AFC East

Few people in sports history know more about winning than Bill Belichick, and he's now sharing some of his secrets in the form of a book.

The legendary coach announced Friday on his Instagram account that he wrote a book titled The Art of Winning: Lessons From My Life in Football.

"My hope with this book is that you learn about what I learned in the NFL about sustained success, leadership, and what it means to be a team player," he wrote. "You can make use of those extractable lessons in your own life, no matter what type of TEAM you are apart of."

Amazon lists the book with a May 20 release date and a hardcover price of $35.

Belichick's life in football has taken many twists and turns and includes time as the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants and New York Jets in addition to his time as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots.

He is also starting a new chapter this year as he turns his attention to the college game as the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels.

But Belichick is best known for his time as the head coach of the Patriots from 2000 through 2023. All he did during that span was win six Super Bowls and reach three others as part of one of the sport's most dominant dynasties alongside quarterback Tom Brady.

Readers can surely expect plenty of stories from his New England days that provide more insight into his relationship with Brady and other key players, as well as team owner Robert Kraft. There may even be some juicy tidbits considering he and Kraft haven't always seemed to be on the best of terms.

Coaching in the NFL for as long as Belichick did leads to a lot of lessons, and he will look to share them in his book while still applying them as he begins his collegiate coaching career.

Before the New England Patriots landed on Mike Vrabel to be their new head coach, they apparently could have had their pick of virtually any candidate they wanted because of how appealing the job is right now.

On the latest episode of the Scoop City podcast (starts at 25:35 mark), The Athletic's Dianna Russini said the Patriots' job was ranked as the best available this offseason by people around the NFL and multiple head coaches who are already employed by other teams said they would have liked the gig.

The Patriots didn't exactly conduct an exhaustive search before hiring Vrabel. They interviewed four different candidates plus had a fifth interview declined by Aaron Glenn.

As soon as Jerod Mayo was fired, it became apparent Vrabel was going to be the top choice as long as he wanted the job. He was a key member of the first half of their dynasty, winning three Super Bowls in eight seasons as a linebacker in New England from 2001 to '08.

Vrabel also had a good resume as a head coach with the Tennessee Titans. He compiled a 54-45 record and three playoff appearances in six seasons from 2018 to '23.

The two biggest selling points for New England right now are Drake Maye and cap space. Maye didn't have eye-popping stats with 2,276 passing yards, 421 rushing yards, 15 passing touchdowns and a 66.6 completion percentage, but the lack of talent around him makes those numbers look significantly better.

That roster could dramatically improve over the course of a single offseason because the Patriots have $124.9 million in cap space. No one else in the NFL has more than $92.9 million available.

You could argue the Patriots' three biggest needs are wide receiver, offensive tackle and interior offensive line. They could hypothetically sign impending free agents Tee Higgins, Trey Smith and Ronnie Stanley to boost all three spots and still have roughly $50 million to play with.

By the way, they also have the No. 4 pick in the 2025 draft to fill one of those needs.

Combine an extremely talented young quarterback on a rookie contract with a team that has, by far, the most cap space in the NFL, it's not hard to see why so many coaches would relish the opportunity to be in Vrabel's shoes.

The Detroit Lions are reportedly losing another coach.

According to Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz, Lions passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand will be the New York Jets' next offensive coordinator.

Connor Hughes of SNY first reported that the Jets were expected to hire Engstrand as their new offensive coordinator. Engstrand is certainly a familiar name for new Jets head coach Aaron Glenn after their shared time on Dan Campbell's staff in Detroit.

Hughes noted New York attempted to hire Los Angeles Rams tight ends coach and passing game coordinator Nick Caley as its "top option" but was rejected.

The Jets apparently weren't the only ones interested in Caley, who Hughes pointed out will "have other options." He also reported New York will keep wide receiver coach Shawn Jefferson after blocking interview requests for him around the league.

As for Engstrand's departure, this is another loss for the Lions staff.

Glenn became the head coach of the Jets, while offensive coordinator Ben Johnson became the head coach of the division-rival Chicago Bears.

Elsewhere, defensive line coach Terrell Williams went to the New England Patriots as DC, wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El went to the Bears in the same position, assistant quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett went to Chicago as the quarterbacks coach and tight ends coach Steve Heiden became the offensive line coach of the Jets.

It is quite the turnover for a franchise that has turned itself around under head coach Dan Campbell and become one of the league's best teams.

New York is looking for a similar turnaround with Engstrand as its offensive coordinator.

The 2024 season was his fifth on Detroit's staff and second as the passing game coordinator. The Lions finished his first season in the role second in the league in passing yards on the way to the NFC Championship Game and his second season in the role second in the league again on the way to the conference's No. 1 seed.

Players such as Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta thrived under his coaching, and he will look to help the Jets' playmakers unlock similar production.

There are still a number of questions to be answered in New York, not the least of which is will Aaron Rodgers be back at quarterback, but the team at least knows who the O.C. will be after this move.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook isn't willing to blame to officials for his team's AFC Championship Game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

"At the end of the day, as a man, you've got to come in there ready to go. F--k that ref s--t," Cook said Thursday on the Kickin' It with Dee podcast (21:30 mark of the video below.) "You got to come in that b---h ready to go, ready to play.

