AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Garrett Wilson

Bills

The Bills drafted RB James Cook after signing RB Duke Johnson as a free agent, yet Johnson knows that he has a role to play as a veteran mentor, while still competing with Cook for a spot on the depth chart.

“You look at it as competition, but we also look at it – the older guys – as being able to mentor,” Johnson told the Buffalo News. “We get it. We know it’s a numbers game. We all know that, but it doesn’t stop us from helping each other out, because at the end of the day, we want this team to be successful, because this team gave all of us an opportunity to play football and we want to make sure that whoever they do choose is the right guy.”

• Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN writes Bills’ new WR Jamison Crowder has been impressive this offseason and is competing against Isaiah McKenzie for playing time at slot receiver. However, McKenzie has the early lead through the spring. 

Dolphins

• Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN writes Dolphins’ new OL Connor Williams has established himself as a leader and the team’s starting center so far this offseason. 
• Louis-Jacques adds that Williams must beat Michael Deiter for the first-team center job but it appears to be “Williams’ job to lose.”

Jets

Jets WR Braxton Berrios had high praise of first-round WR Garrett Wilson‘s athleticism, catching ability, route running, and work ethic. 

“You do see the natural, raw, athletic ability is there, one thousand percent. But there’s not one part of him that relies on that,” Berrios said, via the Adam Schefter Podcast. “He works just like anybody else. There’s no telling what his ceiling is, truly. He’s freakishly athletic, incredibly strong hands, good route runner, understands football, and he works everyday to become the best version of himself.”

Jets HC Robert Saleh added that it’s been fun to work with their rookies this offseason but they still require a lot of work.  

“It is fun to work with [the rookies] because you see them having a lot of ‘ah-ha’ moments and figuring things out as they go,” Saleh said. “They bring a lot of juice. They’re fun to be around. The rookies are exciting, but at the same time, they’ve got a lot hurdles to climb in terms of being the contributors we know that they’re going to be.”