AFC Notes: Browns, Steelers, Patriots

Browns

• According to ESPN Radio’s Dustin Fox, the Browns and director of college scouting Steve Malin have mutually agreed to part ways. 

Steelers

While the Steelers overall can feel good about the trade for S Minkah Fitzpatrick, one unforeseen consequence was the impact it had on their 2018 first-round pick S Terrell Edmunds. Pittsburgh moved Edmunds closer to the line of scrimmage to allow Fitzpatrick to have a simpler role as a deep coverage safety, and while the former Dolphin thrived, Edmunds struggled. His tackle numbers went up, but he had no sacks, interceptions, forced fumbles or recoveries and gave up more plays in coverage. 

“When you get thrown into the fire, you have to come out with a whole new fresh suit on,” Edmunds said via the Athletic’s Mark Kaboly. “I mostly was learning the game more. There are plays you want back, but this year it’s about professional development. You want to be professional in all aspects and something big will develop. I think I took that step this year.”

Patriots

Former TE Rob Gronkowski said he’s still in shape and hasn’t totally ruled out the possibility of returning to the NFL at some point. 

“I don’t know. I mean, I’m a young guy, 30 years old. I still love to work out, stay in shape,” Gronkowski said, via Doug Kyed of NESN. “I will never say a complete no because I love playing sports, I love competing. It’s still what I do to this day. No matter what it is, if I’m out playing basketball, and I’ll answer this the same as I always answer it. If I ever come back and I feel I have that passion, that strong passion for a continued time, not just one day or one hour, like, ‘Oh, man. I need to play football again.’ I’m talking like a continued passion for about a good week or a good month or so. Then I would think about truly returning to football. “As of right now, I’m all set where I’m at, but I already know that I’m a young guy, and I still love to shape in shape and compete, so if that passion, that fire ever comes back, then that’s when I would come back to football.”

Gronkowski said he currently weighs 250-pounds after playing between 260-265 pounds with the Patriots. 

“I played between like 260 and 265 usually. I’m 250 and people think I lost like 40 pounds, literally wherever I go,” Gronkowski said. “One person one time in the grocery store was like, ‘Oh man, Rob, I heard you lost like 80 pounds.’ I was like, ‘Dawg if I lost 80 pounds in that quick of time’ — this was like a couple of months ago — I was like, ‘If I lost 80 in that quick of time, then I’m on some bad stuff.’ To lose that weight that quick. I was like, ‘No, man, I didn’t lose 80 pounds.’ I was down 15 pounds actually at that time.”