After an offseason full of mind-numbing debates about deflated footballs, Chip Kelly's sanity and whether or not Odell Beckham Jr. made the greatest catch of all-time, the return of football is on the horizon with training camp for all 32 NFL teams set to start next week. Over the course of the next several weeks, I'll break down every team in the league and make predictions of how they will fare in 2015, starting today with the suddenly-loaded AFC East. Hope you enjoy and please feel free to leave any non-Deflategate-related comments below.
Buffalo Bills
2014 Record: 9-7
Head Coach: Rex Ryan (1st year)
Notable Additions: RB LeSean McCoy, WR Percy Harvin, TE Charles Clay
Notable Departures: RB C.J. Spiller, ILB Kiko Alonso, S Da'Norris Searcy
Offense:
After once again finishing near the bottom of the league in just about every offensive category last year the Bills smartly invested in overhauling their offense heading into 2015. The offseason acquisition of LeSean McCoy to energize the Bills running attack stands out as a potential game-changing move. While McCoy's numbers dipped a bit in his last season with the Eagles and he definitely gets more negative gains than the other running backs of his caliber around the league, he is still a top-flight RB (he ran for 1,319 yards in his widely criticized 2014 campaign) who is capable of making a home-run play every time he touches the ball. McCoy also has the benefit of being part of a deep backfield where he won't be asked to carry the ball 20+ times a game. Fred Jackson, Anthony "Boobie" Dixon, Bryce Brown and rookie Karlos Williams are all capable of contributing when called upon, which should keep McCoy's legs fresh and maximize his production. The Bills also went out and added more receiving weapons in Percy Harvin and Charles Clay to put alongside their promising second-year wideout Sammy Watkins. Clay is one of the more reliable pass-catching tight end's in the league while Harvin, despite all of his injuries, remains a versatile, speedy wideout with a knack for making game-breaking plays. While the Bills have a nice stockpile of weapons at the skill positions, they might not have a quarterback that is capable of getting the ball to them. There is currently a truly open (and entirely suspense-free) quarterback competition going on between journeyman veteran Matt Cassel, career backup Tyrod Taylor and their former starter and 2013 first-round draft pick E.J Manuel. All three of these guys have major question marks surrounding their ability to be an effective starting NFL quarterback (Cassel has consistently gotten worse year-to-year and is coming off a major foot injury, Taylor never started a game in his 4 years with the Ravens and Manuel was seriously inconsistent during his previous tenure as the Bills starter) and based on the less-than-glowing reviews that came out of mini-camp in May, none of them appear to be set to prove the skeptics wrong. That being said, the Bills quarterback issues pale in comparison to the trainwreck they currently have at offensive line. Aside from their solid albeit unremarkable left tackle Cordy Glenn, this unit was an absolute joke last year in both pass protection and run-blocking. The Bills did draft a promising guard in Louisville product John Miller and sign the NFL's top locker-room morale booster in Richie Incognito, but that probably won't be enough to turn around this abysmal unit. If the Bills can pull off some sort of miracle and get respectable play from their quarterback and offensive line, they could end up being something seriously special.
Defense:
There's a reason Ryan chose the Bills as his next head coaching destination. This Bills defense is without question one of the most exciting and dominating units in the league and with Ryan's penchant for strong defense, there's no way he could pass up the opportunity to coach this group. This defense has led the league in sacks in two consecutive years and were 4th in the league (3rd against the pass, 11th against the run) in team defense a year ago. Under Ryan's watch, these guys should be even better. The lethal defensive line combo of Marcell Dareus, Jerry Hughes, Kyle Williams and Mario Williams give offense lines fits week in and week out and their vastly underrated secondary led by top cornerback Stephon Gilmore, safety Aaron Williams and slot corner extraordinaire Corey Graham also makes them incredibly hard to throw against. Outside linebacker Nigel Bradham and Dareus' claims that they could be the greatest defense of all time may be a bit exaggerated, but this is a remarkably skilled defense with no significant holes that's going to be very hard to score mass amount of points on.
Bottom Line:
This is by far the most talented roster Ryan has ever had at his disposal during his coaching career. Given the fact that Ryan was able to get 8 wins out of the 2013 Jets, who had similar quarterback woes and a defense that's about half as good as the one he currently has in Buffalo, 10 or 11 wins should be very much in reach for this bunch.
This is by far the most talented roster Ryan has ever had at his disposal during his coaching career. Given the fact that Ryan was able to get 8 wins out of the 2013 Jets, who had similar quarterback woes and a defense that's about half as good as the one he currently has in Buffalo, 10 or 11 wins should be very much in reach for this bunch.
