AFC East Notes: Oliver, Dolphins, Thuney
Montgomery County (Texas) authorities are dropping charges against tackle Ed Oliver, Mark Berman of Fox 26 reports (on Twitter). The Bills defensive tackle was arrested on charges of DWI and unlawfully carrying a weapon in May. Attorney Gary Patterson said, via Berman, a lack of evidence prompted the charges to be dropped. Oliver may still face NFL punishment, but the 2020 CBA limited Roger Goodell‘s disciplinary powers on personal conduct issues. It is now certainly possible Oliver will be available for the Bills in Week 1.
Here is the latest from the AFC East:
- The NFL gave teams the option of having rookies report to training camp Tuesday, but Dolphins first-year players are set to arrive at the team’s facility Thursday, Barry Jackson and Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald note. Florida has become a global hot spot for the coronavirus, and the NFLPA had expressed concerns about teams opening up camp in certain areas. South Florida, Houston, Phoenix and Los Angeles were the locales the union mentioned, per Jackson, and it called for an emergency meeting of team doctors whose franchises reside in the most-affected areas. But the medical experts did not indicate camps in those places needed to be moved.
- Minutes before the legal tampering period began in March, the Patriots surprisingly used their franchise tag to keep Joe Thuney off the market. The Patriots joining 11 other teams in opting not to sign a franchise-tagged player to an extension last week could point to Thuney being on the trade market. But the post-Tom Brady Pats are only carrying a $4.4MM combined cap charge at quarterback — a league-low figure, and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes this will allow for more flexibility to carry Thuney’s $14.78MM tag number this season. While some major changes occurred in New England, the Pats are set to return five starting offensive linemen.
- While Bills, Giants and Jets players will not have to quarantine for 14 days upon returning to the tri-state area, Patriots players who have spent their offseasons outside the New England region will need to do so upon arrival in the state where they work.
Dolphins Sign Round 1 CB Noah Igbinoghene
The Dolphins are one player away from finishing up their draft class agreements. But they took care of a key contract Monday, coming to terms with first-round cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Miami acquired first-round picks from its Laremy Tunsil and Minkah Fitzpatrick trades last year. The team made the Igbinoghene pick — at No. 30 overall — with the selection acquired from the Texans. The Dolphins traded down four spots, when the Packers moved up for Jordan Love, and further bolstered their new-look cornerback contingent.
Despite the Dolphins rostering two of the league’s three highest-paid corners — Byron Jones and Xavien Howard — the team used one of its three first-round picks to add to the group. Igbinoghene projects as a slot defender, one that may need some developmental time before assuming such a role. The Auburn alum has been a full-time cornerback for barely two years.
Igbinoghene moved from wide receiver to cornerback early in his college career, moving to defense in spring practice in 2018. He started the next two seasons on defense for the Tigers, however. Igbinoghene also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns during his three-year Auburn career.
This agreement leaves only second-round offensive lineman Robert Hunt unsigned. Here is how the Dolphins’ rookie class now stands:
1-5: Tua Tagovailoa, QB (Alabama): Signed
1-18: Austin Jackson, T (Miami): Signed
1-30: Noah Igbinoghene, CB (Auburn): Signed
2-39: Robert Hunt, OL (Louisiana)
2-56: Raekwon Davis, DL (Alabama): Signed
3-70: Brandon Jones, S (Texas): Signed
4-111: Solomon Kindley, OL (Georgia): Signed
5-154: Jason Strowbridge, DT (UNC): Signed
5-164: Curtis Weaver, DE (Boise State): Signed
6-185: Blake Ferguson, LS (LSU): Signed
7-246: Malcolm Perry, WR/RB (Navy): Signed
This Date In Transactions History: Dolphins Sign Arian Foster
Four years ago today, the Dolphins signed running back Arian Foster. Although he was only 29 years old at the time of signing, it would prove to be his last NFL contract ever. 
At his peak, Foster was among the very best running backs in the game. In 2010, he led the NFL with 1,616 yards on the ground and 16 rushing touchdowns. He was a constant threat as a pass-catcher as well: he had 66 catches for 604 yards in that season and 53 grabs for 617 in the following campaign. Injuries sidetracked Foster in 2013 and 2015, but he turned in four campaigns with 1,200+ yards rushing while with the Texans.
Unfortunately, the sport tends to be cruel to standout running backs. After suffering a ruptured Achilles in 2015, Foster drew little attention in the initial waves of free agency. With Miami, Foster would merely support second-year pro Jay Ajayi after Miller fled to join his old friends in Houston. Despite his accomplishments, Foster netted just a one-year deal worth $1.5MM. The only guaranteed portion of his pact came in the form of a $400K signing bonus.
After appearing in four games for the Fins, Foster shocked everyone with his abrupt retirement.
