AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Patriots

Bills

• When taking a look at potential cap casualties, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic writes that LB A.J. Klein carries a cap figure of $5.6 million for 2022 and has primarily played a backup role overseeing the development of linebackers Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmunds. 
• Buscaglia also names OL Daryl Williams, WR Cole Beasley, G Jon Feliciano, LB/ST Tyler Matakevich, and P Matt Haack as potential cuts to keep an eye on. 

Dolphins

Dolphins TE coach Jon Embree said he spoke with both TE Mike Gesicki and TE Durham Smythe, and hopes both are back with the team in 2022. It’s worth noting that both Gesicki and Smythe are impending unrestricted free agents.

“One is in New Jersey, about to get married,” Embree said, via Miami Herald. “The other was golfing down in Austin, Texas. Both are doing well. Had great conversations with them. They’re both excited about what’s on the horizon. We’ll see if it’s here or wherever. We understand it’s a business. They seem like very nice guys.”

Embree said that he’ll start studying tape on both Gesicki and Smythe, though he deferred to GM Chris Grier on whether or not he expects them to be back with the team.

“During the Combine, I’ll put some stuff on my iPad and look at the guys and start making my evaluations and see where I can help them and how they fit what they do in the scheme. Hopefully the guys are here. If they’re here, we’ll coach them. If they’re not, we’ll coach whoever is here.”

Gesicki hasn’t been asked to block much in the past, and while he wasn’t speaking for any one player in particular, Embree noted that blocking out from the position is paramount to schematic success.

“Our system is based off of outside zone, so get on the edge, get the corner so to speak. It starts with the tight end. [Tight end blocking] is an integral part of our offense.”

New Dolphins OC Frank Smith, who won’t be calling plays for the offense, envisions his role as helping McDaniel implement the offense, having an overall sense of direction for how it’s supposed to run, then relaying that message throughout the rest of the staff.

“Whatever Mike needs me to do, assisting with the overall position and implementation of the offense,” Smith said. “You’re the conduit for the staff, understanding what we want to execute in this offense. Darrell has been calling plays for 15 years. Embree and Wes have been with Mike in San Fran. Eric has been in a similar system in Denver. I’ve been in similar situation in Chicago. All of us together assisting and coming together with what’s best for the players we’re able to acquire this offseason and draft and help the guys that were here master what they do well.”

Smith also noted that he was very excited to work with QB Tua Tagovailoa.

“Coming in, I can say I didn’t know a whole lot [about Tagovailoa’s game],” Smith said. “As I’ve been here and you’re studying him as a player, super excited. Extremely accurate passer. His patience with things and what we’re going to be able to do is going to be really, really cool. More and more tape, you get more and more excited. This is going to be really, really cool to have him as quarterback for us.”

Patriots

Patriots HC Bill Belichick had good things to say about veteran K Nick Folk, who said he would love to remain with New England, despite his future currently being in doubt as the team has signed K Quinn Nordin to a futures deal for 2022.

“I’ve learned a lot from Nick Folk,” Belichick said, via Zack Cox of NESN.com. “I’ll say that. I’ve learned a lot. He’s really taught me a lot of little things that, honestly, I hadn’t really thought that much about. And once he pointed them out, I was kind of disappointed in myself that I didn’t put a little more importance on it earlier. … Yeah, he’s really good.”

• ESPN’s Mike Reiss is personally bearish on the odds of the Patriots using the franchise tag on CB J.C. Jackson at a sum of $17.3 million unless they think there’s a good chance they can pull off a trade. 
• Reiss also thinks another team may be willing to outbid the Patriots for Folk. 
• Miguel Benzan who runs the PatsCap Twitter account has a comprehensive breakdown of how the Patriots can create more cap space this offseason. Some of the highest-leverage moves include restructuring OLB Matt Judon ($6.6 million) and cutting or trading OLB Kyle Van Noy ($4.1 million), CB Jonathan Jones ($4.9 million), G Shaq Mason ($6.3 million) or WR Nelson Agholor ($4.2 million if cut, $9.2 million if traded).