Miami Dolphins
2014 Record: 8-8
Head Coach: Joe Philbin (4th year)
Notable Additions: DT Ndamukong Suh, WR Kenny Stills, TE Jordan Cameron
Notable Departures: WR Mike Wallace, TE Charles Clay, DT Jared Odrick
Offense:
The Dolphins got ridiculed this offseason when they gave quarterback Ryan Tannehill 6-year/$97 mil extension. Detractors came out of the woodwork to trash Tannehill, citing his lack of playoff appearances and inability to lead the team past a .500 record in his 3 years as reasons to not give him a lengthy deal. I urge the legions of Tannehill haters to look closer at this numbers and actually watch him play for an extended period of time before they write him off. His QBR, CMP % and TD totals have gone up every year he's been in the league and according to Pro Football Focus, only Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees were better throwing under pressure last season. While clearly nothing is guaranteed in the ever-changing nature of the NFL, Tannehill appears to be on a serious upswing and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he became a top-10 QB this year. The Dolphins further solidified their belief that Tannehill is their franchise QB by making significant changes to their receiving corps this offseason. The Dolphins were extremely aggressive in acquiring receivers and ended up landing lethal deep threat Kenny Stills, redzone nightmare Jordan Cameron, rock-solid veteran Greg Jennings and a potential superstar in rookie DeVante Parker once the dust of free agency and the draft settled. The Parker/Stills/Jarvis Landry/Jennings/Cameron tandem is far scarier on paper than the Mike Wallace/Brian Hartline/Landry/Brandon Gibson/Charles Clay combo they ran with last season and could very well be the group that helps get Tannehill his first 30+ TD campaign of his career. The offense also has the benefit of having a pretty strong run game headed by Lamar Miller, who's coming off his first 1,000-yard season and only got better as the year went on. The Dolphins run game in 2015 could be even potent with the addition of rookie Jay Ajayi. Ajayi was a second or third round talent that slipped to the fifth round due to injury concerns about his knee. If he can stay healthy, Ajayi has the imposing stature and power to be an ideal complement to the smaller, more elusive Miller and could prove to be one of the biggest steals of the entire draft. Even the offensive line, which is still easily their biggest Achilles' heel, seems like it's going to be better this season with Mike Pouncey returning to his natural position at center after a disastrous seasons at guard last year and 2nd year tackle Ja'Wuan James headed back to the right side of the line, where he played relatively well before being shifted to the left once Branden Albert went down with a torn ACL and MCL in early November. If all goes according to plan, this will be the most productive offense the Dolphins have had since the Dan Marino-era.
Defense:
The aggression the Dolphins showed in improving their offense carried over to the defensive band to the ball. The Dolphins went out and made a huge deal right out of the gate by signing defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to the largest contract for a defensive player in league history. While $120 mil may seem steep for a defensive tackle, Suh's rare talent makes him worth the hefty price tag. Suh is exactly the type of incredibly disruptive presence the Dolphins needed to stop their woes against the run and his excellent interior pass-rushing abilities give the Dolphins yet another sack machine they can throw at opposing quarterbacks. With Suh in the middle and pass-rushing monsters Cameron Wake and Oliver Vernon on the outside, the Dolphins could give the Bills a serious run for the title of best defensive line in football. The lone question on this defense is their linebackers. Jelani Jenkins got extensive playing time last year amidst the slew of injuries that plagued their linebacking corps and played pretty well for most of the year, but outside of him there's no one that can really be trusted. Koa Misi, Kelvin Sheppard and free-agent pickup Spencer Paysinger are extremely inconsistent players whose play seems to be becoming only more erratic each year. If their defensive line and secondary ends up getting banged up or falls short of expectations, their linebackers probably won't be able to pick up the slack against the run or the pass.
Bottom Line:
With one of the most improved rosters in the league and a blossoming franchise quarterback in Ryan Tannehill under center, The Dolphins appear poised to be serious playoff contenders in 2015.
With one of the most improved rosters in the league and a blossoming franchise quarterback in Ryan Tannehill under center, The Dolphins appear poised to be serious playoff contenders in 2015.
New England Patriots
2014 Record: 12-4
Head Coach: Bill Belichick (16th year)
Notable Additions: DE/OLB Jabaal Sheard, TE Scott Chandler, CB Bradley Fletcher
Notable Departures: CB Darrelle Revis, CB Brandon Browner, DT Vince Wilfork
Offense:
I don't know if you've heard but Tom Brady got suspended for four games for deflating footballs and not fully cooperating in the subsequent investigation. While the appeal ruling hasn't come down yet, I'd be flabbergasted if his suspension wasn't completely eliminated or at least reduced to 1 or 2 games. Even if the unthinkable happens and Brady's suspension is held up, it shouldn't have too much of a negative effect on this team. The Pats offense is notorious for its slow starts and given Brady's middling early season numbers of late ( 11 TD's, 4 INT's, 85.7 QBR, 60.6 completion % and he's thrown for under 250 yards in 6 of his last 8 September games), Jimmy Garoppolo really can't do much worse if he's called upon to start for the first quarter of the season. Aside from the potential of Brady missing some games early in the year, it's pretty much business as usual for the Pats offense. They have a treasure trove of subpar running breaks (headlined by LeGarrette Blount, Jonas Gray and James White) who will combine for 3-4 breakout games against trash run defenses then proceed to run for a combined total of 300 yards in the other 11-12 games on the schedule, their equally mediocre receivers will look like gods because Brady is throwing them the ball and the human wrecking ball also known as Rob Gronkowski- the only truly elite player on this offense besides Brady- will make opposing defenses look foolish on just about every play. Unless Gronkowski gets injured (which is always a high possibility), this offense will put up at least 28 points a game and break down just about every defense they face without breaking a sweat.
