AFC Rumors: Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Dolphins

Dolphins’ LB Jerome Baker and WR Devante Parker both commented on their respective injuries, with Baker sustaining a knee injury on Sunday and Parker dealing with shoulder and hamstring injuries that have kept him out of three straight games.

“I was scared as ****,” Baker said, via Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. “After the MRI, it was a big sigh of relief.”

“Some days better, some days it’s not,” Parker said, while not revealing if he would play this week. “I feel good. We have to wait and see what happens. Injuries happen.”

• Albert Breer of SI.com hears that Dolphins WR DeVante Parker is among the pass catchers who have been discussed in potential trades leading up to the Saints.

Jets

• Tony Pauline of PFN reports that negotiations between the Jets and franchise S Marcus Maye regarding a contract extension have been like “pulling teeth.”
• According to Pauline, the Jets wanted to sign veteran QB Brian Hoyer during the offseason, but GM Joe Douglas gave him a lowball offer.
• Regarding WR Denzel Mims, Pauline writes that “the front office loves him while the coaching staff hates him.“
• Sources have pointed to Douglas being cheap in free agency with one telling Pauline: “He spends money in free agency as though it was the last dollar coming from his wallet.”
• Pauline explains that Douglas is afraid of signing a big-name free agent to a big contract and then having it all blow up in his face.
• As for Douglas’ job security, Pauline says those with intimate knowledge have told him that the Jets’ front office (Douglas, Rex Hogan, and David Socie) are all very nervous.
• In his conversations with players, Pauline mentions that the word “dysfunctional” was used and several of them who were on the roster in 2020 say the situation today is not much better than it was a year ago under Adam Gase.
• According to Pauline, everyone he spoke to likes HC Robert Saleh. However, the excitement from his hire has turned into frustration and disappointment. In fact, multiple sources have told him that Saleh overworks the team during the week and players are tired by Sunday’s game.
• As of offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, Pauline writes that there is a strong belief around the league that he’s in over his head. Should the Jets continue to struggle, Pauline’s sources believe Saleh is forced to make changes to the coaching staff, LaFleur will be the first casualty at season’s end.
• Albert Breer reports that the Jets would listen to trade offers for S Marcus Maye, but his remaining money and contract status could make a deal difficult to get good value back.

Patriots

In his MAQB article, SI’s Albert Breer outlined that because of roster turnover, and a lot of the team’s leaders moving on in recent years, the Patriots have had a leadership void within their locker room.

“There have been rumblings the last couple weeks of a leadership void among the players in New England, and whether or not players like Devin McCourty, Dont’a Hightower or Kyle Van Noy can get through to younger players (since the veterans aren’t quite who they once were as players, and the age gap is around a decade with some teammates). And without many homegrown, in-prime stars to take the wheel, I’d heard questions around if the new faces could step into the void,” Breer said.

• Doug Kyed of PFF mentions Broncos CB Kyle Fuller as an interesting speculative trade option for the Patriots to consider, given that Denver has a deep secondary and Fuller has seen limited playing time. Kyed does admit that the Patriots currently do not have the cap space to acquire Fuller, so it would require the Broncos to eat some of his salary.