Earlier today, we rounded up several Monday morning items from across the NFC. Now, we’ll turn attention to the conference which has been on the losing end of five of the last seven Super Bowls, the AFC:
- The Patriots have a little over $8.5MM in dead money on their books for 2014, but the majority of that stems from Aaron Hernandez’s contract, as Field Yates of ESPNBoston.com outlines. The team continues to seek cap relief for Hernandez’s deal, but even if New England is unsuccessful in that endeavor, the dead money doesn’t cripple the club’s cap outlook, writes Yates.
- After failing to land the general manager job in Miami, former Dolphins assistant GM Brian Gaine is joining the Texans as the team’s director of pro personnel, reports Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (via Twitter).
- While the Browns’ offensive line has remained “uncannily intact” for the last two seasons, the team has been stockpiling developmental players and could be in the market for three new starters in 2014, writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com.
- Undergoing ACL surgery heading into his restricted free agency didn’t bode particularly well for Chris Harris’ stock, but the Broncos cornerback had no other ligament or cartilage damage and only a partial tear of the ACL, a source tells Mike Klis of the Denver Post. The injury may have cost Harris a first-rounder tender, but he should still receive a second-round tender from the Broncos, and his recovery looks promising.
- In a Ravens notebook, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun examines the team’s need at center, James Ihedigbo’s impending free agency, and the odds of the club rolling the dice on troubled free agent linebacker Erin Henderson.