2014 NFL Draft Grades: AFC East

Ever since 2001, teams in the AFC East, for the most part, have been looking up at the New England Patriots. As long as Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are with the patriots, everyone will be trying to catch up. Buffalo made the first big trade of the draft, and are pretty much going all in this year when they traded nest year's 1st Round pick along with an additional pick to move up and get Sammy Watkins. Along with their additional picks and offseason moves, Buffalo looks to make their move to the top of the AFC East. Buffalo: B+ Best Pick: Sammy Watkins Late Round Sleeper: Cyril Richardson Watkins is the playmaker the Bills desired and they made the big move to get him. Now last years first rounder, quarterback E.J. Manuel, has the big play weapon that can light the fire under the Bills offense. But the selection of tackle Cyrus Kouandjio and late round sleeper Cyril Richardson will give Manuel the protection he needs and open up running lanes for Fred Jackson and Bryce Brown. If Seantrel henderson can play up to his potential then the Bills will have a powerful o-line for years to come. Preston Brown is a tough inside linebacker who will help plug up the middle and stop the run. Miami: B Best Pick: Jarvis Landry Late Round Sleeper: Jordan Tripp Miami needed to rebuild their offensive line and may have reached to select Ja'wuan James at #19, but he is a solid right tackle that the the Dolphins can build around. Billy Turner is a mauler of an offensive lineman but is also a small school talent who will need to work his way into the line. Landry is a sure handed receiver that could become a go-to target for Ryan Tannehill. Tripp is an FCS star who will play like a BCS playmaker on defense. New England: B- Best Pick: Jimmy Garoppolo Late Round Sleeper: Bryan Stork The Patriots picked Dominique Easley in Round 1, and if the injury plagued defensive tackle can hold up physically then this pick will be a steal. But 2 ACL injuries in college makes one wonder if hen can withstand the rigors of the NFL trenches. Garoppolo is the latest heir apparent to Tom Brady, and now he may be the one who eventually replaces the future Hall of Famer. But the Patriots put a lot of draft pick eggs in one basket by selecting Stork, Cameron Fleming, and Jon Halapio to shore up the defensive line. New York Jets: B+ Best Pick: Jace Amaro Late Round Sleeper: Jeremiah George The Jets picked hard hitting safety Calvin Pryor in Round 1, and he looks to be the defensive enforcer in the middle of the field that Rex Ryan is looking for. Amaro gives Geno Smith a big target down the middle, and he should be targeted in play action with the free agent addition of Chris Johnson. Dexter McDougle should get plenty of action at corner now that he is healthy after a shoulder injury cost him most of last season. George can be a sleeper pick as an outside edge rusher in Ryan's 3-4 defense.

