We move to the AFC now, and can anyone unseat the Bills at the top of this division?

AFC East Preview

Buffalo Bills

Allen Should be Back in the MVP Hunt Again
  • Coaching: HC Sean McDermott brings back the same staff as 2024 with OC Joe Brady and DC Bobby Babich.
  • Departures: S Micah Hyde (retired), DE Von Miller (to WAS), CB Rasul Douglas (unsigned), DT Austin Johnson (unsigned), WR Amari Cooper (unsigned)
  • Additions:
    • Free Agents:
      • Defense: DE Joey Bosa (from LAC), DE From Mike Hoecht (from LAR), CB Tre’Davious White (from BAL), DT Larry Ogunjobi (from PIT), CB Dane Jackson (from CAR)
      • Offense: WR Josh Palmer (from LAC), WR Elijah Moore (from CLE), OG Kendrick Green (from HOU)
    • Draft
      • CB Maxwell Harrison (1st – Kentucky)
      • DT TJ Sanders (2nd – South Carolina)
      • DE Landon Jackson (3rd – Arkansas)
      • DT Deone Walker (4th – Kentucky)
      • TE Jackson Hawes (5th – Georgia Tech)
      • S Jordan Hancock (5th – Ohio State)
      • OT Chase Lundt (6th – UConn)
      • CB Dorian Strong (6th – VA Tech)
  • Overview – The Bills have gone all in on the reigning MVP QB Josh Allen with a $330MM extension ($250MM guaranteed). He makes the team go, and if he is healthy, then he is an MVP candidate every single year. The WR corps is not really a super talented group, so between Allen’s arm, his legs, and RB James Cook with the 2 TEs, that will have to be enough. The Bills have fallen short on D in the past few seasons, not Offense. The D got slightly younger swapping Miller for Bosa with some added FA depth. Rookie CB Hairston should help. I think the Bills will win the division, but can they get past KC?
  • Prediction – Bills will win the AFC East and contend for the 1 Seed yet again at 14-3.

New England

Vrabel Is the New Face on the Pats’ Sideline
  • Coaching: After one year, the Patriots bring back a former Pat to coach the team in HC Mike Vrabel, the former TEN HC. I love Vrabel. He is a leader of men, and exactly what NE needs this year. Vrabel brings back another Patriot legacy guy in Josh McDaniels at OC, and he gets DC Terrell Williams from DET’s staff.
  • Departures: QB Jacoby Brissett (to AZ), C David Andrews (retired) – there were other cuts, but no huge names of note.
  • Additions:
    • Free Agents:
      • Defense: DE Harold Landry (from TEN), LB Robert Spillane (from LVR), CB Carlton Davis (from DET), DE Milton Williams (from PHI), DT Khyiris Tonga (from AZ), LB Jack Gibbens (from TEN), K’Lavon Chaisson (from LVR)
      • Offense: WR Stefon Diggs (from HOU), WR Mack Hollins (from BUF), QB Josh Dobbs (from SF), C Garrett Bradbury (from MIN)
    • Draft:
      • OT Will Campbell (1st – LSU)
      • RB TreVeyon Henderson (2nd – Ohio State)
      • WR Kyle Williams (3rd – Washington State)
      • C Jared Wilson (3rd -Georgia)
      • DT Joshua Farmer (4th – FSU)
      • S Craig Woodson (4th – Cal)
      • DE Bradyn Swinson (5th – LSU)
      • OT Marcus Bryant (7th – Missouri)
      • CB Kobee Minor (7th – Memphis)
  • Overview – The Patriots will have a new identity with this coaching staff. McDaniels’ Offense will be tough running the ball and utilizing QB Drake Maye’s mobility in the play action game and a new WR corps may lead to bigger plays. On D, the Free Agents will make a big change immediately in this scheme. I like them to bounce back, especially in the division.
  • Prediction – My first bold prediction that NE will make the playoffs at 10-7 this year.

