New England Patriots
The Patriots went 14-3 last year, won the division by two games, Drake Maye was nearly the MVP in year two of his career, they added AJ Brown and Romeo Doubs to the offense and somehow, they aren’t supposed to be better this year? That doesn’t track. Yes, the schedule is harder, but this team is better than they were a year ago. Maye showed he’s a legitimate top-level QB already and now he has Brown and Doubs as his top pass catchers, this offense will hum. The defense should at least be as good as it was last season.
Drake Maye nearly won the MVP last season, and everyone wants to forget it because the playoffs weren’t great. He was clearly banged up dealing with a shoulder injury during that run and his offensive line was compromised with Will Campbell not being healthy. Campbell is healthy in camp now and Maye had the off season to get his shoulder healed up. With two new weapons in the passing game, Drake Maye has a chance to be even better than he was last year, when he NEARLY WON THE MVP.
Stefon Diggs was good for the Patriots last season and Kayshon Boutte had a solid year too as the second WR. Now AJ Brown is the top dog, and Romeo Doubs will be the second receiver, they traded Boutte to Houston, but they still have depth. Brown is an upgrade over Diggs and adds a power element the team didn’t have last year. DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism, Mack Hollins, and Kyle Williams round out the group and each of them can play a role. TE Hunter Henry is still an effective security blanket, and the team hopes Eli Raridon just follows in Henry’s footsteps. Losing free agent signing TE Julian Hill to a season ending injury over the summer hurts since he was supposed to be the blocking TE but it probably just means you see more FB Reggie Gilliam on the field.
LT Will Campbell is getting treated much like Drake Maye with everyone only remembering how poorly he played in the playoffs. The truth is Campbell didn’t play great after returning early from a knee injury during the season, the playoffs just amplified it. When he was healthy, he was fine at LT, he’s not Trent Williams or Tristan Wirfs, but he was playing good football. Health will help him the most this year but also having a veteran at LG would be helpful too. Counting on Alijah Vera-Tucker to stay healthy is a risky bet but he’s a true talent when he’s on the field and major upgrade at guard from Jared Wilson. Wilson wasn’t suited to the guard spot, but he moves to his more natural center position, and he should be fine there. Flanking him with two big, powerful veteran guards like Vera-Tucker and Michael Onwenu should really help him too. RT Morgan Moses returns and should be fine at RT, but the Patriots also drafted Caleb Lomu as depth at either tackle spot. Marcus Bryant, a late round pick from the 2025 was having a great camp until he got hurt. For now, it’s rookies Lomu and OT Demetrius Crownover, and veteran guard Greg Van Roten as depth.
Rhamondre Stevenson started the year pretty poorly with multiple fumbles early last season, then he pulled it together and was pretty good the rest of the year. TreVeyon Henderson was supposed to be new star, but he struggled with pass protection and couldn’t steal those snaps from Stevenson. He does add the big play element that Stevenson doesn’t have but he needs to be more consistent to take over more of the role. The team also signed FB Reggie Gilliam from the Bills. He adds a real fullback to the offense so Josh McDaniel can use that in his offense again. It also took him away from their division rival, the Bills, that’s a bonus.
The Patriots’ defense is officially being run by Zak Kuhr who stepped in last season and took over as the interim when their defensive coordinator stepped away for health reasons. He did an excellent job and now it’s his. The scheme should be virtually the same, but they did add a few new pieces.
Up front, the team lost NT Khyris Tonga but having Milton Williams and Christian Barmore back is the real key. Williams and Barmore are a devastating duo and Williams proved he was more than worth the money they paid him. Corey Durden played well towards the end of last season and gets the first shot at Tonga’s NT job. They should have enough depth to get through the year with Joshua Farmer and Leonard Taylor III on the roster and Jeremiah Pharms and Eric Gregory around on the practice squad.
The edge group had some issues last season with Harold Landry being beat up and K’Lavon Chaisson being a pass rush guy but not good against the run. Landry’s health is still a big issue they have to deal with, but they signed Dre’Mont Jones at OLB and he’s a better overall player than Chaisson. They drafted Gabe Jacas in round two and he brings a similar power element to what Jones is. Elijah Ponder played some as a rookie last year and now he will likely start opposite Jones until Landry is back, they hope he keeps developing. ILB Robert Spillane is a leader and a tackling machine while they need Christian Elliss to hold up at the other spot.
The secondary contains one of the best CBs in the NFL, Christian Gonzalez. They are working on his extension and once it’s signed, Gonzalez can focus on becoming the best CB in football. He’s good enough to take the mantle from Patrick Surtain II. Carlton Davis Jr. is a solid player who needs to stay healthy even as he ages. He can be an excellent CB2, but he needs to be on the field. Marcus Jones is an excellent slot player and he’s great on special teams. Craig Woodson was really good as a rookie last year and now has a chance to breakout as one of the better young safeties in the game. They signed veteran Kevin Byard to bring some more playmaking to the backend of the defense. Byard is an old favorite of Mike Vrabel’s from his years in Tennessee and he’s still a ballhawk.
Speaking of Mike Vrabel, I have to address the off season events between Vrabel and former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini. While it was quite the story and doesn’t make Vrabel look good, I don’t see it having a long-term effect on his coaching of the Patriots. There is no law against having an affair, if that’s what really happened. Also, if the Patriots were going to do something about it, they would have already. Clearly, Robert Kraft is not firing Vrabel over this, if he was going to, he would have done it when it first came out. The league has no standing to punish Vrabel, and I can’t see many Patriots players actually caring about this. It’s a story, questions may be asked throughout the season, but no one is going to answer them and then reporters will stop asking because they know they won’t get answers. I have always liked Dianna Russini’s reporting and it may be completely unfair that she lost her job, and Vrabel keeps his but is anyone surprised by this outcome, I’m not. At the end of the day, this is non-story for the season. Unless there is some crazy detail we haven’t heard about, and we’ve heard plenty of stories so far, this will pass. You don’t have to like it, I don’t particularly care about it, and it’s going to pass without much more fanfare.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills went 12-5 last season and while there was no shame finishing second to the Patriots in the division, another early exit in the playoffs cost Sean McDermott his job. They didn’t look too far for his replacement as they promoted Joe Brady from offensive coordinator. The biggest change will be going from McDermott’s defense to new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s scheme. Leonhard is a bright mind; the issue will be if he has the right players for his system.
The team kept Joe Brady in large part because he’s run an extremely effective offense with Josh Allen at the helm. Allen is the engine that keeps the Bills in contention every season and he’s in the prime of his career. Brady moves into the big chair, but he’ll continue to run the offense and focus it on Allen’s incredible gifts. He’s a big armed QB who also happens to be the size of a LB and runs guys over in the run game. He’s perpetually in the MVP debate and that’s not going to change any time soon.
Allen has been making the most of a less than elite WR corps. The team tried once again to address the issue and may have found an actual answer in DJ Moore. Moore has always been a productive player, but it wasn’t working especially well in Chicago but he’s still better than anyone the Bills have. Moore adds a real playmaker down field and should help open up the underneath stuff for Khalil Shakir. Shakir is a good player but he’s not a game breaker. Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox are a solid duo at TE even if Kincaid hasn’t been the playmaker they were hoping they were getting when they drafted him. WR Keon Coleman is trying to hang on to his roster spot, and they hope they get more from Josh Palmer, but Moore is the major addition to the offense.
The Bills return four of their five starting offensive linemen from one of the best units in the league. LT Dion Dawkins never gets mentioned with the top LTs in football but he’s still an excellent player. RT Spencer Brown is in the same boat, his name rarely comes up with the best at his position, but he’s been very good for several years. They re-signed Connor McGovern at center and just gave a major extension to RG O’Cyrus Torrance. Those two signings were a big reason they had to let David Edwards leave in free agency. Alec Anderson replaces Edwards at LG, he’s unproven. They did sign veterans like Lloyd Cushenberry and Austin Corbett just to cover themselves inside.
The running game has been excellent since Joe Brady took over as the play caller a couple of years ago. James Cook is a real talent, and they know how to use him and how not to overuse him. He’s one of the best RBs in the league. They have depth with Ty Johnson and Ray Davis, but it really helps that Josh Allen is one of the better short-yardage backs in the league. Losing FB Reggie Gilliam may hurt their run game a bit, he is one of only a few true fullbacks left in the league.
The defense will undergo a major change with Jim Leonhard looking to revamp the unit and get more out of the guys they have. Leonhard has been in Denver working with their 3-4 scheme, but Buffalo isn’t set up to run that scheme exclusively, there may be some hybrid version to start. Up front, TJ Sanders and Ed Oliver can be the DEs on a three-man front, but Deone Walker isn’t really a nose tackle despite his size. Landon Jackson, Zane Durant, DeWayne Carter add depth behind those guys, but no one is built to be a true NT.
The LB group starts with Greg Rousseau and Bradley Chubb as the edge rushers. They’re two big OLBs as they are both over 265 lbs. Chubb has played OLB his entire career but lining up in that formation will be a change for Rousseau. He’s athletic enough to pull it off but it will be a transition. They did draft TJ Parker, and he gives them another athletic guy who should be a good pass rusher. ILBs Dorian Williams and Terrel Bernard are solid LBs who should do fine in this scheme. Rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr will play inside too.
