Buffalo Bills
2018 Record: 6-10 (3rd in AFC East)
Head Coach: Sean McDermott (3rd season)
Notable Additions: WR Cole Beasley, WR John Brown, C Mitch Morse
Notable Departures: DT Kyle Williams (retired), TE Charles Clay, G John Miller
-The Bills confused a lot of people in league circles last season by not bringing in any notable wide receivers despite drafting a new potential franchise quarterback in Josh Allen. Unsurprisingly, this baffling plan backfired. Projected top wideout Kelvin Benjamin ended up getting cut before the end of the year, Zay F'n Jones ended up leading the team in receiving yards with a whopping 652 YDS on 56 receptions largely because he was the only WR who played in every game and this widely feared group combined to catch a league-worst 13 TD's (Jones and Robert Foster were the only players to catch multiple scores on the year) on the season. This lack of receiving production paired with similarly lackluster contributions from his running backs led to Allen rushing the ball an absurd 89 times in just 12 games.
Thankfully, GM Brandon Beane decided it wasn't the greatest idea to run it back with Jones as the #1 wideout and got Allen a couple of veteran targets in John Brown and Cole Beasley that could bring some much-needed playmaking power to this offense. A certified burner like Brown is the perfect option for a strong-armed gunslinger like Allen and as long as he's healthy, he should be the top dog in the passing game. Beasley, on the other hand, isn't the best schematic fit given Allen's questionable short-to-intermediate accuracy, but he's a reliable possession receiver that should at least bring some stability to the screen game. Throw in a great backfield receiving option in T.J. Yeldon and an intriguing wild card in Foster,who started to build some chemistry with Allen during the back half of last season, and you should have a much improved passing attack in Buffalo.
-Continuing in their dedication to building around Allen, the Bills invested a solid amount in their offensive line this offseason. Heading into training camp, left tackle Dion Dawkins is projected to be the only returning starter from last year's unit that allowed 41 sacks. Former Chiefs center Mitch Morse is the headliner of this overhauled unit- becoming the highest paid player at his position after inking a 4 year/$44.5 mil deal at the start of free agency. Morse is also the only newcomer that's seemingly locked into a starting job. A combination of journeymen (Quinton Spain, Ty Nheske, Spencer Long) and spot-starting vets (LaAdrian Waddle, Jon Feliciano) appear set to duke it out with rookie Cody Ford and returning Bill Wyatt Teller-who finished 2018 as the starting left guard-for the remaining 3 spots on the line.
While Beane deserves credit for trying to shake things up after a dreadful season, I'm not confident that this new look o-line will generate much better results than the group they mostly severed ties with. Morse is a merely decent center who got paid as a result of hitting the market in a very thin free agency class, Ford's shaky technique/hand usage caused some problems in pass-protection during his time at Oklahoma and none of the vets who could start outside of Spain have displayed long stretches of consistent play in the pros. Mostly avoiding handing out a bunch of bad, big money deals to fill this need was a smart move, but their bargain basement lineman shopping spree could yield questionable results that forces their coveted young QB to run just as much as he did as a rookie.
-LeSean McCoy's time as the Bills uncontested starting running back appears to be over. The Bills loaded up on backfield depth this offseason by bringing in ageless wonder Frank Gore, respectable dual-threat option T.J. Yeldon and rookie Devin Singletary to compete for playing time. Signing two vets who got consistent touches on their previous teams and using a 3rd round pick on a back that was among the most hyped in this year's draft class doesn't seem like its just a coincidence-especially with McCoy coming off a miserable 2018 where he averaged just 3.2 yards per carry. McCoy's durability has always been a problem (he's only appeared in all 16 games 3 times since he became a full-time starter in 2010) and with his declining speed, agility and cutting ability, the tremendous scat back skill set that won him a rushing title back him in 2013 and allowed him to have 6 1,000+ yard campaigns has greatly diminished. If the 31-year old is still on the roster in Week 1, it'll likely be just as a change-of-pace option in this newly-formed committee and if last season's production proves to be the new norm for the 6x Pro Bowler, the team should be better off for it.
-Sean McDermott's positive influence on the defense was even more apparent in his 2nd year with the Bills. Their terrific young secondary finished the year as the #1 ranked pass defense, several guys made huge leaps forward (Shaq Lawson, Matt Milano, Jordan Phillips) and even though their offense routinely put them in brutal spots by giving the ball away 30 times (tied for 2nd most in the league), they still only allowed 23.4 points per game. With no significant personnel losses and some really intriguing additions, this group could morph into a true powerhouse in 2019.
The corps of their defense (safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, defensive end Jerry Hughes, cornerback Tre'Davious White) is sneaky deadly, rookie defensive tackle Ed Oliver is a freakishly athletic disruptor that could help take their respectable albeit beatable rushing defense to the next level and despite a couple of back-to-back wretched years with the Texans, Kevin Johnson has flashed enough in the past to be molded into a solid slot corner with the right coaching. The Bills are trying to building an old-school monster of a football team that emphasizes tough, sound defense over everything else and if this group can reach their full potential in 2019, they could end up surprising some people in the wide open AFC.
-The Bills confused a lot of people in league circles last season by not bringing in any notable wide receivers despite drafting a new potential franchise quarterback in Josh Allen. Unsurprisingly, this baffling plan backfired. Projected top wideout Kelvin Benjamin ended up getting cut before the end of the year, Zay F'n Jones ended up leading the team in receiving yards with a whopping 652 YDS on 56 receptions largely because he was the only WR who played in every game and this widely feared group combined to catch a league-worst 13 TD's (Jones and Robert Foster were the only players to catch multiple scores on the year) on the season. This lack of receiving production paired with similarly lackluster contributions from his running backs led to Allen rushing the ball an absurd 89 times in just 12 games.
Thankfully, GM Brandon Beane decided it wasn't the greatest idea to run it back with Jones as the #1 wideout and got Allen a couple of veteran targets in John Brown and Cole Beasley that could bring some much-needed playmaking power to this offense. A certified burner like Brown is the perfect option for a strong-armed gunslinger like Allen and as long as he's healthy, he should be the top dog in the passing game. Beasley, on the other hand, isn't the best schematic fit given Allen's questionable short-to-intermediate accuracy, but he's a reliable possession receiver that should at least bring some stability to the screen game. Throw in a great backfield receiving option in T.J. Yeldon and an intriguing wild card in Foster,who started to build some chemistry with Allen during the back half of last season, and you should have a much improved passing attack in Buffalo.
-Continuing in their dedication to building around Allen, the Bills invested a solid amount in their offensive line this offseason. Heading into training camp, left tackle Dion Dawkins is projected to be the only returning starter from last year's unit that allowed 41 sacks. Former Chiefs center Mitch Morse is the headliner of this overhauled unit- becoming the highest paid player at his position after inking a 4 year/$44.5 mil deal at the start of free agency. Morse is also the only newcomer that's seemingly locked into a starting job. A combination of journeymen (Quinton Spain, Ty Nheske, Spencer Long) and spot-starting vets (LaAdrian Waddle, Jon Feliciano) appear set to duke it out with rookie Cody Ford and returning Bill Wyatt Teller-who finished 2018 as the starting left guard-for the remaining 3 spots on the line.
While Beane deserves credit for trying to shake things up after a dreadful season, I'm not confident that this new look o-line will generate much better results than the group they mostly severed ties with. Morse is a merely decent center who got paid as a result of hitting the market in a very thin free agency class, Ford's shaky technique/hand usage caused some problems in pass-protection during his time at Oklahoma and none of the vets who could start outside of Spain have displayed long stretches of consistent play in the pros. Mostly avoiding handing out a bunch of bad, big money deals to fill this need was a smart move, but their bargain basement lineman shopping spree could yield questionable results that forces their coveted young QB to run just as much as he did as a rookie.
-LeSean McCoy's time as the Bills uncontested starting running back appears to be over. The Bills loaded up on backfield depth this offseason by bringing in ageless wonder Frank Gore, respectable dual-threat option T.J. Yeldon and rookie Devin Singletary to compete for playing time. Signing two vets who got consistent touches on their previous teams and using a 3rd round pick on a back that was among the most hyped in this year's draft class doesn't seem like its just a coincidence-especially with McCoy coming off a miserable 2018 where he averaged just 3.2 yards per carry. McCoy's durability has always been a problem (he's only appeared in all 16 games 3 times since he became a full-time starter in 2010) and with his declining speed, agility and cutting ability, the tremendous scat back skill set that won him a rushing title back him in 2013 and allowed him to have 6 1,000+ yard campaigns has greatly diminished. If the 31-year old is still on the roster in Week 1, it'll likely be just as a change-of-pace option in this newly-formed committee and if last season's production proves to be the new norm for the 6x Pro Bowler, the team should be better off for it.
-Sean McDermott's positive influence on the defense was even more apparent in his 2nd year with the Bills. Their terrific young secondary finished the year as the #1 ranked pass defense, several guys made huge leaps forward (Shaq Lawson, Matt Milano, Jordan Phillips) and even though their offense routinely put them in brutal spots by giving the ball away 30 times (tied for 2nd most in the league), they still only allowed 23.4 points per game. With no significant personnel losses and some really intriguing additions, this group could morph into a true powerhouse in 2019.
