New York Jets: Smallest threat to Buffalo
The Jets are out of the Aaron Rodgers era, and they are better off for it. While Rodgers was still not bad last year, they need a mini-rebuild. They have good young pieces in place already in Sauce Gardner, Quinnen Williams, Quincy Williams, Breece Hall, and Garett Wilson.
They made a nice hire at head coach, nabbing Aaron Glenn, who comes over from helping turn the Lions franchise around. While the Jets are set up nicely to continue building, they still have a lot of work to do, and most importantly, they need to find their franchise quarterback.
Best offseason Move: Signing CB Brandon Stephens
The Jets lost their rising star cornerback two, D.J. Reed in free agency, and they replaced him with former Raven, Brandon Stephens. They got him on a solid deal as well, 3-years for $36 million, with $23 million guaranteed. Aaron Glenn loves his defensive backs and they got a good one to play opposite of young star, Sauce Gardner, who Glenn can get the most out of. In a division with Josh Allen, Tua, and the rising Drake Maye, defensive backs are at a premium.
Worst Offseason Move: Letting DT Javon Kinlaw leave
Kinlaw got traded to the Jets last year after not living up to expectations in San Francisco. The former 14th overall pick in 2020 pieced together his best season for Gang Green. He started 17 games, posting 40 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. They got the most out of him, as he paired nicely with Quinnen Williams, and he’s still only 27. By letting him leave, the Jets now have to rehaul the interior of the defensive line, adding to their list of needs as they try to build a competitive team.
Overview of all of this for the Bills:
At the end of the day, the Buffalo Bills are the Kings of the East. While teams like the Patriots seem to have significantly upgraded, the Bills have been bet against every single season by the media. The Patriots will likely be the media darling they pick to overtake the Bills this season.
The fact is, to be the king, you have to dethrone the king. Until someone proves they can, the AFC East will run through Western New York, especially in an upcoming draft where the Bills have tons of ammo to reload on defense.