[h=3]http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000498630/article/tom-brady-ndamukong-suh-front-allafc-east-team
OFFENSE[/h][h=3]
Quarterback: Jimmy Garoppolo, New England Patriots
Kidding, of course. But it should be sad and worrisome to Jets and Bills fans that, when you take the man ahead of Garoppolo on the Pats' depth chart out of the equation, only Ryan Tannehill keeps this from being true. (By the way, I think it's a mistake to close the book on EJ Manuel in Buffalo. And the by the way-way, Gregg Rosenthal and others weren't wrong last year about Tannehill becoming a really good QB. They just jumped the gun by a season.)
Quarterback: Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Best of the Super Bowl era? It's down to him and Joe Montana. (How funny would it be -- to non-Patriots fans, at least -- if Commish Goodell were to add two more games to Brady's four-game suspension?)
Running back: Shady McCoy, Buffalo BillsThere's not a close second in the division. (For the record, the second-best RB is probably McCoy's new Billsteammate, Fred Jackson.)
Wide receiver: Brandon Marshall,New York JetsIn the space of two offseasons, the Jetshave added two receivers -- Marshall and Eric Decker -- better than any in the AFC East in 2013. Both guys have made some thoroughly mediocre QBs look good over their respective careers. For their next act: doing the same with Geno Smith.
Wide receiver: Sammy Watkins, Buffalo BillsHe didn't quite keep pace with superstar first-year pros Odell Beckham and Mike Evans last season, but Watkins showed enough to validate the Bills' affection[/URL] for the Clemson burner -- and to edge out yet another fellow rookie dynamo from 2014, Miami's Jarvis Landry, for this spot.
Wide receiver: Julian Edelman, New England Patriots
Attention, NFL broadcasters: You can't continue to refer to him as underrated when he's referred to as underrated on every single broadcast.
Tight end: Rob Gronkowski, New England PatriotsAmong non-quarterbacks, Gronk is the most valuable Jenga piece -- as in, if you remove him from the game, the whole team collapses -- in football.
Tackle: Branden Albert, Miami DolphinsRookie Ja'Wuan James had to fill in at left tackle for the injured Albert in 2014. Assuming the former Pro Bowler is good to go this year, the Dolphins' offense should be ready to take a leap.
Guard: James Carpenter, New York JetsAfter four years of banging heads with NFC West defenders, the former first-rounder out of 'Bamamoves from Seattle to New Jersey to face the AFC East's own nasty collection of D-linemen.
Center: Nick Mangold, New York JetsWhile almost everything else at Jets HQ has been in flux over the last few years, Mangold has served as one of the very few items the team wisely bolted to the floor.
Guard: Mike Pouncey, Miami DolphinsA collective lack of good guard options forces us to slide the versatile Pouncey -- who will move back to center after spending time last season at right guard -- over to this spot.
Tackle: Sebastian Vollmer, New England PatriotsThe 6-foot-8, 320-pound specimen from Germany has emerged as a dependable member of the gang assigned one of pro football's most important responsibilities: keeping Tom Brady clean.
[/h][h=3]DEFENSE[/h][h=3]
Defensive end: Cameron Wake, Miami DolphinsHe's averaged almost 12 sacks per season since 2010. And, like the 3.2 million other dime-store analysts who've already said it, I have to point out that Wake will now have more room to operate with Suh eating up blockers. Also, it'd be great if there were actually still dime stores. Ten cents is so cheap!
Defensive tackle: Ndamukong Suh,Miami Dolphins2015's literal and figurative biggest free-agent score obviously will make an impact, but can he and his new teammates kick the Pats out of first place? (Yes, they can -- and will.)
Defensive tackle: Marcell Dareus, Buffalo BillsThis large person might not be as good as Suh -- he might be better. But is he as good as teammateKyle Williams?
Defensive end: Sheldon Richardson, New York Jets Forget what I just said -- this former Defensive Rookie of the Year is the best of the bunch. Wait; I forgot to mention Jerry Hughes in Buffalo. And Muhammad Wilkerson in New York. And Chandler Jones in New England. And how 'bout can't-miss Jets rookie Leonard Williams? Yikes. This is a scary division in which to be a QB.
