AFC East Notes: Bridgewater, Decker, Patriots
As Louisville quarterback Terry Bridgewater continue’s to see his stock fall, teams in the mid-to-late first round have to be seriously considering the possibility of him being on the board when they draft. Once thought to be the potential top pick, GangGreenNation.com asks if the Jets should consider taking Bridgewater should he be on the board when they come up to the podium.
While the Jets have Geno Smith and Michael Vick in the fold, Bridgewater could represent the long-term solution at quarterback that some fans and pundits hope Smith can still become. It also increases the trade value of the pick should the Jets decide to move down in the draft, as teams moving up to take a quarterback are often willing to overpay in a trade.
Here are some other notes from the AFC East:
- GangGreenNation.com also notes the despite the Jets’ improvement the quarterback situation should experience, that adding Eric Decker would not adequately fix the depth chart at receiver. They note that while Decker is an upgrade, he is not the elite type receiver that would be able to change the offense. Also, the belief that Stephen hill will be the second receiver would give pause, as he has not proven himself as a viable option in his first two seasons.
- In a series of tweets, Albert Breer of the NFL Network discusses the Patriots’ offseason. He notes that the team has made a focused effort to be good in 2014, although the team says they are all in for the Super Bowl every year. Breer notes that Nate Solder and Devin McCourty are the top priorities going forward, and that interior line play and backup tight end will be priorities in the draft.
- The Dolphins are set at running back after signing Knowshon Moreno, and they will not pursue free agent Chris Johnson, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. However, the team has a backlog at the position, and while Lamar Miller is safe, Daniel Thomas and Mike Gillislee will fight for a roster spot.
AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Wendell, Jackson
After the Dolphins’ signing of Knowshon Moreno, at least one running back is set to lose his roster spot in Miami, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. Moreno and second-year-pro Lamar Miller are guaranteed to make the squad, so that leaves a competition between Daniel Thomas, Mike Gillislee, and Marcus Thigpen for the final two RB roster spots (assuming the ‘Fins keep four backs). Thigpen offers special teams value, so the last slot will likely come down to Thomas or Gillislee. A training camp battle will determine the final outcome, but my guess would be that Thomas stays. He has the higher pedigree as a former second-round-pick, and Gillislee saw just nine snaps last season.
More from the AFC East, with notes from ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss:
- Center Ryan Wendell‘s underwhelming market was due to two factors. First, Wendell was viewed as nothing more than a fallback option for teams who couldn’t land their top option. Second, Wendell’s main backer in New England was offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, who recently retired. Wendell, who eventually re-signed with the Patriots on a two-year deal, is expected to face competition for his starting spot on the offensive line.
- Reiss does not believe the Patriots can sign DeSean Jackson due to his reported gang ties, especially after the Aaron Hernandez situation unfolded last offseason.
- The Patriots simply don’t believe in financial commitments to running backs, as evidenced last season by the loss of Danny Woodhead to the Chargers, and this offseason when they allowed LeGarrette Blount to sign with the Steelers.
- Although Vince Wilfork is viewed as a prototypical run-stuffing nose tackle, he will be a part of some sub packages. Wilfork’s ability to stay on the field is personally crucial — breaking the 70% snap threshold is one of three requirements for him to earn all $8MM of his 2014 salary.