What are the biggest unknowns for each AFC East club ahead of training camp?
The start of the 2024 NFL season is just over the horizon. The NFL Draft has come and gone and so have the first few waves of free agency. It’s now time to focus in towards training camp as the last hurdle to go over before preseason football.
Regarding the teams in the AFC East, there are plenty of story lines to consider, but let’s discuss some key headlines that fans should pay attention to in the coming weeks.
Buffalo Bills
All eyes are on the new and hopefully improved wide receiver core. After the Buffalo traded disgruntled receiver Stefon Diggs, the offense is looking for a new WR1. Before Diggs’ departure, wide receiver Gabe Davis landed in Jacksonville with the Jaguars during the opening hours of free agency.
That leaves a lot of yards from last year’s wide receivers on the table. Will we see Khalil Shakir step up like he did towards the end of last season. Perhaps new addition Curtis Samuel makes an impact after signing with the team in free agency? Of course there’s also second-round pick Keon Coleman who has some big expectations on his shoulders, and is an early fan favorite. The good news is that the team still has tight ends Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid to help out as well.
New York Jets
Everyone is anxious to see quarterback Aaron Rodgers, as he’s yet to play a full quarter let alone a game in a Jets uniform. Rodgers isn’t getting any younger either, so it will be interesting to see how he responds following last season’s Achilles injury. If Rodgers is unable to spark the Jets enough to make them legitimate contenders, then people are for sure to get fired in that building.
It’s not like the Jets needs much from Rodgers, just some good complementary football as the team fields one of the best defenses in the league. The front office is willing to ride or die with Rodgers. If the former MVP can regain his form then the Jets will find themselves in postseason contention for the first time in forever.
New England Patriots
The biggest question for the Patriots is what the post-Bill Belichick era is going to look like. After the team moved on from the future Hall of Famer, the front office decided to hire Jerod Mayo who played in New England for eight seasons.
Mayo wasted no time selecting his quarterback of the future, selecting Drake Maye with the third overall pick in this year’s draft. Maye will lean on veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett — who’s no stranger to the Patriots — to show him the ropes and how to be a professional.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins’ biggest question is if they can finally get over the hump. Head coach Mike McDaniels has done pretty well in his time with Miami, but he’s been unable to get the job done when it matters the most.
We know how the Dolphins did against teams with a winning record last season, and they were widely unimpressive against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Wild Card Weekend. Granted, their defense turned into a shell of themselves given injuries, but their offense was still fairly healthy for the most part.
The team returns almost all its skill players on offense so the time is now for McDaniels to show that he can lead the Dolphins deep into January... and possibly February.