The corps of their defense (safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, defensive end Jerry Hughes, cornerback Tre'Davious White) is sneaky deadly, rookie defensive tackle Ed Oliver is a freakishly athletic disruptor that could help take their respectable albeit beatable rushing defense to the next level and despite a couple of back-to-back wretched years with the Texans, Kevin Johnson has flashed enough in the past to be molded into a solid slot corner with the right coaching. The Bills are trying to building an old-school monster of a football team that emphasizes tough, sound defense over everything else and if this group can reach their full potential in 2019, they could end up surprising some people in the wide open AFC.
Bottom Line:
Despite doing a solid job addressing many of their needs in the offseason, too many question marks are surrounding the Bills unproven offense to believe they'll be much better than below average once again in 2019.
Despite doing a solid job addressing many of their needs in the offseason, too many question marks are surrounding the Bills unproven offense to believe they'll be much better than below average once again in 2019.
Miami Dolphins
2018 Record: 7-9 (2nd in AFC East)
Head Coach: Brian Flores (1st season)
Notable Additions: QB Josh Rosen, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, CB Eric Rowe
Notable Departures: DE Cameron Wake, QB Ryan Tannehill, T Ja'Wuan James
-Bill Belichick's coaching tree isn't exactly synonymous with greatness. Bill O'Brien is the only Belichick protégé that has enjoyed any semblance of success as an HC in the NFL and he's still just a shade over .500 for his career (43-41) with a less than impressive 1-3 playoff record. Brian Flores will look to break the cycle of Belichick disciples crumbling when they get a chance to run their own show. Flores factored heavily into the Patriots title run last by overseeing a top 10 scoring defense that became downright stifling when the playoffs came around and garnered a level of respect that few assistants achieve in the process. However, no amount of respect can change the fact that Flores only has 1 year of coordinator experience under his belt and might not be ready to take on the daunting task of leading a team that just nuked most of its roster. Tasking a young HC with minimal top assistant experience to lead a rebuild is a tremendous vote of confidence from the Dolphins brass that will more than likely to lead a whole lot of extensions or firings a few years down the line.
-The secret weapon of Flores' coaching staff has unfortunately already been decommissioned. Tapping an NFL vet in Jim Caldwell with 7 seasons of HC experience, 4 playoff appearances and a sensational track record with developing potent offenses to be the QB/assistant head coach was a brilliant move that likely would've eased Flores' transition into the role. Now with Caldwell taking an indefinite leave of absence from the Dolphins for health reasons, Flores now only has a pair of first-time coordinators (OC Chad O'Shea and DC Patrick Graham) to turn to for advice while adjusting to his new role. Head coaching is a brutal gig that only a small number of people in the league are cut out for and not having a guy whose had some success navigating through that unforgiving fire around could really hurt the development of this new regime.
-The Cardinals decision to give up on top 10 pick Josh Rosen after a rough rookie season in which he was essentially set up to fail with a terrible offensive line, almost no formidable weapons at the skill positions and a mid-season offensive coordinator change paid off beautifully for the Dolphins. They were able to acquire Rosen for the low price of a late 2nd round pick in this year's draft and a 5th round pick in 2020 because Cards GM Steve Kiem was desperate to get rid of him after selecting Kyler Murray with the 1st overall pick and watching every other potential suitor (Giants, Redskins) also take a quarterback in the 1st round.
While there's a pretty good chance the bolt of gridiron electricity otherwise known as Ryan Fitzpatrick is under center in Week 1, acquiring Rosen is a no-lose situation for the rebuilding 'Phins. If he works out, they acquired a franchise quarterback for peanuts. If he doesn't, they'll be bad enough to land another high-end prospect without having to give up any additional assets. I'll be rooting for Rosen to succeed hard after what the Cardinals did to him and regardless of what happens, GM Chris Grier deserves credit for being brave enough to take a chance on a young QB whose ceiling was viewed as limitless ahead of last year's draft.
-Now that Adam Gase's irrational ass is out of the equation, the Dolphins should finally get a good look at how Kenyan Drake is as a feature back as he enters his contract year. Drake did well filling in as a starter for the final 6 games of the 2017 season and was initially slated to start last season, but inexplicably ceded a lot of touches to short-term RB option Frank Gore and finished with only 1,012 scrimmage YDS (535 rushing, 477 receiving) on the year. Drake's shiftiness, relative lack of wear for a 25-year old back and solid production (2,177 scrimmage YDS) relative to his modest touch totals (380 in 3 NFL seasons) gives him a legit shot to breakout on a Dolphins offense that isn't exactly brimming with top-end talent at the moment.
