AFC Notes: Wilkerson, Incognito, Colts

Muhammad Wilkerson was arguably the best player on the Jets last season, and even that may not truly be very “arguable.” In his third year, the defensive end led the team in sacks, and positioned himself for a big contract extension. However, extension talks may have stalled, meaning it could begin to resemble the Darrelle Revis situation from a few years ago, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post.

The Jets hold all the leverage in negotiations, because they hold Wilkerson’s rights over the next two seasons for a bargain price of $7.2MM, and if they franchise tag him after next season, they’ll still have him for the cheap price of about $19MM depending on the tag number. At the same time, Costello notes that the Jets’ goal is to get a long-term contract in place. Here are some other free agency notes from the AFC:

• While the Richie Incognito controversy last season will most likely preclude him from signing with the Dolphins, the free agent guard should still have suitors this offseason. One team that could use his services is the Raiders, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. The Raiders’ interior offensive line was unimpressive last season, struggling to find consistency at the guard positions. Raider offensive coordinator Greg Olsen coached Incognito in St. Louis in 2006-07, and stood up for the troubled lineman during the season when the allegations of bullying first came out.
• The Colts‘ number one priority this offseason should be re-signing their own free agents, according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com. He writes that Vontae Davis, Pat McAfee, and Antoine Bethea should be the first three players taken care of, before the team starts thinking about bringing in new pieces.
• Dane Fletcher is not one of the most notable free agents the Patriots have to worry about, and if the linebacker is looking for a bigger role, then he is better off leaving New England, writes Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com. While the Patriots don’t necessarily need him (he only played 209 snaps on defense in 2013), even with the assumed departure of Brandon Spikes, Curran believes the Patriots would welcome him back.