The NFL is one step closer to the regular season as teams have now started to report for training camp. Over the next few weeks, clubs will have their entire rosters together after the summer breaks and will begin laying the foundation for what the 2023 campaign may bring.
Throughout the offseason, the AFC East became increasingly more competitive and is arguably as tough as it's been since the realignment in 2002. Two teams within the division (Buffalo and Miami) were able to make the playoffs a season ago while the other two (New York and New England) have made moves this offseason -- most notably the Jets landing Aaron Rodgers and the Patriots hiring Bill O'Brien as the OC -- that should make them competitive this season as well.
As each of these teams open up camp, let's dive into three pressing questions that they'll all need to answer by the time Week 1 rolls around.
Buffalo Bills
Is Stefon Diggs on board?
Stefon Diggs has been a central figure within Buffalo's offense since he was acquired by the Bills in 2020. He's put up career numbers in each of his three seasons of at least 100 catches, 1,200 yards, and eight touchdowns.
However, it does seem like things did sour towards the end of the 2022 season. Diggs was spotted having a verbal exchange with Josh Allen on the sideline during Buffalo's Divisional Round loss to the Bengals. Fast forward to earlier this offseason and Diggs left the team on the first day of minicamp, which led to head coach Sean McDermott saying that he was "very concerned" about the situation. Things ended up getting "resolved" a day later, but it will be interesting to see if another chapter in this unusual saga is written during camp.
As we noted, Diggs is essential if Buffalo wants to contend for a Super Bowl title in 2023 so ensuring that everyone is on the same page by Week 1 is of the utmost importance.
Will Dalton Kincaid be able to contribute on Day 1?
The Bills used the No. 25 overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft to select Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid. Given the capital spent to get Kincaid, there's going to be an expectation for the rookie to be able to contribute right away. While listed as a tight end, Kincaid is billed to be more of the Travis Kelce type rather than a traditional blocker and could prove to be more of a receiver within Buffalo's offense while Dawson Knox serves as the traditional Y tight end.
While Kincaid's pass-catching talent is obvious judging by his 70 receptions and nearly 900 receiving yards during his final collegiate season, making the jump to the NFL isn't easy. The Bills will be best served if they can get Kincaid up to speed quickly and for Josh Allen to develop a rapport with him soon so he can impact the game early.
Is Von Miller healthy?
Von Miller was Buffalo's free-agent prize last offseason but was limited to just 11 games during his first season with the Bills after suffering a torn ACL. Before the injury, Miller did seem to be the missing piece within Sean McDermott's defense, piling up eight sacks and 27 pressures. As you may expect, once Miller was taken out of the equation, Buffalo's pass rush suffered.
So, will he be healthy enough to contribute early this season after suffering that tear in Week 12 of last year? Miller did express confidence that he'll be ready to go for the start of the season but also threw out the possibility of missing the first six weeks as well.
"I want to be ready (for) Week 1 versus the Jets. Aaron Rodgers, 'Monday Night Football,'" said Miller back in June. "But at the same time I'm not in control of that. I'm going to do everything I can physically, mentally, emotionally to be ready for that. But if it's not the first week of the season, then it won't be any longer than Week 6, for sure."
Getting Miller back under the team's roof to see his recovery process will be a key storyline for Buffalo in the early goings of camp.
New York Jets
Will Aaron Rodgers shift the culture?
All eyes will be on Aaron Rodgers as he opens up camp with his new Jets team. While it's mightily important that he gains a rapport with his fellow pass catchers, it should be a rather smooth transition with his former OC Nathaniel Hackett there and a number of his ex-Packers receiver also in-house. What will be interesting to watch is how the mindset and overall culture of the organization will change with Rodgers leading them. The Jets have the longest playoff drought in the NFL and have been one of the more downtrodden franchises of the past decade. Similar to how Tom Brady changed the tides in Tampa Bay, Rodgers will need to do the same and set the tone early in camp that these aren't your father's Jets anymore.
How will the tackle spots shake out?
The protection in front of Rodgers will also be a key story as camp progresses, particularly at tackle. The club has Duane Brown -- who'll be 38 years old by the start of the season -- currently slated to protect Rodgers' blindside, while Mekhi Becton may have to duke it out with the likes of Max Mitchell and Billy Turner for the starting right tackle spot. That's a lot of uncertainty at two key positions, especially when they're tasked with protecting a 39-year-old quarterback.
Is Breece Hall healthy?
Breece Hall was en route to stardom before a torn ACL in Week 7 cut his rookie season short. The second-year back recently said that things have been going well in his recovery and that he'll "be ready for the first game, so right now I'm just focusing on getting my knee as strong as possible, just getting that confidence back." That said, it'll be more encouraging if he's able to get onto the field during camp to lay the groundwork for a bounce-back season.
