AFC Notes: Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Bills, Dolphins, Jets

Bills

Bills GM Brandon Beane said that the team had the chance to get to the Super Bowl with their roster this past season and is hoping his group can take another step towards raising the trophy in 2025.

“We’re not getting our doors blown off,” Beane said about their loss to the Chiefs. “And when we beat them in the regular season, they beat us in the postseason. … As you guys know, every game that’s decided within one score usually comes down to two to three plays in a game. And so you’ve got to be careful not to overreact.”

“I firmly believe from my experience in the league and the teams that I’ve been on that have been to Super Bowls that to win those games, especially in the gauntlet that the AFC is, your best players have to play their best,” Beane added. “That’s generally what happens, and when you see those teams and even to the Super Bowl, I would say Philadelphia’s stars rose to the occasion more than Kansas City’s [stars] did that day. They play five more times, it might be totally different, but that day, they did and that’s what we have to do if we’re going to get past the Chiefs.”

Beane also commented about the involvement of team owner Terry Pegula.

“Terry loves the process,” Beane mentioned. “He’s got an analytical mind. He’s one of the few owners. He comes to the combine, he sits in all our interviews. He likes to get to know those 45 players that we bring in there for 15 minutes. We watch the film with them, and he doesn’t say a word. They don’t even know he’s the owner. Terry will sit in on our April meeting. He’ll sit in there. And again, once in a while, he’ll ask a question. He takes a lot of notes on what this scout said, what this coach may have said, and how I see it. He’ll write some questions down that he has.”

Dolphins

Dolphins QB Zach Wilson believes he can still be a starting quarterback in the NFL and just needs the opportunity to prove himself once again.

“I would like to view it differently,” Wilson said, via PFT. “Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with being a journeyman, but I still believe I can be a starter in this league whenever the opportunity comes. And so, just trying to put myself in the best situation with the best team and coaches and do the absolute best that I can, and then you know hopefully at some point you can get that opportunity to show what you can do.”

Wilson said that his time in Denver allowed him to take a step back and truly learn what it means to be a quarterback.

“Denver was a good opportunity for me to kind of allay the stresses of being an NFL quarterback and just trying to be perfect every day, to spending more time with the guys in the locker room and growing that bond,” Wilson said. “I think that is always important. And just enjoying every single day of being there. So I think that’s always an important aspect, and then it carries onto the field of you just being more comfortable.”

Jets

• According to SNY’s Connor Hughes, New York fully plans on rolling into the season with Justin Fields as the team’s starting quarterback. If Fields fails to produce, Tyrod Taylor, who has a ton of locker room support, would figure to take over rather quickly. The team can move on from Fields after the season without a massive financial implication.
• Hughes added that the team will likely look to seek extensions with WR Garrett Wilson and CB Sauce Gardner early on. RB Breece Hall and DE Jermaine Johnson will likely play out their contracts.
• Hughes doesn’t think having Fields and Taylor on the roster will preclude the Jets from drafting a quarterback if there’s a player they really like on the board for one of their picks. 
• However, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer has heard Fields’ camp did a lot of homework and prioritized the Jets as the landing spot where he’d get the longest leash to perform. That suggests a first-round quarterback is not in the cards for New York.