AFC East Notes: Patriots, Britt, Bridgewater

The Patriots released wide receiver Kenny Britt earlier today, but New England actually offered the veteran pass-catcher an extension earlier this summer, per Jeff Howe of The Athletic (Twitter links). As of earlier this week, Britt was still dealing with the hamstring injury that landed him on the physically unable to perform list, so it’s possible the Patriots were attempting to use that leverage in order to re-up Britt on a cheap deal. New England originally signed Britt last December after he was cut by the Browns; his contract included a option for 2018 which the Pats exercised in March. Britt was scheduled to earn a base salary of $1.05MM this season ($150K of which was fully guaranteed), and he already collected $50K in workout bonuses. Per Howe, Britt is now nearing full recovery and is expected to find a new team in the near future.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

  • Teddy Bridgewater is reportedly on the trade block, and the Jets have already received interest from at least two clubs. With that in mind, Mike Sando and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com looked at six possible destinations for Bridgewater, who has excelled through two preseason games. Teams like the Cowboys or Panthers that currently lack an established backup quarterback certainly make sense as contenders for Bridgewater, but perhaps the most interesting team listed by the ESPN scribes is the divisional rival Dolphins. Bridgewater, 25, inked a one-year deal with a base value of $6MM, but he can earn another $9MM based on performance and playtime incentives.
  • Speaking of Bridgewater, Ian O’Connor of ESPN.com details the lengthy surgical and rehabilitation process the veteran Jets quarterback faced after dislocating his knee in 2016. “…[I]t’s certainly the worst knee dislocation in sports I’ve ever seen without having a nerve or vessel injury,” said surgeon Dan Cooper. “It’s an injury that about 20-25 percent of NFL players are able to come back from. … It’s a horrific injury. You’ve torn every single thing in your knee and it’s hanging on by one ligament on one side like a hinge.”
  • In case you missed it, the edge-rusher needy Jets have now expressed interest in both the Raiders’ Khalil Mack and the Jaguars’ Dante Fowler.
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