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Ranking the AFC East: Special Teams

The Miami Dolphins likely will be the only team in the AFC East with the same two kicking specialists as last year, and they also have one of the most explosive returners in the game on their roster

Alain Poupart

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.

We have arrived at the last position group in our rankings of the AFC East, and that's the special teams.

With few exceptions, there's a lot of turnover on those units from year to year, so it's probably tougher to evaluate than, say, offensive lines or secondaries, which have fewer moving parts.

There was a lot of turnover in the offseason when it comes to specialists, namely punters, kickers and long-snappers.

Let's examine each team's situation before we proceed with our AFC East ranking of the special teams.

BUFFALO BILLS

Key special teams players: K Tyler Bass, K Stephen Hauschka, P Corey Bojorquez, P/K Kaare Vedvik, LS Reid Ferguson, KOR/PR Andre Roberts, Darryl Johnson, Siran Neal, Tyler Matakevich

Key offseason moves: Selected K Tyler Bass in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL draft ... signed P/K Kaare Vedvik as a free agent ... signed Tyler Matakevich as an unrestricted free agent (PIT)

Projected opening-day starters: K Tyler Bass, P Corey Bojorquez, KOR/PR Andre Roberts

Key 2019 stats: Andre Roberts 8.0 average on punt returns, 26.6 average on kickoff returns; Corey Bojorquez 41.9 punting average; Stephen Hauschka 22-of-28 on field goals; Siran Neal 8 tackles; team 2 blocked kicks

Outlook: The Bills have all the pieces to make a deep run in 2020, but they need more consistency from their kicking game, which is why they added competition for both kicker Stephen Hauschka and punter Corey Bojorquez, Given that the Bills spent a sixth-round pick on Tyler Bass, he's likely to take over the placekicking duties. Andre Roberts remains one of the best returners in the league. He made the Pro Bowl each of the last two seasons, in 2018 with the Jets and in 2019 with the Bills.

MIAMI DOLPHINS

Key special teams players: K Jason Sanders, P Matt Haack, LS Blake Ferguson, PR/KOR Jakeem Grant, Vince Biegel, Durham Smythe, Clayton Fejedelem, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Sam Eguavoen

Key offseason moves: Selected LS Blake Ferguson in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL draft ... signed Clayton Fejedelem as an unrestricted free agent (CIN) ... signed Kavon Frazier as a UFA (DAL) ... signed Kamu Grugier-Hill as a UFA (PHI) ... released LS Taybor Pepper ... released Walt Aikens

Projected opening-day starters: K Jason Sanders, P Matt Haack, KOR/PR Jakeem Grant

Key 2019 stats: Preston Williams 11.5 average on punt return; Jakeem Grant 25.1 average, 1 TD on kickoff returns; Matt Haack 45.0 punting average; Jason Sanders 23-of-30 on field goals; Walt Aikens 7 tackles; team 0 blocked kicks

Outlook: The Dolphins likely will be the only team in the division that will have the same kicking specialists, though they will have a new long-snapper after they drafted Blake Ferguson to replace Taybor Pepper. Jakeem Grant is a dynamic kick returner, though the Dolphins turned to Preston Williams to return punts last season when Grant started having ball security issues. Still, Grant is a threat to take one back all the way anytime. Special teams captain Walt Aikens was not re-signed as an unrestricted free agent, but the Dolphins used free agency to land some experienced special teams players. The Dolphins will look to improve their kick coverage, particularly kickoffs after ranking 31st in the NFL in 2019.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Key special teams players: K Justin Rohrwasser, P Jake Bailey, LS Joe Cardona, PR Gunner Olszewski, Matthew Slater, KOR Brandon Bolden, Chase Winovich, Shilique Calhoun

Key offseason moves: Selected K Justin Rohrwasser in the fifth round of  the 2020 NFL draft ... signed Adrian Phillips as a UFA (LAC) ... re-signed Shilique Calhoun as a UFA ... re-signed Matthew Slater ... lost Nate Ebner as a UFA (NYG) ... released K Stephen Gostkowski

Projected opening-day starters: K Justin Rohrwasser, P Jake Bailey, PR Gunner Olszewski, KOR Brandon Bolden

Key 2019 stats: Gunner Olszewski 9.0 average on punt returns; Brandon Bolden 22.4 average on kickoff returns; Jake Bailey 44.9 punting average; Nick Folk 14-of-17 on field goals; Matthew Slater, Nate Ebner, Brandon Bolden 7 tackles each; team 4 blocked kicks

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Outlook: Special teams has played a role, however small, in the Patriots' dominance in the AFC East over the past decade, but it will be a new era in 2020 with kicker Stephen Gostkowski no longer on the roster. New England does not have an explosive return game, but the Patriots also were in the top in both punt and kickoff coverage last season.

NEW YORK JETS

Key special teams players: K Brett Maher, K Sam Ficken, P Braden Mann, LS Thomas Hennessy, PR Braxton Berrios, KOR Vyncint Smith, Daniel Brown, Harvey Langi, Tarell Basham, Frankie Luvu

Key offseason moves: Selected P Braden Mann in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL draft ... re-signed K Sam Ficken ... 

Projected opening-day starters: K Brett Maher, P Braden Mann, PR Braxton Berrios, KOR Vyncint Smith

Key 2019 stats: Braxton Berrios 11.4 average on punt returns; Ty Montgomery 20.2 average on kickoff returns; Lac Edwards 45.9 punting average; Sam Ficken 19-of-27 on field goals; Frankie Luvu 6 tackles each; team 1 blocked kick

Outlook: The Jets could have two  new kicking specialists in 2020 if former Cowboys kicker Brett Maher beats out incumbent Sam Ficken, who missed eight of 27 field goal attempts last year (though he did make the game-winning kick against the Dolphins in December). Sixth-round pick Braden Mann will become the new punter after the Jets declined to re-sign unrestricted free agent Lac Edwards. The Jets return game was nothing special in 2019, though the team was third in the NFL at covering kickoffs.

THE RANKING

Things can change quickly from year to year when it comes to special teams, especially kickers, but there's still something to be said for continuity.

Besides having the advantage over their division opponents in that category, the Dolphins also have one of the best returners in the game in Jakeem Grant, though Buffalo's Andre Roberts also belongs in that conversation.

The one area where the Dolphins lagged last year was in kickoff coverage, but they look like the best group overall nonetheless.

The call: 1. Miami; 2. Buffalo; 3. New England; 4. N.Y. Jets

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Don't agree 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.

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

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