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Pre-Pre-Season AFC East Predictions


DoleINGout

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Pre-Season players to watch out for:

Kody Russey, center undrafted free agent from Houston. Put up 38 reps of 225 and plays like it with stout blocking. I think he will vie for a backup interior offensive line spot and with a season under his belt and some technique refinement he will turn into a high quality starter here or somewhere else.

DaMarcus Mitchell, edge player on defense in the front seven. Stand up or hand down, another stout guy at the point of attack. Mitchell is athletically a hidden gem from this rookie class who went undrafted after missing a few games in 2021 for Purdue. Long arms, big hands, spatially aware, and a wrecking ball up front.

Jake Julien, punter. The other Jake. At a $4 million less, Jake Julien has a chance to make Bailey all the more expendable on top of a low dead cap charge for cutting or trading Bailey. Julien just needs to show he is consistent at getting his punts to roll for added yardage like he so often has and Bailey could be as good as gone. Only caveat being how well each punter executes holding the football on field goals.

D'Eriq King, quarterback and nimble athlete from Miami with a chance to make it as a gadget player to begin his career but list on the depth chart as a QB. I think people shouldn't give up on King at his primary college position. Sure, teams will explore other options to get King opportunities on the field but I think he would suffice as a backup passer eventually, too. Definitely a contingency plan if Mac Jones goes down, Hoyer can't cut it, and rookie fourth rounder Bailey Zappe can't cut it either. King is unlikely to make it to the final roster I think unless Nelson Agholor is traded or cut and/or if Brian Hoyer retires. Then, he might have a chance.

Brenden Schooler, safety/wide receiver former teammate of Justin Herbert at Oregon before transferring to Texas. Received a lot of game reps on both offense and defense with a healthy amount of production to show at both. Schooler is a fun undrafted free agent to root for as well even if his road to the roster appears difficult at the moment. Like D'Eriq King, I can only see Schooler making it beyond the practice squad with a series of other guys being cut, traded, or injured.

 

LaBryan Ray, defensive lineman from Alabama and one time five star recruit who battled many injuries plus the pandemic shortened season. There are a lot of positive traits to Ray that include his pass rush, maturity/leadership, and perseverance as well as the connection to Nick Saban that doesn't hurt. Ray will have a relatively easier transition to the NFL one would think compared to other undrafted players thanks to his familiarity with the way the Pats tend to operate. If any of the reserve defensive lineman slip up or fail to earn their spot then Ray is going to be one of the first candidates to replace them if healthy.

 

With so many young players it is going to be fun seeing the games play out this pre-season more so than usual. These are just some of the lesser known guys being given a chance to make it that I think people should keep an eye on. The UDFA's are where the Pats annually find gems so these are the six I see as having legitimate potential as soon as this season.

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17 minutes ago, DoleINGout said:

Big year for the Bills and Josh Allen without Daboll directing the offense.

Honestly I think the timing is perfect. Josh Allen is at the point of his career where he can start defining the offense himself a bit. Ken Dorsey has been working with Josh for 3 seasons now as well. Promoting him is as much about his rapport with Josh than it is about his ability. 

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45 minutes ago, Deadpulse said:

Honestly I think the timing is perfect. Josh Allen is at the point of his career where he can start defining the offense himself a bit. Ken Dorsey has been working with Josh for 3 seasons now as well. Promoting him is as much about his rapport with Josh than it is about his ability. 

A good relationship between QB and OC doesn't necessarily make for good decision making. Especially down the stretch of games and late in the season. Those are the things I'll be interested in. The Bills have more depth offensively surrounding Allen than before so they should be able to at least come near their win total from last season.

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3 minutes ago, DoleINGout said:

A good relationship between QB and OC doesn't necessarily make for good decision making. Especially down the stretch of games and late in the season. Those are the things I'll be interested in. The Bills have more depth offensively surrounding Allen than before so they should be able to at least come near their win total from last season.

my point is less about their relationship and more about how Josh Allen needs to step up and be a leader not only in the locker room and on the field but also in the film room and during the game planning. His familiarity with Dorsey should help him grow in that regard and the changing of the guard should give him a foot in the door to be vocal about the offense behind the scenes. 

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Jets offense should be much improved and quite dangerous if their players stay healthy.

Dolphins will be able to block and run better offensively than before but I still don't know if you can count on a full season without something dramatic taking place simply because Tyreek Hill is there. The Dolphins will probably come to regret the acquisition of Hill and gift in-division of Parker to the Pats.

The Patriots should be faster on defense and a little more productive offensively than last year. Still not confident they will coach out the penalties or persevere if they face early season losses.

The Bills will likely figure their way out to another division title and at least make it into the divisional round of the playoffs.

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4 minutes ago, Deadpulse said:

my point is less about their relationship and more about how Josh Allen needs to step up and be a leader not only in the locker room and on the field but also in the film room and during the game planning. His familiarity with Dorsey should help him grow in that regard and the changing of the guard should give him a foot in the door to be vocal about the offense behind the scenes. 

I agree, Allen needs to step up and show he can be all of those things you said. Which goes back to why I posted that Daboll leaving leaves uncertainty to the level of winning they can achieve.

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1 minute ago, DoleINGout said:

Still not confident they will coach out the penalties or persevere if they face early season losses.

they were 2-4 to start the season last year... if they have a bad season I wouldn't pin it on not being able to overcome a bad start

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1 hour ago, Deadpulse said:

they were 2-4 to start the season last year... if they have a bad season I wouldn't pin it on not being able to overcome a bad start

What do you see happening as of right now? Broadly speaking I guess. Have you any predictions to make for this season?

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26 minutes ago, DoleINGout said:

What do you see happening as of right now? Broadly speaking I guess. Have you any predictions to make for this season?

I am maintaining my attitude from last off-season, this is still a rebuilding team and any success they find is just gravy 

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4 hours ago, Deadpulse said:

I am maintaining my attitude from last off-season, this is still a rebuilding team and any success they find is just gravy 

And do your expectations shift as the season unfolds? Does your attitude change with wins and losses or the fashion in which either comes about?

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