-In a shakeup-driven offseason where the team parted ways with the likes of Ryan Tanehill, Ja'Wuan James and longtime defensive focal point/locker room leader Cameron Wake, the Dolphins did make a massive commitment to corner Xavien Howard. Howard was able to parlay his 1st All-Pro/Pro Bowl season last year in which he tied for the league lead with 7 INT's in just 13 games into a massive 5 year/$76.5 mil ($46 mil guaranteed) extension that made him the highest player at his position.
It's a well-deserved deal for a guy whose blossomed into a borderline lockdown corner over the past couple of seasons and at just 26, is still presumably a couple years from hitting his prime. Howard is the type of formidable piece at a key position any team wants to build around and the front office will hope that their other young defenders (Minkah Fitzpatrick, Raekwon McMillan, Charles Harris, rookie Christian Wilkins) will follow similar trajectories in the coming years and allow this currently well below average unit to turn into a true behemoth.
-Bill Belichick's coaching tree isn't exactly synonymous with greatness. Bill O'Brien is the only Belichick protégé that has enjoyed any semblance of success as an HC in the NFL and he's still just a shade over .500 for his career (43-41) with a less than impressive 1-3 playoff record. Brian Flores will look to break the cycle of Belichick disciples crumbling when they get a chance to run their own show. Flores factored heavily into the Patriots title run last by overseeing a top 10 scoring defense that became downright stifling when the playoffs came around and garnered a level of respect that few assistants achieve in the process. However, no amount of respect can change the fact that Flores only has 1 year of coordinator experience under his belt and might not be ready to take on the daunting task of leading a team that just nuked most of its roster. Tasking a young HC with minimal top assistant experience to lead a rebuild is a tremendous vote of confidence from the Dolphins brass that will more than likely to lead a whole lot of extensions or firings a few years down the line.
-The secret weapon of Flores' coaching staff has unfortunately already been decommissioned. Tapping an NFL vet in Jim Caldwell with 7 seasons of HC experience, 4 playoff appearances and a sensational track record with developing potent offenses to be the QB/assistant head coach was a brilliant move that likely would've eased Flores' transition into the role. Now with Caldwell taking an indefinite leave of absence from the Dolphins for health reasons, Flores now only has a pair of first-time coordinators (OC Chad O'Shea and DC Patrick Graham) to turn to for advice while adjusting to his new role. Head coaching is a brutal gig that only a small number of people in the league are cut out for and not having a guy whose had some success navigating through that unforgiving fire around could really hurt the development of this new regime.
-The Cardinals decision to give up on top 10 pick Josh Rosen after a rough rookie season in which he was essentially set up to fail with a terrible offensive line, almost no formidable weapons at the skill positions and a mid-season offensive coordinator change paid off beautifully for the Dolphins. They were able to acquire Rosen for the low price of a late 2nd round pick in this year's draft and a 5th round pick in 2020 because Cards GM Steve Kiem was desperate to get rid of him after selecting Kyler Murray with the 1st overall pick and watching every other potential suitor (Giants, Redskins) also take a quarterback in the 1st round.
While there's a pretty good chance the bolt of gridiron electricity otherwise known as Ryan Fitzpatrick is under center in Week 1, acquiring Rosen is a no-lose situation for the rebuilding 'Phins. If he works out, they acquired a franchise quarterback for peanuts. If he doesn't, they'll be bad enough to land another high-end prospect without having to give up any additional assets. I'll be rooting for Rosen to succeed hard after what the Cardinals did to him and regardless of what happens, GM Chris Grier deserves credit for being brave enough to take a chance on a young QB whose ceiling was viewed as limitless ahead of last year's draft.
-Now that Adam Gase's irrational ass is out of the equation, the Dolphins should finally get a good look at how Kenyan Drake is as a feature back as he enters his contract year. Drake did well filling in as a starter for the final 6 games of the 2017 season and was initially slated to start last season, but inexplicably ceded a lot of touches to short-term RB option Frank Gore and finished with only 1,012 scrimmage YDS (535 rushing, 477 receiving) on the year. Drake's shiftiness, relative lack of wear for a 25-year old back and solid production (2,177 scrimmage YDS) relative to his modest touch totals (380 in 3 NFL seasons) gives him a legit shot to breakout on a Dolphins offense that isn't exactly brimming with top-end talent at the moment.
