Bills

• Bills S C.J. Gardner-Johnson is in uniform before practice on Thursday after suffering a calf strain. (Lance Lysowski)
• Gardner-Johnson talked about going back to Houston for Week 1 after he was released following three games with them last season: “It was a good team. Not saying nothing on the front office or staff, but the players that are there are good, you know. All the bullshit that came out, it was lies, but whatever. Um, I just can’t wait to see them.” (Sal Capaccio)
• Gardner-Johnson claimed they released him since he was a bad fit, not because of a leg injury: “They released me because I wasn’t gelling with the team and I didn’t fit well. Well, why hadn’t the coach spoke up about it?” (Capaccio)
• He continued: “After the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars they said I didn’t fit well. We were already starting 0-3, so how can it possibly be on one person?” (Capaccio)
• Gardner-Johnson was asked if he’ll be extra fired up for the Week 1 meeting now because of the history: “Oh, no, Josh is gonna handle that and the defense will handle that. So that’s what we gotta do. I mean, it’s a good team. I’m not putting nothing past them, it’s just the situation that how they handled me and it just wasn’t respectful. So as a grown man, I feel like when you see me, you see me.” (Capaccio)
• Overall, Gardner-Johnson wishes the communication was better during his time with the Texans: “Yeah, really communicate with me better and just, I can say, be adults about the business, like, we are all grown men, we all got kids, you know. Like a five second phone call don’t justify nothing. I feel like I need some respect, but I don’t care for it anymore.” (Capaccio)

Dolphins

The Dolphins re-signed RB De’Von Achane, C Aaron Brewer and LB Jordyn Brooks to contract extensions this offseason. Dolphins HC Jeff Hafley thinks it sends a “really positive message” to their roster that they will take care of their successful players. 

“I think it sends a really positive message, and I think Sully (Jon-Eric Sullivan) did a really nice job, the timing of it and the communication of it. One, production, if you’re here and you do a really good job on the field. Two, you do things the right way, you’re a good teammate, you’re a good person, you make good decisions on and off the field; you’ll be rewarded. And I think that’s a very clear, very good message to send the younger players on this team, that if those things happen, there’s a good chance that we’ll take care of them and we’ll want them around. We’ll want to build this through guys that we see do that, so congrats to those three. I think they’ve earned it. I was excited to talk to – Achane was done before we left, but Brew (Aaron Brewer) got done shortly after, and then Brooks was after that. So it was exciting to talk to him. They deserve it. And as a coach, when you see a player get rewarded and can take care of himself and his family, that’s a really cool deal because sometimes, you got to take a step back and think about the lives that are changed, right? And those are important,” Hafley said, via the team’s site. 

As for what he’s learned about Brooks and Brewer since coming to Miami, Hafley said he’s been impressed by their effort in practice, meetings, the weight room, and being overall leaders. 

“I think it kind of goes back to what we just talked about. One, production. They’re very productive players. We’re not just going to reward guys for doing everything the right way, practicing hard, being in the weight room, being great leaders. They’re productive. They’ve had success. But on top of that, I mean, the way those guys go out and practice, the way they are in the meeting room, the way they are in the weight room, the way they take care of their teammates and look after their teammates and try to lead the younger guys; I think it says to everybody on our team, okay, if I go out and I can produce and I do things the right way, then I will be rewarded here. I think that sends a very powerful message to all the young players on our team. I think that’s very important and again, I think Sully did a great job there.”

Brooks notably drove to the facility to celebrate the team drafting second-round LB Jacob Rodriguez. Hafley mentioned that the two trained together over the offseason and have a common connection through attending Texas Tech. 

“It’ll be really important. They also spent time together training this summer, which I thought was really cool. When you guys get a chance, you guys can talk to them about that. Obviously there’s a connection there with where they went to school, right? So that’s pretty powerful. They both are linebackers, so they’re going to be working together, but again, I think it relates back to your question. You get a guy who’s a vet and he could kind of probably go out and just do whatever he wants on his own, but instead he’s bringing a guy along and trying to help him, which I don’t think everybody does in this league. There’s some vets that are really good players that they come in, they do their job, they focus on themselves, they get their plays done, they work really hard and they leave. He’s taking an extra step on trying to help and bring along a younger player, which I think says everything about him.”

Jets

Jets S Minkah Fitzpatrick said his ability to create turnovers is rooted primarily in his instincts and understanding of how offenses are trying to attack.

“It starts up front, it starts with disguises, giving quarterbacks different looks,” Fitzpatrick said, via the team’s website. “But at the end of the day, I think what it boils down to is instincts, having a really good feel for the game, knowing where the quarterback is trying to get the ball, being able to feel receivers and see the quarterback and at the same time, understand where they’re trying to attack you. So I would say instincts. If I had to pick one attribute to top them all, I think it would be instincts.”

Jets WR Garrett Wilson said the team’s veteran additions have brought a winning mindset that younger players are trying to learn from.

“I would just say you know with guys like Double D [LB Demario Davis] and Minkah in the building, and then [QB] Geno Smith on the offensive side, and [WR] Tim Patrick, like these certain guys … they’re bringing this just winning mindset, winning energy that that us as the younger guys and you know looking up to guys like that,” Wilson said. “We’re trying to just latch onto it and get a better idea of what it takes to win at this level because they’ve done it before. I would say that’s the main thing.”

Patriots

Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte has come up as a trade candidate throughout the offseason. When asked about his reaction to possibly being traded, Boutte said he remains focused on being a part of the team and is taking things one day at a time. 

“I think my attitude, I mean, we all hear a lot of the stuff that’s going on,” Boutte said, via PatriotsWire. “My main focus is just I’m here until I ain’t. I’m here today, if I’m somewhere else next week, or the week after, that’s kind of what it is. That’s part of the business. Taking every day, day-by-day, not thinking about what’s next.”

• Boutte was asked again Thursday what he thinks is best for him amidst questions regarding his future: “I can’t really say it today, you know, kind of got to see how things play out. So like I said, taking it day by day. I’m not a future teller, so I couldn’t tell you.” (Mark Daniels)