“There comes a time in every athlete’s career when their ambition and their body are no longer on the same page. I’ve reached that point,” Foster revealed in a written statement. “My father always said, “You’ll know when it’s time to walk away.” It has never been more clear than right now. I’m walking away with peace. I know it’s not commonplace to do it midseason, but my body just can’t take the punishment this game asks for any longer. I want to thank the Miami Dolphins, with everything in me, for allowing me to bow out with grace and making this process as easy as possible.”
Foster cited the injuries as his primary motivation to move on from the game, but he later explained that he had fallen out of love with the game of football. In a 2017 interview with Joe Rogan, Foster said that he found himself on the sidelines of games thinking about physics and other topics of personal interest.
“I kind of just fell out of love with it,” said Foster, who spent his time on the sidelines pondering physics. “Football is not a place for thinkers. If you are inquisitive it comes off as disruptive.”
NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Williams
Two players linked to the Cowboys in recent weeks are not in the team’s plans, it appears. Jadeveon Clowney has the Cowboys and Saints at or near the top of his figurative list, but the pass rusher who has been connected to nearly half the league this offseason is off Dallas’ radar, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram notes. That also applies to David Njoku, the Browns tight end connected to the Cowboys after his trade request surfaced recently. The Cowboys signed Aldon Smith and have Tyrone Crawford and four recent draft picks joining DeMarcus Lawrence at defensive end. They also are looking likely to carry Dak Prescott‘s $31.4MM cap number on their books this season, limiting funding for a Clowney deal. At tight end, the Cowboys lost Jason Witten but extended Blake Jarwin. Beyond Jarwin, however, the team is fairly thin at this spot.
Here is the latest from the NFC East:
- One member of the Cowboys’ D-end contingent may not have a chance to supplement Lawrence. The Cowboys have continued to hope for the NFL to reinstate Randy Gregory, but as of Monday, Hill adds that the team has largely given up on this notion. The NFL banned Gregory indefinitely for substance abuse, and although the new CBA’s suspension structure is focused more on PEDs, the former second-round pick was suspended four times under the previous CBA’s discipline structure. Despite being drafted in 2015, Gregory has played 28 career games.
- Returning to the Clowney news cycle, the free agent edge rusher wants to join a winning team, veteran Seattle-based NFL reporter John Clayton said during an ESPN 97.3 radio interview (via Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.radio.com), adding that the Eagles will appeal to the free agent. Clowney’s hesitance about the Browns stemmed from their modern history as a losing team; his Dolphins reluctance did as well, Clayton adds. The Eagles were unwilling to approach Clowney’s lofty asking price earlier this offseason, but with the Browns bowing out and the Seahawks not expected to match their previous offer, his price may now be reduced. And Philadelphia has not been shy about loading up along its lines.
- Although the Giants plan to pay at least $16.1MM to see if Leonard Williams fits into Patrick Graham‘s defensive scheme, they have not given up on a long-term fit. Big Blue and Williams did not come close on an extension agreement, but Ralph Vacchiano of SNY notes the team can still see a Williams accord coming to pass after the 2020 season. To secure the kind of money he seeks, Williams will need to improve on his half-sack (in 15 games) showing of 2019.
- The Eagles are ready to increase T.J. Edwards‘ role. Despite the second-year player arriving in the league as a UDFA, the Eagles are penciling him in as their starting middle linebacker, Shorr-Parks notes. A Wisconsin alum, Edwards played just 11% of Philly’s 2019 defensive snaps. But the Eagles cut Nigel Bradham and do not have a host of high-profile names at linebacker. The team did draft two linebackers — in Rounds 3 and 6 — this year, however. But the COVID-19 pandemic has made this a bad year for rookie development.
Dolphins Training Camp Delay In Play
The coronavirus continues to spread at record rates in several states, and Florida’s 15,300 cases Sunday set a national single-day record. As a result, Dolphins training camp is in jeopardy.
Dolphins reps have informed players “everything is up in the air” regarding training camp, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald notes. The Dolphins, like most teams, are scheduled to have veterans report to camp July 28. Rookies are set to report at an earlier date, but the team can see a delay coming, per Beasley.
The NFL and NFLPA continue to negotiate protocols for training camps, and a Monday or Tuesday resolution was believed to be in play. But states are starting to take measures to react to COVID-19’s midsummer surge. The NFL’s July 28 camp start date remains in place, but one team having to postpone its report window because of the virus would create a ripple effect the league would need to address.
Teams are not currently permitted to hold camps away from their respective facilities, but with Broward county — site of the Dolphins’ headquarters — being hit hard by the virus, the Dolphins are one of the teams whose plans may be forced to change.
Dolphins Backing Off Logan Ryan Pursuit?
