Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - A Monday for Mamba, Mock-Draft Monday v3 - 1/27/2020

Episode Date: January 27, 2020

In the aftermath of the tragic death of NBA Legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter GiGi and seven others on Sunday, host Mike D’Abate reflects on Bryant’s legacy in the sports world, the pain of sudden loss, and the impact of Bryant’s wisdom on the New England Patriots. Lastly, Mike provides his take on The Draft Network’s weekly prediction for the Pats 2020 Draft on Mock Draft Monday.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful. Thank you for joining me today on this Monday episode of Locked On Patriots, your daily home for news, notes, and analysis, infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. I am Mike DeBate, your host of Locked On Patriots, which of course is a part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Please feel free to reach out to me and follow me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And of course, following the Locked On Patriots Twitter account is very much appreciated as well at LO underscore Patriots.

Folks, since the Patriots season came to an end a few weeks ago, Mondays have been all about the NFL draft here on Locked On Patriots. For the past couple of weeks, our partners at TheDraftNetwork.com have published mock drafts. Some of the best draft analysts in the country, like Benjamin Salek and my colleague here at Locked On, the host of Locked On Bills, Joe Marino, and they have offered their

best educated guess as to what the Patriots might do with the 23rd pick in this year's draft. And folks, today will still be a mock draft Monday, as Trevor Sikema of TheDraftNetwork.com as well as being the Buccaneers beat writer for Pewter Report, has offered his take on what the Patriots might do with the draft.

And here's a hint, folks. He doesn't actually have them making a selection. So as I always like to say, stay locked into Locked On Patriots, and we'll be discussing Trevor's draft analysis a bit later in today's show. But before we move into another mock draft Monday analysis, I would be remiss if I didn't say that I was recording today's episode with a bit of a heavy heart. And of course, I don't think it's much of a stretch of the imagination to say that you probably all join me in that sentiment. Yesterday, as you all know, NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna,

and seven others were killed when the helicopter in which they were traveling crashed into a hillside in dense fog in Calabasas, California. News of Bryant's sudden death traveled very quickly across social media, and it sent shockwaves throughout the entire globe. It touched off an outpouring of grief for a star whose celebrity transcended basketball. Here on Locked On Patriots, we usually discuss the NFL, specifically the New England Patriots. But as a fan of any professional sport, the impact that an athlete like Kobe Bryant has is felt far beyond the boundaries of a hardwood floor of a basketball court. So many athletes yesterday, whether they be active or retired,

professional or amateur, joined fans from all over the world in taking to social media, which, let's face it folks, it's the main vehicle of communication for today's society. And they shared their feelings of grief, sorrow, heartbreak. And for those that knew Kobe Bryant personally and competed against him, those tributes were especially poignant. Kobe's enduring legacy in the world of professional sports is going to be as one of the fiercest competitors ever. His accomplishments on the court, they speak for themselves.

18-time NBA All-Star, two-time Olympic gold medalist, he won five championships all with the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe was the league MVP in 2008 and a two-time NBA scoring champion. He was also an Academy Award winner, which not a lot of people realize or remember. In 2018, Kobe won an Oscar for his contributions to Dear Basketball, and that was an animated short about his relationship to the game and how it affected his life. And to me, I think it's as important to remember Kobe for those types of accomplishments as well as the many great moments he gave us on the basketball court. In his years since retirement, Kobe had become an ambassador for the game of basketball, helping to train some of the young

stars in the NBA, including Boston Celtic Jason Tatum. Jason put a very touching tribute on his Instagram page yesterday, outlining his picture with Kobe as a young child wearing a Kobe Bryant jersey. During his playing days, being the fierce competitor that he was, Kobe was often labeled a ball hog or selfish. Since retiring from the NBA, he had become everything but that. He became so much more open and willing to share his work ethic and his wisdom, not just with young basketball players, but young athletes in all sports. In fact, in May of 2018, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick called upon Kobe to speak to your New England Patriots, and the impact that Bryant had on the team

is still being felt by the players in that locker room. And in honor of Bryant's memory, I'll be sharing some of those stories with you today, including some comments made yesterday by Pro Bowlers Matthew Slater and Stephon Gilmore, Jeff Howe of The Athletic, who once occupied this hosting chair that I sit in today, captured these thoughts in a brilliant piece this morning for The Athletic Boston. I'll be reading you some of those excerpts today, and I definitely encourage you to check out Jeff's piece. In my humble opinion, he's one of the finest journalists you'll find in sports media in any landscape. His account is both informative and a very fitting tribute to one of the world's most beloved athletes. But before doing so, Kobe Bryant was not the only life that was lost yesterday. There were eight others alongside him. And again, folks,

