AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Bills

  • Bills HC Sean McDermott suggested the team would have a rotation on the right side of the offensive line: โ€œYouโ€™ll see different combinations out there. [Cody Ford, Daryl Williams and Ty Nsekhe] are all options. Weโ€™ve got interchangeable parts there and we have confidence in all those guys.โ€ (Chris Brown)
  • Bills CB Josh Norman (hamstring) missed practice Wednesday. (Sal Capaccio)
  • The Bills also held fifth-round QB Jake Fromm out of practice as a part of their quarantine quarterback measures. (Joe Buscaglia)

Dolphins

  • Sports Illustratedโ€™s Albert Breer mentions the Dolphins knew pretty quickly what they had in QB Josh Rosen last year and didnโ€™t need to start him more than the handful of games he lasted. 
  • Breer says Rosenโ€™s arm talent showed up in one-on-ones, but outside of that the coaching staff thought he wasnโ€™t processing as quickly as he needed to be, including seeing the field, getting rid of the ball or feeling the rush. Overall he played with a general lack of urgency.
  • Breer adds sources with the Dolphins acknowledged Rosenโ€™s personality was an acquired taste. Until people got to know him, Rosen could come off as arrogant and standoffish, which played into preconceived notions of him from the draft process. 
  • Some notable changes to the Dolphinsโ€™ depth chart on the offensive line include Solomon Kindley starting at right guard, Austin Jackson starting at left tackle. (Josh Tolentino)
  • At running back, Jordan Howard is listed as the starter, with Matt Breida behind him at the No. 2 spot.
  • Returning kicks will be WR Jakeem Grant, with WR Preston Williams, CB Noah Igbinoghene, and WR Malcolm Perry behind him on the depth chart.
  • One of the biggest surprises was the listing of TE Durham Smythe as the starter over TE Mike Gesicki.
  • The Dolphins are still planning to use Gesicki as a โ€œbig slot receiverโ€ on third down and in the red zone, with Smythe the starter for blocking purposes. (Joe Schad)
  • Dolphins WR DeVante Parker returned to practice on Tuesday with a compression sleeve on his left hamstring. (Adam Beasley)
  • Dolphins WR Preston Williams says the โ€œgame has slowed downโ€ for him in Year 2 and his goal is to play all 16 games after going down with an ACL injury last year. (Armando Salguero)
  • Williams acknowledged it usually takes a full year to feel completely healed from an ACL tear but he feels close after 10 months. He said he could be on a rep count. (Cameron Wolfe)

Jets

2019 was a well-documented journey through hell for Jets QB Sam Darnold. There was the bout with mono that derailed the teamโ€™s start of the season, other injuries to his thumb, toe and that knocked out key members of his supporting cast. He even saw ghosts, referencing a hot mic moment from a blowout loss to the Patriots on Monday Night Football that went viral. Even if the Jets donโ€™t find a lot of success in 2020, getting Darnoldโ€™s development back on track is the most important thing for the team. 

โ€œLast year we felt we couldโ€™ve been so much better than what we were,โ€ Jets HC Adam Gase said via SNYโ€™s Ralph Vacchiano. โ€œI get it, the mono threw things off for us. Then we were battling changes. It never was smooth. Weโ€™re excited to get going. Weโ€™re excited to get this group heading in the right direction. I guess my expectations and his are always going to be extremely high. Our expectations are probably always going to be a lot higher than everyone elseโ€™s.โ€

Patriots

Patriotsโ€™ RB Sony Michel says that his injured foot is healing well as the team eases him back into their plans for Week 1.

โ€œI would just say I am feeling a day better. Every day is a work in progress. Every day is a day to get better for me,โ€ Michel said, via Mike Reiss of ESPN. โ€œBeginning of the season, youโ€™re never going to feel like youโ€™re in the best shape. So for me, I am just going to keep trying to build from there. I wouldnโ€™t say caught up because I canโ€™t really make up for those days that I lost that those guys got, but I would say I am in a good position where I am able to get better. I am feeling good. I like where Iโ€™m at and I am headed in the right direction.โ€

  • Ben Volin of the Boston Globe notes the Patriots were still on the hook for $2 million for K Stephen Gostkowski, but his deal with the Titans should relieve New England of any responsibility because of the offsets in his former contract. 
  • Patriots HC Bill Belichick said rookie LBs Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings have โ€œa good degree of flexibilityโ€ to play both off the ball and on the edge. (Doug Kyed)
  • The Patriots hosted four special teams players for workouts on Tuesday, including LS Andrew DePaola, LS Dan Godsil, P Austin Rehkow,Johnny Townsend(Aaron Wilson)

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