AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Patriots, Draft

Want to know the Dolphins‘ plans for the NFL Draft next week? You’ll have to wait, because general manager Chris Grier says his lips are sealed (Twitter link via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald):

We’ve spent a lot of time going through, spent a lot of time with the players. We’re going to do what’s best for the Miami Dolphins..My wife and kids are worse than you guys [asking who we’ll take].”

Grier claims there are “about eight or nine players” the Dolphins could select at No. 5 overall, but we’d wager that the list is much shorter than that. Based on what we’ve been hearing, the ‘Fins are most likely looking at quarterbacks, though no one is sure whether their preferred QB is Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa or Oregon’s Justin Herbert.

Here’s the latest from the AFC East:

  • It’s no secret that the Patriots are in the market for a QB and the feeling is that Bill Belichick will either find his next passer in the first round or in the middle rounds, with no real in between, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Meanwhile, one NFL GM tells Peter King of NBC Sports that the Pats “love” Herbert, though they’re not in love enough to vault way up from No. 23 to get him.
  • So, what is Belichick looking for as the Patriots try to replace Tom Brady? Recently, NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah (Twitter link) unearthed scouting material from BB’s Browns days where he said the No. 1 trait is someone that makes “good decisions.” Arm strength, to BB, is secondary – he values accuracy over “a guy with a cannon.” Those descriptions fit Brady and they’ll likely be prerequisites for the Patriots’ QB of the future. Beyond Tua and Herbert, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe sees Jake Fromm as a solid fit.
  • Earlier this year, the Patriots exercised their option on Jason McCourty, which helped bring brother Devin McCourty back to New England. If the Patriots didn’t hold on to Jason, Devin would have left for the Dolphins, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears.
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