AFC Notes: Tremaine Edmunds, Bills, Xavien Howard, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Bills

Bills LB Tremaine Edmunds is entering the final year of his deal which means an extension is on the radar. While Edmunds had some struggles in 2021, Bills GM Brandon Beane defended the former first-round pick as someone they still see as a core piece to their team. 

“Yeah, we definitely do. We drafted him as high as we did. He’s been a captain. He’s continued to ascend and grow. I know he’s been a lightning rod for, I don’t know all the reasons, you guys probably know well more than I do. I hear the questions, and I get it. I’m a fan of him,” he said via the Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia. “I think sometimes some of his deficiencies have been talked about more than the things he does good. He’s a 6-5 kid, 250 pounds. He’s not a knock-back, Dick Butkus-style linebacker, but his range and ability to play in coverage — we talk about matchup linebackers. When you look in the draft every year, there are not a lot of three-down matchup linebackers. This is a passing league, and you must have guys who can play the run but who can also cover tight ends, backs, etc. I get the criticism, but I’m not really in that camp.”

• Arizona State RB Rachaad White confirmed he had a formal interview at the Combine with the 49ers. (Donnie Druin)

Dolphins

• Dolphins GM Chris Grier said that CB Xavien Howard will be a member of the team in 2022: “Xavien Howard will be here. We will talk about the contract as we made that promise.” (Joe Schad)
• Grier said they have talked more with the agent of DL Emmanuel Ogbah than of TE Mike Gesicki. (Schad)
• Grier expects to exercise the fifth-year option for DT Christian Wilkins later this offseason. (Cameron Wolfe)
• The Dolphins hired former NFL DB Ricardo Allen as a special teams assistant. (D. Orlando Ledbetter)
• Alabama WR John Metchie has spoken with the Dolphins and is excited about the idea of being paired with former teammate WR Jaylen Waddle: “I think it’ll be a little unfair.” (Hal Habib)
• Alabama WR Jameson Williams also recently met with the Dolphins and would like to join some of his former teammates in Miami. (Thor Nystrom)
• Arkansas WR Treylon Burks also met with Miami during his time at the combine. (Ryan McDowell)
• Iowa C Tyler Linderbaum said he met with the Dolphins at the NFL Combine. (Thor Nystrom)
• Texas A&M Isaiah Spiller also met with the Dolphins at the NFL Combine. (Ryan McDowell) 

Jets

• University of Cincinnati DL coach Greg Scruggs has accepted a job as an assistant defensive line coach with the Jets. (Pete Thamel) 
• Iowa C Tyler Linderbaum said he met with the Jets while at the NFL Combine and has had formal interviews with 10 teams so far. (Ralph Vacchiano)

Patriots

• Alabama WR John Metchie told reporters that he enjoyed his meeting with the Patriots and likes the structure of their program. (Karen Guregian)
• Alabama WR Slade Bolden has met with the Patriots at the combine. (Mark Daniels)
• Ohio State WR Chris Olave has also met with the Patriots at the combine. (Dan Parr)
• Kentucky WR Wan’Dale Robinson has only met with the Patriots so far. (Ryan McDowell)