I'm not going to sugarcoat it. Bryant's loss hits me hard. For 17 years, I proudly cared for a Shetland sheepdog named Kobe. His namesake? Kobe Bryant. So it's clear, I was so much an admirer of what Kobe did on the court that I was willing to name my dog after him. But this loss hit me harder than that, and went beyond mourning the loss of a beloved public figure. Where this one hit me the hardest, and it's probably the same for all of you, is when I thought of the pain being felt by Vanessa Bryant and Kobe's three daughters this morning. Vanessa is not only feeling the loss of her husband, but also the loss of her 13-year-old daughter.

As I said when I opened the show today, Gianna Bryant, who Kobe and Vanessa affectionately called Gigi, was one of the victims of this crash. And the loss of any life in an unnatural manner, such as the one that happened yesterday, is excruciating in its own right. But when you consider that three of the nine victims were 13 or around that age, it absolutely guts you to the core. These were children. They had barely begun to live. And then you hear about why they were in the helicopter and where they were headed. And you know what, folks? It makes it hurt even more. These children,

these people were all on their way to do something they absolutely love to do. And that was play basketball, coach basketball, and support their children. In addition to Gianna Bryant, there were two other young girls that were also killed in this crash. Gianna's teammate at the Mamba Academy, Alyssa Altobelli, whose father, John, and mother, Carrie, were also aboard the helicopter, and they perished in this tragedy as well. Tributes for John have been abundant on social media and well-deserved. John was the head baseball coach at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa,

and he also had New England ties, folks. Anyone who's from the New England area knows how popular Cape League baseball is. John was the former coach of the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and as such, he managed several eventual major leaguers, including Yankee slugger Aaron Judge. His son is currently a scout for the Boston Red Sox, and he right now is enduring the unspeakable tragedy of having to bury not only his sister, but his mother and father. Also aboard the helicopter at the time of the crash was Christina Mauser, who was the head basketball coach at Harbor Day School in Newport Beach. That's where Kobe's daughter attended school. Young Peyton Chester, who was described by CBS

as being of middle school age, was also aboard the copter with her mother, Sarah. And of course, the pilot of the helicopter, Ara Zorbaian, was killed in the crash as well. Each of these families today, folks, is feeling a loss that cannot be described. Losing a loved one suddenly, it's a pain that stays with you for a long time. In a lot of ways, you never get over it. Maybe that's why a loss like this is hitting me so hard. In 2009, I endured the sudden loss of my own father. As an only child, he was my best friend. There isn't a day that doesn't go by that I don't think of him, and that I don't think of the fact that the night before he passed away, I never imagined that I would be going to sleep,

and waking up to a world in which just one night later, my dad would no longer be a part of. These families are experiencing that loss today. I know the feeling all too well, and it's certainly not easy to endure. On behalf of Lockdown Patriots, I offer my sincerest condolences to the Bryant family, the Altabelli family, the Chester family, the Mauser family, and the Zorbayan family. And while it's not exactly the same circumstances, my father's death was natural.

It was of natural causes. It wasn't an unnatural death as this tragedy was, but it was still sudden and unexpected. If any of you who have a personal or familial connection to the deceased happen to be listening to this podcast, I can honestly say that I know what you're going through. You're going to feel a lot of grief. You're going to feel a lot of anger. Words of encouragement are not going to mean all that much to you over the next coming days, weeks, even years. But what helped me cope with and finally accept my father's death was knowing that I could always find his spirit in the love he had for me, for the love I had for him. Those feelings live on, and it may be a while before you're able to come to that realization. Don't judge yourself or force yourself into feelings that aren't there.

