AFC East Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Patriots

Bills

• The Buffalo Bills announced Monday that they’ve hired Terry Heffernan as assistant offensive line coach.
• Mike Rodak reports that LB Lorenzo Alexander‘s new one-year contract with the Bills carries a $3.75 million cap figure in 2019, which is up only slightly from his $3.6 million cap number in 2018.
• Rodak adds that Alexander will make a $2 million base salary with $1 million fully guaranteed, a $600,000 signing bonus, a $900,000 roster bonus ($56,250 per game active roster) and a $250,000 workout bonus.

Dolphins

Dolphins RT Ja’Wuan James said he’s looking forward to testing the free agent market this offseason. 

“I’m looking forward to free agency,” James said. “We’ll see how they feel about me.”

Cameron Wolfe mentions that the contracts signed by Rams RT Rob Havenstein ($8.125M per year) and Bears RT Bobby Massie ($8 million-plus) could end up being the floor for James this offseason.

We have James featured in our Top 50 – 2019 NFL Free Agents list.

• Ian Rapoport reports that Brian Flores is expected to add Giants OLBs coach Robbie Leonard and Jaguars DL coach Marion Hobby to his Dolphins’ coaching staff.

Patriots

Patriots QB Tom Brady said in an interview with ESPN that there’s “zero” chance of him retiring after the Super Bowl. 

When asked why he wants to continue his NFL career into his 40s, Brady explained that he loves the competition and the game is still fun for him.

“I love playing football and I love the competition and love competing at the highest level,” Brady said, via WEEI. “I don’t know what’s more fun for me than running out against Kansas City in the biggest game of our season in front of 70,000 people and coming away with the win. That was one of the great joys of my life. And I think you can never go back as an athlete. It’s not like I’m going to retire for a year and then come back when I’m 43. I’m just going to keep playing. When I feel like I don’t want to make the commitment, or feel like I’ve had enough, then I’ve had enough. But in my view, this year, next year, the year after that, I want to keep playing, because I really love it, and I’m having a lot of fun.”