2018 NFL Free Agents: Latest Rumors, Predictions After Wild-Card Round

The conclusion of the wild-card round means one thing for the majority of NFL teams: The offseason and opportunities to improve rosters with draftees and free agents is another week closer.

A number of marquee free agents figure to hit the open market this offseason, and teams hoping to secure their spot in next season's playoffs will have the chance to bring them aboard on potential long-term deals.

With that in mind, here is a look at some of the latest rumors from around the NFL as well as predictions for various landing spots.

Jimmy Graham Appears Set for Free Agency

John Froschauer/Associated Press

Jimmy Graham is a five-time Pro Bowler and one of the best tight ends in the league, but his time with the Seattle Seahawks may be coming to an end.

According to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, Graham is "generally considered really unlikely to be back in Seattle" and "at age 31 is undoubtedly excited to enter free agency for the first time in his NFL career."

Graham finished with 520 receiving yards in 2017—his lowest total since he was a rookie in 2010—but his 10 touchdown catches were the most he's had in three years with the Seahawks.

Condotta also pointed out Graham "is maybe Russell Wilson's best friend on the team."

It is that nugget that caused this prediction to go against the grain a bit.

The Seahawks are coming off a 9-7 season in which they missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2011 campaign. Injuries to the secondary in particular limited their typically dominant defense. The offensive line was an abysmal 31st in the league in run blocking and 26th in pass blocking, per Football Outsiders' metrics, and no running back finished with more than 240 yards on the ground.

The connection between Wilson and Graham—especially when the 6'7" tight end was used as a red-zone threat—was one of the few things that actually went right for the Seahawks, and they will want to keep their franchise quarterback happy moving into an important bounce-back year in 2018.

Prediction: Graham explores free agency but ultimately returns to the Seahawks.

49ers and Jimmy Garoppolo Talking Long-Term Deal?

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

The San Francisco 49ers were well on their way to a forgettable and listless season when they were 1-10, but a trade inserted life into their campaign and provided hope for the future under head coach Kyle Shanahan.

They traded a second-round pick to the New England Patriots for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and proceeded to win each of their final five games with him under center. The only catch was he can become a free agent this offseason.

Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area noted "if a long-term contract is not agreed upon by March 6, the 49ers will place a one-year franchise tag on Garoppolo at more than $22 million to retain his rights for the 2018 season."

Garoppolo said he thought his pairing with the 49ers "was kind of the perfect match and it happened at the right time, and good things are coming from it," per Maiocco, although he will discuss his options with his agent before committing to anything long-term.

According to Maiocco, the Eastern Illinois product didn't have much interest in working out a long-term deal when he first arrived, but "the organization seems to have passed that initial test with Garoppolo meshing well inside the locker room with his new teammates."

This is a proud franchise with five Super Bowl rings and a history that includes some of the best offensive players of all time in Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Steve Young. While it has fallen on hard times with four straight non-playoff seasons, a potential franchise quarterback is waiting on the doorstep.

San Francisco won't let Garoppolo slip through its fingertips.

Prediction: The 49ers sign Garoppolo to a long-term deal this offseason.

Seahawks Reportedly Looking at Special Teams Options

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

Seattle will have more than just Graham on its plate this offseason, as Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk cited the league's daily transaction wire when reporting the Seahawks added kicker Jason Myers with a reserve/future contract, meaning he will have a spot on the 90-man roster during the offseason.

The report comes after Condotta cited a source who said Myers and punter Jeff Locke visited the team.

Condotta explained at the time they are both "street free agents, meaning they were not on a roster when the 2017 season and can be signed now."

Myers played for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2015 through 2017, although they released him after six games last year after he missed four of 15 field-goal attempts. He still connected on a solid 81 percent of his field goals during his tenure in Jacksonville and is just 26 years old.

Locke played for the Minnesota Vikings from 2013 through 2016 and the Detroit Lions in 2017, although Detroit waived him following five games because he was simply a temporary injury replacement for Sam Martin. He averaged 43.4 yards per punt in his 69 career games.

The rumored visits (and ensuing signing) come after Blair Walsh struggled in his first season at kicker for the Seahawks.

He went just 21-of-29 on field-goal attempts, with the 72.4 percent was the lowest mark of his career following five seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. He missed all three attempts in a three-point loss to Washington and came up short on a game-tying attempt at the end of a loss to the Atlanta Falcons—who beat out the Seahawks for the final NFC wild-card spot.

It's not as if Seattle was unfamiliar with his struggles, considering Walsh missed a potential game-winning field goal with the Vikings in a January 2016 playoff game against the Seahawks.

Condotta explained a new punter would be more of a surprise since Jon Ryan has been fairly consistent and has played in 159 straight contests—a Seahawks record. He is also under contract through the 2019 campaign, although Condotta noted he could be a salary-cap casualty after signing a four-year, $10 million contract before the 2016 season.

Prediction: The Seahawks move on from both Blair Walsh and Jon Ryan.