The next division up for discussion is the AFC East as the focus shifts towards the Eastern divisions of the NFL.
The New England Patriots have dominated the division by winning 10 of 12 division titles since the 2002 realignment; their model of consistency – thanks in large part to the legendary quarterback-coach duo of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick – has garnered both attention and respect throughout the league. The New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins have one title a piece whereas the Buffalo Bills have been playing catch-up for the past decade plus.
Despite New England’s success, they have not won a Super Bowl since 2004. With these graphics noted, what do the Patriots need in the draft to get another Super Bowl trophy and what will it take for the other three teams to stay relevant in postseason contention?
1. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS Team Needs: DL, WR, TE
Aaron Hernandez gets arrested. Wes Welker signs with the Broncos. Rob Gronkowski gets hurt (again). This timeline of events proved to be a rough 2013 for the Pats, right? Let’s not forget that legendary duo that was mentioned earlier. Despite the brutal offseason, the Patriots rose to the occasion and clinched an AFC championship berth for the third consecutive season. With this third straight appearance, unfortunately, they fell short for a second straight year. What’s missing?
For starters, the Patriots need young and explosive players on their defensive line. Chandler Jones is solid, but Vince Wilfork and Rob Ninkovic are both over 30 with their best days behind them. The rest of the defense is set, however.
Offensively, they can use another wide receiver. Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson are talented and signing Juilan Edelman and Brandon LaFell in the offseason is nice as well, but drafting that big-play target will pay dividends for an offense that has relied on an intermediate approach since Randy Moss departed.
Call this a crazy need, but the tight end spot needs to be readdressed. The Patriots have thrived in the two-TE set the past few years. With the outcome of the Hernandez situation and the questionable health of Gronkowski, picking up another tight end should be on the Pats’ draft list.
2. NEW YORK JETS Team Needs: WR, CB, TE
Here are some positives of a Rex Ryan-coach football team: A great defense, a team with attitude and a team that will compete. Here are the negatives for a Ryan team: Lack of offense, wait… what offense?? The Jets have missed the playoffs for the third straight season after making the AFC Championship game in 2009 and 2010. The offense playing second fiddle to the defense has been a major part of the recent decline. The good news for the offense is that it played substantially better compared to its laughingstock of a campaign in 2012.
First and definitely foremost, the Jets need another receiver. The Jets have been voided of a vertical attack for the past several seasons; getting another target to go opposite of newly-acquired Eric Decker will help Geno Smith immensely. Also on offense, the Jets should look at drafting a tight end just to add another weapon to their offense; Jeff Cumberland is solid, but two consecutive seasons with less than 30 catches is not something too praiseworthy.
The Cornerback position is the other essential need for GangGreen. The “shut-down” corner has been a huge element to Rex Ryan’s defenses in the past. With Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie both gone and Dee Milliner and Kyle Wilson quickly called into question, adding another corner to the lineup will be big.
3. MIAMI DOLPHINS Team Needs: An Offensive Line Miracle, WR
The Miami Dolphins had a tumultuous 2013 season with the Johnathan Martin-Richie Incognito fallout. Not only were offensive linemen the downfall in the locker room, but also on the football field. The Dolphins gave up a league-worst 58 sacks this season, not to mention that the offense has been the weakest link of the team since the short-lived “Wildcat” era of former head coach Tony Sparano.
Before anyone in the Dolphins’ front office continues with the rest of their lives, they MUST draft more offensive lineman (specifically a RT and OG); signing Tyson Clabo was a huge disappointment. The acquisition of free-agent left tackle Branden Albert was massive, literally, but a deeper o-line will result in a happier and healthier Ryan Tannehill.
Since Miami signed running back Knowshon Mereno in Free Agency, they should now look to draft a wide-out to further bolster the offense; Mike Wallace struggled in his first year with the team and Brian Hartline has never been a big-play threat.
4. BUFFALO BILLS: Team Needs: LB, RT, FS
Another Bills season has concluded in December which makes it now 15 years since they last advanced to the playoffs. The Bills are one of the several teams in which their potential doesn’t match their production. They still need several pieces in order to make it to the postseason for the first time since 1999.
First, they need another linebacker. Kiko Alonso had a stellar rookie season and the acquisition of Brandon Spikes was good, but plugging in another outside backer would make this corps very special.
Next on the board is to get a right tackle. The Bills did have the second-ranked rushing attack in 2013, yet they surrendered the fifth-most sacks in the process. With that new tackle, the Bills will be able to slow down those talented edge-rushers in the AFC East.
Lastly, a ball-hawking free safety will only help their outstanding pass rush. Aaron Williams is a productive strong safety with career-highs in tackles (82) and picks (4) in 2013, but replacing Jairus Bryd’s 22 career interceptions will be an arduous task; three-time Pro Bowlers don’t grow on trees.
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