It'll come, and it'll happen in its own time. And for those of you that are listening to this podcast that don't have a familial connection to the deceased, you may still feel deep grief. It may bring up some pain from a personal loss that you've experienced, or it might be an emotional connection that you have to Kobe Bryant or John Altobelli or a sympathy that you have for the loss of three young teenage lives. It's okay to feel that grief. You don't have to be embarrassed by it.

One of the reasons why sports and entertainment are so popular in this country is the connections we form to our favorite entertainers or in this case our favorite athletes. They become a big part of our lives. One of the things that I've loved most about being able to cover the New England Patriots is covering training camp and seeing the look on children's faces when they spot Tom Brady for the first time. To them, he's larger than life. And that connection that you form with an athlete can stay with a person well into their

adult years. So if you're feeling a deeper sense of loss today, it's okay. My heart goes out to you as well. What you're feeling is actual and real grief., it's okay. My heart goes out to you as well. What you're feeling is actual and real grief. And it's true, it may not be to the degree of what a family member or a close friend is feeling, but those feelings are true to you. Maybe the most touching tributes I saw across social media yesterday, last night, and again this morning, was the overwhelming sentiment of so many that a tragedy like this is a reminder to so many of us to never miss an opportunity to tell those around you that you love how much they mean to you.

We are never promised tomorrow, folks. Let the legacy you leave behind be one of love and support. If there's any slight silver lining left behind from a tragedy like this, perhaps that's it. Be kind to one another and hug your loved ones just a little bit tighter. I promise you those are two decisions you will definitely not regret. And folks, as you continue to watch the tributes for the late Kobe Bryant this week, you're going to hear two words an awful lot, and that's dedication and perseverance. As I said earlier today, Kobe Bryant spent the better part of his final years

imparting that wisdom and counsel to athletes all over the world. Not only included your New England Patriots, but also his own daughter and her basketball teammates at the Mamba Academy. In just a moment, I'll share some of those stories with you. However, if you've been a listener of this podcast, I'm sure you've heard all of the great advertisers working with Locked On to reach sports fans. But you may not know that Locked On Patriots is a great way for your local business to reach passionate Patriots fans just like you.

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slash advertising. We look forward to hearing from you. Once again, Pats fans, today on LockedOnPodcast.com. We look forward to hearing from you. Once again, Pats fans, today on Locked On Patriots, we pause in remembrance of the late Kobe Bryant, who along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others, including the pilot, were killed yesterday in a helicopter crash outside Calabasas, California. Now, in the previous segment, I spoke about grief,

and there is no greater grief than losing a loved one. Aboard that helicopter were men, women, and children. They were husbands, they were fathers, there were daughters, there were mothers. And folks, there's no loss that can ever be felt with any greater grief than that type of connection. But as sports fans, we're all being reminded and bombarded with memories of Kobe on the court, the 81-point game, numerous championship runs that he had with the Lakers. But since Kobe's retirement a couple of years ago, he became more known as a teacher and a mentor, not just at the game of basketball, but for any athlete looking to succeed at

any level. Perhaps there's no greater example of that than the mentoring he was providing to his daughter Gianna. As most of us know by now, Gianna, or Gigi as she was called by Kobe and Vanessa, was the couple's second oldest daughter. By all accounts, she also was the one that most closely embodied her father's love for basketball. For the past two years, Kobe had coached Gianna's AAU basketball team out of his Mama Sports Academy training facility in Thousand Oaks, California. Sadly, that's where all of the passengers, with the exception of the pilot, were headed when the helicopter crashed.

