AFC East Rumors: Dolphins, Jets, Glenn

The Dolphins have invested heavily at wide receiver in recent years, selecting Jarvis Landry in the 2014 second round and DeVante Parker in the 2015 first before authorizing a higher-end contract to re-sign Kenny Stills. But at least some within the organization are missing a former lower-level investment, with Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reporting (on Twitter) a common lament among the Dolphins is they wish they’d retained Rishard Matthews — a UFA in 2016. Now an integral component on the Titans, Matthews did not require much to sign. As players like Marvin Jones, Mohamed Sanu and Travis Benjamin required at least $6MM per year to sign in 2016, with Jones costing the Lions $8MM annually, Matthews signed a three-year, $15MM deal in Tennessee. (Stills signed for $8MM AAV in 2017.)

A 2012 seventh-round pick, Matthews easily established a new career high with 945 receiving yards last season and is on pace to top that this year, exiting Week 11 with 626. He averaged more than 15 yards per reception in his final year with the Dolphins and is sitting on 15.3 through 10 2017 Titans games. No Dolphin has 500 air yards this season. Stills has 408 through nine games, while Parker’s at 378.

Here’s the latest out of the AFC East.

• Cordy Glenn will miss Sunday’s Bills-Chargers game with what the team is calling a foot/ankle malady. Glenn has run into rampant injury trouble since signing an extension in 2016. Sunday will mark his fourth missed game of this season. He missed five in 2016 after being absent for none the previous three seasons. Dion Dawkins filled in for Glenn the last time he couldn’t go because of an ankle problem, one that’s dogged him for the past two seasons. Glenn has three seasons remaining on his five-year, $60MM contract authorized by the Doug Whaley regime.
• Speaking of the Bills, their handling of Tyrod Taylor could make the 2018 draft more complicated. The Bills, who are starting fifth-round rookie Nathan Peterman in his place, figure to be in the hunt for a franchise passer in Round 1, and Andy Vasquez of NorthJersey.com writes that will make the Jets‘ search for one more complex. The new Buffalo regime took over after the draft, so Peterman did not arrive on their watch. That would point to the Bills, who almost certainly will be moving on from Taylor after this season, thoroughly examining the 2018 quarterback prospects. Vasquez adds Taylor could be a Jets option as well. There was interest from Gang Green in the now-28-year-old passer had the Bills not reworked his contract this offseason.
• The Jets could also be in the market for a new head coach despite Todd Bowles‘ unexpected success with this bare-bones roster thus far, with Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writing the third-year Jets coach is not secure for 2018. Bowles was viewed as a hot-seat candidate entering this season, one that came after an offseason purge of veterans from the roster, but the Jets sitting at 4-6 when many viewed four wins as a ceiling for the season may put Mike Maccagnan to a decision. Mehta argues it’s hard to judge Bowles based on the talent available presently. He’s 19-23 as Jets coach in just more than 2 1/2 seasons.