The Buffalo Bills are in another transitional phase after the hiring of new head coach Doug Marrone and his staff.

The team has to begin assessing its offseason strategy quickly, because there are a lot of decisions to be made and a lot of needs to be filled.

Which needs are biggest? Which pending free agents are most important? How much money does the team have to work with in bringing those guys back and other guys in?

Here's a complete offseason guide to the team's needs, free agents and salary cap.

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There will be sweeping changes in the New York Jets personnel, front office and coaching staff this offseason.

One of those changes will not be at head coach, where Rex Ryan (deservedly) gets one more chance to prove he's the right man for the job.

Rex said he is approaching this year like a "new beginning," but the fact is that the Jets will still have some painful scars from the past on their roster.

How can the Jets approach this offseason? What are some of the biggest concerns?

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The Buffalo Bills need to get a bit more creative on defense, and that's exactly what new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine brings to the table.

He also earned a big vote of confidence from ESPN analyst Damien Woody.

According to Tim Graham of The Buffalo News, the former Jets offensive lineman thinks Mike Pettine will be a solid hire as the Bills defensive coordinator and that Pettine will make a "night and day" difference impact on the defense.

Woody has confidence that Pettine can get the most out of the Bills' defensive playmakers.

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Have you lost track of all the names the New York Jets have brought in for interviews in their search for a general manager to replace Mike Tannenbaum?

The Jets have scheduled interviews with 49ers personnel director Tom Gamble, Falcons director of player personnel David Caldwell and Giants college scouting director Marc Ross. They've recently requested permission to interview Dolphins assistant GM Brian Gaine (via the Star-Ledger) and Chargers director of pro personnel Jimmy Raye (via NFL Network). They also interviewed in-house candidate Scott Cohen.

It's been quite the process (one last hat tip to Tannenbaum), but why so many names, and why (seemingly) no progress?

It could be that the Jets are simply doing their diligence. That's exactly what owner Woody Johnson said he would do at the Jets' end-of-season press conference on Tuesday.

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Ask any number of people what the key to a particular game is, and you're bound to get a wide variety of answers.

The defense's performance against Arian Foster, the offensive line's ability to read their keys against the blitz, the linebackers staying disciplined against play action, all of these will play some sort of role.

One key that could carry over from the previous meeting, however, involves Patriots quarterback Tom Brady having enough time in the pocket to find tight end Aaron Hernandez over the middle.

Against Houston, Brady went 8-of-11 (72.7 percent) for 58 yards and two touchdowns when targeting Hernandez.

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The Buffalo Bills wasted no time in naming Doug Marrone as their head coach. Marrone is wasting no time in naming his coaching staff.

It started with naming Nathaniel Hackett the offensive coordinator, and as of Wednesday morning, multiple reports indicate former Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine will join the Bills in the same position.

There are big ramifications for the Bills with this move (and the Jets), so let's take a look at what Pettine brings to the table.

Style

The first question that comes to mind with any new coordinator is: What style does this coach bring?

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The Buffalo Bills have begun the rebuilding process anew with head coach Doug Marrone.

The first thing on his agenda is to assemble his coaching staff, and his actions are already speaking louder than his words in that regard.

According to a report from Tim Graham of The Buffalo News, Nathaniel Hackett will be the Bills' next offensive coordinator:

Marrone emphasized the importance of NFL experience in his coaching staff, saying, "with the coordinators, we want people that have thorough NFL experience...This is a very, very difficult job, being an NFL coach."

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There will be a heavyweight battle pitting Patriots quarterback Tom Brady against the Houston Texans aggressive defense, but a battle on the other side of the ball will have just as much of an impact on the outcome.

Say what you will about the Patriots defense, but one thing they do very well is shut down what an opponent does best. For the Texans, that's running the football with Arian Foster.

If the Patriots can shut down Foster, they severely limit what Houston can do offensively because the running game is such a big part of their offense. 

The Patriots struggled to start, giving up a 12-yard run that was wiped away by an illegal formation penalty, followed by a 15-yard run on the very next play. They settled down against the run after the two big gains to start the game, and were able to hold Foster to 15 carries for 46 yards (3.1 YPA) and one touchdown, one of his worst performances of the season.

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