NFL Rumors: Tom Brady, Everson Griffen, Giants' Trade Plans in 2020 Draft

The sports world has come to an unprecedented halt as countries confront the spread of the coronavirus, but the NFL offseason might be the only professional league to ignore the pause.

NFL free agency is scheduled to begin Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET. Even if the league decides to delay the opening, as ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio reported is a possibility, the rumor mill will continue spinning in the coming days.

Without question, the biggest name on the market is Tom Brady.

The thought of him leaving the New England Patriots may still feel impossible, yes. However, it would be irresponsible to not address the persistent rumors. Brady is the all-important domino among quarterbacks in free agency.

According to ESPN's Dianna Russini, Brady has a list of demands suitors must meet. Two notable pieces are control over the roster and to be part of play-calling decisions.

Russini noted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are interested in Brady, a connection Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times later confirmed.

"It's no secret that [coach Bruce] Arians would prefer to move on from Jameis Winston," Stroud said. "And make no mistake, general manager Jason Licht is deferring to B.A. on the quarterback position."

Brady is otherwise expected to consider a return to the Patriots or head to the Los Angeles Chargers, who are moving on from longtime starter Philip Rivers. The Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans are also regularly linked to Brady.

While those franchises focus on finding a quarterback, the Minnesota Vikings are working to keep a veteran defender.

Everson Griffen, who collected 41 tackles with eight sacks in 2019, is set to become an unrestricted free agent. Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported the Vikings want to re-sign the 32-year-old defensive end.

Goessling added it seems Griffen plans to "at least explore his options elsewhere" before making a decision. Minnesota is relatively thin on cap space, so it's plausible Griffen will find a larger contract offer on the open market.

The New York Giants, meanwhile, are ready to engage in conversations about the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News wrote that, based on his conversations, the Giants have three leading options. While this may change as the draft approaches, that's the outlook.

The Giants could either stay put and select Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown or Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, Leonard said. Or they will trade back to acquire draft capital and target either an offensive tackle or Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons.

The key to New York's selection holding strong value is the perception of the draft's top quarterbacks. Although the Cincinnati Bengals are expected to select Joe Burrow at No. 1 overall, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert and Jordan Love have all attracted early first-round attention.

If there is enough interest in two of Tagovailoa, Herbert and Love, the Giants would be in excellent position to facilitate a trade. Otherwise, they will be hoping the Detroit Lions don't trade the No. 3 pick.