The latest out of the East divisions…
- Given that Tom Brady is likely to be suspended for his role in the DeflateGate controversy, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com wonders if the Patriots are likely to add another quarterback to their offseason roster. As it stands, New England carries only Jimmy Garoppolo and Garrett Gilbert, both 2014 draft picks who have 10 pass attempts (all by Garoppolo) between them, behind Brady. Reiss floats the idea of the Pats signing a veteran backup such as Matt Flynn, while Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk tosses out Tarvaris Jackson, Jason Campbell, and Michael Vick as possible options.
- One other quarterback to add to that list (based purely on my speculation): Chargers backup Kellen Clemens, who played under Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels when both were with the Rams in 2011. If for some reason San Diego decided to release the 31-year-old Clemens — saving $1.5MM in the process — I’d imagine New England would at least take a look at him.
- Cowboys executive Stephen Jones reiterated that the club wants to hammer out an extension with Dez Bryant, but noted the difficulty in determining the fair market value. “I think a lot of people want to naturally assume it’s a Dez Bryant-Cowboy issue,” Jones told Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “I think it’s a bigger issue than that right now. There’s three or four young receivers in this league other than Dez that are going to be looking for long-term contracts.” As Machota notes, Jones was likely referencing Demaryius Thomas, A.J. Green, and Julio Jones, a trio of pass-catchers all in search of new deals.
- After the Eagles drafted receiver Nelson Agholor in the first round, fellow pass-catcher Riley Cooper isn’t guaranteed a starting job this season, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Cooper was good for just 577 receiving yards last season, and graded out as the league’s worst receiver among 100 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). With Agholor joining Jordan Matthews, Josh Huff, and Miles Austin as receiving threats, Cooper could see his role greatly reduced.