AFC Notes: Damar Hamlin, Braxton Berrios, Bills, Dolphins, Patriots

Bills

After the terrifying moment in the 2022 season where Bills S Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during the game, it was Browns QB Joe Flacco who was the NFL’s comeback player of the year in 2023. Hamlin noted he was upset at first, but acknowledged his comeback is bigger than an award.

“I heard about that,” Hamlin said, via the Maggie and Perloff podcast. “I heard some people were in an uproar. I did at first, I’m not gonna lie. I did, a little bit, just because you know I’m a competitor myself. Any competition you put me in, I want to win. I clapped for Joe as he went on stage and clapped for him as he went off. . . . It wasn’t something that a trophy can define.”

Dolphins

Dolphins WR Braxton Berrios, who’s made a name for himself on special teams, is excited about the league’s new kickoff rule.

“I love it. I think it brings back a really exciting play in a game where it was kind of eliminated the last few years,” Berrios said, via Dolphins Wire. “So I’m very excited, because I think it’s a big part of the game and a part that I love to do. So yeah, I want those [return] percentages as high as possible.”

Berrios has already been talking with ST coordinator Danny Crossman about return strategies.

“[We’ve] just been bouncing off each other, strategies, what we think might happen, what we can see happening, what we think is the best way to go about it,” Berrios said. “I think Week 1 is going to be – that opening kickoff of the season is going to be very interesting all across the board. I don’t think we’ll see much in preseason. I think everybody is going to pop it up and let your cover guys cover and see who can block on the return team. And I think Week 1 is going to be … everybody’s going to think they have the ace of cards up their sleeves. So I really truly don’t know what to expect.”

• Dolphins LB Cam Brown‘s one-year, $1,292,500 deal includes a $83,750 signing bonus, $110,000 of his $1,125,000 salary is guaranteed, and a $83,750 roster bonus. (OverTheCap)

Patriots

Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf, who is the de facto GM for New England, indicated in an interview with the team website that they will continue taking trade calls all the way until the end, including when they’re on the clock with the No. 3 pick. 

“We’ve received calls on our first several picks from a couple different teams. Nothing too serious yet. Sounds like there’s some teams that may be more motivated, if you listen to the whispers out there, that we might hear some more things once we’re on the clock.”