2011 NFL Team Needs: AFC East

Buffalo Bills: 3-4 DE/NT, OLB, OT, ILB, QB, CB

Defensively, the Bills conversion to the 34 was not entirely successful due to inadequate personnel up front. This offseason should be highly concentrated in adding more scheme-capable players. First and foremost, they need to improve the run defense. They finished last in the league in raw yards and yards per attempt. Kyle Williams played at the highest of levels as a pass rusher, but he isn’t the prototypical nose tackle versus the run. The Bills should just look to add defensive linemen to the roster and allow the rest to play out in camp. With talent around him, Williams could continue to play NT like Jay Ratliff or swing outside to tackle like Cullen Jenkins. He’s hardly the problem up front. At inside linebacker, Posluszny is a free agent, but has shown interest in returning. He’s a strong weakside linebacker, but the Bills could use someone to be the first man in to take on blocks and help improve the run defense as well. The Bills also finished 4th from the bottom in sacks, another big problem. Outside linebacker is another big priority, which ideally would help improve the front and the secondary. Depth at cornerback is also a minor concern. Offensively, the organization must first make one key decision and that’s at quarterback. Ryan Fitzpatrick was rather impressive as the signal-caller this year, but when expectations are higher, how far can he take them in the future? Once they make that decision, their entire perspective on prospective quarterbacks will change. Irrelevant to this decision, they’ll need help on the offensive line, particularly at tackle. Demetrius Bell was adequate on the left, but the right side is still a big concern. If a good left tackle were to become a viable option, Bell’s performance wouldn’t prevent them from making an attempt to land him.

Miami Dolphins: OG/C, QB, WR, FS, 3-4 OLB, RB

The Dolphins really struggled this season thanks to uninspired performances by Chad Henne. Like the Bills, the Dolphins have to decide what they think of their quarterback moving forward so they know how much weight to give this offseason in finding a quarterback. Up front the Dolphins have a pair of good tackles, but a weak interior. John Jerry may be a starter at right guard, but Berger and Incognito aren’t starting caliber linemen. If they can bolster the middle of the offensive line, they could build an offense around that, which may allow the Dolphins to postpone their search for a franchise quarterback. The added talent up front would also open up more holes for the run game, on which the offense has relied upon recently. Both Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are free agents and therefore the running back situation must be addressed either through re-signings, free agency, or the draft. A speed back would complement both regardless and help Sparano achieve his goal of adding more explosiveness to the offense. At wide receiver, few teams have a better tandem of possession receivers in Marshall and Bess, who operates out of the slot. What the team could really use is a deep threat—what Ted Ginn should have been for them—to prevent opposing defenses from bringing that extra safety into the box. Defensively, the Dolphins were pretty good this season behind the emergence of Cameron Wake as a pass rusher and Vontae Davis in coverage. If the defense had a noticeable weakness, it was forcing turnovers, where they finished 3rd to last in the league. A playmaking free safety could change the complexion of the defense and how offenses approach the game against the Dolphins. Koa Misi had an okay year opposite Wake, but more depth at outside linebacker could also help the cause by forcing more erratic throws.

New England Patriots: 3-4 DE, 3-4 OLB, OL, WR, CB, FS

The Patriots struggled in the first half of the year defensively. Their front seven wasn’t doing its job against the run and the secondary wasn’t great against the pass. As the young defense matured, they started to see improvements, but there’s still a distance to go before they become an elite defensive team. It starts up front by the void left by Richard Seymour trade, for which the Patriots will have the 1st round to work with come April. Aside from Vince Wilfork who has played both nose tackle and the 5-technique effectively, the Patriots could use another starter and some depth at defensive end. On the second level, a good 3-down outside linebacker is also a big need. At cornerback, Devin McCourty has been undoubtedly the most impressive rookie not named Suh, but his teammates at the position have been less than impressive. The team is hopeful Leigh Bodden will have no drop off from where he left off before injury, but his inconsistent career suggests that will remain a question mark until he proves it. While Brandon Meriweather made the Pro Bowl, it was more on reputation than on performance. He’s been up and down in coverage and finding a good free safety could allow him or Patrick Chung to spend more time in the box. It’s hard to imagine the offense getting much better, but maintaining stability and consistency will depend upon keeping a strong offensive line. Both Matt Light and Logan Mankins are free agents and could be playing elsewhere next season. They could go BPA on the offensive line early in an attempt to extend Brady’s illustrious career. At wide receiver, they’ve done well in bringing back Deion Branch, but could use a big time #1 receiver, preferably someone with size, if the opportunity exists. Otherwise, they could continue to use a base 2 tight end offense and make that #1 receiver whoever is open.

New York Jets: OL, 3-4 DE, 3-4 OLB, S, WR, ILB depth

Aside from the loss to the Chicago Bears, the Jets averaged less than one touchdown offensively in their other 4 losses. In order to get more consistency from their offense they need to make two big improvements. One is getting the offensive line up to elite status as it was in 2009. Left guard Matt Slauson didn’t perform that well while rookie Vladimir Ducasse continues to learn the position. More importantly, down the stretch, the absence of Damien Woody at right tackle gave way to the poor play of Wayne Hunter. Establishing consistency will require the addition of depth on the line to insure against injury in addition to plan for an aging right side. If Slauson does prove to be the future at left guard, Ducasse could be groomed as a right tackle. This need is accentuated by Mark Sanchez’s inability to carry a passing attack at this point in his career. And if it weren’t already an issue, there’s also the inconsistent route running by the Jets’ receivers that have hindered his progress, which is primarily attributed to Braylon Edwards. As a free agent, he may be the odd man out, allowing the organization to spend resources to bring in a more consistent, but less explosive option. Both Holmes and Cotchery don’t have this problem, but have been plagued by drops this year. That’s just an opinion though; it’ll be interesting to see how the organization views its own receivers. Defensively, the Jets were brought back to earth from a spectacular 2009 season, in which they were the unquestioned top defense. A hole at defensive end would be further emphasized next season if they can’t agree to terms with the aging Shaun Ellis. Further, the Rex Ryan’s defense has been forced to rely heavily on the blitz because of his team’s inability to consistently rush the passer with four. An outside linebacker would allow Ryan to tone down his reliance on the blitz and play stronger coverage while still getting pressure. A great safety could also help elevate this defense back towards greatness by forcing turnovers.

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