The AFC East is as competitive as it's been in quite some time. Gone are the days where the are running away with the division crown by Week 6 as we are officially now in a different era. The were able to win the AFC East for the first time since 1995 and are currently looked at as the top dogs going forward. That said, Miami and New England are in the midst of extremely important offseasons and are looking to give and company a run for their money in 2021. As for the , they still seem to be a few years away from joining that brawl, but there is hope on the horizon as we get closer to the NFL Draft.With free agency largely in the rearview mirror and the draft on deck, we figured now is as good of a time as ever to take a snapshot of where the AFC East stands and how each club is currently situated. Below, you'll find each teams' biggest additions and lo ses to this point along with some of their biggest holes that need to be filled at the draft. We also give a quick outlook on where each team ranks in the division and project how each could potentially climb if it pre ses the proper buttons.Biggest addition: , wide receiverBuffalo's offseason was really more about the players it retained rather than added. Getting linebacker and offensive linemen and back in the fold gives the Bills the ability to truly carry the momentum from 2020 into next season and beyond. As for who they brought in, Sanders could prove to be a strong secondary option for Josh Allen in the pa sing game under . He won't be the burner that replaces -- likely goes to -- but Sanders is a strong veteran presence who can be a solid po se sion pa s-catcher underneath. Quarterback and tight end were also two great additions for GM Brandon Beane as it gives the club some depth behind Allen and an intriguing pa s-catching prospect that can compete with fellow tight end at camp.Biggest lo s: John Brown, wide receiverBrown is the most notable name that walked out the door this offseason, signing with the in free agency. The veteran has been with the team since 2019 after inking a three-year deal. Brown did have a career year in his first season with the Bills, notching career-bests in catches (72) and receiving yards (1,060). However, 2020 saw Brown
Lucas Giolito Jersey limited to just nine games due to injury and he was released in mid-March. As we noted above, Sanders likely won't be the man replacing Brown as Buffalo's vertical threat. Instead Davis, a 2020 fourth-round pick, should see some increased work after an impre sive rookie season. The UCF product caught 35 pa ses for 599 yards and seven touchdowns in 2020 and that production will likely only increase heading into Year Two. Top draft priority: CornerbackYou could easily point to running back as the clear need for Buffalo in this draft and if the club selected Clemson's Travis Etienne with the No. 30 overall pick -- -- I'm not sure you'd find many folks complaining. However, I wouldn't sleep on cornerback either. Even after re-signing , Buffalo could look to deepen that unit behind and add some top-flight talent. In his latest , CBS Sports NFL Draft expert Ryan Wilson has Buffalo addre sing that need in the first round by selecting FSU corner Asante Samuel Jr., who compares to . If that's the type of player Buffalo can add to its secondary, they'll be even more of a force in the AFC. Where Buffalo stands heading into 2021After claiming the throne for the first time since 1995, the Bills have turned themselves into the cla s of the division. Not only are they looked at as a favorite to once again win the AFC East, but they are one of the favorites to come out of the conference and reach the Super Bowl. Allen's leap in 2020 also has him as a legit MVP candidate, so things are looking awfully bright in Buffalo, especially after an offseason where it retained a large chunk of its core. Biggest addition: , wide receiverThe Dolphins gave a much-needed deep threat in Fuller, who inked a one-year deal with the club earlier in free agency. Throughout his rookie season, Tagovailoa seemed to struggle to push the ball down the field and the presence of Fuller should open up more of those
Yasmani Grandal Jersey opportunities for him to improve that area of his game in 2021. Fuller's arrival also forms a much-improved receiver duo with and likely gives him better quality targets next season. Of course, the biggest concern surrounding Fuller is his durability. He's only played more than 11 games once in his five seasons in the league. Fuller will also need to finish up his suspension that was handed down last season for violating the league's performance-enhancing substance policy and sit out Week 1. Biggest lo s: , linebackerJust one year after signing a four-year, $51 million deal that included $30 million guaranteed and a $12 million signing bonus, the Dolphins released Van Noy in March. This move was likely executed in part because of the league's salary cap decreasing due to the pandemic. By releasing Van Noy, Miami cleared around $9.7 million. While that may have helped get its books in order. the Dolphins did lose a player they once held in high regard and played well during his first season in Miami. In 14 games, Van Noy totaled 69 tackles and six sacks. The Dolphins did trade for linebacker and that may help cushion the lo s of Van Noy, but that was a rather expensive lo s for the club after just one year together.Top draft priority: Wide receiverEven after adding Fuller in free agency, the Dolphins should look to add even more pa s-catching talent to the offense. Given Fuller is only on a one-year deal and is hardly the most durable piece to an offense, it'd be smart for Miami to simply look at him as a luxury piece and attack the receiver position at the draft with ferocity to give Tagovailoa a No. 1 option over the long haul. After making a flurry of moves that saw them go from the No. 3 overall pick to No. 6, the Dolphins are in a prime position to land one of the top receivers in the draft. In his full seven-round mock draft, has Miami landing receiver Jaylen Waddle out of Alabama with its first pick. That's also the Dolphins' pick in the . That said, there are also scenarios where Florida tight end Kyle Pitts is on the board. If that ends up being the case on draft night, that's a strong way to go for Brian Flores' club as Pitts could end up being the best skill position player in this
