AFC Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa, Jets, Patriots

Bills

• Bills GM Brandon Beane said they didn’t make any waiver claims after roster cuts. (Joe Buscaglia)
• Beane was noncommittal when asked if G Cody Ford will start: “We’ll see.” (Buscaglia)
• Beane said cutting TE Jacob Hollister was “a tough decision” and that they prioritized depth toward the defensive line: “It was really a numbers thing. We went heavy at D-Line.” (Buscaglia)
• Beane expects Hollister to catch on quickly with another organization: “My expectation is he’ll sign with another team shortly.” (Buscaglia)

Dolphins

• ESPN’s Jeff Darlington reports Dolphins HC Brian Flores addressed the team in a meeting regarding recent reports about Miami’s interest in acquiring Texans QB Deshaun Watson and gave an endorsement in Tua Tagovailoa being “our quarterback.”
• Darlington points out this doesn’t mean Miami hasn’t had interest in Watson in the past, but addressing the players personally like this is different than answering questions in coachspeak in a press conference. 

Jets

• Jets HC Robert Saleh said GM Joe Douglas jumped on the opportunity to trade TE Chris Herndon to the Vikings: “An opportunity just presented itself and Joe (Douglas) took advantage of it.” (Ralph Vacchiano)
• To facilitate Herndon’s trade, New York paid him a $1.4 million signing bonus. The Vikings will only pay him a $920,000 minimum salary. (Tom Pelissero)

Patriots

Patriots HC Bill Belichick said first-round QB Mac Jones has shown a “high level of production” this preseason and is confident that he’ll continue to improve. 

“First of all, he’s had a high level of production,” Belichick said, via ProFootballTalk. “I feel like he’s been able to show an ability to do things the way we want them done at a productive level. He’s young, I’m sure he’ll continue to learn and grow. We’ll see where that goes. That’s why we drafted him and I think he’s come in and performed at a level that supports that.”

• ESPN’s Dan Graziano says a trade involving Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore is still not out of the question, and he highlights the Saints as a team that makes a lot of sense. 
• Belichick said Cam Newton‘s vaccination status was not a factor in his release from the team. (Albert Breer)
• Patriots OC Josh McDaniels said he has a lot of respect for Newton: “I have a tremendous amount of respect for him as a player. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him as a person. … Hopefully you build a relationship that will last well beyond football, and I believe that’s the case here.” (Zack Cox)
• McDaniels said Jones is proving to be a fast learner and great listener: “He’s a great listener and he tries not to make the same mistake twice … he’s really shown a strong aptitude at a young age to put those mistakes behind him.” (Karen Guregian)