AFC Notes: Browns, Dolphins, Patriots

February 24, 2018

According to Tony Grossi, Browns LT Joe Thomas admitted on his podcast Friday that Cleveland is not participating in the Kirk Cousins sweepstakes.
Grossi puts the odds of RB Isaiah Crowell being back with the Browns at “0.8%.“
As for the Browns signing QB A.J. McCarron, Grossi thinks there’s a “65%” chance of this happening.

While a recent report mentioned that the Dolphins are considering all options this offseason including possibly moving on from DT Ndamukong Suh (NFLTR), Mike Florio writes that one option for Miami to consider with Suh would be a simple restructuring of his contract.
According to Florio, the Dolphins could reduce Suh’s 2018 $16.985 million salary to $1 million and pay him the remaining $15.985 million in the form of a signing bonus that would be prorated over the final three years of the contract.
This would create $10.66 million of cap room for the Dolphins to work with this offseason, but would push Suh’s 2019 cap figure to $33.5 million.
Even so, Florio wonders if this is something Suh would even want to do in the event he wants to hit the open market or get traded to a new team.

Mike Reiss seems to think the Patriots are in good shape with WR Danny Amendola, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Reiss believes it’s a “long shot” that the Patriots will keep TE Martellus Bennett at his current salary. Although, he doesn’t rule out the possibility of Bennett returning at a lower price.
Reiss points out that the Patriots tend to prefer tight ends that are capable blockers, which is why Julius Thomas, who’s expected to be released by the Dolphins, is an unlikely option for New England.