AFC Notes: Bills, Jets, Patriots

Bills

Bills GM Brandon Beane thinks first-round CB Kaiir Elam has a “high ceiling” in the NFL due to his size and speed.

“We think Elam has a high ceiling. He’s a young player with a lot of things he does well now. He’s a bigger, longer guy, he’s got speed to carry WRs deep. We’ll have him clean up some things technique-wise, but he’s a good, young man. He’ll fit our culture,” Beane said, per Chris Brown.

Jets

Jets LT George Fant voiced confidence in QB Zach Wilson and thinks he is “ready to go” for 2022. 

“My guy came back with a little more swag,” Fant said, via Dennis Waszak of the Associated Press. “He’s ready to go, man.”

Wilson said he wants to focus on his efficiency, releasing the football, and his pocket presence. 

“For me, it’s just how efficient can I be?” Wilson said. “How can I get the ball out of my hands quickly? How can I help out our O-line with my pocket presence, my ability to step up and get the ball out of my hands to our running backs, go down the field to our receivers and let those guys make plays? How can I just be confident within the pocket, be accurate? I think everything takes care of itself once everyone starts doing their own job — I think it’s perfect.”

Wilson is building chemistry with his receivers this offseason and wants to help them create more production. 

“I think that stuff kind of goes a long way,” Wilson said. “These receivers, they want to be great. My job is to let them be great and to get the ball into their hands.”

Wilson is excited about the Jets having the No. 4 and No. 10 overall picks in the 2022 NFL Draft and trusts GM Joe Douglas’ ability to build the roster. 

“I’m extremely excited about the plan,” Wilson said. “I feel like the organization as a whole, everybody is very tied together as far as being on the same page with everything. I know my trust with the ownership and Joe D. as well and what they’re doing, I feel like they have a really good plan.”

Patriots

The Patriots surprisingly selected Chattanooga OL Cole Strange at the end of round one. 

Patriots HC Bill Belichick explained that they love his physicality and toughness. 

“He’s long, he’s athletic. He’s physically tough. He’s an aggressive player,” Belichick said. “I think he has a good combination of skills, run and pass, movement, length, strength, again, all of which will hopefully get better. Like they will with any player coming from college to the National Football League. But I think he has a good skill set, and he’s a smart player that makes a lot of good decisions on the interior line there, timing, when to come off, and combo blocks, things like that.”

Strange later told reporters that he’s an “aggressive and relentless” player who is looking to carve out his own path in the NFL. 

“My playing style is aggressive and relentless,” Strange said, via NESN. “… I have always wanted to play my own game and make it to where people are saying ‘I’d love to play like Cole Strange.’ I have never really looked at anyone else and wanted to emulate what they were doing.

“I wanted to create my own way of playing which is aggressive and trying to play nasty, which is the way I think the game of football is supposed to be played.”