AFC Notes: Mike McDaniel, Tua Tagovailoa, Bills, Dolphins, Jets

Bills

• Bills OC Joe Brady was asked about the changes he could make this offseason: “At the end of the day this is Josh Allen‘s offense.” (Alaina Getzenberg)
• Brady likes WR Curtis Samuel‘s versatility and effort as a blocker: “Sometimes you have a vision with how guys are used, but that’s not the only way they can be used.” (Sal Capaccio)
• Regarding RB James Cook, Brady feels he looks different and believes the work he put in during the offseason is noticeable: “He’s physically in a better shape than he was, you can look at him and I can tell he put in a lot of work this offseason. He looks different and in a good way. So, I’m excited to see the type of run style that he kind of plays with this season.” (Getzenberg)
• The Bills signed WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling to a one-year, $2.25 million fully guaranteed contract with a $1.125 million signing bonus spread out over five seasons. (Over The Cap)
• Buffalo CB Kaiir Elam spoke on his self pride: “I believe in myself. It’s a part of life. It’s not going to go your way (always). I pride myself on being resilient and continuing to challenge myself and learn from past mistakes and stay confident in myself to go out there and do a good job.” (Ryan O’Halloran)
• Bills GM Brandon Beane explained why they felt they needed to move on from WR Stefon Diggs: “I would say from a cap standpoint, we decided to just go ahead and eat it now. We think we can compete and do what we need to do by eating it now.” (The Athletic NFL)

Dolphins

Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel said he’s staying out of the discussion regarding Tua Tagovailoa‘s contract situation. 

“I think it’s important that the player-coach relationship is put on a pedestal where you don’t tinker with that,” McDaniel said, via DolphinsWire. “My job is to get him better. His job is to communicate with me how I’m doing in that process. I think we’re in a safe zone where when he’s talking to me about my expertise and not about stuff that is not my expertise, so we try to stay true to that and that’s paid us dividends this offseason.”

As for Tagovailoa missing some time of their offseason program, McDaniel said he’s maintaining communication with the quarterback. 

“He has been here for offseason activities; he has not been here for offseason activities. He has been both,” McDaniel said. “I think important in the player-coach relationship is communication and I think however things play out, as long as we’re communicating and we’re on our Ps and Qs on what we need to get accomplished, then we have a fighting chance and it’s been a good exercise in our relationship this offseason.”

Patriots

• The Patriots signed C David Andrews to a one-year, $6.5 million extension with $3.5 million in new guarantees. (Over The Cap)
• Andrews can earn $750k in per-game roster bonuses each season, and the extension decreases his 2024 cap number by $1.75 million. (Over The Cap)
• New England de facto GM Eliot Wolf on what he learned from the failed era of QB Mac Jones: “The main thing that we’ve been able to take away is just being able to support not only Drake (Maye), but every quarterback we have. Just throw every level of support that we possibly can at the quarterbacks. And those are things that, whether it’s coaching, whether it’s something off the field, whether it’s virtual reality, whatever the case may be, just really having the willingness to support whoever the quarterback is in every facet that we possibly can.” (Zack Cox)