Post by Cincinnati Bengals (Chris) on Sept 9, 2017 18:04:20 GMT -5
AFC East
Two years ago Sal earned a #1 seed in the AFC Playoffs, and this past year, he won the AFC crown for the right to represent the conference in the Super Bowl, and fell just one step short against Cecil. Castle’s team suffered more injuries than any in recent memory a year ago, New York had a fluky year, which led to Kevin’s first and only playoff appearance (Statistics suggested he was still a bottom-10 team) in the league before he exited, and New England was undergoing a rebuilding phase. Will Sal repeat as the division champ for the third-consecutive year? Will New England return to past glory? Can Miami stay healthy? How will LJ fare in his rookie season? Let me know what you think about my projections and post you own comments. Also, DON’T FORGET to vote in the poll, as that’s the whole point.
Buffalo Bills (Sal)
Last year’s finish: 2nd (Division: 1st)
Outlook: With some bold moves (That took some time to pay off), Sal has turned a mediocre 6-6 team (When he took over, the team had two previous owners before being league-run in the last year of the MFL) into 5-7, 10-2 and the AFC’s #1 seed (And an AFC Championship Game loss), and 9-3, AFC Champion and Super Bowl runner-up, and two-consecutive AFC East Championships. Sal received some unfortunate news just prior to the season: Julian Edelman will miss the year with an ACL tear. Sal quickly adapted, going out and getting Mike Williams and Ardarius Stewart to add to the fold. So now the offensive unit looks as follows: Matt Ryan, Isaiah Crowell, Keenan Allen, Jarvis Landry, Jordan Reed, Ty Montgomery, Stewart, Williams and Gerald Everett. When everyone is healthy, that’s likely a top-5 unit. As for defense, the line is quite good talent-wise, but is only comprised by two players, Carlos Dunlap and Andre Branch. The linebacking corps is led by LB#1 Bobby Wagner and Vontaze Burfict (When he returns from his suspension), and supplemented by Kiko Alonso, Will Compton and rookies Marquel Lee and Alex Anzalone (Who could have sporadic production, but lots of opportunity in their teams’ moribund LB corps). The DB situation is much like the defensive line. Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix is a standout, but beyond him, Maurice Alexander and Josh Jones are the only two others on the roster. It’s a solid unit, but one needing more depth, especially at the peripheries.
X-factor: For the second year in a row, health? Defensive depth could be an issue as well, but with how stacked the offensive unit is, Sal should be on his way to a third-straight division crown and perhaps another deep playoff run.
Projected division finish: 1st
Miami Dolphins (Castle)
Last year’s finish: 19th (Division: 3rd)
Outlook: Castle has regrouped nicely from his injury-laden year. He filled holes without giving up too much for the future (He still has his 1st, 2nd and two 3rd Round picks). He absolved himself of the weekly changeup (Sometimes mid-game with no warning) Cleveland QB situation, getting Joe Flacco, unloaded Jason Witten’s bloated contract in favor of Jared Cook, and picked up Kenny Stills to add to an already impressive receiving corps of Demaryius Thomas, Willie Snead (Though it Stills looks like a necessary option at this point with Snead to miss three games for a DUI suspenson) and Taylor Gabriel. Danny Woodhead is the primary RB, a downgrade from DeMarco Murray a year ago, and the bench is a bit of a mess with Snead’s suspension, leaving only Chris Ivory, Dwayne Harris and two guys not on teams (Colin Kaepernick and Ryan Matthews) to pick up the slack. On the defensive end, there is a good amount to work with as well. Chris Baker and Michael Brockers lead an underrated DL unit, and Lawrence Timmons, Whiney Mercilus and Manti Te’o fortify what could be better than average LB corps. The back end includes Janoris Jenkins, Andrew Adams and Tramaine Brock.
X-factor: Health and depth (Sound familiar?). Castle’s Dolphins were so severely bitten by the injury bug a year ago that it’s hard to imagine a repeat, and if Miami experiences similar losses this year, it’ll be hard to stay afloat again. That said, by doing little things to enhance his depth on both sides of the ball, Castle can help himself in the playoff race if he does experience some attrition again.
Projected division finish: 2nd
New England Patriots (Chris)
Last year’s finish: 30th (Division: 4th)
Outlook: The Patriots were good in 2014, going 9-3, after starting the year 8-0, but since then it’s been a rocky road, going 5-7 in 2015 and 2-10 last year. What did Chris get for that 2-10 year? Well, a high pick of course, which he parlayed into one Dalvin Cook, a player who has the clubhouse lead for every-down back duties in Minnesota it would appear. He also added potential future impact players David Njoku and Taywan Taylor on the offensive side. The wide receiving corps may be sporadic this year, with Danny Amendola, Robby Anderson, Chris Hogan and two likely non-factors in addition to Taylor. Those top-3 received a boost with injuries to the top receivers on their prospective teams. As for QB, New England swapped Carson Wentz, their QB of the future, for Andy Dalton and his bloated $8.5/4y contract, but doing so allowed him to draft Njoku and Alabama rookie Tim Williams with the picks he received in return. Speaking of defense, the Patriots have some difference makers there, in Jordan Cameron, Jadeveon Clowney, K.J. Wright, Malcolm Butler, Jonathan Cyprien, E.J. Gaines and Jalen Collins. Beyond that, there is some dead weight and a lot of rookies, but this should be a top-half defense all the same.
