AFC East Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Bills

Bills DE Shaq Lawson credited his success so far this season to buying into HC Sean McDermott‘s system.

“I had to buy in or get out,” Lawson said, via Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. 

Lawson said he realized 2019 is a big season for him after the Bills declined to pick up his fifth-year option for 2020. 

“Yeah, it hit me,” Lawson said. “It hit me hard. But then I sat back and thought, ‘Everything happens for a reason.’ I knew, after they didn’t pick up my fifth-year option, how very important this year was for me, knowing it was going to be my last year on my contract and I knew what I had to do and prove people wrong.”

• McDermott said third-round RB Devin Singletary is day-to-day with a hamstring injury. (Carucci)
• McDermott added the team isn’t looking to bring in another running back, suggesting Singletary’s injury isn’t serious. (Matthew Fairburn)
• Bills signed LB Curtis Akins to their practice squad. (NFLTR)
• Bills released WR Tyron Johnson from their practice squad.

Dolphins

• According to the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero, the Dolphins maintain that they didn’t enter the season with the intent to tank and still aren’t tanking, though that’s semantics as they acknowledge they weren’t going to compete for a Super Bowl this year. 
• Salguero says the trade of DB Minkah Fitzpatrick came about because the coaching staff couldn’t settle on one role for Fitzpatrick and instead wanted him to play several positions. 
• Fitzpatrick preferred to focus on one or two positions to do them at a high level and that sparked a serious rift between himself and the team that couldn’t be mended. 
• Salguero reports LB Kiko Alonso was also unhappy with being asked to play multiple positions and Miami didn’t initially plan to trade him to the Saints. 
• Salguero repeats his belief that the Dolphins will draft a quarterback in the first round next year regardless of what happens this season.
• Per the Miami Herald’s Adam Beasley, Dolphins HC Brian Flores says QB Ryan Fitzpatrick will remain the starter, but will split reps with Josh Rosen in practice going forward. 
• Flores added S Reshad Jones is “close” to returning and just dealing with a couple of things, hinting at an injury. (Salguero)

Jets

• According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, there’s a good chance Jets CB Trumaine Johnson remains on the bench, as HC Adam Gase said the team’s corners “weren’t our problem” in Monday night’s loss to the Browns. 
• Gase said Johnson, who signed a five-year, $72.5 million deal in 2018, “hasn’t worked out the way we need it to.” Cimini believes the team will try to shop Johnson but doesn’t think anyone else will take on his salary. 
• Johnson is due $8 million fully guaranteed this year. 
• Jets QB Sam Darnold didn’t fully commit to returning by Week 5 against the Eagles, but confirmed that’s his goal: “I have full confidence that I’ll be ready for the Eagles game. I don’t want to promise anything.” (Manish Mehta)
• Jets placed QB Trevor Siemian on injured reserve. (NFLTR)
• Jets signed QB David Fales. (NFLTR)
• Jets signed DB Bennett Jackson to their practice squad. 

Patriots

• Patriots QB Tom Brady was limited in practice with a calf injury, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
• Patriots G Joe Thuney wouldn’t confirm if he would play left tackle Sunday against the Jets, but did say he was open to playing whatever position would help the team. (Reiss)