AFC Rumors: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Bills

Bills RB Devin Singletary recalled a dropped wide-open swing pass in the second quarter of the AFC Championship game, describing that he’s focused on learning from the mistake. 

“You’ve got to play that!” Singletary said, via Tyler Dunne of GoLongTD.com. “That hurt’s going to teach me not to keep my eyes off the ball. That hurt is only going to strengthen me. You can’t run from it. Of course, I think about it. But I grew from it. Because I can face it now. I can talk about it.”

Singletary added that he is “staying ready” for an opportunity to the Bills’ full-time first-team running back. 

“Of course, as a running back, you kind of want to get in a rhythm,” Singletary says. “But some games it was easy, some games it was harder to do that. My thing was — my mindset always was — I’m staying ready. When the opportunity presents itself, I’m going to be ready for the opportunity. When you got that mindset, there’s nothing else that can knock you off your pivot. That’s the mindset to have. When you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready. Big things are coming. That’s been my mindset.”

Dolphins

Dolphins HC Brian Flores said that even though the team has collected draft picks over the past few years, he understands that the team needs to hit on those picks.

“I wouldn’t say the goal is necessarily to accumulate first-round picks. I think it’s to put the best team together,” Flores said, via Pro Football Talk. “I think there’s a variety of ways you can do that. Trade, free agency, waiver-wire transactions, obviously the draft. And I think Chris and his staff have done a great job of using all those different avenues to bring in players and I think we’ve brought players in through those variety of ways — I think we’ve used them all. But it’s to put the best team together, not necessarily a team full of first-round picks.”

“And look, we’re looking for guys who are tough, who are smart, who are competitive, and who love to play, and are team-first. And that’s kind of the criteria we look for and as we look through those different avenues to acquire players, that’s really always at the forefront.”

• ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler say the best guess from a source close to the situation is that the Dolphins will take Alabama WR DeVonta Smith if LSU WR Ja’Marr Chase isn’t on the board. 
• Alabama RB Najee Harris is a candidate for the Dolphins’ second first-round pick at No. 18 overall, per Fowler and Graziano.

Jets

• ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler call Clemson RB Travis Etienne a dream pick for the Jets if he’s available in the second round, which isn’t a sure thing. 

Patriots

Patriots HC Bill Belichick said the team is happy to have Matt Patricia back after he spent three years as the Lions’ head coach.

“Matt, he’s done this for the last three years in a different organization and so he’s very familiar with our process, his process and all the things that go around that,” Belichick said, via Pro Football Talk. “He’s been really a very valuable resource and confidant and somebody to talk to whose been through the same things that we’ve been through and his experience and perspective has been extremely valuable.”

• ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler say that while others around the league are skeptical the Patriots and Belichick would trade up for a quarterback, there has been some chatter recently that New England is high on Ohio State QB Justin Fields. 
• However, Graziano and Fowler don’t think New England would part with a future first-round pick to move up, which limits how far they could climb. 
• If they don’t take a quarterback, the Patriots are eyeing a cornerback, per Graziano and Fowler. 
• The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reports he’s hearing the Patriots are clear candidates to move up into the top ten picks and even explored a move up to No. 4 with the Falcons, which to him is an indicator they have conviction Fields could be their franchise quarterback.