Did the AFC East opponents get stronger in the offseason?

[MClem06]

Dolphins (2011 season record - (6-10) AFC East Record (3-3)

"The Dolphins have worked rookie right tackle and second-round pick Jonathan Martin exclusively with the first team in training camp. He's a virtual lock to start in Week 1. Martin played in a pro-style offense at Stanford and was Andrew Luck's left tackle. Martin is switching to the right side this year to pair with Dolphins left tackle Jake Long." - ESPN A rookie lineman protecting a rookie QB is recipe for disaster in what used to be our biggest Rival in the AFC east.This just goes to show how well the Bills went through their due dilligence to pick the right guy. The draftneks were throwing Martin at the top of some boards for LT's when he's not even going to be an LT in the NFL. Part of me wishes that we played them earlier on in the season so we get give him a nice warm welcome against the elite players we have now on the D-Line. I have faith that Cordy Glenn will play above the level of Demetrius Bell. Week 10 - Headline "Buffalo's D-Line makes sushi out of the Dolphins" or... "Bills D Breaks the NFL Single game Sack record with 13 sacks in one game"

 

Dolphins 2012 Draft

Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M

Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

Olivier Vernon, DE, Miami

Michael Egnew, TE, Missouri

Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

Josh Kaddu, OLB, Oregon

B.J. Cunningham, WR, Michigan State

Jonte Green, DB, New Mexico State

Kheeston Randall, DT, Texas

Rishard Matthews, WR, Nevada

 

Patriots 2011 season record - (13-3) AFC East Record (5-1)

 

Pats went ALL defense except for a WR in the 7th. No denying which side of the ball Belicheat is looking to improve. Brady is the golden boy on this team, take him out of the equasion and this team is the last years Colts. Their recieving corps is top notch with the addition of Brandon Lloyd. Welker is aging but still a nightmare in coverage schemes with a dangerous 2 TE set with Hernandez & Gronk. This is obviously the team to beat and has been for years. Is Brady on the decline of his career? If he goes down early (against the Bills) can they rely on Brian Hoyer(?) or Ryan Mallet to run them to the playoffs?

 

Patriots 2012 Draft

Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse

Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama

Tavon Wilson, FS, Illinois

Jake Bequette, DE, Arkansas

Nate Ebner, DB, Ohio State

Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska

Jeremy Ebert, WR, Northwestern

 

Jets 2011 season record - (8-8) AFC East Record (3-3)

 

A close friend keeping an eye on the Jets camp reported Stephen Hill is the real deal. Speed, size and hands and torched even Revis on a few routes on the first team 11 on 11's a few times. Big question on Sanchez if he can perform consitently after a 2010 11-5 record to a disappointing 2011 campaign to go .500 for the season. Bringing in Tebow for a media Circus will be a move that no one can understand and will only cause more conflict on an already conflicted lockerroom. I love watching them suffer and in my opinion they will spiral further into the lower third of the NFL teams this season after we crush their psyche in week 1.

 

Jets 2012 Draft

Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech

Demario Davis, OLB, Arkansas State

Josh Bush, FS, Wake Forest

Terrance Ganaway, RB, Baylor

Robert T. Griffin, OG, Baylor

Antonio Allen, SS, South Carolina

Jordan White, WR, Western Michigan

Edited July 31, 2012 by MClem06

[truth on hold]

Pats only. Best off season they've had in a long time. Fins threw in towel and acknowledged theyre in rebuilding mode. Jets went for long shot gimmicks in FA and the draft

[Alphadawg7]

Pats actually got better (which is a bit of a scary thought) while the others did not. Jets will get better if Sanchez can take a big step forward, but with Tebows distraction there I just dont see that happening and think its going to be a circus there. Dolphins really regressed in the near term.

 

Final predictions

 

NE - Wins division with 13 to 14 wins (I think 14 with one loss coming against us).

Bills - 11 to 12 wins and a wild card berth and rolling come playoff time.

Jets - 7-9

Dolphins 3-13

 

As much as I think the Bills did to improve, I think we are one year away from having a serious shot of taking the division away from NE. I think they still can win 13 to 14 games, and I just don't think we can pull that off this year given the youth. I think we will be in the thick of the race until late in the year but ultimately win a wildcard and enter the playoffs as a very tough out and a team people dont want to face.

[Optometric Insight]

I don't think anyone really got any better when comparing them to us. But if I had to choose one not named the Bills, I would have to pick the Dolphins. Sure, they won't win a lot of games but they have a lot of young talent and a chance to be in most games late in the season (barring they don't play difficult opponents late in the season).

The Jets obviously didn't get better as far as locker room and win percentage.

 

The Pats, in my eyes, haven't gotten anything to improve their win %. Tom Brady is about to turn 35. Any year in the next 3, he will have a drop in stats where he wasn't as good as he was before or will get injured by a hit that he would've gotten right back up on. I'm not sure about their line but I've on here that a few of their old guys left, leaving 2 or three empty spots, leading to more hits that could injure Brady (also leading to a sudden spike in roughing the passes calls and fines handed down from the NFL), correct?

 

Sure they drafted some young talent on defense but if they all start, there is going to be 6 rookies on the field for them. If they don't all start, its going to be the same defense as last year. Its a lose-lose for them and ESPN/NFL Network and a win for everybody else in the league. They also, according to the title of another thread, have old WR which means that they should also be slowing down.

 

So are they still gonna be good and a high possibility for the playoffs? Yes, only an un-rational person would say no. Are they going to win more than 13 games than last year? IMHO, no.

 

So that's why I chose the last one.

[Captain Hindsight]

The dolphins are in serious rebuilding mode. But they do have some talent on defense and Bush is a better back than people give him credit for. The jets, they remind me of a team in desperation mode that is trying to convince itself the moves it made will work. Im not sure they believe it. When I look at their roster and team dynamics, I keep seeing Dickie J saying "its hard to be friends on a football team"

 

Cromartie playing wideout, Tebow playing everything, Taking Sanchez out in the red zone, new OC, same loud mouth coach, defense getting older, I just dont see a great team. I see a good team but not a great one

 

The pats got better, but I think they will miss anderson and carter alot

[mrags]

I voted a - to all 3 but I think the Phins are getting better. Not that the Jets and the Pats really got worse but they didn't get better IMO. The Pats are a possible but in reality, by the time all the defensive picks they took start to work out, the Golden Boy will start to deteriorate. I know there's so many people that think he can play for another 5 years but I just don't see it. 38-40 years old is ancient in the NFL. I don't see Brady as being good for more than 2 more years. Ya, I know he had ine of the best years of his career last year, well, so did Favre a year before he took a huge dump. 38 is just old. I don't care what your name is. You just can't play that late in the NFL unless your a punter or kicker.

 

Fwiw to the OP, I haven't hearduch about Hill in camp but wasn't there a rookie that was arrested for dwi? Or was that Floyd maybe? Thought it was Hill but I have no idea.