BUFFALO BILLS

2007 RECAP
The Bills finished at a fairly respectable 7-9 in 07 and importantly showed some improvement in their all round play over the course of the season. Rookie quarterback Trent Edwards came into the starting line up when J.P. Losman went down through injury and performed very well, showing his ability to lead this team and make some very good throws too. Running back Marshawn Lynch also had a very season as a rookie, while receiver Lee Evans continued to show how much of a downfield threat he really is. However the Bills struggled a little on defense, giving a lot of yards both through the air and on the ground.

WHAT HAVE THEY DONE IN THE OFFSEASON?
In the humble opinion of this writer, the Bills have had a very good, solid offseason in terms of upgrading their team and trying to improve. In free agency they went out and got Kawika Mitchell the former Giants linebacker and traded for Jaguars defensive tackle Marcus Stroud, both of whom instantly provided upgrades on their defense. They then went out and drafted cornerback Leodis McKelvin who will probably start at corner sooner rather than later, and then got themselves a nice complement to Lee Evans in the tall James Hardy, who should also give them an excellent red zone threat.

2008 OUTLOOK
The biggest problem for the Bills in 2008 is going to be their division – the Patriots will still be as good as ever and the Jets and Dolphins surely won’t be as bad as they were in 07. However, with the continued progression of Trent Edwards and Marshawn Lynch on offense as well as the upgrades they made on the defensive side, there is reason to believe the Bills could well make a push for the playoffs in 2008. Ultimately though their fairly tough schedule which sees them face several other good and improving teams will probably see them fall just short.

PREDICTION: 8-8
FANTASY STUD: Marshawn Lynch – after a very good rookie season, Lynch should come back and be even better in 08.
FANTASY SLEEPER: James Hardy – he’s a huge threat in the red zone so could score a fair few TDs purely due to his height.

MIAMI DOLPHINS

2007 RECAP
The Dolphins fans endured one of the worst seasons ever experienced in the NFL as their franchise attempted to complete an imperfect season by losing every regular season game, only to be thwarted by the ineptitude of the Baltimore Ravens. Cam Cameron was sacked after only 1 year as the Head Coach, which seemed a bit harsh as he’d hardly been given the opportunity to mold the roster in his own way. The Dolphins also took part in the first ever NFL game to be held outside of North America, a historic moment for the League, as they lost to the Giants in London. 07 will go down as a “soon to be forgotten” season for the Dolphins.

WHAT HAVE THEY DONE IN THE OFFSEASON?
The Dolphins’ biggest move was luring Bill Parcells to Miami in some sort of executive role to oversee the whole football operation. The idea is that Parcells’ knowledge base will help to turn around this franchise and build it up into becoming an annual playoff contender. Parcells soon cleared out a lot of the old coaching staff, bringing in Tony Sparano from Dallas to be his Head Coach. He then set about free agency by bringing in players who he believes can improve the roster – guys like Justin Smiley, Earnest Wilford and Randy Starks. They then had a solid draft, including getting the #1 overall pick Jake Long signed 5 days before the draft.

2008 OUTLOOK
The Dolphins surely won’t be that bad again, right? Under the guidance of Bill Parcells and with the competition they now have at all spots on the depth chart you have to believe that the Dolphins are heading in the right direction. It was D:ream who sang “things can only get better” and that could not be truer for this franchise. A healthy Ronnie Brown will take a lot of pressure away from whoever the quarterback might be, while on defense a lot will depend on how the players respond to running a 3-4. Expect to see some flashes at times this season, but be prepared for some bad days too.

PREDICTION: 6-10
FANTASY STUD: Ronnie Brown – when he’s injury-free you know he’s going to put up numbers week after week.
FANTASY SLEEPER: Joey Porter – playing outside in the 3-4 should increase both his tackle and sack numbers.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

2007 RECAP
The Patriots 2007 season was one that will live in the memory of every football fan for a very long time, yet mainly for the wrong reasons. Firstly there was the infamous Spygate scandal leading to the Patriots and Bill Belichick being fined and the Patriots first round draft pick being taken away. Secondly, their amazing, and at times breathtaking, 16-0 regular season and run to the Super Bowl, only to finish 18 and d’oh after losing to the Giants thanks to one of the most unbelievable plays ever seen.

WHAT HAVE THEY DONE IN THE OFFSEASON?
As so often seems to be the case the Patriots were quiet during free agency, allowing some important players to leave and earn more money elsewhere – Asante Samuel, Randall Gay and Donte Stallworth are the prime examples this year. However they did resign Randy Moss after he too hit the open market, as his connection with star quarterback Tom Brady would have been too much for the Patriots to lose. In the draft they injected some youth into their aging linebacking group and added depth to their depleted secondary.

2008 OUTLOOK
The Patriots have several things going for them in 08, namely the easiest schedule in the entire NFL (based on 2007 records), the continuity of being able to return a likely 19 starters, and the drive and motivation that will have stemmed from their Super Bowl defeat. You do have to wonder whether the Super Bowl losers curse will strike again or whether the Patriots are just too good to let that happen to them. In what is actually a fairly weak division and with an easy schedule they are still as good a bet as any to make the playoffs in 08.

PREDICTION: 14-2
FANTASY STUD: Tom Brady – tough, huh?
FANTASY SLEEPER: Chad Jackson – if the Patriots are going to have as much success through the air as in 07, Jackson will surely see more of the field with Stallworth gone.

NEW YORK JETS

2007 RECAP
After a promising 2006 under first year head coach Eric Mangini which culminated in a trip to the playoffs, the Jets were surprisingly flat in 2007. They finished the season 4-12 after struggles on both sides of the ball, not least the revolving carousel at the quarterback position which saw Kellen Clemens and Chad Pennington split time throughout the season. The offensive line also seemed to take a step back in 07 as they struggled both to protect their quarterback and to create running lanes for Thomas Jones. The defense also struggled, particularly when it came to rushing the quarterback and thus the Jets found themselves back near the top of the draft.

WHAT HAVE THEY DONE IN THE OFFSEASON?
The Jets were one of the main players in free agency as they actively went out and got big players such as Alan Faneca, Calvin Pace, Tony Richardson and Kris Jenkins. In signing players of this ilk the Jets will hope their impact can help to improve this team and take it deep into the playoffs, especially when you consider the only franchise to outspend them this offseason was the Raiders. The other reason they may have done this is due to a slight inferiority complex, since their cross-city rivals just won it all and they would obviously like to do the same. They then added both Vernon Gholston the defensive end and Dustin Keller the tight end in the first round of the draft.

2008 OUTLOOK
A lot will depend on how the new players perform and whether they can gel as a team early in the season or not. If the likes of Faneca and Pace can prove that they are more than guys who just excel in one system and can get it done in New York, and if Kris Jenkins can successfully anchor the 3-4 defense to allow Gholston and Pace to run riot, the Jets could have a very good season. On the other hand, if they struggle early, it might be too much to recover from and leave them in the middle of the pack.

PREDICTION: 8-8
FANTASY STUD: Thomas Jones – he’ll still put up 1000 yards and should see the end zone a few more times in 08
FANTASY SLEEPER: Calvin Pace – he should put up great numbers in this defense.