AFC East Rumors: Dolphins, Reggie McKenzie, Jets

Reggie McKenzie

Miami Dolphins GM Chris Grier said the team was thrilled to add former Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie to the front office. 

“Reggie was a bonus,” Grier said via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “When Reggie was let go in Oakland [last season], I called him two days after and said, ‘Hey, ‘you did a great job. You guys were in salary cap hell and you drafted maybe a guy that’s going to be a Hall of Famer [Khalil Mack] and a couple of all pros.’ I told him, ‘I always respected you.’  I said if you ever want to get back in, we would love to have you. I told Brian [Flores] we might have an opportunity to bring him aboard and he was interested. I was flattered when he told us he had three or four offers and wanted to come here.” 

Dolphins

• Per Armando Salguero, Dolphins HC Brian Flores said the team’s evaluation of QB Ryan Tannehill was ongoing, saying: “We haven’t made any final decisions. Everything’s on the table.” 
• Dolphins GM Chris Grier pushed back against tanking rumors at the Combine: “We’re not trying to lose games or tank.”  (Joe Schad)
• Grier added that he expects CB Xavien Howard to be on the team this year, and that the Dolphins will try to re-sign OT Ja’Wuan James.  DE Cameron Wake‘s future is more up in the air.  (Adam Beasley)

Jets

• ESPN’s Rich Cimini expects Jets GM Mike Maccagnan to be one of the busiest GMs at the Combine, with $102 million in cap space and 26 upcoming unrestricted free agents. 
• Maccagnan said the Jets will be “very aggressive” in free agency.  (Ralph Vacciano)
• Cimini says there’s no must-sign player in that group, though the Jets would like to bring back K Jason Myers, WR Andre Roberts, DT Henry Anderson and CB Morris Claiborne. 
• According to Cimini, RB Bilal Powell, WR Jermaine Kearse, CB Buster Skrine, G James Carpenter and DT Steve McLendon are not priorities to re-sign. 
• The Jets are also expected to be players in the trade talks for Steelers WR Antonio Brown, per to Cimini.  New York’s first-round pick is too high and the team doesn’t have a second round pick, but Cimini believes the Jets could dangle WR Robby Anderson and their two third-round picks in a trade offer. 
• At the Combine, Maccagnan said he calls about all players who are available, but hasn’t ventured too far in talks regarding Brown.  He added the Jets focus is on free agency, not trade market.  (Brian Costello)
• Cimini believes the Jets will also be interested in RB Le’Veon Bell, but isn’t sure if they will go as high as $15 million a season for a running back. 
• Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports LB Brandon Copeland is drawing interest from teams as a bargain find at pass rusher, though the Jets would like to re-sign him. 
• Jets HC Adam Gase could be open to bringing back QB Josh McCown as a backup if he decides to keep playing.  (Brian Costello)
• Maccagnan says he’s open to trading back from No. 3 with any team, including the Giants at No. 6.  (Vacchiano)