AFC Notes: Stefon Diggs, DeAndre Hopkins, Quinnin Williams, Bills, Jets, Patriots

Bills

A situation between the Bills and WR Stefon Diggs that had been simmering under the surface burst into view this week. Diggs took the playoff loss to the Bengals hard and after a few happy years in Buffalo, his social media started looking reminiscent of when he basically tweeted his way out of Minnesota. But the message from the team and teammates for most of this offseason has been some theme of “that’s just Diggs being Diggs.” 

“He’s a free bird. You just gotta let him talk, let him ramble. It’s Stef,” former Bills WR Isaiah McKenzie, who’s now with the Colts after being released this offseason, said in an interview with Go Long’s Tyler Dunne in May. 

McKenzie went on to elaborate that sometimes Diggs just needs to vent, comparing it to how his fiancee asks him just to listen and not try to solve her problems. He said most of the time Diggs is a great teammate. 

“I will say this…I respect Stef. You gotta respect Stef because when he steps between those lines, it’s not like he’s not doing his job,” McKenzie said. “Whatever he’s saying, that’s what he’s doing. But when it comes to like tweets and him talking, him yelling at Josh [Allen] or coach or whoever it may be, it’s just Stef trying to get it out. He’s just getting it out.”

“…Eighty, ninety percent of the time, he’s probably right. The other 10 percent, he could probably be tripping, and that’s where you gotta stop him right there… And he listens. If he feels like he tripping and you correct him on that, he’ll listen…But most of the time he’s right.”

McKenzie went on to say if Diggs has a problem, he has no issues being direct about what it is, and until that point anything he might say on social media is just him blowing off steam. 

“It’s just Stef being Stef, to be honest. Stef tweets a lot of things. Like the randomest things. It aint’ that big of a deal, I promise you. I’m pretty sure it’s not that big of a deal,” McKenzie said. “You’ll know if it’s a big deal, because he’ll be straightforward. Once you hear him say it out of his mouth, he means it. But if he’s tweeting and captioning on Instagram, blah blah blah, he may be directly or indirectly trying to hint at something or keeping people on their toes. But [until] Stef goes on Undisputed, House of Athletes or whatever and says it, hey, he said it. If he’s just tweeting or trying to get something out, just let him get it out. Stef ain’t hurting nobody. He’s just talking. But like I said, you gotta respect it, because when he gets on that field he’s going to ball out.”

Jets

• ESPN’s Rich Cimini expects the Jets to get an extension done with DT Quinnen Williams before the start of the regular season and quite possibly before the start of training camp. 
• He expects the deal to come in slightly above the $23.5 million a year the Titans gave DT Jeffery Simmons and make Williams the second-highest-paid defensive tackle in the league. 
• Cimini adds the Jets and Williams have been negotiating and he would be surprised if talks become prolonged. 
• VaynerSports announced they’ve added Jets CB Sauce Gardner as a client. 
• Jets S Adrian Amos’ one-year, $4 million deal including a base value of $1.75 million and $2.25 million through possible incentives, per Field Yates. 
• Jets HC Robert Saleh on the team looking into signing RB Dalvin Cook: “We’ll turn the stones over on that one, but that’s probably more of a Joe question. I’m not sure how the money works on that.” (Pro Football Talk)

Patriots

• ESPN’s Mike Reiss writes that a major question the Patriots will have to try and answer during their visit with former Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins is whether he is a fit with their team culture, which is an area they’ve tried to revamp this offseason. 
• Reiss specifically points out Patriots HC Bill Belichick puts a big emphasis on being able to practice, and the word out of Arizona is that Hopkins’ practice participation had steadily declined in recent seasons. 
• Hopkins will also be gauging his fit with the team, and Reiss notes the relationship with OC Bill O’Brien will obviously be a factor. While O’Brien did trade Hopkins away from the Texans, he’s not making personnel decisions in New England and Reiss points out Hopkins was quite productive in his offense. 
• Reiss adds the contract will also of course be a major factor. Hopkins is believed to be aiming for something close to the one-year, $15 million deal the Ravens gave WR Odell Beckham Jr. but Reiss thinks the best the Patriots could do would be $10 million with a couple million more available with incentives. 
• The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reports the Patriots’ release of veteran RB James Robinson was due to injury issues.
• Belichick on DL Bill Murray switching to offensive lineman: “Nobody works harder than Bill. … I think he’s on track to have a good, competitive camp.” (Zack Cox)
• Belichick on the kicking competition between Nick Folk and fourth-rounder Chad Ryland: “Like a lot of positions on our roster, it looks pretty competitive.” (Cox)