AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Patriots

Bills

• The Bills announced that they have hired former Texans S coach Joe Danna to the same position in Buffalo. 

Dolphins

• Outkick’s Armando Salguero reports the Dolphins fired veteran OL coach Matt Applebaum. 
• According to Salguero, Miami already interviewed Saints run game coordinator and TE coach Dan Roushar.

Patriots

• The Athletic’s Chad Graff says at this point it seems unlikely Patriots coach Matt Patricia is back on the coaching staff in 2023. He’s still sorting through his options but a return to a front office advisory role is possible. 
• Patriots TE coach Nick Caley is not under contract for next season and Graff says his future is also up in the air. One league source predicted he could land with the Raiders as a TE coach. The position is currently open and New England blocked the Raiders from hiring Caley last year. 
• Graff adds the Patriots are expected to retain Joe Judge on the coaching staff but it’s unclear where. He might stay on the offensive side of the ball but that would require Patriots HC Bill Belichick overlooking his struggles there last season. He could return to special teams but Graff hasn’t heard any indication that the Patriots want to replace current ST coordinator Cam Achord.
• The Patriots haven’t revealed Jerod Mayo‘s new title but Graff writes he got a significant salary increase and could be named assistant head coach. The plan is for him to be a sounding board for Belichick on major decisions like staffing and free agency. 
• However, Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald says a formal new title might not be in the works.