The secondary needs everyone to get healthy so they can see what they have with all their guys playing together. CB Christian Benford is a very good player when he’s on the field. They drafted Maxwell Hairston in round one in 2025, but he was injured and never really got to play with Benford, having them together would be helpful. They have Cole Bishop at one spot, and they signed CJ Gardner-Johnson to be the other safety. Gardner-Johnson had a little injury issue during camp but should be back. They do have some rookie backups to like with S Jalon Kilgore and CB Davison Igbinosun ready to contribute. Leonhard was a defensive back in the NFL; he should have a good idea how to put this unit together.
New York Jets
Aaron Glenn is the coach most likely to be fired first this season and I don’t believe the odds are even close. Glenn’s first season as a head coach went poorly and considering his QB was Justin Fields, that’s not surprising. What was surprising was a defense coached by a former NFL corner and long-time defensive backs coach didn’t have single interception last year. Hiring Frank Reich as your new OC is not an inspiring move and while they made some wholesale changes on the defensive side, Glenn has to pull it all together fast or he’ll be out the door.
Geno Smith was an epic failure in Las Vegas last season, but it wasn’t all on him. That offense was bad in every way. He can be an upgrade over what Fields was giving them last year; that’s a low bar. He will be better at using Garret Wilson in the passing game and could potentially unlock the deep passing game since that’s his bread and butter. If Geno fails, they probably give some snaps to rookie Cade Klubnik, he’s the quickest route to the top of the draft.
Garrett Wilson should benefit the most from having Smith around, he’s at least a decent passer in theory. Smith might actually be the best thing that happens to AD Mitchell. Mitchell is a deep ball specialist, and Smith loves to throw down field. The team drafted Omar Cooper Jr. and he will be a very nice player for whomever becomes the long-term QB for the Jets, for now, he’s fourth on the depth chart. Isaiah Williams beat him out for the third WR spot right at the end of camp. TE Mason Taylor had a solid rookie year, and the team drafted Kenyon Sadiq to give them a more dynamic weapon in the passing game. If Smith can’t be decent with this group, it will be clear his career is coming to an end, there is talent at pass catcher.
The Jets have one of the best young offensive lines in the league and they should only get better. C Josh Myers is the elder statesman of the group and he’s only 28. The tackles are LT Olu Fashanu who’s 23 and RT Armand Membou is only 22, and both are good already and should only get better. RG Joe Tippmann and new LG Dylan Parham are in their mid-20’s and are solid players. This line should be good for a few years at this point. If the offense is a mess, it won’t be because the offensive line isn’t talented enough.
Breece Hall got a new contract this off season and Frank Reich would be smart to lean on his offensive line and his very talented RB and less on his aging QB. Hall was a 1000-yard rusher last year in an offense that wasn’t very good. He’s also a talented pass catcher so he should be the focal point of the offense. They also have depth with Braelen Allen and Isaiah Davis.
The Jets defense was a mess last season and Glenn took over play calling during the season from Steve Wilks, he’ll continue to call plays this year. The team is going to use more variations in its fronts but given some of the personnel, they should lean to a 3-4 look more. The team traded for DT T’Vondre Sweat and he’s a space-eating NT any 3-4 team would be happy to have. They also signed DL David Onyemata from Atlanta, he fits the 3-4 end position. DE Harrison Phillips also fits the 3-4 end position well.
The LBs and edge rusher seem to be a 3-4 group too. David Bailey was their first, first-round pick this season, he can play DE or OLB, he’s just an excellent pass rusher. Will McDonald is also built like a 3-4 OLB, he’s a true speed rusher. The team also has Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare who are guys who can play in either alignment. They at least have depth at pass rusher. At ILB, DeMario Davis comes over from New Orleans, he may be 37 years old but he’s still a tackling machine. He also gives them the leadership they need on defense. Jamien Sherwood struggled last year but the hope is having Davis will help unlock him again. His best season was when they had CJ Mosley next to him, Davis is that type of player. They don’t have depth here so Sherwood needs to be good.
The secondary got some new faces too this off season. S Minkah Fitzpatrick was brought in to bring a playmaking element to this unit; they were horrible last season. Fitzpatrick has his warts but he’s a tough player and will really help. Nashon Wright had an excellent year for the Bears with a bunch of interceptions; the Jets gave him a one-year deal hoping to strike oil with him for a second year. They also drafted De’Angelo Ponds, and he should be their slot corner at least. He might even give Brandon Stephens a run for the other outside CB spot. Jarvis Brownlee was good for them last year and the team has some depth at safety. Dane Belton will give Andre Cisco a run for the other safety spot opposite Fitzpatrick and they also have Malachi Moore. This unit shouldn’t be nearly as bad as it was last year, if it is, Aaron Glenn will be out quickly in New York.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins fired their GM, head coach, and took major salary cap hits to let Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill go in the off season. They also traded Jaylen Waddle to Denver, to say they wanted to start fresh is an understatement. Jon-Eric Sullivan is the new GM, and he brought Jeff Hafley in as the head coach, they both come from Green Bay. New QB Malik Willis was also in Green Bay. It’s a total teardown of the roster from the previous regime and it’s going to be a painful year in Miami as they start over.
