2017 NFL Free Agents: Latest Rumors and Predictions Surrounding Top Players

The 2017 NFL offseason is in full swing, folks. The NFL Scouting Combine is hitting its stride this weekend, and the start of the new league year is right around the corner. In less than two months, the football world will be gathering for the NFL draft.

So what happens when you get members of all 32 NFL teams in the same building a week before the start of free agency? You get rumors—lots of them.

We're here to take a look at the latest news and rumors surrounding free agency, which will officially kick off at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday. We'll likely know before then which rumors have some truth to them, as teams can begin contacting players on Tuesday.

Let's dive in!

Bengals Believe They Can Retain Whitworth

Despite being 35 years old, Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth may be one of the most coveted free agents on the market this offseason. He plays the all-important position of left tackle and was rated third overall among all offensive tackles this past season by Pro Football Focus.

Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reported earlier in the week that while Whitworth is interested in returning to Cincinnati, he is likely to at least test the free-agent waters.

"Of course I would love to stay in Cincinnati," Whitworth said, per Terrell, "But I'm still waiting to see how things play out."

The Bengals appear confident they will be able to re-sign Whitworth, even if he does gauge his interest on the open market. At least, Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis is confident in the tackle's return:

Other teams can begin contacting Whitworth in just a few days, so if re-signing him is a priority for Cincinnati, the team may want to get the ball rolling before the combine ends Monday.

Bills May Not Want to Retain Taylor

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Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor is likely to be another hot commodity on the open market if he reaches it. This is a big "if" that hinges on a big decision the Bills have to make by March 11.

Under Taylor's current contract, just over $30 million will become guaranteed if the team chooses to pick up his option on March 11. According to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News, the Bills could be leaning toward cutting ties with the quarterback before then.

Carucci recently joined WGRZ Sports and said the following of Taylor and Bills head coach Sean McDermott:

"

It seems as if it is leaning against Taylor returning to this football team. Just the way McDermott answered the question about if he wanted to keep him, saying they're going through a process. This is a 30-plus million dollar decision with nine days to make it. And I think the Bills would be willing to keep him if that big number weren't present. I don't think they see Tyrod Taylor as the longer-term answer.

"

While the Bills might not want to keep Taylor on his current contract, they might be interested in doing so with a restructured deal. Of course, Taylor doesn't have any financial reason to want to restructure his contract.

If the New England Patriots really will refuse to trade Jimmy Garoppolo and the Washington Redskins refuse to trade Kirk Cousins, Taylor would likely become the hottest quarterback available before the draft. Though Buffalo might not want to give Taylor $30 million guaranteed, another team well might.

If Taylor does agree to redo his contract, it will be in order to stay in Buffalo and to potentially avoid a rebuilding team like the Cleveland Browns or San Francisco 49ers.

Blount, Belichick and Basketball

New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount is scheduled to become a free agent this offseason, though he has expressed his desire to return to the team.

"I just want to make sure that I go to this free agency with an open mind knowing that I definitely want to go back to New England," Blount recently told NFL Total Access, per Conor Orr of NFL.com. "I love it there. I love the culture. I love the players. I've become close with a lot of the guys. Obviously you know how my running back group is. We'll cross that bridge whenever we cross it."

Are the Patriots as interested in keeping Blount? We don't know that for certain, but we can surmise that he and Patriots coach Bill Belichick are on good terms heading into free agency.

Blount and Belichick were both spotted at a recent Boston Celtics game. While the two weren't sitting together, Belichick was apparently sitting in the seats normally held by Blount, per AP sports writer Kyle Hightower:

What does this mean? Not much, aside from the fact that Belichick and Blount may be friendly enough to be exchanging tickets, but it makes for some fun speculation nonetheless.

The reality is that Blount is 30 years old and has 1,168 NFL carries under his belt. He did have a 1,000-yard season in 2016, but the Patriots can likely get younger and more versatile at the position by digging into the draft.

It makes sense for the Patriots to re-sign Blount to a short-term, team-friendly deal—he played for $1 million last season—if only to ensure continuity at the position. Any sort of long-term commitment is unlikely, no matter how friendly Blount and his Patriots brethren might be.