Joe Douglas, Zach Wilson, Jets, Patriots, Dolphins. AFC Notes

Dolphin

Dolphins New DC, Speaking about his approach to blitzing, which is a key differentiator for NFL defensive coordinators these days, Anthony Weaver shared his thinking. Miami’s defenses have seen all kind of changes in recent years, from the blitz-happy former head coach Brian Flores and his student Josh Boyer to the more subdued Vic Fangio in the previous campaign. Weaver is probably going to land in the middle of those two.

“Blitzing is truly – it’s got to be calculated and not reckless,” Weaver said via Dolphins Wire. “I’ve been around both guys. I’ve been around guys that just call it and let’s see what happens. Let’s throw flies in the windshield and see what sticks. Then I’ve been around guys that have been more calculated in that, and I believe you have to be calculated and not reckless in blitzing. Because when you do blitz, you’re obviously leaving your under coverage and secondary vulnerable. So whenever we do blitz, it’ll be with intent.”

Jets

According to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda, there are rumors throughout the league that Joe Douglas, the general manager of the Jets, isn’t being the forceful leader that people would have him be. According to Pauline’s sources, Douglas is “too nice for is own good.”

Pauline claims that assistant general manager Rex Hogan was quarterback Zach Wilson’s “right-hand man” and that his contacts think Hogan was the “driver” behind the Jets selecting Wilson second overall in 2021.

After the 2023 season, Hogan and the Jets chose to split, and according to Pauline’s sources, Hogan was responsible for all of the embarrassing team leaks, including Wilson’s reluctance to start for the team once more.

In an extended piece on the topic, Pauline mentions how taking DE Will McDonald IV in the first round had “Saleh pick written all over it” as few within the organization believed McDonald was worthy of his draft status.

Pauline believes Saleh has an issue with player utilization, as he will promise a player they will be used one way, just to have a position coach break the news that it isn’t happening.

Patriots

Former Patriots offensive coordinator and incoming Harvard coach Bill O’Brien stated that while he had the option to remain in incoming England, he believed that head coach Jerod Mayo should “hire his own staff.”

“I definitely had an opportunity to stay [with the Patriots],” said O’Brien, via WEEI.com. “I thought it was really important for Coach Mayo to hire his own staff. I came and worked for Bill Belichick, and I think it’s really important for Jerod to be able to hire his own staff. The Kraft’s were great about that, and I really appreciate that. And Ryan Day was awesome about offering me a job, so that’s why I made that decision.”

  1. O’Brien expressed his gratitude to Bill Belichick and the Patriots organization. “I wanna thank Bill Belichick for all that he has done for my career,” O’Brien said. “I’ll never be able to repay Bill for what he’s done for my career and I appreciate what he said about this opportunity for me yesterday. I really thank Bill for that. I’d like to thank Robert and Jonathan Kraft for all of their support over the years. That’s meant a lot to me.”

Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline notes Northern Iowa DT Khristian Boyd has 30 official visits scheduled during the upcoming draft process, due in large part to not receiving an invite to the Combine. Teams want to do their homework as Boyd tore up the Shrine Bowl.

Pauline doesn’t explicitly say if they are one of the teams with a visit scheduled but notes the Patriots are among the teams that have s

hown a lot of interest.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *