AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Dolphins

Several new Dolphins players spoke to the media about their future after signing with the Dolphins in free agency.

New CB Byron Jones said he’s excited about working with HC Brian Flores.

“Once free agency started, the Dolphins were on me hard,” Ogbah said. “Other teams wanted me. I just felt wanted by the Dolphins and I’m excited to play for Coach Flores. I can’t wait.”

Jets

• Connor Hughes of The Athletic reports the Jets were willing to give WR Robby Anderson $10 million per year, but the Panthers essentially gave him a fully guaranteed one-year, $12 million deal. 
• Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News mentions the rumors of the Jets offering a four-year, $40 million contract to Anderson are untrue.
• Per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, one opposing coach said Anderson’s replacement, new Jets WR Breshad Perriman, compares favorably to the former Temple burner: “Both fast. Breshad, obviously, is bigger [weight-wise]. Robby is quicker, but they’re very similar as far as the type of player. Breshad came on the last few games and played well, but they’re kind of the same guy.”
• The Jets were interested in veteran P Sam Martin before he agreed to a three-year, $7.05 million contract with the Broncos. (Mehta)
• Jets G Greg Van Roten‘s three-year $10.5 million contract includes $3.25 million guaranteed and $1.25 million in playtime and Pro Bowl incentives annually. (Aaron Wilson)

Patriots

• Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore wasn’t surprised that QB Tom Brady ended up leaving New England and signing with the Buccaneers: “A player like him, playing somewhere that long, you never can see it, but it shows you that in the National Football League it can be anyone going somewhere. It’s a business, and that’s how you have to look at it.”
• If the Patriots end up having to rely on 2019 fourth-round QB Jarrett Stidham, Gilmore isn’t worried based on how Stidham performed as a rookie in practice: “He came in and worked hard and got better and better as the year went on. He has a strong arm. He makes some tough throws. Definitely made it hard on me in practice each and every week, going against whoever I was covering, making some great throws. It allowed me to get better in practice to prepare for the games.”
• Reiss says with only about $1 million in cap space, he expects the Patriots to explore extensions with Gilmore, LB Dont’a Hightower and G Joe Thuney, while OT Marcus Cannon and WR Mohamed Sanu could be asked to take pay cuts. 
• Reiss mentions Bears TE Adam Shaheen as the type of player the Patriots like making trades for and who could be available for a late-round pick. 
• Reiss points out that while on the surface it looks like the Patriots let DT Danny Shelton leave for a two-year, $8 million deal while signing his replacement, DT Beau Allen, at the same number, there’s more team protection in Allen’s deal, as he has to hit playing-time benchmarks to earn the full $8 million. 
• Ben Volin of the Boston Globe points out the Patriots’ decision to release K Stephen Gostkowski wasn’t about money, as they saved just about $1 million against the cap with the move. Volin says the team wanted a new kicker after Gostkowski spent 2019 on injured reserve.