AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Dolphins

For the second straight season, Dolphins QB Josh Rosen will enter the offseason with an uncertain future. The Cardinals traded Rosen just a year after taking him No. 7 overall in 2018, which is almost unheard of for quarterbacks drafted in the top ten. After failing to seize control of the Dolphins starting quarterback job, Rosen again could find himself expendable if Miami addresses the quarterback position in the draft like many expect. Still, Rosen believes the book is far from closed on his NFL career. 

“I’m still only 22 years old. It’s not really like the window opens and closes like that,” Rosen said via ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe. “But there is a sense of sort of understanding timing and opportunity. I’m aware of it, but it’s all for you guys more to write about than it is for me to worry about.”

Dolphins HC Brian Flores has given the second-year passer a list of items to work on this offseason and for now Rosen says he still wants to stay in Miami.

“Yeah, absolutely. I like it here a lot,” Rosen said. “There’s a really steep learning curve, and I’m really glad I got over it because I’ll have that knowledge in the back of my head for the rest of my career.”

• Wolfe points out that neither Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick nor Flores has committed to Fitzpatrick playing in Miami next year, though Flores says he loves what the veteran has brought in 2019. 
• Wolfe outlines a scenario where both Fitzpatrick and Rosen return in 2020 and compete for the starting job and give potential first-round Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa plenty of time to recover from his hip injury. 
• While the 37-year-old Fitzpatrick has seven kids at home, he appears to be leaning toward continuing to play instead of retiring: “I still love playing. So it’s going to be hard to… I don’t know that it will be a difficult decision. I’ll go through the due process & we’ll figure it out…Retirement is going to be a lot more difficult than playing football.” (Wolfe)
• Flores ruled out platooning Fitzpatrick and Rosen in the season finale Sunday. (Adam Beasley)

Jets

• According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, the Jets will likely have to eat some salary to trade RB Le’Veon Bell and can expect to receive a mid-round pick at most. 
• Cimini mentions Bell has a $2 million roster bonus due on March 15 that could serve as an artificial deadline for a deal. 
• Cimini expects there to be more trade speculation around S Jamal Adams this offseason but doesn’t believe New York will bite on a deal unless another team offers a first-round pick and two second-round picks. 
• Cimini believes WR Robby Anderson will seek $14 million a year in his next deal, which might be too expensive for the Jets to re-sign. He adds the Dolphins make sense as a potential destination for Anderson. 

Patriots

The Patriots were so desperate for receiving help at the trade deadline that they sent a second-round pick to the Falcons for WR Mohamed Sanu. So far, the return on investment hasn’t been what either side has hoped. New England’s scheme is notoriously difficult for receivers to adapt to and an ankle injury hasn’t made things easier for Sanu. He has just 23 catches for 172 yards and a touchdown in seven games in New England. 

“I haven’t really scratched the surface yet of what I know I can do,” Sanu said via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “Getting adjusted to things people have known for years, or months, you have to catch up. It’s a lot of little details of things. I’ve been getting right up to speed. It’s just little things you can’t teach; they just have to be done. It’s the difference between knowing and doing.”

• Per the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin, the Raiders could throw a ton of money to lure Patriots QB Tom Brady to Las Vegas if he hits free agency.