AFC East Notes: Brady, Dolphins, Jets
For the first time since they drafted Drew Bledsoe at No. 1 overall in 1993, the Patriots have a need at quarterback. Tom Brady‘s Buccaneers announcement appears imminent. As for Brady’s Foxborough exit, Robert Kraft did not believe the 42-year-old icon wanted to make it work in New England any longer.
“This wasn’t about that,” Kraft said regarding the financial component to this process (via Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston). “Tom was not going to be happy being in our system.”
Brady will leave the Patriots for a team that employs arguably the NFL’s premier wideout tandem — in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin — and tight ends O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate. The Patriots’ refusal to give Brady an extension in 2019, along with their diminishing post-Rob Gronkowski skill-position cadre helped lead Brady to Florida, Curran posits. Replacing even an aging version of Brady will certainly not be easy for the Pats. They have been linked to Andy Dalton, but Albert Breer of SI.com anticipates the team will wait and acquire a cheaper veteran. Among the passers left in free agency: Jameis Winston, Colt McCoy and Blake Bortles.
Here is the latest from the AFC East, starting with news from the Jets’ latest effort to upgrade their edge-rushing situation:
- Linked to being interested in a Joe Burrow trade-up, the Dolphins still plan to attempt that move, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald notes. While the Bengals are not expected to entertain trade-up offers, the Dolphins are the only team with three first-round picks. If the Dolphins cannot pull off a Burrow coup, they want to leave the draft with either Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert, Salguero adds. The Dolphins now must be cognizant of the Chargers’ actions. The Bolts, who pick one spot behind the Dolphins at No. 6, are not expected to pursue any veteran quarterbacks after missing on Brady. That points them to taking a passer at No. 6 or trading in front of the Dolphins to land one.
- Long connected to Dante Fowler, the Jets watched the UFA edge defender choose the Falcons instead. The Jets were not prepared to go to the $16MM-AAV place the Falcons did, per Connor Hughes of The Athletic (on Twitter). Gang Green was linked to Fowler earlier in free agency, along with Jadeveon Clowney, however Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News noted to PFR the team was an aggressive player for Fowler and was not in the mix for the former top-five pick once free agency began. While the latter remains available, almost certainly due to injury concerns, the Jets’ edge options are narrowed. Longtime Jet Jordan Jenkins remains unsigned as well.
- The Jets have designated Trumaine Johnson as a post-June 1 cut, allowing them to spread out the cap hit that comes from releasing a highly paid player two years into a five-year deal. Johnson’s release will now cost the Jets $4MM in 2020 and $8MM in 2021, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. Overall, the Jets saved $11MM in 2020 by making this cut. They cannot use any funds created by the Johnson release until June, however.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/18/20
Tuesday’s restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decisions will be posted below. Deals will be updated throughout the day.
RFAs
Non-tendered:
- Cardinals: CB Kevin Peterson, S Charles Washington
- Dolphins: T Roderick Johnson
- Jets: LB James Burgess, CB Arthur Maulet
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Lions: CB Mike Ford
Dolphins To Sign Elandon Roberts
The Dolphins have agreed to sign former Patriots linebacker Elandon Roberts, according to a source who spoke with Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Before this, Roberts spent his entire four-year NFL career with the Patriots. He’s appeared in 60 games for them and started in more than half of those contests. Last year, however, he was only called upon for three starts.
Playing mostly as an inside linebacker, Roberts has tallied 206 total stops since 2016. The former sixth-round pick is just the latest Patriots player to leave in free agency this week. The list, which figures to grow, already includes:
- QB Tom Brady (Buccaneers)
- LB Jamie Collins (Lions)
- LB Kyle Van Noy (Dolphins)
- OL Ted Karras (Dolphins)
- DB Duron Harmon (Lions)
- DT Danny Shelton (Lions)
Dolphins To Sign Ted Karras
The Dolphins have landed the Patriots’ starting center. Ted Karras will come to the Dolphins on a one-year, $4MM deal, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. 
The offensive line has been a major area of need for the Dolphins this offseason and they’ve moved to address it in recent days. Earlier this week, they inked Ereck Flowers to a three-year deal worth $30MM, including $19.5MM fully guaranteed – a pact reflective of the league’s dearth of quality linemen. Next, the Dolphins will have to figure out their left tackle situation and Jackson hears they’re likely to find their man in the draft.
The Patriots are hoping to have David Andrews retake his spot in the middle of the line, but that will all depend on his health. Andrews missed all of 2019 with blood clots in his lungs and has expressed optimism about being about to play in 2020.
The rumors linking the Dolphins to Tom Brady didn’t pan out, but they’ve been aggressive in March nonetheless. So far this week, they’ve signed cornerback Byron Jones, running back Jordan Howard, linebacker Kyle Van Noy, and defensive ends Shaq Lawson and Emmanuel Ogbah.
Contract Details: Nassib, Alonso, Jefferson
Some more contract details from around the league:
- DE Carl Nassib, Raiders: signed. Three-year, $25MM deal with $17MM guaranteed, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The deal has a max value of $28MM.
