| Team previews: Bills: Growing pains | Dolphins: Uh-oh offense | Jets: Thinking outside the box | Patriots: Mixing new with old |
 |
Kellen Clemens, QB, N.Y. Jets: Raised on a 3,500-acre ranch in Oregon, and he has rodeo toughness… After being drafted in the second round in 2006, he attempted only one pass as a rookie… He has a compact throwing motion, good accuracy and excellent leadership qualities. While Chad Pennington is the starter, Clemens will do well when he gets into the game.
Logan Mankins, G, New England: A high school tight end who walked on at Fresno State and became a first-round pick in 2005… Huge hands, and when he gets them on you, you're toast… Very strong, great work ethic and a nasty streak… Has Pro Bowl potential, and should start for a long time.
Ty Warren, DL, New England: Underrated player on the Patriots' defense, he can play the run or rush the passer… Has a low center of gravity and is very quick, moving very well for a 6-foot-5, 300-pounder.
Samson Satele, G/C, Miami: Second-round pick who will start as a rookie and play for a long time at center or guard. Started an NCAA-record 53 games at the University of Hawaii… He has very good athletic ability for the position, strong, runs well and has excellent football intelligence.
The only thing more dangerous than a talented New England team is a talented New England team with a chip on its shoulder.
After going two straight seasons without a Super Bowl championship, which amounts to a drought for them, the Patriots replenished their roster with an impressive collection of talent.
Randy Moss. Adalius Thomas. Donte Stallworth. Wes Welker. Tory James. Not too shabby, huh?
Hellbent on hoisting another Lombardi Trophy, Patriots coach Bill Belichick abandoned his conservative approach to free agency and went for the gusto, acquiring several big names and several big contracts. It cost major bucks, but the Patriots felt they needed to stay one step ahead of the fast-rising New York Jets.
They stayed ahead, all right. That bright smile emanating from Foxboro belongs to Tom Brady, and, no, it's not because his girlfriend is a world-famous supermodel (okay, maybe that has something to do with it). It's because his receiving corps, so pedestrian last season, now includes Moss, Stallworth, et al.
It's going to be tough for the other teams in the division to keep pace with the Patriots, but the Jets are good enough to keep their nemesis from running away with the AFC East.
The Miami Dolphins still have a playoff-caliber defense, but they're starting over with rookie coach Cam Cameron and ex-Chiefs quarterback Trent Green trying rebound from a major concussion. The Buffalo Bills, with a rapidly maturing J.P. Losman at quarterback, could surprise.
| |
