2022 Offseason Assessment Tournament: 1st-Round (BUF v. NYJ)
Same intro everyday: Our annual series taking a look at each NFL team’s offseason (free agency, draft, trades) moves and assessing their impact for the upcoming season – simply speaking, 'did all of the offseason moves, en masse, project to make the team better or worse for just the upcoming campaign (not worried about the long-term effect)'?
We’ll list the key adds and losses for each team competing and then comment on them and anoint a winner that will move on to the next round, until we get down to the final two (the 'Super Bowl') and we name a winner for the top offseason (to date). Our way to review and judge what each of these teams have done halfway through the offseason.
1st-Round Matchup…
BUFFALO
Key Adds:
LB Von Miller (FA), DT DaQuon Jones (DT), DT Tim Settle (FA), OG Rodger Saffold (FA), DT Jordan Phillips (FA), TE O.J. Howard (FA), QB Case Keenum (trade)
CB Kaiir Elam (pick #23), RB James Cook (pick #63), LB Terrel Bernard (pick #89), PT Matt Araiza (pick #180)
Key Losses:
CB Levi Wallace (FA), DT Harrison Phillips (FA), QB Mitch Trubisky (FA)
vs.
NEW YORK JETS
Key Adds:
OG Laken Tomlinson (FA), DB D.J. Reed (FA), TE C.J. Uzomah (FA), TE Tyler Conklin (FA), SAF Jordan Whitehead (FA), LB Jacob Martin (FA)
CB Ahmad Gardner (pick #4), WR Garrett Wilson (pick #10), DE Jermaine Johnson (pick #26), RB Breece Hall (pick #36), TE Jeremy Ruckert (pick #101), DE Micheal Clemons (pick #117)
Key Losses:
DT Foley Fatukasi (FA), SAF Marcus Maye (FA), OT Morgan Moses (FA), LB Blake Cashman (FA)
Buffalo lost two under-the-radar defensive stalwarts in free agency – Levi Wallace and Harrison Phillips. To offset that they picked up three useful/solid DTs in free agency and then drafted a Wallace replacement in Kaiir Elam. They lost Mitch Trubisky, but traded for Case Keenum to offset. Buffalo did a good job offsetting their free agent losses.
The Bills gained nicely with the Von Miller and Rodger Saffold signings – if they have gas left in the tank, as they are getting at the ends of their careers. Overall, the Bills negated all their free agent losses and added talent on top of that.
The Jets had another terrific offseason. They only had one real painful (kinda) loss in DT Foley Fatukasi…the rest of the bodies of note they lost they can easily live without/won’t know they’re gone. However, what they brought in was a treasure trove – big upgrade on the O-Line with Tomlinson. Instant starter stolen in D.J. Reed. Two useful, cost-effective TEs (Uzomah/Conklin) – and then a killer draft with ace prospect Ahmad Gardner then later nabbing Jermaine Johnson. Big uptick in talent, again, for NYJ in the offseason.
Buffalo did a nice job advancing in personnel this offseason…they are better today, after this offseason. BUT the Jets really piled up the talent, again…two years in a row. The Jets are WAYYY better after this offseason and have to be one of the favorites to win this entire tournament.
WINNER = New York Jets move on to the AFC East finals.
1ST-ROUND RESULTS:
NYG defeats DAL
PHI defeats WSH
LAR defeats SEA
SF defeats ARI
DET defeats GB
MIN defeats CHI
ATL defeats NO
TB defeats CAR
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NYJ defeats BUF
