Welcome again to another edition of NFL: what does every team need. We are looking at the Afc East and what these teams need this offseason through free agency or the draft. The AFC East has been dominated by the New England Patriots and the Jets, Bills, and Dolphins, are all fighting for second place. Will that change this season? Let's get into to what these teams need to acquire this offseason.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are coming off that epic Super Bowl LI comeback against the Falcons. New England is a well-oiled machine, so many people think they don't need any pieces.
Not so fast, my friend, every team needs something. The Patriots need a defensive end that can rush the passer. The Patriots defense is good against the run, but the could almost never get pressure on the opposing quarterbacks. They only managed to get 24 sacks last season, which is a concerning stat. After they let Chandler Jones go, they couldn't find another player with the same pass rush. The Pats got lucky in the Super Bowl with a non-existent pass rush, but they need to fill this hole quickly.
Miami Dolphins
With rookie coach Adam Gase at the helm, he led the Dolphins to an 10-6 record and a playoff birth. They are now hopeful that Ryan Tannehill can take the next step as he was having a good season until injury cut it short.
In their playoff game they got gashed by the run game, proving that they need a decent linebacker. The Dolphins were ranked 30th in rush yards allowed per game, allowing 140 yards. That is atrocious and linebackers play a key part in that.
Kiko Alonso and Jelani Jenkins both had their injuries in 2016 and are impending free agents.
If the Dolphins don't retain them they won't have to look far, as Pats LB Dont'a Hightower will be testing the free agent market. The defense starts with the linebackers, and the Dolphins should get that position fixed in order to challenge the Pats for the division.
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills just fired the Ryan brothers, and needed to do so after a 7-9 season.
The Bills have an issue with Tyrod Taylor at QB, but they need to be looking at receivers more intently. They have Sammy Watkins who is a proven star, but he can't stay healthy, and they have no other depth behind him. A lot of their receivers are unproven or just lack star talent. The Bills ranked 30th in Pass YPG with only 189 yards per game. To make matters even worse, none of their receivers had over 750 yards receiving. You can blame Taylor all you want, but his receivers should've made plays for him as well.
The Bills should look at Clemson standout Mike Williams. He is a big body and makes him a reliable target for whoever the QB is. The Bills passing game needs to get with the times, as passing is the name of the game in the NFL.
A receiver will help greatly, and that's where Buffalo should be looking.
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a team on the verge of rebuilding. They have released older talent already, in order to acquire new, younger talent to build around. In this league, you need a quarterback, and that is where the Jets need to look. The Jets had their own QB issues last year with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith, and Bryce Petty. None of the Jets QBs that played completed over 60 percent of their passes, which is awful. They need to look around, maybe even at Tony Romo if he is released, or get him in a trade. The QB market will be small if you want a starter, but there is always trying to find your luck in the draft.
The Jets need to find their QB of the future, to even have a shot to be in playoff talks.
The AFC East isn't the worst division, but it is certainly the least competitive. As stated before, every team needs something, even if you're the Patriots. These are what these AFC East teams need in order to have a shot at the playoffs next year.