Despite making major investments at cornerback this offseason — in signing Byron Jones and drafting Noah Igbinoghene in the first round — the Dolphins were linked to Logan Ryan at multiple junctures this offseason.
The team may have backed off in this pursuit. The Dolphins are not aggressively pursuing the free agent cornerback, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
Rumors about Ryan landing with the Dolphins (and former Patriots assistant Brian Flores) circulated in March and May, but nearly four months into free agency, the former Patriots and Titans corner remains a free agent. The seven-year veteran’s price demand almost certainly has contributed to this. Ryan was linked to wanting $10MM per year earlier this offseason. The Jets have been the team most closely connected to Ryan this offseason.
Additionally, the Dolphins do not appear to be angling to add Larry Warford to their offensive line, Jackson adds. The Dolphins signed Ereck Flowers to be one of their starting guards and drafted Robert Hunt in Round 2. Hunt has been linked to lining up at guard or right tackle, however, giving the team a possible need at guard. Pro Football Focus and Football Outsiders assessed the 2019 Dolphins’ offensive line as the league’s worst.
Warford was connected to the Bears and Texans shortly after his Saints release, but the former bowed out of the bidding early. The Pro Bowl guard, as of June, was seeking a contract north of $7MM per year.
Dolphins Have Not Discussed Extension For RB Matt Breida
The Dolphins acquired running back Matt Breida from the 49ers in exchange for the No. 153 overall pick in this year’s draft, and Breida is scheduled for unrestricted free agency at the end of the 2020 season. However, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that the team has not discussed an extension with Breida.
Of course, extensions are hard to come by right now in light of the uncertainty created by COVID-19, and even under better circumstances, the Dolphins may not be too keen on a multi-year commitment. Breida, a 2017 UDFA, has yet to total more than 153 carries in a season, has battled injuries throughout the early part of his career, and will enter the 2020 campaign in a timeshare with free agent acquisition Jordan Howard.
On the flip-side, Breida has looked good in his relatively limited action to date. He boasts a career 5.0 yards-per-carry average — a mark that he exceeded in both of the past two seasons — excellent speed, and is a useful receiver out of the backfield. The 49ers tendered him at the second-round level prior to trading him, and there is reason to believe that he can be a productive starter in the NFL.
But one wonders if Breida would be open to an extension anyway. After all, he is a more explosive back than Howard — whose career has trended downwards since he made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2016 — and Breida could start seeing the lion’s share of the carries as the 2020 season wears on. If that happens, he will be well-positioned for a significant new deal from the Dolphins or some other club next year, while an extension now would probably be more modest in scope.
Breida joins Raekwon McMillan and Davon Godchaux as the Dolphins’ top impending unrestricted free agents, but it sounds like the ‘Fins are more receptive to an extension for their two young defenders than for Breida.
AFC East Notes: Patriots, Dolphins, Jets, Gase
Prior to being selected by the Patriots in the third round of the 2016 draft, quarterback Jacoby Brissett wanted nothing to do with New England.
“I honestly did not want to be there,” Brissett said on the McCourty twins’ podcast (via Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston). “When I took my visit there — my pre-draft visit — I was like, ‘Hell no. If one team drafts me, it better not be them.’
“And I’ll never forget, (offensive coordinator) Josh (McDaniels) called me on the phone on draft night and I didn’t have his number saved. That’s how bad it was. I didn’t even have his number saved in my phone. I was like, ‘Damn, man.'”
You can’t necessarily blame Brissett for feeling that way. Besides having to play behind one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time in Tom Brady, the rookie QB was also behind former second-rounder Jimmy Garoppolo on the depth chart. Due to suspensions and injuries to his teammates, Brissett ended up seeing time in three games (two starts) during his rookie campaign. The following year, the Patriots shipped Brissett to the Colts in exchange for wideout Phillip Dorsett.
“Honestly, that was my wake-up to the NFL, was being traded and then the next week, you’re out there in a game,” Brissett added. “It was like, ‘We don’t care how long you’ve been here. You’d better know how to play.”
Let’s check out some more notes from the AFC East…
- Speaking of Patriots quarterbacks, Cam Newton is in New England to complete his physical and finalize his one-year deal, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The reporter notes that the Patriots are confident in the quarterback’s “condition” and aren’t anticipating any issues with the physical. Injuries limited Newton to only a pair of games in 2019, forcing him to settle for a one-year, $1.75MM deal with New England.
- If the Dolphins are forced to trim their training camp roster, then Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald points to a handful of undrafted rookies who could get cut, including offensive linemen Jonathan Hubbard, Nick Kaltmayer, and Donell Stanley. Jackson also opines that a handful of veterans could be sent packing, a group that includes offensive linemen Adam Pankey and Keaton Sutherland, quarterback Jake Rudock, fullback Chandler Cox, and receivers Ricardo Louis and Mack Hollins.