Outside linebacker: Mario Williams,Buffalo BillsWe had to find room for Williams, who has been better than ever since moving to Buffalo three years ago; luckily for us, it seems he'll likely serve as an outside linebacker under new coach Rex Ryan after functioning as a 4-3 defensive end for the Bills last season. (Almost a decade after he went ahead of Reggie Bush and Vince Young in the 2006 NFL Draft, Williams is the clear-cut best of that trio.)
Inside linebacker: Jerod Mayo, New England PatriotsAt one point not so long ago, Mayo looked like the best player on New England's D. Now, after two straight season-ending October injuries, the team would be happy just to see him stay on the field throughout the year.
Outside linebacker: Jamie Collins, New England PatriotsSome big-name guys have moved out of Foxborough, but the team's best defender (this side of the recently departed Revis Island, at least) remains. The rangy Collins consistently stands out when you watch the Pats.
Cornerback: Darrelle Revis, New York JetsHe's now back in New York, of course, but Revis was the biggest difference between the Super Bowl-winning 2014 Pats and the preceding nine Lombardi Trophy-less editions of the team.
Cornerback: Brent Grimes, Miami DolphinsThe former Shippensburg Red Raider is one of the best corners of the decade -- and I'm not just saying that because I fear his loved ones tweeting bad wordsabout me.
Safety: Devin McCourty, New England PatriotsGiven the state of New England's decimated secondary, it's not hyperbole to say McCourty's play this season will go a long way toward determining whether the team can stave off its division rivals for another year.
Safety: Reshad Jones, Miami DolphinsHe led all NFL safeties in snaps in 2013. That alone doesn't make him good, of course -- but as it happens, he is.
[/h][h=3]SPECIAL TEAMS[/h][h=3]Returner: Julian Edelman, New England PatriotsHe's so underrated.
Kicker: Dan Carpenter, Buffalo BillsStephen Gostkowski made a league-leading 35 field goals for the Pats last year. Carpenter made just 34 ... but he hit a remarkable 6 of 8 from 50-plus yards out.
Punter: Ryan Allen, New England PatriotsYou could flip a coin between him and the Jets' Ryan Quigley.
[/h]
OFFENSE[/h][h=3]
Quarterback: Jimmy Garoppolo, New England Patriots
Kidding, of course. But it should be sad and worrisome to Jets and Bills fans that, when you take the man ahead of Garoppolo on the Pats' depth chart out of the equation, only Ryan Tannehill keeps this from being true. (By the way, I think it's a mistake to close the book on EJ Manuel in Buffalo. And the by the way-way, Gregg Rosenthal and others weren't wrong last year about Tannehill becoming a really good QB. They just jumped the gun by a season.)
Quarterback: Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Best of the Super Bowl era? It's down to him and Joe Montana. (How funny would it be -- to non-Patriots fans, at least -- if Commish Goodell were to add two more games to Brady's four-game suspension?)
Running back: Shady McCoy, Buffalo BillsThere's not a close second in the division. (For the record, the second-best RB is probably McCoy's new Billsteammate, Fred Jackson.)
Wide receiver: Brandon Marshall,New York JetsIn the space of two offseasons, the Jetshave added two receivers -- Marshall and Eric Decker -- better than any in the AFC East in 2013. Both guys have made some thoroughly mediocre QBs look good over their respective careers. For their next act: doing the same with Geno Smith.
Wide receiver: Sammy Watkins, Buffalo BillsHe didn't quite keep pace with superstar first-year pros Odell Beckham and Mike Evans last season, but Watkins showed enough to validate the Bills' affection[/URL] for the Clemson burner -- and to edge out yet another fellow rookie dynamo from 2014, Miami's Jarvis Landry, for this spot.
Wide receiver: Julian Edelman, New England Patriots
Attention, NFL broadcasters: You can't continue to refer to him as underrated when he's referred to as underrated on every single broadcast.
Tight end: Rob Gronkowski, New England PatriotsAmong non-quarterbacks, Gronk is the most valuable Jenga piece -- as in, if you remove him from the game, the whole team collapses -- in football.
Tackle: Branden Albert, Miami DolphinsRookie Ja'Wuan James had to fill in at left tackle for the injured Albert in 2014. Assuming the former Pro Bowler is good to go this year, the Dolphins' offense should be ready to take a leap.
