2012 NFL Free Agency Market Watch: Observations for Every AFC East Team, Feb. 9

Miami Dolphins: Matt Flynn a suitable alternative if Peyton Manning doesn't pan out

As it has been every year since Dan Marino retired in 2000, the Miami Dolphins' No. 1 priority is bringing in a franchise quarterback. It appears there are some realistic options, and one person Dolphins fans are hitching their hopes to is Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who is expected to be released by the team that drafted him.

Those hopes should be tempered, though. Appearing on Bill Simmons' B.S. Report on Grantland, NFL Network's Michael Lombardi caused a bit of a stir when he made some revealing comments about Manning's recovery.

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"He can't throw the ball," said Lombardi. "I've talked to people who've caught the ball for him. He can't throw the ball to his left. He can't throw the ball across his body, because he doesn't feel it. People that catch the ball for him say he doesn't really have velocity on the ball yet."

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Even if Manning doesn't pan out, though, the Dolphins have an alternative in Matt Flynn. Sure, Flynn has only made two professional starts, but he's no slouch. This is the same guy that quarterbacked LSU to a national championship and who also holds the single-game record for passing yards and touchdowns for the Packers.

And nobody knows Flynn better than new Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin. 

New England Patriots: The franchise tag for Wes Welker?

Appearing on 640 AM in Miami, Greg Bedard of The Boston Globe said it's "pretty much certain" that Patriots receiver Wes Welker is going to get the franchise tag. According to Football Outsiders, the one-year franchise tag for a wide receiver is somewhere between $9.4 and $9.8 million.

From a business standpoint, it's a smart move. Welker had a monster year in 2011, and from a statistical perspective, his contract should be on par with the likes of Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Texans receiver Andre Johnson.

He certainly deserves to be paid like one of the best in the league being that he's been one of the best of the league for a long time. Welker may not be 6'4" or run a 4.4-second 40-yard dash, but he has the most receptions of any receiver since 2007.

Beyond that, this is more than about just paying a receiver. It's about keeping familiar weapons around Tom Brady for the remainder of his career. The Patriots let Jabar Gaffney walk in free agency several years ago and have struggled to find a suitable replacement in the offense since then. Brady said he missed Gaffney and pointed to the fact that they got on the same page very quickly and that he was able to learn all the different positions of the offense. These are valuable traits of Welker's that go beyond the stats.

In earnest, this may be a move similar to what the Patriots have done in the past, where they use the franchise tag on a player to prevent him from hitting free agency only to work out a long-term deal in the near future. That is the method they used for Vince Wilfork in 2009 and Logan Mankins in 2011.

New York Jets: A back-up quarterback should be a priority

Whether or not the Jets go after any big-name free agents remains to be seen, and from this perspective, it may be difficult for them, as they currently sit above the salary cap. One low-cost move they should make, though, is at backup quarterback.

I touched on some early thoughts on the Jets free agents yesterday, and looking back, there's one thing I completely missed: Both Mark Brunell and Kevin O'Connell are set to become free agents.

Jets fans are perilously familiar with the comments of an unnamed source to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News nearly a month ago, when it was said that Mark Sanchez is "lazy" and "content" as the starting quarterback of the Jets. Whether or not that's true, something needs to be done to help him improve. His 73.2 passer rating since 2009 ranks 42nd out of 47 quarterbacks with over 300 pass attempts.

What better way to motivate him than to bring in a talented quarterback that will make him earn the job week in and week out?

Buffalo Bills: No better option than Stevie Johnson

The Bills offense showed signs of life in 2011, averaging 30 points per game through their first seven games and finishing out the season averaging just under 18 PPG.

The big question has been whether or not receiver Stevie Johnson is worth a big contract. He will look to get something close to $8 million per year, but the Bills have shown reluctance toward giving him that kind of money.

The numbers weren't great on passes in his direction, but they were better than the numbers for many of the other receivers. Johnson was the best big-play threat the offense had all season. It's not imperative for them to bring him back, but there has to be a backup plan if only because of the sheer volume of wide receivers that are set to become free agents for the Bills.

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