AFC Notes: Jonathan Taylor, Christian Wilkins, Mekhi Becton, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Dolphins

• Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports the Dolphins and DT Christian Wilkins remain deadlocked in contract negotiations and there’s a fundamental disagreement over what his value should be. 
• Jackson explains Miami appears to be unwilling to pay Wilkins in the same neighborhood as several other prominent defensive tackles who have signed huge deals because he does not have the same pass rush production, although he’s a terrific run defender. 
• He also notes the Dolphins remain in contact with the Colts about a potential trade for RB Jonathan Taylor but they are not offering a first-round pick and seem disinclined to move their offer past a certain, undisclosed level. 

Jets

Jets HC Robert Saleh announced after the team’s final preseason game that OT Mekhi Becton would be the starting right tackle “as of now.” The caveat is less about Becton’s skill and more about his health, as he’s not out of the woods regarding the knee injury that’s limited him to one game in the past two years. 

“He’s still got work to do,” Saleh said via Brian Costello of the New York Post. “There’s a maintenance part of it that he’s got to stay on and he can’t get satisfied with it. He’s got to stay diligent with making sure he’s staying ahead of the chains when it comes to rehab and [regeneration] and all that. He’s doing all the right stuff. He’s got a lot of energy.

“He’s speaking the right language. He’s got a lot of positive self talk. He’s in the training room every day working on that knee making sure it’s fresh and ready to roll. He’s got to stay on it and he can’t get complacent with where he’s at now. He’s got a lot to play for. He’s gotten better every single day and he’s gotten more confident in his knee.”

Patriots

The offensive line is looking like a potential early challenge for the Patriots to overcome as they’ve had zero snaps with the projected starting five all training camp. Veteran OT Riley Reiff got banged up in the final preseason game, while starting guards Cole Strange and Michael Onwenu have missed the vast majority of camp.

“We haven’t had the time to really have any continuity,” Patriots OL coach Adrian Klemm said via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “There have been a lot of moving pieces. Hopefully it will settle down in the coming weeks and we’ll get a better feel for it. So that’s a work in progress.”

The good news for New England is Strange and Onwenu could make it back in time for Week 1. The downside is the Patriots will be building chemistry on the fly once the season begins, which is a big negative for offensive line play. And that’s assuming there are no more injuries.  

“We’ll see how it goes with the offensive line; it would be nice to have all the players available, but that hasn’t been the case,” Patriots HC Bill Belichick said. “We’ll see how that pans out here over the next few days and coming weeks. We have some versatility and guys that have played different positions.”

• Reiss notes Patriots WR Tyquan Thornton is a candidate to begin the season on injured reserve, which would knock him out at least four games.