Words with Frenz: AFC East Mailbag, 2/22 Edition

Could Braylon Edwards find himself back in the AFC East? Could the Buffalo Bills really land the biggest name on the free-agent market? Who will each AFC East team be targeting in free agency?

These were the questions that were posed in today's AFC East mailbag. Let's get to it.

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@ErikFrenz Braylon Edwards on anyones radar? Patriots?

— Dumpsterfire Jones (@shanky3putt) February 22, 2012"

Braylon Edwards had career lows across the board last year. He went from on the radar in the 2011 offseason to off a cliff in the 2011 regular season.

If anyone's going after Edwards, it's not in an attempt to get the guy who flashed the potential as a game-breaking receiver in 2007; it'll be to squeeze some juice out of him in the red zone, where his 6'3" frame can still win matchups.

Even if he walks the straight and narrow, is it worth the risk considering what he has left in the tank? He was only slightly below his career averages across the board in 2010, and whether it was a function of the system or of age creeping up on him, his number plummeted like the ratings for Joe Millionaire.

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@ErikFrenz What do the Bills do if they can't make a deal with Stevie Johnson? Do they have cap room to pursue a FA veteran?

— Andrea Hangst (@FBALL_Andrea) February 22, 2012"

They do; it's just a matter of whether or not that's where they want to spend it. According to Bryan McIntyre of Football Outsiders, the Bills are projected to have somewhere in the neighborhood of $30-35 million in cap space. Do they want to spend the money on a wide receiver, or would they rather pin their ear back to chase the big-time pass-rusher, Mario Williams?

To me, that's the more intriguing option. And the thing is, with $30-35 million in cap space, there's no reason they shouldn't reach a long-term deal with Stevie Johnson that gives him around $8 million per year, leaving them with enough to go after Super Mario.

GM Buddy Nix said the team wants to be aggressive in free agency, and they gave the right signal when they brought in free-agent CB Stanford Routt. Now, they should try to close the deal on Williams and keep their No. 1 receiver at the same time. They certainly have the resources.

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@ErikFrenz who do you think the biggest FA signing will be for each team in the Afc east?

— Alex Hoegler (@AlexH2795) February 22, 2012"

I don't see the Jets as big-time players in free agency. They don't have the flexibility they had last year when it comes to maneuvering salaries to make room for a move. They laid over some of their problems from last year when they went after Nnamdi Asomugha and are paying for it now.

As for the Bills, I really see Mario Williams as the guy to target there for the reasons mentioned above. They could really use a pass-rusher, and there isn't going to be much of a problem for Williams coming back from that pectoral injury. It's not like it was a knee.

The Dolphins remain contenders in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes, but he could still end up getting a deal done with the Colts. If that's the case, look for the Dolphins to inquire for Matt Flynn's services. He and new head coach Joe Philbin worked together in Green Bay. I will say this: If the Dolphins don't make some kind of move for Flynn, that should be a huge red flag.

There are a ton of receivers available in free agency, which really plays into the Patriots favor, because they need one and can get one on the cheap. Brandon Lloyd is the stand-by for his relationship with Josh McDaniels, and I fully expect him to be on New England's short list. He has openly expressed interest in joining the Patriots on Pro Football Talk Live.

If it doesn't work out for whatever reason (er-hem, Tom Condon), the Patriots could go after a guy like Reggie Wayne, or maybe even Mario Manningham, both guys that have proven they can win matchups on the outside and run routes in a precision offense.

There's been a lot of talk of the Patriots needing a "deep threat," but I wrote yesterday that that's not exactly true, and it turns out NFL Films guru Greg Cosell agrees with me. Mike Wallace has been classified as a fit, but he doesn't run great routes. Some might think that you don't need to run good routes if you can stretch the defense vertically.

With so many talented free-agent receivers available, it's almost certain one of them will land in the AFC East.

Alright guys, that's all I've got today. Thanks for sending me your questions, and as always, feel free to send me your questions anytime at the link below.

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