AFC East Notes: Bills, Jets, Patriots

Bills

While Bills QB Josh Allen has drawn a lot of attention this offseason, Buffalo’s other 2018 first-round pick, LB Tremaine Edmunds, is also key to the team’s success as he looks to take another step forward from a strong rookie season at the young age of 20. 

“I’m excited about it,” HC Sean McDermott said via Vic Carruci of the Buffalo News. “Guys that (entered the 2019 draft) are older than Tremaine in the draft so that’s a little bit of a unique situation, but to watch him just physically mature from the time he left to the time we saw him a few months ago, you know he’s been working and that’s been nice to see. It doesn’t surprise me knowing him. He works at things, it’s important to him.”

Like Allen on the offensive side of the ball, Edmunds will be counted on to grow into a leader for the Bills on defense. McDermott said he’s already seen signs of that, as 36-year-old LB Lorenzo Alexander has taken Edmunds under his wing and helped empower the youngster. 

“I’ve watched him take leadership steps this offseason since he’s been back and some of that means Lorenzo has to give up some of that in the linebacker room. That’s a very unselfish approach by probably our biggest leader on our football team is to pass that torch in some ways to Tremaine,” McDermott said. “That’s a sign of a good football team, when you’re an unselfish team and you have a bunch of unselfish guys. That’s a good quality to have.”

Jets

Jets LB Jordan Jenkins is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is aiming at proving his worth for a new deal this year. 

“To me, every year is a contract year in my mind ever since I got drafted,” Jenkins said via Dani Mohr of the NY Post. “My mentality is this: I’ve realized what I can do, I can be as great as I can be, but I have to put the work in. I need to do this, that much, and more.”

• According to Brian Costello with the NY Post, 2019 will likely be OT Kelvin Beachum‘s final season with the Jets, as Beachum is 30 years old and is entering the final year of his contract. 

Patriots

So far, Patriots LB Kyle Van Noy has been impressed with the job Patriots defensive coach Jerod Mayo has done heading into his first season with New England as a coach. 

“He’s amazing. He’s got a bright future, he’s really smart,” Van Noy said via NFL Media’s Logan Reardon. “He’s also played the game, so he has that feel for it. I expect him to have a bright future because he’s really, really good at what he does. He’s a good teacher already.”

While LB Ja’whaun Bentley missed all but three games of his rookie season after being selected by the Patriots in the fifth round, Van Noy says Bentley flashed his potential during the spring. 

“He’s really good. He’s smart. He’s crafty. He does all those little things you want as a middle linebacker,” Van Noy said. “He sets the tone. He’s not afraid to communicate and he does a really good job [within] his role. His role will get bigger the more and more he plays, and a lot of people will be happy he’s a Patriot, that’s for sure.”