One Sneaky Big Question for Every AFC East Team Heading into the 2020 Season
Miami Dolphins
Q: Please, football gods, can Tua just stay healthy?
Alright, this really isn’t that sneaky of a question, but it’s every Miami fan’s biggest concern heading into the 2020 season. Tua’s hip fracture has been compared to Bo Jackson’s career ending injury, but I am more concerned about his health going forward as a pro. Tua comes into the league at just 6’0″ and 215 lbs, so he’s basically Russell Wilson out there.
My big question with Tua is this: So what if he’s 100% healthy right now? Tua coming off a major injury and now he’s entering a league where guys like Jadeveon Clowney, Aaron Donald, and Joey Bosa are colliding into him 5-10 times a game. With the way that he’s built, I really worry if he can withstand the punishment that is the National Football League.
I’m a big Tua fan and can’t wait to see him play, but after his hip injury and with his physique, I’m really skeptical that he can take the big hits week in and week out. I think the Tagovailoa pick will either be a slam dunk or a complete disaster, no in between.
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New York Jets
Q: Where do we begin?
This phrase will be on my gravestone someday: The most valuable asset in the NFL is good, young quarterbacks on rookie contracts. Let’s take Lamar Jackson for example. Jackson is set to make just $2.5 million this year and he’s the reining MVP. This allows them to go out and trade for Marcus Peters, sign Earl Thomas, and take on Calais Campbell’s contract before they have to shell out a DeShaun Watson or Patrick Mahomes-esque contract.
The way the Jets have mismanaged Sam Darnold’s rookie contract is fucking unforgivable. Darnold is making only $8 million in 2020 compared to a guy like Jared Goff making $33.5 million. Yet, this Jets team has one of the worst rosters in the entire NFL. Le’Veon’s contract is untradeable, they overpaid C.J. Mosley and he’s sitting out the season, and New York’s receivers to start the season are Chris Hogan, Jamison Crowder, Breshad Perriman. Where the hell did all the money go?
With the emergence of Buffalo, the Dolphins snagging Tua, and Belichick still in their division, the future looks bleak in New York. Even teams like Jacksonville and Washington have some semblance of hope because they’ll most likely get a franchise QB in next year’s draft. I could definitely see the Jets finishing last in the AFC East this year and Adam Gase getting the axe in week 6 or 7.
Buffalo Bills
Q: Why are we just penciling the Bills in as AFC East champs?
The Bills were the surprise team in the AFC last year as they improved by four games and snagged a Wild Card spot in last year’s playoffs. After Tom Brady’s departure, the Bills are the consensus pick to win AFC East in 2020 and my question is…why?
Every year in the NFL, there’s one or two teams that everyone just agrees is a lock for the playoffs and they end up disappointing. Last year it was Los Angeles coming off a Super Bowl appearance…nope. In 2018, the Vikings were coming off a 13-3 season and got Cousins in the offseason…swing and a miss. In 2017, the Seahawks had made the playoffs five years in a row, then the Rams came out of nowhere. In 2016, the 15-1 Cam led Panthers went 6-10. There’s so much parity in the league and that’s my favorite thing about the NFL. Every team’s fan base thinks they have a shot at the playoffs coming into a new season.
Let’s take away the Bills defense for a second. An offense built around Josh Allen, Frank Gore, Devin Singletary, John Brown, Dawson Knox, and Cole Beasley made the playoffs last year…yeah that actually happened. This team won a lot of 21-17 and 16-7 games last year because their defense let up just 16.8 points/game.
The biggest thing holding this team back is of course, Josh Allen. This team has Super Bowl aspirations, but the question becomes: how far can Allen really take this Buffalo team? He had a pretty solid sophomore campaign, but he still overthrows his receivers constantly, he makes a lot of questionable mistakes, and he’s one of the league’s worst deep ball throwers. In all honesty, I’m just playing devils advocate here. I fully expect this team to make the playoffs and maybe even win a game or too. However, if this team fails to win the AFC East, I won’t be the shocked in the slightest
New England Patriots
Q: Is Bill Belichick secretly hoping this team is terrible?
This theory comes from GF2’s own Geoff Lambert. Geoff thinks Belichick is secretly trying to tank away the 2020 season with all the opt-outs, so New England can have a shot at Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields in the draft. This theory does hold some weight, however I think Belichick can’t/won’t/doesn’t think this way. The worst record the Pats have had over the last 19 seasons was 9-7 in 2002. I just can’t see Belichick wanting to go the tank route and besides, this team signed Cam Newton. If New England really wanted to throw the 2020 season away, they would’ve handed over the controls to Jarrett Stidham.
Coming into 2020, I legitimately detest New England’s roster. They lost Tom Brady, Gronkowski, Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, Patrick Chung, Dont’a Hightower, and Danny Shelton. Julian Edelman is 34, I’m not a fan of N’Keal Harry, and I couldn’t name their starting TEs. Not only do they have one of the weakest skill position groups in the league, but this is Newton’s first season with the team and he hasn’t started a game in almost a year. I have no idea what to expect from the 2020 Patriots, but I believe in Belichick and I think he views this upcoming season as an intriguing challenge.
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