"Don't give a ref nothing to call. That's my answer, bro."

After a controversial ruling left the Bills short of a fourth down in the fourth quarter of a one-point game, the Chiefs pulled ahead late Sunday night to secure their third straight trip to the Super Bowl.

The call came on an attempted sneak by Bills quarterback Josh Allen. At the time, the Bills led the Chiefs 22-21.

Officials reviewed the call but didn't find enough evidence to overturn the ruling on the field.

Had the Bills kept possession, they could have gotten within field goal range and padded their lead. Instead, Buffalo turned the ball over on downs, and the defense was unable to keep Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes out of the end zone on the next drive.

Both Bills head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane pushed back against the ruling after their team was eliminated from the playoffs.

"The look we had in the stadium … I thought he had it," McDermott said Sunday, per NFL.com's Eric Edholm. "Just short of the line was actually the first down, what it looked like to me, when it was sitting next to me with the marker. Just inside that white stripe was the first down. It looked like he got to it. That's all I can say."

Beane told reporters on Thursday his belief Allen had gotten past the marker hadn't changed in the days since the loss.

"It's frustrating. There's only so much I can say. We've worked with the league to try to get clarity, and I'll give them credit. They've taken our calls, they've sent videos, and things like that," Beane said Thursday.

Beane continued: "I feel like he got that. I still feel like he got that. I felt like that in the moment, and nothing has changed my mind on that."

Beane also described a failed Bills challenge in the first half, after which officials ruled Xavier Worthy caught a pass contested by multiple Buffalo defenders to bring the Chiefs to first-and-goal, as a "good challenge."

"They've given how they see it, and that's their job... those are just like plays we didn't make in the game, too. So by no means are we saying that's why we lost the game," Beane concluded.

It sounds like Cook sees the loss the same way. He joined Allen as one of the Bills' best offensive performers in the loss, leading the team's rush attack by recording 13 carries for 85 yards and two touchdowns.

Beane could now look to address his team's pass defense, which struggled to contain Mahomes, by improving Buffalo's secondary this offseason as Allen, Cook and the Bills build up for what they hope will be a deeper playoff run next winter.

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane affirmed the prospect of a contract extension with quarterback Josh Allen could be on his list of priorities this offseason.

Beane told reporters Thursday that he and Allen "have a great relationship" and "talk a lot." He added that "there will be a time and place" for tangible contract negotiations.

"Not saying it will or won't happen," Beane said. "We're not there yet in discussing, let alone making that decision. Josh and I talk a lot and he was dejected after the loss, so nothing like that has been discussed."

Allen is signed through the 2028 season, but the Bills are incentivized to extending him well ahead of his free agency.

Being proactive in rewarding him with a pay raise will help to head off any bad blood or unease that can emerge whenever a star player believes he's underpaid. The quicker Buffalo re-signs Allen, the more it could save in the long run as well.

Joe Burrow signed a record-setting extension with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023 ahead of the regular season. At the time, his $55 million average annual salary was the highest ever. Now, Dak Prescott is making $60 million a year from the Dallas Cowboys, while the Jacksonville Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence and Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love have matched Burrow's salary.

Spotrac values Allen, who's making $43 million a year, at $60.1 million in the present market.

Brock Purdy becomes a free agent in 2026, while Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud's rookie deals take them through 2027. Lamar Jackson can hit the open market in 2028. Any one of those players has the potential to reset the QB market before Allen signs his next contract.

The three-time Pro Bowler nonetheless may not be considered a top priority for Beane this spring.

The Bills are projected to be $8.1 million over the salary cap, so they have limited financial resources this offseason. The threat of Allen possibly leaving as a free agent doesn't loom until far down the road, either.

As much as Allen means to the organization, Beane will have more pressing concerns to address.

The Buffalo Bills still haven't wavered in their belief that the wrong call was made on star quarterback Josh Allen's failed fourth-down conversion in the team's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.

Bills general manager Brandon Beane is the latest to weigh in on the matter, telling reporters on Thursday, "I feel like he got that. I felt like that in the moment and nothing has changed my mind on that."

Buffalo was leading 22-21 at the start of the fourth quarter when Allen ran for no gain on fourth-and-1. The replay official upheld the ruling on the field, giving Kansas City the ball back on its own 41-yard line. The Chiefs scored a touchdown on their very next drive to take a 29-22 lead.

After the Bills answered with a touchdown, the Chiefs went ahead with a field goal and held on for a 32-29 win after Allen's fourth-down pass to tight end Dalton Kincaid fell incomplete on Buffalo's final offensive possession. It was the fourth time in the last five years that the Bills lost to the Chiefs in the playoffs.

Beane also addressed the controversial catch by Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy that officials upheld despite a challenge by Bills head coach Sean McDermott, crediting the league for its transparency.

"By no means are we saying that's why we lost this game," Beane told reporters.

Still, the heartbreak of another postseason loss to Kansas City will linger for quite some time in Buffalo. Allen produced an MVP-caliber season in 2024, and this appeared to be the Bills' best chance to make it back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1993.

