AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Bills

• ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes there is a fair bit of smoke connecting Bills DC Leslie Frazier to a potential Bears head coaching job opening. Bills QB coach Ken Dorsey is a leading candidate to come with Frazier as offensive coordinator as well. 
• Graziano adds the Bills could promote Dorsey to offensive coordinator if current OC Brian Daboll is hired as a head coach elsewhere. 
• The Athletic’s Jeff Howe notes Bills WR Cole Beasley, LB A.J. Klein and C Mitch Morse all have contracts that are conducive to restructures to add cap space in 2022. Buffalo could also save more than $8 million by cutting Morse. 

Dolphins

• The Athletic’s Jeff Howe thinks a long-term deal for Dolphins TE Mike Gesicki would come in at around $11-$13 million a year. He points out Miami is set to have the most cap space of any team in the league in 2022. 
• Howe adds the Dolphins are a team to watch for any defectors from New England this offseason, like pending free agent LB Dont’a Hightower, S Devin McCourty, RB James White and others. 
• ESPN’s Dan Graziano has heard rumblings about the Dolphins making a change involving either HC Brian Flores or GM Chris Grier, but not both.

Jets

• The Athletic’s Connor Hughes reiterates the Jets largely like the young players they have at cornerback right now, including Bryce Hall, Michael Carter II, Isaiah Dunn and Brandin Echols. But they would love to get someone with ball skills, which is why Patriots CB J.C. Jackson is a top free agent target to watch should he shake free. 
• Hughes says to expect the Jets to continue to make additions to the defensive line to ensure it stays a strength. In that vein, Eagles DE Derek Barnett, who current Jets GM Joe Douglas helped scout in Philadelphia, is someone to watch on a potential one-year, prove-it deal. 
• The Athletic’s Jeff Howe says Jets OT George Fant has played pretty well on the left side this season and is an extension candidate to lower his cap hit in 2022. 
• Howe adds the Jets could release DE Shaq Lawson to save $9 million and add to a projected cap space number that currently ranks ninth in the NFL for next offseason. 

Patriots

• The Athletic’s Jeff Howe notes the Patriots have a ton of pending free agents to make decisions on in 2022, including LB Dont’a Hightower, S Devin McCourty, S Adrian Phillips, RB James White, LB Jamie Collins, OL Ted Karras and LB Ja’Whaun Bentley. 
• He adds there’s an interesting dilemma with RT Trent Brown, as New England’s reluctance to hand him a lot of guaranteed money contributed to his decision to leave in free agency for the Raiders a few seasons ago. Brown has been an impact player when in the lineup but he’s continued to battle a calf injury all season. 
• Howe calls Patriots CB J.C. Jackson a flight risk if he gets to unrestricted free agency, as there should be a high demand for his services.