AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Jets

Bills

  • An AFC South scout tells Fansided’s Matt Lombardo that the Titans’ 34-31 win over the Bills earlier this season gave the NFL the blueprint for beating Buffalo and QB Josh Allen: โ€œIf you keep Allen in the pocket and get outside penetration forcing him backward in the pocket. Itโ€™ll force him to throw falling backward, off his back foot, and takes away his arm strength and forces him into bad throws.โ€
  • The scout added: โ€œThey can fix it. But, they will have to alter some of their offensive philosophy, significantly. More screens to the running back and tight end. They need to loosen up the defense by spreading the field horizontal and not just vertical to move the pocket for the QB.โ€

Dolphins

The Dolphins have a handful of pending free agents who are playing well enough to justify new deals, including DE Emmanuel Ogbah, TE Mike Gesicki, WR Mack Hollins and TE Durham Smythe. Hollins’ deal should be easy enough as a core special teamer, while the others present some challenges. Miami drafted Hunter Long in the third round this past year, which seems to suggest there might not be room for Smythe. Gesicki is spending his time caping for Miami to bring back his teammate, though. 

โ€œHe has a new career-high [in receiving yardage] so Iโ€™m going to wear his jersey in my press conference today and start the initiative to get him paid here by the Miami Dolphins,โ€ Gesicki said via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. โ€œI figured Iโ€™d… start his campaign to be a Miami Dolphin next year and moving forward. So [general manager] Chris [Grier] if youโ€™re listening, this is my campaign for Durham.โ€

  • Jackson notes Ogbah’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said in a recent interview they have been discussing an extension for months, but Miami’s lack of cap space until 2022 makes things tricky. Jackson adds a franchise tag is unlikely. 
  • However, the Dolphins could use a franchise tag to keep Gesicki, as it would be just under $11 million. 
  • ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques confirms Dolphins DB Jamal Perry (knee) will miss the rest of the season.

Jets

  • ESPN’s Rich Cimini reports Jets QB Joe Flacco landed on the COVID-19 list as a close contact designation. Because he’s not vaccinated, that means he has to isolate five days.  
  • Regarding the Jets acquiring Flacco in exchange for a sixth-round pick, HC Robert Saleh feels that there was “no risk” in dealing a late-round selection despite him being unvaccinated: โ€œWhen someone offers a sixth-round pick for someone of (Flacco)โ€™s caliber, there is no risk.โ€ (Connor Hughes)
  • Saleh said second-round WR Elijah Moore is producing based on his own improvements rather than playing with QBs Mike White and Flacco after Zach Wilson‘s knee injury. (Hughes)
  • The Jets brought in four kickers for workouts on Tuesday including Josh Lambo, Alex Kessman, Chris Blewitt, and Dominik Eberle. (Aaron Wilson)
  • Of this group, New York signed Kessman to the practice squad. 

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