-In a shakeup-driven offseason where the team parted ways with the likes of Ryan Tanehill, Ja'Wuan James and longtime defensive focal point/locker room leader Cameron Wake, the Dolphins did make a massive commitment to corner Xavien Howard. Howard was able to parlay his 1st All-Pro/Pro Bowl season last year in which he tied for the league lead with 7 INT's in just 13 games into a massive 5 year/$76.5 mil ($46 mil guaranteed) extension that made him the highest player at his position.
It's a well-deserved deal for a guy whose blossomed into a borderline lockdown corner over the past couple of seasons and at just 26, is still presumably a couple years from hitting his prime. Howard is the type of formidable piece at a key position any team wants to build around and the front office will hope that their other young defenders (Minkah Fitzpatrick, Raekwon McMillan, Charles Harris, rookie Christian Wilkins) will follow similar trajectories in the coming years and allow this currently well below average unit to turn into a true behemoth.
Bottom Line:
Now fully committed to a rebuild after sitting in the middle of the pack for much of this decade, 2019 for the Dolphins should be all about evaluating what players could turn into foundational pieces and what positions they'll need to address in next year's draft/free agency.
Now fully committed to a rebuild after sitting in the middle of the pack for much of this decade, 2019 for the Dolphins should be all about evaluating what players could turn into foundational pieces and what positions they'll need to address in next year's draft/free agency.
New England Patriots
2018 Record: 11-5 (1st in AFC East)
Head Coach: Bill Belichick (20th season)
Notable Additions: DE Michael Bennett, DT Mike Pennel, WR Demaryius Thomas
Notable Departures: TE Rob Gronkowski (retired), DE Trey Flowers, T Trent Brown
-Rob Gronkowski finally announced his retirement from football after years of speculation in late March. BUT IS HE REALLY RETIRED?????? The "Is Gronk actually done with football narrative?" has been the talk of the offseason here in Massachusetts, but my question is why do Patriots fans want him back so badly? Gronk was a beloved institution that was arguably the single most electrifying player to ever play for this franchise, so can't you just be happy with the fact that he went out on the best possible note with a strong playoff run after a regular season where the years of getting physically and mentally beaten down on a weekly basis finally caught up to him?
Does their current lackluster tight end group of Ben Watson, Matt LaCosse, Stephen Anderson, Ryan Izzo and Andrew Beck along with his public workout with Tom Brady in LA a couple weeks ago leave the door ajar for his return? Sure. But do the Patriots really need him? Of course not. Julian Edelman is still around to be Brady's safety valve, James White is as steady of a pass-catching running back as there is in the league right now and at least one of the vets they brought in to compete for a roster spot (Demaryius Thomas, Maurice Harris, Dontrelle Inman) should stick. Not to mention, Bill Belichick stunned the world and used a 1st round pick on a wide receiver in N'Keal Harry-who should get plenty of chances to prove himself this season. Unless this is the year where Brady finally shows his age and rapidly careens off a cliff, their passing game as well as their general health as a franchise will continue to be just fine with or without Gronk.
-Trey Flowers is a major, but not particularly surprising loss for the Patriots. Belichick doesn't like paying elite edge guys the big bucks they command once their rookie deals expire and he proved that once again by letting Flowers walk without any notable resistance. Acquiring a pure, nasty gamer like Michael Bennett from the Eagles takes a bit of the sting out of letting someone as special as Flowers leave. While his age (he'll be 34 in November) makes him merely a short-term option, Bennett is a terrific, well-rounded defensive end who can still disrupt the hell out of the line of scrimmage. Pairing Bennett with ferocious run-stopper Lawrence Guy, fellow hard-nosed new addition Mike Pennel and rookie Chase Winovich, a disciplined, athletic edge player who couldn't possibly fit Belichick's scheme better, gives the Pats one of the most intriguing, deep and dynamic defensive lines in the league.
-There's a growing belief that the Patriots are becoming a run-first team to try and preserve Brady as much as possible during the final act of his career. Last season certainly led credence to that theory as Brady often took a back burner to Sony Michel in non-crunch time situations and spending another relatively high pick on a back this year (Damien Harris) seems to only further indicate that this change in ideology is legit. The question is whether or not this philosophy will generate positive results once again this season.
Michel certainly had himself a pretty solid rookie year (931 YDS and 6 TD's on 209 carries) and the Pats terrific o-line is perfectly equipped to lead a mean ground-and-pound offense. However, the track record of Patriots backs that don't contribute a lot in the passing game having back-to-back successful years is sketchy at best (see Stevan Ridley, Benjarvus Green-Ellis, Antowain Smith) and Michel has a concerning injury history that makes me question abilities to hold up the rigors of carrying the ball 20+ times per games (he's opening training camp on the PUP list with a knee injury). Regardless of Michel's availability during the year, I'm actually going to make the unpopular prediction that their ground attack won't be quite as effective this season and they will run the ball a bit less than expected as a result.
