First and 10: Sizing up the rest of the AFC East, BSJ passing primer, and Tom Brady is out West again

Welcome to first and 10, a roundup of all the (mostly) Patriots-related news you need to start your Friday. Grab your coffee and let’s get to it.



So this is the last edition of first and 10 for me for the next couple of weeks, as I'm headed on vacation. Have a few more things before we take off, including a weekend notebook in a couple of days that includes an interview with a Hall of Famer who shares some candid thoughts about the state of the Patriots. We'll also have a fun feature I've (mostly) completed that will roll out on Monday and go until mid-July. But for now, we'll close up our morning football funhouse until just before the start of camp. Be safe, let someone else handle the fireworks and get some rest. Camp is right around the corner, people.

Now, on with the links...

1. I talked to reporters who cover the Jets, Bills and Dolphins about the state of those three teams with less than a month to go before the start of camp. The overriding theme? The quarterback situation in all three spots will go a long way toward determining the success or failure of each franchise in 2018. In New York, the Jets are betting it all on rookie Sam Darnold. In Buffalo, the Bills are wondering if a rookie (Josh Allen) will ultimately be the answer. And in Miami, the Dolphins are going all-in on veteran Ryan Tannehill.

2. Greg nails it again with the latest edition of the BSJ classroom. In this one, he looks at sight adjustments the Patriots' pass catchers often have to go through to help make the whole thing a success. More good stuff here -- well worth your time.

3. Tom Brady had an Instagram story on Thursday from the Yellowstone Club in Montana. Are we going to see some of the wide receivers make the trek West sooner rather than later? Fourth of July last year was (about) when he was spotted with Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola in Montana. It'll be interesting to see if we see the same thing develop in the next week or so. (Time for Brady to blow that conch shell: Wide receivers ... assemble!)

4. Our buddies "The Camera Guys" catch up with Sony Michel and Malcolm Mitchell.


5. Former Patriots left tackle Nate Solder is back in Colorado, and is set to hold his annual football camp for the eighth year running this weekend at Buena Vista High School. “This is just Lexi and my opportunity to reach out and give back to a community that meant so much to me and helped me grow so much through my high school years,” Solder said about the fondness he and his wife hold for Buena Vista.

Extra Point: Shaq talked to Jimmy Fallon about partying with Rob Gronkowski. “He’s the craziest white guy I’ve ever seen in my life.”