AFC Notes: Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Dolphins

Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa has been impressed with first-round WR Jaylen Waddle‘s development.

“Jaylen has just been in the right place at the right time,” Tagovailoa said, via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. “There’s times where he gets covered and he is still open, so you take a look at one of the third downs that we had. I think it was 26. Donte Jackson covering him. It was really good coverage. [Jaylen] still got open.”

Waddle added he wants to be a more complete wide receiver. He has 77 receptions so far and is on pace to set the rookie record for catches, which is a good way to do that. 

“I work extremely hard not to just be known as a speed guy or a vertical threat. I’m just going to continue to try to go out there every week and show I can actually run routes and do things that people don’t expect me to do.”

• The Dolphins worked out DB Dee Virgin. (Aaron Wilson)

Jets

Jets LB Quincy Williams is used to being known more for his younger brother, Jets DT Quinnen Williams, who went to Alabama instead of Murray State and was taken No. 3 overall instead of in the third round of the draft. Ironically, Quincy’s career has been rejuvenated by joining his brother in New York via waiver claim after being waived by the Jaguars, and he’s asserting himself into the picture for the Jets’ future on defense. 

“He’s got obviously the athleticism, the explosiveness, the speed and all of that,” Jets DC Jeff Ulbrich said via Brian Costello of the New York Post. “He’s also got instinct that’s really rare. He can’t always articulate what he sees, but he sees it and he reacts. At the same time, he’s a hitter. Some guys just they understand how to unlock their hip at the point of contact and the timing and all that and the aggression that he has is really unique. He’s got some stuff. He is a guy that is so far from what he will become. Not even close to being a finished product. He’s got a long way to go and we’re excited about him.”

Patriots

• Patriots DB Adrian Phillips said the team has been instilling a turnover-mentality in the defense: “When you get that aggressive mentality of ‘I’m going to go after the rock’, and you practice it each and every day, it kind of gets imprinted in your mind. They always say ‘Once you get 1, it starts the flow.’ If we get that first 1, we know what time it is.” (Mike Reiss)
• The Patriots worked out DB Thakarius Keyes. (Aaron Wilson)
• The Patriots also worked out RB Devine Ozigbo on Tuesday with the hope of adding him to the practice squad. (Reiss)