AFC Notes: Browns, Jets, Patriots

Browns

Browns TE David Njoku was familiar with WR Odell Beckham before the trade that brought Beckham to Cleveland this offseason. He says Beckham has had no trouble fitting in with the Browns. 

“Phenomenal, really,” Njoku said via NJ.com’s Ryan Dunleavy. “He’s a great teammate and a great person. We all know what he brings to the table. He makes crazy plays and we’re excited to have him on the team. I actually knew him prior to him getting traded . . . same old dude.”

Jets

Jets second-year TE Chris Herndon was recently suspended for the first four games of the 2019 season. While it’s disappointing to not have him available for the first month of the season, the Jets are clearly very high on him moving forward.

“I think Chris is unique,” Gase said via Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News. “I don’t think you find a lot of tight ends that are able to be on the field all three downs. Obviously, he’s a very good receiver. He’s very good in the run game. He did a really good job in pass protection last year. He’s a unicorn-type player … You don’t see a lot of these guys that can all three phases of the game.”

“I see a guy that’s a complete player,” Gase added. “He’s only going to get better from here, factoring in all three phases of pass protection, run game and receiving. It’s exciting. When we get a chance to get going with him, we’ll be able to do a lot of things with him.” 

Patriots

Patriots OT Isaiah Wynn was a candidate to start as a rookie last year, but an Achilles injury ended the former first-round pick’s season before it began. Wynn says his focus quickly turned to getting ready to start this year.  

“I got over the disappointment fairly quickly,” Wynn said via Jim McBride of the Boston Globe. “You know, you can’t sit there and dwell on your sorrows or whatever. Everything happens for a reason.”

• McBride adds that because NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has said his goal is to get WR Josh Gordon back on the field, it would make sense for him to reinstate Gordon before the Patriots begin training camp next week. 
• ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports Patriots WR Braxton Berrios is one of a few players who’ve already reported to the team. Rookies are scheduled to report July 21, veterans on July 24.