Andrew Luck now has all the weapons he needs with T.Y. Hilton, Andre Johnson, and recent draft pick Phillip Dorsett.
As any avid sports fan knows, this NFL offseason has been one for the ages. To catch up on it I will be covering both conferences, starting with the AFC.
First off is the AFC East. The New England Patriots have received ample attention this season between "Deflategate," and their Super Bowl victory.
Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills have hired Rex Ryan who has been turning the whole program around, while the Miami Dolphins reloaded on their defense with Ndamokong Suh.
The one weak spot in the division at the moment is the New York Jets organization, which seems to have lost all of its energy after Geno Smith fell victim to the infamous sucker punch.
The biggest tossup division consistently every year is the AFC North. With teams such as the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers, anything can happen. Each team has a steady and capable offense and defense with quarterbacks who play well in clutch scenarios. The one team missing those pieces is the Cleveland Browns. While the whole sports world will only talk about Johnny Manziel, it seems as if the Browns haven’t made any additions at all.
The AFC South has interesting story lines going into the season. Andrew Luck looks like he has every possible tool he needs in the Indianapolis Colts to make a run at his first Super Bowl.
At the same time, the most under-the-radar team in the division resides in Houston. With the best front seven in the NFL, as well as Arian Foster at running back, and two intelligent quarterbacks in Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett (who used to backup Tom Brady), the Texans are looking good. To add onto that, Bill O’Brien maybe be the hottest young coach in the league.
Marcus Mariota made a name for himself in college at the University of Oregon, but it seems as if he will make another one in the NFL. Now that the franchise player is in Tennessee, he won't be leading the Titans to the postseason anytime soon, but with time he may be just the leader they need.
Jacksonville looks like it will be staying right where it is for awhile, which is the bottom. Not only did the Jaguars look horrible last year, they made no moves to improve in the offseason. Blake Bortles still needs a lot of work while Toby Gerhart continues to be a shining star. With that said, the skills found in Indianapolis will overpower the rest of the division.
Then there's the AFC West. Peyton Manning is getting old as his years in Denver wind down. The Broncos hope to squeeze out one last division championship, but it’s likely to be the last in Manning’s career. Philip Rivers enters the prime of his career, particularly after solidifying a new contract with the Chargers. Derek Carr is looking just as good as any young NFL quarterback and with the Raiders’ addition of Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, the team’s athleticism will kick up a notch.
One team that’s not talked about enough is the Kansas City Chiefs. Coach Andy Reid has revived the roster with arguably the best running back in the league in Jamaal Charles.
Overall the AFC looks strong, but definitely not superior to the NFC.
@Pete_Nakos96
pn997515@ohio.edu
