AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Dolphins

When asked if the Dolphins are rebuilding, new HC Brian Flores said every team was rebuilding every year.  

“I think every team’s rebuilding. That’s this league. Every team rebuilds every year because no team is the same every year,” Flores said via NFL Media’s Grant Gordon. “So the Patriots are going to be different than they were last year. So are the Bills or Jets. So is every other team. So that’s my personal philosophies. Last year was last year. This year is this year.” 

• According to Armando Salguero, the Dolphins and Buccaneers will hold joint practices together this preseason.  

Jets

• ESPN’s Rich Cimini says it will be interesting to see if Jets CEO Christopher Johnson, who has avoided issuing a playoff mandate in past seasons, changes his expectations after the Jets spent $122 million in actual money so far this offseason.  
• According to Cimini, the Jets’ free agency approach has him convinced they’re “very interested” in trading down from No. 3 overall in the hope of picking up some additional draft picks. 
   
• Cimini believes Jets GM Mike Maccagnan would love to bolster their depth at center, cornerback and outside linebacker, but they currently only have six picks to work with, which could make it tough to address all of those positions. 
• Cimini adds a change of scenery could be positive for G Kelechi Osemele, who reportedly struggled with his weight in Oakland. Osemele now weighs 307, down 25 pounds from his listed 2018 weight.  

Patriots

Patriots DB Jason McCourty said there were some other offers on the table when he hit free agency earlier this month, but ultimately a return to New England was the best fit.  

“It was a cool process, and a brand-new process,” McCourty said via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “Talking to New England, talking to my agent, you’re trying to figure out which teams are involved and how much you’d want to play there. It’s your due diligence. At the end of the day, it brought me back here, and I’m happy to be here. I was able to build some really good relationships and I loved the environment here. And to be honest, from a personal standpoint, to not have to move my wife and kids for the third consecutive year is pretty good. I asked my kids what they wanted and they all said ‘The Patriots with Uncle Dev.’ So everybody’s happy.”

Patriots S Devin McCourty added while he was sad to see some departures from the New England defense, he was excited to have his brother back to maintain continuity in the secondary.  

“Free agency is always interesting, exciting, sad. It brings all emotions,” Devin McCourty said. “As an older guy, you hate seeing some of the young guys go; like I’ve watched Trey [Flowers] and Malcolm [Brown] come in and develop. But then you’re also happy to see those guys do what they were supposed to do here and now have opportunities to help their families, and go play elsewhere. You kind of wish it would be with you, but getting older, you understand.

“But I’m very excited. I thought one of the coolest parts of our defense last year was the mesh of the secondary, and the guys’ personalities, and how well we played with each other. All of those things got better as the season went on. The hard part now is we have to understand none of that matters and we have to build that back up from scratch. But I always say, it’s better to have a better foundation. It gives you a chance to be better earlier and longer.”

• According to Reiss, P Ryan Allen had an option for a multi-year deal, but he turned it down in favor of a one-year, prove-it deal to try and test the market again next season.  
• Reiss adds the Patriots could bring in competition for Allen again to try and develop a successor.