7 bold predictions for NFL free agency

With NFL free agency on the horizon, theScore's football editors make seven bold predictions about what will transpire:

Le'Veon gets NFL's 2nd guaranteed deal

The Pittsburgh Steelers' unwillingness to change their philosophy about using rolling guarantees when extending players was the spark that kicked off their two-year long saga with Le'Veon Bell. But the star runner will get the last laugh, as a bidding war between the New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, and Houston Texans allows him to leverage a three-year contract that will pay him every single cent. - Jack Browne

Patriots land Josh RosenOtto Greule Jr / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Bill Belichick continues to be one step ahead of his peers. With Rosen reportedly on the block, the Arizona Cardinals will ditch their young quarterback in favor of Kyler Murray. With others unwilling to part with a first-rounder, New England will offer the No. 32 overall pick in exchange for Tom Brady's heir apparent. Expect a Rosen-Josh McDaniels pairing to send the rest of the league into a severe panic. - Mike Alessandrini

Colts reel in at least 3 big fish

Through a combination of frugal spending and a lack of drafted talent worth retaining, the Indianapolis Colts have amassed over $100 million in salary cap space. General manager Chris Ballard says he plans to be disciplined in free agency, but it would be borderline negligent not to open the wallet and make a strong push for a Super Bowl in Andrew Luck's prime. The Colts' needs align neatly with the top talents available in free agency, and they'll add at least three of the following marquee names: Bell, Trey Flowers, Landon Collins, Ndamukong Suh, Tyrann Mathieu, Preston Smith, Golden Tate, and Tyrell Williams. - David P. Woods

Jaguars end Fournette eraScott Halleran / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Tom Coughlin and Co. could be ready to dump Leonard Fournette after a tumultuous sophomore season on and off the field. Coughlin called out the powerful tailback's "selfish" behavior in Week 17, while Fournette has admitted he was out of shape. If the Jacksonville Jaguars are serious about resetting their culture, they'll make a statement by trading the former No. 4 overall pick and signing his replacement. - Alex Chippin

Jets flop on the big names

The Jets possess the second-most cap space in the league and are expected to make a splash during free agency - they're even the favorites to land Bell. However, when the dust settles, GM Mike Maccagnan and head coach Adam Gase won't be able to bring in any of the top-tier free agents to New York. After failing to grab any significant signatures, the Jets will hope to generate some much-needed buzz with their No. 3 overall pick in the draft. - Karan Gill

Texans spend the mostMaddie Meyer / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The defending AFC South champions enter free agency with an abundance of cap space ($73 million, fourth-most in the league), a laundry list of needs, and the motivation to strike while the iron is hot. Intent on keeping their place in the division and holding off the equally flush-with-cash Colts, the Texans splash money on free-agent offensive linemen, defensive backs, and receivers in an effort to compete for the AFC crown next season. - Michael McClymont

Packers go for it

After years of shying away from free agency with Ted Thompson at the helm, Green Bay was slightly more aggressive with the signings of Muhammad Wilkerson and Jimmy Graham in Brian Gutekunst's first offseason. That gets taken a major step further this year. With a decent amount of cap space, the ability to create more, and the championship window closing as Aaron Rodgers gets older, now is the time for the Packers to really go all-in. Green Bay comes away from free agency with a young edge rusher to replace Clay Matthews (Preston Smith), an elite cover safety to play between their talented young corners (Earl Thomas), and a slot receiver to step in for Randall Cobb (Jamison Crowder), before using their two first-round picks on another edge rusher and a tight end. - Dan Wilkins

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