TMG DraftZone 2013 NFL Draft Grades: AFC East

The New England Patriots continued their dominance of the AFC East, and as long as Bill Belichick is calling the shots and Tom Brady is calling the plays, things don't look to change any time soon. The Patriots also continued their tradition of trading down in the draft, while Buffalo, Miami and the Jets were making moves to catch up. Free agency was very good for the Dolphins, and they made the biggest splash in the draft to trade up to #3 and select Dion Jordan third overall. The Jets made their big move before the draft by trading Darrelle Revis to Tampa Bay for the 13th overall pick, and the Bills made their move by trading down from #8 to #16 with the Rams. On a side note, I'd like to pat myself on the back just a bit by being one of the first mock drafters to have Tavon Austin going eighth in the draft. Playmakers are at a premium, and Austin was a player the Bills could use. So could the Rams, and they wanted him more and made the move up to get him. Buffalo then made the shocking move of the entire draft by selecting E.J. Manuel at #16 with the pick they got from St. Louis. Many see Manuel as needing work and seasoning, but with the Bills quarterback situation, he could very well be Day 1 starter for Buffalo. So here is the TMG DraftZone grades for the AFC East, with key selections and sleeper picks for each team: Buffalo: B E.J. Manuel (QB)/Robert Woods (WR) Marquise Goodwin (WR) The Bills immediate future is tied to Manuel, who has all the physical gifts to star in the NFL, his game is going to need some time to adjust, and the future of Manuel is tied to Woods. I don't put as much stock in workouts as game film, but just watch Woods catching balls from Matt Barkley at the USC Pro Day. He caught everything. Manuel and Woods could very well be the QB/WR combo to build around. Goodwin can find his place in the league because you can coach a player to play the game, but you can't coach them to be fast. As in what one analyst called him at the Senior Bowl practice as Spaceballs fast, because Goodwin has Ludicrous Speed. Players with that kind of speed can always make an inpact. Miami: B+ Jamar Taylor (CB) Jelani Jenkins (LB) The Dolphins made the bold move to move up and get their next Jason Taylor by selecting Dion Jordan at #3 overall, and they did it by not breaking the bank and only giving Oakland the #12 and #42 picks. Miami then got the cornerback that many looked for them to take at #12 in Round 2 by picking Jamar Taylor, who was seen as a late riser to the bottom of Round 1. Dallas Thomas could be the eventual replacement to Jake Long at right tackle. Jenkins needs to add some strength and bulk up just a bit, but he is a smart player who, if Jordan is Jason Taylor, Jenkins could be Zach Thomas. New England B- Jamie Collins (LB) Logan Ryan (CB) The proudest person coming out of the draft has to be the defensive coordinator at Rutgers, as just about all of his players now play for the Patriots. Ryan could have an immediate impact depending on what kind of punishment the league gives to Alfonzo Dennard, and Jamie Collins was overlooked by many just because he played on a team that went winless in 2012 at Southern Mississippi. But the previous year, they were conference champions and Collins is a talent that Belichick can mold into a solid pro. NY Jets: C+ Sheldon Richardson (DT) Oday Aboushi (OT) The Jets filled re-occupied Revis Island with Dee Milliner, the top rated cornerback in the draft. The pick of Richardson had many scratcing their heads, with Muhammad Wilkerson and Quinton Coples already in place, but you can never have too many athletic defensive lineman who can get after the quarterback, and Richardson might be able to work his way into the starting rotation. The Jets only made their quarterback situation murkier by taking Geno Smith in Round 2, but now that Tim Tebow is out of the picture, Smith could also eventually become the starter. But the Jets did not address their need to get playmakers on offense, but Aboushi and Brian Winters can help solidify the offensive line.

AFC East Draft Grades: Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills come off of a 4-12 season in 2010, and held the third overall selection of the 2011 NFL Draft. The offense was good last season, but the defense needed the most help. And the Bills hit the mark with their first two picks. Marcell Dareus is an athletic defensive tackle who can both stop the run and pressure the passer effectively. But their second round pick may turn out to be just as valuable. Aaron Williams is a solid corner who can also play safety. The Buffalo secondary got lit up way too much last season, and Williams looks to be a solid piece to the defensive puzzle. Third round pick Kelvin Sheppard is an athletic linebacker who can play inside and outside.

Buffalo helped the defense through the draft, but quarterback was a position that they should have addressed at some time. Ryan Mallett was available when the Bills picked Sheppard, but Arizona also passed on the Arkansas quarterback in the third round. Both teams need help at the position and passed. That may say what you need to know about Mallett. Buffalo has said that Ryan Fitzpatrick is their guy at quarterback, and they will go into 2011 with the Harvard grad calling the shots under center.

A late round sleeper for the Bills looks to be Chris Hairston, an offensive lineman selected in the fourth round. Buffalo's offensive line has had issues since Jason Peter went to Philadelphia, and it may not be long before Hairston her a chance. He has the size, strength and athletic ability to make an impact on an offensive line that has been thin at times.

Draft Grade: B

Draft Grades: Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills went into the 2010 NFL Draft with a question mark at quarterback, and even bigger questions concerning the offensive line. Both positions were addressed in the draft, but not the way anyone would have speculated.

The Bills selected C.J. Spiller with the 9th overall pick. Spiller was widely regarded as the best playmaker in the draft, and if they can get the ball in his hands he should be worthy of the selection. In the 2nd Round, Buffalo passed on taking Jimmy Clausen and picked Torrell Troup, a nose tackle from Central Florida. Troup was seen as a bit of a stretch for the 2nd Round, and Buffalo's two biggest needs were not addressed at the top of the draft.

Quarterback Levi Brown was taken in the 7th Round, and while he has the physical tools he is seen as a developmental project. Offensive tackle Ed Wang was taken in the 5th round.

