Last month, our Zach Links observed that Jets standout defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson could hurt his leverage for a long-term deal if he were to report to the club prior to July 15, the deadline for signing his franchise tag tender. However, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports that Wilkerson was spotted in the team’s locker room last week, and his appearances at One Jets Drive have not been infrequent. Of course, we learned yesterday that Wilkerson is not expected to draw a long-term offer from the Jets anytime soon, so it could be that the 2015 Pro Bowler simply does not see any harm in making use of the team facility and staying in touch with his teammates.
Now let’s take a look at a few more notes from the league’s east divisions:
- The top of the Eagles‘ depth chart at defensive tackle looks pretty good, with Fletcher Cox and Bennie Logan stabilizing the interior of the team’s D-line. But beyond that, Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com says the picture gets pretty murky, as players like Beau Allen and Taylor Hart appear better-suited to a 3-4 defensive front, and new acquisition Derrick Lott was unable to stick with Tampa Bay last season. As Zangaro observes, that means that at least one of the Eagles’ three undrafted free agent DTs–Aziz Shittu, Destiny Vaeao, and Connor Wujciak–have a real shot at cracking the club’s roster. Vaeao and Wujciak were very impressive in spring workouts, Zangaro notes.
- Eagles rookie cornerback Jalen Mills fell to the seventh round of this year’s draft due to injury and maturity concerns, but thus far, he is making the case for significant regular season playing time. As Andrew Kulp of CSNPhilly.com writes, Mills has impressed coaches and teammates alike with his excellent performance in offseason workouts, and there is a real chance he could wind up as the team’s primary nickel corner.
- John Munson of NJ.com offers 10 takeaways from Giants OTAs as the team prepares for minicamp. For instance, he says that Andre Williams performed surprisingly well during OTAs after transforming his body in the offseason, but Munson believes the team will have major pass rush concerns despite the splashy addition of Olivier Vernon.
- Earlier today, we learned that the Dolphins have contingency plans just in case Reshad Jones makes the surprising decision to hold out.