Is It Paranoia If Everyone's Really Out To Get You?

Nate Davis Logic above

Early this morning, Nate Davis of the USA Today ran a column ranking each NFL's team off-season from 1-32. As you can see above, the Patriots came in at 31, the second worst off-season in the NFL. Since the start of the off-season, the Patriots have lost exactly one impact player in Chandler Jones, and received a second round pick and a former top-10 draft pick in lineman Jonathan Cooper. In addition to Cooper, the Patriots have also added Chris Hogan and Martellus Bennett on offense and added Chris Long, Shea McClellan, and Terrance Knighton  on defense. They came away with the nation's top return man in the draft, shoring up one of the weaker aspects of the team's special teams play last season. They cleared up additional cap space in extending franchise quarterback Tom Brady, and added a low-cost backup to Garroppolo in the draft. Let's take a look at what the AFC East teams above the Patriots did:

29. New York Jets (USA TODAY Ranking)

Ryan Fitzpatrick remains unsigned. Antonio Cromartie departed in free agency. Lost stalwart LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson, who literally only missed a single snap in a decade, and replaced him with oft-injured Broncos cast off Ryan Clady. Did add Matt Forte, who will be a plus in the running and the passing game, but lost hard running Chris Ivory. Darelle Revis did not get younger this off season.

15. Miami Dolphins (USA TODAY Ranking)

Did not retain Joe Philbin or that guy from your local YMCA who asks you to spot him even though he doesn't need the help he just wants to show you how much he can lift, Dan Campbell. This is good.  Lost Oliver Vernon. This is bad. Added Mario Williams. This is irrelevant. Lost Lamar Miller. This is bad.  Rumblings have already started that the locker room has turned against Ndamukong Suh. This is bad. Still employs Ryan Tannehill. This is bad. Again, this team is ranked as having the 15th best off-season, and ranks 16 spots higher than New England.

11. Buffalo Bills (USA TODAY Ranking)

Major off-season moves:

Again, this is a team that finished third in the AFC East, added no new pieces of note, and is considered by USA Today to have had the 11th best off-season in the NFL.

This happens every year. The rest of the country and the national media jumps on any opportunity to say that the tide is turning in the AFC East. Last year, the Dolphins won the Superbowl in March. This year, the Bills locked up the AFC East in May. We'll have to see what happens in January. Always happens that way.