AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Patriots

Bills

• Despite his injury woes, Matt Fairburn of The Athletic thinks that the Bills could wind up using their franchise tag on LB Matt Milano, which would cost them around $15 million fully guaranteed in 2021. 
• However, Fairburn adds that Buffalo would likely have to release a few veteran players, considering that they have limited cap space to work with right now. 
• Virginia RB Shane Simpson met with the Bills at the Gridiron Showcase back in January. (Justin Melo)

Dolphins

• According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Dolphins CB Xavien Howard is mentioned in a police report regarding a shooting at the house of his former agent, Damarious Bilbo. 
• On June 29 last year, a gold sedan pulled up to the house near 11 pm while Bilbo’s wife and 12-year-old son were inside. Bilbo’s son saw someone get out of the car, fire a shot into the house, then jump back in while the car immediately took off. The bullet passed through several walls but no one was injured. 
• There’s no further context provided as to why Howard is mentioned along with several other people. Howard’s lawyer, Darren Heitner, said in a statement: “Xavien was not involved in the incident. There’s absolutely no evidence to support otherwise.”
• Per Barry Jackson, Adam Beasley and David Ovalle of the Miami Herald, Howard has declined multiple requests by the police to be interviewed. He’s not suspected of being inside the car but he is friends with one of the suspects. 
• Howard is expected to ask the Dolphins to renegotiate his contract to pay him more than teammate and fellow CB Byron Jones but it’s unclear if the Dolphins will be receptive to that. 
• The NFL declined to comment on whether it would be opening its own investigation. (PFT)
• The Dolphins have been aware of the situation for five weeks. (Jackson)

Patriots

• ESPN’s Mike Reiss notes the fact that Patriots LT Isaiah Wynn has only played in 18 of 48 possible games since being drafted in the first round in 2018 could influence New England to not pick up his fifth-year option this May. 
• Former Patriots OC Charlie Weis is high on Alabama QB Mac Jones as a potential fit for New England: “What are the two most important components of a star quarterback? They have the ‘it’ factor. And they’re accurate. That’s who he was.” 
  
• Weis tells Reiss that he doesn’t see Alabama’s elite supporting cast on offense as a knock on Jones: “You talk about being around good players. Yeah, he was around good players. But playing on a team with a bunch of stars, who is the leader of the offense? He also had to make all those throws. I think the kid is an excellent quarterback. He has less holes than just about anybody.”
• Weis acknowledged Jones’ lack of mobility is another question mark but he values his ability as a thrower more: “If you’re looking for a guy that’s going to be running for 30 yards on a regular basis, that’s not your guy. But he can move in the pocket, and from the pocket, and run the ball when he absolutely needs to… All he does is win and throw completions.”