2019 NFL Free Agents: Post-Super Bowl Rumors and Predictions

The countdown to March 13 is on for NFL teams looking to improve their respective rosters through free agency.

The free-agent window opens at 4 p.m. ET that day when the new league year officially starts, per NFL Operations. 

Over the next month, most of the top players available will be mentioned in the news cycle. Some of them have important decisions to make in the near future, while others may be forced to return to their current teams due to the franchise tag. 

Some of the most coveted free agents have already seen their names featured in free-agent rumors, and their names will continue to be linked with potential landing spots before the 2019 league year begins. 

Le'Veon Bell

The New York Jets have been one of several teams linked with running back Le'Veon Bell since he opted not to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2018 season.

Despite the need to add an offensive playmaker alongside Sam Darnold, the Jets aren't going to break the bank for Bell, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. 

Don Wright/Associated Press

However, that news hasn't slowed down the speculation that Bell could join forces with the Jets, with Bell adding intrigue through his official Twitter account. 

On Friday, Bell liked a tweet from CBS Sports Network in which analyst Jason La Canfora predicted he'd land with the Jets. 

Bell stoked the fire even more Monday during a Twitter exchange with Jets defensive back Jamal Adams, who has been vocal on social media about numerous topics since the season ended. 

All of the social media interaction could be mean nothing by the time March rolls around, but it's easy to overreact to because the Jets have a need at running back and the cap space to get a deal done. 

There's a long way to go before the Bell sweepstakes reaches its conclusion, but we like the Jets' chances with a young quarterback and an offensive mind in place at head coach in Adam Gase. 

Other suitors could end up making pitches to Bell at some point, including a team like Indianapolis with plenty of cap space, but we think the star running back won't be able to turn down the bright lights of the New York market. 

Prediction: Bell lands with Jets. 

Nick Foles

Because the quarterback market is so sparse at the moment, Nick Foles is expected to be one of the hottest free-agent commodities at the position.

Foles could help out a few teams in need of a new signal-caller, but there are some complexities to just get to that point. 

Butch Dill/Associated Press

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Eagles are expected to pick up Foles' $20 million option for the 2019 season, but that's just the start of what could be a complicated process. 

As Rapoport also noted, Foles could pay the team $2 million to become a free agent, and in the process, the Eagles would pick up a compensatory draft pick. 

Another possible outcome features the Eagles slapping the franchise tag on Foles and trying to trade him, and based off his success and the positional need across the league, Doug Pederson's team could get a decent return. 

Jacksonville could be the preferred destination for Foles if a trade gets done, as ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter reported on Sunday NFL Countdown (h/t SB Nation's Brandon Lee Gowton). 

The Jaguars are a logical landing spot for Foles because he worked with Jacksonville offensive coordinator John DeFilippo when he was the quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia. 

The New York Giants and Washington Redskins could also be in the market for a quarterback, but from a competition standpoint, the Eagles might be reluctant to ship Foles to a divisional rival. However, the Eagles trade of Donovan McNabb to the Redskins in 2010 suggests that option is not completely off the table. 

Washington is in need of a quarterback with Alex Smith not expected to play in the 2019 season. Since it has the 15th overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, it might not be able to select an impact quarterback like the Giants can at No. 6. 

Prediction: Eagles franchise-tag Foles and trade him to Jacksonville. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.