An early look at the AFC East

An early look at the AFC East

Football.com analyst Jeffrey Gearhart takes and early look at the teams in the AFC East and weighs in on if the Pats are still the team to beat and what fans may expect from the other clubs in the division, as well as how personnel changes will affect the teams in the East.

BUFFALO-The overhauled Bills will look to end a franchise-record eight-year playoff drought. Second year quarterback Trent Edwards is the likely starter, and will have rookie receiver James Hardy as a big target. Bringing in Hardy should take some attention away from receiver Lee Evans. Pending the outcome of the off-field situation with running back Marshawn Lynch, he will once again be a force from the backfield. Fullback Darian Barnes was acquired from the Jets in the off-season, and is the favorite to win the starting spot. Tight end Robert Royal had a subpar year in 2007, and needs to re-establish himself as the starter. The offensive line remains unchanged anchored by tackle Jason Peters.
     
The defense will have the biggest change this season, having brought in former Pro Bowler Marcus Stroud from Jacksonville to fill in at tackle. The other tackle spot is likely to have competition from veteran John McCargo and newcomer Spencer Johnston, who signed as a free agent in the off-season. Second year linebacker Paul Posluszny had his rookie season cut short due to injury, but should be a force in the middle this season. Kawika Mitchell was lured away from the Giants to help bolster the weak side, and Angelo Crowell returns to fill in on the strong side. The Bills tried to add depth to the secondary by drafting cornerback Lendis McKelvin out of Troy. Jabari Greer is likely starter at corner, but could be bumped if McKelvin proves his worth. Safety Ko Simpson returns after suffering an injury in the season opener last season. Special teams remains unchanged but has added depth for the return team with McKelvin.

MIAMI- The Dolphins had a memorable season in 20007, but for the wrong reasons. After going 1-15, it was time for a change. Bill Parcells was brought in to help Miami, not to coach, but to run things in the front office. The quarterback job seems to be an open competition between John Beck, Josh McCown, and rookie Chad Henne. Beck is the front-runner, but any slight evidence that he cannot perform will surely open the door for the other two. The backfield returns Ronnie Brown who was sidelined with a knee injury part way through the season. The Ricky Williams saga is far from over as well, and could get a shot to redeem himself. Fullback Reagan Mauia is a force, but was hindered with a broken hand. The receivers will be anchored by second year player Ted Ginn Jr., who hopes to display his talent better with a consistent quarterback. Newcomer Ernest Wilford will join Ginn on the opposite side. Tight end Anthony Fasano could show his potential after being pulled away from Dallas. The most noticeable difference is the offensive line, with rookie tackle Jake Long. Long should provide the run blocking needed to help the Fins along. Long will be joined with veterans Vernon Carey and Samson Satele. Rookie Shawn Murphy and veteran Justin Smiley will be new faces at the guard position.
    
The defense has new faces as well. As Parcells went on a raid of the Cowboys, veteran tackle Jason Freguson was brought in to plug the gap in the 3-4. With the Jason Taylor situation still not clear, he is slated to pull double duty at end and outside linebacker. Vonnie Holliday returns at end, while Matt Roth is a reliable back up and could assume a starting role. With the departure of Zach Thomas, the linebackers will try to fill those shoes with the likes of Channing Crowder and newcomer Reggie Torbor. A very motivated Joey Porter will be a force for opposing teams, and Jason Taylor is likely to drop back in the 3-4. The safety position went through eight starters last season, but newcomer Chris Crocker hopes to change that. Yerimiah Bell is the favorite to start opposite Crocker, with Will Allen and Mike Lehan the front-runners at the corners. Special teams will stay unchanged, and hope Ginn will get better breaks this year.

NEW ENGLAND- Perfection was the name of the game for the Patriots last season, but came up short in Super Bowl XLII. Tom Brady was a force through the air last season, and he expects to do the same this season. Running back Laurence Maroney returns as the go to guy on the ground. Although Kevin Faulk saw playing time, he was the primary target through the air out of the backfield. The full back spot could be a battle between Heath Evans and Sammy Morris. The receiving corps proved to be unstoppable last season with Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Moss was a human highlight reel setting records, while Welker exploited opposing secondarys, proving the perfect fit opposite Moss. Tight end Benjamin Watson and third receiver Jabar Gaffney make this receiving corps deadly. The offensive line, anchored by Pro Bowlers Matt Light, Logan Mankins, and Dan Koppen, remains intact for the fourth straight year.
    
Defensive end Richard Seymour is healthy after he was sidelined with a nagging knee injury for the first part of the season. Veterans Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork also return to join Seymour up front. The line backing corps remains a versatile group anchored by Mike Vrabel and Tedy Bruschi. Add Adalius Thomas into the mix and you have a very lethal, but aging group. The Patriots took steps to address that issue by selecting three linebackers in the draft. First round pick Jerod Mayo could step in to help immediately. The secondary took a huge hit, losing corner Asante Samuel in the off-season. Samuel's shoes will be hard to fill, but newcomers Fernando Bryant, Lewis Sanders, and Jason Webster hope to fill that void. Ellis Hobbs returns at the other corner, but wants to erase the pain staking memory of getting beat by Plaxico Burress for the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII. Both safety positions return with Rodney Harrison and James Sanders, and second year player Brandon Meriweather could contribute more. The special team's remain in tact, but could see the likes of rookie Matt Slater assuming the role of return specialist.

NY JETS- After winning 10 games and making the playoffs in 2006, the Jets had a dismal 2007 winning just four games. The quarterback position remains an open battle between Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens, who both proved to be less than effective last season. Running back Thomas Jones managed 1,119 yards on the ground, but failed to reach the end zone more than once. Fullback Tony Richardson was acquired in the off-season and should improve the Jet's blocking scheme. Wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery continues to prove he is a 1,000-yard receiver, and although Laveranues Coles was hampered with injuries, he should be factor for the Jets. Tight end Chris Baker returns, but could see competition from rookie Dustin Keller. The offensive line was less than stellar last year, and the team addressed the issue in the off-season. After signing free agent guard Alan Faneca and tackle Damien Woody, the Jets wanted to make sure they do not have a repeat of 2007. Veterans D'Brickshaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold are developing well and should complement the line.
    
The defense ranked 29th in the league last season against the run, and New York looks to reverse that after signing free agent tackle Kris Jenkins. Jenkins will be flanked by Shaun Ellis and Kenyon Coleman. Linebacker David Harris, who led the team in tackles as a rookie, was handed the starting spot after the departure of Jonathan Vilma and Victor Hobson. Veteran Eric Barton will join Harris, and newcomer Calvin Pace will fill one of the outside positions. The other outside linebacker position could see a battle between veteran Bryan Thomas and rookie Vernon Gholston. Cornerback Darrelle Revis returns looking to improve on an impressive rookie campaign. Justin Miller is likely to fill the other corner, after suffering a knee injury last season. Safety's Abram Elam and Kerry Rhodes return as the starters, while David Barrett and Drew Coleman will likely fill in on nickel and dime coverage. Kicker Mike Nugent returns and is a reliable kicker, but his distance has some question. Darrelle Revis and Dwight Lowery could get serious attention for returns, although Leon Washington remains the favorite.

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