AFC East Notes: Cousins, Jets, Dolphins,

The Jets are reportedly ready to pay quarterback Kirk Cousins all he could want to be the team’s franchise quarterback. The team could get creative in a deal, offering him as much as $60 MM guaranteed in the first year of the deal, a league source told the New York Post’s Brian Costello.

The thinking is similar to what the 49ers did when they signed Jimmy Garoppolo. With a projected $73.2 MM in cap space, according to overthecap.com, the Jets could front-load the contract when the team has plenty of money to work with. That would set up friendlier cap numbers for the ensuing years when the team is expected to have less cap space.

Costello projects the $73.2 MM in cap room could grow to as much as $92 MM if the team cuts DL Muhammad Wilkerson and RB Matt Forte, as expected. Even with $60 MM in guaranteed money going Cousins’ way, the Jets would still have $30 MM to work with in free agency.

Money won’t be the issue with New York trying to lure Cousins to town. It will be if they can sell him on the idea of winning quickly.

Here is more from around the AFC East:

• Sticking with the Jets, the team reportedly offered tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins an $8 MM deal over two years but was turned down, Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York reports. The reported deal is well below the expected $9.8 MM expected annual salary for tight ends on the franchise tag.
• The Dolphins would be interested in bringing in C.J. Anderson if the Broncos cut him, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. Miami attempted to sign Anderson following the 2016 season but the Broncos matched their offer. The Dolphins recently hired former Broncos running backs coach Eric Studesville for the same position. Anderson was very critical of the team’s decision to let Studesville go.
• Dolphins DL coach Craig Kuligowski left the team to pursue other opportunities, Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter link). That other opportunity is expected to be as the new Alabama DL coach, Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman reports (Twitter link).