And reportedly, all the young ladies that played for Bryant, including his daughter Gianna and Alyssa Altebelli and Peyton Chester, all loved playing for Bryant. In fact, the remaining members of the team who were at the facility waiting for Bryant and the passengers to arrive are understandably very emotional. And most of the sentiments that they've shared and parents have shared have been that of grief. However, several of them marveled at how great of a coach Bryant had become, how much of a mentor he had become to their daughters. And those that were most closely connected to Bryant said this began with how he approached the coaching and teaching

of his daughter Gigi. There doesn't appear to be a question that Gigi had her father's determination. Many have gone on record to say that she aspired to attend the University of Connecticut and play for Gino Ariema, the legendary women's coach there. But she didn't want to stop there. Gigi was well aware of what her last name was. And she took that legacy very seriously. And every time he spoke about that, Brian's face would light up with excitement. In fact, there is a video that's making it around social media, and I encourage you to

check it all out. It's from a 2018 appearance that he made on Jimmy Kimmel Live. And Kobe went into detail with Jimmy about how something that always made him smile was the fact that when he went out, fans would constantly come up to him, and often Gigi would be with him. And they would say to him playfully that he had to keep trying for a boy. They needed a boy to carry on that Bryant legacy. And Kobe would go on to tell Jimmy Kimmel with that fatherly pride that if you see it,

you'll recognize it immediately, folks. He would look and say, Gigi would look up at him and say, no, dad, no, boy, I got this. And he'd respond by simply saying, that's my girl. I said earlier in this podcast that her father was one of the fiercest competitors I've ever seen on any athletic stage in any professional sport. And yes, folks, some of that is probably naturally inherited from her father, but a lot of that is the teaching lessons that he imparted to her. Not just to Gigi, however, though. Every single member of that team. In fact, if you go back just this November, and one of the AAU games at the Mamba Academy,

Bryant tweeted out that he, quote, hated having to see the girls he coached play against one another. But he praised two girls in particular. And unfortunately, folks, those two names are names of the deceased. Alyssa Altobelli, who Kobe praised for her great defense, and his admiration for a familiar-looking fadeaway, which just happened to be delivered by his daughter Gigi. Like father, like daughter. Unfortunately, and tragically, we'll never get a chance to know whether or not Gigi Bryant would

have been able to follow in her father's footsteps. From an athletic standpoint, she certainly had the drive. And again, you can make the argument that that drive was somewhat inherited, but it was also learned from her dad. For all of his numerous accomplishments on the basketball court, the thing that Kobe Bryant may be most remembered for is his unending drive to win and succeed. And in his final years, Kobe Bryant became much more willing to share that wisdom and insight with other athletes. And earlier in the podcast, I mentioned Jason Tatum, and he's only one of the athletes that's trained with Bryant throughout the years.

Those that did train with him point to Bryant's dedication, his desire not just to succeed but be the best at everything he did. He outlined a lot of these philosophies in a book that he released in October 2018 called The Mama Mentality, How I Play. And at its core, this book is a memoir designed to inspire and encourage athletes to never give up the pursuit of excellence. And so many current NBA players list Kobe Bryant as one of the reasons why they're playing the game today. But athletes of any sport can put into practice the lessons that Bryant imparts when he trains athletes, and also the ones that he outlines in his book. Now that type of work ethic is something that we're used to here in New England.

It sounds very familiar. An iconic athlete, larger than life, that continues to strive to be the best, always in the pursuit of the next one. Yes, folks, I'm talking about Tom Brady. And Brady took to Instagram yesterday as well to express his grief over the loss of his friend Kobe Bryant. Tom and Kobe first met each other back when the Lakers played the Celtics in the 2010 NBA Finals. And apparently, Kobe's raw determination made quite an impression on Brady.

In fact, Tom was once quoted as saying about Bryant, quote, You always watch other athletes and how they play the game and what makes them successful. You see them play the game the way respect and admiration grew to a friendship. To this day, Tom continues to play not only at a high level physically, but also at a high level in terms of his drive and determination. But Tom Brady is not the only Patriot feeling the loss today. In fact, several members of the 2018 New England Patriots are taking this loss particularly hard. As I mentioned previously, in May of 2018, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick invited Kobe Bryant to come speak to the Patriots team during OTAs.

And obviously, Bill is no stranger to recognizing that drive of athletes to win. And that really was the biggest reason why Belichick asked Bryant to come and speak to the team. When asked about Bryant's presence at the team meeting that day, Belichick responded by saying, quote, I have a ton of respect for Kobe. Obviously a great player, had a great career. Spent the day with him yesterday. He had a lot of great observations and things we could learn from.

