AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Jets

Bills

• Bills GM Brandon Beane said the goal is to eventually re-sign WR Stefon Diggs: “I think the world of Stef, I think what he’s brought our team has been great. He’s been great for Josh. He’s been great for our offense and his leadership has stepped up and we want to see Steph in Buffalo for years to come.” (Alaina Getzenberg)

Dolphins

New Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel tells Cameron Wolfe of NFL Media that there’s “no real ceiling” in terms of how they can utilize WR Tyreek Hill. 

“I do want to just give you the keys to the kingdom, but I’m not sure from a competitive advantage standpoint that would make much sense,” McDaniel said. “I will say that with players of dynamic skill sets such as Tyreek — which, if there are other players that have his combination of skill, that group is small — there’s no real ceiling in terms of the ways that you can involve him. And there’s certain things that I know that myself and the coaching staff haven’t even thought of yet, that will come on our plate.”

McDaniel confirmed that the emphasis on speed should be an advantage for their offense.

“The game of football is pretty simple when it comes to defense,” McDaniel explained. “The faster that you can expand the area with which they have to defend, whether you’re handing the ball off or you’re running pass concepts, the more space players have to make plays with or without the ball. The speed element, knowing that there’s a finite amount of time that it can take for a play to develop, and maximizing the amount of space that the defense has to defend, helps each player on the offense, and (it’s) one of the reasons that that phrase, ‘speed kills,’ does exist in the National Football League.”

Jets

• Per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Jets HC Robert Saleh again said OT George Fant will compete for the starting job at left tackle against former first-rounder Mekhi Becton: “George has earned the right to be in the conversation, to have that left-tackle spot. Call it a competition if you want. We know what George has done.”
  
• Saleh isn’t counting out Becton either, who had a knee injury and had a tough time coming back in time to play due to his weight. He expects Becton to be “a ball of butcher knives” in 2022. 
• The thought is whoever loses the battle to start on the left side would move over to the right, but Cimini points out that could cause some chemistry issues. 
• Saleh mentioned they changed their minds and decided it would be easier for 2021 first-round G Alijah Vera-Tucker to move to the right side rather than force G Laken Tomlinson to change after playing his entire career on the left: “Laken has had a lot of success as a left guard in this league. It’s something we don’t want to mess with for him.”
• Cimini and other beat reporters think the Jets are leaning defensive end with the No. 4 pick. 
• Jets GM Joe Douglas reiterated they see Becton as a starter at either left or right tackle: “We are operating like Mekhi is going to be one of our two tackles.” (DJ Bien-Aime) 
• Douglas added they are going to reassess where Becton is physically when OTAs begin in mid-April. Becton hurt his knee in Week 1 and was never able to make it back: “So, he came back for a re-check and he had a good meeting with our doctors. So, we’ll get him back here for OTAs and take another physical and see where he is physically.”
• Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux was once seen as a lock for the No. 1 pick, but has slipped down media boards in part due to concerns by some scouts about effort and attitude. Bien-Aime says Jets evaluators aren’t worried about Thibodeaux’s makeup, however.  
• Jets new DL Solomon Thomas said he has “no concerns” with playing at MetLife Stadium after tearing his ACL on its turf in 2020. (Brian Costello)
• The Jets had a private meeting with Purdue DE George Karlaftis at his Pro Day. (Aaron Wilson)