AFC Notes: Stefon Diggs, Bill O’Brien, Bills, Dolphins, Patriots

Bills

Bills QB Josh Allen claimed during a recent podcast appearance that the situation involving WR Stefon Diggs this offseason has been extremely overblown in the media.

“I love him. That’s my guy,” Allen told Bussin’ With the Boys. “The media has blown this so far out of proportion. We are in rookie or minicamp. We’re not playing a game for four months. He doesn’t show up for one day. He’s still there. Coach asked him to go home. They’re in talks. They’re trying to resolve some things. It wasn’t anything major. And (the) media blew it up. They’re still talking about it. Let it go. There’s no reason to continue talking about it.”

Dolphins

• Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Dolphins S DeShon Elliott has been limited during OTAs with a shoulder injury but is expected to be fine for the season. 
• Jackson notes the Dolphins have $12 million in available cap space and could use some of that in a deal for RB Dalvin Cook or for more experienced depth at defensive tackle. 
• However, Jackson points out the Dolphins are currently $32 million in the red for 2024 and can roll over any unused cap space, so saving as much of that $12 million as possible will likely be important. 

Patriots

Patriots QB Mac Jones said his time with OC Bill O’Brien has been great thus far and the communication has been the distinguishing factor.

“It’s been really good. It’s been normal,” Jones said, via PFT. “I think everything he’s done so far has been really good. I think the communication is the most important part, and trust. I think it starts with that when you’re with a new coach and he’s done a great job in controlling the room. I feel like everybody is on the same page. Just got to continue to do it. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. So, we know that and he’s obviously had great experience in the NFL and at Alabama where I was at, so there’s a lot of good stuff that we’ve talked about. Just looking forward to working with him.”

Jones has worked with three different offensive coordinators throughout his three seasons in the NFL. He said that he’s taken the good from each and has used that to build upon his game.

“What I took from that is that you learn from each one of them,” Jones said. “You take the really good things and you kind of add that to your repertoire. And I think with ‘OB,’ obviously that needs to happen and we’re going to work toward that. There’s a lot of familiarity, but it’s a new relationship still and we’re just working on that trust. That’s what I care about. I’m very much so a trustworthy person and that’s what we’re trying to build.”

Jones added that O’Brien’s diverse work with a number of different of quarterbacks will also help the team build a really good offense.

“I feel like for me, it’s just being a sponge,” Jones said. “Whatever quarterback he’s coached, I can learn from — whether that’s Bryce [Young] or Deshaun [Watson], or at Penn State — he has such great experience in this league and in the football world. It’s like a walking dictionary, you just pick his brain and see the game how he sees it and how I see it. And then come together and mesh and create a really good offense.”