I agree. I know it kills you when you see your rivals making splashy moves in March while your team stays relatively quiet, but the NFL season is so much more fun when your rivals are good or at least have some hype going into the season. Who wants 16 games a year against the Jaguars or Titans? That’s no fun.
There’s also a reason why a team like the Jets has the money and the need to rebuild almost their entire secondary through free agency – because the Pats blew up yet another AFC East team. And I really though Rex Ryan was closer than any other AFC coach to figuring out how to beat the Pats. Yes, the Pats looked dominant on paper, but just about ever game, save a couple, went right down to the wire.
It will be interesting to see what he does with Buffalo to replicate how close he got the Jets to challenging the throne. But that’s the unknown with Todd Bowles. He’s a defensive coach who likes to blitz. Can he and his new coaching staff figure out the same kind of scheming Rex did to slow down the Pats? Those game plans have been out there since 2009 and not many teams can reproduce the *fairly* consistent success Rex had in slowing down Brady, which centered on a confusing mix of pressure and coverage, coming from all directions.
The Dolphins have a good front four, but the depth and talent everywhere else on their defense is very questionable.
It should be a fun year in the AFC East. I’m very much looking forward to it.