AFC Notes: Dolphins, Jets, Stephon Gilmore

Dolphins

• According to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald, the Dolphins know that CB Xavien Howard wants a pay raise and that LB Jerome Baker and TE Mike Gesicki would like extensions, but so far they have been both “attentive” and “noncommittal.”
• Salguero suggests the Dolphins restructure CB Byron Jones‘ contract and extending DE Emmanuel Ogbah as a way to relieve cap space.

Jets

New Jets DL Sheldon Rankins said that he’s been watching the team’s defensive line for years, and he is excited to work alongside DL Quinnen Williams.

“I’ve followed Quinnen since he was at Alabama. Obviously, the type of player he was down there, the whole country was watching him,” Rankins said, via SNY. “So just seeing that and then obviously I’m a junkie of this game so I’m always watching the D-tackles and different things like that. So I’ve watched Quinnen’s first couple years with the Jets, watched Foley [Fatukasi], watch all those guys. I think not only Quinnen but just me pairing up with all those guys inside, I think we’re going to do some damage.”

Rankins also mentioned he is excited to work with HC Robert Saleh after seeing the 49ers’ defensive line break out under Saleh.

“Seeing the way he deployed those guys when they were in San Fran and the type of havoc they cause, I mean truly winning games with their front four, got me excited,” Rankins said, via DJ Bien-Aime.

• Rankins is very high on the Jets’ defense as a unit this season: “I feel we’re as talented as any defense in the league.” (DJ Bien-Aime)
• Fellow new Jets DL Vinny Curry is equally as excited about the defensive line’s potential: “I think the sky is the limit.” (DJ Bien-Aime)
• Curry said he’s seen similarities between the Jets and the Eagles when Philadelphia first hired former HC Doug Pederson: “I just wanted to be aboard. I’ve seen this ship before.” (Rich Cimini)

Stephon Gilmore

Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore said that he isn’t worried about his contract status and that it will all “play out as it will.”

“It’s out of my control,” Gilmore said via the Boston Globe. “I’m just happy to be a Patriot right now, and see how it goes.”

Gilmore added that the situation is in the hands of the Patriots right now and he’ll just wait and see what happens from here. 

“You’ve got to leave it in their hands,” Gilmore said. “Of course, I know what type of player I am, what type of person I am. I let everything lay on its own.”