AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Bills

If the Bills had encountered a similar situation that the Broncos did this past week, they would have been much better prepared. Buffalo has been isolating fifth-round QB Jake Fromm away from the other quarterbacks to ensure he doesn’t come up as a close contact. It’s a hard way for a rookie to enter the NFL but HC Sean McDermott said they thought it was best for the team. 

“Sometimes you make decisions in life that you’re not sure if they’re the right decisions,” McDermott said via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques, “and with Brandon and I making this decision, it wasn’t easy because not only [did we] separate a player from the team but also a rookie. And it’s hard enough to acclimate oneself and transition from college to the NFL game, and now to kind of be apart has made it all that much harder [for Fromm].

“We recognized that, and Jake and our staff have just done a phenomenal job of executing that, and that’s honestly why we’ve done it, and [the Denver situation] could happen to anyone. [It] can happen to any position, for that matter, so it’s another great learning lesson for us.”

Dolphins

• Per Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, Dolphins HC Brian Flores said they won’t make a decision on if first-round QB Tua Tagovailoa (thumb) will start until nearly the last minute: “He was limited in practice. We’ll take it one day at a time. Both quarterbacks practiced yesterday. We’ll see how he progresses throughout the week and make a decision on Sunday.”
• Flores danced around the question a little but it appears the injury to the thumb on Tagovailoa’s throwing hand is affecting him: “It’s pretty well known that he’s dealing with something. Any time you’re not at full strength, there’s some sort of impact.”

Jets

• Per SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano, Jets HC Adam Gase acknowledged he’s pretty much failed at developing QB Sam Darnold: “I came here to help him and help him develop his career and we haven’t been able to do that. That’s why these games are so important, to help him continue to grow.”
• Gase added the lack of talent around Darnold is a problem but the quarterback himself hasn’t played as well as he needs to: “We need to do things well around him, but at the same time, it’s on me to get him to play better than what he’s played. I haven’t done a good enough job.” (Rich Cimini)
• Jets G Alex Lewis remains out at practice with his non-injury issue. (Connor Hughes)
• Jets OC Dowell Loggains didn’t weigh in on the controversy over who exactly is calling players for the team, calling it a “collaborative effort” and declining to get into specifics: “The head coach has addressed this and I’m not going to elaborate on it.” (Cimini)

Patriots

• Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald writes that if Chargers TE Hunter Henry makes it into free agency, keep an eye on the Patriots, as HC Bill Belichick has been watching Henry since he was in high school. 
• Per NESN’s Doug Kyed, Belichick said they’ll update QB Cam Newton‘s (abdomen) listing on the injury report if needed: “Depending on how it goes, if there’s an adjustment we need to make, we’ll make it.”
• CBS Sports analyst and former agent Joel Corry projects the Patriots could franchise tag Newton for $24.072 million which might be their best option.