AFC East Notes: Patriots, Dolphins, Jets

Dion Lewis agreeing to a deal the Patriots felt was below market value shocked the team, sources told Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.

By signing the deal, Lewis agreed to accept just $600K guaranteed, in the form of a signing bonus, despite averaging 108.3 yards from scrimmage per game in his three-game stint in New England.

Volin notes that Lewis’ 2015 overall earnings will be $1.19MM, the same as backup Brandon Bolden, and his 2016 base salary ($800K) will be less than punter Ryan Allen‘s $1MM haul.

In pointing out that Shane Vereen and Roy Helu received $4.75MM guaranteed and $4.1MM over two years, respectively, Volin argues Lewis, who he calls potentially a much better player than both, sold low on himself.

In other news from the AFC East …

• The Patriots, thanks to trades of and for complementary parts and compensatory picks, will have an interesting stable of draft choices in 2016, writes Volin, who points out that a quarterback-desperate team like the Texans could fork over as much as a first-round pick for Jimmy Garoppolo. That seems high, considering Ryan Mallett came to Houston for a Day 3 draft pick. Although if the Pats trade for a first-rounder, the NFL will deprive them of whichever selection is higher — their pick or an acquired selection — due to the Deflategate penalties stripping them of their first-rounder.
• Stephen Ross will have to stop firing staffers in sections, writes Volin, if he wants any kind of stability to be associated with his franchise. The Dolphins owner fired Tony Sparano but kept GM Jeff Ireland in 2012, fired Ireland but retained Joe Philbin and now staggered the firings of Philbin and defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle.
• Sheldon Richardson won’t be restricted much despite missing four games due to suspension, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Mehta also expects Jets coach Todd Bowles to use more four-man fronts now that arguably his top defensive lineman is back in a way to get Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson and Leonard Williams on the field together.
• Daryl Slater of the New York Daily News argues Richardson will be eased into action more gradually than Mehta predicts, with the ex-Missouri lineman being barred from practice at the Jets’ facilities during his suspension.
• Richardson’s next suspension for his speeding/resisting arrest incident over the summer won’t come until 2016, Slater offers, with the case continuing to see delays.