AFC Notes: Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Dolphins

Dolphins’ CB Xavien Howard says that while his knee feels fine, he is still unsure about what the team’s plan is for him when Week 1 rolls around.

“No. I feel like it was perfect timing,” Howard said, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “Me and the Dolphins, we did a great job. We stayed and believed in the plan that we had. With that plan, it worked perfectly fine. Everything has been good.”

• Per Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, Dolphins HC Brian Flores explained the team’s decision to cut QB Josh Rosen: “Josh, he worked hard, he competed. He did everything we asked. But at the end of the day, we thought that moving on was the best thing for the Miami Dolphins.”
• Asked if first-round QB Tua Tagovailoa is ready to play, Flores responded: “He’s had a good camp. He’s improved. If he had to go in, he’d prepare himself and do the best he could. Right now, he’s shown a lot of improvement.” (Josh Tolentino)
• The Dolphins believe recently acquired rookie RB Lynn Bowden Jr. has some upside as a receiver. The Raiders drafted him in the third round with the plan to convert him to running back after he was a Wildcat quarterback and receiver in college at Kentucky. (Barry Jackson)

Jets

One cut, in particular, hit Jets QB Sam Darnold pretty hard this weekend. New York made the decision to release backup C Jonotthan Harrison who had been one of Darnold’s best friends during his short NFL career to this point. The two were hanging out Thursday night before Darnold got the news the next day. 

“At first, I really couldn’t believe it,” Darnold said via ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “For the last 2½ years, for lack of a better term, he’s been kind of like an older brother to me, showing me the ropes. It’s been fun, man, watching him come to work every day. He works harder than anyone I know. … Jon is an incredible human being, a great leader and a great friend. He understands how much of a business football is. That’s how we both have to look at it, but it does suck.”

The move left Darnold as the longest-tenured player on New York’s offense despite being drafted just two years ago in 2018. Jets GM Joe Douglas has already turned the roster over a massive amount as he seeks to rebuild and the price is a lack of short-term stability for a developing Darnold. 

“For me, I know I can’t control any of that stuff, so I’m not going to sit here and worry about it,” Darnold said. “Everyone knows that eventually we’re going to need stability, but we have to find the right pieces. We all trust Joe, Rex [Hogan] and Adam [Gase], all those guys, to find the right pieces. That’s all I’ve really got to say on that. My job is to play football and play at a high level, and make sure everyone is on the same page.”

• Cimini notes Jets WR Breshad Perriman (knee) is expected to be able to play Week 1 but there’s some concern his injury will be a chronic problem to manage the entire year. 
• The Jets worked out WR Manasseh Bailey and DE John Daka on Saturday. (Albert Breer)

Patriots

• According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Patriots WR Julian Edelman might be hard-pressed to play the same amount of snaps in 2020 as he did in 2019. Edelman played 87 percent of the snaps last year but had two surgeries this offseason and had regular maintenance days during camp. 
• Reiss points out no other Patriots player under HC Bill Belichick has ever been named a captain going into their first season like QB Cam Newton, including LB Junior Seau and WR Randy Moss.
• Patriots OL Jermaine Eluemunor, who appears to have claimed the starting job at right tackle, isn’t resting on his laurels, as he says that’s what got him traded from the Ravens to New England last preseason: “I feel like my first three years in NFL I was under the impression that I finally made it. That’s one thing you can never do in the NFL is get comfortable, because things can change in the flip of a hand.”
• The Patriots worked out WR Sean Riley on Saturday. (Albert Breer)
• Patriots’ WR N’Keal Harry spoke about how he can take a leap forward heading into his second NFL season: “Just going out there every day and just making sure I do something to get better every day, no matter what it is. So I just try to have discussions with Coach. Try to discuss what I need to get better at.” (Michael Giardi)