During the month of August, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will be breaking down every division in the league by position. This article contains a position-by-position breakdown of the AFC East’s offenses. The breakdown will contain “the best” at each unit followed by “the rest” in descending order.
2016 AFC East Breakdown by Position: The Offense
Quarterback
The Best: New England Patriots
The Rest: New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins
Fans either love him or hate him. But pretty much everyone concedes that Tom Brady is the class of the AFC East among quarterbacks. The three-time Super Bowl MVP has been the Pats primary starter for 14 of the previous 16 seasons (his rookie year and 2008 when he missed the season due to injury being the exceptions). Only once during that time period have New England failed to win the division.
Of course, Brady will miss the first four games of 2016 due to his Deflate-gate suspension. In his absence will be a vastly inexperienced Jimmy Garoppolo. Since the Pats drafted him in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, the Eastern Illinois product still has yet to make a start. Last season, he completed all of one pass in regular season play.
In Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Jets likely have the best of the rest in the AFC East. And fans of Gang Green probably breathed a collective sigh of relief when him and the team finally came to terms on an extension. The pressure will be on the 33-year-old to replicate his production from last season. His 3,905 passing yards and 31 touchdown tosses were both career highs.
Tyrod Taylor gets a slight nod over Ryan Tannehill for third. The Bills signal caller had a hugely efficient 2015. Pro Football Focus gave him the ninth highest player grade for quarterbacks compared to Tannehill’s 17th. Factor in Taylor’s dual-threat capabilities and you have a convincing case to give him the edge. But much like Fitzpatrick above, there will be added pressure on the sixth year pro to perform given his brand spanking new contract extension.
Running Back
The Best: Buffalo Bills
The Rest: New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots
2016 will be year two of the LeSean McCoy era in Buffalo. The 28-year-old will be looking to get back on track after an injury plagued 2015 season that saw him held under 1,000 rushing yards for just the third time in his seven year career.
The Bills also have quite a bit of depth at this position. It’s one of the reasons why they led the league in rushing yards last season despite McCoy’s reduced output. Players such as Karlos Williams, Mike Gillislee, rookie Jonathan Williams and new signing Reggie Bush make this one of the league’s more formidable backfields.
Chris Ivory had a career year for the Jets in 2015, finishing as the league’s fifth-leading rusher. But he has since departed via free agency, joining the Jaguars. Enter Matt Forte who comes to East Rutherford after spending the first eight years in the NFL with the Chicago Bears. Forte is a two-time Pro Bowler with five seasons of 1,000+ rushing yards. However, he also turned 30 last December so there is that concern about the amount of mileage on his legs.
Miami’s running back situation was put in flux when Lamar Miller signed with the Houston Texans. And even with the team acquiring Arian Foster, question marks remain. Foster has dealt with numerous injuries in recent years, including a torn Achilles tendon which ended his 2015 campaign. But when fully healthy, there’s no doubting the talent of the Texans’ all-time leading rusher. Look for Daniel Thomas, Jay Ajayi, and third-round draft pick Kenyan Drake to provide depth.
The Patriots finished third from bottom in rushing offense last season. That lack of production was largely offset by how prolific the passing game was. The unit is largely unchanged from 2015. Expect LaGarrette Blount to get the majority of the reps with Brandon Bolden, Dion Lewis and James White chipping in as well. They’ll likely need to step up in Brady’s absence during the first four games.
Wide Receiver
The Best: New York Jets
The Rest: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots
Last year, the Jets got 1,000+ receiving yard campaigns out of both Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. In Marshall’s case, he was one of just four wideouts to eclipse 1,500 yards receiving. He also tied for the league lead with 14 touchdown grabs along with the Jaguars Allen Robinson. Getting Fitzpatrick to sign a new deal is huge for this receiving corps from a chemistry standpoint. It’s for that reason this unit is the AFC East’s best heading into a new season.
