BY NICK ST. DENIS
Veteran running back Maurice Jones-Drew is floating around the atmosphere of free agency, and the AFC East has taken notice.
According to the NY Daily News, Jones-Drew, formerly of the Jacksonville Jaguars, is set to meet with four NFL teams this week. Three of those four are in a familiar division.
The New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly in the market for the 29-year-old tailback, who has upwards of 8,000 career rushing yards to his name.
Once one of the top backs in the league, Jones-Drew rushed for a career-low 3.4 yards per carry in 2013. Jones-Drew, however, is still more than capable of being a productive contributor in a by-committee backfield.
While Bilal Powell is a good complement to Chris Ivory, the Jets could stand to bolster their rushing attack. The same goes for the Patriots with Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley, though the Dolphins could use the help more than anyone, as the combination of Lamar Miller and Daniel Thomas has been mostly underwhelming of late.
CBS Sports reported last week that MJD is looking for a deal in the ballpark of $3.5 million a year, but he likely won't get that kind of return at this point in free agency, and frankly, his career.
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