2018 NFL Free Agents: Rumors and Predictions for Top Players Set to Hit Market

When free agency hits, a few players seem likely to remain with their teams.

The San Francisco 49ers are going to make Jimmy Garoppolo a rich man. The New Orleans Saints likely will bring back Drew Brees after the team's excellent 2017 season. The Pittsburgh Steelers would be idiotic to let Le'Veon Bell hit the open market.

Nothing is certain. So where might the top free agents land? And what's the latest buzz surrounding their futures?

Below we will try to answer those questions. 

Jimmy Garoppolo

On Wednesday, Matt Maiocco of NBCS Bay Area reported what has become increasingly obvious as Garoppolo has continued to thrive:

The quarterback has led an offense largely devoid of elite playmakers to four straight wins. There is no way he won't be a Niner for at least 2018. And if the Niners don't lock him up to a long-term deal, it would be a major surprise.

Garoppolo has played like a franchise quarterback in San Francisco. He isn't going anywhere.

Prediction: Stays with San Francisco.

Drew Brees

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Drew Brees wants to return to New Orleans, as he told the Hardwick & Richards show in San Diego in early December (h/t Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com):

"I feel like we've got a great opportunity ahead of us and I don't plan on leaving New Orleans ever. Hopefully, I know all of that stuff takes care of itself when it's supposed to. I have not approached them about any contract. We just have a great understanding here. Listen, we're going to go through this season, and we'll revisit it in the offseason. For right now, I'm in the moment."

A reunion makes sense. The Saints have surrounded Brees with a Super Bowl roster, giving him a chance to win a second title. And the Saints don't have an heir apparent, putting them in a precarious situation should Brees walk.

It all adds up to Brees signing an extension and finishing his career with the Saints.

Prediction: Brees stays with New Orleans.

Le'Veon Bell

This one is complicated, largely because Bell rejected a five-year offer from the Pittsburgh Steelers that would have paid him over $12 million per season in the summer, instead seeking a deal that would give him $15 million per year, per Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Bell went the franchise-tag route in 2017, which paid him $12.2 million. The Steelers will have that option again in 2018, though his salary would rise to around $14.5 million if they opt to tag him.

The running back will be 26 in the 2018 season and could likely garner $15 million per year on the open market. For his career, he's averaging a remarkable 128.9 yards from scrimmage and 0.6 touchdowns per game. He's one of the most complete and dynamic offensive weapons in the NFL, serving as a workhorse back, an excellent receiver and a blocker in the passing game.

Besides, if the Steelers are willing to pay Bell nearly $15 million on a franchise tag, why not just pay him that figure yearly? Bell is in his prime, and the Steelers are one of the best teams in football—it would be wise for the team to keep the band together.

Prediction: Bell stays with Pittsburgh.

Kirk Cousins

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There are plenty of quarterback-needy teams out there and quite a few with cap space too. Per Spotrac, the Cleveland Browns ($118.1 million) and New York Jets ($84.8 million) have the sort of cap space heading into 2018 that will enable them to make huge offers to free agents like Kirk Cousins.

What neither team has, however, is the roster to entice a player like Cousins, who likely will seek a payday and a potential opportunity to reach the Super Bowl.

Enter the Buffalo Bills ($39.5 million, though that could be more if the team cuts Tyrod Taylor), Denver Broncos ($31.5 million) and Jacksonville Jaguars ($30.2 million, though that could be more if the team cuts Blake Bortles).

Of the three, Denver's quarterback situation is the worst. Taylor has played well for the Bills, even if they seem insistent on moving on from him. Bortles isn't a great player, but he hasn't been horrible in 2017.

The Broncos, on the other hand, have suffered through Trevor Siemian and Brock Osweiler for much of the year while barely getting a chance to give Paxton Lynch a long look because of injuries (though he wasn't even able to beat out Siemian for the job in the preseason, a worrying sign). Without question, Denver's priority for this offseason is to address the quarterback position.

And there has been plenty of speculation and rumors suggesting that they will go all-in to sign Cousins:

Ross Tucker of NBC Sports, meanwhile, believes that general manager John Elway won't have the patience to groom another young quarterback and will want to add a player that upgrades the position immediately, as he told Mile High Sports AM 1340 Dec. 12:

"He doesn't strike me as a very patient guy. I don't know if he has the patience to see if another young quarterback can develop when he has all these guys—Von Miller, and [Aqib]Talib, and Chris Harris, all these guys in their prime now—I don't know if he's going to be willing to take a quarterback that high and see if he develops a year or two down the line.

"I certainly think if the Broncos want to be in the mix, they absolutely would be in the mix. I think there's a very real chance that Denver is the most appetizing of Kirk Cousins' available options."

Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports concurred, writing Dec. 14: 

"With the 49ers presumably happy with Garoppolo, is there a more obvious landing spot for Cousins than Denver? That assumes Washington doesn't give Cousins another franchise tag. Denver doesn’t have a ton of cap space, but they are projected by Spotrac to have about $33 million. I think this is where Cousins lands."

Washington and Cousins seem destined for a divorce after the organization couldn't come to a long-term agreement with the quarterback in years past. He will have plenty of options in free agency, but Denver feels like the most likely fit.

Prediction: Signs with Denver.

Allen Robinson

The Jacksonville Jaguars have had an excellent season. Imagine how dangerous they would be with their top wideout healthy.

Alas, Allen Robinson has essentially missed the entire season with a torn ACL. Not the sort of injury you want to deal with in your contract year, especially because Robinson followed up his breakout campaign in 2015 (80 receptions for 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns) with a far more average season in 2016 (73 catches for 883 yards and six scores).

Nonetheless, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com noted Dec. 16 that he still believes retaining Robinson will be high on Jacksonville's to-do list this offseason: 

"The top priority should be signing Robinson to a new contract. It won't be a mega-deal because Robinson has little leverage because of the torn left ACL he suffered in the season opener. It could be a one-year, prove-it deal similar to the one that Alshon Jeffery signed with Philadelphia last offseason, though it likely won't approach the $14 million that Jeffery got."

Other teams may make big offers to Robinson, but with a talented young core in place and the absence of another top-end option at wide receiver, the Jags would be wise to splash the cash to keep him or use the franchise tag.

The team could also turn to some other free-agent wideouts like Davante Adams, Sammy Watkins or Jarvis Landry, but none would represent much of an upgrade over Robinson.

Prediction: Stays with Jacksonville.