Malik Willis was really good in a small sample size replacing Jordan Love when he was hurt at different times the past few years. In Green Bay, he was running a Matt LeFleur offense with some very talented skill position players around him. Now he’s in Miami, they are fairly devoid of talented pass catchers, and it’s Bobby Slowik running the offense. Slowik’s one tenure as an OC before ended when he was fired in Houston, not a ringing endorsement.
The Dolphins have a large group of middling and unproven WRs to choose from this year, and it could go a number of different directions. They have cornered the market on veteran WR3s; Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert, and Terrace Marshall, they also had Tutu Atwell, but they traded him back to the Rams for a RB they didn’t even roster (he’s on the practice squad). Their only real hope for a true difference maker is for one of their three rookies to breakout. Caleb Douglas was a bit of a surprise third-round pick, but he’s looked good early in camp, given his competition, it’s understandable. Chris Bell would have been a much higher pick than then where he went in round three if he wasn’t coming off an ACL injury. He has the highest upside, but they will have to wait for him. Kevin Coleman Jr. was a solid choice in round five and if he can break through, he might actually be a guy worth investing time in. As bad as the WR group is, the TE group is worse. Greg Dulcich isn’t scaring anyone and the two rookies they have there don’t have the upside of the rookie WRs.
The offensive line has a chance to be solid but there’s a little work to do. LT Patrick Paul was fine last season, his first as a starter, and there’s reason to be optimistic he’ll continue to develop. The LG spot will be filled by rookie Kadyn Proctor. Proctor played LT in college, but most see him as a guard due to some limited mobility and his serious upside due to his power. He can be a mauler and between him and Paul, the left side of the Dolphins line is massive. Last year’s starter at LG Jonah Savaiinaea is moving to RG and he’s another massive individual. He struggled last year but the team hopes he can figure it out playing on the right side. The two massive guards are helpful when you have a small center. Aaron Brewer was the best thing on the line last year for the Dolphins and he was an All-Pro. He’s undersized but that shouldn’t matter at all this year. RT Austin Jackson returns again, it seems like they always want to replace him, but he just keeps coming back and starting.
The running backs in Miami are talented, and they actually have some depth. De’Von Achane is a superstar, he’s the one thing this offense can count on. It’s a shame he’s wasting one of his prime years with this team, he deserves to play for a team that is playing for something. Ollie Gordon II is his complementary power back who spells Achane in certain situations and he’s good enough to deserve more carries but it’s hard to take the ball away from Achane. Jaylen Wright is another talented player who doesn’t get any touches here either.
The defense is going to be a work in progress as Hafley turns over the personnel on the unit and changes the scheme. DT Zach Seiler is the old man of the unit at 30 and the best player up front. Seiler is really good but he needs some help from Kenneth Grant who they drafted last year. Grant is a big man who can really move and the two of them should be a good pair at DT once Grant returns from IR. He’ll miss at least four weeks, but they hope to get him back. Chop Robinson will be a DE for Hafley as he remakes this front. Robinson isn’t very big, but he’s got speed and can really get after the QB. Unfortunately, he’s the only edge rusher they have who’s any good. Josh Uche is a rotational player at best. They may have been hoping to get something from rookie Trey Moore, but he starts the year on IR too.
At LB, Jordyn Brooks is really good and seriously underrated. If he played on a better team, he’d garner far more attention. Tyrel Dodson was supposed to start next to Brooks, but rookie Jacob Rodriguez beat him out and they ended up cutting Dodson. I can’t blame them for going with the rookie, but it could be ugly at times for the defense.
The secondary needed a complete overhaul, and it got one. It starts with rookie CB Chris Johnson, he’s going to be the CB1 eventually, and Hafley’s going to love the way he plays. The other CB spot is up for grabs. Storm Duck is coming off a knee injury so it’s anyone’s ballgame. JuJu Brents hasn’t been able to stay healthy for the last few years, but he still has a lot of upside and it looks like he’ll start. Jason Marshall found his spot last year at nickel and he should continue to develop there. As bad as the CB group looks, the safety group is worse. Dante Trader Jr. and Michael Taaffe are the listed starters. There is no depth to speak of and it could be a long year for the Dolphins defense.
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