When free agency starts at 4 PM EST on Tuesday, it’s going to be an absolute frenzy. This past Saturday was the beginning of a “legal tampering” window where teams and agents could talk and agree to terms on contracts but can’t make anything official. With that legal tampering window came a flood of rumors. Figures for contracts that haven’t even been signed yet have come out, players have gotten cold feet, and source after source has contradicted each other.
The biggest rumor out there right now is that defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has a deal in place with the Miami Dolphins upwards of $100 million with over $60 million in guaranteed money. If this deal ends up being accurate, it’s going to set the bar for defensive players. And in one of the odder rumors, long time 49ers running back Frank Gore had a deal in place with the Philadelphia Eagles but got cold feet and is now considering the Colts and also going back to the 49ers.
Speaking of the 49ers, it’s been reported that wide receiver Torrey Smith and the 49ers basically have a done deal. No numbers have come out regarding what deal they might have in place but Smith would certainly be a great fit for them. Also, current 49er and former Raven teammate Anquan Boldin could certainly be actively recruiting Smith and 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Smith are friends.
Sticking with wide receivers, rumors kept coming out about Jeremy Maclin getting a deal done with his former team the Philadelphia Eagles until all of a sudden it was reported he’d be going to the Kansas City Chiefs to play for Andy Reid, the coach who drafted Maclin.
The best tight end in free agency, Julius Thomas, apparently has a deal in place to go to the Jacksonville Jaguars. While that part isn’t surprising, the part about him getting in the ballpark of $9 million per year is very surprising. Everyone thought he was going to get a lot more than that on the open market.
DeMarco Murray, Cowboys running back, has been rumored to be going to almost every team in the NFL. There’s a good chance he stays in Dallas and an equally good chance he ends up leaving. What we know for sure is that Murray is more than willing to move on from Dallas. Mike Iupati, left guard for the 49ers, has been rumored to be going to division rival Arizona Cardinals.
Finally, Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy, the best pass rusher available in free agency, has a meeting with the NFL on Tuesday to determine his fate as far as a suspension goes. There are a number of teams reportedly interested in his services, including the 49ers, Colts, Jets, and Falcons. Whoever decides to sign Hardy will be taking quite the PR risk.
When free agency starts on Tuesday it’s going to be a free-for-all. I’m sure there will be some deals reported as basically a done that will fall through and change. But for the most part, deals are going to be reported very quickly at 4 PM EST. Make sure you’re able to keep up.