|
Wednesday, 22 August 2007 |
AFC East:
1. New England Patriots
Strengths: Where do I begin? This is a team with the best coach in the NFL in Bill Belichick and the best quarterback in Tom Brady. They also acquired Donte’ Stallworth, Wes Welker and a motivated Randy Moss in the off-season.
Tom Brady has never had an above average receiving core, and he has managed to win three Super Bowl rings. Imagine what he will do with this group.
Not to personalize this anymore than I already have, but the Patriots also have Bob Kalbaugh as someone who passionately despises their franchise and, like I already said, that alone should be enough to win you a Super Bowl.
Weaknesses: It is hard to find any, but if you are nit picking, the loss of running back Corey Dillon and the inability of the franchise to get Asante Samuel to end his holdout could provide potential problems.
Laurence Maroney will be asked to carry the full load at running back, which he wasn't depended upon to do with Dillon around. Samuel, a top NFL cornerback, has not entered training camp yet and the cornerback position is one of major importance to any NFL franchise.
2. Buffalo Bills
Stengths: The Bills addressed the offensive line in a major way, signing left guard Derrick Dockery and right tackle Langston Walker to give the blossoming JP Losman a little more insurance.
Lee Evans is a superstar wide receiver who will put up huge numbers once again, especially now that Losman will have more time in the pocket.
The team also traded away the one-dimensional and grossly overrated Willis McGahee, and acquired a younger, faster all-purpose running back through the draft in Marshawn Lynch.
Weaknesses: The departure of Nate Clements via free agency. The Bills will now rely on either Jason Webster or Ashton Youbuty to man the cornerback spot opposite Terrence McGee. This is a significant downgrade.
Another glaring weakness is that the Bills have Bob Kalbaugh as a member of their passionate/borderline obsessive fan base, which has cursed them over the last 22 years.
3. New York Jets
Strengths: The Jets solidified the running back position with the acquisition of Thomas Jones this off-season. If
quarterback Chad Pennington can stay healthy, which has been an issue in recent years, the Jets can be a contender in the AFC.
The resurgence of WR Laveranues Coles and the continued development of WR Jericho Cotchery provide Jets fans with optimism going into the 2007 season.
Superstar middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma and defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson head up a stout defensive unit that should improve under second-year head coach Eric Mangini.
Weaknesses: The health of QB Chad Pennington. Pennington finally played an entire season in 2006, his first in three years. The success of the franchise hinges on his long-term health, which is always fluctuating.
If Pennington goes down, which is always a strong possibility, then so do the Jets. If he stays upright, they will go to the playoffs.
4. Miami Dolphins
Strengths: Do they even have any? The Dolphins are an absolute mess.
After former head coach Nick Saban made an incorrect gamble on Daunte Culpepper and then bolted on the franchise, Cam Cameron was hired to pick up the pieces.
While Cameron is an upgrade over Saban, as proof by his offensive success in San Diego, he still does not have a lot to work with on the current roster – aside from RB Ronnie Brown.
However, Jason Taylor, the reigning defensive player of the year, is still probably the best defensive end in the game.
Weaknesses: QB Trent Green has struggled throughout the pre-season in comprehending Cameron's offensive system.
The Dolphins reached too far in the draft acquiring Ted Ginn Jr. when they could have acquired Brady Quinn, a possible long-term solution for their constant quarterback issues.
Overall, the Dolphins will be absolutely horrid this season.
Overall Analysis:
The Patriots will win the AFC East quite easily. Tom Brady with a strong receiving core is going to be downright scary for the rest of the league, including the AFC East.
Pennington will go down with injury and the Dolphins will continue to stink up the league, placing my Buffalo Bills in second place by default.
Trackback(0)
 |
TrackBack URI for this entry
Show/Hide comments