2009 NFL Preview: AFC East

It's that time of year! The NFL is just about locked and loaded. As a part of a virtual tour around the NFL, let's take a look at what teams have done over the off-season to improve their odds in 2009. Today's division of choice? The AFC West.

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills made a splash when they brought Terrell Owens to the organization this offsseason. He truly gives the team a downfield threat that demands a double team, something the Bills haven't had in quite some time. Of course, Owens can do a lot of other things, such as running routes over the middle of the field to make up for the lack of a productive tight end on the Bills roster. The addition of Terrell Owens should improve quarterback Trent Edwards as a quarterback, but the loss of Jason Peters (albeit, he didn't have the best year last season) could make it a difficult season on the QB's body.

On defense, the Bills brought in defensive end Aaron Maybin. He's a smallish guy who certainly won't be an every down player in his rookie season, but he does have the speed of a pure pass rusher, something the Bills struggled with mightily last season. If Maybin can come in and give the Bills some edge rushing production on 3^rd downs, that could be the difference between this team contending for a playoff spot and not doing so.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins didn't spend a whole lot of money during the offseason, but they were very efficient. On offense, getting Pat White in the NFL Draft was big in terms of running their wildcat offense. Now they can bring White in, and still have Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams on the field, making it a very dangerous offense, that will certainly have some new wrinkles in it with Pat White on board.

However, the Dolphins failed to address their wide receiver concerns, and one wonders if they can make another run at the AFC East title without more production from their wideouts in 2009.

On defense, the Dolphins focused on their secondary, drafting Vontae Davis and Sean Smith, two playmaking college corners. Davis was very exceptional at Illinois and demonstrated all kinds of speed and athleticism (just like his brother, Vernon Davis). And Smith is a 6'3" specimen, who will probably end up at safety before it's all said and done, but will certainly have an opportunity to earn his way on to the field as a nickel or dime back this season. The Dolphins also added Gibril Wilson and Eric Green via free agency to come in and start at safety and cornerback, respectively. And of course, there was the acquisition of DE Jason Taylor, who comes back to the Miami Dolphins with a little less money coming his way and far less fanfare. But if he can be an effective edge rusher in this 3-4 system, pairing him along Joey Porter might prove to be the most deadly edge rushing combination in the NFL.

New York Jets

The Jets brought Rex Ryan in to take over the reigns of this underachieving Jets squad. One of Ryan's and the team's first moves was to bring in Bart Scott, the explosive linebacker out of Baltimore, to come be the Ray Lewis of his complex defensive system. The addition of Marques Douglas is a very significant add-on to the defensive line, as Douglas already has experience in Ryan's system and was quite effective in it just last year. The Jets also traded for Lito Sheppard, brining in a cornerback that should be able to provide elite coverage if healthy.

On offense, the Jets traded up to get quarterback Mark Sanchez to be the future of their organization. Sanchez showed that he has all of tools while in college, but the question is, is he ready for the NFL in the same way that Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco were last year? He has far less experience coming out of college, and he is not used to having to muster the ball through the hailing winds of the Meadowlands, so it would be hard to fathom him coming in and starting right away, but that appears to be the Jets' objective if they can get Sanchez ready during camp. Of course, it will be really difficult for Sanchez to have success if he doesn't have someone other than Jerricho Cotchery to throw to. The Jets lost Laveranues Coles this offseason and they don't have a replacement as of yet.

New England Patriots

So you think Tom Brady is ready for the season, huh? Well, that remains to be seen. While I think he'll be healthy before the season is over, he'll still probably need some time to regain his confidence with that knee. That being said, he has a lot of weapons to cover up for him while he fully recovers. In addition to Randy Moss and Wes Welker, the Patriots have added proven weapons to their offense, including Chris Baker, Fred Taylor Greg Lewis, Joey Galloway and Alex Smith. With all of those weapons around them, it's hard to believe that the Patriots might not be an even better offense than they were in 2007 when they broke all the records and went undefeated during the regular season.

On the defensive side of the things, the Patriots just keep getting older and older. They traded away Ellis Hobbs, and now Shawn Springs is in at the cornerback position, along with Leigh Bodden, both older veterans, who might not be as good as they once were. But they did pick up cornerback Darius Butler, so perhaps he'll give the secondary some much needed youth and athleticism. In the box, the Patriots rid of Mike Vrabel, but Adalius Thomas will likely focus on being more of a pass rusher now, and linebacker Tully Banta-Cain might have an impact if he can get himself together.