AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Dolphins

New Dolphins OC Dowell Loggains said that they’ve really improved their interior offensive line with the additions they made during the offseason including Josh Sitton and C Daniel Kilgore.

“Put [Sitton] with Daniel Kilgore and the interior offensive line has gotten a lot better,” Loggains said, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “I’m not telling you guys anything you don’t know, but being able to protect from the inside out, that’s something [coach Adam] Gase really wanted to do and get better at, and give Ryan [Tannehill] the ability to climb the pocket and do those things. That’s what Josh does really well. He’s really good at outside zone, he’s a really good pass protector and just the intelligence. He’s not a vocal leader. He’s a lead-by-example guy, like the way he finishes in drills and stuff.”

• Loggains appears to be excited about rookie RB Kelan Bellage: “When he walks through the door, that’s what they’re supposed to look like. He’s big, he’s put together and he’s a really smart kid. We’re excited about trying to tap him out. He’s got size, he’s got height, weight, speed. We’ve got to figure out what he does well and find out quickly… Because of his size and speed and the ability to catch the ball, he can play all three downs.“

Jets

• Rich Cimini of ESPN writes that it would be an upset if the Jets don’t bring four quarterbacks to training camp, which means Christian Hackenberg should get at least one more shot to show improvement.
• Sources tell Cimini that Hackenberg’s revamped throwing motion features a shorter, more compact delivery than before.
• While Darron Lee recently referred to himself as the “Mike” linebacker, Cimini can say with great certainty that free agent addition Avery Williamson is slated to be in the middle, with Lee staying at the weak inside spot.
• Cimini notes that the Jets aren’t projected to receive any compensatory picks next year.

Patriots

• Mike Reiss of ESPN writes that a “trickle-down effect” from the Patriots’ decision to draft LSU QB Danny Etling in the seventh round is that it may effectively end the team’s exploration into Johnny Manziel.
• The Patriots had done their due diligence on Manziel the past few months and Reiss says that at one point, they even considered an additional meeting and/or workout with him.
• Reiss notes that the Patriots typically carry three quarterbacks on their roster, which could end up being Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer and Etling this season.