Has there ever been a crazier NFL offseason than this one?
Jim Rome summed up the sentiment for every football fan in the country with this tweet:
By now, most of the prized assets have been plucked from the market. More than a few talented players still remain, though, with little to no movement in terms of tangible offers.
Below are three such stars.
Doug Pensinger/Getty Images It's no secret that Dwayne Bowe isn't the wide receiver who went to the 2010 Pro Bowl anymore. His last 1,000-yard receiving season came back in 2011, and he failed to catch a single touchdown pass in 2014.
According to Spotrac , he's signed through 2017, but the Kansas City Chiefs might be cutting ties with the 30-year-old well before that. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Bowe could be out of a job within the week:
In the event he does hit the open market, Bowe would likely have plenty of suitors, since the top WRs have already signed new deals.
Right now, the best wideouts available are Percy Harvin, Michael Crabtree and Andre Johnson. At the very least, Bowe would belong in that group, and he might even be a slight step above Harvin and Crabtree. He's also three years younger than Johnson.
On Monday, ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley wrote that the Baltimore Ravens might try to swoop in and sign Bowe should he become available:
Bowe, on the other hand, might fall under general manager Ozzie Newsome's mantra "right player, right price." Bowe's price will be lower than (Andre) Johnson's because he's considered an underachiever who hasn't caught more than 60 passes over the past three seasons and failed to score a touchdown last season. But has his production been the result of catching passes from Matt Cassel, Brady Quinn, and Alex Smith since 2012?
It's tough to make a strong prediction on Bowe's new home since he's not technically a free agent yet, but Hensley makes a compelling argument.
Bowe's price tag would likely be lower than Johnson's, and he probably has more left in the tank. He'd be a good fit for Baltimore.
DeMarco Murray
Tom Pennington/Getty Images It's getting pretty tough to sort through all of the DeMarco Murray rumors, but I'll give it a try.
ESPN's Adam Caplan reported that both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders are pursuing the best running back on the market:
Pro Football Talk's Darin Gantt also confirmed an earlier report from Caplan that there is "mutual interest" between Murray the Philadelphia Eagles. With Frank Gore backtracking on his decision to sign with the team, it was only a matter of time before the Eagles set their sights on another running back.
Philadelphia can't go into the 2015 season without adding an experienced veteran at the position, so it will be a serious contender for Murray.
For a while it felt like no matter what the rumors said, the 2014 rushing leader would end up a Dallas Cowboy. Jerry Jones doesn't often lose players he wants to keep, and somehow, someway, he'd get a deal done with Murray.
Instead, it's looking more and more likely that the 27-year-old will end up elsewhere:
Dallas can't afford to get in a bidding war with the Eagles, and especially not the Jaguars.
Jacksonville can offer the best deal with the added benefit of no state income taxes. You'd think that Philadelphia would offer the better chance at winning, thus potentially getting a leg up on Jacksonville. But that might not be a guarantee with the way the offseason has unfolded for Chip Kelly.
The Jags will flex their financial muscle and make their second major splash of the offseason.
Brett Carlsen/Getty Images While teams are lining up to try to sign Murray, they can't get away from C.J. Spiller fast enough.
Between his injury history and inability to establish himself as a No. 1 running back, it's not a surprise that a strong market for Spiller has failed to emerge.
What is surprising is the almost complete lack of any market whatsoever. According to CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora, even the New York Jets aren't interested:
The Jets seemed like a natural fit. Spiller's best season came under Chan Gailey in 2012, and Gailey is now the offensive coordinator for New York. But that still wasn't enough for Spiller to get on the Jets' radar.
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald added that the Miami Dolphins don't consider the 27-year-old a viable addition at this time:
At this point, it's anybody's guess as to where Spiller will end up.
Oakland might be the most logical prediction. If the Raiders fail to land Murray—and that's a strong possibility—they'll be left scrambling and desperate to sign somebody. Spiller's still one of the better running backs available, so he'd be a solid alternative.
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