but the effort to chase down a cornerback for 60 yards and force a fumble? What general manager wouldn't want a player like that on his team? Washington isn't losing Cousins after letting Robert Griffin III go. He's the team's franchise quarterback, and he will get paid like one sooner rather than later. 

This might mean a franchise tag will have to happen for the second straight year to ensure Washington will hang on to Cousins and prevent him from signing with the San Francisco 49ers, who are rumored to be interested in him.

Prediction: Cousins re-signs with Washington for max deal. 

Alshon Jeffery, WR, Chicago Bears

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Alshon Jeffery, when healthy and able, is one of the premier wide receiving talents in the league. But the problem is he is off the field far too often.

Not only has Jeffery missed significant time with injury, but he was also out of action for four games last season because of a PED suspension. Jeffery is a max-contract talent and can be a No. 1 option for a team, but who will pay for him?

It's unlikely Jeffery will return to Chicago, even if he did promise the Bears would win a Super Bowl next season.

"I guarantee you we’ll win the Super Bowl next year," Jeffery told reporters after the Bears' loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Jan. 1. "We had a lot of injuries. I don’t think a team in the league had as much injuries as us."

As inspiring and audacious as that sounds, the Bears will not turn around next season and win a Super Bowl. They don't have a good enough quarterback, and Jeffery might not even be with the team then.

What is interesting, however, is that Jeffery was linked with the Philadelphia Eagles back in October, per CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora, and that possibility could open up for Jeffery when it's time to hit the negotiation table.

Prediction: Jeffery doesn't get franchise-tagged by the Bears, seeks max-level deal and gets one with the Eagles.

DeSean Jackson/Pierre Garcon, WR, Washington Redskins

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Yes, another Redskins dilemma.

These two wideouts are paired together because it's unlikely Washington will keep both of them around much longer.

Garcon is known around the league as a possession receiver, but that's an unfair assessment of a talented receiver who eclipsed 1,000 yards last season as a No. 2 and sometimes No. 3 option on offense. 

Dating back to his days with the Indianapolis Colts, Garcon could change a game with his pace and sure hands. Label him as a possession receiver all you want, but Garcon has a unique skill set that a lot of teams in title contention would die for.

Speaking of unique skill sets, who else can take the top off a defense quite like DeSean Jackson? 

The problem is it's unlikely Washington will re-sign both Garcon and Jackson because of cap space, the re-signing of Cousins and the rise of rookie Jamison Crowder. 

The Washington Post's Mike Jones speculated back in December that Washington would let Jackson walk: 

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I can't speak for other reporters, but I believe the Redskins will make an effort to re-sign Garcon, and let Jackson depart via free agency. It doesn't look as though the Redskins will be able to afford both. (Garcon is making around $11 million this year, Jackson around $9 million). Garcon is more versatile, more reliable and a better locker room leader. Jackson brings something special with his elite speed. But commitment has always been a question with him. Jackson also has battled injury in each of the last two seasons, and lacks Garcon's versatility.

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With that being said, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Jackson return to the Eagles now that Chip Kelly is gone. 

In October, Jackson told the Associated Press, via USA Today, that he "never really had hard feelings toward Philadelphia" upon his departure. The Eagles need a wideout to pair with Carson Wentz, and if they miss out on Jeffery, a homecoming could be in order between Jackson and the Eagles.

Or maybe the Eagles could work some magic and get both Jackson and Jeffery, giving Philadelphia a legitimate passing attack for the first time in years since Jackson paired with Jeremy Maclin before he left for Kansas City. 

Prediction: Garcon re-signs with Washington, and Jackson returns to Philadelphia on discount deal to sign Jeffery as well.