- LB Kiko Alonso, Saints: restructured contract. Base salary reduced from $6.4MM to $1.7MM, $4.7MM available in incentives. Already has $1.45MM roster bonus, meaning he can still hit his previous $7.85MM total via playing-time bonuses. All notes via ESPN’s Mike Triplett on Twitter.
- DE Quinton Jefferson, Bills: two-year deal. Contract worth $13.5MM total, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano on Twitter.
- FB Derek Watt, Steelers: signed. Three-year deal worth $9.75MM, according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor on Twitter.
- LB Kamu Grugier-Hill, Dolphins: one-year deal. Contract worth $3MM, including $2MM signing bonus, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo on Twitter. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that there’s up to $500K in playing time incentives.
Raiders Offered More Money For Byron Jones
Byron Jones just became the league’s highest-paid cornerback when the Dolphins agreed to pay him $82.5MM over five years, and he actually turned down even more money.
The Raiders offered more money annually than Miami did, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link). However, the Dolphins bested them in one crucial aspect, the front-loaded nature of the contract. Garafolo reports that Vegas’ deal was more spread out, while Miami’s will give Jones $40MM just within the first two years.
As he points out, both teams will be playing in states with no state income tax, putting even more cash in Jones’ pocket. It’s often speculated that Raiders owner Mark Davis doesn’t have quite as much cash on hand as other NFL owners, and it’s worth wondering if that played a role in the team’s reluctance to front-load a deal.
The Raiders have been perhaps the moost aggressive team in free agency overall, signing a whole bunch of guys including Nick Kwiatkoski, Cory Littleton, Marcus Mariota, Jason Witten, Jeff Heath, Maliek Collins, and Carl Nassib. Jones had a very active market, and was the consensus top corner available.
Dolphins To Sign RB Jordan Howard
Jordan Howard will play for a third team in three years. The former Bears and Eagles running back reached an agreement with the Dolphins, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The former fifth-round pick will land a two-year deal worth more than $10MM, Schefter notes. This continues a busy tampering period for the Dolphins.
Miami has added Byron Jones, Kyle Van Noy, Shaq Lawson, Ereck Flowers, Kamu Grugier-Hill and Emmanuel Ogbah since the tampering period began Monday afternoon. Howard will likely serve as the top veteran presence in the Fins’ backfield, with the team surely set to augment the position group in the draft.
Howard bounced back, to some degree, after a down 2018, posting a 4.4 yards-per-carry average. However, after a strong start upon being traded from Chicago to Philadelphia, Howard suffered a shoulder injury and was barely a factor down the stretch. In four seasons, Howard has totaled 979 touches. He posted two 1,000-yard seasons with the Bears — in 2016-17 — and has scored 32 touchdowns.
He will join a Dolphins backfield that lost Kenyan Drake and Mark Walton midway through last season, making Miami’s offense a largely one-dimensional unit. Howard will attempt to help Ryan Fitzpatrick or his to-be-determined successor in 2020.
Dolphins Sign Kamu Grugier-Hill
The Dolphins have agreed to a one-year deal with linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, according to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. Miami continues its offseason spending spree to add some linebacking and special teams depth.
Grugier-Hill has been with the Eagles for his entire career since he was drafted in the sixth round of the 2016 draft. While he made 16 starts at linebacker in over the past two seasons, Grugier-Hill has served as a captain on special teams in Philadelphia for the previous three seasons.
In his career, Grugier-Hill has made 98 tackles, recorded one sack, one interception, 11 tackles for loss, 3 quarterback hits, and 2 forced fumbles.
Dolphins Checked In On Ted Karras
As the Dolphins begin deploying their war chest of assets and cap space to upgrade a roster dearth of talent, the team appears to be eyeing options along the interior offensive line. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Miami has checked in with free-agent lineman Ted Karras. The team has yet to make a formal offer, per Jackson, but the sides are expected to talk further.
A rotational lineman in New England from 2016-2018, Karras had appeared in at least 13 games every season, but never started more than 2 games in any one season prior to 2019. However, in 2019, Karras became the team’s starting center, starting 15 games.
Karras did not perform exceptionally well but proved to be a solid option. Per Pro Football Focus, Karras ranked as the 20th highest graded center of 38 qualified players. Still just 27, and with only one season as a starter, there may be reason to expect Karras has more upside as well.
Dolphins To Sign Emmanuel Ogbah
Emmanuel Ogbah has agreed to terms with the Dolphins on a two-year deal, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. The defensive end will earn $15MM on the contract, with $7.5MM of it fully guaranteed. 
Ogbah was shipped from the Browns to the Chiefs in April of last year, thanks in part to brokering by agent Drew Rosenhaus. Unfortunately, his season was halted midway when he suffered a torn pectoral muscle in November.
Ogbah had 5.5 sacks on the year before going down, leading the team at the time of his injury. Now, the former second-round pick is taking his talents to South Beach.
The Dolphins have been busy this week. Yesterday, they inked former Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy (which came with the bonus of taking him away from the rival Jets). They also fortified their secondary by agreeing to terms with former Cowboys corner Byron Jones.