NFL Free-Agent Rumors: Updated Odds on Where Top Targets Will Sign

It's that time of year, when NFL lockouts are lifted and nearly 100 players a day get signed.

Wait, come to think of it, we've never seen something like this.

Given all 32 teams will be scrambling to fill their rosters after the lockout, free agency this year could be unprecedented, and there are plenty of big names up on the market.

The elite names will likely be signed later on, given the number of suitors and number of dollars involved, but there are still some impact players that will land on NFL teams rather quickly.

Here are 10 top targets on the market, ordered by how quickly they will likely be signed.

For each player, I will proclaim the team he is likely to end up with and the odds of him landing with that team.

Again, these are the impact players I see signing first, so names like Nnamdi Asomugha won't be included.

10. Chris Houston, CB

After three turbulent seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, 2007 draft pick Chris Houston finally appeared to find a fit with the up-and-coming Detroit Lions last season.

The Lions are expected to go after Houston and sign him to a long-term deal in a serious way.

Given he's not an elite cornerback, I don't see them having much trouble re-signing him, but it will take a little longer because the Lions will set their sights on one particular corner first.

Team: Detroit Lions

Odds: 60 percent

9. Willis McGahee, RB

In somewhat of a shocking move on Monday, the Baltimore Ravens opted to cut long-time running back Willis McGahee, deciding to get faster and younger next season.

The 29-year-old had a down year last season, with only 100 rushes on the season as the backup to Ray Rice, and he's certainly not getting any younger. But he's a respected veteran in the league, and you know contenders always like those types of players.

The market won't be too big for McGahee, but I also think a team will jump on him given his pedigree.

Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun thinks the Denver Broncos would be a good fit:

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"McGahee and his agent Drew Rosenhaus, according to league sources, have eyed Denver as a team where McGahee could become a starter. The Broncos are unhappy with third-year running back Knowshon Moreno, who rushed 182 times for 779 yards and five touchdowns last season.

The Broncos' second top runner was reserve quarterback Tim Tebow."

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That makes a lot of sense to me.

I think the veteran lands in Denver, but I'm sure some other contenders will step in along the way.

Team: Denver Broncos

Odds: 55 percent

8. Johnathan Joseph, CB

Generally, when a player doesn't appear to have any allegiance to his team before he hits free agency, it means the process will be sped up because his shirt won't be getting tugged on as he looks for other options.

I think that will be the case for Johnathan Joseph, who ESPN's John Clayton recently opined "would leave Cincinnati for a dollar more than the Bengals are offering."

Right now, it appears two teams are going after Joseph, the Seattle Seahawks and the Detroit Lions.

I think both would shelve out money for one of the top cornerbacks in the free agency class, but the difference will be who looks to be more competitive.

That would be Lions, regardless of the Seahawks' little run last season.

Team: Detroit Lions

Odds: 60 percent

7. Malcom Floyd, WR

Malcom Floyd is a talented young wideout, and he's likely going to attract some attention this offseason.

But he did miss five games last season due to injury, and that could have some teams hesitant to offer him a lot of money.

I think the San Diego Chargers have to re-sign him, given Vincent Jackson could be gone after this coming season.

I think they know that too and will ignore his injury history in hopes he will blossom in 2011, which he very well could.

Team: San Diego Chargers

Odds: 65 percent

6. Matt Hasselbeck, QB

Right now, it appears the Seattle Seahawks are going to follow through with coach Pete Carroll's assertion that Matt Hasselbeck is their starting quarterback, or the San Francisco 49ers are going to quickly snatch him up.

While Hasselbeck was first expected to be a lock in Seattle, the team may be shifting to more of a youth movement, and given the Seahawks' horrendous offensive line, they need all the mobility they can get out of their quarterback.

Hasselback would be a good fit in San Francisco, with the ability to mentor both rookie Colin Kaepernick and veteran Alex Smith (yes, that was a slight directed toward Smith).

Former 49ers great and ESPN analyst Steve Young thinks Hasselbeck is headed to SF, and I'd have to agree.

Team: San Francisco 49ers

Odds: 70 percent

5. Ike Taylor, CB

Ike Taylor is a solid cornerback, and he's one of the best defensive backs in this year's free agency class.

