AFC Rumors: Bills, Jets, Patriots

Bills

• ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes he’s getting more and more of a sense that RB Saquon Barkley won’t be on the Giants in 2022. He says New York is hopeful a contending team will give up a mid-round pick for Barkley, perhaps someone like the Bills or Cardinals. 

Jets

• ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes the Jets are prepared to make a couple of splashes early in free agency and they’re rumored to be in on Buccaneers C Ryan Jensen and 49ers DT D.J. Jones.
• ESPN’s Dan Graziano has also heard the Jets might be willing to spend big for a cornerback like Patriots CB J.C. Jackson or Buccaneers CB Carlton Davis.
• Brian Costello of the New York Post lists Davis, 49ers G Laken Tomlinson and Buccaneers TE O.J. Howard as potential free agent targets for the Jets. 
• Costello writes Tomlinson would solidify the offensive line further and has experience in a similar system to OC Mike LaFleur. Howard is one of the best tight ends available after the market was decimated before free agency, while Davis would bring some experience to the secondary while still being only 25. 

Patriots

• ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler mentions the Jaguars and Patriots are interested in signing Bears WR Allen Robinson. Fowler adds he expects Robinson to have a strong market in the range of $18 million a year. 
• Fowler adds Jaguars WR DJ Chark has come up as well as someone New England will have interest in. 
• ESPN’s Mike Reiss writes, based on an educated guess, the Patriots will probably try to re-sign WR Matthew Slater and S Devin McCourty, viewing both as valuable culture-setters despite their age. 
• Reiss adds Slater will be cheap but McCourty less so, and as a result the Patriots will be far more judicious in free agency than they were last year, though they already had much less financial flexibility heading into this offseason. 
• Reiss predicts LB Dont’a Hightower, RT Trent Brown, LB Ja’Whaun Bentley and LB Jamie Collins will end up signing elsewhere. 
• He thinks New England has a better chance of re-signing OL Ted Karras, RB Brandon Bolden, K Nick Folk and RB James White. Backup QB Brian Hoyer should also be re-signed, per Reiss. 
• The Lions will release DE Trey Flowers this week and Reiss expects the Patriots to look into bringing him back to New England. 
• Nebraska C Cam Jurgens met with a number of teams at the Combine, including the Patriots. (Justin Melo)