Bob DeChiara-USA Today Sports
Ranking the AFC East: Quarterbacks
With the major phase of free agency and the 2020 draft behind us, it's a good time to revisit every team's roster and see where everybody stands.
There was dramatic news at the quarterback position in the offseason, with Tom Brady leaving the Patriots after 20 years and the Dolphins bringing in Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth overall selection in the draft.
Let's examine each team's situation before we proceed with our AFC East ranking of the quarterback position.
BUFFALO BILLS
On the roster: Josh Allen, Matt Barkley, Jake Fromm, Davis Webb
Offseason moves: Re-signed Webb to a futures contract ... selected Fromm in the fifth round of the 2020 draft
Projected opening-day starter: Josh Allen
2019 stats: Allen — 58.8 completion percentage, 3089 yards, 20 TD, 9 INT, 510 rushing yards, 9 TD, 85.3 passer rating; Barkley — 52.9, 0 TD, 3 INT, 51.0 rating; Webb — DNP; Fromm — at Georgia, 60.8, 2860 yards, 24 TD, 5 INT
Outlook: The Bills are widely considered the favorites to win the AFC East in 2020 and that suggests continued progress from Allen, the seventh overall pick in the 2018 draft. Allen's passing has been inconsistent since he got to the NFL, but it's interesting his passer rating just almost identical to that of Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was team MVP of the Dolphins in 2019. What makes Allen stand out, obviously, is his tremendous running ability, which just might be the best in the NFL for a quarterback not named Lamar Jackson. The Bills, though, would be in trouble offensively if anything happened to Allen because Barkley has failed to deliver when given the chance as a backup (10 career touchdowns with 21 picks). Fromm was a really good quarterback at Georgia, but he might not have the arm strength to success in the NFL, particularly in the windy conditions of Buffalo.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
On the roster: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tua Tagovailoa, Josh Rosen, Jake Rudock
Offseason moves: Re-signed Rudock to a futures contract ... selected Tagovailoa in the first round of the 2020 draft
Projected opening-day starter: Ryan Fitzpatrick
2019 stats: Fitzpatrick — 62.0 completion percentage, 3529 yards, 20 TD, 13 INT, 243 rushing yards, 4 TD, 85.5 rating; Rosen — 53.2, 567 yards, 1 TD, 5 INT, 52.0 rating; Rudock — DNP; Tagovailoa — at Alabama, 71.4, 2840 yards, 33 TD, 3 INT
Outlook: Fitzpatrick's 2019 season truly was remarkable when you consider the deficiencies the Dolphins had on offense, starting with a line that's been almost completely remade in the offseason. That it came after a good final season in Tampa would suggest Fitzpatrick still has some good football left. That's clearly not the big story here, though, because Tagovailoa is the future at quarterback for the Dolphins. It remains to be seen exactly how early Tagovailoa will get into the starting lineup for the Dolphins, or if he even gets in at all in his rookie season. The addition of Tagovailoa would seem to suggest that Rosen's time in Miami is coming to an end, but he's still young enough that the Dolphins aren't likely to just give him away.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
On the roster: Jarrett Stidham, Brian Hoyer, Brian Lewerke, J'Mar Smith
Offseason moves: Lost Tom Brady as an unrestricted free agent ... signed Hoyer as an unrestricted free agent (Indianapolis) ... released Cody Kessler ... signed Lewerke and Smith as undrafted rookie free agents
Projected opening-day starter: Jarrett Stidham
2019 stats: Stidham — 50.0 completion percentage, 14 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 18.7 rating; Hoyer — with Colts, 53.8, 372 yards, 4 TD, 4 INT, 65.7 rating; Lewerke — at Michigan State, 59.6, 3079, 17 TD, 13 INT; Smith — at Lousiana Tech, 54.3, 2977 yards, 18 TD, 5 INT
Outlook: Finally! That has to be the feeling of the rest of the AFC East after Brady finally got out of the division. For the Patriots, they're ready to roll with Stidham one year after they selected him in the fourth round of the 2019 draft and he threw a grand total of four passes as a rookie. The Pats are hoping for the same kind of result they got after Brady took over at quarterback early in the 2001 season. In Hoyer, the Patriots got themselves a solid backup, though it's questionable how much they could depend on him if something happened to Stidham or he simply didn't pan out. Lewerke and Smith both are long shots to make the 53-man roster.
NEW YORK JETS
On the roster: Sam Darnold, David Fales, Mike White
Offseason moves: Re-signed Fales as an unrestricted free agent ... re-signed White to a futures contract
Projected opening-day starter: Sam Darnold
2019 stats: Darnold — 61.9 completion percentage, 3024 yards, 19 TD, 13 INT, 84.3 rating; Fales — No passes attempted in two games; White — DNP
Outlook: Darnold showed a little improvement in his second season, but it's safe to say former Dolphins head coach Adam Gase expected more from him after he took over in New York. The Jets are hoping the addition of first-round pick Mekhi Becton to protect his blind side will help Darnold and they're also hoping the addition of Frank Gore will help the running game and keep him out of third-and-long situations. Regardless, this is a big year for Darnold because the jury is still out on whether he's a legitimate franchise quarterback. Fales will be back for a fourth consecutive year with Gase, and there's some reason to question Gase's fascination with Fales.
THE RANKING
At this point, Allen is the best quarterback in the division, though that could change if Stidham proves the real deal in New England or if Tagovailoa lights it up when he gets into the lineup the way he did at Alabama.
But Buffalo and the Jets do not have an ideal backup situation, and that factors in. Fair or unfair, Stidham gets a little bit of the benefit of the doubt because of Belichick's track record and the idea that if Stidham is good enough for him, that's gotta count for something.
But unless Tua absolutely can't play as a rookie because his hip isn't ready, there's no team in the division that can match the Dolphins' one-two setup.
1. Miami; 2. Buffalo; 3. New England; 4. N.Y. Jets
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Don't disagree with the ranking? Feel free to post a comment.
Alain Poupart has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989. You can follow him on Twitter at @apoupartFins.
