AFC Notes: Vic Fangio, Sean McDermott, Eliot Wolf, Bills, Dolphins, Patriots

Bills

Bills HC Sean McDermott said he is looking forward to what OC Joe Brady can accomplish with a full season as the team’s playcaller.

“That comfort level was important for Joe and for us moving forward here and so I’m excited about that and excited to see also some of the evolution of our offense this offseason while not also getting too far away from what’s been good for us and what’s been good for Josh,” McDermott said, via the team website.

• Bills GM Brandon Beane offered a positive outlook on OLB Von Miller, saying he should be able to get back to his pre-injury self. (Jeremy Fowler)
• Beane said that he declined to commit to saying whether CB Tre’Davious White and/or LB Matt Milano will be ready to participate in offseason activities following injuries. (Alaina Getzenberg)
• Beane on young players being ready to go next year: “We left it with Kaiir like this in his end-of-season meeting even before any coaching changes. Come in ready to go, start fresh. And some guys take a little longer to take off. A.J. Epenesa is an example. Spencer Brown. So we’re looking forward to what he’ll bring when he returns.” (Chris Brown)

Dolphins

Si.com’s Albert Breer talked about former Dolphins DC Vic Fangio and the disagreements that occurred between players and the long-time coach.

• Breer talked about how players were “freelancing late in the season” because they felt the defense wasn’t being called in a way that best utilized their talents.
• After CB Xavien Howard was released, former teammate CB Jalen Ramsey seemed to confirm this mindset of the players on his social media in a tribute post saying: “I won’t ever forgive dude for not utilizing our full skill set.”

Patriots

• Patriots Eliot Wolf states his position title is Director of Scouting. (Ben Volin)
• On pending free agent OL Michael Onwenu changing agents, Wolf said: “It doesn’t impact us. Mike is a core player for us. It’s no secret we want to try to keep Mike, and it will just be a little bit of a wrinkle dealing with him. Mike is really smart, he’s introspective, he’s thoughtful, and he understands; he knows what he wants, which is always good when you’re dealing with a player. He’s certainly someone we view as a cornerstone for us.” (Mike Reiss)
• Wolf touched on the QB situation and stated, “There’s a lot of options on the table,” via Mike Giardi. He also said HC Jerod Mayo and director of player personnel Matt Groh will “try to do the right thing for the team.”
• While he hasn’t received any specific offers for the number three overall pick, Wolf noted: “All options are on the table.” (Mark Daniels)
• Wolf spoke highly of the upcoming QB class in the NFL Draft: “I think it’s a really good year for quarterbacks.” (Chad Graff)
• When talking about decision-making for the draft, Wolf says he will have the final say on picks. (Kevin Patra)
• Wolf spoke on how New England plans to be aggressive with their cap space and draft picks: “We need to weaponize the offense. We need to be faster and more explosive on defense. Height, weight, speed, playmaking ability – there will definitely be an emphasis on those things.” (Daniels)
• Wolf took reporters through his scouting mindset and the process he takes to create a draft board: “We changed the grading system. It’s a little bit more similar to what we did in Green Bay. The previous Patriots system was more ‘this is what the role is’ and this is more kind of value-based. I think it makes it a lot easier for scouts to rate guys and put them in a stack of ‘this guy’s the best, this guy is the worst, and everything in between falls into place.’ Rather than sort of more nuanced approaches. I just think it accounts value better and also makes it easier for the scouts – in the fall and spring – to determine where guys will get drafted.” (Reiss)
• Wolf continued talking about the draft board: “To me, it’s a little bit less about the grading scale and more about the process that we put in place. This process is a lot more collaborative. We hear from the scouts more. We’re going to be able to determine, together, what is the best thing for the team at the end of the day.” (Reiss)
• One reporter asked about a potential change in Patriot culture which Wolf responded they’ll have “less of a hard ass vibe.” (Daniels)
• Wolf touched on what they learned after drafting QB Mac Jones in 2021: “The main thing is just trying to do everything we can to support that person once they get in the building. We’re going to make the best decision we can in terms of who that person is – if we decide to go quarterback at 3.” (Daniels)
• With free agent CB J.C. Jackson, Wolf mentioned they haven’t come to a decision yet. In all likelihood, they will either have to release or restructure him due to the $14 million cap hit. (Daniels)
• Mike Reiss points out that Patriots’ impending free agent LB Anfernee Jennings has switched his representation to Klutch Sports Group.