AFC East
- New England Patriots: No surprise here folks. Even as the defending Super Bowl Champions will face a tougher division and the possibility of having their star quarterback suspended, the Patriots will probably win the East again. They have a favorable schedule towards the end of the season when it counts the most.
Key Acquisitions: Jabaal Sheard, Malcom Brown (Draft)
Key Departures: Darrelle Revis, Vince Wilfork, Brandon Browner
Prediction: 11-5
2. Buffalo Bills: An improved team coming off a surprising season. Rex Ryan comes in inheriting a strong defense and an average (at best) offense. Buffalo this year will live and die by their defense that has the potential to be the best in the league. Their main question heading into the season is who will the quarterback and how to improve this offense. They have the potential to have 11 wins or as few as 5 depending on how their offense comes together
Key Acquisitions: LeSean McCoy, Percy Harvin
Key Departures: CJ Spiller, Kiko Alonso
Prediction: 9-7
- Miami Dolphins: Showed promise and potential last year. Ryan Tannehill got PAID this off-season so all eyes are on him. The front office did its job by signing free agents that will immediately provide stability on the team. They have some winnable games early in the season, but none of that matters if Ryan Tannehill can’t progress coming off his strong campaign last year.
Key Acquisitions: Ndamukong Suh, Greg Jennings, Jordan Cameron, DeVante parker (Draft)
Key Departures: Jared Odrick, Charles Clay, Randy Starks
Prediction: 8-8
- NY Jets: The Jets, (J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS!) are probably going to struggle this year. A very improved team centered on a new head coach and the signing of Darrelle Revis. Geno Smith will probably miss most of the year , but despite this the offense should be better compared to last year (It couldn’t get much worse). They made the necessary moves, but will those moves pay off or be complete busts yet again.
Key Acquisitions: Darrelle Revis, Brandon Marshall, Antonio Cromarte, Leonard Williams (Draft)
Key Departures: Percy Harvin, Kyle Wilson
Prediction: 6-10
AFC North
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Ravens fans won’t be too happy about this prediction, but I do believe the Steelers will win the division again. Unlike the Steelers’ history, this team will be fueled by the three B’s: QB Ben Roethlisberger, WR Antonio Brown, and HB Le’veon Bell. Although Bell is suspended for the first two games, the Steelers have the ability to be a top-5 offense when the season is done. A main reason for a first place finish is that they did not lose many players in free agency.
Key Acquisitions: DeAngelo Williams, Bud Dupree (Draft)
Key Departures: None
Prediction: 11-5
- Baltimore Ravens: Although the Loyola’s hometown Ravens might finish second, they will still contend for another playoff spot. Anything can happen in the playoffs, especially when you have Joe Flacco as your quarterback. The Ravens did a lot to give Flacco the necessary weapons on offense to compete at the highest level. One thing that is overlooked with this team: of their final four games, three are at home when the results are vital for success.
Key Acquisitions: Kendrick Lewis, Breshad Perriman (Draft)
Key Departures: Pernell McPhee, Torrey Smith, Owen Daniels, Jacoby Jones
Prediction: 10-6
- Cincinnati Bengals: This team just can never win when it matters most. Andy Dalton has only one playoff win under his belt and the Chargers destroyed him in his own stadium last year. The Bengals in the draft tried to improve the offensive line to compete with other great lines in their division like the Ravens’, but we will have to see if this actually pays off.
Key Acquisitions: AJ Hawk, Michael Johnson, Cedric Ogbuehi (Draft)
Key Departures: Terrence Newman
Prediction: 8-8
- Cleveland Browns: The Browns since they were re-established in 1998 have been a complete train-wreck to say the least. Last year they finished with a surprising 8-8 record, and competed for a playoff spot until December hit. Star wide receiver Josh Gordon did not help the team by getting suspended (again…) for the season. The bright spot: Cornerback Josh Hayden is transforming into a star. No Browns review is complete without Johnny Manziel. He will be the back up again, no surprises there.
Key Acquisitions: Randy Starks, Danny Shelton (Draft), Cameron Erving (Draft)
Key Departures: Jordan Cameron, Jabaal Sheard