AFC East Training Camp preview

AFC EAST

New England...

Tom Terrific

#1 Training Camp story is the contract status of Patriots QB Tom Brady...Tom Terrific is entering the final year of his contract and is slated to earn $6.5 million which is about 1/3 of what his new contract will pay per year...Brady and Peyton Manning are likely going to get more than the $16.25 per year average of Giants QB Eli Manning's contract extension signed in August 2009...for me Tom Brady is one the few sports heroes left out there and I will be stunned if he allows his image/reputation to be tarnished with a contract dispute that goes too far...that being said I fully anticipate a great year from Brady and this Patriots offense...an offense that was #3 in the entire NFL last year...Bill Belichick also added some new toys for Brady through the draft in TE's Rob Gronkowski (2nd round pick out of Arizona) and Aaron Hernandez (4th round out of Florida)...

Training Camp will be big for Brady-backups Brian Hoyer (un-drafted out of Michigan State) and rookie 7th rounder Zac Robinson (OK State)...if Brady does go down to injury (or the unthinkable - a contract dispute leading to a holdout) then the Pats know there is enough talent at the WR position to still make a playoff run...WR randy Moss is in a contract year and Wes Welker had more catches than anyone in the NFL last year (Moss most TD's)...Welker is returning from a late season horrific knee injury and may not be 100% right away so the Pats will be using Training Camp to see what they have with Julian Edelman, 2nd year player Brandon Tate, and speedy rookie Taylor Price (Ohio)...plus veteran Torry Holt was signed in the off-season...

BIG Sebastian Vollmer

On the Offensive Line I would like to have Training Camp provide more of an opportunity for 6'8" 315 Sebastian Vollmer...I think this guy is a beast and with the limited talent in the Patriots backfield I would like to see them give Vollmer a chance to be a factor at keeping would-be tacklers away from ball carriers...

New England has gone 2 straight years with 0 playoff wins...very un-Patriot like...Tom Brady and Bill Belichick usually do a lot more winning  

On defense CB Devin McCourty (2010 1st round pick out of Rutgers) will be getting his first taste of pro-ball...2009 2nd round pick Ron Brace (Defensive End) and 2010 2nd round pick Brandon Spikes (Linebacker out of Florida) will join McCourty as guys who will need to add much needed youth and energy to this unit...Shawn Crable was a 3rd round pick in '08 but has yet to play due to injury and could be a wild-card to make this team out of Training Camp...2nd year Safety Patrick Chung will likely get a chance to win a job in Training Camp too...

On Special Teams Training Camp will be the first pro look at 2010 5th round draft pick Punter Zoltan Mesko (Michigan) who is sure to be an upgrade over 2009 punter Chris Hanson

New York

Head Coach Rex Ryan addresses team

The J-E-T-S JETSJETSJETS ran the ball better then any other team in the NFL in 2009...the "ground-and-pound" is the preferred style of play for 2nd year Head Coach Rex Ryan...gone are 2 thirds of the RB's picking up those yards...Thomas Jones is now in KC and Leon Washington is in Seattle...2nd year threat Shonn Greene will need to use this Training Camp to continue to sharpen his already impressive running skills, but Greene had zero catches in 2009 which must greatly improve...young QB Mark Sanchez is a good play-action QB and if Greene is to increase his contributions to the offense he will need to become a reliable check-down guy for Sanchez to dump the ball to when the WR's are covered...New York will also be using this Training Camp to get RB LaDanian Tomlinson prepared to share the load with Greene...the Jets will have to find some running plays at the goal line for LT that they can go to as it is likely he that will be the red-zone scorer...Greene had more fumbles (3) then TD's (2) in his rookie season of '09 but that will surely improve greatly...RB Joe McKnight was a nice pick for New York in the 4th round of this years draft...McKnight (USC) is happy to compete on this roster and leave the issues surrounding him and possible NCAA violations behind him...with new WR Santonio Holmes (formerly of the Steelers) serving an NFL 4-game suspension (Substance-Abuse Policy) to start the season that could give Aundrae Allison a chance to further impress the coaching staff during Training Camp...other WR's who will have a chance for early playing time are David Clowney and Jerricho Cotchery...Brad Smith will also get a look to and the other starter will be Braylon Edwards...released 9-time Pro Bowl Guard Alan Faneca will be replaced with either Matt Slauson (who has appeared in 3 games) or 2010 2nd round draft pick OT Vladimir Ducasse out of Massachusetts who could be converted to a Guard

Kyle Wilson

No team blitzes more than the Jets..they play a base 3-4 defense, often putting another person on the line of scrimmage and blitz, leaving the corners in man-to-man...New York has Revis Island aka Darrelle Revis at one corner spot - his 2009 campaign was the best season I have ever seen from a player at that position...Training Camp will provide a glimpse at how much pressure the Jets will be able to apply through their daunting blitz packages as newcomer CB Antonio Cromartie (formerly in San Diego) and 1st round 2010 draft pick Kyle Wilson (Boise State) are the other CB's on this team...both would be the #1 CB on most other teams, but will get to cover the oppositions #2 and #3 WR's as Revis Island will lock down the #1 WR...that has the potential to be as good as it gets in the NFL as far as CB's go...The Jets do have some work to do in their defensive secondary though as the team traded Free Safety Kerry Rhodes to Arizona leaving the trio of  Eric Smith, James Ihedigbo, and former Cleveland Brown Brodney Pool to compete in Training Camp for the job...