Carlton Fisk Jersey cla s.Where Miami stands heading into 2021While Buffalo is the clear favorite to win the division currently, it does turn into a bit of a coin flip after that. The current odds at William Hill Sports Book has the Dolphins with the second-best odds to win the AFC East and given what the team was able to do in 2020, that's not an unfair a se sment. Sure, Tagovailoa struggled out of the gate during his rookie season but if he can take a leap in Year Two with a collection of new weapons around him, the Dolphins should be much improved. With New England's quarterback situation still in question and the Jets continuing their rebuild, it's safe to put Miami as the No. 2 team in the division heading into the draft. Biggest additions: Tight ends and The Patriots desperately needed to improve the offense this offseason and did so by bringing in the top two tight ends on the open market in Smith and Henry. The tight end position has been a barren wasteland for Bill Belichick e sentially ever since initially retired following Super Bowl LIII. The arrival of Smith and Henry now gives the club the opportunity to work out of 12-personnel, which is a base it is extremely comfortable with. Smith will likely be moved around the offense a bit more than Henry and po sibly even play as an H-back at times, but having both of these pieces out on the field at the same time should drastically improve the pa sing game no matter who is under center.Biggest lo ses: , wide receiver; , left guardThuney is the biggest on-field lo s this offseason as the two-time Super Bowl champion signed with the in free agency. The former third-round pick was arguably New England's best offensive lineman for the past few seasons, so his lo s will be something to monitor heading into 2021. Currently, Michael Onwenu is looked at as the potential replacement for Thuney at the left guard spot. While Thuney was the most talented player to walk out the door, the most influential to depart was Edelman, who announced his retirement a short time back. Injuries have limited Edelman over the past few seasons and a knee injury in 2020 held him out the bulk of the year. New England did add and in free agency to help going forward, but Edelman's presence within the locker room will be a big hole to fill.Top draft priority: QuarterbackThis is the clear top need for New England. It was able to re-sign but his one-year deal would suggest the future of the position still needs to be addre sed heading into the draft. The Patriots are currently slated to pick at No. 15 overall and CBS Sports NFL Draft expert Ryan Wilson has them taking North Dakota State signal-caller Trey Lance in his . Alabama's Mac Jones is another po sibility if he falls outside of the top five, as he does in this. Where New England stands heading into 2021The Patriots own the third-best odds to win the division heading into the draft and that largely centers around the quarterback uncertainty. In 2020, Newton looked like a quarterback who simply didn't have any fuel left in
Jim Abbott Jersey his arm to make much of an impact through the air. Of course, there's always a chance that he bounces back in 2021, but if he's the same player who struggled to reach his receivers last season, this free agent spending spree won't mean much. If New England solidifies the quarterback position a bit more either via trade or in the draft, it wouldn't be a surprise to see it back in the thick of the race in the division. However, that's easier said than done.Biggest addition: , defensive endThe Jets weren't exactly making headlines with their free agent moves this offseason, but they were very savvy with their pickups. Lawson was the top pa s-rusher on the market and adds productive play to an already solid front-seven. While Lawson's sack totals are not to the level of other elite pa s rushers in the league, don't let that fool you into thinking he isn't legit. Last season, he totaled 44 pre sures and 11 hurries. A very underrated signing here. On the offensive side of the ball, the additions of and are two high-ceiling, high-floor moves that the club made this offseason to improve the pa sing game.Biggest lo s: , quarterbackThis wasn't a shocking move by any measure, but big nonethele s. Once the Jets secured the No. 2 overall pick, it was pretty clear they would be going quarterback at the draft, making Darnold expendable. The club then executed a trade with the that sent their former No. 3 overall pick to Carolina in exchange for a 2021 sixth-round pick along with second- and fourth-round picks in 2022. Again, this was hardly a jaw-dropping turn of events but is a sign of what's to come in New York. Top draft priority: QuarterbackPretty obvious, right? Once they shipped Darnold to the Panthers, quarterback became need for New York. Fortunately for
James Shields Jersey the Jets, they own the second overall pick in the draft and are able to replace Darnold with relative ease. By now, it seems pretty clear that the heir to QB1 in New York is going to be Zach Wilson out of BYU. He's been the presumptive No. 2 pick for the bulk of the pre-draft proce s and who has coming off the board in his latest mock and who is being picked in our .Where New York stands heading into 2021The Jets are still a ways away from being a legit contender in the AFC, but it does appear like they are finally building a foundation with promise. GM Joe Douglas is following a similar path that Bills GM Brandon Beane went down a few years ago and is simply making shrewd and savvy roster moves to improve the club incrementally. So long as the Jets hit with Wilson at No. 2, they could look to continue to follow the blueprint Buffalo laid out for them and be in contention within the next few years.
The Wall