Most of the best sportsbooks in the world would rank the Miami Dolphins as one of the biggest winners in the free-agency market this off-season. However just because a team looks better on paper, or even plays well in the pre-season, it means very little for the win column during the regular season. Sure on paper things can look improved, however it is still up to the coaches and players to work together as a team and execute during the regular season when it counts.
They reeled in one of the biggest fishes to ever hit the free-agent market in Ndamukong Suh (New Number 93 our very own King Kong), pulled a 12th hour heroic deal in nabbing Jordan Cameron from the Browns, pulled two savvy trades to unload Wallace’s and Ellerbe’s unwanted and grossly expensive contracts, they were able to restructure their former pro bowl punter Brandon Fields, and were able to work out a contract with back up Matt Moore. (arguably one of the best back up QB’s in the NFL) The Dolphins have surely been busy, but the billion dollar question is will they be better?
I wish I had the answer to that question, but that is why we follow the team all year round and watch the games, to see how it all plays out. To put it simply, yes I think they have improved in areas that they needed to improve in, but there are still big question marks at certain positions, and there is still time in the remainder of the free-agency period, draft and pre-season to fill those holes, so it is way too early to give a definitive answer whether or not they are better.
However, just as Miami has been working hard this off-season to improve in the win column so has the rest of their rivals from the AFC East. The Bills and Jets both hired new coaches, both defensive minded coaches, and both teams have been benefited by an excess amount of cap space. Most of the best sportsbooks in the world would say that on paper each of these teams have improved. The Jets brought back their old corner back tandem in Revis and Cromartie, and signed play making hot headed receiver Brandon Marshall. The Bills hired Rex Ryan, who made it a point that he wants to run the ball 50 times a game, and made a trade for LeSean McCoy in order to give the Bills one of the more fearsome backfields in the NFL (McCoy, and Jackson). He also aggressively went after and stole Charles Clay right out of the Dolphins pockets, and made a smart trade by acquiring Matt Cassel in order to give the Bills some much needed QB competition.
As far as the Patriots are concerned they did lose Revis and Browner, their two stud cornerbacks and former pro bowl defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, and they re-signed their star safety Devin McCourty, and got a reduced deal on former Dolphin receiver Brandon Gibson. On the surface most of the best sportsbooks in the world would say that on paper the Patriots did not improve, however as long as they have Tom Brady playing QB and Bill Belichick coaching, than every thing else is mainly irrelevant.
Whether or not the Dolphins, Bills or Jets actually closed the gap on the Patriots is hard to say, but noone will deny that each team has at least aggressively been trying to. There is still plenty of time before the regular season starts, so there is still plenty of improvements that can be made to each team, but when all is said and done the one thing that is still certain is that if Miami wants to make the playoffs then they still need to get past the perennial champion New England Patriots.