On Special Teams will Kyle Wilson be returning punts?..He will have a shot at that job in Training Camp...as far as Kickers go for the Jets it is Jay Feely out and Nick Folk in...Folk was just 18 for 28 in 2009 - Mike Westhoff is the great Special Teams guru in New York and he will have his finger prints on Wilson and Folk during Training Camp so expect big things from them

Miami Dolphins

#1 item for Miami to work on in 2010 Training Camp is establishing a connection between 2nd year QB Chad Henne and newly acquired WR Brandon Marshall...Marshall is an absolute monster, and the best WR in South Florida since Mark Clayton and Mark Super Duper...Henne is the QB going forward for Miami and this Training Camp will be crucial in his development (12 TD's 14 INT's in 2009)

Brian Hartline

Offensive Coordinator Dan Henning will be using this Training Camp to develop the #2 WR's (secondary to Marshall) like 2nd year guy Brian Hartline, Greg Camarillo, and my personal fav Davone Bess


I would like to see TE Anthony Fasano more involved in the passing game...Miami had a nice TD combo when Fasano was the main red-zone target of Chad Pennington, but that did fade in 2009 under Henne...Training Camp is the time, and place to help these two develop their chemistry

Training Camp will be the starting point for the defense of the Mike Nolan era in Miami...Nolan was the Denver Broncos Defensive Coordinator in 2009 and is very respected in the NFL as a very good defensive coach...one player to watch under Nolan is rookie Jared Odrick (Right Defensive End)...3rd year Defensive End Kendall Langford, and 2010 2nd round pick Linebacker Koa Misi are also players who will both have an opportunity to grow under Nolan...Miami will also use Training Camp to get their first look in-person at Inside Linebacker Karlos Dansby (free agent signing from the Cardinals) who will be their new tackle-machine at Inside Linebacker...

Sean Smith

In the Secondary 2nd year Cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Sean Smith have a lot of potential and should flourish under Nolan...with that being said the 'Phins are still in search of a Free Safety, and that battle will likely come down to 2nd year man Chris Clemons vs perhaps Tyrone Culver (slim pickings there)

Mike Nolan and Head Coach Tony Sparano will get a good look in Training Camp at several rookies on defense..Bill Parcels and the rest of the 'Phins management went heavy of defense with their 2010 draft picks looking to improve a unit that was near the bottom of the NFL in '09...

On Special Teams the 'Phins traded Kick Returner Ted Ginn Jr so there will be a battle for KR and Punt Returner...Patrick Cobbs and Devone Bess are currently the likely options but Training Camp will tell story...

Only 2 teams had a lower ranked passing offense than Buffalo in 2009, and one of those teams was the New York Jets who rode #1 running game plus great defense to the AFC Title game...the Bills rode nothing to nowhere...overall the teams Total Yards for 2009 were better than only Oakland and Cleveland...the predictable came (firing of Dick Jauron) and then the more predictable came (the replacing of a re-tread Head Coach - Jauron - with another re-tread Head Coach in Chan Gailey) as the Bills once again remain stagnant as an organization...since the glory days of the Super Bowl runs of the early 90's the Bills have won 1 playoff game in total since losing Super Bowl XXVIII 30-13 to the Dallas Cowboys...

Perhaps no team in the AFC East will benefit more from Training Camp than Buffalo as they have numerous holes to fill...new General Manager Buddy Nix has a lot of work to do to add wins in the Regular Season column (this franchise has won as many as 9 games only once in the 2000's and is averaging a 7-9 record since the 1994 Super Bowl)...this team is looking to get into the AFC playoffs, where they once dominated, but recent history shows a 10 year gap since their last playoff appearance, and 2010 is sure to continue the drought...

C.J. Spiller

First-year Offensive Coordinator Curtis Modkins will be implementing his schemes (through Head Coach Chan Gailey as Gailey has a terrific offensive mind) in Training Camp and will try to have a few Home Run calls for speedy RB C.J. Spiller (#9 overall pick in 2010 draft) who adds a big-play threat to the Bills inept offense...

Also coming to the Bills in the 2010 was Troy QB Levi Brown...we will see what Brown can prove in Training Camp, but if you are like me and have zero faith in any of Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick, or Brian Brohm then lets watch the progression of Levi Brown throughout Training Camp and see if he has a chance to climb that depth chart

Bills need a guy like Nelson to develop

Training Camp for Buffalo will be an open audition for a #2 WR to play alongside #1 Lee Evans...lesser-known players like James Hardy, Steve Johnson plus rookie Marcus Easley (UCONN) and my fav  Roscoe Parrish will be given the chance to be the #2...TE Shawn Nelson will try to show in Training Camp that he is ready for more responsibility/playing time...if you are a Bills fan I think he is a player you should be watching for the next month to see if he is a guy to get excited about going forward

 

On Defense the Bills will use Training Camp to develop 2010 2nd round pick Torrell Troup (Central Florida) and 2010 3rd round pick Alex Carrington (Arkansas State)...Troup is a 6'3" 314 pound DT and Carrington is an athletic 6'5" 285 pound DE

Training Camp will be critical for this defense as new Defensive Coordinator George Edwards will be implementing a 3-4 base defense...Buffalo is one of 2 teams (Washington) switching from the traditional 4-3 this season...1/2 the NFL defenses at this point are running the 3-4 defense

The Secondary is a place of strength for Buffalo...very good skill, athleticism, and depth on this unit...the only real Training Camp issue here is getting CB Leodis McKelvin back to game shape coming back from a broken ankle

On Special Teams new coach Bruce DeHaven has good kickers, and there are athletes on this roster that will compete for kick returning duties in Training Camp (Parrish...Spiller amongst them)


check out the other NFL Training Camp previews...all 8 Divisions broken down like this one...


send me an email on this, or any of the other previews...
craig.ballard@hotmail.com