AFC East Notes: Jets, Pryor, Dolphins

New Jets wide receiver Terrelle Pryor recently underwent a scope on his knee, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Per head coach Todd Bowles, it will be “close” as to whether Pryor will be available for training camp, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. While reports on Pryor seem positive, any injury is worth noting for the ex-Browns and Redskins wideout. Pryor underwent ankle surgery last November and missed the remainder of what was already a disappointing campaign in Washington, and subsequently dealt with another, unrelated ankle issue last month. If Pryor is forced to miss any time, fellow receivers Chad Hansen, ArDarius Stewart, or Andre Roberts could conceivably see more action.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

• Defensive tackle Leonard Williams is under the Jets‘ control through the 2019 campaign thanks to his fifth-year option, and the former first-round pick isn’t concerned about his next contract, as Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. “The contract’s going to come,” Williams said. “There’s no pressure for it. I’m not like thirsty for it or anything like that. I just want to keep working hard and keep focusing on year by year and just making myself the best possible and helping my team be the best possible, and the money will come.” Williams, who will earn a combined total of roughly $17MM over the next two years, graded as the NFL’s No. 21 interior defender in 2017, per Pro Football Focus. He’s eligible for an extension now, but New York hasn’t made any known contractual overtures.
• A number of Jets players — including rookie tight end Chris Herndon, linebacker Dylan Donahue, and perhaps most infamously, wide receiver Robby Anderson — have been in legal hot water in recent months, but Bowles doesn’t think the club’s string of arrests is much of an issue. “It’s not a Jets problem or a league problem. It’s a nationwide problem,” Bowles said, as Costello writes in a separate piece. “We deal with them on a daily basis as they come. We talk about [how] we’re against them. You know you’re against certain things. Things happen in your 20s and we treat them on an individual basis and you move by.” As Costello notes, the majority of the Jets’ legal troubles have stopped following initial arrests, as most charges in these cases have been reduced or dropped.
• The Dolphins recently picked up $17MM in salary cap space when Ndamukong Suh‘s contract officially came off the books on June 1, and while much of that money will be used to sign the rest of the club’s draft class, or put away for roster emergencies, Miami could utilize some of that cash on a cornerback upgrade, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald opines. Although the Dolphins recently locked up slot corner Bobby McCain on a four-year extension, they could still use another outside defensive back to play opposite Xavien Howard. As Salguero notes, Adam Jones, Jeremy Lane, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie are among the veteran defenders still available, as are Bashaud Breeland, Delvin Breaux, and Kayvon Webster.