Defense:
After their excellent secondary played a large role in securing the Patriots first Super Bowl title in a decade, Belichick naturally decided to dismantle the whole thing. I swear Belichick has some inexplicable desire to prove to the rest of the league that he can win a championship with a makeshift secondary. Four of their top five corners (Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, Kyle Arrington, Alfonzo Dennard) from last season were either released or left the team in free agency this offseason, and now they're left with a gigantic mess of guys that are either completely unproven (Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan) or veterans that have proven time and time again that they can't cover top-level receivers in the NFL (Bradley Fletcher, Derek Cox) to battle it out for the starting jobs. Their corner situation is so dire that I wouldn't be the least surprised if they were desperate enough to convert their perennial All-Pro safety Devin McCourty back to corner to try and stop the bleeding. On the plus side, the uncertainty in the secondary forced the Patriots to invest in their front seven for the first time in ages. Ex-Brown Jabaal Sheard finally gives the Patriots a third pure pass-rusher to put alongside Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones and first-round pick Malcom Brown is a strong, explosive interior run-stuffer that should immediately help turn around a unit that ranked dead last at stopping runs up the gut last season. The Patriots further invested in the future of their front seven with third-and-fourth round picks Geneo Grissom and Trey Flowers. Grissom and Flowers are incredibly raw prospects at the moment, but if they end up panning, the Patriots could have their deepest and most productive pass-rushing rotation since the early-to-mid 2000's when Willie McGinest and Mike Vrabel were wreaking havoc on quarterbacks on a weekly basis. While this defensive line seems to be on track to be significantly improved this season, this front seven and defense is still very much ran by their linebackers. Jamie Collins and Don'ta Hightower are two of the fastest-rising, under-the-radar defensive talents in the NFL and have gracefully stepped to fill the void left by Jerod Mayo, who has suffered season-ending injuries (torn pectoral in 2013, torn patellar tendon in 2014) in each of the last two seasons. If Mayo can return to form and remain healthy this season and Hightower can keep up his high level of play after his offseason shoulder surgery, the Patriots linebackers should challenge to be the best group in the entire league.
Bottom Line:
As long as Gronkowski stays healthy and the defense doesn't completely crap out, the Patriots will continue to deflate the championship hopes and dreams of the rest of the teams in the AFC.
As long as Gronkowski stays healthy and the defense doesn't completely crap out, the Patriots will continue to deflate the championship hopes and dreams of the rest of the teams in the AFC.
New York Jets
2014 Record: 4-12
Head Coach: Todd Bowles (1st year)
Notable Additions: CB Darrelle Revis, WR Brandon Marshall, CB Antonio Cromartie
Notable Departures: WR Percy Harvin, QB Michael Vick, CB Kyle Wilson
Offense:
For the first time in what seems like forever, the Jets appear to have the makings of a formidable offense. They went out and acquired star wideout Brandon Marshall from the Bears to put alongside last-year's big-ticket free agent pickup Eric Decker, drafted a potentially deadly deep threat slot receiver in Devin Smith and added a pair of solid running backs in Zac Stacy and Stevan Ridley to a running attack that ranked 3rd in the NFL last year. To be fair, a lot of these guys are far from sure things with their recent injury histories and in Marshall's case, potential locker room problems, but they are low-risk options who could pay huge dividends in turning around this offense. However, The Jets potential offensive turnaround could be thwarted by the play of their widely-criticized quarterback Geno Smith. While Smith isn't nearly as bad as he's made out to be (he was actually the only QB in the league last year to finish a game with a perfect QBR rating of 158.3), he doesn't play with any semblance of consistency and his penchant for turnovers is highly problematic. Unfortunately for the Jets, Smith is still the best option they have at quarterback. Backup Ryan Fitzpatrick has proven time and time again that he's nothing more than a spot starter in the NFL and rookie Bryce Petty is a huge project that needs multiple years to adjust to the speed and playing style of the NFL before he can even be considered for a starting job. If Smith fails to deliver again this season, it's going to be time for the Jets to move on at quarterback.
