AFC Notes: Bills, Jets, Patriots

Bills

• Bills HC Sean McDermott said that veteran CB Josh Norman suffered a hamstring injury on Thursday and they currently don’t know the severity of it.
• Joe Buscaglia notes that this will be a big opportunity for Levi Wallace if Norman can’t practice the next two weeks.

Jets

Jets DT Quinnen Williams said he expects a big season for himself in 2020 after training and improving his body over the offseason. 

“This year, I’m feeling it man,” Williams said, via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. “I got my body right this offseason, I got my confidence back this offseason, I’ve got a trainer who’s been training my butt off. Man, I just feel it. I’m in great shape, I got my body fat down. I’m rocking and rolling. I feel myself being that person that they drafted me to be. I feel like I’m coming into that person to be a dominant defensive tackle in the NFL.”

Williams said he doesn’t think his lingering ankle injury throughout the 2019 season held him back. 

“I don’t want to blame anything on the injury because I got out there, I was playing,” Williams said. “If I had an injury, I should’ve stayed down. It was all on me. It was all on the things I did wrong. So that didn’t really hold me back.”

Jets HC Adam Gase said he wants Williams to be “disruptive” and force offensive lines to adjust for him. 

“The biggest thing I just keep looking for with him is: How disruptive can you be?” said Gase. “Within the system, doing your job, but at the same time making the offensive linemen think about you pre-snap, “Hey, this guy could come off the ball and penetrate and that’s going to ruin this run to this side or backside.”

• Jets QB Sam Darnold said new WR Breshad Perriman has proven to be “very explosive” in their offseason program: “He’s super explosive, a very explosive athlete, gets in and out of cuts. Big dude as well. So, he’s everything you want in a receiver, and again we’re just looking forward to having him this year.” (Rich Cimini)

Patriots

• Jeff Howe of The Athletic believes QB Cam Newton appears to have the leg up over his competition after having better showings in practice than Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham, whose interceptions continue to be an issue.
• Stidham is reportedly dealing with a hip issue that prevented him from practicing in full on Friday. 
• Howe also notes that ball security continues to be a problem for rookie RB J.J Taylor.
• Patriots G Hjalte Froholdt seems to have the edge as the Patriots’ top backup lineman on the interior, according to Howe.

• Patriots WR Julian Edelman appeared to injure his right leg and was limited for the rest of practice Thursday. (Michael Giardi)