AFC Notes: Mike Gesicki, Aaron Rodgers, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Dolphins

Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel expressed confidence in rookie CB Cam Smith‘s development after keeping him off of the field in Week 7. 

“It’s just the natural growth (for a young player),” McDaniel said, via DolphinsWire. “There are many different journeys that players take. He’s got a room of very capable players (around him). I think you have to do right by the team, and you have to do right by the player to make sure that they’re appropriately versed. The main thing with him is that he’s, by all testaments, he’s getting better and better and closer and closer to doing that, but you don’t just have guys learn on the fly at a position like that, in my opinion. Because, it’s kind of like quarterback, where you don’t want to hurt their progression by having them see the field too soon because there can be scar tissue with that.”

McDaniel believes Smith will eventually get some playing time. 

“I really like the way that Cam goes about his business, and how he competes. He’ll see his time on the field at some point, but tonight was just not the night.”

• Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes Dolphins LB Andrew Van Ginkel, who’s in the midst of a strong season as a role player for Miami’s defense, is a candidate to sign an in-season contract extension. He points out both Van Ginkel and his agent declined to comment on the possibility, suggesting something might be in process. 
• Dolphins G Robert Hunt is another extension candidate but when he was asked about it by Jackson, he didn’t seem to indicate anything was imminent: “I’ll let them do their thing. Near future maybe. The stove is not hot.”

Jets

• In his weekly interview with Pat McAfee, via ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Jets QB Aaron Rodgers said the past week of rehab was “tough” and he’s had some frustration because things haven’t come as quickly. 
• He added it’s normal for there to be some plateaus in the rehab process and he’s just looking to push past it. Rodgers mentioned he’s still walking with a limp: “I don’t quite have the strength in my calf… [Once] I can get to walking normal in a shoe, which is close, really close, then [I can] make a jump.”

Patriots

Patriots TE Mike Gesicki acknowledged it was hard for players in the locker room to completely block out all the outside noise around the team’s struggles to start the season. But that made the win over the Bills a little sweeter. 

“You try to block it out,” he said via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “For the most part, I’d say that we do. There’s some of it that still creeps in. You kind of understand the narrative about what’s being said about the team. It doesn’t really mean anything to us at the end of the day. We just try to go out there, make plays, try to win games.”