For the first time in what seems like forever, the Jets appear to have the makings of a formidable offense. They went out and acquired star wideout Brandon Marshall from the Bears to put alongside last-year's big-ticket free agent pickup Eric Decker, drafted a potentially deadly deep threat slot receiver in Devin Smith and added a pair of solid running backs in Zac Stacy and Stevan Ridley to a running attack that ranked 3rd in the NFL last year. To be fair, a lot of these guys are far from sure things with their recent injury histories and in Marshall's case, potential locker room problems, but they are low-risk options who could pay huge dividends in turning around this offense. However, The Jets potential offensive turnaround could be thwarted by the play of their widely-criticized quarterback Geno Smith. While Smith isn't nearly as bad as he's made out to be (he was actually the only QB in the league last year to finish a game with a perfect QBR rating of 158.3), he doesn't play with any semblance of consistency and his penchant for turnovers is highly problematic. Unfortunately for the Jets, Smith is still the best option they have at quarterback. Backup Ryan Fitzpatrick has proven time and time again that he's nothing more than a spot starter in the NFL and rookie Bryce Petty is a huge project that needs multiple years to adjust to the speed and playing style of the NFL before he can even be considered for a starting job. If Smith fails to deliver again this season, it's going to be time for the Jets to move on at quarterback.
Defense:
New general manager Mike Maccagnan came in and immediately gave new head coach Bowles the secondary he needed to make this defense a serious monster. The Jets brought back the shutdown corner duo Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie-who were their starting corner tandem from 2010-12- and picked up the promising Buster Skrine to take over slot duties from 2013 draft bust Dee Milliner. While the Revis and Cromartie reunion is going to be a lot of fun to watch, the player that intrigues me the most in the Jets secondary is second-year safety Calvin Pryor. Due to the slew of injuries in the Jets secondary, Pryor was forced to move to free safety, where his poor pass-coverage skills were constantly exploited. With a masterful defensive back developer in Bowles taking over as head coach and a return back to his natural role of tackle box-stalking, run-stuffing safety, Pryor could be in line for a breakout season. The Jets also picked up the most exciting rookie in the 2015 in draft class in defensive tackle/end Leonard Williams. Williams was not expected to be a starter this season, but now that star defensive end Sheldon Richardson has picked up a 4-game suspension after testing positive for marijuana earlier this month, Williams will get a chance to prove himself out of the gate. Losing a star like Richardson for the first part of the year is certainly a huge blow to this defense, but at least the Jets will get to see early on if Williams is the dominant, once-in-a-generation talent he's largely been touted to be. With a vastly-improved secondary and top-tier defensive coach running the show to go along with their already-loaded front seven and stout rush defense, the Jets should have one of the scariest defensive units in the league in 2015.
New general manager Mike Maccagnan came in and immediately gave new head coach Bowles the secondary he needed to make this defense a serious monster. The Jets brought back the shutdown corner duo Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie-who were their starting corner tandem from 2010-12- and picked up the promising Buster Skrine to take over slot duties from 2013 draft bust Dee Milliner. While the Revis and Cromartie reunion is going to be a lot of fun to watch, the player that intrigues me the most in the Jets secondary is second-year safety Calvin Pryor. Due to the slew of injuries in the Jets secondary, Pryor was forced to move to free safety, where his poor pass-coverage skills were constantly exploited. With a masterful defensive back developer in Bowles taking over as head coach and a return back to his natural role of tackle box-stalking, run-stuffing safety, Pryor could be in line for a breakout season. The Jets also picked up the most exciting rookie in the 2015 in draft class in defensive tackle/end Leonard Williams. Williams was not expected to be a starter this season, but now that star defensive end Sheldon Richardson has picked up a 4-game suspension after testing positive for marijuana earlier this month, Williams will get a chance to prove himself out of the gate. Losing a star like Richardson for the first part of the year is certainly a huge blow to this defense, but at least the Jets will get to see early on if Williams is the dominant, once-in-a-generation talent he's largely been touted to be. With a vastly-improved secondary and top-tier defensive coach running the show to go along with their already-loaded front seven and stout rush defense, the Jets should have one of the scariest defensive units in the league in 2015.
Bottom Line:
The Jets have made some major improvements on both sides of the ball and have a head coach who possesses one of the sharpest football minds in the league, but their questionable quarterback situation and quality of the other teams in the division should prevent them from being in the playoff picture in 2015.
The Jets have made some major improvements on both sides of the ball and have a head coach who possesses one of the sharpest football minds in the league, but their questionable quarterback situation and quality of the other teams in the division should prevent them from being in the playoff picture in 2015.
Projected Standings:
1.New England Patriots (11-5)
2.Buffalo Bills (10-6)
3.Miami Dolphins (10-6)
4.New York Jets (7-9)
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