X-factor: Continue to stock the arsenal. Like I said last year, the goal for New England should be continued growth. Chris has done well so far to accomplish it, but there is still a good ways to go. This is just step one. Let’s see how he fares in step two.
Projected division finish: 4th
New York Jets (LJ)
Last year’s finish: 11th (Division: 2nd)
Outlook: LJ took over the Jets just before the draft, and has made some interesting and at times confounding moves in pursuing the roster that he wants (Though no one could accuse him of not making this team his). Offensively, there are a number of impressive players, with T.Y. Hilton, Alshon Jeffrey, Adam Thielen, Duke Johnson, Marquise Lee and Jason Witten buoy the offense. Sam Bradford, ever the fantasy pariah actually fared decently in 2016, and him doing so again could be a huge win for the Jets. As for the bench, beyond Marquise Goodwin, there’s not a lot of 2017 production ready to go, but that could change if Pumphrey gets some run. On D, the Jets sport a DL that looks like one of the best in the league with Damon “Snacks” Harrison (It’s so fun I just have to), Cliff Avril and William Hayes. Linebacker is a little more of a question mark for New York beyond Lavonte David. Currently they sport just Vincent Rey, Jon Bostic and Kevin Dodd. Defensive back has the potential to be good, with Harrison Smith, Jimmie Ward and rookie Adoree’ Jackson, who is good with the ball in his hands, but earned the nickname “Burn Notice” from scouts because of his propensity to give up long gains in coverage at USC.
X-factor: LB/DB. The defense as a whole should be okay, and New York could be headed back to the playoffs for the second-year in a row. But adding at DB and LB, as well as RB on offense, would go a long way towards solidifying that possibility. If LJ could acquire some depth or even starters by trade, without giving up future assets for an unwise pursuit of glory as a rookie GM, already a concern, then the Jets could be sitting pretty for both this year and the immediate future.
Projected division finish: 3rd
Remember to watch out for the eighth and final of our divisional previews (The NFC East) later tonight.
Two years ago Sal earned a #1 seed in the AFC Playoffs, and this past year, he won the AFC crown for the right to represent the conference in the Super Bowl, and fell just one step short against Cecil. Castle’s team suffered more injuries than any in recent memory a year ago, New York had a fluky year, which led to Kevin’s first and only playoff appearance (Statistics suggested he was still a bottom-10 team) in the league before he exited, and New England was undergoing a rebuilding phase. Will Sal repeat as the division champ for the third-consecutive year? Will New England return to past glory? Can Miami stay healthy? How will LJ fare in his rookie season? Let me know what you think about my projections and post you own comments. Also, DON’T FORGET to vote in the poll, as that’s the whole point.
Buffalo Bills (Sal)
Last year’s finish: 2nd (Division: 1st)
Outlook: With some bold moves (That took some time to pay off), Sal has turned a mediocre 6-6 team (When he took over, the team had two previous owners before being league-run in the last year of the MFL) into 5-7, 10-2 and the AFC’s #1 seed (And an AFC Championship Game loss), and 9-3, AFC Champion and Super Bowl runner-up, and two-consecutive AFC East Championships. Sal received some unfortunate news just prior to the season: Julian Edelman will miss the year with an ACL tear. Sal quickly adapted, going out and getting Mike Williams and Ardarius Stewart to add to the fold. So now the offensive unit looks as follows: Matt Ryan, Isaiah Crowell, Keenan Allen, Jarvis Landry, Jordan Reed, Ty Montgomery, Stewart, Williams and Gerald Everett. When everyone is healthy, that’s likely a top-5 unit. As for defense, the line is quite good talent-wise, but is only comprised by two players, Carlos Dunlap and Andre Branch. The linebacking corps is led by LB#1 Bobby Wagner and Vontaze Burfict (When he returns from his suspension), and supplemented by Kiko Alonso, Will Compton and rookies Marquel Lee and Alex Anzalone (Who could have sporadic production, but lots of opportunity in their teams’ moribund LB corps). The DB situation is much like the defensive line. Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix is a standout, but beyond him, Maurice Alexander and Josh Jones are the only two others on the roster. It’s a solid unit, but one needing more depth, especially at the peripheries.
X-factor: For the second year in a row, health? Defensive depth could be an issue as well, but with how stacked the offensive unit is, Sal should be on his way to a third-straight division crown and perhaps another deep playoff run.