- Connor Hughes of The Athletic did a somewhat similar exercise with the Jets, as he explored which players could be traded if New York gets off to a sluggish start. The writer points to wideout Breshad Perriman, linebacker Avery Williamson, running back Le’Veon Bell, defensive end Henry Anderson, and safety Marcus Maye as potential trade candidates.
- While Hughes believes that Adam Gase has received some underserved criticism during his tenure in New York, the writer also can’t envision the Jets head coach keeping his job if the team finishes with seven or fewer wins. Of course, there are plenty of scenarios where the Jets struggle and Gase does keep his job, especially if quarterback Sam Darnold misses more time in 2020.
Latest On Dolphins, Raekwon McMillan
The Dolphins haven’t ruled out an extension for Raekwon McMillan, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears. It’s likely that the linebacker’s negotiations – like many around the NFL – have been held up due to the pandemic and uncertainty about the 2021 salary cap. However, the Jackson hears that the Dolphins appreciate what McMillan brings to the table and they’d be interested in continuing his stay.
[RELATED: No Suspension For Dolphins’ Xavien Howard]
In 2019, McMillan ranked as the Dolphins’ best defensive player, according to Pro Football Focus. The Dolphins have already extended players like DeVante Parker, Jesse Davis, Allen Hurns, and Jakeem Grant, so it stands to reason that they would want to lock down McMillan.
On the flipside, McMillan isn’t great in pass coverage. The Dolphins recognize his limitations, which is why he’s expected to be used mostly on run downs this year. That’s not exactly a great platform for a free agent linebacker, so McMillan would probably like to secure the bag before the season starts.
Jackson hears that the Dolphins are in a similar place with defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, who has one year remaining on his original rookie deal. Last year, the former fifth-round pick made more stops within 2 yards of the line than any other defensive tackle in the NFL. This year, he’s set to earn $2.1MM before reaching the open market.
In both cases, the potential cap decrease is a major factor. Before the pandemic, the Dolphins expected to have ~$60MM in cap room for 2021. Now, that space could be completely wiped out.
AFC East Notes: Newton, Tua, Fins, Bills
The Patriots made a big splash last night when they signed former league MVP Cam Newton to a one-year contract. The assumption is that Newton will be the team’s starting signal-caller, but Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network says the Pats made no promises in that regard. Still, while there is technically an open competition between Newton and second-year pro Jarrett Stidham, it would be stunning if Newton did not win the job (video link). Garafolo also points out that Newton still has to pass a physical, but the Patriots are confident he will do so.
Garafolo also passes along a fun fact (via Twitter): New England is the third team in NFL history to lose one MVP and sign another in the same offseason. The 2000 Dolphins parted ways with Dan Marino and brought in Thurman Thomas, and the 2005 Cardinals bid farewell to Emmitt Smith and signed Kurt Warner.
Now for more from the AFC East:
- The Dolphins drafted Tua Tagovailoa with the belief that he will be the franchise signal-caller the team has been seeking for the past 20 years. He may not start right away, but Albert Breer of SI.com believes the southpaw will be put into the starting lineup at some point this season. While the 2020 Dolphins should be an improved squad over last year’s iteration, Miami is still probably at least a year away from playoff contention, so the team will have no reason to keep Tagovailoa on the sidelines for the entire campaign.
- Miami is set at the LG and C spots with Ereck Flowers and Ted Karras, respectively. Beyond that, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald says the Dolphins are still undecided as to whether second-round rookie Robert Hunt would be a better fit at RG or RT in 2020. If Hunt gets a shot at RT and performs well, that could bump 2019 starter Jesse Davis back to the interior or to the bench. Meanwhile, Michael Deiter will compete for the starting RG and backup C slots.
- In the same piece linked above, Jackson notes that the Dolphins are working out WR Gary Jennings in the slot — where he thrived in college — and on the outside. Jennings was a fourth-round pick of the Seahawks in 2019, but Seattle waived him in November and Miami scooped him up. He played in just one game for the ‘Fins before getting hurt, but his draft pedigree and upside will give him a good chance to make the club as the fifth or sixth WR.
- In a minor trade last summer, the Bills acquired OL Ryan Bates from the Eagles in exchange for DE Eli Harold. Philadelphia subsequently cut Harold, but Buffalo hung on to Bates, who was active for nine games. Per Adam Caplan of InsideTheBirds.com, the Bills view Bates, a 2019 UDFA, as a viable right tackle, guard, and center, so they expect him to be a key backup in 2020 who may take on a bigger role down the road.
- Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic, meanwhile, views Bates as a potential trade candidate. Buscaglia also looks at a few other players that the Bills could put on the trade market, a list headed by WR Robert Foster and TE Jason Croom.