AFC East
  

                2008 Offseason Preview

                       By: Khaled Abdallah

 

2008 AFC East Offseason Preview


Miami Dolphins (1-15, 4th)

Defense: This is a defense that is ancient and has little depth across the board. DE Jason Taylor is still the standout on this unit (even though he is almost 35 years old) but MLB Zach Thomas missed 11 games last season with a slew of injuries. I think Miami selects either Virginia DE Chris Long or DT Sedrick Elles with the first pick in the draft. It would surprise me if the Dolphins chose Arkansas RB Darren McFadden or Boston College QB Matt Ryan. There are some quality defensive players on the free agent market (CB Asante Samuel and LB Lance Briggs for example). But will Miami break the bank for their defense? As the new sheriff in town, Bill Parcells will likely focus his efforts in that direction.

Offense: There is one good thing about this Miami offense. In a sea of mediocrity, RB Ronnie Brown has been excellent. Aside from the former Auburn standout, there are holes in this roster from top to bottom. WR Ted Ginn, Jr. began to come into his own near the end of the season, but he is nowhere near ready to be a #1 receiver. Neither is Derek Hagan. QB John Beck did not get much of a chance to play last season because the Dolphins were desperate for a win late in the season. But Beck will likely come into training camp as the starter. Miami did pass on Brady Quinn in the draft -- and Beck was the only quarterback they selected -- so, for now, Beck is the future.

 

New York Jets (4-12, 3rd)

Defense: New York's defensive backfield was decent (for a 4-12 team) but turnovers were hard to come by. The Jets were led by S Kerry Rhodes, who had 2 forced fumbles and 5 INTs. That high interception total is pretty surprising, considering the front seven's inability to generate a solid pass rush (the Jets finished the season ranked 25th in sacks). The return of MLB Jonathon Vilma from season-ending surgery will help shore up the defense; but the Jets "D" is definitely a priority in the draft.

Offense: With QB Kellen Clemens taking over the #1 spot from noodle-armed, pussy-footed incumbent Chad Pennington, the Jets have some protection issues that they need to work out. The offensive line play was so disgustingly bad that its overall terribleness was surpassed only by three of the worst teams in the league (San Francisco, Detroit and Kansas City). The Jets O-line gave up 53 sacks, good for 30th in the league. That needs to change immediately and the Jets can do just that through free agency with players like Indianapolis G Jake Scott.

 

Buffalo Bills (7-9, 2nd)

Defense: As far as this team goes, health was a major issue for the defense. Rookie MLB Paul Pozluszny played in just the first three games and the rest of the linebacker unit was shuffled in and out of the lineup for most of the season. The Bills, for some inexplicable reason, have about ten defensive ends on their roster; but are severely lacking in talented linebackers. This year's crop of LBs is absurdly deep. The Bills can easily find a good LB in the second round (someone like Erin Henderson of Maryland or Ali Highsmith of LSU).

Offense: There was a nice little quarterback carousel going on up in Buffalo last season. But the Bills seem to have picked their quarterback of the future in Stanford-product Trent Edwards. Edwards was 5-5 as a starter and finished with 7 TDs and 8 INTs, but he showed that he is ready to hold down the #1 spot with his maturity and poise. Ousted QB J.P. Losman has run out of time. His inconsistent play through the years makes him more suited to be a career back-up. RB Marshawn Lynch is an absolute beast; he finished with 1,115 yards and 7 TDs despite missing three games with injury. A major need on this team is a wide receiver who is at least six feet tall. The Bills have deep threats in Lee Evans and Roscoe Parrish, but they need a solid possession receiver with exceptional size. They'll probably address that need in the first round, despite the shallow talent pool of WRs this year.

 

New England Patriots (16-0, 1st)

Defense: I find it hard to write about this particular team for a number of reasons. None of which are positive. Maybe it's the burning hatred for Tom Brady and Bill Belichick that has been brewing in my soul since the infamous Tuck Rule Game in 2001. Or maybe it's the fact that this team is a bunch of classless cheaters who play dirty, run up the score, and thought karma would never come back to haunt them.

Oh well, here goes nothing.

The issue with their defense is age. The Patriots enjoyed a ridiculous amount of luck in the injury department last season, but how long can a 35-year-old strong safety and a 40-year-old middle linebacker hold up? A more pressing need, however, is a shutdown corner to replace Asante Samuel if he leaves for free agency (he will). The Patriots have a habit of letting defensive backs move on (i.e. Lawyer Milloy, Ty Law) and just plugging in the next guy on the depth chart. In this case, the 7th pick in the first round may be a bit early to take a CB; unless one stands head-and-shoulders above the rest.

Offense: Priority #1 is to either re-sign or franchise WR Randy Moss, because he's the hot ticket on the free agent market. While the Pats don't usually sign anyone to big contracts, they may need to splurge on Moss because what Tom Brady wants, Tom Brady gets. In the Super Bowl the offensive line suddenly looked very, very average against the Giants. It's not cause for immediate concern, but the Patriots will probably look to draft some O-linemen in the later rounds.

 

[Editor's Note: Khaled's analysis of the AFC East concludes his offseason preview of the AFC. For a breakdown of the AFC West, AFC South and AFC North, click here, here and here. You can also find these fine features in our Archives].