Projected division finish: 1st
Miami Dolphins (Castle)
Last year’s finish: 19th (Division: 3rd)
Outlook: Castle has regrouped nicely from his injury-laden year. He filled holes without giving up too much for the future (He still has his 1st, 2nd and two 3rd Round picks). He absolved himself of the weekly changeup (Sometimes mid-game with no warning) Cleveland QB situation, getting Joe Flacco, unloaded Jason Witten’s bloated contract in favor of Jared Cook, and picked up Kenny Stills to add to an already impressive receiving corps of Demaryius Thomas, Willie Snead (Though it Stills looks like a necessary option at this point with Snead to miss three games for a DUI suspenson) and Taylor Gabriel. Danny Woodhead is the primary RB, a downgrade from DeMarco Murray a year ago, and the bench is a bit of a mess with Snead’s suspension, leaving only Chris Ivory, Dwayne Harris and two guys not on teams (Colin Kaepernick and Ryan Matthews) to pick up the slack. On the defensive end, there is a good amount to work with as well. Chris Baker and Michael Brockers lead an underrated DL unit, and Lawrence Timmons, Whiney Mercilus and Manti Te’o fortify what could be better than average LB corps. The back end includes Janoris Jenkins, Andrew Adams and Tramaine Brock.
X-factor: Health and depth (Sound familiar?). Castle’s Dolphins were so severely bitten by the injury bug a year ago that it’s hard to imagine a repeat, and if Miami experiences similar losses this year, it’ll be hard to stay afloat again. That said, by doing little things to enhance his depth on both sides of the ball, Castle can help himself in the playoff race if he does experience some attrition again.
Projected division finish: 2nd
New England Patriots (Chris)
Last year’s finish: 30th (Division: 4th)
Outlook: The Patriots were good in 2014, going 9-3, after starting the year 8-0, but since then it’s been a rocky road, going 5-7 in 2015 and 2-10 last year. What did Chris get for that 2-10 year? Well, a high pick of course, which he parlayed into one Dalvin Cook, a player who has the clubhouse lead for every-down back duties in Minnesota it would appear. He also added potential future impact players David Njoku and Taywan Taylor on the offensive side. The wide receiving corps may be sporadic this year, with Danny Amendola, Robby Anderson, Chris Hogan and two likely non-factors in addition to Taylor. Those top-3 received a boost with injuries to the top receivers on their prospective teams. As for QB, New England swapped Carson Wentz, their QB of the future, for Andy Dalton and his bloated $8.5/4y contract, but doing so allowed him to draft Njoku and Alabama rookie Tim Williams with the picks he received in return. Speaking of defense, the Patriots have some difference makers there, in Jordan Cameron, Jadeveon Clowney, K.J. Wright, Malcolm Butler, Jonathan Cyprien, E.J. Gaines and Jalen Collins. Beyond that, there is some dead weight and a lot of rookies, but this should be a top-half defense all the same.
X-factor: Continue to stock the arsenal. Like I said last year, the goal for New England should be continued growth. Chris has done well so far to accomplish it, but there is still a good ways to go. This is just step one. Let’s see how he fares in step two.
Projected division finish: 4th
New York Jets (LJ)
Last year’s finish: 11th (Division: 2nd)
Outlook: LJ took over the Jets just before the draft, and has made some interesting and at times confounding moves in pursuing the roster that he wants (Though no one could accuse him of not making this team his). Offensively, there are a number of impressive players, with T.Y. Hilton, Alshon Jeffrey, Adam Thielen, Duke Johnson, Marquise Lee and Jason Witten buoy the offense. Sam Bradford, ever the fantasy pariah actually fared decently in 2016, and him doing so again could be a huge win for the Jets. As for the bench, beyond Marquise Goodwin, there’s not a lot of 2017 production ready to go, but that could change if Pumphrey gets some run. On D, the Jets sport a DL that looks like one of the best in the league with Damon “Snacks” Harrison (It’s so fun I just have to), Cliff Avril and William Hayes. Linebacker is a little more of a question mark for New York beyond Lavonte David. Currently they sport just Vincent Rey, Jon Bostic and Kevin Dodd. Defensive back has the potential to be good, with Harrison Smith, Jimmie Ward and rookie Adoree’ Jackson, who is good with the ball in his hands, but earned the nickname “Burn Notice” from scouts because of his propensity to give up long gains in coverage at USC.
X-factor: LB/DB. The defense as a whole should be okay, and New York could be headed back to the playoffs for the second-year in a row. But adding at DB and LB, as well as RB on offense, would go a long way towards solidifying that possibility. If LJ could acquire some depth or even starters by trade, without giving up future assets for an unwise pursuit of glory as a rookie GM, already a concern, then the Jets could be sitting pretty for both this year and the immediate future.
Projected division finish: 3rd
Remember to watch out for the eighth and final of our divisional previews (The NFC East) later tonight.