The AFC’s running back and tackle conversations this week put a few familiar names in the spotlight, with Bills back James Cook and Jets runner Breece Hall both drawing strong league-wide praise.
Cook landed on Jeremy Fowler’s list of top running backs, and one AFC executive made the case for why he’s climbed into that tier: “He has a three-down skill set, pass-game value, inside run ability and a speed threat on the outside,” the executive said. “[He] has become a complete player.”
Hall also earned a spot among Fowler’s top backs, and the description from one high-ranking executive was just as glowing: “True three-down back, creates as a runner and can play in the passing game with good hands. He’s a big back [at 220-plus pounds] with the ability to create on his own with good body control and is strong through contact.”
At tight end, Bills pass catcher Dalton Kincaid drew a positive evaluation from an NFC executive, who pointed to the talent and the unfinished nature of his game: “A very gifted athlete. He hasn’t put it all together yet, but that’s partly due to injury - he absolutely can. I expect him to.”
Buffalo left tackle Dion Dawkins, meanwhile, only received an honorable mention in Fowler’s ranking of offensive tackles. One anonymous executive described him this way: “A solid starter, plays with an edge, can be good in both phases but shows inconsistent effort.”
There was also movement brewing in Buffalo beyond the rankings talk. According to Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN, the Bills and guard O’Cyrus Torrence have mutual interest in getting an extension done.
In Miami, Quinn Ewers appears to be settling into the quarterback room after the Dolphins added Malik Willis in free agency. Ewers said the move has made things easier around the position group.
“Having Malik added has been great for everybody,” Ewers said via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “He’s a great dude to be around, super fun to have in the room. Right now, I’m not too worried about all that, but just trying to stay ready and continue to improve my game, continue improving in my role, and continue to hone in on all the details.”
The Dolphins have far more invested in Willis, who got $45 million guaranteed, than they do in Ewers, a seventh-round pick. Even so, Ewers said he’s in a better place now after spending a full season learning the offense, and he believes that experience has sharpened his game.
“I’m not swimming anymore so that’s nice,” Ewers said. “We’re finally able to tread water a little bit.
I get a full NFL offseason to hone in on some of the smaller details. I don’t have to worry so much about learning each and every play because I feel comfortable enough now that I know I can focus on other things, like keys and tells from the defense.
I feel like my game is really starting to improve.”
Dolphins offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik echoed that progress, saying, “I really think you’ve seen Quinn take the next step of, ‘All right, I’m owning what this is right now,” Dolphins OC Bobby Slowik added. “Let me take advantage of kind of the little bit I already know and let me go out and just play what I see and play convicted and let it rip.’”
In Other News...
Malik Willis Is Already Facing A Dolphins Problem Fans Know Too Well
Malik Willis arrives in Miami with the kind of spotlight that can turn quickly if the supporting cast is thin, and that is exactly why some around the league are already bracing for trouble. The Dolphins have spent the offseason reshaping the roster under new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, but the broader picture still looks like one of transition, and quarterback is the position where that tends to show first.
For Willis, the challenge is not just proving he can handle the job, but doing it while the offense sorts out what it really has around him. Miami has given him a multi-year commitment, yet the conversation around his future is already tied to whether the Dolphins can stabilize enough to make a 2027 quarterback decision a choice instead of a necessity. [Read more 🡒]
Former Dolphins Lineman Could Make Chargers Fans Regret Everything
The Chargers took a swing on Cole Strange this offseason, betting the former Patriots first-round pick can settle in at guard after a modest run with Miami. Stranges brief Dolphins stint came after James Daniels went down, and he even got a short look in the lineup ahead of Kion Smith, but it never really changed the broader view of him as a player still trying to find his footing in pass protection.
Miami, meanwhile, may have already found a cleaner answer. The Dolphins brought in former Chargers guard Jamaree Salyer, who is battling Jonah Savaiinaea for the right guard job and is viewed as a potential upgrade at a far friendlier price. If Salyer wins the job and settles in quickly, it would only sharpen the contrast between what Miami gained and what Los Angeles is hoping Strange can still become. [Read more 🡒]