AFC Notes: Josh Allen, Jerod Mayo, Bills, Jets, Patriots

Bills

• Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda, citing many people he spoke to at the Shrine Bowl, reports the Bills will take a lot of avenues on shedding around $50 million in salary cap space including restructuring contracts, cutting veterans, and allowing impending free agents to walk. 
• Pauline writes Buffalo will likely have to restructure QB Josh Allen‘s contract given he’s owed $47 million next season. 
• Regarding CB Tre’Davious White, Pauline notes he’s set to count for nearly $16.5 million in 2024 but has an out in his contract. Pauline expects the Bills to significantly restructure White’s deal or they could outright cut him. 
• As for OLB Von Miller, Pauline views him as another potential cap given he carries a cap figure of $23.8 million.
• Buffalo is also expected to address TE Dawson Knox‘s $14.3 million cap figure in 2024, per Pauline. 

Jets

• Jets DC Jeff Ulbrich when asked if he was frustrated that he didn’t get any HC interviews this cycle: “No, I wasn’t frustrated. I know how this works. It takes a year to get your name out there. I always feel like you have a year of people talking about it, it gets the narrative going and if we play well again, who knows? But my focus right now is winning a world championship with the New York Jets.” (Zack Rosenblatt)
• Rich Cimini reports that Jets GM Joe Douglas has an affinity for Oregon State OT Taliese Fuaga and has been keeping tabs on him for months ahead of the Senior Bowl.
• North Carolina Central QB Davius Richard, who participated in the Hula Bowl and HBCU Bowl, has met with the Jets among other teams. (Ryan Fowler) 

Patriots

Tom Brady gave an endorsement of new Patriots HC Jerod Mayo given they were teammates for Mayo’s entire eight-year playing career.

“A great captain, a great friend, I think (Mayo) had a tremendous amount of success in football, and then had success in other parts of his life when he retired. And then him coming back into coaching, I think is great for the NFL,” Brady said, via Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald. “It’s certainly great for the Patriots. He’s got a great understanding of how things need to be done. I think Jerod does an incredible job relating to everybody in the locker room, all the coaches, and I think he’ll do a great job.”

• The Athletic’s Chad Graff says Mayo is intentionally trying to build a young coaching staff, as none of the coordinator candidates he’s interviewed are older than 45. 
• However, Graff adds Mayo also plans to hire a senior advisor who can bring some experience to the staff and won’t oversee a position group. 
• NFL executive VP Jeffrey Miller says the NFL is conducting “an ongoing investigation” into Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte‘s recent arrest in Louisiana for placing underaged bets in college. (Ben Volin)