AFC Notes: Jets, Patriots, Titans

Jets

• Ralph Vacchiano reports that while the Jets are interested in free agent CB Logan Ryan, the team needs his asking price to go down and they have not made him a formal offer.
• Vacchiano adds that Ryan’s representatives are going out of their way to make it seem like he’s going to sign with the Jets. This could be in order to drive up his market or motivate other interested teams to make him an offer.
• According to Vacchiano, the Jets aren’t interested in signing former Patriots K Stephen Gostkowski, and it will likely be K Sam Ficken and K Brett Maher battling for the job in 2020.
• Vacchiano doesn’t think the Jets will “prioritize” signing free agent G Larry Warford and notes that GM Joe Douglas likely feels that the offensive line is already set for 2020 or wants to remain fiscally responsible.
• As for a player the Jets should sign, Vacchiano mentions edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, who is the most impactful free agent at a position of need for the Jets. Vacchiano says that if Clowney’s price comes to around $10 million on a one-year deal, it could make sense for New York. 

Patriots

New Patriots WR Marqise Lee mentioned that he did not have the necessary opportunities to succeed while with the Jaguars over the last couple of years and believes New England was the perfect landing spot for him. 

“For me, my biggest thing was I just knew the last couple of years I didn’t have the opportunity to do the things I needed to do as a player. I felt like me choosing New England to go there this season in a sense to try and get back to myself,” Lee said, via Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal. “I feel like this place is the perfect place to get back and try to get back to yourself… Very strict, basically all about football and handling your business. I feel like I was a little bit off on that point these last two injuries I had. I just want to get back on track and get everything on point. I felt like New England was the right place for me.”

Lee admitted that his injury history has been “quite difficult” on him but he has tried to use it as motivation to improve. 

“It’s been quite difficult. With the knee injury and then coming back with the shoulder injury, it’s been difficult but its been a task that I’ve quite enjoyed as far as quite knowing myself,” Lee said. “After these injuries, you have certain people who get down on themselves and want to shut it down. For me, it’s kind of like a motivating factor. I just want to see were I’m at, at this point. I’m eager to get back and play football, which I feel like I haven’t played for the last couple years. I’m just ready to get at it.”

Lee added that he is focused on “staying healthy” with the Patriots and is ready to contibute. 

“I’m the type of person who will give everything that he team needs to me to do.” Lee said ”… Whatever they need me to do at the end of the day is what I’m willing to do regardless of what it is. That’s my main focus. I haven’t had the opportunity to really stay healthy in the league so my main focus right now is really just staying healthy… I’m just here. They need a body, a healthy body, I’m here to rock out and try to do as much as I can.”

• Michael Lombardi thinks that Cam Newton signing with the Patriots remains “in play” if they are able to restructure G Joe Thuney‘s contract to create cap room and bring Newton in for a physical to determine his state of health. 

Titans

Titans second-round CB Kristian Fulton arrived at LSU as another decorated recruit and seemed poise to be the next in the school’s defensive back pipeline to the NFL. While that’s what happened, it wasn’t a straight journey, as Fulton received a two-year suspension from the NCAA as a sophomore for tampering with a drug test. Fulton stuck it out at LSU despite other options like a two-year offer from a Canadian League Football — though Fulton’s dad said “guaranteed contract or no guaranteed contract, there’s no way he was” going to the CFL — and later had his suspension cut in half. When the Titans asked about his past, they were impressed with how he handled it. 

“I think there’s two types of people,” Titans HC Mike Vrabel said via ESPN’s Turron Davenport. “There’s bad people and there’s good people that make mistakes. I think we’re all positive that Kristian is a good person that made a mistake. We feel strongly about his character — the guy owned up to it and wanted to be honest about it.”