AFC Notes: Bengals, Dolphins, Jets

Bengals

New Bengals DT Chris Baker believes he won’t have any issue returning to his prior form after a disappointing 2017 season in Tampa Bay.

“I know the type of player that I am capable of being if I am given the opportunity to go out there and show what I can do,” Baker said, via the Bengals.com. “I know I can return to being one of the best defensive tackles in this game. I’m working my butt off each and every day and now that I’m with a coaching staff that believes in my ability, I’ll show everybody what I can do.”

Dolphins

• Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes that the Dolphins currently have $14.2 million of cap space to work with for the 2018 season.
• Jackson estimates that Miami will need more than $3 million of this figure but the team should be able to roll over $10 million of cap room to the 2019 season.
• As of now, the Dolphins are projected to have around $6 million of available cap space in 2019, so there will likely be some roster cuts and restructuring coming after the season.

Jets

Jets OC Jeremy Bates‘ first opportunity to run a team’s offense didn’t go very well, as he lasted just a year in the position with the Seahawks before he was fired. However, Bates says he’s learned a lot since then.

“There are a lot of things I’ve learned,” Bates said, via Rich Cimini of ESPN. “I did take a little sabbatical. Anytime you get fired, you can look at it one or two ways: You can either not think about it and try to become a better person and a better coach, or you can just move on. I obviously took a lot of time by myself and thought about some things, and I look forward to seeing how they turn out.”

First-round QB Sam Darnold spoke highly of Bates and his ability to relate to quarterbacks.

“It’s awesome that he’s able to sit with us, and that he’s had experience with quarterbacks,” Darnold said. “We’re able to go through the playbook, and he understands what we’re thinking. He’s able to understand when I’m looking at the defense. Even just on tape, if he sees my helmet looking one way or the other, he understands what I’m thinking, just because he’s coached quarterbacks for so long and because he was one. It all goes hand in hand.”