Buffalo Bills Training Camp: AFC East Power Rankings

Paul Taylor

Jul 31, 2015; Pittsford, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan has a word of instruction with Buffalo Bills linebacker Ty Powell (57) during training camp at St. John Fisher College. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo Bills: AFC East Training Camp Power Rankings

It’s been an interesting offseason for the Buffalo Bills and the rest of the AFC East. With all the moves that have taken place, you could make an argument that this is now one of the strongest divisions in all of football.

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In respect of the Bills, if they are going to finally break the “Flutie Curse” and return to the playoffs, the most straightforward way to do this is to win the AFC East. Of course, this is easier said than done, when you consider a certain Super Bowl champion roughly 450 miles to the East.

In any event, it’s still a good idea to keep an eye on the New England Patriots, as well as the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. While the Bills will undoubtedly have to play well to qualify for the postseason, any assistance, a.k.a. self sabotage from their divisional rivals can’t hurt.

As such, we now present our training camp power rankings for the AFC East. (And before you accuse me, I happily confess that this is my own lazy version of a more standard 32-team NFL power rankings article.)

This represents the first in a series of AFC East power rankings, that will take place monthly throughout the rest of the year. Look out for the next update, which we’ll publish on the eve of the regular season.

Next: Can anyone stop the evil empire?

Jul 30, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws as offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels looks on during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

1) New England Patriots

Is anyone really surprised by the decision to put the New England Patriots in first place? No matter what you may think of them, they are the standard – a team that has won 12 of the last 14 AFC East titles.

On top of this, is the fact that the Patriots are the Super Bowl champions, at least until someone knocks them off their perch. Regardless of the deflategate scandal, I’ll gladly admit I have a lot of grudging respect for them. (Is that objective enough for a Bills website?)

2) Buffalo Bills

I’m sure there will be lots of cries of “oh what a surprise, the Buffalo Bills website has put them in second place”. However, if it’s any consolation to Dolphins fans, I had a tough time, going back and forth several times, attempting to decide who was more worthy of the number two spot in these power rankings.

In any event, this is probably the Bills most talented rosters since they last made the playoffs back in 1999. Everywhere you look, there’s reason to be optimistic about the new season.

Understandably, the easiest place to find this optimism is with the defense, which ranked fourth last season in terms of both yards and points allowed. Who can forget how they made esteemed quarterbacks such as Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers look like mere mortals?

Now, throw in the defensive pedigree of new head coach Rex Ryan, and the sky’s the limit. All indications are that this defense will be just as good as last season, if not better.

The offensive side of the ball also received a big boost, with the addition of LeSean McCoy, just two seasons removed from leading the NFL in rushing yards. On top of that, bringing in Charles Clay and Percy Harvin can only help open up the field in the passing game, of particular benefit to Sammy Watkins.

Of course, all this will not count for much, if the Bills can’t resolve their biggest weakness on the roster – the quarterback situation. There’s no denying that the trio of Matt Cassel, EJ Manuel and Tyrod Taylor doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. (There is also still some concern over the offensive line, which was unimpressive last year, but they should improve – not that this would take much – helped in part by the addition of Richie Incognito.)

However, I’m convinced this won’t impact the team as much as some fans fear – heck, don’t forget the early success Ryan had in New York (Jersey) with Mark Sanchez as the main man under center. They won’t overtake the Patriots in the standings, but I’m convinced (deluded?) the Bills are finally headed back to the playoffs.

Next: Fighting for second place

Jul 31, 2015; Davie, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins defense of tackle C.J. Mosley (94) during practice drills at Doctors Hospital Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

3) Miami Dolphins

There are a lot of Miami Dolphins folks who believe their team is deserving of being ranked second in the AFC East, and to be fair, this isn’t entirely unjustified. One of the key reasons for this is their defensive line, which is comparable to the Bills – even more so now.

Having Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon rushing from the ends is bad enough, but now you throw in Ndamukong Suh to cause some havoc, and it almost isn’t fair. No matter how dirty Suh is, there is no arguing the superior talent of the four-time First-Team All-Pro.

You can bet this will be music to the ears of Brent Grimes, who finished third in the NFL last season in interceptions. The cornerback has made the Pro Bowl in both of his seasons in Miami, and can only benefit once again from a monster pass rush up front.

It would come as no surprise to see the pass defense exceeding last year’s ranking of sixth in the NFL. In fact, the defense as a whole should easily improve on their 2014 ranking of 12th.

Before anyone forgets, the Dolphins also have some ability on the offense, which will be led by Ryan Tannehill. The 27-year old will be full of confidence, especially after signing a contract extension through the 2020 season

Whatever his critics might say, Tannenhill offers the first real stability the Dolphins have had since Dan Marino retired. (Ironically, in Lamar Miller, Tannehill arguably has a better running threat than Marino ever enjoyed during his illustrious career.) The 2012 eighth overall draft pick’s biggest challenge will be adapting to a revamped receiving core, which lost three of their top four pass catchers from last year (including Clay who, of course, signed with the Bills).

One last thing to consider is how the offensive line will be impacted by two-time Pro Bowler Mike Pouncey returning to center, after playing guard in 2014 – his leadership will be key to a unit which added several veterans and draft pick Jamil Douglas during the offseason. Overall, assuming the Patriots finish atop the AFC East as usual, the Dolphins will fight the Bills all the way for second place, and a realistic shot at a wild card spot.

Next: Last, but necessarily least

Jun 9, 2015; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis (24) and New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie (31) talk during New York Jets minicamp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

4) New York Jets

It’s fair to say the New York Jets most probably rank fourth with most football analysts, when it comes to the AFC East. However, that doesn’t mean you should count them out altogether, as they have also improved their roster during the offseason.

(Ever since the St. Louis Rams unexpected/sensational turnaround in 1999, I try not to discount anyone. As the saying goes: “Any given Sunday baby, any given Sunday…”)

Besides, it’s not like they didn’t have any talent. Despite finishing 4-12 last year, they still had the NFL’s sixth-best defense, when it came to yardage allowed, including an average of just 93.1 yards on the ground.

In fact, now that the prodigal son, i.e. Darrelle Revis, has returned, this should give the Jets more confidence. Throw in the acquisitions of Antonio Cromartie and Buster Skrine, and the secondary will be in much better hands this season.

Offensively, the Jets have all but said the quarterback position is Geno Smith’s to lose. The 24-year old endured a tough campaign in 2014, and the Jets as a whole propped up the entire league in terms of passing yards.

Interestingly, former Bills starter Ryan Fitzpatrick is now on the roster, and – regardless of people’s thoughts on him as a starter – provides arguably the best veteran depth at the position in the league. (John Clayton’s words, not mine!) At least whoever is behind center will have a couple of excellent targets to aim at, in the shape of Eric Decker and offseason acquisition Brandon Marshall (who actually moved in with Smith after joining the team, in an effort to build up some chemistry).

Overall, even the Jets won’t be a pushover in the suddenly competitive AFC East. I do expect them to finish in fourth place again, but they will be a definite improvement on last season’s sorry showing – the rest of the division has been warned!

Next: Six veterans who won't make the team

Paul Taylor

Paul is a FanSided MLB contributor. He graduated with a BA honours journalism & media degree, and has covered numerous MLB, NCAA, MLS, NHL, NFL, CFL & NLL events over the years, while also being fortunate enough to interview a variety of sporting personalities. Previously worked for the BBC and has had his writing featured on Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. Throughout it all, his one message for anyone in the industry is to never take it for granted.