AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Dolphins

Alabama HC Nick Saban stressed that new Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa needs to learn how to protect his body from taking hits better.

“No. 1 thing we’ve tried to convince him of here is he’s got to learn self-preservation is part of the job,” Saban said, via the Miami Herald. “Tua’s a great competitor. You don’t want to take his competitive spirit away. He’s always trying to make a play, even when the play breaks down. And that’s good. He does it well. He’s made a ton of plays in those circumstances. But I still think there are times when there’s just nothing here. Several times when he got hurt here, I felt like there’s no reason for him to even get hit. The receiver fell down, whatever the circumstance was, there’s nothing there. Play the next play. Sometimes the other guys wins, but I think that’s probably No. 1. No. 2, he is so instinctive.”

Jets

• Connor Hughes of The Athletic takes a look at six free agents worth monitoring for the Jets in the coming weeks/months. 
• Hughes’ list includes: DE Jadeveon Clowney, CB Logan Ryan, CB Prince Amukamara, DE Vinny Curry, QB Joe Flacco and RB Carlos Hyde.

Patriots

• After the draft, Doug Kyed was told that the Patriots like QB Jarrett Stidham more than they liked Jimmy Garoppolo.
• Kyed says that this isn’t coming from someone who stands to gain by supporting the Patriots and their decision to move forward with Stidham.
• As far as this year’s draft, Kyed says drafting Jordan Love was realistic in the first round and they weren’t going to draft Jalen Hurts over S Kyle Dugger.
• Kyed considers linebackers De’Jon Harris and Kyahba Tezino to have the best shot of making the 53-man roster as undrafted free agents this year.
• In his 53-man roster projection, Kyed has the Patriots keeping just two quarterbacks – Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham. Some notable roster cuts include WR Marqise Lee, WR Gunner Olszewski, TE Ryan Izzo, OL Jermaine Eluemunor, DL Deatrich Wise, LB Tasawhn Bower, LB Shilique Calhoun, LB Derek Rivers, CB Lenzy Pipkins, S Terrence Brooks and S Adarius Pickett.