But while the Pittsburgh Steelers weren't disappointed with him last season, they weren't particularly thrilled either, given they expected him to be an elite corner from the beginning.

He hasn't turned out to be an elite DB, which is why many expected him to be out of Pittsburgh come free agency.

But the thinking may have shifted recently, according to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who claims re-signing Taylor is now the team's top priority.

Taylor's agent, Joel Segal, also told Fittpaldo:

"The free-agent period will be fast. Teams are going to be prepared. Deals will be done at a rapid rate."

Yahoo! Sports' Jason Cole recently tweeted there's a "good chance" Taylor ends up in Pittsburgh.

Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

Odds: 60 percent

4. Todd Heap, TE

Veteran tight end Todd Heap was one of four players who the Ravens cut on Monday, and he's certain to find a job somewhere.

He's had nearly 1,200 yards in his last two seasons combined and racked up 11 touchdowns for the Ravens.

The Ravens didn't cut Heap because they didn't want him; they cut him because they needed to shed some salary.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen opines that Heap could land with the Arizona Cardinals:

"I wouldn't be surprised to see Todd Heap end up with Arizona Cardinals. He's been working with [Larry Fitzgerald]; has Arizona connections, etc."

The Cardinals could use all the offensive help they could get, considering they still don't know who their starting quarterback is going to be next season, and Heap would likely not come too expensive.

Team: Arizona Cardinals

Odds: 60 percent

3. Ray Edwards, DE

Usually, when your name already starts surfacing with teams before the lockout is even over, that's a good sign you will probably get signed right out of the gate.

Such is the case with defensive end Ray Edwards, who I see as the second-best defensive end in the class behind Charles Johnson.

Edwards has collected at least eight sacks in each of his last two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, he's relatively young at 26 years of age, and he's about to be rich (even more so).

At first rumored to be headed to the Atlanta Falcons, now it appears Edwards will line up opposite Trent Cole in Philadelphia with the Eagles.

Writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

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Ray Edwards is headed elsewhere: The Falcons reportedly have had a change of heart. They are going to focus on retaining their 11 free agents and will not be a player in the Ray Edwards derby. The defensive end is expected to land in Philadelphia.

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Edwards would be a great complement on the left side to Cole, and he would continue the evolving trend that the Eagles are becoming a threat in the NFC East.

Team: Philadelphia Eagles

Odds: 70 percent

2. DeAngelo Williams, RB

The Carolina Panthers desperately need to keep running back DeAngelo Williams, he apparently wants to stay with them and he's completed a very effective duo with Jonathan Stewart throughout the years.

Done deal.

Of course, there are some other suitors, the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos most notably, but when push comes to shove it would be shocking if the Panthers didn't do everything in their power to keep Williams.

Pat Yasinskas of ESPN highlights how badly the Panthers need Williams:

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"His name gets thrown out by Miami and Denver fans, and Williams is the kind of back that could help any team. Carolina also has Jonathan Stewart and Mike Goodson, but Williams is the most complete running back the Panthers have.

Stewart's had durability issues since college. It would be disastrous if Williams left and Stewart got hurt early in the season."

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Steve Reed of the Gaston Gazette puts Williams' chances of returning to the Panthers at 60 percent.

I'm willing to go a little higher.

Team: Carolina Panthers

Odds: 75 percent

1. Michael Bush, RB

There was a lot of speculation headed into free agency regarding if Oakland Raiders running back Michael Bush was a restricted or unrestricted free agent.

But Bill Williamson of ESPN reported on Monday that Bush was a restricted free agent:

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"It was reported widely earlier this offseason that Bush would be unrestricted. But he spent his first season (2007) on the non-football injury list. He was hurt in college, and it didn't count as a NFL injury, so that season did not count.

This is a dose of good news for Oakland, which has several key free agents to address."

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What this means is that Bush, who rushed for 655 yards and eight touchdowns last season, is virtually a lock to remain with the Raiders.

It's highly unlikely that the Raiders don't lock him down and allow him to test the free agency waters.

Team: Oakland Raiders

Odds: 85 percent