He's a tremendous guy, unquote. But as much as Bill Belichick admired Kobe Bryant's drive, folks, he invited Bryant to talk to the team and try to inspire them. And yesterday, amidst the sorrow of Bryant's loss, a lot of the members of that Patriots team let everyone know that they still carry those messages with them to this day. Albert Breer of the Monday Morning Quarterback was one of the first to relay some of the details of what was covered in Bryant's speech to the Patriots team.

Breer highlighted that Bryant's talking points stressed the importance of training and studying players at all level of competition. This was something that a lot of Patriots players recognized immediately, including safety Daron Harmon, who was quoted as saying, When he was telling us about his training regimen, how he approached a day, a light bulb went off in my head. That's Tom, meaning Tom Brady. You realize it's no coincidence.

That's the reason why Kobe Bryant is Kobe Bryant. That's the reason why Tom Brady is Tom Brady. Tom's approach to the game is totally different than the majority of the NFL, probably 99% of the NFL, and that's why we have the success we have. Kobe's approach to the Lakers is the same thing, unquote. Of course, that was something that Harmon recognized right away, but perhaps a little more recently were some of the sentiments that were shared with Jeff Howe of The Athletic yesterday by two of the most well-respected Patriots in that locker room, Stephon Gilmore and Matthew Slater. As we all know, news of Bryant's death broke right around the time that all-stars from the AFC and NFC were playing in the 2020 Pro Bowl.

Gilmore and Slater were both there representing the New England Patriots. And much like all athletes, they had difficulty concentrating on the task at hand. Their thoughts and their hearts were with the Bryant family and thinking of the loss of one of the most poignant athletes of their generation. And again, folks, if you haven't done so, please check out Jeff's piece. He articulates this so well. And he had a chance yesterday to speak with both Gilmore and Slater. And Gilmore was obviously devastated by the news, but he remembered the message that Bryant had conveyed back in May of 2018. Gilmore was primarily impressed with Kobe Bryant's work ethic, and Jeff quotes him as saying, quote, he worked for everything he had. He was very talented, but his work ethic really stood out to me in his mentality, going into each and every game,

how he prepared. That's one thing that stuck out to me. It's probably not a stretch of the imagination, folks, to think about the fact that 2018 was Gilmore's second year with the Patriots. He had a decent statistical year in 2017, his first year with the club, but he had some notable struggles. In fact, and something that a lot of Patriots fans may not want to admit, some people were even calling for his trade, saying that they thought he was overrated, or not worth the contract the Patriots signed him to.

Gilmore has really turned his game around, starting in 2018 and especially in 2019. And don't misconstrue what I'm trying to say here, folks. Gilmore deserves the credit for that. He's the one putting the work in. But you have to wonder whether or not hearing that type of message from a guy like Kobe Bryant can stick with you and inspire you. Couple that with the example he sees in Tom Brady every day, it's not really a wonder why Stephon Gilmore has emerged from a very good NFL player being on the verge of being an NFL superstar. But perhaps

the biggest impact that Bryant's appearance had on the New England Patriots in 2018 is eloquently summed up by the words of Matthew Slater. And again, he had the opportunity to speak with Jeff at the Pro Bowl yesterday. And in someone that's also had the privilege of speaking with Slater, anyone that knows him can tell you that his most admirable quality is his ability to give 100% of himself on the field as well as off it. Slater is one of the greatest special teams players I've ever seen. But the thing that I admire most about Matthew isn't even that. It's the fact that he gives of himself to his family and his faith. And it was this message that he gave to Jeff yesterday. And it's that message that resonated most deeply with him. Jeff went on to quote Matthew as saying,

When you're at work and you're working on your craft, you've got to give everything you have. You've got to be disciplined. You've got to be willing to sacrifice everything. But when you go home, you've got to bring the same energy and passion and focus to the time you spend with your family. That really stuck with me. That was the one thing that he said that stuck with me.

Because sometimes that's hard to do as an athlete. You come home, you're tired, your kids want to run around. That was the one thing that he said that stuck with me. Because sometimes that's hard to do as an athlete. You come home, you're tired, your kids want to run around. Man, you just got to hold on to these moments that you have. End quote. And it's obvious from these quotes that Jeff compiled yesterday that Bryant's message continues to resonate with significant members of this Patriots roster. And just in case you needed a reminder as to whether or not Bryant's message resonated with the 2018 Patriots, well, they definitely showed that Mamba mentality.

