Sunday Six-Pack of AFC East Thoughts and Notes on the 2012 NFL Draft and More

Alfonzo Dennard Made the Worst Last Impression at the Worst Possible Time

With just a week left before the draft, Nebraska cornerback Alfonzo Dennard assaulted a police officer and was taken into custody.

The players have already been through the ringer in terms of workouts, private meetings and more. The next time Dennard will get to explain himself will be either a) in front of a judge or b) face-to-face in front of the coach that drafts them. 

This sums it up nicely, from B/R NFL draft lead blogger Sigmund Bloom:

"

Dennard was a first-rounder on some lists before the Senior Bowl, but struggles in practice and a week cut short by a hip injury started the negative momentum on his draft stock. Questions arose about his natural fit at corner and ability to turn and run with faster receivers.

Now this incident could push him down even further. Dennard could end up being a value because of his troubling postseason, but many teams will not want to the risk in the top 100 after this news.

"

That's extremely disappointing news for a player who was projected in the first three rounds of most mock drafts leading up to the draft.

Should Asante Samuel Have Accepted His Contract Offer from the Patriots?

The question has often been asked, should the Patriots have done more to retain cornerback Asante Samuel when the cornerback left for the Eagles in free agency in 2008?

In light of recent news that he's on the trade block, the question should now be asked, should Asante Samuel have done more to remain a Patriot?

Samuel signed a six-year, $57.14 million contract in 2008 (per Rotoworld). However, whichever team ends up trading for him will likely ask him to rework his contract. $9.9 million is a big pill to swallow for 2012.

For the final two years of his contract, Samuel is slated to make $21.3 million, or roughly $10.65 million per year. By my math (57.14 - 21.3), Asante has made $35.84 million of his contract over the first four years of the contract, or roughly $8.96 million per year, well over $1 million short of the average he is slated to make in '12 and '13.

If you had told Asante that he could lose out on some of that money back in 2008, he might have reconsidered his decision to leave the nest and join the Eagles.

After thought: Patriots fans anxious to see whether the team would trade for him back? I think he burned that bridge awhile ago. And then poured kerosene on it.

"Veteran's Day" for the Patriots Points Out a Hole in Running Back Depth Chart

The Patriots have had at least one running back on their roster over the age of 28 since 2002. Not in 2012, though; at least not if they don't re-sign Kevin Faulk or find a veteran back on the open market.

Enter running backs Ryan Grant, Tim Hightower and Joseph Addai, who all entered Gillette Stadium for private workouts over the past few days. Grant is 29, and Addai is 28. Hightower, however, is only 25 years old, but has four years of NFL experience.

The Patriots strategy in free agency of taking a look at a wide range of players and finding the best fits has worked out in the past, specifically in 2011 on the defensive line when the team added Andre Carter, Mark Anderson, Albert Haynesworth and Shaun Ellis; the first two paid dividends, the second two paid their way off the field, and in Haynesworth's case, out of Foxborough.

By upping the number of veteran backs they are looking at, the Patriots are only increasing their odds of finding a fit. This is why the Patriots leave no stone unturned in free agency.

Dolphins and Jets Must Look To Second, Third Rounds for Starting Talent

Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post wrote a great piece detailing the Dolphins lack of starting talent acquired in the second and third rounds over the past four drafts (since Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland took over).

Surprisingly, though, the Dolphins have done better at finding starting talent in those two rounds than anyone else in the AFC East. Quarterback Chad Henne and defensive end Kendall Langford were both starters before leaving as free agents this offseason. As of now, Sean Smith is the lone starter, but several recent second and third round picks could be elevated to starting roles this year, including running back Daniel Thomas, linebacker Koa Misi and offensive lineman John Jerry.

The Bills have built well through the draft recently, with safety Jairus Byrd, guard Andy Levitre and linebacker Kelvin Sheppard all becoming starters for the team as of 2011. Cornerback Aaron Williams fell just short of the list with six starts, but could assume a bigger role in 2012.

The Patriots got off to a tough start in '08 with the selection of Terrence Wheatley, Shawn Crable and Kevin O'Connell combining for one start, but netting safety Patrick Chung and tackle Sebastian Vollmer in '09 followed by tight end Rob Gronkowski and linebacker Brandon Spikes in '10 helped a great deal. Cornerback Ras-I Dowling could become a starter yet (he started two games before ending the season on injured reserve) as well as Stevan Ridley (15 games with two starts).

The Jets have made only three picks in those two rounds since '08, and have just running back Shonn Greene to show for it so far, but defensive end Kenrick Ellis (two starts in 2011) could assume a bigger role in 2012.

All four teams have some work to do, and as important as the first round may be, the second and third rounds can pay huge dividends, as well.

Cameron Wake's Holdout Brings Dolphins Sigh of Relief, but Pass Rush Still a Need

When defensive end Cameron Wake began holding out from Dolphins voluntary workouts, the Dolphins were poised to lose not just one of their best pass rushers, but one of the best pass rushers in the NFL.

But he returned to the fold, according to The Miami Herald, after speaking to head coach Joe Philbin.

As a leader both on and off the field for the Dolphins defense, they absolutely needed to get him back for camp, but the Dolphins still could use to fortify their pass rush. That was considered a position of need for the team headed into the draft before the workout holdout, and should still be one now that Wake is back.

Among Buffalo Bills Needs, Cornerback Getting Little Attention

Wide receivers and offensive tackles. Virtually every Bills fans is up to speed on the top end talent at those two positions, as those are two of the biggest needs for the Bills.

One need that isn't quite getting the attention it deserves, however, is cornerback.

Statistically speaking, cornerback is one of the most problematic positions on the roster. They've been searching for answers there, but with cornerbacks Terrence McGee and Drayton Florence both over 30 and with Leodis McKelvin looking more and more like a draft bust that will never turn the corner, their need at the position remains.

But never fear.

Wes Bunting of National Football Post ranked cornerback as his No. 1 deepest position in the draft, meaning that the Bills could probably get some talent at the position later on. Don't count out the possibility of them trading up to land a prospect of their desires. 

If they want to land LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne, they'll likely have to trade up to the No. 4 overall pick with the Browns to leap frog the Buccaneers, who also desperately need a cornerback.

Brandon Boykin and Stephon Gilmore are two cornerbacks who could also be in the cross hairs. The two have the speed the Bills lack in the secondary, with Gilmore the better ball hawk of the two.

Regardless, I wouldn't be surprised to see them double down on the position in the draft.

And if all else fails, they could always take a late-round flier on Dennard.

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