AFC Notes: Dolphins, Jets, Patriots, Mac Jones

Dolphins

Dolphins DT Adam Butler will have a big role on the team’s defense this season and will be asked to both rush the passer and provide run support.

“When I rush, I’m thinking about the team before I’m thinking about myself. I would consider myself a veteran now at this point. I have my little moves and little things that I’ve done throughout the league, and when I have a chance to execute them, I execute them. But overall, if I need to be in a certain place, or if they need me to be somewhere on a given rush, I’m going to do my best to be in the right position,” said Butler, via DolphinsWire.com.

• Armando Salguero reports Dolphins OL Larnel Coleman will miss 8-12 weeks after undergoing knee surgery. Miami put him on season-ending injured reserve. 

Jets

Jets OL Alijah Vera-Tucker said he is progressing despite having missed most of training camp with an injury.

“I was always taking mental reps,” Vera-Tucker said, via Mark W. Sanchez. “Always looking at film with [center Connor] McGovern in the film session, taking as many notes down as I can so when I come back, I’m not taking any false steps, I’m right where I should be.”

Vera-Tucker added the Jets offense will allow QB Zach Wilson to show off.

“[Defensive linemen] don’t like running at all. Side-to-side running, whole lot of running you got to do. Definitely opens up holes for the running back. Also allows linebackers to come up and fill those holes, so Zach can just start dicing up the secondary.”

Wilson said he is already starting to get a routine down in the NFL that allows him to collect as much information as possible.

“I don’t know how veteran quarterbacks do it in the NFL,” Wilson said, via Ryan Dunleavy, “but I found something that works for me as far as making sure I get on the tape. I watch games early in the week. I start to get more cut-ups in situations as the week goes on. I have a process of overloading information, and at the end of the week my process is, ‘How can I give myself 1-2 things that will simplify the game and tell me exactly what’s going on?’”

• Ralph Vacchiano reports the Jets may be interested in adding a backup quarterback despite QB Mike White winning the job.

Patriots

Patriots QB Brian Hoyer says that first-round rookie QB Mac Jones has earned the respect of his teammates through his strong work ethic and ability to attack every single day.

“I definitely think that he has taken every opportunity and taken advantage of it,” Hoyer said, via NESN. “I think the one thing that I would say is not many rookie quarterbacks have ever gotten the reps and the opportunity that he has, and he has embraced it full-on, head-on. He goes out there every day and does the best that he can and has earned the respect of his teammates, which I think is huge. Especially being a young guy (on) a team with a lot of veteran guys who have played here, he’s earned that respect by his preparation and his play. And that’s the only way you really can do it.”

Hoyer emphasizes that Jones’ command of the huddle and the knowledge of the Patriots system has stood out to him in terms of the rookie’s development.

“When you step in that huddle and those guys know you know what to do, how to do it and go out and execute it, (that’s important),” Hoyer said. “So, yeah, I think he’s done a great job of that and will continue to do a great job. Look, as we all say, there’s always a long way to go. We’re just at the end of training camp. We’re not even into the regular season yet. So it’s always a work in progress, and you want to keep building and building and building. And I would say for him, he’s done a good job of that.”

• Pro Football Talk reports the Patriots didn’t try to trade QB Cam Newton before cutting him.
• Patriots RB James White praised Newton’s time in New England: “Cam did his best job for us and competed extremely hard. He’s a good football player. I hope he gets another opportunity to land on his feet.” (Zack Cox)
• Doug Kyed reports fifth-round LB Cameron McGrone will start the season on the non-football/injured list.