AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Dolphins

The Dolphins still don’t have a proven pass-rushing threat on the roster after trading DE Robert Quinn and allowing DE Cameron Wake to leave in free agency. But DC Patrick Graham says he’s confident the team can still generate pressure. 

“The beauty about the pass rush, and I’ve always said this, is it’s very fluid,” Graham said via Pro Football Talk. “Everything is very fluid. As you watch it and you try to get an understanding of it, you can take advantage of it in different ways, different shapes, different forms and different people. It doesn’t always have to be the cookie cutter idea that people have of a 6-foot-5, 250 pound whatever who runs a 4.5. That doesn’t necessarily mean that’s going to automatically guarantee you pass rush success. To me, pass rush success is us game-planning it, the players executing it and us trying our best to affect the quarterback.”

Jets

Jets HC Adam Gase said Friday that he’s upset by the perception his relationship with GM Mike Maccagnan is already strained.

“Unless I say it, it’s really irrelevant to me. I don’t know who decides to put that stuff out there,” Gase said, via ESPN.com. “It kind of pisses me off a little bit, because we have discussions on everything. That’s our job. We have to work through so much stuff. That’s what we have to do. That’s all we’ve done since we’ve been here.

“Since we started, we’re constantly in communication. Whether he’s coming down to my office or I’m going to his office, that’s all we’re trying to do, just trying to make sure we’re on the same page all the time. We’re trying to put this thing together as well as we can in a short period of time.”

Patriots

Patriots first-round WR N’Keal Harry said he’s excited to join the team and ready to be “coached hard” after New England made him one of their highest drafted receivers. 

“It means the world to me,” Harry said via Pro Football Talk. “This is a great organization. I feel like I couldn’t have been put in a better situation. I’m learning from the best of the best and I’m just excited to get to work and soak in as much information as possible.”

• Patriots DE Shilique Calhoun includes a $720,000 base salary and no guaranteed money, making him a long shot to make the team. (Ben Volin)
• The Patriots announced roles for their defensive coaching staff, including Brett Bielema (DL), Mike Pellegrino (DB), DeMarcus Covington (OLB’s) and Jerod Mayo (ILB’s). (Mike Reiss)
• Special teams coach Joe Judge will coach the wide receivers this season. (Tom Curran)
• New England doesn’t expect rookie OT Yodny Cajuste to be recovered from his quad injury until training camp. (Nick Underhill)
• Patriots OL coach Dante Scarnecchia said ability isn’t the question for OT Isaiah Wynn as he recovers from an Achilles injury: “I went back over all of training camp and looked at everything, and this guy is a really good football player. We just have to get him out there. I’ll just leave it at that.” (Mike Reiss)