{"id":70313,"date":"2019-08-11T09:43:17","date_gmt":"2019-08-11T13:43:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=70313"},"modified":"2019-08-11T13:25:09","modified_gmt":"2019-08-11T17:25:09","slug":"2019-afc-east-breakdown-position-offense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/08\/11\/2019-afc-east-breakdown-position-offense\/","title":{"rendered":"2019 AFC East Breakdown By Position: The Offense"},"content":{"rendered":"

During the month of August, Last Word on Pro Football<\/a> will be breaking down every position in the league by division. This article contains an in-depth, position-by-position breakdown of the AFC East offenses. The breakdown will consist of \u201cthe best\u201d at every position followed by \u201cthe rest\u201d.<\/p>\n

2019 AFC East Breakdown By Position: The Defense<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

2019 AFC East Breakdown By Position: The Offense<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Quarterback<\/h3>\n

The Best<\/strong>: New England Patriots<\/a><\/p>\n

The Rest<\/strong>: New York Jets<\/a>, Buffalo Bills<\/a>, Miami Dolphins<\/a><\/p>\n

Even at age 42, Tom Brady<\/a><\/strong> is still the class of the AFC East. His 2018 season wasn\u2019t quite as good as his 2015-2017 run, but he was still a top-five quarterback and should remain among the league\u2019s elite<\/a> for the next two or three seasons. Brian Hoyer<\/a><\/strong> is a serviceable backup, and Jarrett Stidham<\/strong><\/a> looked good<\/a> in his preseason debut, although it\u2019s obviously too early to make any sweeping declarations about his career.<\/p>\n

Sam Darnold<\/a><\/strong> and Josh Allen<\/a><\/strong> both had their moments last year and hope to make a big jump in 2019. By this writer’s eye, Darnold has the better shot at developing into a true franchise quarterback. Darnold has the ideal NFL arm and accuracy and is in position to be a solid starter for the next decade. If Allen\u2019s going to last as a starter, he\u2019ll need to do it my maximizing his athletic gifts rather than being a traditional dropback quarterback.<\/p>\n

Josh Rosen<\/a><\/strong> was objectively bad as a rookie but a change of scenery could help the former top-10 pick. Miami isn\u2019t the best landing spot, as the offensive line is one of the worst in the league. There\u2019s a good shot Ryan Fitzpatrick<\/a><\/strong> starts the season under center, in which case he\u2019ll look like the best quarterback in football for three weeks before getting benched in Week Six.<\/p>\n

Running Back<\/h3>\n

The Best: New York Jets<\/p>\n

The Rest: New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills<\/p>\n

You better have the best running back in your division when he’s making over $13 million a year. Le\u2019Veon Bell<\/strong><\/a> missed the 2018 season but is only 27 and should still have some gas left in his tank. The depth chart behind him is pretty solid, as Ty Montgomery<\/a><\/strong> has had some success throughout his career, and Bilal Powell<\/a><\/strong> has shown promise as a pass-catching back.<\/p>\n

The Patriots have one of the best pass-catching backs in James White<\/a><\/strong> and a solid two-down runner in Sony Michel<\/a><\/strong>. If Michel or rookie Damien Harris<\/strong><\/a> can develop into a true three-down player, then New England might have the best depth in the division. Kenyan Drake<\/a><\/strong> looks good whenever he\u2019s on the field, but coaching staffs just don\u2019t want to use him as a lead back. It\u2019s going to be hard for him or Kalen Ballage<\/a><\/strong> to succeed behind that offensive line. LeSean McCoy<\/a><\/strong> appears to have hit the fabled cliff, giving T.J. Yeldon<\/a>, Frank Gore<\/a><\/strong>, and Devin Singletary<\/strong><\/a> a chance to earn a larger role.<\/p>\n

Wide Receiver<\/h3>\n

The Best: Buffalo Bills<\/p>\n

The Rest: New England Patriots, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins<\/p>\n

You could order these four teams in just about any order and make a solid argument for your choice. For now, the Bills take the top spot thanks to their relatively high floor and ceiling. Robert Foster<\/a><\/strong> and Zay Jones<\/a><\/strong> showed flashes of greatness last year and adding John Brown<\/a><\/strong> and Cole Beasley<\/a><\/strong> to the mix only creates a more complete depth chart. There isn\u2019t a superstar here, but all four players are more than capable of filling their respective roles.<\/p>\n

Reigning Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman<\/a><\/strong> is one of the most underrated players in the league and should be ready for the start of the season. When factoring in the upside of N\u2019Keal Harry<\/strong><\/a> and great depth options like Maurice Harris<\/a>, Phillip Dorsett<\/a><\/strong>, and Jakobi Meyers<\/strong><\/a> along with the eventual return of Demaryius Thomas<\/a><\/strong> gives the Patriots a dangerous depth chart if everything breaks right.<\/p>\n

Robby Anderson<\/a><\/strong> is a budding star and Quincy Enunwa<\/a><\/strong> and Jamison Crowder<\/a><\/strong> are solid complementary pieces. Miami\u2019s wide receiver room looks a lot better if Albert Wilson<\/a><\/strong> can return to health. Kenny Stills<\/a><\/strong> is a solid deep threat and a great fit for Ryan Fitzpatrick, but nobody should expect anything more than inconsistent production from Davante Parker<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Offensive Line<\/h3>\n

The Best: New England Patriots<\/p>\n

The Rest: Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins<\/p>\n

The Patriots take this one by a mile. Joe Thuney<\/a>, David Andrews<\/a>, <\/strong>and Shaq Mason<\/a> <\/strong>form arguably the best interior offensive line in football, while Marcus Cannon<\/a><\/strong> is one of the better right tackles in the game. New England still needs to find a left tackle, as 2018 first-round pick Isaiah Wynn<\/strong><\/a> is still working his way back from an Achilles injury.<\/p>\n

The Bills should have a decent line, although it won\u2019t be as good as New England\u2019s. Mitch Morse<\/a><\/strong> is one of the best centers in the league and should provide invaluable protection for Josh Allen. Quinton Spain<\/a><\/strong> is no superstar, but he\u2019s a solid enough player. The real question lies at the tackle position, where rookie Cody Ford<\/strong><\/a> will need to prove he\u2019s ready for the NFL and Dion Dawkins<\/a><\/strong> needs to dramatically improve his level of play.<\/p>\n

The Jets got an intriguing player in Kelechi Osemele<\/a><\/strong>, but the rest of the line leaves a lot to be desired. The Miami Dolphins offensive line is just a plain mess. Outside of Laremy Tunsil<\/a><\/strong> and maybe<\/em> rookie Michael Deiter<\/strong><\/a>, nobody on this line should be starting in the NFL. This unit is PFF\u2019s bottom-ranked<\/a> offensive line, and with good reason.<\/p>\n

2019 AFC East Breakdown By Position: The Defense<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Main photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>