AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Dolphins

Marty Jaramillo, a veteran sports physical therapist, made several good points about Dolphins first-round QB Tua Tagovailoa and his recovery from hip surgery during an interview with Chris Fowler.

“It’s the right hip, not the left hip,” Jaramillo said, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “Being a lefty, it’s less of a concern with throwing mechanics. Fracturing the posterior wall of his hip joint is an incredibly rare injury. It was like a motor vehicle accident. I saw his pro day video and he looked sharp. He was quick, lateral movement looked good, backpedaling looked good, drive off his right foot looked good.”

Jaramillo also commented on what the long-term prognosis could mean for Tagovailoa’s football career, which the Dolphins invested in with the fifth overall pick.

“Long-term we’re talking about arthritis and breakdown of cartilage of the hip joint because even though it was massively repaired we’re talking about the socket that relies on it being smooth to minimize potential for arthritis,” Jaramillo said. “It’s impossible to make it perfectly smooth. That said, his strength, his youth, his elite athleticism leaves him with all the potential to have an elite and great career despite the potential of arthritis and breakdown of cartilage years away.”

Jets

• Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline says another flop by the Jets offense could cost HC Adam Gase his job by midseason, as that’s the biggest reason he was hired. 
• Conversely, if that side of the ball makes strides and the Jets improve their record to around 8-8, Pauline thinks that would be enough for Gase to avoid being fired. 
• Regarding how Gase is seen in the locker room, Pauline adds there’s good and bad, but no extreme opinions. While some don’t like him, there’s no mutiny brewing, and the players who do like Gase probably wouldn’t fall on their swords for him. 
• The Athletic’s Connor Hughes points out the Jets could free up the $7 million former Saints G Larry Warford is looking for by cutting G Brian Winters, which would also free up a spot to upgrade by signing a former Pro Bowl guard. 

Patriots

Patriots third-round TE Devin Asiasi wasn’t a well-known name in this year’s rookie tight end class, even though it was generally seen as a weaker bunch. Asiasi didn’t start until his final year at UCLA and never put up eye-popping numbers. But Patriots HC Bill Belichick still felt confident enough in his evaluation to trade up for the 6-3, 257-pound tight end, after giving his friend UCLA HC Chip Kelly a call. 

“His athletic ability for his size, someone that big shouldn’t be that smooth an athlete,” Kelly said via the Athletic’s Jeff Howe. “His versatility is what a lot of teams in the NFL coveted, and obviously Bill saw that himself. The one thing I knew in coaching that league is there aren’t a lot of guys out there, no matter what year it is, who are as big and athletic. The combination of Devin’s size and athletic ability, I knew it was going to make him unique, not just in this class but any class.”

• Former Patriots QB Tom Brady took to social media to deny a report of a rift between him and OC Josh McDaniels playing a role in his departure from New England: “Please stop this nonsense. Please be more responsible with reporting. 19 years together and brothers for life @real_josh_mcd.” (Zack Cox)