LogFAQs > #903827510

AFC East

1. Miami Dolphins
2. Buffalo Bills
3. New York Jets
4. New England Patriots

Over the past three offseasons, the Dolphins have lost 14 90+ players to retirement, trade, or free agency. While the third's ending has yet to be decided, the first two seasons resulted in a SB title and an appearance in the AFC title game. Needless to say, they should be alright, but there is a major issue. The Dolphins have long had a roster-building approach that looked to play the long-game. The majority of their 1st round picks were drafted to be groomed into future starters after the incumbents retired. Unfortunately, that did not extend to their OTs as an unexpected holdout and cap issues forced them to see three 90+ OTs go in the past two offseasons with their current set of OTs being 88, 78, 76, and 72 overall. The Dolphins might be the first one to have an interior OL start at OT Week 1, but if RG Kelechi Osmele isn't ready to go, they will be starting two sub-80 rookie OTs against the Broncos. The Dolphins are likely the only realistic threat to the Broncos in the AFC, so Week 1 will be a great indication if we can expect competition from the top of the AFC. Regardless, the Dolphins should be easy picks to win the division for the seventh straight season or at worst earn their first wild card spot.

I hesitated to put the Bills in second because most probably know how I am high on the Jets on an annual basis. The Bills are a better team on paper than they were last season with adding C Roberto Garza, Gs Robert Turner and Adam Goldberg, CB Justin King, CB Desmond Trufant, and converting Korey Hall back to his natural position at MLB. They were however one of the league's biggest overachievers last season featuring the 27th ranked defense, 14th ranked offense, #2 PPG in the AFC, and #2 point differential in the AFC. The defense should normalize and fall in the 15-22 range. The offense might fall in the same 11-20 range, but the PPG were certainly fall off and thus the point differential will too. The question is though if stevr will prioritize winning or developing rookie QB Derek Carr. If the former, they are definitely in the hunt for a Wild Card spot. If the latter, there are too many playoff-caliber teams focused on winning in the AFC for the Bills to reasonably expect to make the playoffs.

The Jets field basically the same team as last season. The only new starter will be rookie C Maurkice Pouncey. This team will be lead by perennial MVP candidate HB Romance Taylor and the steady defense. QB Drew Brees' wheels have started to fall off (passer rating fell almost 20 points from S8 to S9), and the OL health has been a real issue. If everything clicks, then they are the second-best team in the division and a Wild Card team, but I don't have enough faith that the offense will hold up all season.

That preseason could have gone a lot better for the Patriots. The OL was really the only place hit, but it was hit hard with. That being said, their season begins with home dates against the Lions, Bills, and Browns, so they could conceivably start out undefeated and then have most of their OL return Week 4 against the Dolphins. That being said, this wasn't the greatest offseason for the Pats. Cap issues forced them to part with multiple players, almost exclusively on the offensive side of the ball. The Pats were a Bottom 5 offense last season, so getting rid of two of their three best WRs, two best Gs, and multple OTs will likely not help out the offense and put a lot of pressure on their defense to perform so well that it can carry an anemic offense to the postseason. Having given up their 1st rounder next season and additional cap issues on the horizon, the Pats can ill afford any more setbacks.
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KCF can't actually be a real person but he is - greengravy
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