-To be honest with you, the only alarming thing about the 2019 Patriots is the level of fluctuation on the coaching staff. This offseason marked the type of full-blown gutting that they had somehow managed to avoid throughout their run. Brian Flores took veteran assistants Chad O'Shea (WR's), Josh Boyer (CB's) and Jerry Schuplinski (assistant QB's) with him to the Dolphins, defensive line coach Brendan Daly bolted to the Chiefs and Flores' intended replacement at DC Greg Schiano resigned before mini-camp even started. While the offense only lost 2 guys and special teams group is unchanged from 2018, the defensive staff is entirely overhauled with only safeties coach Steve Belichick returning from last year. Their personnel outside of the erratic linebacking corps is certainly good enough to prevent a major regression from happening, but getting used to a new group of coaches that they haven't worked with before and the scheme change that comes with it (the Pats will be running a 4-3 base this season) could cause the Pats to come out of the early part of the season with more blemishes than usual.
-Rob Gronkowski finally announced his retirement from football after years of speculation in late March. BUT IS HE REALLY RETIRED?????? The "Is Gronk actually done with football narrative?" has been the talk of the offseason here in Massachusetts, but my question is why do Patriots fans want him back so badly? Gronk was a beloved institution that was arguably the single most electrifying player to ever play for this franchise, so can't you just be happy with the fact that he went out on the best possible note with a strong playoff run after a regular season where the years of getting physically and mentally beaten down on a weekly basis finally caught up to him?
Does their current lackluster tight end group of Ben Watson, Matt LaCosse, Stephen Anderson, Ryan Izzo and Andrew Beck along with his public workout with Tom Brady in LA a couple weeks ago leave the door ajar for his return? Sure. But do the Patriots really need him? Of course not. Julian Edelman is still around to be Brady's safety valve, James White is as steady of a pass-catching running back as there is in the league right now and at least one of the vets they brought in to compete for a roster spot (Demaryius Thomas, Maurice Harris, Dontrelle Inman) should stick. Not to mention, Bill Belichick stunned the world and used a 1st round pick on a wide receiver in N'Keal Harry-who should get plenty of chances to prove himself this season. Unless this is the year where Brady finally shows his age and rapidly careens off a cliff, their passing game as well as their general health as a franchise will continue to be just fine with or without Gronk.
-Trey Flowers is a major, but not particularly surprising loss for the Patriots. Belichick doesn't like paying elite edge guys the big bucks they command once their rookie deals expire and he proved that once again by letting Flowers walk without any notable resistance. Acquiring a pure, nasty gamer like Michael Bennett from the Eagles takes a bit of the sting out of letting someone as special as Flowers leave. While his age (he'll be 34 in November) makes him merely a short-term option, Bennett is a terrific, well-rounded defensive end who can still disrupt the hell out of the line of scrimmage. Pairing Bennett with ferocious run-stopper Lawrence Guy, fellow hard-nosed new addition Mike Pennel and rookie Chase Winovich, a disciplined, athletic edge player who couldn't possibly fit Belichick's scheme better, gives the Pats one of the most intriguing, deep and dynamic defensive lines in the league.
-There's a growing belief that the Patriots are becoming a run-first team to try and preserve Brady as much as possible during the final act of his career. Last season certainly led credence to that theory as Brady often took a back burner to Sony Michel in non-crunch time situations and spending another relatively high pick on a back this year (Damien Harris) seems to only further indicate that this change in ideology is legit. The question is whether or not this philosophy will generate positive results once again this season.
Michel certainly had himself a pretty solid rookie year (931 YDS and 6 TD's on 209 carries) and the Pats terrific o-line is perfectly equipped to lead a mean ground-and-pound offense. However, the track record of Patriots backs that don't contribute a lot in the passing game having back-to-back successful years is sketchy at best (see Stevan Ridley, Benjarvus Green-Ellis, Antowain Smith) and Michel has a concerning injury history that makes me question abilities to hold up the rigors of carrying the ball 20+ times per games (he's opening training camp on the PUP list with a knee injury). Regardless of Michel's availability during the year, I'm actually going to make the unpopular prediction that their ground attack won't be quite as effective this season and they will run the ball a bit less than expected as a result.