They went on to win Super Bowl 53. And folks, even though the New England Patriots will not be participating in Super Bowl 54 this weekend, they already have their eyes on trying to get to Super Bowl 55. One of the ways they hope to build that roster that will lead them there is through the 2020 draft. And in just one moment, I will continue our weekly segments of Mock Draft Monday here on Locked On Patriots. And the Draft Network's Trevor Sikema gives us his thoughts on what the Patriots will

do with the 23rd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. However, before I proceed with that, we at Locked On are proud to say that this episode is sponsored by Blue Chew. Guys, now you can increase your performance and get that extra confidence. Listen up. BlueChew.com. That's blue like the color blue. BlueChew.com. That's blue like the color blue. BlueChew brings you the first chewables with the same FDA-approved active

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For the past couple of weeks, we've been running Mock Draft Monday segments here on Locked On Patriots. And so far, the last couple of analysts have predicted the Patriots would go wide receiver in the first round. Two weeks ago, Benjamin Salik predicted that the Patriots would select wide receiver T. Higgins out of Clemson. Just last week, my friend and colleague Joe Marino, also host of Locked On Bills here on the Locked On Podcast Network, predicted that the Patriots would go with Penn State

wide receiver K.J. Hamler. For the record, I agreed with Hamler's selection a little bit more than Higgins. Higgins is probably going to be the more dynamic player of the two, but I think Hamler fit a little bit better with the way the Patriots go about doing business on the offensive side of the ball. But this week, draft expert Trevor Sikema offered his Monday mock draft. And according to Trevor, with the 23rd pick in the 2020 NFL draft, the New England Patriots not so fast.

The New England Patriots would trade out of that position, according to Trevor. And folks, Trevor's not exactly pulling this out of thin air. The Patriots have a reputation of trading picks, especially low first-rounders when they feel they can get more value in the second, third, or maybe even fourth rounds. Trevor has the Patriots trading out of the first round for some lower-round picks, and the Colts picking up the 23rd pick. Incidentally, Trevor has the Colts taking with the 23rd pick interior defensive lineman Neville Gallimore out of the University of Oklahoma.

And while I have no doubt that the Patriots will look to upgrade their defensive line through the draft this year, I don't think they'll be looking to do that in the first round if they hold on to the 23rd pick. So instead of evaluating the pick that Trevor made for the Colts as a possibility for the Patriots, I chose to look at what the Patriots might do if they do decide to trade this pick. And as unpopular as it is among Patriots fans, definitely prepare yourself for the fact that the Patriots may indeed trade down in this draft, folks. But what might be a more exciting thought process is who might they trade up for? And that's what I looked at today in Mock Draft Monday. Even though it's not a subject we want to talk about here, folks,

there is a possibility that Tom Brady has played his last game in New England. Now, do I really believe that? No. But until Tom signs a contract here in New England, it's going to be speculated, and technically, it is a possibility. And in the unlikely event that that possibility becomes a reality, the Patriots are going to be looking to replace an iconic quarterback. We all here believe, and rightfully so, that he is the greatest of all time.

Now, they could look to sign a transitional quarterback. We've heard guys like Andy Dalton, Phillip Rivers. Neither of those makes a whole lot of sense. I can't imagine the Patriots putting together an impressive season with any one of those guys at the helm. What makes more sense to me at this point is if Brady leaves, the Patriots may have an eye on their quarterback of the future. Now, Joe Burrow is the crown jewel of this draft. There's no question about it. All the information out of Cincinnati says they're not budging. This is the guy they want. This is the guy they're taking. But could the original expected crown jewel of this draft be available to the Patriots for the right price? And you guessed it, folks. I'm talking about

Alabama's quarterback Tua Tungvaluwa. I will be the first to admit that the Patriots' chances of snagging Tua in this draft are very slim. But it's not a huge stretch of the imagination to understand that the Patriots would have great interest if they could have Tua at the right price. Under most circumstances, Tua would probably be neck and neck with Joe Burrow in terms of how these players are going to be drafted. Burrow is the Heisman winner and likely would still be the number one pick even if both of these guys were healthy. But that's a key here, folks.

