AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Bills

• The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia notes that with the Bills wanting an immediate upgrade at tight end, they’ll likely pursue a veteran and not a rookie. Chargers TE Hunter Henry is the top option if he’s allowed to hit the market and Buscaglia says the 26-year-old’s all-around game is a great fit for Buffalo even if he costs $10 million-plus a year. 
• Titans TE Jonnu Smith is another option but Buscaglia says for possibly $8 million a year, it might be too risky an investment for the Bills to sign him and project him to a full-time role in Buffalo. 
• Eagles TE Zach Ertz is the Bills’ best option, per Buscaglia, especially if he’s released, although he adds a late-round pick shouldn’t prevent Buffalo from taking on his contract. 
• Buscaglia thinks Rams TE Gerald Everett isn’t a good enough blocker to fit what the Bills are looking for at the position. 
• Former Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph and Buccaneers TE Cameron Brate, if he’s released, are potential thrifty options for the Bills to use alongside former third-round TE Dawson Knox, according to Buscaglia. 
• The Bills elected to pursue a pay cut rather than a restructure with C Mitch Morse to leave his 2022 cap figure untouched. (Buscaglia)

Dolphins

• ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe points out that while a swap of seventh-round picks is essentially meaningless, the Dolphins will be responsible for $4 million in guaranteed money over three years that OT Isaiah Wilson still has on his contract.
• Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, an NFL person who knows Wilson says he just needs to mature and isn’t a bad kid: “He’s kind of lost. There are a lot of maturity issues. He needs direction and guidance.”
• Jackson highlights NFL Media’s Peter Schrager pointing out that Wilson went to the same high school as Dolphins HC Brian Flores, though obviously years later. Assistant to the head coach Lance Bennett was also the offensive coordinator for Wilson in high school and Dolphins 2020 fourth-round G Solomon Kindley was a teammate of his at Georgia. 
• Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post thinks that with Wilson at right tackle, the team could end up moving 2020 second-round OL Robert Hunt to right guard. Wilson could also transition inside to guard, per Jackson. 
• The Miami Herald’s Adam Beasley mentions Wilson, Hunt, and Kindley will count for around $4 million of the team’s cap space, while OT Jesse Davis will alone count for $4.6 million.
• Beasley adds the team could save $2.6 million by cutting Davis, who has two years and $6.2 million left on his current contract.

Jets

• ESPN’s Rich Cimini doesn’t expect Jets GM Joe Douglas to go on a wild spending spree in free agency despite having the second-most cap space in the NFL, as it goes against his philosophy. 
• He does, however, think Douglas would be willing to pay market rate to address a couple positions, perhaps guard after his discount shopping last offseason didn’t pay off. 
• Cimini highlights Panthers WR Curtis Samuel as a veteran the Jets might be willing to go after in free agency as he’s a terrific scheme fit and on the younger side. 
• He also mentions Bengals DE Carl Lawson and Ravens DE Yannick Ngakoue as edge rushers Douglas might be willing to pay for given both are just 26. 
• The Athletic’s Connor Hughes says the Jets would love to keep S Marcus Maye as he’s a valued starter and defensive leader but they won’t pay him like one of the top safeties. The franchise tag gives them more time to work out a deal. 
• Hughes notes both Maye and 2020 third-round S Ashtyn Davis are more natural fits at free safety, so it’s up to the coaching staff to figure out how they fit. 

Patriots

• Ben Volin of the Boston Globe ponders what a potential trade for QB Jimmy Garoppolo could look like, now that reports are surfacing that New England wants to re-acquire their former quarterback.
• The 49ers would only have a $2.8 million dead cap hit by moving on from Jimmy G and Volin points out the rumors that San Francisco likes Jets’ QB Sam Darnold or could trade up from the 12th pick and draft their next quarterback.
• The Patriots don’t have a third-round pick due to Spygate II, but they may end up with a compensatory pick at the end of the round and also have a fourth-round pick.
• Volin notes that any mid-round trade for Garoppolo could work because the 49ers would be dumping salary, yet New England could ask him to take a pay cut and may want him to restructure his deal.