Early NFL season division breakdown and prediction (AFC East)

1. New England Patriots - When you start the conversation off with Tom Brady, it is pretty much a done deal. The Patriots are going to win this division, most likely without much of a fight. The Patriots did lose a lot of players this offseason, starting with All-Pro Malcolm Butler. The writing was on the wall, even before the Super Bowl was over, that Malcolm Butler would not be back with the team. Inexplicably, Bill Belichik benched Butler for the game, without notice, so knowing that he was a free agent, almost everyone knew he would not be back. They also lost Running Back Dion Lewis to the Titans, Wide Receiver Danny Amendola to the Dolphins and LaGarrette Blount to the Lions. Those players were big time cogs in the machine, but they have retooled as well. They added rookie Running Back Sony Michel and Running Back Jeremy Hill to an already full stable of backs. They might have a little adversity, with Wide Receiver Julian Edelman suspended for the first four games, but Brady is Brady and Belichik is Belichik. I think they will go 11-5.

2. Miami Dolphins - This might be a surprise that they are #2 in the division, but really, there is not much else in the division, so they are the de-facto #2. The Dolphins finished last season 6-10 after a playoff berth and 10-6 finish the previous season. Last year was a struggle, due mainly to the fact that starting Quarterback Ryan Tannehill tore his ACL in training camp, so they had to depend on All-World bum Jay Cutler. Cutler performed as expected. This offseason, the Dolphins made big changes, starting off with trading Wide Receiver Jarvis Landry to the Cleveland Browns. They also cut All-Pro Defensive Tackle Ndamakong Suh, considered by most as a Salary Cap casualty. The Dolphins made it a point to change their locker room culture, so those two were first to go. They brought in Wide Receivers Danny Amendola and Albert Wilson and also traded for former Pro Bowl Defensive End Robert Quinn. Tannehill is back and healthy and the Dolphins seem poised to try to make a run at it. Though their team is better than last year, their schedule is pretty tough, so I predict them to finish 8-8.

3. Buffalo Bills - The Bills were a playoff team last year, finishing the season 9-7. However, there has been a lot of turnover on their roster. They traded starting Quarterback Tyrod Taylor to the Cleveland Browns. The reasoning behind it was they wanted to get a young Quarterback to groom and take them to heights that they did not think Taylor could take them to. By trading Taylor, they made room for themselves to draft Quarterback Josh Allen from Wyoming. Allen has the arm talent and speed to compete with anybody in an athletic competition, but he has to show that his past college issues with accuracy are a thing of the past. They were also able to acquire Tremaine Edmunds, a skilled freak of nature Linebacker from Virginia Tech. He should be a force for a defense that was already a top 10 defense last season. With a focus on defense and a focus on maintaining a running game with LeSean McCoy, the Bills should be a tough team to beat, but will not win a few games that they sneaked out with last season. I predict them to finish 7-9.

4. New York Jets - The Jets last season were predicted to go winless, for their team looked like it was in shambles. They got rid of starters like former All-Pro Center Nick Mangold and looked like they had no direction. However, Head Coach Todd Bowles was able to motivate a team with young players into a respectable finish, going 5-11. They return a formidable defense, starting with safety Jamal Adams. Adams can fly all over the field and make plays, similar to a predecessor of his, future Hall of Famer Ed Reed. They also have holder Defensive End Leonard Williams. This offseason, they added two playmaking corners in All-Pro Trumaine Johnson and Morris Claiborne. This team should have no trouble shutting other teams' passing games down. On offense is where they might struggle. They drafted Quarterback Sam Darnold of USC with their first pick, but he shouldn't hit the field to start the season. The other two Quarterbacks, journeyman Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater, don't really offer anything to write home about. They retained Running Back Bilal Powell, who definitely has the skill to be a spark plug for an offense, and added Running Back Isaiah Crowell from the Browns. Though this team will definitely be competitive this season, I expect them to finish 6-10.

That concludes the breakdown of the AFC East. Stay tuned for my next breakdown, which will detail the AFC South.

One love,

@jgullinese