Position Battles – AFC East

In our first of EIGHT installments, we take a look at the position battles of the AFC East. From the future of a young “franchise” quarterback, to fighting for a roster spot at cornerback, the AFC East should have a very intriguing set of battles that will be hard to predict and entertaining to see unfold.

New England Patriots

Running Back
The Patriots, first off, usually have the “best” position battles because of the fact that they have to choose between many solid options. At running back, they have a solid mix of youth/potential and experience/production. Lawrence Maroney should be the front runner as long as he’s healthy because of his obvious talent, but because of his injury-riddled career thus far, the Patriots must be able to go 2 or 3 running backs deep on the depth chart. Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, and BenJarvus Green-Ellis all have played in the past few seasons. Taylor has had the best career of any of them, so he has the inside track to assist/supplant Maroney. It’s up in the air who will be there after him. I would think Green-Ellis would get the shot because he’s young as the #3 behind Taylor, with Faulk on board as well for passing situations. Morris, Faulk, and Green-Ellis should be in a fight for #3 and 4 on the depth chart.

Cornerback
The Patriots have been aggressively trying to keep a consistent group at cornerback, but it still hasn’t worked out. Of the 7 cornerbacks they have on roster currently, they have a total of 1 start for the Patriots. Signings Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs add some veterans to the crowd, but three Patriots draft picks are also in the mix. Jonathan Wilhite, Terrence Wheatley (started that one game), and Darius Butler are all very much in the mix for those top two spots. Bodden looks to have the inside track on one side, but the other should be fought hard over in OTAs. Springs is starting to look more like a back-up and Wheatley and Wilhite never really impressed me coming out of college and in the limited time they have played in pre-season and during the season. I was a huge fan of Butler coming out of college, and I think he has #1 cornerback potential. Based on what I’ve heard, Wilhite has the inside track to be opposite of Bodden, but I look for Butler to start to push him by the end of pre-season. Also, keep in mind that Brandon Meriweather could play nickel corner a lot this season, so someone like Wheatley could be not only fighting for a starting spot, but also a roster spot.

Miami Dolphins

Cornerback
The weakest link in the now respectable Dolphins defense for years now has been the cornerback position. After another solid season, Will Allen seems to have locked up one side. However, based on their free agent and draft acquisitions, it’s obvious they are not comfortable opposite him. Nate Jones is returning with the hope of fighting for another season, while Jason Allen, former 1st round pick, has found himself in a situation that if he doesn’t come out of camp as a top 3 cornerback, he could be on the street. Free agent signing Eric Green comes into a great position for himself, as he’ll get a chance to be an everyday starter. And, finally, the Dolphins invested two draft picks in the first two rounds of this past draft, selecting Vontae Davis of Illinois and Sean Smith of Utah.

I actually liked Smith more than Davis coming out, but it seems the Dolphins still feel Vontae is the real deal. Davis and Green will probably in a heated battle for the spot, but don’t be surprised if Jones and the athletic Smith make a push as well. In the end, I think it should be W. Allen, Davis, Green, Jones, Smith, then J. Allen (if he’s still around), in that order.

New York Jets

Quarterback
It seems like more often than not, when a team drafts a quarterback in round 1 or 2, the fans (and sometimes the teams) expect that player to compete. The truth is, even the most prepared of quarterbacks that come out of college rarely make it work in year one (Matt Ryan is the only quarterback I’ve ever seen that figured out the NFL in the 1st quarter of the season, and he’s still improving). Mark Sanchez, the player the Jets desperately grabbed after a huge deal to move up 12 spots, is one of the most un-ready quarterbacks taken in round 1 I’ve ever seen. He could develop into a very good NFL quarterback, but he doesn’t have the comfort level, throw diversity, or composure to handle the NFL. While Kellen Clemens isn’t as talented as Sanchez is, he has those three skills that he has obtained from his years as a starter at Oregon and his tenure in the league.

I have said this many times before. Joe Flacco, Ravens quarterback who lead his team to the playoffs as a rookie, wasn’t one of the 32 best quarterbacks in the league for most of the season. In fact, he wasn’t starter material until about Week 8. Sanchez in the same situation as Flacco wouldn’t have shown NFL starting stuff until about Week 12, if not longer. Clemens should be the starter for the season, and Sanchez should start to take the reins in 2010.

Buffalo Bills

Cornerback
The Bills are in a great situation at cornerback, with four young, talented players who are capable of being starters. Terrence McGee, Ashton Youboty, and Leodis McKelvin has been drafted by the Bills over the past few years, while Drayton Florence comes via free agency, a year removed from being one of the most coveted cornerback free agents. McKevlin has the most talent of them all, being a top 15 draft pick in 2008, and has Pro Bowl potential. McGee, Youboty, and Florence all have the potential to be great starters, but all are still on the cusp of realizing that potential. McGee has been the starter the past two seasons, and should get the benefit of the doubt that he can build on past successes. Youboty and Florence should continue to fight throughout the season for starting/playing time.