AFC Notes: Bills, Jets, Patriots

“If anybody calls me about Mitch on another team, I’m going to give him a great recommendation,” Bills GM Brandon Beane said via Katherine Fitzgerald of the Buffalo News. “And I’ve told him and his agent, if he doesn’t get what he wants, we’ve got a spot for him.”

Jets

• Connor Hughes of The Athletic says that there is no chance the team trades DT Quinnen Williams this offseason.
• On the first day of free agency, Hughes would like to see the Jets go after Cowboys TE Dalton Schultz or Saints S Marcus Williams.
• When it comes to WR Braxton Berrios, Hughes says if another team is willing to pay him $8 or $9 million per season then the team should let him walk away.
• Hughes adds that Berrios is a Pro Bowl caliber returner and an insurance option in the slot, who is incapable of playing on the outside. Berrios would likely wind up as the No. 4 receiver on the team, who is seeking a No. 1.
• Hughes thinks that Falcons WR Calvin Ridley could be worth a first-round pick if the team does a thorough investigation on his situation.

Patriots

• Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, some people close to TE Jonnu Smith wondered if missing voluntary OTAs put him behind and resulted in a disappointing first year in New England. They add Smith has always needed extra refinement dating back to college. 
• Smith had some production on schemed plays but Reiss says the Patriots want him to be able to produce more within the structure of their offense. 
• Reiss expects Patriots RB coach Ivan Fears to retire this offseason, though he could stick around and do some consulting like former OL coach Dante Scarnecchia. 
• Some candidates to replace Fears, per Reiss, include Patriots assistant Vinnie Sunseri or former Patriots RB Kevin Faulk, who most recently was with LSU.