AFC Notes: Taron Johnson, Haason Reddick, Bills, Jets, Patriots

Bills

Bills CB Taron Johnson when he got benched early in his career due to poor play.

“They already don’t want me. That’s what I’m thinking in my head,” Johnson said, via The Athletic. “Am I just going to let this basically be the end of my career type thing? Or am I going to take it for what it is and just keep moving forward?”

Giants GM Joe Schoen recalled the day that he first saw Johnson play in person.

“I can see it vividly. I was up in that press box and it was a small press box,” Schoen explained. “I got there, the game had just kind of started. So I watched a little bit of the game on the track. And then I went upstairs. I had never been at Weber State before in my life. Just one play, he planted and drove. And I was like, holy s—, he was quick. And then he was physical on the tackle. I’m like, okay. I just saw it.”

Johnson puts extra work in during the offseason honing his craft where others are attempting to get into shape.

“In the offseason, that’s where you really can get better,” Johnson said. “And I don’t want to take time to not get better and just try to get in shape. I want to get in shape, and then get better. You know what I’m saying? Where most guys are just trying to get in shape.”

Despite the struggles early on in his career, Johnson never lost focus and continued to work to improve and get better.

“You never saw his body language change. You never saw an attitude,” Bills GM Brandon Beane recalled. “He was never up in my office or other people’s office. ‘What have I done?’ Or, ‘What is this?’ It was just everything that I saw from him and heard from his coaches and others is, ‘What do I got to do to earn your trust to be back out there?’ And he just continued to work.”

Ultimately, Johnson getting benched may have been the best thing for him and his career in the long run.

“I was playing not to get beat instead of playing to win,” Johnson said. “What happened after I got benched is it took that fear away. It took the fear away of getting benched.”

• Bills HC Sean McDermott was asked about Johnson’s recovery length from his forearm injury: “I don’t know his timeline. I don’t know when he’ll be back.” (Joe Buscaglia)

Jets

• According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Jets DE Haason Reddick will lose around $800k for their season opener against the 49ers and $800k for every future game he misses.
• Schefter adds these fines are in addition to the other NFL-mandated fines from earlier that amount to more than $5 million. 

Patriots

• Patriots HC Jerod Mayo spoke on replacing LT Chukwuma Okorafor with OT Vederian Lowe: “I think (Okorafor) has the entire skill set to be a good tackle in this league. I would say, during the game there were some challenges. He had some challenges and struggles over there. Lowe came in and did a great job for us. But once again, it’s about competing each and every week, and we’ll see how this week of preparation goes.” (Doug Kyed)
• Mayo also loves the upside of fourth-round G Layden Robinson: “There was a point in time during training camp where, not only myself, but I think the other coaches, saw it and we said, ‘You know what, Layden Robinson has an opportunity to be a special player in this league.’ He’s tough. He’ll move guys off the line of scrimmage. He can do it all.” (Kyed) 
• According to Aaron Wilson, the Patriots worked out TEs Zaire Mitchell-Paden and Irv Smith on Monday.