AFC Notes: Bills, Jets, Patriots, Nโ€™Keal Harry

Bills

Bills TE Dawson Knox commented on the teamโ€™s Super Bowl expectations going into this season.

โ€œThis time of year, everyoneโ€™s always making predictions, and trying to predict records, and whoโ€™s going to make the Super Bowl, and who might make the playoffs, and we always try to stay away from all that,โ€ Knox said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. โ€œWe always just want to focus on whatโ€™s ahead of us, and right now, itโ€™s just getting everyone to camp healthy and then just starting to build that chemistry and that teamwork that comes with camp. And weโ€™ll be back in Rochester this year, which is great, the old clichรฉ of taking it one game at a time and not focusing on what might be five or six games down the road. Everyoneโ€™s talking about how our first six or seven games are supposed to be pretty tough, but weโ€™ve got the mentality of, โ€˜you know, they have to come play us,โ€™ theyโ€™ve got to deal with the Bills on their schedule, so thatโ€™s the kind of mentality weโ€™re taking into the season, weโ€™re taking it one game at a time and not think too much about the opponent, and just control what we can control.โ€

Jets

Jets TE Jeremy Ruckert was selected to his favorite team out of Ohio State this year, with his father Bill Ruckert unable to contain his excitement about his son being drafted to a team he is a big fan of.

โ€œEverybody back home is excited to be able to relate to someone they grew up around, living out the dream of playing in the NFL and playing for the Jets,โ€ Ruckert told Rich Cimini of ESPN. โ€œItโ€™s something I dreamed about as a kid. Now that itโ€™s finally here, itโ€™s pretty surreal.โ€

โ€œI know how tough the NFL is and I know whatโ€™s going to happen eventually โ€” itโ€™s a business โ€” but that moment of him getting picked as a Jet can never be taken away from us,โ€ Bill Ruckert said. โ€œThatโ€™s something weโ€™ll always have. I know there probably will be a bitter time because thatโ€™s just the sport, but no matter what, no matter how long he plays, Iโ€™ll always have that moment.โ€

Patriots

  • According to PFFโ€™s Doug Kyed, a league source believes the Patriots never used WR Nโ€™Keal Harry the way HC Bill Belichick envisioned when he made him the first receiver he ever took in the first round. 
  • Another told Kyed that Belichick overruled the scouting staff on Harry, instead leaning on intel heโ€™d gotten in conversations with then-Arizona State HC Todd Graham: โ€œI just think [Belichick] went against what the scouts wanted, and it didnโ€™t work out. It happens.โ€
  • One source told Kyed the Patriotsโ€™ notoriously-complex system would have been hard for any rookie to learn, and Harryโ€™s missed time with injuries didnโ€™t help: โ€œJust picking up the system that has been in place for 20 years and the type of routes and adjustments. Sometimes they just need to get the best damn players the ball and not be cute.โ€
  • Others noted they didnโ€™t think Harry was blameless, though, citing maturity issues, sub-standard work ethic compared to what the team was looking for and failing to build a relationship with the coaching staff with communication issues, per Kyed. 

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