Words with Frenz: AFC East Mailbag, April 20 Edition

The final AFC East mailbag before the 2012 NFL draft didn't disappoint, with fans and followers asking a wide range of questions about all the AFC East teams.

I had a surprisingly slim selection of Patriots questions to answer this week, which is the exact opposite of the issue I'm usually faced with: too many Patriots questions and not enough about the other AFC East teams.

But it was all in the bag this week as I rummaged through the mentions column, so let's get right to it.

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@ErikFrenz is Ryan Tannehill a good fit/franchise QB for the #Dolphins? #WordsWithFrenz

— Phil Shore (@PShore15) April 20, 2012"

Good question to start us off, Phil.

Ryan Tannehill and Dolphins offensive coordinator Mike Sherman are close from their time together at Texas A&M, but the "fit" will be more dependent on Philbin's offense. Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel has made a compelling argument to draft Tannehill.

But if you ask most pundits, the answer is no. I can't remember the last time Mike Mayock, Mel Kiper, Todd McShay and Bill Polian all agreed on anything (since the American Revolution? The Ice Age? Dinosaurs?) but they sing in chorus on Tannehill: Beware, and be prepared to sit him for at least a year.

Thus, he may be a fit for the offense, but at the No. 8 pick, he may not be the right investment for the Dolphins. They have other needs they could fill with the pick, and at that point in the draft, you want to find a starter.

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@ErikFrenz In your mind, what must each AFC East team do in this draft to succeed this season? #WordsWithFrenz

— Arjuna Ramgopal (@AvkarSiv) April 19, 2012"

If the draft came down to just one thing each team had to do well, I think most GMs would be happy with the suddenly lightened workload they'd experience.

The Jets' lack of depth was exposed last year at several spots: offensive line, linebacker, safety and wide receiver just the most notable ones. With 10 picks, the snap judgment may be that they'll trade up for a top prospect they like, as they usually do.

However, the smarter move would be to put those picks to good use. Having only made 13 selections in the past three drafts combined, and missing on as many as the Jets have, has really hurt their depth.

The Bills have to get more explosive at wide receiver and add depth on the offensive line, specifically at tackle. Injuries at several positions hurt their offense greatly, but a lack of playmaking wide receivers was revealed down the stretch as well.

Not to mention Demetress Bell's injury, which revealed a lack of depth at tackle, and was followed by his departure to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Anyone with half a brain will tell you the Dolphins need to find a quarterback, but the other half of the brain whispers the thoughts of the aforementioned pundits.

What the Dolphins need most is to find players who can fit Joe Philbin's offense, regardless of the round. They brought in the offensive guru for a reason; let the man go to work.

The Patriots, quite simply, need help on the defensive side of the ball. That being said, they're not going to devote every last pick to the defense as some might think or hope. They have needs on offense, as well, with the interior offensive line, wide receiver and running back a few positions they could potentially target with their six picks.

Running back? Really? After drafting Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen last year? Don't ignore the loss of their leading rusher from the past two years in BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and the overall diminished role of Kevin Faulk. Add in a slightly down season for Danny Woodhead and the Patriots would be foolish not to at least consider available running backs this year.

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@ErikFrenz floyd or melvin ingram? Which will be the best bang for the #jets buck?

— HOGBOSS0197 (@HOGBOSS0197) April 20, 2012"

Thanks for the question, Hogboss. 

It's tough to say that either of those two players would be available when the Jets pick at No. 16, but if they were both there, I'd have to lean toward Melvin Ingram. He has the explosiveness the Jets are looking for at the position, and he's a jack of all trades at linebacker. What the Jets need more than anything are versatile guys that can do the job they're asked to do should an injury occur.

With Michael Floyd, the Jets get the potential for a big-play threat, but the wide receiver position is loaded in the draft. There will be ample opportunities to address the position later in the draft, with guys like Mohamed Sanu, Marvin Jones and Juron Criner all providing the big-bodied, field-stretching presence the Jets need outside the numbers.

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@ErikFrenz With LT being the only thing keeping th #Bills from truely going BPA, r u surprised they havent looked at any FA LTs? Any news?

— George Davidson (@GeorgeDavidson8) April 20, 2012"

Thanks, George. I was a little surprised by it, but not so much when you look at the talent that was available at the position. They might have added some depth, but nobody worth playing over last year's fourth-round draft pick Chris Hairston. Sure, he's unproven, but he should get a chance at least before he's replaced.

I wasn't surprised, either, by the fact that the Bills didn't bring back Demetress Bell. It creates a bigger need at left tackle than they already had, but at $34.5 million over five years (per Rotoworld), the numbers was bit too high, even with all the incentives and escape clauses.

The only news I have for you, George, is that the Bills have been kicking the tires on pretty much all of the top-ranked offensive tackles: Ohio State's Mike Adams, Georgia's Cordy Glenn, USC's Matt Kalil and Stanford's Jonathan Martin (in no particular order).

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@ErikFrenz In recent years #Patriots fans have been upset with moving back in the 1st rd, but this could be a good year to do so. Thoughts?

— Derek Havens (@PatriotsHaven) April 20, 2012"

Derek gets in a buzzer-beater Patriots questions. Thanks!

It could be a good year to trade down, sure. Any year could be a good year to trade down. For Bill Belichick, it's not about whether they will trade up or down; it's about who's available when they pick and what's the value of each player.

That being said, a run on a certain position could diminish the value of that position later on while raising the value of another position.

Much to the delight of Patriots fans, there's even the possibility of them trading up. With the rookie wage scale in place, there's no longer as big of a risk behind trading up for a player. If he falls flat, he won't be costing nearly as much as he would have in the past. Plus, according to Belichick, the Patriots were always leery of bringing in a rookie who was making more than a veteran they already had on the team.

According to NFL Network's Michael Lombardi:

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The key component to why he traded down all these years was the rising cost of rookie drafting. He didn't want to bring somebody into his locker room that was going to be in the top five payroll of his team. Players on his team that have [given] blood, sweat and tears for them to win, he didn't want to bring in some rookie who had never played and say, 'Oh, by the way, you're our fifth top player.'

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Time for one more.

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@ErikFrenz With the potential of Rex Ryan and Mike Tannenbaum being fired without playoff success, how aggressive will they be in the draft?

— Zach Bohner (@ZachBohner) April 20, 2012"

Thanks, Zach. That truly depends on your definition of "aggressive."

I will assume you mean in terms of trading up for a player they like. In that sense, I wouldn't hold your breath.

They have the utilities to move up if they want to; with 10 picks, they could probably swing into the top 10 if they felt like it, but should they? More so than top-end talent, the Jets need to add depth at several key spots where they were exposed last year, as mentioned earlier.

Let's put it this way: If the Jets add a lot of depth to the roster and miss the playoffs, it won't look nearly as bad as if they take a gamble and trade up for a player and still miss the playoffs. 

So long story short, the Jets shouldn't trade up for a guy unless they're confident that player can get them over the hump and send them to the playoffs. I don't see that prospect being available to the Jets at No. 16, and I don't see the value of trading up for that prospect where there aren't many to be had this year.

All right, guys. That's all I have for you this week. Thanks again for dropping your questions, and if you ever feel the need to ask me something, feel free to drop me a tweet. I'm always active and responsive.

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