In this series, the Last Word on Sports NFL department will be selecting the best players in each division by position. On the radar here is the AFC East offense. Without further ado, let’s delve into which players made the cut.
2016 AFC East All-Division Team: The Offense
Quarterback: Tom Brady, Patriots
Tom Brady may be at the tail end of his career. He may be in Roger Goodell‘s doghouse with the never-ending headache that is the Deflate-gate fiasco. But there’s no doubting that the three-time Super Bowl MVP will go down as one of the greats at this position. And if his 2015 season is any indication, he still has some proverbial gas left in the tank.
Including regular season and playoffs, he led the NFL with 5,139 yards passing. His seven interceptions during the regular season was the fewest in the league among quarterbacks with a minimum of 500 attempts. And for the tenth time in his illustrious career, he made an appearance in the AFC Championship game.
Running Back: LeSean McCoy, Bills
This is a close one between McCoy and new Jets arrival Matt Forte. Both have had immensely successful NFL careers. The two have a combined nine seasons where they’ve rushed for over 1,000 yards. So why is “Shady” getting the edge? For one thing, he’s still on the right side of 30. Forte is not. And if he can stay healthy, McCoy will have the benefit of running behind a pretty solid Buffalo Bills offensive line. That could help him eclipse the 1,000 yard plateau once more.
Wide Receiver: Brandon Marshall, Jets
Marshall and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick were among the New York Jets more high profile free agency signings in 2015. And both played a huge part in the team finishing 10-6 in Todd Bowles‘ first year as head coach, just missing out on the playoffs. Him and Fitzpatrick established great rapport both on and off the field. It resulted in Marshall catching 14 touchdown passes, the highest total of his career. The soon-to-be 11-year veteran should remain the number one option for Gang Green, regardless of who his quarterback is in 2016.
Wide Receiver: Sammy Watkins, Bills
Two seasons into his NFL career and Watkins looks poised to become one of the league’s best feature receivers. If he can stay healthy, that is. The former Clemson product missed three games in 2015 due to an ankle injury. And he recently underwent minor surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot. That said, when he’s at 100 percent, it’s extremely difficult for opposing defensive backs to keep him in check.
Watkins finished with 1,049 yards and three touchdowns last season despite missing time due to injury. And his 17.5 yards per catch was tied with the Jaguars Allen Robinson for sixth-best in the league. Much is expected out of Watkins and if he can deliver, the Bills will be well on their way to erasing a frustratingly long playoff drought.
Slot Receiver: Julian Edelman, Patriots
The diminutive Edelman has succeeded Wes Welker as Tom Brady’s favorite target in the slot. Over the past three seasons, he’s averaged over 900 yards receiving and has found the end zone a total of 17 times. Despite missing seven games in 2015 due to a foot injury, Edelman still finished with a career high seven touchdown receptions. Having played his entire career with the Pats, the former seventh-round pick will continue to be an integral part of the identity of this team on offense.
Tight End: Rob Gronkowski, Patriots
This one’s almost as much of a no-brainer as Brady at quarterback. During his six seasons in New England, Gronk has emerged not just as the league’s most dynamic tight end. He’s also become a larger-than-life personality that’s arguably the most marketable player in the NFL. Whether it’s appearing on the cover of Madden 17 or pitching a myriad of products from video games to beef jerky, his endorsement presence is sizable.
Gronkowski’s production over the past two seasons has been nothing short of astounding. He exceeded 1,100 yards receiving each year and finished with a combined 23 touchdowns. Those numbers have presented fantasy owners with a dilemma. How early do you draft him? Is a tight end, even with his numbers, first-round worthy? Either way, expect him to continue to be Brady’s favorite targets down the middle of the field in 2016.
Left Tackle: Cordy Glenn, Bills
Much of the focus during the off-season for the Bills was keeping their offensive line intact in free agency. It’s why the team initially placed the franchise tag on Cordy Glenn before signing him to a five-year, $60 million contract. Glenn’s play at left tackle justified the lucrative deal. He graded as the fifth-best pass blocking tackle in the league last season according to Pro Football Focus. Having effective blocking up front can only help your quarterback. And Tyrod Taylor is probably very happy that the Bills locked Glenn up long-term.
Left Guard: Richie Incognito, Bills
Incognito was another lineman Bills general manager Doug Whaley was committed to re-signing. It was a far cry from how he was perceived when he arrived in Orchard Park the year before. The left guard was originally signed to a one-year deal that paid him a $900,000 base salary. But he had arguably the best year of his ten-year career in 2015. Pro Football Focus graded him as the second-best guard in the league. And he cashed in, signing a three-year $15.75 million contract. Bills fans are hoping he can continue to anchor the interior of the offensive line.
Center: Mike Pouncey, Dolphins
It’s hard to put any member of the Miami Dolphins offensive line on this list. This is especially true considering their quarterback Ryan Tannehill was sacked 45 times last season. But Pouncey was the best of the bunch. The Fins starting center received the highest performance grade from Pro Football focus of any lineman on the team with a minimum of 700 snaps. Heading into the second year of a five-year contract paying him $44.75 million, Pouncey’s play will hopefully elevate the rest of the unit which really struggled keeping Tannehill upright in 2015.
Right Guard: James Carpenter, Jets
Last season, Ryan Fitzpatrick was sacked just 19 times. That ranked 30th among quarterbacks. Consequently, running back Chris Ivory had the first season of his career where he rushed for over 1,000 yards. It was made possible by the big men up front, including Carpenter. The 27-year-old came to the Jets from Seattle in free agency in 2015 as he signed a four-year, $19.1 million deal with the team. Moving forward, his play in the trenches should continue to anchor an offensive line that excelled in both pass protection and run blocking.
Right Tackle: Sebastian Vollmer, Patriots
There wasn’t a great deal of quality weak-side tackle play in this division last year. Vollmer appears here almost by default. After all, despite the fact Tom Brady was sacked 42 times, he put up monster numbers through the air. Brady would finish third in the NFL during the regular season with 4,770 passing yards and led the league with 36 touchdown passes. And Vollmer’s grade from Pro Football Focus, though not eye-popping by any means, was the best among right tackles in the division who played the majority of his team’s snaps.
Be sure and check out the AFC East All-Division team for defense and special teams.
