AFC Notes: Aaron Rodgers, Dalvin Cook, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Dolphins

• ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques writes Dolphins third-round RB Devon Achane has shown productivity as a receiver and “homerun ability after the catch.” Achane has been one of Miami’s standout performers this offseason.
• Free agent RB Dalvin Cook did not decline a visit with the Dolphins and both sides remain interested in a deal, although price point remains a clear sticking point. (Barry Jackson)

Jets

New Jets QB Aaron Rodgers was infamous during his years in Green Bay for his extensive library of hand signals to change the play or a receiver’s route at the line of scrimmage — as well as how exacting he could be on younger receivers who didn’t quickly catch on to the details. For now, Rodgers says he’s taking it “pretty slow” with teaching his new teammates his signal library, and WR coach Zach Azzanni estimates they’ve learned less than 10 percent of the signals. Rodgers will take it off easy mode during training camp, though. 

“He does it quite a bit,” Jets OC Nathaniel Hackett said via the Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt. “It’s something that he takes a lot of pride in and it’s something that we love to see because he takes advantage of certain areas on the field. It definitely puts a little pressure on the wide receivers because they can’t ever just lock in on something that they’re going to be doing. If the quarterback sees an advantageous look for something, he’ll give you something very quick, and you have to have your eyes on him and eyes on the ball. So, that’s just kind of a process-oriented thing for those guys to get used to.”

Patriots

The Patriots broke tendency last year with RB Rhamondre Stevenson and ended up relying on him far more than they have any single back in over a decade. Snap count data isn’t easily found further back than 2011, but in that time Stevenson’s 66 percent mark is far and away higher than any other Patriots running back. Former Patriots RB James White is the next closest and hit 54 percent in 2018 but only had 217 combined carries and targets to Stevenson’s 298 in 2022. 

“It’s not so often as a Patriots running back that you’re out there that many snaps,” White said via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “[Coach] Bill [Belichick] loves that guy, so he just has to capitalize on the opportunity.”

It’s shaping up for Stevenson to take on another hefty workload in 2023 if for no other reason than there don’t seem to be many proven options on the depth chart behind him right now. White was skeptical the Patriots would spend to bring in former Vikings RB Dalvin Cook, but was bullish on veteran RB Ty Montgomery picking up a role as a third-down back to spell Stevenson to a degree. 

“I see a bunch of talented young guys and then a savvy veteran in Ty [6-0, 216], if he can stay healthy, to kind of lead those guys along,” White said. “Being around him a little bit last year, in OTAs and training camp, [Ty is] a guy who feels like he is still trying to prove himself and feels he has a lot left in the tank … he just hasn’t quite had a true opportunity. With Bill O’Brien coming back, they’ll probably get back to having a ‘sub back,’ and I feel like he’ll be the guy to take that on if they don’t have Rhamondre take on the full load.”

Outside of Stevenson and Montgomery, the Patriots have a group of young and unproven backs, including Pierre Strong, Kevin Harris and J.J. Taylor. Strong has the strongest pedigree of those three as a fourth-round pick in 2022 who blazed a sub-4.4 40-yard dash at 5-11 and 207 pounds. He had a quiet rookie season, however, like a lot of other Patriots rookie running backs, White included. 

“Obviously, he has the speed. It’s probably just the mental part of it. Coming in as a rookie, there is a lot to learn and, kind of like myself [in 2014], he almost had a redshirt year,” White said. “He’s going to have a lot thrown at him in training camp. They’re going to test him. Leave him in some of these preseason games to see what type of load he can accept, if he can pick up the blitz, run between the tackles. If he’s able to show what they expect, he’ll be right there.”