AFC Notes: DeAndre Hopkins, Bills, Jets, Dolphins, Devon Achane

Bills

• Albert Breer reports the Bills and the Chiefs were the only two teams to have any substantial trade talks with the Cardinals about WR DeAndre Hopkins, adding that the contract was an issue for both teams but the contract of Ravens WR Odell Beckham Jr. stopped any progress made in Kansas City. 
• Pat Leonard reports the Bills, Chiefs, Giants, Jets, and Patriots are all teams that could be in the mix for the services of WR DeAndre Hopkins. 

Dolphins

Dolphins third-round RB Devon Achane has one trump card already before he plays an NFL snap: speed. Achane ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash at the Combine this year which was the fourth-fastest ever for a running back. It hasn’t taken his teammates long to notice at OTAs. 

“It’s an instant impact,” Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle said via Click2Houston.com’s Aaron Wilson. “You can see it in practice. You can see it in the way he goes about meetings, just his work ethic. Having a great guy in the locker room and an explosive player on the field is obviously going to help us a lot.”

Achane joins a Dolphins skill position group that is loaded with speed. In addition to Waddle, Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill and RB Raheem Mostert all run sub-4.4 40s or faster. It’s a clear point of emphasis for HC Mike McDaniel.

“Speed, we generally like around here,” McDaniel said. “That running back group for us is very important and we found a person who fits the skill set we like, but someone who also fits in the room. He is fast.”

Achane’s not the biggest back, mentioning he’s been trying to put a little bit of weight on to hold up at the NFL level and is now at 192 pounds. However, he notes it didn’t hold him back in the SEC and he doesn’t expect it to be a problem in the NFL. 

“People always say I’m small, but I’ve been dealing with that my whole life,” Achane said. “I feel like my size doesn’t mean anything. I’ve been good in my career this far. I do break a lot of tackles. I’m not the type to take any head-on tackles. I feel like I have a natural ability to avoid tackles, and that’s something I’m very, very good at.”

Jets

• Mike Kaye reports the Panthers will host the Jets at Wofford College for joint practices in the month of August. 
• Pat Leonard reports the Bills, Chiefs, Giants, Jets, and Patriots are all teams that could be in the mix for the services of WR DeAndre Hopkins.