AFC East Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Bills

Bills CB Tre’Davious White cemented himself as one of the best corners in the NFL last year after completing his third NFL season. White is also eligible for an extension for the first time now. While NFL teams have an extra year of control for first-round picks with the fifth-year option, Bills GM Brandon Beane said Buffalo is open to extending White this offseason if it makes sense for both sides. 

“We’re proud of Tre and where he’s come since a rookie to where he’s at now, and the year he had, helping us have a successful season as a team,” Beane said via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. “It takes two to tango, so I’m sure he and his reps will have an idea of where they think the market should be if we approached them to extend them this year, and we have it. And if there’s something on there that we thought made sense and they did, it’d get done. Otherwise, we know we have that fifth-year option.”

• According to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, the expectation around the NFL is that Bills DT Jordan Phillips receives the franchise tag. 

Dolphins

• According to ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe, the Dolphins are likely to trade or release S Reshad Jones, as the biggest reason he wasn’t traded in 2019 was the amount of guaranteed money left on his deal. 
• Wolfe adds Miami has likely seen enough of QB Josh Rosen and will trade him after drafting another quarterback in April. 
• Dolphins WR Albert Wilson is a strong candidate to take a pay cut or be released. Either way, Wolfe says he won’t be back at his currently scheduled $9.5 million salary. 
• Wolfe expects the Dolphins to keep veteran C Daniel Kilgore at least through training camp, though he could lose his job to a rookie or younger player. 
• Dolphins DE Charles Harris is another training camp cut/trade candidate. 
• While Dolphins WR Jakeem Grant just signed a four-year extension in August, his deal does contain an out, though Wolfe doesn’t think Miami will exercise it. 

Jets

• According to Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline, the Jets are one of five teams who have done a lot of homework on potential free-agent CB James Bradberry from the Panthers. 

Patriots

• According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the Patriots and QB Tom Brady have not engaged in any contract negotiations yet, which is not unusual for this time of year as the coaching staff continues its evaluations. 
• However, Reiss says the Patriots will want to meet with Brady and discuss his intentions before the start of the new league year, as if he’s not on the roster a $13.5 million dead cap charge accelerates to New England’s 2020 cap. 
• If Brady is committed to visiting other teams, that lowers his likelihood of returning to New England, as they’d have to account for that $13.5 million in addition to any new contract for Brady. 
• Reiss points out Brady can get a sense of interest from other teams during the 48-hour legal tampering window even if he can’t go on an official visit. 
• Brady’s No. 1 goal is still to win a Super Bowl, according to Reiss. 
• While Reiss writes the Patriots were impressed enough with rookie QB Jarrett Stidham to give him the backup job, it’s unclear how ready they think he is to start. 
• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes that if the Patriots don’t bring back Brady, he anticipates them taking multiple stabs at a replacement, bringing in a veteran like Titans QB Marcus Mariota to compete with Stidham and drafting a rookie in the first three rounds like Georgie QB Jake Fromm. 
• NJ.com’s Mike Kaye lists the Patriots as a possible landing spot for WR Nelson Agholor on a one-year deal this offseason, as New England needs weapons and Agholor fits the profile of veterans who have gone on to revive their careers with the Patriots.