Buffalo will now have to regroup and start preparing to try to get over the hump in 2025.

Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks is reportedly heading back to the NFL.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Wednesday that the New York Jets are hiring Wilks as their new defensive coordinator. He will join Aaron Glenn's staff as the new head coach attempts to turn things around in New York in 2025.

Glenn will surely be involved on the defensive side of the ball considering he was the defensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions the last four seasons, but Wilks is an experienced and veteran leader with plenty of stops on his resume.

He was the head coach of the Cardinals for just one season in 2018 but was fired after the team went 3-13. He was also 6-6 as the interim head coach of the Carolina Panthers during the 2022 campaign.

In addition to collegiate stops at Illinois State, Appalachian State, East Tennessee State, Bowling Green, Missouri and Notre Dame, Wilks was the secondary coach for Washington, defensive backs coach for the Chicago Bears, defensive backs coach for the San Diego Chargers, defensive backs coach and D.C. for the Panthers, D.C. for the Cleveland Browns and D.C. for the San Francisco 49ers throughout his lengthy career.

Wilks was most recently in San Francisco for the 2023 campaign as the team's D.C. as it advanced all the way to the Super Bowl before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs.

San Francisco finished third in the league in points allowed and eighth in yards allowed that season but still chose to fire him after the Super Bowl loss.

The Jets would surely love a defense to perform at that level.

They were 5-12 during the 2024 campaign with a defense that finished 20th in the league in points allowed. Anything but a significant improvement would be a surprise given the decision to go with a defensive-minded head coach in Glenn, and now Wilks will look to help bring in that improvement during yet another stop in his career.

One of Aaron Glenn's top targets for his coaching staff with the New York Jets will have a formal interview with the club.

Per Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz, former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks will meet with the Jets about their defensive coordinator position on Wednesday.

After Glenn was confirmed to be the Jets' choice as their new head coach, Schultz reported on Jan. 22 that Wilks was believed to be a top target for defensive coordinator.

Glenn, who spent the past four seasons as defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, confirmed on Monday during his introductory press conference that he won't be calling defensive plays in 2025:

"I want to be the best head coach you can find. For me to do that, I think I need to manage the game, so I'll have my OC and my DC, those guys will be calling the plays. When it comes to staffing, that's a work in progress. I'm looking for the best coaches that are going to help us succeed. And I do believe coaches are the start of your culture. So every coach will be looked at to make sure they can bring that. I've always taught that it's not coachability, it's compatibility. I want to make sure the coaches we bring in are compatible."

Wilks will be the second defensive coordinator candidate the Jets interview on Wednesday. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported they are also meeting with former Tennessee Titans defensive backs coach Chris Harris.

The 55-year-old Wilks spent 2024 in college as a volunteer advisor for Charlotte's football team. His most recent job in the NFL was as defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers during the 2023 season.

Wilks has an extensive resume dating back to 1995 when he entered the coaching ranks as a defensive coordinator at Johnson C. Smith. He spent 11 seasons in college before breaking into the NFL in 2006 with the Chicago Bears as their defensive backs coach.

In addition to his work as an assistant coach, Wilks has 28 games of experience as a head coach in the NFL. He went 3-13 in his lone season with the Arizona Cardinals in 2018, then went 6-6 as interim head coach for the Carolina Panthers in 2022.

The Jets defense took a significant step back in 2024 from where they had been the previous two years. They ranked 20th in points allowed and gave up more than 20 points in 11 of 17 games. They only had 15 games allowing more than 20 points in 2022 and 2023 combined.

The Buffalo Bills are "intrigued" by the idea of bringing back wide receiver Amari Cooper for a full season with Josh Allen, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Cooper played eight regular-season games and made three playoff appearances with the Bills after being acquired in a midseason trade with the Cleveland Browns.

"The Bills have been happy with Cooper, despite low production compared with past seasons," Fowler wrote. "He has been a good team player in Buffalo... though his free agency future is uncertain, a return to Buffalo does not appear off the table."

Cooper made 32 catches for 297 yards and two touchdowns in the regular season, adding six catches for 41 yards in three playoff appearances.

Most recently he recorded four receptions on four catches for 33 receiving yards as the Bills conceded an AFC Championship Game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Cooper played a limited role on the Bills' offense behind top Allen targets like Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman, but he said multiple times throughout the back half of the 2024 season that he didn't mind his move down the depth chart in Buffalo.

"Winning is way more important, and that's all I truly want," Cooper told Syracuse.com's Matt Parrino ahead of the conference title game. "I've had it every other way, and haven't reached the pinnacle of this sport how I would have liked."

After making it as far as the conference championship game this winter, the Bills will look to finally unseat the two-time reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs and represent the AFC in the Super Bowl next season.

The idea of returning to a contending team could motivate Cooper to return to Buffalo, while the Bills could be looking a veteran option to add to a receiving room currently staffed by young stars in Shakir, Coleman and Dalton Kincaid.

Cooper's market value is projected at $14.2 million per year by Spotrac. Although his days as a perennial 1,000-receiving yard player could be over, he could still be a valuable depth option for teams ready to slot him into a reduced role in 2025.