Buffalo’s spot at number two is contingent upon their group of wideouts staying healthy. Already, there are concerns in that regard after feature receiver Sammy Watkins underwent off-season foot surgery. He also missed three games last season due to injury. But his second season in the league saw him finish with over 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career. He was also tied for sixth in the NFL with 17.5 yards per catch. Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin will be counted on to provide depth.
The Dolphins have an up and coming unit led by talented third-year receiver Jarvis Landry. Last season, he was a PPR darling finishing with 110 receptions which was fourth best in the NFL. That said, he had just four touchdown catches. Leonte Carroo and Jakeem Grant come into the side as middle round draft picks with plenty of potential. Add in second-year man DeVante Parker and this is a receiving corps on the rise.
The Patriots crop of wideouts is largely overshadowed (both literally and figuratively) by a certain tight end who we’ll get to later. Last season, the duo of Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola averaged 670 yards receiving on the year and had ten touchdowns receptions between the two of them. Both have turned 30 and are set to enter their eighth year in the NFL. Chris Hogan, acquired via free agency from the Bills, is an intriguing addition who could prove to be a valuable third or fourth receiver.
Tight End
The Best: New England Patriots
The Rest: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets
This one’s a no-brainer. The Patriots are already scary enough at this position with Rob Gronkowski. But the addition of Martellus Bennett, acquired in a trade with the Chicago Bears, gives the Pats arguably the most fearsome tight end combo in the league. Both will be counted on to give Garoppolo an imposing and reliable target downfield to get him through those first four games.
Charles Clay demonstrated the versatility expected of him when the Bills signed him to a five-year deal in 2015. He finished his first season in Orchard Park as the team’s third leading receiver with 528 yards. But he was also extremely effective in blocking, a must for a player at his position. Pro Football Focus gave him the fourth-highest pass blocking grade among tight ends. Chris Gragg is a reliable second option for the team.
In 2013, Jordan Cameron finished with the second highest receiving yards total (917) among NFL tight ends in his third season with the Browns. A year later, concussions severely limited his effectiveness. The Miami Dolphins signed him to a two-year deal last season as a replacement for Charles Clay. Despite starting all 16 games, he would finish the 2015 season sixth on the team with 387 receiving yards. With new head coach Adam Gase expected to use the tight end more, expect his output to improve.
To say that the Jets didn’t incorporate the tight end very much into their offense last season would be an understatement. Jeff Cumberland led all players at the position with all of 77 receiving yards. Jace Amaro returns this season after missing all of 2015 with a torn labrum. The team also added Kellen Davis and Zach Sudfeld via free agency.
Offensive Line
The Best: New York Jets
The Rest: Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins
Part of Fitzpatrick’s effectiveness last season was him being kept upright by his offensive line. The Jets allowed just 22 sacks and 71 quarterback hits in 2015, good enough for second and sixth in the league respectively. A veteran line led by Nick Mangold, Ryan Clady and James Carpenter will be expected to do more of the same this season.
The Bills weren’t particularly active in free agency. Their cap situation pretty much precluded them from making too many moves. But they made sure they kept their offensive line intact by locking up Richie Incognito and Cordy Glenn to long-term deals. Veteran center Eric Wood, who made his first Pro Bowl in 2015, is another important cog on this unit.
Tom Brady’s phenomenal 2015 was accomplished at times despite the play of his offensive line. Their 38 sacks and 97 quarterback hits allowed were both bottom half of the league. But there are some promising players including center David Andrews. The rookie out of Georgia appeared in 14 games and made 11 starts last year.
What’s dogged Tannehill throughout his tenure as Dolphins starting quarterback has been his offensive line. He’s been sacked an average of 46 times per year in his four seasons in South Florida. Miami tried to address their issues on the line by drafting Laremy Tunsil in the first round. But not a single lineman was signed in free agency.
Be sure to check out the AFC East breakdown by position on defense and special teams.
