AFC Notes: Bills, Jets, Patriots

Bills

• The Buffalo Bills announced that they’ve hired Matt Edwards as their assistant defensive line coach.

Jets

The Jets signed WR Mecole Hardman in free agency last year, but it didn’t go as played and ultimately resulted in him being traded back to the Chiefs.

“It was a roller coaster,” Hardman said, via the New York Post. “Things definitely didn’t go like I wanted it to go. I guess I just wasn’t on the same page with everybody.

“There’s no bad blood over there. I’m happy for everybody over there. I’m still cool with some of those guys. I wish them the best. I think things happened like it was supposed to.”

Hardman explained that he was not on the same page as the coaching staff, which includes Jets OC Nathaniel Hackett.

“I don’t know if he didn’t know how to use me, in a sense, or just felt like he didn’t need to,” Hardman said. “I don’t know what their thinking was when it came to me and having me on the field or not. There were plays where I could have gone into the game. Was it called? Not really. I think Hackett is a great guy. When it came to me, I don’t know what the thought process was.”

Patriots

• The Athletic’s Chad Graff expects Patriots OL Michael Onwenu to garner significant interest as a free agent and estimates New England would need to be willing to fork over a deal of more than $13 million per season to keep him. 
• Graff adds S Kyle Dugger should also have a pretty healthy market, while LT Trent Brown and OLB Josh Uche are more likely to sign one-year prove-it deals after uneven 2023 seasons. 
• Graff points out the Patriots don’t have any tight ends under contract for 2024 yet so they could have interest in re-signing TE Hunter Henry. He adds TE Mike Gesicki ended up being used as a big slot receiver and less as a tight end because of his blocking issues.