2010 Offseason Breakdown: AFC East Needs
The NFL is getting ready to embark on what promises to be a very interesting offseason. The 2010 season will more than likely function with no salary cap, however that is to be determined officially on March 1st. Whether a free agent is going to be a restricted or unrestricted free agent also won’t be determined until the beginning of next month. The fact that there will be no salary cap will mean more free agents available in the coming months as teams buy out some of their unproductive veteran players without penalty. While teams will be free to spend with no cap, many teams will institute their own caps, and other teams have to be very careful as a NFL lockout is not out of the question for the 2011-2012 season.
Throughout the month of February, Bump and Run will break down the needs of each NFL team as free agency and the draft approaches. Today, we dive into the AFC East:
Buffalo Bills: The Bills are coming off of a last place finish in the AFC East. They have hired a new coach in Chan Gailey, who is one of the bright offensive minds in the game. The Bills have a lot of young talent on the defensive side, but needs to make some additions on the offensive side.
Key Unrestricted Free Agents: Terrell Owens, WR; Josh Reed, WR.
Needs: OL, WR, and it will be up to Gailey to determine if Trent Edwards can be their QB or if they have to add one.
Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins had a good season considering the injuries they faced and the tough schedule they had following winning the division the season prior. Their two weaknesses last year was pass defense and passing offense. They added Mike Nolan last month as their defensive coordinator.
Key Unrestricted Free Agents: Chad Pennington, QB; Jason Taylor, DE; Jason Ferguson, DL.
Key Restricted Free Agents: Ronnie Brown, RB; Anthony Fasano, TE.
Needs: A number 1 WR, LB’s that are good in pass coverage, and an athletic TE.
New England Patriots: Tom Brady returned for the Patriots and so did the AFC East division title. But if you ask other executives around the league, this was not the same Patriots team. Their pass defense struggled mightily and they relied too much on Brady’s arm.
Key Unrestricted Free Agents: Vince Wilfork, DL; Steve Neal, OG; Derrick Burgess, DL; Jarvis Green, DL; Leigh Bodden; CB.
Key Restricted Free Agents: Stephen Gostkowski, K.
Needs: Secondary, DL, OL
New York Jets: The year after the disappointment of Brett Favre, Jets fans were given the thrill of an AFC championship game appearance. Rex Ryan came in and made his confidence extend to every player on his roster.
Key Unrestricted Free Agents: Jay Feely, K; Marques Douglas, DL; Tony Richardson, FB.
Key Restricted Free Agents: Drew Coleman, CB; Braylon Edwards, WR; Leon Washington, RB; Brad Smith, WR.
Needs: Explosive WR, veteran backup QB, Safety