Guard: James Carpenter, New York JetsAfter four years of banging heads with NFC West defenders, the former first-rounder out of 'Bamamoves from Seattle to New Jersey to face the AFC East's own nasty collection of D-linemen.
Center: Nick Mangold, New York JetsWhile almost everything else at Jets HQ has been in flux over the last few years, Mangold has served as one of the very few items the team wisely bolted to the floor.
Guard: Mike Pouncey, Miami DolphinsA collective lack of good guard options forces us to slide the versatile Pouncey -- who will move back to center after spending time last season at right guard -- over to this spot.
Tackle: Sebastian Vollmer, New England PatriotsThe 6-foot-8, 320-pound specimen from Germany has emerged as a dependable member of the gang assigned one of pro football's most important responsibilities: keeping Tom Brady clean.
[/h][h=3]DEFENSE[/h][h=3]
Defensive end: Cameron Wake, Miami DolphinsHe's averaged almost 12 sacks per season since 2010. And, like the 3.2 million other dime-store analysts who've already said it, I have to point out that Wake will now have more room to operate with Suh eating up blockers. Also, it'd be great if there were actually still dime stores. Ten cents is so cheap!
Defensive tackle: Ndamukong Suh,Miami Dolphins2015's literal and figurative biggest free-agent score obviously will make an impact, but can he and his new teammates kick the Pats out of first place? (Yes, they can -- and will.)
Defensive tackle: Marcell Dareus, Buffalo BillsThis large person might not be as good as Suh -- he might be better. But is he as good as teammateKyle Williams?
Defensive end: Sheldon Richardson, New York Jets Forget what I just said -- this former Defensive Rookie of the Year is the best of the bunch. Wait; I forgot to mention Jerry Hughes in Buffalo. And Muhammad Wilkerson in New York. And Chandler Jones in New England. And how 'bout can't-miss Jets rookie Leonard Williams? Yikes. This is a scary division in which to be a QB.
Outside linebacker: Mario Williams,Buffalo BillsWe had to find room for Williams, who has been better than ever since moving to Buffalo three years ago; luckily for us, it seems he'll likely serve as an outside linebacker under new coach Rex Ryan after functioning as a 4-3 defensive end for the Bills last season. (Almost a decade after he went ahead of Reggie Bush and Vince Young in the 2006 NFL Draft, Williams is the clear-cut best of that trio.)
Inside linebacker: Jerod Mayo, New England PatriotsAt one point not so long ago, Mayo looked like the best player on New England's D. Now, after two straight season-ending October injuries, the team would be happy just to see him stay on the field throughout the year.
Outside linebacker: Jamie Collins, New England PatriotsSome big-name guys have moved out of Foxborough, but the team's best defender (this side of the recently departed Revis Island, at least) remains. The rangy Collins consistently stands out when you watch the Pats.
Cornerback: Darrelle Revis, New York JetsHe's now back in New York, of course, but Revis was the biggest difference between the Super Bowl-winning 2014 Pats and the preceding nine Lombardi Trophy-less editions of the team.
Cornerback: Brent Grimes, Miami DolphinsThe former Shippensburg Red Raider is one of the best corners of the decade -- and I'm not just saying that because I fear his loved ones tweeting bad wordsabout me.
Safety: Devin McCourty, New England PatriotsGiven the state of New England's decimated secondary, it's not hyperbole to say McCourty's play this season will go a long way toward determining whether the team can stave off its division rivals for another year.
Safety: Reshad Jones, Miami DolphinsHe led all NFL safeties in snaps in 2013. That alone doesn't make him good, of course -- but as it happens, he is.
[/h][h=3]SPECIAL TEAMS[/h][h=3]Returner: Julian Edelman, New England PatriotsHe's so underrated.
Kicker: Dan Carpenter, Buffalo BillsStephen Gostkowski made a league-leading 35 field goals for the Pats last year. Carpenter made just 34 ... but he hit a remarkable 6 of 8 from 50-plus yards out.
Punter: Ryan Allen, New England PatriotsYou could flip a coin between him and the Jets' Ryan Quigley.
[/h]
