AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Jets

Bills

• Regarding Bills GM Brandon Beane’s comments about a potential “advantage” in releasing unvaccinated players, Tom Pelissero reports that the league spoke to Beane and informed him that players cannot be released due to vaccination status.

Dolphins

• Jeremy Fowler reports that new Dolphins DB Jason McCourty was in talks with the Giants prior to signing his deal with Miami on Thursday.
• However, New York’s defensive backfield picture became crowded after free agency and the draft and he felt he would have a better chance of having an impact in Miami, especially with his familiarity with Brian Flores system.

Jets

Jets’ HC Robert Saleh mentioned that Jets’ DT Quinnen Williams is recovering well from surgery.

“From everything that I’ve gathered, his surgery went well. Everything was a success,” Saleh said, via Brian Costello of The New York Post. “We’re expecting him back, I believe, for training camp. We’re excited to work with him. He’s a tremendous young man. He’s in high spirits. We’re excited to get him back. It could have been worse. Those types of injuries are injuries … it was something that was eventually going to happen. For it to happen now so they can get it fixed and he can be ready for training camp rather than it happening in training camp and now he’s missing half the season. The timing of it all was good. You never want to see a young man get hurt, especially in a first year where we’re trying to get him to understand how we play, especially upfront which will be different for him. The fact that he’ll be ready for training camp is a positive.”

• Jets’ QB Zach Wilson says he made the decision to come out of college because he felt he was mentally and physically ready for the NFL: “I’m going to make sure I’m in the facility every single day giving it everything I have.” (NFL Network)
• When asked about how to help Wilson deal with the pressure as a rookie starter,  HC Robert Saleh said there is no shielding him from that in 2021: “To hide him, to shield him, it’s impossible. If you try to do that, you’re wasting time.” (Ralph Vacchiano)
• Jets’ second-round WR Elijah Moore said Wilson sent him a text and called shortly after he was drafted by the organization: “Just talk to him on the phone I could tell he was like a general. His passion comes out through the phone.” (Ralph Vacchiano)