New York Jets

Fields Will Get A Chance to Start with Jets
  • Coaching: The Jets made the change at HC with Robert Saleh gone, former DC in DET Aaron Glenn (a former Jet). Glenn brought aboard OC Tanner Engstrand, former DET Passing Game Coordinator with him, and he tapped former HC and DC Steve Wilks to call the D.
  • Departures: QB Aaron Rodgers (to PIT), WR Davante Adams (to LAR), DE Hassan Reddick (to TB), TE Tyler Conklin (to LAC), LB CJ Mosley (retired), DT Leki Fotu (to LVR), OT Tyron Smith (to DAL then retirement), DT Javon Kinlaw (to WAS), DE Solomon Thomas (to DAL)
  • Additions:
    • Free Agents:
      • Defense: DT Byron Cowart (from CHI), S Andre Cisco (from JAC), CB Brandon Stephens (from BAL), DT Jay Tufele (from CIN), DT Derrick Nnadi (from KC)
      • Offense: QB Justin Fields (from PIT), WR Josh Reynolds (JAC), WR Tyler Johnson (from LAR), C Josh Myers (from GB), OT Chukwuma Okorafor (from Western Michigan), RB Andrew Beck (from Texas)
    • Draft:
      • OT Armand Membou (1st – Missouri)
      • TE Mason Taylor (2nd – LSU)
      • CB Azareye’h Thomas (3rd – FSU)
      • S Malachi Moore (4th – Alabama)
      • WR Arian Smith (4th – Georgia)
      • DE Tyler Baron (5th – Miami)
      • LB Francisco Mauigoa (5th – Miami)
  • Overview – The Jets will have a new culture with Saleh and his lackluster preparation out the door. However, I do think that Fields can lead this team very far, but he will have his moments. The D should be more consistent, but Wilks and Glenn do not have the same philosophy on D. Should be interesting.
  • Prediction – Currently slightly better than 2024, but not by much, 6-11. As Fields goes, they will go this season.

Miami Dolphins

McDaniel Should Be Out This Year
  • Coaching: HC Mike McDaniel is back along with OC Frank Smith and DC Anthony Weaver. So, no shakeup in South Beach in the coaching staff.
  • Departures: DE Emmanuel Ogbah (to JAC), S Jevon Holland (to NYG), OG Robert Jones (to DAL), DE Calais Campbell (to AZ), WR Braxton Berrios (to HOU), DE Da’Shawn Hand (to LAC), CB Kendall Fuller (unsigned), OT Isaiah Wynn (unsigned), QB Tyler Huntley (unsigned)
  • Additions:
    • Free Agents:
      • Defense: S Minkah Fitzpatrick (trade via PIT), CB Jack Jones (from LVR), S Ifeatu Melifonwu (from DET), CB Mike Hilton (from CIN), S Ashtyn Davis (from NYJ), LB KJ Britt (from TB), LB Willie Gay (from NO), DE Matthew Butler (from LVR)
      • Offense: QB Zach Wilson (from DEN), OG James Daniels (from PIT), TE Darren Waller (out of retirement), WR Nick Ikhine-Westbrook (from TEN), OG Daniel Brunskill (from TEN), OT, Larry Borom (from CHI), TE Pharaoh Brown (from SEA), RB Alexander Mattison (from MIN)
    • Draft:
      • DE Kenneth Grant (1st – Michigan)
      • OG Jonah Savaiinaea (2nd – Arizona)
      • CB Jason Marshall (5th – Florida)
      • DT Jordan Phillips (5th – Maryland)
  • Overview – So, I was dead wrong on MIA in 2024, and I had them winning the division. So, I could be wrong again in 2025, but I think they are going to implode. I have heard that WR Tyreek Hill is in the best shape of his life, so maybe the O will click again. If Tua stays healthy, then maybe they have a shot, but the other teams in the division are much tougher than the Fins. They will get beat up in the trenches. I just do not think McDaniel runs a tight enough ship. There are a ton of new faces as you can see in Free Agency, but that does not mean much to me. My bold prediction here is McDaniel is the first coach fired in 2025. The former golden boy better win some of the early games or he will be firmly on the hotseat and out the door. I’m incredibly down on this team this year.
  • Prediction – 3-14 fall off a cliff if they cannot win early, as they never win late.

We are a quarter of the way through the league so far. Next stop is in the NFC North, next week.

Wegs

About the author

I'm a 49 year old, twice divorced guy with a 20 year old. The blog has morphed a bit lately. Not just sports or dating, social commentary and now some stories from my past experience.