AFC Notes: Dion Dawkins, Tyreek Hill, Bills, Dolphins, Jets

Bills

Bills LT Dion Dawkins was one of the leading voices in the creation of the Protector of the Year Award, which will recognize the best offensive lineman in the game every season. Dawkins is honored to have an impact on how the game is celebrated. 

“It’s very cool that my domino piece makes noise when it falls,” Dawkins said, via The Athletic’s Tim Graham. “Just to be a regular kid from Jersey, go to Temple, be a second-round pick to Buffalo, to having a voice so big that it reaches all 32 teams and then some.”

“This is a part of my legacy now, and I stand on it.”

Dawkins said the following in the official release by the NFL announcing the award. 

“This Protector of the Year award is finally giving the big boys up front the respect we deserve. I’ve been knocking on doors and spearheading this movement because offensive linemen are the true foundation of every team’s success. We might not have all the fancy stats as the skinnies or end up on a highlight reel every week, but without us, there’s no rushing titles, passing titles, or touchdowns. This award is for all the unsung heroes who put in work every snap. I won’t stop fighting to give offensive linemen the respect and recognition we deserve.”

• Bills HC Sean McDermott on RB James Cook: “We’re staying in touch, like you’d expect. … James will be here when he’s ready to be here and we move forward.” (Katherine Fitzgerald)

Dolphins

Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill is back with the team, attempting to earn the trust of his teammates and coaches.

“Tyreek’s been great,” WR coach Robert Prince told C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald. “If I text him, he texts me back. If I call him, he calls me back. He says I’m going to be here, he’s been here. And it’s been great. I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with Tyreek, and he’s a great leader in the room.”

“I think it’s a guy who is extremely motivated to get better each day and to be a positive impact on the offense and team,” Dolphins OC Frank Smith said. “He’s got energy every day, he’s working through his process. He’s been great so far through the offseason. Everyone collectively is trying to use the way last season went as our motivation to make sure we maximize each day. You don’t look forward, you don’t look to the past; just say, what do I need to get done right now, and I think Tyreek and all of the guys are really embracing that.”

Jets

Although the Jets are one of the younger teams in the league, the Packers are the only team with more players who are 30 or older on their roster. New York HC Aaron Glenn acknowledged they want youth on the team, but they also need guys who can contribute to winning regardless of age. 

“Listen, do we want younger players? Absolutely. It’s a young man’s game,” Glenn said, via ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “It’s a young man’s game, but we want players that can help us win. So if those players happen to be 30 years old, we get those players. It just so happened that we got younger while we got players that could help us win.”