-To be honest with you, the only alarming thing about the 2019 Patriots is the level of fluctuation on the coaching staff. This offseason marked the type of full-blown gutting that they had somehow managed to avoid throughout their run. Brian Flores took veteran assistants Chad O'Shea (WR's), Josh Boyer (CB's) and Jerry Schuplinski (assistant QB's) with him to the Dolphins, defensive line coach Brendan Daly bolted to the Chiefs and Flores' intended replacement at DC Greg Schiano resigned before mini-camp even started. While the offense only lost 2 guys and special teams group is unchanged from 2018, the defensive staff is entirely overhauled with only safeties coach Steve Belichick returning from last year. Their personnel outside of the erratic linebacking corps is certainly good enough to prevent a major regression from happening, but getting used to a new group of coaches that they haven't worked with before and the scheme change that comes with it (the Pats will be running a 4-3 base this season) could cause the Pats to come out of the early part of the season with more blemishes than usual.
Bottom Line:
What do you think? Barring some unforeseen fuckery, their floor is an AFC Championship game appearance and their ceiling is another Lombardi. C'est La Vie for the Patriots.
New York Jets
2018 Record: 4-12 (4th in AFC East)
Head Coach: Adam Gase (1st season)
Notable Additions: RB Le'Veon Bell, ILB C.J. Mosley, G Kelechi Osemele
Notable Departures: K Jason Myers, DT Mike Pennel, CB Buster Skrine
-Adam Gase is someone that I am not a fan of. I think he's a below average head coach who manages games poorly, throws his players under the bus with reckless abandon and has no leadership skills to speak of. However, his reputation as a QB guru is completely deserved. Clearly his work with Peyton Manning during his time with the Broncos remains his masterpiece, but he also been able to maximize the effectiveness of spotty, mediocre QB's such as Jay Cutler and Ryan Tannehill. This skill is clearly the primary reason why the Jets hired him and the mere thought of what he could do with Sam Darnold has understandably generated the most positive buzz this franchise has received since their back-to-back AFC Championship appearances in the early stages of Rex Ryan's tenure with the team. Darnold displayed a level of poise, intelligence and efficiency at the end of last season that well exceeded your typical rookie signalcaller, and pairing those traits with a more adventurous offense could result in a huge spike in production for the USC product.
-The Jets receiving corps is completely fine. Robby Anderson is a solid vertical threat who finally got on the same page with Darnold during the final month of the 2018 season, Chris Herndon emerged as a nice safety blanket and newly-acquired Jamison Crowder is a respectable possession receiver who has flashed excellence at times while he was with the Redskins.
As prominent of a role as these guys figure to play in 2019, the true make-or-break piece on this offense is Le'Veon Bell. Putting the fate of your offense on a true unknown is a cruel, reckless and very Jetsian thing to do. On the one hand, Bell's a smart, complete bellcow back whose year off from the game could go down as a genius preservation technique for a guy who had touched the ball over 350 times per year in 6 of the 7 prior seasons (college + pro) he suited up to play. On the other, he's a 27-year old running back with an extensive injury history whose work ethic has to at least be questioned after voluntarily spending a year away from the game that no longer has the benefit of running behind an otherworldly offensive line. An effective Bell would give Darnold a dynamic, lethal running mate and likely make the Jets a surprise playoff contender. A lethargic one would put them in a prime position to return to the basement dweller status they've occupied far too often of late. Good luck Jets fans.
-Darnold and Bell may be the faces of hope for this franchise, but the Jets arguably dedicated even more resources into retooling their defense. This is an understandable move for a team that didn't have a lot to be excited about outside of their scary good young safety duo (Jamal Adams, Marcus Maye) last season.
Free agency started their aggressive makeover process with a record-breaking deal for 4x All-Pro inside linebacker C.J. Mosley and signing of ex-Falcons slot corner Brian Poole to replace the departed Buster Skrine as well as the re-signing of defensive end Henry Anderson-who enjoyed a career year in 2018. They also dumped a lot of their limited draft picks into their defense including most notably Quinnen Williams-a 1 man wrecking crew who is widely considered to be the best interior defensive line prospect to enter the league since Aaron Donald -to pair with Leonard Williams upfront and Jachai Polite-an instinctive albeit very raw edge rusher who earned 1st team All-SEC honors during his final year at Florida.
Overseeing this new look group will be the great bounty hunter Gregg Williams-whose combination of toughness and savviness should provided a much-needed boost to a defense that's coming off an ugly season where they finished 29th in scoring defense (27.6 points allowed per game). Even with the flaws that still exist with corner depth and established pass rushing prowess off the edge, this group appears set to make a sizable leap this season.