Miami Dolphins
Is Tua Tagovailoa set up for a healthy season?
Tua Tagovailoa was having a breakout season in 2022, but it was also marred with injuries, including a number of frightening concussions. Tagovailoa has reportedly bulked up this offseason and began studying martial arts to teach himself how to fall more safely. As the Dolphins go through camp, watching those offseason changes be incorporated will be vital in getting a sense of Miami's prospects this season and Tagovailoa's longevity to play a full 17-game regular season.
Can Vic Fangio elevate the defense?
Arguably the biggest offseason addition the Dolphins made was hiring Vic Fangio to be the team's defensive coordinator. The veteran coach has displayed a knack for turning defenses around overnight and Miami could end up being the latest example. The club already has several talented players in the secondary and added star corner Jalen Ramsey over the course of the offseason as well, so Fangio will have plenty to work with while installing his defense over camp. It'll be his obligation to get the unit firing on all cylinders on Day 1 as the Dolphins do have a slew of MVP-caliber quarterbacks they'll need to slay throughout the season, including Justin Herbert, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, and Aaron Rodgers.
Is Dalvin Cook on the way?
Dalvin Cook is still a free agent at the time this story is being written and it seems like most of the AFC East is vying for his services. The Dolphins, however, have been the team most frequently linked to the former Vikings star given the hometown ties and reported interest on both sides. If Miami was able to land Cook, it would add another dynamic piece to their high-flying offense and elevate their backfield tremendously. While Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., and rookie De'Von Achane are an intriguing trio, Cook is a four-time Pro Bowler that has four consecutive thousand-yard seasons coming into 2023 and is still in his prime. Injecting that type of player into this backfield could be a move that thrusts the Dolphins to becoming an upset division winner.
New England Patriots
Can Bill O'Brien fix the offense?
From the get-go of training camp last year, you could tell that New England's offense was going to struggle with Matt Patricia and Joe Judge leading the unit. That played out as expected during the year as the Patriots offense was elementary and saw Mac Jones regress dramatically. This offseason, Bill Belichick has seemingly corrected his mistake by hiring Bill O'Brien to be the team's offensive coordinator. Now, it's a matter of how much permanent damage has been done from 2022 and how much can O'Brien salvage to help get New England back to being contenders.
Throughout OTAs and minicamp, the operation appeared much smoother and Jones himself used the word "normal" when talking about working alongside O'Brien. While there may not be a true game-breaking weapon within this offense, there's still a lot to be desired on the Patriots roster, especially newbies JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mike Gesicki. If O'Brien can stabilize the offense and get Jones back on track in his development as the franchise quarterback, there should be plenty of optimism in Foxborough.
Is Tyquan Thornton healthy?
I already talked about New England's concerns at the offensive tackle positions (which you can read here), so I'm swapping that major question for a more under-the-radar one with Tyquan Thornton in this section. The second-year pass catcher missed the bulk of the offseason program due to a reported soft tissue injury and he'll be an important figure to watch as camp opens up and whether or not he'll land on the PUP list. Thornton was selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft and has the potential to be a much-needed speed option within this offseason. However, a preseason clavicle injury derailed his rookie season, and didn't make his NFL debut until Week 5. Now that he's dealing with yet another injury, the fear is that he'll hit another speed bump in his development. As noted above, the Patriots don't have a game-breaking player in this offense, but the hope -- in a perfect world -- would be for the Thornton to develop into one. However, that's only possible if he's healthy.
How does the secondary shake out?
It's a new era in the Patriots secondary. Following the retirement of safety Devin McCourty this offseason, how New England chooses to replace him will be worth monitoring. The club has some options -- including Adrian Phillips and Jalen Mills -- but could also look to form a more versatile safety group to keep defenses guessing. That could mean a sizable role for rookie Marte Mapu, who impressed while playing the hybrid linebacker/safety role during offseason workouts.
Meanwhile, the corner position is another spot to watch. First-round rookie Christian Gonzalez looks like a plug-and-play starter out of the gate, but the secondary corner position is a bit murkier. That's especially true after corner Jack Jones was arrested and now faces weapons chargers after bringing in two firearms in his carry-on luggage at Boston Logan International Airport. Jones has pleaded not guilty to those charges and is due back in court on Aug. 18. From the football side of things, Jones showed promise during his rookie season in 2022 and was in line for a larger role in the secondary this year. With his availability in question, that area of the roster may be a bit too thin outside of Jonathan Jones and Gonzalez.
