Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

Each NFL season can only have one champion, and in 2009, the New Orleans Saints claimed that title. The good news, though, is that right now for the 2010 season, every team is sitting even. With that in mind, the Bruno Boys got to thinking about what each NFL team needs to do in order to hoist the Lombardi Trophy next year. Thus, was born the Bruno Boys latest series which will examine the key needs that need to be addressed by all 32 NFL teams. Bruno Boys Larry will take a look at the AFC East in the sixth part of this 8-part series.

AFC EAST

The AFC East proved to be very competitive in 2009. Even though the New England Patriots won the division title with a 10-6 record they no longer appear to be the dominant team they have been the last decade. As a matter of fact, it was the New York Jets, not the Patriots, who found themselves in the AFC Championship game. However, Miami Dolphins, who were the Cinderella story of the division in 2008, took a step back last season finishing 7-9. On the other hand, the Buffalo Bills continued to toil in mediocrity finishing with just six wins and it was the sixth time in eight years they finished a season with seven or less wins. Over the past two seasons the Dolphins and the Jets showed how important a solid off-season can be. That being said it’s time take a look at some team needs for the AFC East in 2010.

New England Patriots

There were plenty of question marks for the New England Patriots heading into the 2009 NFL season, most notably was the health of superstar quarterback Tom Brady. He was returning from major knee surgery that cost him almost the entire 2008 season. After a rough start Brady rebounded and led the team to a 10-6 record and a playoff birth, where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens 33-14. This is still a very talented team and with Brady at the helm they always have a chance to win; however. to stay competitive in the AFC they do need to address some areas in the off-season.

Team Strengths:

- Tom Brady (Coming off of major knee surgery just one season ago, Brady passed for 4,398 yards with 28 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He has been one of the best quarterbacks of this decade and there is no reason to believe that won’t continue in 2010)
- Bill Belichick (Ever since Bill Belichick spurned the New York Jets and took over as the head man in New England, the Patriots have been one of the best team’s in all of football. That is no coincidence. He may not be the most popular guy, but he is a difference maker as a head coach)
- Stephen Gostkowski (As good as New England has been over the past decade, they have some positions of need. Kicker is not one of them. Stephen Gostkowski is young, accurate and has a big leg. The Patriots are set at place kicker for years to come)

Team Needs:

1. Rush Linebacker - New England had just 31 sacks last season, a number they desperately need to improve on in 2010. They could use a rush linebacker for their 3-4 defense and this could very well be their top priority. Tully Banta-Cain had 10 sacks in 2009, but beyond that no one else had more than five. University of Michigan standout OLB Brandon Graham seems to be a perfect fit for the 3-4 and many 2010 NFL Draft experts have him as the team’s selection with the 22nd pick in the draft.

2. Defensive End - Last season the Patriots traded Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders for a 2011 first round draft pick. While this appears to be a good move for the future of the team, it has left them very thin at defensive end. This is another position they will very likely look to shore up in this year’s draft. If they go with a linebacker in the first round, look for the team to address defensive end with one of their three second round picks

3. Tight End - With Ben Watson heading to the Cleveland Browns as a free agent the Patriots are very thin at tight end. Especially when you consider they also cut Chris Baker this offseason. Even with Watson and Baker it wasn’t exactly a position of strength for the team in 2009. They combined for 43 receptions last season and neither player was a consistent option for Tom Brady. This is definitely an area New England will look to address this off-season. Quality tight ends are pretty thin in free agency, making this is another area the team could look to address with one of their three second round picks.

New York Jets

There were a lot of changes for the New York Jets in 2009. They brought in new head coach Rex Ryan. They made a bold move trading up in the first round to draft franchise quarterback Marc Sanchez and then during the season they traded for former Pro-Bowl wider receiver Braylon Edwards. What did all these changes amount to? A surprise trip to the AFC Championship game and a lot to look forward to moving forward. They were led by the leagues top defense and a solid running game and with some more fine tuning they could be a force to be reckoned with in the AFC for years to come.

Team Strengths:

- Defense (The Jets finished the season with the No. 1 overall defense and is the main reason this team made it to the AFC Championship game. Rex Ryan did a great job in one short year)
- Offensive Line (Nick Mangold, Alan Faneca, Brandon Moore, D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Damien Woody make up one of the best o-lines in all of football. Just ask the Fantasy Football Librarian as she pointed it out in 2008)
- Cornerback (Darrelle Revis is arguably the the best cornerback in all of football and now they have added another very good cover corner in Antonio Cromartie. Nice move for an already good defense)

Team Needs:

1. Rush Linebacker - When you play in the AFC it is extremely important to put pressure on the quarterback. You can’t give guys like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady or Phillip Rivers too much time to exploit your secondary. This is what happened to the Jets in the AFC Championship, they continued to blitz Manning leaving there secondary exposed. They need to find a way to put pressure on the quarterback without blitzing multiple players. Look for the Jets to address this need within the first two rounds of the upcoming NFL Draft.

2. Defensive End - Even the team that finished No. 1 in overall defense could use some fine tuning, as they are a little bit old at defensive end. Shaun Ellis is 33-years old, coming off a knee injury and he is entering the final year of his contract. Marques Douglas is also 33-years old and is a free agent. Look for New York to add some youth to this position in the draft, possibly even in the first round. They could also look to add some depth in free agency depending on the injury status of Ellis.

3. Backup Quarterback - The Jets definitely have found their quarterback of the future in Marc Sanchez. He is not flashy and doesn’t put up huge numbers, but he is an excellent leader and fits well in the Jets ball control offense. They do need to find a capable backup for Sanchez though. If something were to happen to Sanchez there would be a huge drop off to Kellen Clemens, who didn’t perform well when filling in for Sanchez in a couple of games last season. It seems very likely they will add a veteran quarterback to their roster before training camp opens.