While Larry Fitzgerald has long been considered a logical trade target for the Patriots, there haven’t been many substantial reports over the years linking the Pats to the Cardinals receiver. However, Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com hears from a “very well-placed” source that New England had legitimate interest in acquiring Fitzgerald last offseason, sending out feelers to gauge the feasibility of such a move. As Curran writes, things likely didn’t progress too far, and it’s not clear if the Pats would still have interest in Fitzgerald, who is due a significant pay bump for 2014.
Here’s more from out of the AFC East:
- In his latest mailbag at ESPNBoston.com, Mike Reiss predicts that free agent receiver Julian Edelman will draw offers in the neighborhood of the deal Danny Amendola signed last year (five years, $28.5MM), with the Texans and Browns among the teams that could make it hard for the Patriots to re-sign Edelman.
- The Dolphins introduced new general manager Dennis Hickey at a press conference this afternoon, with Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald among the reporters passing along highlights. Some notable items from the presser: Owner Stephen Ross stressed that Hickey will have full control of the 53-man roster and that Hickey doesn’t “have to listen” if Ross tells him to draft, pursue, or play a specific player. Hickey added that the structure of the front office is “completely clear” to him and that he’s already spoken to the team’s medical and personnel staff about the team’s free agents (all four Twitter links).
- The Bills announced today that they’ve granted the Browns permission to interview defensive line coach Anthony Weaver. If Weaver is eventually hired by the Browns, he’d be the latest in an increasingly lengthy line of Bills coaches following Mike Pettine to Cleveland.