The New England Patriots will be playing in a much tougher AFC East division next season than what we saw last year.

Although they have won the division 11 of the last 12 seasons (including the last six years), other teams in the AFC East have been making moves.

The Miami Dolphins made the single biggest splash in free agency when they landed former Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Sure, maybe they overpaid for his services ($60 million guaranteed), but the reality is the Dolphins 12th ranked defense just got a lot better.

The New York Jets were able to financially convince cornerback Darrelle Revis to come back to the team, where he played for six seasons. The Patriots benefited greatly from Revis last season, but to beat out the Jets $39 million guaranteed offer would have been too detrimental to the salary cap.

The Buffalo Bills made extremely loud noise when they acquired Pro Bowl running back LeSean McCoy from the Philadelphia Eagles. Last season the Bills had the No. 4 ranked defense, but their rushing offense ranked 25th in the league. Adding McCoy to their roster will only help.

So, what about the current Super Bowl champions?

The Patriots have lost their two best cornerbacks, after Brandon Browner agreed to terms with the New Orleans Saints. Vince Wilfork, one of the best defensive tackles in NFL history is still a free agent. Wilfork doesn't put together huge Fantasy Football statistics, but his value is extraordinarily important at the line of scrimmage.

In 2013, Wilfork played just four games, and the Patriots run defense ranked 30th overall. Last season,  Wilfork played every game, and the Patriots run defense ranked 9th overall. That's not a coincidence.

There's still a chance that Bill Belichick may re-sign Wilfork, but many think Wilfork may just choose to retire instead of returning for another year.

Losing running back Shane Vereen to the New York Giants didn't help, either. Vereen has been Tom Brady's safety blanket on numerous occasions when pressure gets high during blitzing situations. In the 2015 Super Bowl, Vereen was actually the leading catcher with 11 receptions.

The Patriots haven't been very active so far this free agency. This franchise isn't known for being extremely active in huge free agent signings and blockbuster deals in the 21st century. And it's tough to argue against that methodology because it has delivered a league-high four Super Bowl championships over the last 14 seasons. Obviously, the biggest advantage the Patriots still have over the other three AFC East teams is at quarterback with the iconic Brady still having the magic touch. The Bills' best quarterback last season, Kyle Orton, retired, the Jets are still in search of the next Joe Namath, and Ryan Tannehill hasn't quite hit the elite status yet.

The Patriots are still the favorites in the AFC East, but huge losses in the secondary do leave the team vulnerable. Luckily for Patriots fans, their team was able to re-sign safety Devin McCourty. The upcoming draft is also very running back friendly. Still, the Patriots can't overlook the additions within the division. Next season will be tougher than usual for the Patriots, but they should be able to answer the challenge.

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