Unlike the usual list of expected breakout players this is a look at players that their teams need to break out this season. It's the AFC East's turn.
Buffalo Bills
Offensive line
As with the Atlanta Falcons, the Buffalo Bills focused heavily on rebuilding their offensive line this offseason. The Bills outdid the Falcons in numbers of offensive linemen added this offseason. In fact, the Bills went after the free agency offensive line market like an expansion team with no offensive linemen on the roster. They signed Ty Nsehke, Mitch Morse, Quinton Spain, Mitch Morse, Spencer Long, John Feliciano, and LaAdrian Waddle in free agency. If an offensive lineman had a pulse the Bills were interested. Then they selected promising Oklahoma offensive lineman Cody Ford in the second round of the draft. The Bills need of all these new players to come together in a much improved offensive line.
Miami Dolphins
Josh Rosen, QB
Picking a quarterback as a player that a team needs to break out is always the easy pick. It's really rare for a team to not need their quarterback to play well for season-long success. Josh Rosen and the Miami Dolphins are in an unusual sort of situation. This will be his second NFL season and his second team. The Arizona Cardinals traded up in the 2018 NFL Draft so that they could secure Rosen with the tenth pick. He was supposed to be their franchise quarterback. A season later, the Dolphins are going to find out if he can be their franchise quarterback. The Dolphins need Josh Rosen to break out for this to be a season in which they take a strong rebuilding step forward rather than a sad season of tanking. If it's the former, the Dolphins lucked into a franchise quarterback. If it's the latter, Rosen could be with his third team next season.
New England Patriots
Isaiah Wynn, LT
The past two Patriots' left tackles played their way to giant free agent deals with other teams. That can happen on a Dante Scarnecchia-coached offensive line. Isaiah Wynn was one of my favorite players in the 2018 NFL Draft. I hoped that he'd be available when the Minnesota Vikings were on the clock. The Patriots didn't let that happen. A preseason achilles injury wiped out his rookie season. He's back. At a listed 6'2" 311 lbs, Wynn isn't built like a traditional left tackle. It doesn't matter. With his talent and Scarnecchia's coaching I wouldn't be surprised if he plays at a higher level than the two left tackles that preceded him. With a certain 42-year old quarterback playing behind him, the Patriots need Isaiah Wynn to play at a high level.
New York Jets
CJ Mosley, LB
Sam Darnold or Le'Veon Bell might be better choices. I'm going with linebacker CJ Mosley due to the outrageous free agent contract that they gave him. The Jets were throwing money at just about every free agent this offseason and they threw a lot at Mosley. His per year average of $17 million is about $5 million more than the other top off the ball linebackers. He's being paid like a pass rusher. For that sort of money, the Jets really need CJ Mosley to break out.
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