National Football League

AFC East isn't a cakewalk anymore for Patriots

Published Mar. 11, 2015 11:43 a.m. ET

Alex Marvez

The reigning Super Bowl champions have suffered their first loss in 2015.

It won't count in the standings. There also is plenty the New England Patriots can and will get done before defense of their championship officially begins in September.

But at least at the opening of the free-agent signing period, the rest of the AFC East improved while the Patriots got worse.

Start with New England's top defensive player, Darrelle Revis, returning to the rival New York Jets when re-signing him became cost-prohibitive. This is as deflating for the Patriots as air out of a football.

It's not just quarterback Tom Brady now having to face Revis again twice a season. The 2014 addition of a beastly press-coverage cornerback like Revis along with the capable Brandon Browner gave New England freedoms with their front seven that weren't viable in previous seasons because the Patriots didn't adequately address the position in free agency or with draft choices.

Browner is shopping his services and may be the next to leave after New England didn't pick up his contract option. The Patriots created another hole in their defense and locker-room fabric last week by releasing defensive lineman Vince Wilfork. Plus, the offense took a hit when Shane Vereen, New England's most versatile and reliable running back, signed with the New York Giants on Tuesday.

All this was happening while the Jets, Buffalo and Miami were in the process of making up ground.

The Jets not only signed Revis to a mega-contract but also had the salary-cap space to add Cleveland's scrappy Buster Skrine and are pursuing yet another free-agent cornerback in Antonio Cromartie. The re-signing of inside linebacker David Harris before he could test the market was significant, especially since he was expected to draw heavy interest from Buffalo and Miami. If he doesn't wear out his welcome again with a fourth NFL team, Brandon Marshall will provide a significant boost to an anemic wide receiver corps after being acquired for a mid-round pick from Chicago. The free-agent lassoing of guard James Carpenter (Seattle) should help the offensive line while the re-signing of running back Bilal Powell helps cement the position following the release of Chris Johnson.

Buffalo began making huge waves well before the signing period began by acquiring running back LeSean McCoy from Philadelphia for linebacker Kiko Alonso. Although the Bills lost a talented young defender (albeit one coming off a torn anterior cruciate ligament), McCoy will be the motor the franchise needs to run the ground-and-pound offense desired under new head coach Rex Ryan and offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

A veteran quarterback was acquired for a song when Buffalo grabbed Matt Cassel from Minnesota to compete with EJ Manuel. The Bills are expected to sign Miami tight end Charles Clay to an offer sheet that would make it difficult for the Dolphins to match under the transition tag. Wide receiver Percy Harvin is reportedly taking a free-agent visit following his Jets release. The Bills remain in the hunt to continue upgrading the offensive line following the signing of talented-but-troubled guard Richie Incognito. The NFL's No. 4 ranked defense wasn't ignored either when Buffalo re-signed end Jerry Hughes on Monday.

With Miami, there are more personnel subtractions than additions so far with new top football executive Mike Tannenbaum overhauling the roster. However, the imminent signing of the NFL's top defensive tackle is definitely a plus.

Ndamukong Suh is a "generational" free agent, meaning players who are this talented almost never become available in free agency. Suh did because Detroit thought it was too costly to designate him a franchise player.

Miami barged through the door that was opened and signed Suh on Wednesday to a contract that guarantees him more money ($60 million-plus) than any defensive player in NFL history. Suh improves a unit that already featured two quality pass rushers in Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon and potentially a third if Dion Jordan finally lives up to his lofty draft status from 2013.

Mind you, if spending big bucks in free agency was the answer to winning titles, Washington's Dan Snyder already would have a hand covered in Super Bowl rings. Tampa Bay (2014) and Miami (2013) were the last two franchises that won the coveted paper-mache Lombardi Trophy I award each year to the team that made the biggest free-agent moves.

The Bucs were the NFL's worst team last year at 2-14; the Dolphins parted ways with general manager Jeff Ireland after failing to make the playoffs in 2013 and now are trying to undo the bulk of his personnel decisions.

There also are two factors that Buffalo, Miami and New York can't buy in their pursuit of New England: Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.

Even at age 37, Brady remains at the top of his game operating a short-passing offense that opponents have yet to solve. Nobody else in the division comes close to the Super Bowl XLIX MVP.

Under center for Buffalo will be either Cassel, a former Brady backup whose best NFL season came in 2010, or Manuel, who has exhibited the earmarks of being a first-round draft bust.

The jury still is out on whether another quarterback from the Class of 2013 can become a franchise passer after two roller-coaster seasons in New York. Geno Smith will be battling for his starting spot against journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick after the latter was acquired from Houston on Wednesday.

The Miami Dolphins have the most promising young quarterback of them all. That potential now must turn into production for Ryan Tannehill. He made significant strides in 2014 but has yet to post a winning record in three seasons under center.

Like with AFC East quarterbacks and Brady, the division's other head coaches don't have anywhere near the prestige as Belichick.

Although his defenses in New York usually played New England tough — two losses last season came by a combined total of three points — Ryan is 1-7 in his past eight meetings against Belichick. The only head-coaching experience for Ryan's replacement in New York came when Todd Bowles was Miami's interim head coach in 2011. As for the coach the Dolphins picked instead of Bowles for the full-time position, the seat can't get any more scorching for Joe Philbin entering the 2015 campaign.

Regardless of the perceptions of Belihick as a cheater, he is also a winner. The genius of Belichick and his staff was on full display during the 2014 postseason. New England's offense seamlessly shifted gears from an all-out passing attack against Baltimore to a ground assault versus Indianapolis in the AFC playoffs. Creatively using the eligible/ineligible receiver to keep defenses off-balance was brilliant chicanery.

Defensively, the Patriots cooled two red-hot quarterbacks in Baltimore's Joe Flacco and Indianapolis' Andrew Luck. And while Seattle did itself in with the infamous Second-and-Dumb call at the end of Super Bowl XLIX, it was the coaching imparted in practice upon Malcolm Butler that helped the rookie cornerback read the play and intercept Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson to seal the victory.

Butler represents another unique aspect of the Patriots: Many players are low-end signings who become interchangeable parts used on a game-by-game basis depending upon the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition along with Belichick's whims. For example, Butler went from not playing against the Ravens to becoming a Super Bowl hero while Jonas Gray is still missing in action after rushing for 201 yards and four touchdowns last November against Indianapolis.

Combined all this with plenty of talent remaining in the fold, New England remains the odds on-favorite to win the division and represent the AFC again in Super Bowl 50. It just may not be as easy to win a seventh consecutive division crown like in the past after the strides made by the squads New England will be facing twice apiece during the regular season.