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It was not a very good year for AFC East defenses in 2012. Three teams in the division finished with rankings in the 20s. But there have been a lot of changes for the division via free agency and the draft. Let's take a look at updated defensive r...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- A promising rookie season for Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones ended with his nursing an ankle injury that limited him during the AFC Championship Game. The injury and fatigue from a full season of work weren't enough to kee...

This is a time of optimism, as every team feels good about its rookie draft class. But sometimes fans in our AFC East community can go a little overboard. For perspective, here are some comments from our community immediately following the 2012 NF...

A few thoughts on the Patriots and NFL Draft, with the first round starting tonight (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET): 1. This draft appears to be different than 2012 when the Patriots coveted two players (Chandler Jones, Dont'a Hightower) and traded up for them ...

The Pats have a need at receiver, but Bill Belichick hasn't chosen them well.

NFL players will never have to press a 45-pound bar loaded with four 45-pound plates off their chests during a game. They will never have to execute during games any number of the training exercises that help prepare their bodies for NFL life. Tha...

In the first in a series of video segments from our annual Patriots Draft Special, ESPN's Mike Reiss, Tedy Bruschi and Trevor Matich review the 2012 draft class. Here are a few quick hits from the nearly 6-minute segment (embedded above): * Brusch...

The Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots are on the short end of the AFC East stick when it comes to draft picks. The Miami Dolphins, by far, lead the division with 11 selections, while the Patriots and Bills bring up the rear with five and six pic...

We continue our position-by-position look at the Patriots as they head into the draft with an examination of the defensive ends. Current personnel: Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Jermaine Cunningham, Justin Francis, Jake Bequette, Armond Armstead...

The AFC East saw several breakout players make their marks last season. Buffalo Bills tailback C.J. Spiller, New England Patriots left tackle Nate Solder, and Miami Dolphins receiver Brian Hartline are among the players who had career years in 2012. ...

A year after moving up to take Chandler Jones, would the Patriots consider adding another defensive end in the first round of this year's draft? That's the idea presented by NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah, who has released his latest first-round mock draf...

A few leftovers from our weekly Patriots chat: Jeffrey (Helena, Montana): Biggest second year jump: Chandler Jones, Dont'a Hightower, Tavon Wilson, or Alfonzo Dennard? Mike: Jeffrey, I'd start at the top with Jones. At the Super Bowl, he talked...

Not everyone could make Walker's Fab 40. This is the best of the best in the AFC East, and this year we had another very competitive list. Here are several good players who didn't make the list: Fab 40 snub: Brandon Fields, P, Miami Dolphins ...

Sharing some Patriots thoughts: 1. Rookie defensive end Chandler Jones made the rounds on "Radio Row" at the Super Bowl on Wednesday, and one thing stood out from watching this and listening to this: That was a more relaxed, engaging Jones than re...

Here are the most interesting stories Wednesday in the AFC East: ESPN's Adam Schefter suggests the New York Jets should trade star cornerback Darrelle Revis to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a second-round pick and backup quarterback Ale...

Moving along with our positional review, we'll examine a spot that the Patriots had good depth at in 2012, defensive end. 2012 Final Depth Chart: Rob Ninkovich, Chandler Jones, Justin Francis, Trevor Scott, Jermaine Cunningham, Jake Bequette Ke...