AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Bills

One of the points of emphasis for Bills QB Josh Allen heading into 2020 has been to do a better job of not pressing and taking what the defense gives him at times. Allen said one way he’s hoping to do that is by scrambling less and instead dumping the ball off to his checkdowns more. 

“My mindset this year is a little different,” Allen said via the Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia and Matthew Fairburn. “I’m going to try to get the ball into my playmakers’ hands and let them make some plays, because they’re a lot quicker and shiftier than I am. But when my number is called, I’ll step up to the plate for sure.”

• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer identifies Bills third-round RB Zack Moss as a potential impact rookie this year. 

Dolphins

Dolphins QB Josh Rosen said he is not focused on winning the team’s starting quarterback job and is staying prepared for whenever he receives an opportunity. 

“Maybe my mindset will change in some point in the future but I’m not really focused as much on winning a job as I am just getting better,” Rosen said, via Cameron Wolfe of ESPN. “… I was drafted in the first round, and I think people around the league still think I can play to a certain extent. Whenever that opportunity comes, wherever it comes, I just want to be prepared for it. Because they’re few and far between. I didn’t do great with the two I already had. Not many people get third chances. I’m definitely going to seize the opportunity when it comes.”

As for the team drafting first-round QB Tua Tagovailoa, Rosen said “it is what it is” and he’s staying hopeful. 

“It is what it is,” Rosen said. “I’ve just got to come out and try as hard as I can and compete as hard as I can every day and hopefully get the nod at some point in the future.”

Rosen said he has “turned inwards” to focus on what he could improve and feels comfortable with his abilities as a quarterback. 

“I did a big reality check and completely turned inwards and see what I could do better. I flicked myself in my head like you’re literally in the room with one of the best minds to ever do it — and that’s Fitz — I basically sat there and tried to swallow as much as I could from him and I took that process into the offseason,” Rosen said. “I’m pretty happy with how I feel behind center at this point — I got a lot of work to do but I think I’ve only scratched the surface with what I can do. The reason I’m sort of positive in this situation is all I can control is my development and I think it’s going in the right direction.”

Dolphins HC Brian Flores said Rosen has the “biggest arm” and that he must continue being consistent. 

“Of all the quarterbacks, he’s probably got the biggest arm. He’s made some incredible throws,” Flores said. “Consistency — I would say we need to always be more consistent at every position, specifically the quarterback. There’s a lot of competition there from Fitz to Tua to Josh. But he’s a talented player. He’s been competing.”

• Dolphins tried out DE Tim Bonner and DE Trevon Hill.
• Dolphins hosted DE Avery Moss on a visit.

Jets

The Jets took S Marcus Maye just three picks after the Cardinals took S Budda Baker in the second round back in 2017. So when Arizona rewarded Baker with the richest deal ever for a safety, Maye definitely perked up. 

“Big ups to Budda,” Maye said via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. “We’re all in different situations. I know my talent. The only thing I have to worry about is playing ball like I do, and I’ll let the upstairs [front office] and my agent do the rest.”

Now that the Jets have traded S Jamal Adams, Maye is next in line to fill the versatile role that had Adams looking at a massive deal to reset the market for safeties. Previously Maye had played almost exclusively free safety but says he’s up for the task. 

“I can do a range of things, not just one good thing,” Maye said. “I feel like there are a lot of tools in the tool belt. Just the fact that I can show them all now is definitely exciting.”

With Adams gone, there’s plenty of room for Maye to assert himself and reap the potential financial rewards. 

“I feel like I’ve been a leader since I’ve been here,” Maye said. “Now it’s just at a different spot, but they are going to get the same hustle plays, same effort to the ball. I’m not going to put anything bigger on it than what it is. Still the same old me.”

• Per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Jets HC Adam Gase said RB Le’Veon Bell was pulled from Wednesday’s scrimmage because of some hamstring tightness, though Gase seemed to indicate it wasn’t major. 
• However, Bell responded on Twitter to say, “ain’t nothin wrong with my hamstrings.”
• He continued to vent some frustration, tweeting, “its tough to stay loose when you do a bunch of standing around……& I’m used to GOINGGG” and responding to another Jets fan to say, “exactly…I PRACTICE for a GAME!!! I need to PRACTICE to be great in GAMES!!! duh.” 
• Bell had been rotating with Jets RB Frank Gore, who took over after Bell was sidelined. 
• Jets second-round WR Denzel Mims was running on a side field Wednesday which is a positive step toward his eventual return to the field. (Brian Costello)
• The Jets weren’t concerned about UDFA WR Lawrence Cager‘s knee injury until it swelled up overnight. Now Cager is scheduled for an MRI. (Connor Hughes)
• Jets DE Tarell Basham will miss a few weeks with his ankle injury. (Costello)

Patriots

• Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Patriots HC Bill Belichick said the team had been in contact about bringing back K Nick Folk all the way in the spring before drafting K Justin Rohrwasser in the fifth round: “I think both players are good kickers. We’ll see how it goes. That will be up to them to decide. But we’ve talked to Nick throughout the course of the spring, and even in training camp.”
• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer identifies Patriots second-round LB Josh Uche as a potential impact rookie this year. 
• Patriots QB Cam Newton called his comfort level with the offense “a work in progress.” (Karen Guregian)
• Newton told reporters he’s still not processing things as quickly as he feels like he needs to be: “There are certain things when I come to the line of scrimmage and it’s just not as firing mentally as I would want it to be, rather than other plays that may be called. I see a person like Hoyster go to the line and he’s as sharp as can be. For me, asking him questions, and he answers them. Stiddy [too]. There are things I know I need to become better at. Until I get those things done, everything else is irrelevant.” (Reiss)
• Newton disagreed with the assessment he was winning the quarterback battle: “Absolutely not. Every day is a work day for me and that label is not important to me right now.” (Ben Volin)