The Jets wasted no time in 2019 when wide receiver Braxton Berrios was waived by the Patriots just prior to the 2019 NFL season. The fourth-year player from the University of Miami was tabbed early in his Jets’ tenure as Jamison Crowder‘s back up in the slot, but Rich Cimini, of ESPN, details how Berrios’s effectiveness running and returning the ball could net him a bigger contract than his fellow slot receivers.
The first-team All Pro return man hits free agency this offseason and it’ll be interesting to see how those talks play out.
Here are a few more notes on the AFC East, starting with another item out of the Tri-State area:
- Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer has recognized the Eagles’ director of player personnel, Ian Cunningham, as a potential future general manager. The Jets, specifically, have tried twice to bring him on, as he and Jets’ general manager Joe Douglas are both products of the Ozzie Newsome tree from their time with the Ravens.
- As the Patriots’ season came to an end with last night’s blow out loss to the Bills, ESPN’s Mike Reiss brings forth the question of Devin McCourty‘s future. The New England mainstay has been a lynchpin of the Patriots’ defense for 12 years. But, at age 34 with an expiring contract, what does the future hold for the Boston-based twin.
- Cornerback Xavien Howard put enough pressure on the Dolphins in August that they restructured his contract with a few rewarding incentives. Howard made sure to cash out. Howard added to his salary $1MM for making the Pro Bowl and another $1MM for playing at least 90% of Miami’s defensive snaps. Barry Jackson, of the Miami Herald, details the situation in his Sports Buzz column.
Time for changes on the Pats defense, McCourty, Hightower, Collins and Mayo will be gone.
Those guys played at a high level their entire careers, but age has caught up with them (Hightower especially). The lack of athleticism at the linebacker position highlights Hightower’s aging I think. But, with all of that said, New England really doesn’t that much to be competitive again on defense, all things considered. McCourty will really be the most difficult to replace, as Belichick relies very heavily on a rangy center fielder being able to cover so much room-and McCourty’s experience on the back end really helps cover for a lot of other deficiencies.
I’d expect New England to really, really scrutinize this draft and free agency for an athletic inside linevbacker who can move laterally, and a smart deep safety with good instincts who can cover a large zone. Any team would love those, but the Patriots especially should need them.