NFL Rumors: Latest Buzz Surrounding 2020 Free-Agent Market

The 2020 edition of NFL free agency is nearly upon us. Teams can begin contacting players' agents as early as 12 p.m. ET on Monday, and the market officially opens at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Before long, we will have a better idea of where notable players like Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, Jadeveon Clowney and Amari Cooper will continue their careers. Nothing can become official until Wednesday, though, and little before Monday will be more than pure speculation.

Here we will take a look at some of that pre-free agency speculation and what it could mean for the pending market.

Jets Could Be Interested in Yannick Ngakoue

Among the players given the franchise tag before free agency—the deadline to do so is also at noon Monday—is Jacksonville Jaguars edge-defender Yannick Ngakoue. He was officially given the tag Friday, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport.

However, this doesn't necessarily mean Ngakoue will play for the Jaguar in 2020. Several players—including Clowney—were given the franchise tag last offseason and then traded.

The Jaguars could utilize this tactic, especially if Ngakoue is adamant about not signing a long-term deal—something the Maryland product has hinted at:

If the Jaguars are willing to deal Ngakoue, the New York Jets could be interested. According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, the Jets have been "sniffing around league circles" over the past month trying to determine his availability.

If Ngakoue is available and the asking price is reasonable, it wouldn't be a shock to see Jacksonville pursue him rather than testing the free-agent market for a pass-rusher.

The Offensive Tackle Market Could Be Player-Friendly

David Richard/Associated Press

The Washington Redskins haven't had much luck trying to trade offensive tackle Trent Williams. According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, the team's asking price of a second-round pick is too much.

However, this doesn't mean that teams aren't interested in adding tackles in free agency this season. On the contrary, teams are likely to spend big to do exactly that. Top players like Jack Conklin and Anthony Castonzo are in line for heavy paydays, but even the second-tier of tackles could benefit from the demand.

According to NFL Media's Tom Pelissero, guys like George Fant and Halapoulivaati Vaitai could be offered more than $10 million per season.

"The market is also expected to be strong for a couple young players who have mostly been reserves," Pelissero wrote. "... Both players could command $10 million a year, and maybe more."

The fact that there are few top options and a large middle class of tackles this offseason is beneficial to the players. Though several tackle prospects are expected to go early in April, many veterans stand to benefit financially in March.

The Patriots Could Be Out on Tom Brady

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

Will the New England Patriots bring back Brady this offseason? That's one of the biggest unknowns heading into free agency—and one of the most significant. If Brady doesn't return, some other franchise is likely to have a new starter, and a premier quarterbacking job will be open.

While there's no telling exactly where Brady will land, it's fair to wonder whether the Patriots want to bring him back. According to former New England linebacker Ted Johnson, they may not.

"I just think that [Patriots head coach] Bill Belichick doesn't want Tom Brady as his quarterback anymore," Johnson said on Arbella Early Edition (h/t Jacob Camenker of NBC Sports Boston). "I really feel that way. Now, you're going to make maybe an offer. It's going to be a lowball offer, and you can say, 'Well, we made an offer to Tom,' but you really didn't because the offer was insulting to Tom."

According to WEEI's Dale Arnold, the offer was far below what one might consider market value.

"What I was told happened was the Patriots told Tom Brady that all they can do is a one-year deal at less money than he made last year because of the $13.5 million that gets tacked on to the salary cap," Arnold said on Dale and Keefe.

If the Patriots aren't all that interested in retaining Brady, the early days of the quarterback market carry a little extra spice.