At the running back position, the trade that sent LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills was one of the biggest storylines of the offseason, and it has provided new head coach Rex Ryan with an elite running back entering his prime years. McCoy, who never saw eye to eye with Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, gets a new lease on life and will surely be ready to prove he’s still one of the best backs in the NFL.

McCoy gives the Bills all of what the departed C.J. Spiller did on the perimeter, while also possessing the ability and willingness to be effective inside the tackles.

McCoy isn’t the only reason the Bills have the best running back situation in the division. Veterans Fred Jackson and Boobie Dixon provide nice complements to McCoy. Jackson is a tough runner but also is a very good receiver. Dixon, on the other hand, is more of a sledge hammer who pounds tacklers and moves piles. The Bills also have Bryce Brown and rookie Karlos Williams in camp. Both could compete for the fourth spot, or possibly even challenge Dixon.

While the Bills are the clear-cut best at running back, the rest of the division foes are really close. I give the New England Patriots the edge for the second position followed by the New York Jets, then the Miami Dolphins. I give the Pats the edge because of versatility at the position.

The Patriots don’t have marquee names and the loss of Shane Vereen hurts, but Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels have a knack of piecing together a solid, productive group. LeGarrette Blount sits atop the depth chart and provides the Pats with a rare talent. He’s huge at 6-foot, 250 pounds, but he has great feet and possesses the ability to break long runs. Jonas Gray and Tyler Gaffney are similar backs, and it’s likely only one of them will make the team.

The battle for third-down duties will be crucial, as James White, Travaris Cadet and Dion Lewis are competing to fill Vereen’s vital role. All are capable of at least giving the Pats a decent option. The wild card at the position is Brandon Bolden, who is the most versatile back on the Patriots’ roster. Bolden, who is also a valuable member on special teams, has the talent to be the lead back and is also an option if Belichick is not comfortable with his third-down options.

The Jets have a stable of very capable power backs, but they lack versatility at the position. Chris Ivory, Stevan Ridley and Zac Stacy have similar styles and give the Jets plenty of pop between the tackles. If Bilal Powell and/or Daryl Richardson can prove to be good change-of-pace options, the Jets could prove to be an underrated unit.

I think very highly of Lamar Miller and, behind McCoy, believe he is the second-most talented runner in the division. Despite having a career season in 2014, the Dolphins still seem to believe Miller is best suited as a rotational back. Behind Miller is where the Dolphins have definite question marks. Damien Williams, Mike Gillislee and rookie Jay Ajayi are all relatively unproven, and the Dolphins are hoping LaMichael James can give them a weapon on the perimeter.

AFC East Positional Rankings
Quarterback

Nick Sardina is an NFL writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow Nick onTwitter @nicksardina13, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google