AFC Notes: Deshaun Watson, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Dolphins

Rusty Hardin, attorney for Browns QB Deshaun Watson, said Miami Dolphins team owner Stephen Ross was willing to bring in Watson, but wanted all 22 (at the time) civil cases settled before any deal could be reached.

“Miami was an outlier,” Hardin said, via Dolphins Wire. “Ross says, the owner of Miami says, ‘I’ll take my chances on what happens criminally but I have to have all twenty-two cases settled and a nondisclosure agreement or I won’t do it.’ The coach at Miami was somebody that Deshaun liked. He liked the team. He was just chomping at the bit to get back to football and get all this garbage behind him and so we were told, ‘I want to go to Miami.’”

20 of the 22 plaintiffs were willing to settle, but two were not, which caused Ross to back off on the deal. Ross did not want the distraction carrying into the season.

“We were told that twenty of them would, but two would not,” Hardin said. “Ross said if I don’t have all twenty-two signed up and a confidentiality agreement [he wouldn’t do it], cause I don’t want everybody talking about this during the season and after the season.”

Hardin said the only reason Watson’s camp was willing to settle was so that he could get to Miami.

“The only reason we were settling at the time was that was the only way he could get to Miami,” Hardin said. “So if Miami wasn’t going to take him and do the trade unless there’s all twenty-two and all twenty-two didn’t want to settle, then we didn’t want to settle with anybody because we didn’t want to be there to begin with.”

Jets

The Jets dipped into free agency to address their cornerback room and signed D.J. Reed following a breakout season with the Seahawks. Reed’s work ethic helped him survive injuries and being cut as a former fifth-round pick by the 49ers. 

“You can almost hear him grunting on tape and the volume is on mute,” Jets HC Robert Saleh said via Brian Costello of the New York Post, “with how hard he plays and how hard he’s getting in-and-out of his breaks and how important every single rep is to him. You see him in meetings, just the laser focus, there’s no dozing off, there’s no slouching. He is completely locked in. You see all of that, and at the same time, he’s not a robot, he is an unbelievable person and willing to talk to guys and bring guys along. So, he has been awesome. Really excited that we have him.”

Patriots

• The Patriots lined up Isaiah Wynn at right tackle while Trent Brown switched to left tackle at practices this week. (Doug Kyed)
• Patriots HC Bill Belichick said their objective was to build depth and flexibility at the position: “It’s the same thing we’ve talked about every year for the past 20-plus years. … We build our depth in training camp and the spring.” (Zack Cox)
• Wynn said he isn’t concerned about entering the final year of his contract and is focused on improving: “I ain’t worried about no contract right now. I’m focused on being the best player I can be for the team so we can move forward to the season. I ain’t worried about none of that right now. That will come when it comes.” (Mike Giardi)
• Patriots second-year RB Rhamondre Stevenson was asked what he worked to improve on this offseason: “Everything, but some focuses I had were route-running, being a third-down back.” (Kyed)