AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, Julio Jones

Bills

Bills GM Brandon Beane expects rookie T Spencer Brown to compete with tackles Dion Dawkins and Daryl Williams. However, it seems unlikely that he will earn a starting job in his first season.

“He’ll compete with the guys,” Beane said of Brown, via Jay Skurski of BuffaloNews.com. “I’m not saying he’s going to win a starting job. But he’s an injury away from being in the game. And that happens, especially at offensive line. We wanted to make sure, should something happen to Dion or Daryl, that we have a guy to step in and protect No. 17 and block for those running backs.”

Another interesting rookie in Buffalo is WR Marquez Stevenson, who has return skills that the Bills coveted in the draft.

“That’s probably the thing that was most attractive to us,” Beane said of Stevenson’s return ability. “He’s still a young player as a receiver. He didn’t run a variety of routes there, but get the ball in his hands and he’s explosive.”

Dolphins

• Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports that the Dolphins see Robert Hunt as a Pro Bowl guard, which is why they are moving him to right guard from right tackle. Hunt is fine with making the switch, according to Jackson.
• Dolphins’ WR Kai Locksley could make the practice squad, but Jackson thinks the odds are against him when it comes to making the 53 man roster.
• Jackson believes the same can be said for WR Malcolm Perry, who will most likely lose his roster to spot to WR Lynn Bowden.
• If the Dolphins are willing to move on from receivers Albert Wilson, Jakeem Grant, and Allen Hurns and still keep seven receivers on the roster then both Bowden and Perry could end up making the team, according to Jackson.

Patriots

Former NFL GM Michael Lombardi does not doubt the Patriots’ interest in acquiring Falcons WR Julio Jones and believes the largest concern would be the viability of him playing over two years with the organization. 

“Now, the Julio Jones rumor, I don’t doubt that,” Lombardi said, via Doug Kyed of NESN. “I think what the Patriots would have to look at on Julio is, can they actually keep Julio on the team for two years? There’s nothing they do in New England that is not about sustainable values. So, what they’re always asking the question is, if we bring this guy in, can we cap him for two years? Now, they’ve made a lot of mistakes in this area. I mean, the Mohamed Sanu (trade), two years ago, they brought him in, they gave up a (second) round pick for him, and he lasted barely a year. So I’m not saying it’s perfect, because nothing’s ever perfect. But the reality here is, I truly believe that they would have to look at their cap, they know they’re going to be tight on their cap next year based on what they did this year.”

Lombardi added that Jones makes sense in the Patriots’ offense given it supplies a player who can open up the field for WRs Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne. 

“But adding a player like this guy could certainly help them. I mean, that would certainly give their offense that one guy that they need that would make everybody else better and then then they could go off to the races. It would make (Patriots wide receiver Nelson) Agholor, better, it would make (Patriots wide receiver Kendrick) Bourne better. I see them being in this. I really do.”

Lombardi reiterated that he doesn’t doubt New England’s interest in Jones. 

“I don’t doubt the rumor of their interest in Julio Jones. That’s how I would encapsulate that. There’s no doubt. I don’t doubt their — I think that that’s truly the case.”