The AFC East has been building towards contending for the "toughest division in the NFL" title over the last handful of years and 2023 may be their time to fully ascend to that level. All four teams have made moves this offseason to try and put themselves in the thick of playoff contention. That's especially true in New York after the Jets pulled off the biggest blockbuster of the offseason by dealing for Aaron Rodgers. But don't sleep on the other clubs either. Miami dealt for star corner Jalen Ramsey, Buffalo retained some key free agents while also adding young talent, and the Patriots installed an actual offensive coordinator in Bill O'Brien.
As we move past the roster-building period of the offseason and turn towards OTAs, minicamp, and training camp, let's look at each of these teams and identify one burning question entering 2023.
Bills: Can Dalton Kincaid contribute immediately?
The Bills identified Kincaid as the missing piece to their offense and decided to trade up to the No. 25 overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft to take the Utah tight end, sneaking ahead of the Cowboys. Buffalo desperately needed another pass-catching weapon for Josh Allen, specifically out of the slot and that's exactly where Kincaid should be able to help. Instead of being cut from the Dawson Knox cloth, Kincaid will be more of a big slot receiver in the Bills offense. According to Pro Football Focus, he logged 221 of his 401 passing down snaps out of the slot last season and finished his final collegiate campaign with 70 catches for 890 yards and eight touchdowns.
The question surrounding this addition is whether or not Kincaid can buck the trend of first-round tight ends having so-so rookie seasons. There have been eight tight ends taken in the first round since 2014 and only two have recorded at least 45 receptions (Evan Engram and Kyle Pitts). Only three have recorded over 700 receiving yards (O.J. Howard, Engram, and Pitts).
The Bills are a team with Super Bowl expectations entering 2023 and will likely need Kincaid to adjust rather quickly to NFL life to get there.
Dolphins: Will Tua Tagovailoa stay healthy?
This is THE question surrounding the Dolphins. If Tua Tagovailoa can stay healthy after a scary concussion-filled season in 2022, Miami has the ability to crash the party in the AFC East race and the AFC playoff picture at large. The quarterback incorporated martial arts this offseason to teach himself to fall safely and avoid head injuries, and it seems to have garnered the attention of his head coach as Mike McDaniel has since added martial arts to the QB drills as well. On top of that, Tagovailoa has made it a priority to add muscle this offseason and he did appear to be bulkier during the team's recent OTA session.
Tua looks heavier than 215 now. And I mean that in a good way. pic.twitter.com/5ob1PqpZ9q
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) May 23, 2023
The Dolphins were 8-5 when Tagovialoa started last season and he enjoyed the best season of his career in his first year under McDaniel. He led the NFL in passer rating and yards per attempt, while also having the highest QB rating against the blitz. If he can remain healthy, he has the ability and weaponry to go toe-to-toe with Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen in the division.
Patriots: Can Bill O'Brien get Mac Jones back on track?
After decades of dominance within this division, the Patriots find themselves at the bottom of the AFC East power rankings. However, the team did make a significant move by hiring Bill O'Brien to be its offensive coordinator after the debacle of Matt Patricia running the unit in 2022. The former Alabama OC should provide some stability for this unit, which gives Mac Jones a shot at getting his career back on track. On top of O'Brien, the Patriots did add some high-upside weapons like JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mike Gesicki, but the coaching is most important when trying to figure out if Jones is truly going to be the quarterback this team builds around going forward.
Jets: Will Aaron Rodgers live up to the hype?
There's a natural high after a big trade like the one the Jets pulled off to acquire Aaron Rodgers. You immediately move to the best possible outcome, which in this case is New York running to a Super Bowl title in 2023. Of course, Rodgers has the pedigree to do just that as he had the Packers in contention throughout his tenure in Green Bay. We've also seen quarterbacks change teams and immediately get themselves a ring, as Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford both won Super Bowls in the first season with their new teams. No one would be shocked if Rodgers follows in those footsteps, but there's also a road where things go awry. It was this time last year that we were having these same types of conversations about the Denver Broncos after they traded for Russell Wilson and their season went up in smoke. The Jets have one of the hardest schedules in the NFL next season based on their opponents' projected win total, so the path will be a difficult one for Rodgers. He'll need to overcome that as he looks to live up to the championship aspirations his arrival has brought to New York.
