NFL Free Agency 2019: Rumors and Predicted Landing Spots for Top Targets

The 2019 NFL season does not officially begin until March 14.

That's what the NFL refers to as the start of the league year, and the significance of that date at 4 p.m. ET is that the 32 teams can start making major personnel moves to improve the product on the field.

Those moves include signing free agents in an effort to eliminate weak spots and improve areas of strength.

While teams can get significantly better by signing star players in free agency, the key to long-term success in the NFL remains the ability to find talented players in the draft and then coaching them up.

NFL teams regularly espouse the philosophy of going after the most talented football players in the draft. When the subject of positional need is discussed, it is regularly diminished.

However, need is a huge factor during free agency. Teams will look for their biggest areas of concern and hope to fill those areas by signing free agents, sometimes to huge contracts.

In this piece, we take a look at the top free agents and predict their landing spots.

Rank, Player, Team, Landing Spot

1. DE Jadeveon Clowney, Houston Texans, Houston Texans

2. QB Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars

3. DE-OLB Dee Ford, Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals

4. DL Trey Flowers, New England Patriots, Detroit Lions

5. RB Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets

6. DE Demarcus Lawrence, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins

7. DE Frank Clark, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals

8. SS Landon Collins, New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons

9. LB C.J. Mosley, Baltimore Ravens, Baltimore Ravens

10. DT Ndamukong Suh, Los Angles Rams, New England Patriots

QB Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles

Foles has put himself in a position to take advantage of the success he has had in the last two years. Foles came off the bench to lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl title following the 2017 season after starter Carson Wentz was hurt late in the season.

The Eagles had been the best team in the regular season until Wentz suffered an ACL injury, and that opened the door for Foles. He led the Eagles to postseason wins over the Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings before he did the near impossible by outperforming Tom Brady in Super Bowl LII and leading the Eagles to their first Super Bowl championship.

Foles got another opportunity in 2018, and he was also near the top of his game as he led Philadelphia to a spot in the playoffs and a victory over the Chicago Bears in the wild-card game before narrowly losing in the divisional round to the New Orleans Saints.

The 30-year-old completed 77-of-106 passes for 971 yards with six touchdowns and one interception in the 2017 postseason, and he completed 43-of-71 passes for 467 yards with three TDs and four interceptions during the 2018 postseason.

Foles has demonstrated the ability to play his best football when it matters most, and the Jacksonville Jaguars should have the lead for his services at the start of free agency.

RB Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers

Bell shocked the NFL this season by making good on his threat to sit out the entire season. Nobody was surprised when Bell didn't report to training camp or even missed the first couple of games of the regular season, but missing the entire season was not in the script.

However, Bell stuck to his guns and will be a free agent at the start of the new league year after the Steelers announced they wouldn't tag him. In a league where running backs are often thought to lose value after four or five years in the league, the 27-year-old is a special talent who can make game-breaking plays as a runner or receiver.

His absence this year allowed Todd Gurley and Ezekiel Elliott to battle for the top ranking among running backs, but there is every reason to believe Bell can regain that title when he returns in 2019.

Bell ran for 1,291 yards and nine touchdowns in 2017, and he also caught 85 passes for 655 yards and two scores as a receiver. He can dominate a game and turn any offense around with his ability to hesitate in the backfield before exploding through the hole.

He should have quite a few suitors, but no team needs him more than the New York Jets. If he signs with New York, he will get an opportunity to take on the New England Patriots twice a year, something that has to appeal to him after suffering several key defeats at the hands of the Pats throughout his career.

LB C.J. Mosley, Baltimore Ravens

The belief here is that no team will give Mosley a brighter future than the Ravens, the team he has been with throughout his career.

Mosley is a hard-nosed football player who knows how to find the ball-carrier and make the stop. Mosley is one of the most dependable tacklers in the league, but when it comes to sacks, interceptions and forcing fumbles, he is not usually dominant in that area.

However, head coach John Harbaugh loves Mosley's fundamental ability and he does not want to lose him. The rest of the league appreciates his talent, but he is not a headline-type player. Most linebackers are not going to make the same kind of splash plays that Khalil Mack made when he was traded to the Chicago Bears by the Oakland Raiders.

He won't get the huge contract offer that he might be dreaming of from a new team, but the Ravens will come through and keep him in the fold.

The 26-year-old Mosley led the Ravens with 105 tackles, and six of those were tackles for loss. He had just 0.5 sacks, one interception and five passes defensed, but he brings the ball-carrier down and he does it consistently.