AFC Notes: Bills, Jets, Aaron Rodgers, Patriots

Bills

• Bills S Taylor Rapp‘s one-year deal is worth $1.77 million and includes a $650,000 signing bonus, $1.06 million base salary, $1 million of which is guaranteed, and a $40,000 workout bonus. (Over The Cap)

Jets

Jets HC Robert Saleh said at the owner’s meeting that Aaron Rodgers‘ interest in joining them shows just how far they’ve come as a team in the last few years. 

“Two years ago when we first got there, just thinking about where we were and how far we’ve come,” Saleh said, via NFL.com. “To have a guy like him want to play for us is pretty cool and shows how far we’ve come. But we still have a long way to go and a lot of work to do.”

As for the receiver room that now has Allen Lazard and will be without Elijah Moore, Saleh called it a “dynamic room.”

“It’s a dynamic room,” Saleh said. “Lazard and Corey (Davis) make our two very big receivers who can provide a lot in terms of the run game and getting those big-body, big-boy routes and those hard, over-the-middle concepts. And you’ve got Mecole Hardman, who just has blazing speed. Adding that speed element to our group. Garrett (Wilson), obviously, coming back. Hopefully he continues to get better. We’ve got a bunch of young guys, too, that we’re really excited about that we’re hoping can develop. It’s a really exciting group of receivers.”

• Justin Melo reports that Shepherd OT Joey Fisher met privately with the Jets and Raiders before his pro day.
• Per Billy Marshall, the Jets hosted Washington State LB Daiyan Henley for a visit.

Patriots

Patriots HC Bill Belichick outlined the re-signing of CB Jonathan Jones as a marquee move this offseason.

“That was a big one,” Belichick said, via New England Sports Network. “Especially with Devin (McCourty retiring), (Jones) gives us a lot of leadership presence back there. He’s been a great player for us for a long time in a lot of different roles, including the kicking game, which is where he started. He epitomizes what we want in a Patriot player. It’s great to have him.”

Jones said the opportunity to remain in New England and have continuity in the same system was a driving force for him to re-sign with the team.

“Like, if it made sense, as far as contract-wise for me, the Patriots were just always the place to be,” he said. “It’s what I know. It adds some consistency, and not a lot of guys get to stay in the same system for eight or nine years. So, God willing, I’ll finish out this two-year deal and that’ll be nine years in the same place. That’s not common. So, just to even have that opportunity was definitely a big driving force for that.”