With the NFL division breakdown series in full swing, the next division in focus is the NFC East. In this article, I will rank each offensive position. This division has been dominated over the last 10 years by the New England Patriots, but they face some serious competition this year with some improving teams below them in the division.
The Patriots went 10-6 last season and really improved this off-season, particularly on the defensive side of the ball where they were ravaged with injuries a year ago. The 8-8 Miami Dolphins barely missed the playoffs last year. They did not do much in the offseason, with a less than impressive draft and only one big free agent signing in LT Branden Albert. The 8-8 New York Jets had the best offseason, potentially, by signing QB Michael Vick, WR Eric Decker, and RB Chris Johnson. Everyone knows that the Jets will have a great defense, but in 2014 they may finally score some points. Finally, the 6-10 Buffalo Bills might be the only team in this division to get worse this off-season. They did get Sammy Watkins, but losing Jarius Byrd to free agency, Kiko Alonso to a torn ACL, and trading Stevie Johnson has left Bill fans with a lot more question marks than answers this off-season. They must count on the improvement of their youngsters to gain ground in the division.
Here is an offensive position-by-position breakdown of the AFC East, with the “best” at each position followed by “the rest” in descending order.
AFC East Breakdown – Offense
Quarterback
The Best: NE The Rest: MIA, NYJ, BUF
There is really no surprise here with the order of the quarterbacks in the AFC East. Tom Brady is one of, if not the, best QB in football and will be the best QB in this division until he retires. A still developing Ryan Tannehill should take the next step and be one of the better QBs in this league in his third season, but he still cannot compete with Brady at the top of the AFC East.
Here is where it gets interesting, as it seems to be every season, with the New York Jets QB situation. If Michael Vick wins this job than he is the third best QB in the division and could challenge Tannehill for the second spot. However, if Geno Smith wins the job the Jets have the worst QB in the division. Smith had some bright spots last season but he needs to be a lot more consistent in 2014, if he plays. As of right now, EJ Manuel is the worst QB in the AFC East, but that is due in large part to a lack of playing time last year because of injuries (SIA Profile). He has the tools to become a pretty solid QB in the NFL if he can stay on the field.
Running Back
The Best: BUF The Rest: NE, NYJ, MIA
Once again, the running back position was a pretty easy call for the AFC East position rankings. The Bills have CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson who provide a great mix of speed and power and they are easily two of the best running backs in the division. The Patriots are the only team close to them with Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen. Ridley needs to work on holding on to the ball and Vereen needs to stay on the field more, but when they are both healthy and holding on to the ball are a dynamic tandem. This duo could end up being the best in the division by years end, but for now they stay second.
It was a tough call for third and fourth place in the division, but the Jets get the nod here because they have two backs with big play ability. Chris Johnson can break off an 80-yard touchdown out of nowhere and Chris Ivory is a very underrated back in the NFL who produces when given the chance. If this offensive line can hold up then the Jets might have a nice 1-2 punch in the backfield. The worst RBs in the AFC East belong to the Dolphins. Knoshown Moreno is out of shape, injured, and Peyton Manning-less, so expect a huge drop in production this season. Lamar Miller has never produced, but should be a little better now that the offensive line is improved, but not enough to get the Dolphins out of the cellar.
Wide Receiver
The Best: MIA The Rest: NE, BUF, NYJ
Miami’s receivers are a lot better than anyone else in this division, even though some people may think it is the Patriots, but having Tom Brady throw to them makes them seem better than thye are. Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, and Brandon Gibson are three very solid receivers and with Wallace having a full season in the books with Tannehill should have a bounce back season. Hartline has been as steady as they come the last few seasons and Brandon Gibson is a very nice #3 receiver. The addition of Jarvis Landry could really improve this receiving corps as well. Julian Edelman aside, the Patriots wide receivers are not very good. Danny Amendola cannot stay on the field and even when he did play he was not very productive. Aaron Dobson dropped NINE passes last season and Kenbrell Thompkins was not very impressive either.
Not much separates the Jets and Bills receivers, except Sammy Watkins, which is why the Bills get the nod at #3. Watkins is a stud and should produce immediately in the NFL. The rest of the receivers are not great, but they are better than what the Jets are putting out there. The verdict is still out on if Eric Decker can be a #1 receiver in the NFL and until he proves he can be the Jets will be the last on this list. The rest of the Jets receivers are not very good, either, and that is why they are the worst group in the division.
Tight End
The Best: NE The Rest: MIA, NYJ, BUF
This was easy, when Rob Gronkowski is healthy he is the best tight end in football, yes even better than Jimmy Graham. He will be #1 as long as he continues to produce when he is on the field. The Dolphins enjoyed a breakout year from Charles Clay last year and everyone took notice. If he continues to improve his blocking Clay can be a good one for a while.
The Jets get the third spot on this list with the addition of rookie Jace Amaro. He can be special and being paired with Jeff Cumberland is not a bad duo. Scott Chandler is a solid TE and it really was a coin toss for third and fourth on this list, but Buffalo gets the fourth spot due to not having another capable TE on the roster. Each team in this division will heavily use two TEs, so it will be a key position in this division.
Offensive Line
The Best: MIA The Rest: NE, BUF, NYJ
This was a really tough decision because no teams in here have a great offensive line. The Dolphins get the first spot because they now have two Pro Bowlers and a first round pick who has pro bowl potential. New England is right behind them with their center position being a big weak spot. Them and the Dolphins are right there with each other, but the Dolphins have the slight edge.
The Jets and Bills both have pretty weak offensive lines, based on last season, but the Bills have the chance to improve big time. The Bills drafted Cyrus Kouandijo and he instantly improves that line, so that alone has them ranked third on this list. The Jets did not do much to get any better on the offensive line and will struggle all year to protect either Vick or Smith.
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