AFC Notes: Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Dolphins

• Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald thinks that edge rusher could be the Dolphins top position of need during their rebuild, should their offensive draft picks work out.
• Jackson adds that while he believes Shaq Lawson and Emmanuel Ogbah are better than average at the position, it will still likely need to be addressed in the 2021 draft.

Jets

Jets DC Gregg Williams is ready to see improvement from a fully healthy DT Quinnen Williams, who only recorded two and a half sacks in 2019 and was revealed to be suffering from a high ankle sprain that occurred in Week 1.

“I think people are going to see a big jump in his production and his play,” Gregg Williams said, via Brian Costello of The New York Post. “One of the things that I think people … and we didn’t put it out there publicly much, is that how hard he had to work to come back from that severe high-ankle sprain that he had. That’s not easy when you’re a grown man, 300 pounds-plus, supporting yourself on the ankle. He fought through all that.”

“The other thing with Quinnen is he’s so young still [22 years old],” Williams added. “He really only had one season of getting a lot of playing time at Alabama before he came here. … He’s a sharp young man. He’s a proud young man. He’s had a very, very good offseason with how he’s trained what he’s doing to get better. I can’t wait to get back with him.”

• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes that he expects Jets S Jamal Adams to be on the roster Week 1, as the team still has two years of control and it would be hard for another team to give up both a premium draft pick and a massive contract, this year especially. 

Patriots

• According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Cam Newton‘s deal includes a $1.05 million base salary with $550,000 guaranteed and up to $700,000 in per-game roster bonuses. 
• The deal also includes up to $5.75 million in incentives, making the maximum value $7.5 million. 
• With Newton’s cap figure at $1.75 million, New England now stands at $263,489 in cap space, per PatsCap.
• Newton’s deal has drawn attention for how cheap it is compared to other passers with inferior resumes, but the quarterback posted on Instagram he’s not concerned about it: “It’s not a lot of things money cannot buy. But amongst the top of that list of things, you would find respect as one of those!! This is not about money for me; It’s about respect.”