The Buffalo Bills have dominated the AFC East for the past five years, and it appears it will stay that way.
While the Miami Dolphins have talent and the New England Patriots have significantly improved on both sides of the ball, Buffalo is still the beast of the East. However, how much has the gap closed in a division the Bills won before December of last year?
Let’s take a look at where the four teams stand.
New England Patriots
Offseason Grade: A
Key additions: CB Carlton Davis III, DT Milton Williams, OT Will Campbell, WR Stefon Diggs, WR Mack Hollins, LB Robert Spillane, edge Harold Landry III, OT Morgan Moses, S Marcus Epps
Key losses: QB Jacoby Brissett, CB Jonathan Jones, DT Davon Godchaux, DL Deatrich Wise Jr.
The Patriots had a lot of work to do this offseason, but armed with the most cap space in the NFL, they got a lot of it done.
New England hired coach Mike Vrabel to take over after a failed one-year experiment with Jerod Mayo. The Patriots then went on a free-agent spending spree, which normally isn’t a good idea. There are some questionable deals in there, including $104 million for Williams and a three-year pact with Moses, but both make the team better in the immediate.
General manager Eliot Wolf brought in some skill-position talent, signing Diggs and Hollins, and upgrading the back seven on the defense with Davis and Spillane. In the draft, Wolf used his first four picks on offense and might have starters in each of them, headlined by Campbell.
The Patriots have a long way to go, but if second-year quarterback Drake Maye steps up, New England has a chance to be a surprise playoff team.
Buffalo Bills
Offseason Grade: B+
Key additions: Edge Joey Bosa, CB Maxwell Hairston, DE Michael Hoecht, DT Larry Ogunjobi, CB Tre’Davious White, CB Dane Jackson
Key losses: WR Amari Cooper, edge Von Miller, CB Rasul Douglas, WR Mack Hollins
The Bills didn’t have to do a lot to make themselves contenders, considering they’ve been one for each season of the last half-decade. However, general manager Brandon Beane made moves to fortify that position over the coming years.
Beane spent lavishly to keep homegrown talents in-house, including corner Christian Benford, linebacker Terrel Bernard, slot receiver Khalil Shakir and defensive end Greg Rousseau. Beane also added a pair of free agents who should help the championship cause, including Palmer and Joey Bosa, with the latter coming over on a one-year deal.
For Buffalo, the question is really about whether it has enough juice defensively. The corner situation is good between Taron Johnson, Maxwell and Benford, but there are questions at safety. Up front, can the combination of Ed Oliver, Rousseau and Bosa do enough to pressure quarterbacks come January?
New York Jets
Offseason Grade: B
Key additions: QB Justin Fields, C Josh Myers, RT Armond Membou, S Andre Cisco, CB Brandon Stephens, WR Josh Reynolds
Key losses: QB Aaron Rodgers, WR Davante Adams, CB D.J. Reed, OT Morgan Moses, edge Haason Reddick, DT Javon Kinlaw, DL Solomon Thomas, S Ashtyn Davis
New York did well this offseason, even if the team might be in for another tough year. The Jets were wise to strip down the power structure, bringing in new general manager Darren Mougey, who comes over from the Denver Broncos. And Aaron Glenn, who was once a corner for Gang Green and worked as a defensive coordinator with the Detroit Lions, takes over as head coach.
On the field, Mougey was able to replace Aaron Rodgers with Fields. Even at 41 years old, Rodgers is a better player than Fields. Still, it’s an attitude adjustment and signals to the team that it’s moving past its old ways. Around Fields, the Jets traded Adams and replaced him with Reynolds—a downgrade, but with cap flexibility.
New York isn’t going to make the playoffs. The Jets might even have a top-five pick next year. But they’ve reset, and that on its own is a win.
Miami Dolphins
Offseason Grade: C-
Key additions: C James Daniels, NT Kenneth Grant, LB Willie Gay Jr., S Ashtyn Davis, QB Zach Wilson, WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
Key losses: RB Raheem Mostert, TE Durham Smythe, S Jevon Holland, DE Calais Campbell, edge Emmanuel Ogbah
The Dolphins feel like a team sliding back after a few years of becoming a contender.
Miami lost safety Jevon Holland in free agency while not adding much in the way of a replacement. They did little at any spot on the roster, signing borderline starters in safeties Ashtyn Davis and Ifeatu Melifonwu. Offensively, Westbrook-Ikhine and Daniels will see significant roles, with Daniels having 84 career starts between time with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The question is whether any of that is enough to make Miami a playoff team. The AFC is loaded, and the Dolphins have a disgruntled Tyreek Hill, a questionable defense and an offensive line that has questions at tackle and on the interior. Factor in the injury concerns for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and Miami could be a wild-card team or looking in from the outside.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2025 AFC East Offseason Report Card: Bills Dominate, Patriots Much Improved.