Don't forget, Tua ended his season with an injury. Could cause his draft stock to fall. Now, all accounts are that Miami is pretty locked into Tua at the number five pick. This makes a ton of sense for them because they do have an established veteran in Ryan Fitzpatrick that could mentor Tua and allow him to not just rehab from injury, but also learn from a pretty savvy veteran. If Brady is not on the team in New England, they really can't offer that. Jarrett Stidham is still learning the game himself.

There's no way he'd be able to be a mentor. And again, a veteran option for the Patriots seems to be a little bit far-fetched. From a logistical standpoint, putting Tua in New England would be a beautiful thing to watch. He'd be a great fit in New England, considering his leadership ability and his personality. Let's not forget that Tua studied under Nick Saban, who was a close friend of Bill Belichick. Because of the similarities between both of these coaches, Alabama products do pretty well in New England. And Tua has so many great qualities, but really what stands out is his

ability to be accurate and push the ball downfield. That would open up the Pats offense in ways that would definitely excite Josh McDaniels. So should the Patriots be seriously considering this? Well, again, folks, it's a slim chance. In order to get this done, the Patriots be seriously considering this? Well, again, folks, it's a slim chance. In order to get this done, the Patriots would have to trade up to the number three slot. Considering the numerous holes that the Patriots are going to be looking to the draft to fill, I'm not so sure that they'd be willing to give up the haul it would take to move up 20 spots into the number three position. The only way I see the Patriots being this ultra-aggressive in the draft is if they're absolutely sure Brady is not returning to the team,

and if they see Tua as the absolute best and maybe even only fit for a quarterback that could possibly replace Tom Brady in the long term here in New England. It would undoubtedly take a huge package of picks and possibly even veterans, maybe someone like a Dante Hightower. Not to mention that the team that currently holds the number three pick is the Carolina Panthers. They have a new head coach. They also might have a quarterback need on their own with Cam Newton possibly heading out of town. So while it might be fun to imagine, folks, I would say that even with the injury that Tua suffered this past year, there are still enough teams, possibly including the Panthers,

that would possibly place enough trust in Tua to draft him with a high first round pick. So on this Mock Draft Monday, I would say that Trevor's prognostication that the Patriots will trade in the first round has a better than average chance of happening. As for my pipe dream that the Patriots might use that trade to target a quarterback like Tua, label that one very highly unlikely. But folks, we're just scratching the surface here on Locked On Patriots for draft evaluation. The Senior Bowl happened on Saturday, and on Friday I hinted that a special guest would be joining me to do some Senior Bowl happened on Saturday, and on Friday I hinted that a special guest would be joining me to do some Senior Bowl evaluation.

Unfortunately, with the tragic news surrounding Kobe Bryant, those plans did get put on hold for a day, but that special guest will be joining me tomorrow here on Locked On Patriots, and we'll do some Senior Bowl talk both on Tuesday, and another special guest will be joining me on Wednesday. And yes folks, just in case you were wondering, I'm still aware there's a Super Bowl on Sunday, we will be giving that game it's just due on Thursday and Friday. So continue to stay locked into Locked On Patriots. As always, please be sure to join me each and every day here on the Locked On Patriots

podcast. Subscribe and download via your preferred podcast provider. And once again, I'm Mike DeBate, and I thank you so much for listening today. This was an emotional podcast for me to do, and I'm sure you all continue to feel those emotions as well. I leave you today with a quote from Kobe Bryant's The Mamba Mentality, and it's a quote that I've seen before and admired before, but it takes on a whole new meaning today, and that is Bryant's words of wisdom to constantly be improving and always strive to be better. In his own words, Bryant describes the Mamba Mentality as, quote, to be on a constant quest to try to be the best version of yourself.

That's what the mentality is. It's not a finite thing. It's a constant quest to try to be better, better today than you were yesterday, and better tomorrow than you were the day before. I thank you for listening today. Be well, everyone.