AFC East Notes: Bills, Jets, Patriots

Bills

• The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia writes the Bills took a big swing by trading a first-round pick and more for WR Stefon Diggs because this is such a crucial year for QB Josh Allen. Buffalo will need to make a decision on Allen’s fifth-year option next offseason and wanted to put him in the best position to succeed. 
• Buscaglia adds that defensive end is set to become a bigger need in the next two seasons, with DEs Mario Addison, Jerry Hughes and Trent Murphy all on expiring deals in that timeframe and all over the age of 30. 
• While the Bills have a history of adding former Panthers, Buscaglia says signing QB Cam Newton doesn’t make sense in 2020 as they see if Allen has grown. If Allen falters nad Newton’s still available in 2021, then it becomes more of a possibility. 

Jets

• The Athletic’s Connor Hughes says the two-year $20 million deal with $12 million in the first year was more than what Jets GM Joe Douglas wanted to pay for WR Robby Anderson.
• Hughes said an executive on another team pointed to Anderson’s past run-ins with the law as one of the reasons his market was softer than expected: “He’s not exactly squeaky clean.”
• Hughes writes the Jets aren’t done at wide receiver, with the draft their best bet to improve the position, though he wouldn’t rule out a trade for Eagles WR Alshon Jeffery when he gets healthy. 
• Jets CB Brian Poole‘s one-year, $5 million deal includes $4.5 million guaranteed in the form of a $3 million signing bonus, a guaranteed base salary of $1.5 million, and up to $500,000 in per-game active roster bonuses. (Aaron Wilson)

Patriots

Regarding the decision to release veteran K Stephen Gostkowski after 14 years, Patriots HC Bill Belichick said in a statement that Gostkowski was among the best specialists he’s ever worked with.

“I have had the privilege of coaching some of the best specialist in the NFL and Stephen Gostkowski is one of them,” Belichick said, via NFL.com. “Stephen had many highlights over his 14 years as a Patriot and one of the most impressive was the way it began, when he succeeded the most accomplished kicker in NFL history. For some, this may have been too difficult a challenge. But from his rookie year, Stephen exuded a maturity and confidence that demonstrated he was up to the task. He made several crucial kicks his rookie year and established a top level of performance and consistency for years and years to come. Stephen is a teammate who made outstanding contributions over a decade of championship football.”

• Doug Kyed of NESN says that following the signing of QB Brian Hoyer, the chances of QB Jarrett Stidham becoming New England’s starting quarterback have significantly improved.
• Kyed also notes that the signing of Hoyer likely means that the Patriots are not in the market for a high-end quarterback such as Cam Newton, Andy Dalton, or Jameis Winston.
• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer echoes the sentiment, saying his sense is the Patriots don’t want to make a major financial commitment at quarterback in 2020. He adds New England did sniff around QB Kyle Allen before the Panthers traded him to the Redskins for a fifth-round pick.