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AFC East Roundup
by Mark Finn
New England Patriots
After a season of struggles with injuries where the entire secondary was twice turned over. The Pats wound up winning the AFC East division and finally losing to the Broncos in the AFC Division Semis. We've since found out that quarterback Tom Brady was playing the second half of the season with a sports hernia.
The Pats defensive unit really came together in the second half of the season. Where they were finally able to stuff the run consistently. Look for the head coach Bill Belichick to look for linebacker help in the upcoming draft. Last season's acquisitions of Chad Brown and Monty Beisel never really panned out.
At one point in the season three offensive linemen and the entire starting backfield including starting running back Cory Dillon and his backup Kevin Faulk were on the sidelines. But team offensive MVP Tom Brady held the team together.
In the upcoming draft the must focus their attention on linebacker, wide receiver and running back.
Miami Dolphins
What a difference a new head coach makes. Nick Saban turned this team around and led the Dolphins to a 9-7 record with a perrenial second string quarterback in Gus Frerotte. The Dolphins came up a game short of making the play-offs. Let's see what Saban does with running back Ricky Williams, who really came on strong late in the season. They could easily package him up for draft picks. The Dolphins need help at wide receiver where they are severely lack depth behind Chris Chambers.
After losing offensive coordinator Scott Linehan to the St. Louis Rams who named him their new head coach. The Dolphins went out and hired former Bills head coach Mike Mularkey as their new offensive coordinator. Co-defensive coordinator Richard Smith has also left the fold to join Gary Kubiak's new staff with the Texans as defensive coordinator.
Buffalo Bills
A very disappointing 5-11 season led to the departure of head coach Mike Mularkey. He seemed lost most of the season roaming the Bills' sideline. His fate was sealed after General Manager Tom Donahoe was given the heave ho.
Mularkey was quickly replaced with former Lions head coach Dick Jauron. The greatest coach in Bills history, Marv Levy was named General Manager. Don't know what the heck the Bills were thinking when they hired Levy at the ripe old age of 78.
Co-defensive coordinators Ted Cottrell and Jerry Gray as was quarterbacks coach and ex-Buccaneer and Bengals head coach Sam Wyche have been let go by the new regime in Buffalo. Gray has since been hired by the Redskins as their defensive backs coach and Cottrell has yet to sign on with another organization.
George Catavolos was named defensive backs coach. He worked with head coach Dick Jauron in Detroit. Johnny Holland was also named linebackers coach.
New York Jets
A year best forgotten. Quarterback Chad Pennington was lost for the season with a torn rotator cuff. He was replaced with the likes of 43-year old Vinny Testaverde and raw Brooks Bollinger who showed he wasn't ready for the Big Leagues. Needless to say it was ugly.
On the head coaching front. The Herm Edwards saga finally came to a head. With Edwards replacing his mentor Dick Vermeil in Kansas City.
The Jets replaced Edwards with Eric Mangini, who won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, Mangini took over as defensive coordinator this past season when Romeo Crennel took over the Browns head coaching job last season.
The Jets have many holes to fill and they must decide if they want to leave their future on the oft-injured shoulder of Chad Pennington. They are aging at running back and defensive line. The O-Line needs
some much needed depth.