NFL Notes: Bills, Dolphins, Falcons, Packers, & Patriots

Bills

• The Bills announced that WR Sammy Watkins has been cleared to resume practice on Wednesday.
• Bills HC Rex Ryan said preventing an infection in RB LeSean McCoy‘s surgically repaired thumb will be the running back’s top priority this week. (Mike Rodak)

Dolphins

• Ian Rapoport reports that LT Laremy Tunsil‘s shoulder injury that forced him out of Week 11 is not considered a major injury.
• Dolphins DC Vance Joseph said DE Mario Williams (ankle) will return this week. (Armando Salguero)

Falcons

• Vaughn McClure reports that the base salaries for Falcons RT Ryan Schraeder‘s new five-year extension are: $1 million (2017), $5 million (2018), $6.25 million (2019), $5.75 million (2020), and $6 million (2021).

Packers

Packers president Mark Murphy said he will not make significant changes to the coaching staff or front office this offseason and gave a vote of confidence towards HC Mike McCarthy and GM Ted Thompson.

“The [public perception] of that is, the Packers are really harmed because they don’t have an individual owner who can go in and fire somebody,” Murphy said, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN. “Well, if you look across the league, when those individual owners do things like that, it usually doesn’t turn out very well. The answer isn’t just to fire people midseason, especially, [given that] we’ve had a run of success.

“Our coaches and personnel people and Ted and Mike have shown in the past they can turn things around. I think that taking that approach certainly makes more sense than just firing people to fire people.”

Patriots

• Dianna Russini reports that Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski (chest) is not expected to play in Week 12’s game against the Jets.