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The AFC East has been a joke in recent years, with the Patriots dominating the division with little resistance from the other three teams. Last year, the division was tough, with the Dolphins and Jets having similar records to the Patriots. With the downfall of the Jets, though, it was between the Dolphins and Patriots.
The Jets didn't put up much of a fight against the Dolphins in the final game of the season, resulting in the Patriots missing the playoffs for the first time in years. The Bills also started off strong, but got lost along the way throughout the season.
During the offseason, a lot of talented players and coaches signed with AFC East teams. Rex Ryan was a big addition to the Jets, and will help out the defense a lot. Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard followed Ryan from the Ravens to the Jets.
The Jets traded for troubled cornerback Lito Sheppard from the Eagles, who should play well alongside Darrelle Revis. They also traded up to the fifth pick in the draft (which really surprised me and made me mad at the same time) to select their signal caller of the future—Mark Sanchez.
The Jets already have a good defense as it is, with players like David Harris, Darrelle Revis, Kerry Rhodes, Calvin Pace, Dwight Lowery, Kris Jenkins, Shaun Ellis, and not to mention Vernon Gholston, who Rex Ryan will turn into the next great outside linebacker in his defensive scheme.
The Jets will have the toughest defense this year, and it will be very interesting to see Rex Ryan and Bill Belichick try to out-wit each other on Sundays. The Jets also have a decent offense with Mark Sanchez, Thomas Jones, Dustin Keller, Leon Washington, Jerricho Cotchery, and of course their offensive line of all first-round draft picks.
The Dolphins had a great season last year. After going 1-15 the previous season, Bill Parcells has turned the franchise around and keeps on finding hidden gems in the draft to start for the Dolphins.
During the offseason, Parcells signed safety Gibril Wilson after the Oakland Raiders released him. The Dolphins will be tough to play against on running plays and passes over the middle because of hammers like Yeremiah Bell and Wilson.
The Dolphins also selected cornerbacks Vontae Davis (in the first round of the draft) and Sean Smith, who is a physical freak at corner, standing at 6'4" and 214 pounds. Both should play well along side veteran Will Allen.
Chris Clemons is another defensive player the Dolphins drafted that could be dangerous, because many scouts and analysts have compared his hitting style to Rodney Harrison.
The Dolphins have a good quarterback in Chad Pennington, and the offense is better because of it. Ronnie Brown is a good running back, too, and can be a pain to play against. Anthony Fasano was brought over from the Cowboys when Bill Parcells came to the Dolphins and has played well.
Ted Ginn, Jr. is a dangerous return specialist, and is taking a larger role in the offense now. Greg Camarillo is not a burner by any means, but is still dangerous because he has good hands and makes a lot of catches.
The Dolphins added wide receivers Patrick Turner, Pat White, and Brian Hartline. It will be interesting to see what the Dolphins do with White in their Wildcat offense that took the NFL by storm in 2008.
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