Head coach Cam Cameron dramatically altered the face of the Miami Dolphins this offseason, and his reconstructive surgery likely isn't even finished yet with Trent Green stranded in Kansas City and growing grayer by the minute. Considering the Dolphins' playoff drought, five seasons and running, the face of the franchise desperately needed to go under the knife. On the surface, that face is looking sexier. Change can be hard to evaluate, however, especially when rivals are also making significant adjustments in preparation for the upcoming season.
That's the one question that seems to often slip the mind of both Dolphins fans and pundits: How much have the Buffalo Bills , New England Patriots and New York Jets improved?
It doesn't matter how good you look if the three girls you room with are even sexier. What I mean is, you can only see the Dolphins' big picture when you look at the entire AFC East.
Buffalo Bills :
In their second year with the franchise, head coach Dick Jauron and General Manager Marv Levy have shaped the Bills in their image. Considering that doing so meant losing much of the Bills' veteran talent in favor of mostly young, somewhat undeveloped players, this could be a great development for the Dolphins. Eventually, the Bills could turn things around, but the '07 season will be more about progress than success.
With the additions of guards Derrick Dockery and Jason Whittle and tackle Langston Walker, the Bills' offensive line should be improved. The good news for Dolphins fans is that with the arrivals of linebacker Joey Porter and defensive tackle Paul Soliai, plus defensive end Matt Roth coming off his best season yet, the defense's front seven matches up pretty well. Additionally, it's hard to think Marshawn Lynch can adequately fill in for Willis McGahee, at least not at this point in his career. Another plus for the Dolphins is that quarterback J.P. Losman, not exactly the second coming of Jim Kelly, is still under center.
Factor in the losses of linebackers London Fletcher and Takeo Spikes, and it's hard to say that the Bills will be better than the Dolphins while keeping a straight face. I like Paul Posluszny just as much as the next guy, but he can't replace both Fletcher and Spikes as a rookie. Because of the team's youth movement, the Bills are a year or two away. The biggest problem the Bills' roster presents should continue to be wide receiver Lee Evans, an explosive playmaker who has haunted the Dolphins' weak secondary in recent years.
New York Jets :
The Jets' offseason is a little easier to sum up than the Bills -- the Mangenius and Co. made some deft moves that should only make an '06 playoff team even better. The scariest thing about the Jets' offseason is that there weren't really any key losses. The biggest acquisition was the trade that brought in stud RB Thomas Jones. Jones, along with RB Leon Washington, will often allow the Jets to dominate the time-of-possession category, a key stat for any ball-control football team.
Not only did the Jets add a huge offensive difference-maker, though, but a defensive one as well -- cornerback Darrelle Revis, who is arguably the best cornerback out of the '07 draft class, and he's a dynamic return specialist as well. Not only will he start, he might end up being the AFC's Defensive Rookie of the Year. Teams were afraid to throw at him in college, and he likely will give Dolphins WRs Chris Chambers, Marty Booker and Ted Ginn fits. Rookie linebacker David Harris also figures to improve the Jets' already stout defense.
Bad news, Dolphins fans -- the Jets will be even better in '07. What's worse is that the J-E-T-S beat the Dolphins twice last season.
New England Patriots :
My job keeps getting easier and easier. Picture the scariest movie you've ever seen and then multiple its horror times 10. That's about how scary QB Tom Brady throwing to Randy Moss, Donte' Stallworth, Wes Welker and the rest of the Pats' new WR crew is for the Dolphins. You won't like hearing this, but the Dolphins' secondary will absolutely not be able to contend with Moss and the gang next year. Laurence Maroney is also one year older, and he was a monster at times last year. Plus, as always, the Patriots' O-line will be one of the better ones in the league. Point blank -- the Patriots' offense could be tops in the league next season and will be too much for even Miami's defense to contend with, mostly because of the Dolphins' lack of improvement in the secondary.
That's just half the story, however, as New England's defense also improved. Adding one of the NFL's best linebackers, Adalius Thomas, to one of the top defenses just isn't fair. Then throw standout rookie safety Brandon Meriweather into the mix, and the Patriots have to be the runaway favorites in the AFC East.
Nothing's impossible, but if the Dolphins beat the Patriots once it'll pretty much be a gridiron act of God.
The Outlook
The Dolphins appear to be the third best-looking outfit in the AFC East, and that likely won't be enough to get a playoff date. While things do seem to be moving in the right direction for Miami, the Jets and Patriots are both currently stacked. The Patriots especially, with a roster as sexy as the super models Tom Brady often dates. That being said, don't expect a lack of progress from the Dolphins, but don't expect a lot of progress within the division.
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