-For all of the work the Jets did to their roster this offseason, Mike Maccagnan, who has since been fired as GM and replaced with former Eagles VP of player personnel Joe Douglas, largely ignored trying to upgrade the offensive line for some reason. Their offensive line has been below average at best over the past few years and they're set to roll out 4 of the 5 guys (center Jonotthan Harrison, right guard Brian Winters, left tackle Kelvin Beachum, right tackle Brandon Shell) that finished 2018 as starters again this season. The lone newcomer? That would be Kelechi Osemele. Since it's no longer 2016 and the Raiders traded him away for practically nothing just to get his salary off the books, he's not likely to make this group any better. Shaky offensive line play will likely impede upon Darnold's ability to perform at a high level and if they don't maximize his opportunities to make plays under center, they have next to no chance of turning things around in 2019.
-The Jets receiving corps is completely fine. Robby Anderson is a solid vertical threat who finally got on the same page with Darnold during the final month of the 2018 season, Chris Herndon emerged as a nice safety blanket and newly-acquired Jamison Crowder is a respectable possession receiver who has flashed excellence at times while he was with the Redskins.
As prominent of a role as these guys figure to play in 2019, the true make-or-break piece on this offense is Le'Veon Bell. Putting the fate of your offense on a true unknown is a cruel, reckless and very Jetsian thing to do. On the one hand, Bell's a smart, complete bellcow back whose year off from the game could go down as a genius preservation technique for a guy who had touched the ball over 350 times per year in 6 of the 7 prior seasons (college + pro) he suited up to play. On the other, he's a 27-year old running back with an extensive injury history whose work ethic has to at least be questioned after voluntarily spending a year away from the game that no longer has the benefit of running behind an otherworldly offensive line. An effective Bell would give Darnold a dynamic, lethal running mate and likely make the Jets a surprise playoff contender. A lethargic one would put them in a prime position to return to the basement dweller status they've occupied far too often of late. Good luck Jets fans.
-Darnold and Bell may be the faces of hope for this franchise, but the Jets arguably dedicated even more resources into retooling their defense. This is an understandable move for a team that didn't have a lot to be excited about outside of their scary good young safety duo (Jamal Adams, Marcus Maye) last season.
Free agency started their aggressive makeover process with a record-breaking deal for 4x All-Pro inside linebacker C.J. Mosley and signing of ex-Falcons slot corner Brian Poole to replace the departed Buster Skrine as well as the re-signing of defensive end Henry Anderson-who enjoyed a career year in 2018. They also dumped a lot of their limited draft picks into their defense including most notably Quinnen Williams-a 1 man wrecking crew who is widely considered to be the best interior defensive line prospect to enter the league since Aaron Donald -to pair with Leonard Williams upfront and Jachai Polite-an instinctive albeit very raw edge rusher who earned 1st team All-SEC honors during his final year at Florida.
Overseeing this new look group will be the great bounty hunter Gregg Williams-whose combination of toughness and savviness should provided a much-needed boost to a defense that's coming off an ugly season where they finished 29th in scoring defense (27.6 points allowed per game). Even with the flaws that still exist with corner depth and established pass rushing prowess off the edge, this group appears set to make a sizable leap this season.
-For all of the work the Jets did to their roster this offseason, Mike Maccagnan, who has since been fired as GM and replaced with former Eagles VP of player personnel Joe Douglas, largely ignored trying to upgrade the offensive line for some reason. Their offensive line has been below average at best over the past few years and they're set to roll out 4 of the 5 guys (center Jonotthan Harrison, right guard Brian Winters, left tackle Kelvin Beachum, right tackle Brandon Shell) that finished 2018 as starters again this season. The lone newcomer? That would be Kelechi Osemele. Since it's no longer 2016 and the Raiders traded him away for practically nothing just to get his salary off the books, he's not likely to make this group any better. Shaky offensive line play will likely impede upon Darnold's ability to perform at a high level and if they don't maximize his opportunities to make plays under center, they have next to no chance of turning things around in 2019.
Bottom Line:
Even with a promising new coaching staff and deeper, retooled roster, the Jets will still more than likely only get as far as Sam Darnold and Le'Veon Bell can take them.
Projected Standings:
1.New England Patriots (12-4)
2.New York Jets (8-8)
3.Buffalo Bills (6-10)
4.Miami Dolphins (5-11)
Even with a promising new coaching staff and deeper, retooled roster, the Jets will still more than likely only get as far as Sam Darnold and Le'Veon Bell can take them.
Projected Standings:
1.New England Patriots (12-4)
2.New York Jets (8-8)
3.Buffalo Bills (6-10)
4.Miami Dolphins (5-11)
No comments:
Post a Comment