The offensive line was also addressed with the player I see as a sleeper pick in Kyle Calloway, an offensive tackle taken in the 7th round. Calloway played opposite Bryan Bulaga at Iowa, and his tutelage under Kirk Ferentz should help him acclimate to the NFL.

Draft Grade: C

A short run on running backs

The 2010 NFL Draft is big on big men, with a lot of depth on both the offensive and defensive lines, but short on quarterbacks and running backs. Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen are the only sure bets for first rounders at the quarterback position, and the running backs have even less representation.

For now, it looks like the only sure bet for a first round pick at the running back position is C.J. Spiller. Spiller is seen as a Reggie Bush type player, one who is excellent in the open field, a good receiver, but one who is not seen as an every down back. It will be intriguing to see if Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks, if they don't select him 6th overall, will be able to take him with the 14th overall selection. If there is a coach who knows how to handle a Reggie Bush type player, it should be Bush's college coach. But the market for a playmaker of Spiller's caliber will be tough to pass up for a number of teams.

Marshawn Lynch has been as productive with off the field issues as he has been on the field with the ball for the Buffalo Bills. But they also need a quarterback, and if Jimmy Clausen is still available it will be tough for them to pass up on a quarterback who could be the face of the franchise for years to come.

Another option could be Jacksonville. Yes, they have a need for a pass rusher, but can you picture the Jags with their own version of Thunder and Lightning with a pairing of Spiller and Maurice Jones-Drew. The biggest need Jacksonville has is to sell tickets. Winning cures a lot of ills at the box office, but doing so while putting points on the scoreboard helps even more.

After Spiller the next back on many draft boards is Ryan Mathews. Some mock drafts have Mathews going to Houston at the #20 slot, and I have even seen him placed as high as #15 to the New York Giants. I have the Chargers taking the Fresno State back with the #28 pick. They have a glaring hole to fill in the middle of the defense that Terrence Cody could move into, but the loss of LaDanian Tomlinson leaves San Diego with Darren Sproles as the best running back on the team, but hardly the featured back that they are looking for. Mathews could fill the bill very well for San Diego.

In most years the quarterbacks and running backs are the featured players in an NFL Draft. While it looks certain that Sam Bradford will go 1st Overall to St. Louis, this is not the year teams are going to find the horses they need to carry the loads.

Trade winds-starting out as a breeze

Every year the NFL Draft has it's share of trades. Either before or during, but teams swap players and picks like they are trading properties in a game of Monopoly. If you are lucky you can find a trading partner like the Jets did with Cleveland last year and they can move way up the board to take the player they really want. This year the big chip in play looks like it is going to who wants to trade for Donovan McNabb, and what are they prepared to give up to add him to their roster. Two teams that have expressed interest are Buffalo and Oakland.

Now I'm not an Eagles fan. I've watched McNabb from a distance and I would say that he can make many teams better immediately. But under the right circumstances. McNabb has taken a beating over the years, and if you put him behind a porous offensive line he's not going to be as effective as his suitors would like. Buffalo and Oakland are teams that need help up front, and picking up McNabb may not be the right fit.

Now I can't see any team giving up a first round pick for McNabb, so both the Bills and Raiders could shore up the line with their first rounder. Russell Okung looks to be gone by picks #8 and #9, and Bryan Bulaga might be gone as well. Which leaves Trent Williams, Bruce Campbell, and Anthony Davis as likely selections. All three players look to go in those slots as of now, so the teams taking any one of those tackles would not be a reach.

To me, the trade that makes the most sense would be the Rams trading the 33rd overall pick to Philadelphia for McNabb, then taking Ndamukong Suh first overall. They get the best player in the draft and add a veteran quarterback who can help them win now. But as it is with many things in the NFL, it comes down to money. Would McNabb want to sign a contract extension with St. Louis? If not then that trade, or any trade where McNabb doesn't want to sign an extension, doesn't make a lot of sense. Also, keep this in mind. Jake Plummer was traded to Tampa Bay, and decided that retirement was a better option. What if McNabb gets traded to a team he doesn't want to play for, or a team he feels doesn't give him a good shot to get back to the Super Bowl. Would McNabb see retirement as a better option as well? Then again, Philadelphia might see McNabb as their best option to get back to the Super Bowl, and tell all the potential suitors thanks, but he's our man. In my opinion that is the best option, and the best fit, for Donovan McNabb.