NFL Free Agents 2020: Predictions Based on Rumors Surrounding Available Veterans

The National Football League's 2020 edition of free agency officially kicked off at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, though many fans may not have noticed. This is because the "legal tampering" window opened on Monday, and numerous deals have been agreed upon since.

While many of the top free agents are already off the market, some notable veterans still remain. Here, we'll dig into the latest buzz and predict where some of the best players may end up.

Melvin Gordon III

Last year, Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon III held out in an attempt to secure a new lucrative contract. That lasted into the regular season, yet the Chargers did not flinch.

Now an unrestricted free agent, the 26-year-old is still looking for that massive deal—and he may not find it.

According to ESPN's Jeff Darlington (h/t Evan Silva of EstablishTheRun.com), Gordon may have to settle for a running-back-by-committee role in his next destination:

This likely means he isn't going to get the sort of deal given to elite workhorse running backs. 

According to Yahoo Sports' Terez A. Paylor, four teams are in the market for Gordon, though they aren't about to frivolously dispense cash to land him. 

Per Paylor, teams were anticipating a higher salary cap and more money with which to work:

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the post-CBA cap is set at $198.2 million, roughly $10 million higher than last year's. With contracts consistently on the rise, that is not a significant cap increase.

If Gordon is hoping to get a Le'Veon Bell-type deal, he's going to be disappointed.

Prediction: Gordon signs a contract worth less than $10 million per season.

Chris Szagola/Associated Press

Jadeveon Clowney

Seattle Seahawks pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney is another player who doesn't appear to be getting the expected attention on the open market.

Though the franchise tag—used on players like Shaquil Barrett and Bud Dupree—has made the 27-year-old arguably the top edge-rusher in free agency, he remains unsigned.

Clowney was hoping for a deal in the $20 million-per-year range, and that's simply too steep for most teams, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler:

In fact, it appears that the lackluster demand for Clowney could lead him back to the Seahawks for 2020. According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, the offer from Seattle might "be the best he'll get."

Armed with roughly $20 million in cap space, the Seahawks are unlikely to find Clowney a deal in his desired range. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him sign what amounts to a one-year prove-it deal that involves a club option or an automatically voiding phantom year in 2021.

After he appeared in 13 games and logged just 3.0 sacks, Seattle would likely want to see more before committing to Clowney for the long term.

Prediction: Clowney returns to Seattle on a short-term contract.

Robby Anderson

With A.J. Green receiving the franchise tag and Amari Cooper signing an extension early into the "legal tampering" period, the wide receiver pool has been shallow this year.

New York Jets speedster Robby Anderson is one of the top remaining options, but he too remains without a contract.

According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, the 26-year-old has not been linked to any other teams, which could work out to New York's advantage.

"The Jets are sitting and waiting right now," he wrote. "Their stance all along has been they would like to bring Anderson back, but they did not want to overpay for him. Therefore, they were content to let him hit free agency and see what his market was before figuring out if they could keep him."

It's possible—and actually likely—that this year's highly touted class of incoming rookie receivers has hurt Anderson's value.

Pelissero predicted before free agency that the Temple product could be in store for a $12-15 million-per-year contract. However, teams may not be interested in paying that when prospects like Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb and Tee Higgins are headed toward the draft.

Anderson is a complementary receiver, and he may be best off continuing to play that role with the Jets.

Prediction: Anderson re-signs with New York.