AFC Notes: Jordyn Brooks, Malik Willis, Namdi Obiazor, Dolphins, Patriots

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Dolphins Dolphins LB Jordyn Brooks is heading into the final year of his three-year deal signed with Miami in the 2024 season. Brooks feels contract talks can go either way, but is trying to focus on what he can control. “Yeah, I mean, I don’t know. I mean, it can go either way honestly, but for me, I’m just controlling what I can control. Play football. I’m blessed to do it and so I’m going to just keep approaching it that way,” Brooks said, via the team’s website . Miami extended RB De’Von Achane this offseason as a core piece of the franchise. Brooks talked about how the extension inspires him that the organization is headed in the right direction. “Yeah, man, Achane getting his deal, that’s something that needed to happen right away. Probably our best player on the team, just his skill set and the way he’s played for us the last two years since I’ve been here, he earned every bit of that. Seeing him get that done, I was excited. Bringing him back and obviously all the guys that we lost, having him back made me feel a lot better about where we’re going in the future.” Dolphins Dolphins QB Malik Willis was asked about the trade of WR Jaylen Waddle to the Broncos, which occurred after he signed with the team. “It was unfortunate, for sure, to say the least,” Willis said Tuesday, via NFL.com . “That’s a really good player, and I would have loved to play with him, but that’s above my pay grade, brother. Out of my hands.” Patriots The Patriots used a sixth-round pick on TCU LB Namdi Obiazor , who started his collegiate career at Iowa Western Community College as an undersized corner with no Division I offers. TCU LBs coach Ken Wilson outlined what made Obiazor successful with the Horned Frogs, saying they needed someone with a unique combination of coverage skills and the ability to take on blockers physically. “In this defense that Andy Avalos has, the Will (weakside) linebacker position has been the most productive,” Wilson said, via the team’s website . “It was a position where we needed a guy who was really athletic and physical. He was continuing to get bigger from the time he had been in college. Even before I got to TCU, I evaluated him and thought with his speed, physicality, and the body he was growing into, he could be the guy at that position who could function in our defense and be really productive.” “It takes a special guy to do it just with the physicality and taking on blocks and the strength, reading your keys in there. For guys who haven’t done that, and especially guys who have been in the secondary, they’re always looking at receivers or the quarterback. Obviously in the interior, you’re looking at offensive linemen and reading plays so that was a little bit of a learning curve.” Wilson also raved about Obiazor’s work ethic, saying he would always be in for his weekly reps the day after game day, despite being beat up. “There’s a lot of guys feeling beat up on Sundays when we practice the day after a game. He never missed any reps on Sunday practices. He’d be mad if he didn’t get his reps. You cherish those kinds of players. Whether they make it to the NFL or not, those are the guys you remember.” Ultimately, Wilson feels there wasn’t a better spot to get the most out of Obiazor’s skillset than New England with HC Mike Vrabel . “When I saw where he got drafted, I thought: if there’s a better place then New England with Coach Vrabel for Namdi Obiazor then I don’t know where it is… Hopefully, that all translates to him…