AFC Notes: Bills, Jets, Patriots

Bills

  • Although there are a number of solid veteran edge rushers still available, Sports Illustratedโ€™s Albert Breer expects the Bills to roll with the younger players theyโ€™ve invested high draft picks in, such as A.J. Epenesa and Boogie Basham, until DE Von Miller is recovered from his torn ACL.

Jets

  • Sports Illustratedโ€™s Albert Breer notes Jets WR Corey Davis has come up as a player who could be available due to his salary but heโ€™s skeptical the Jets get enough value from another team to part ways. 
  • Jets HC Robert Saleh claimed via Rich Eisen the team was planning to draft DE Will McDonald with pick No. 13 before trading down two spots and didnโ€™t miss out on a tackle: โ€œThe difference between 13 and 15 in the way everything shook out made no difference to us.โ€ (Pro Football Talk)
  • Jets GM Joe Douglas on the contract of QB Aaron Rodgers: โ€œWeโ€™re still working on restructuring aspects of the deal as we speak, but we feel like weโ€™re in a really good place.โ€ (Rich Cimini)
  • Douglas on QB Zach Wilson: โ€œIf I had to do everything over again, I would probably have that veteran presence in the room early for Zach.โ€ (Cimini)

Patriots

Patriots OLB Josh Uche said heโ€™s already moved on from last seasonโ€™s 11.5 sack performance and is focused on continuing his development. 

โ€œLast year is last year. Canโ€™t cash in on much from last year,โ€ Uche said, via Chris Mason of MassLive. โ€œItโ€™s a new season. Just focusing on the next opponent, just improving. Itโ€™s a new season. New plays need to be made new steps need to be taken. Just trying to forget last year, just build and become the best football player I can be.โ€

Uche added he never took the time to celebrate his results in 2022

โ€œNot really, because I just feel like if you get so big-headed on what you did in the past, youโ€™re going to trip up trying to get where you want to go,โ€ Uche said. โ€œI try to leave that where itโ€™s at and understand this is a new slate. This is a new season and thereโ€™s new opportunities. If Iโ€™m worried about the past, then I canโ€™t capitalize on the future.โ€

Uche named Dontโ€™a Hightower, Devin McCourty, and Matthew Slater as veterans who helped him develop. 

โ€œI know Iโ€™m not the oldest guy in the room. Iโ€™m 24. So it was just a learning experience,โ€ Uche said. โ€œMaturing, having mature guys in the locker room, mature leaders. I was able to learn from them. Eventually, it all came together and itโ€™s still coming together. Itโ€™s not like I just figured it out. Itโ€™s a continuous process. Last year, I followed Jamie Collins a lot, talking to him a lot, a lot of dialogue. It allowed me to figure things out a little bit moreโ€ฆ Along with a lot of other guys like (Dontโ€™a) Hightower, (Devin McCourty), (Matthew Slater), my pops. A bunch of different people. Itโ€™s a collective effort. It takes a village to raise somebody.โ€

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