2019 NFL Free Agents: Early Market Rumors and Predictions for Top Names

The 2019 edition of NFL free agency might seem like it's far off. After all, the NFL world is focused on the playoffs and the annual drama of the coaching carousel right now. However, the new league year—and along with it, free agency—kicks off on March 13.

Two months is a long time in the NFL world, of course, but it's not so long that teams aren't already plotting out their potential free-agent moves. Naturally, there is already plenty of speculation and rumors swirling around this year's free-agent class. We're here to examine some of the latest and make our own predictions on how things unfold.

Mathieu, Clowney Unlikely to Hit Market

The Houston Texans got knocked out of the postseason Saturday by the Indianapolis Colts. This means Houston can now focus fully on strengthening the team for next year. It seems one of the top priorities will be to retain safety Tyrann Mathieu and linebacker Jadeveon Clowney.

According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, the Texans are committed to keeping both defensive stars, even if it means giving Clowney the franchise tag.

Tagging Clowney wouldn't come cheap, of course. Last year's tag figure for linebackers was just under $15 million. However, the Texans may not actually have to franchise Clowney, as it seems he is eager to work on a long-term deal.

"That's very important because that makes me more confident knowing where you're going to be," Clowney said, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. "That's very big for my family to know what's going. As a football player, I love Houston. Of course, I want to be here for the rest of my career."

Inking Clowney to a long-term extension rather than using the tag would have two primary benefits. For one, it would likely be a cheaper option in the short term, giving Houston a little more financial flexibility this offseason. It would also ensure another team couldn't steal Clowney away with a massive offer.

Sure, the Texans would get compensation in the form of two first-round picks if another team did sign Clowney, but Houston would likely prefer to keep him off the market altogether.

Prediction: Clowney and Mathieu both sign extensions.

Nick Foles to be a Hot Offseason Target

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Backup quarterback Nick Foles has made magic for the Philadelphia Eagles now two seasons in a row. He won Philadelphia a Super Bowl last year while earning that game's MVP honors. He took over for Carson Wentz once again late this season and has the Eagles in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Because the Eagles are lacking in cap space—and Foles is due to carry a cap hit of $13.6 million—it's unlikely he remains with the franchise. Philly can try trading him rather than just letting him walk, but since teams know it cannot keep him, that's only an option if there is high demand.

Well, it just so happens that there may be a notable marker for Foles, at least according to Rapoport:

"The Eagles are expected to have a quality trade market for Foles, sources say. The former Super Bowl MVP, who picked up where he left off this year by improbably leading his team to the playoffs again, is expected to be the top QB available in a year with few free-agent options and even fewer highly drafted options."

The reason trading for Foles is a realistic option is because teams would have a better chance of missing out on the open market. Foles' 2019 contract is a mutual option, which means that if Foles fears he'll be traded to an undesirable team, he can void the deal and hit the market. He could actually do that anyway.

It seems likely that Foles would do the Eagles a solid and allow himself to be traded likely to a team that appears a quarterback away from contention—and not the rival Washington Redskins.

Prediction: Foles is traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Eagles Weren't Only Team Interested in Tate

The Eagles made a move to acquire wideout Golden Tate from the Detroit Lions just before the Oct. 30 trade deadline. For the first several weeks, it didn't look like the pairing was going to work. However, Tate finally started to come on down the stretch, and he had a big hand in Philadelphia's win over the Chicago Bears on Wild Card Weekend.

It's worth noting, though, that Tate's contract is up after the year, and the Eagles' cap situation—they're projected to be more than $13 million over the cap—could make it hard to re-sign him.

This is especially true if the New England Patriots get in on the bidding for Tate, and they just might. According to Marcus Kwesi O'Mard of NESN.com, New England tried to acquire the receiver with a third-round pick before the deadline.

The Lions took Philadelphia's third-round pick instead of New England's because they believed it would be higher. That has yet to be determined since both are still in the playoffs.

Moving Foles and his contract could give the Eagles enough room to make a deal for Tate, but if teams like the Patriots are interested in him, it feels more likely he'll sign elsewhere—unless he's absolutely in love with his situation.

Prediction: Tate doesn't re-sign with Philadelphia.