Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - AFC-Style East versus West II: Patriots/Broncos Crossover - 5/12/2020

Episode Date: May 12, 2020

It’s AFC East/AFC West Divisional Crossover Week across the Locked On Podcast Network.  Joining host Mike D’Abate is Cody Roark of Locked On Broncos to discuss both the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos’ 2020 NFL Draft report cards, their potential rosters and the experience of each franchise in having to replace a legendary quarterback. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Patriots fans, you are now locked in to the Locked On Patriots Podcast. I'm going to show you how to make a beautiful and beautiful flower. I'm going to use a small flower pot. I'm going to use a small pot Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful, and welcome to Day 2 of your East Meets West AFC Crossover edition of the Lockdown Patriots Podcast, your daily home for news notes and analysis, seasoned with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots.

Today's episode is brought to you by Built Bar. Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to BuiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKEDON, and you'll get $10 off your first order. Happy Tuesday, Patriots fans. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day.

And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, your comments, and your feedback, always welcomed and greatly appreciated. Feel free to share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And of course, while you're out there tiptoeing around through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. And folks, it is once again crossover week here on the Locked On Podcast Network,

and seeing that we've been decorating these last two weeks with a little bit of an East Meets West motif, we will continue to chronicle each team in the AFC West whom the Patriots will be playing as part of their cross-divisional competition in the upcoming 2020 NFL season. Yesterday we kicked off our AFC West divisional crossover week with a sharp eye and a sharp ear on the defending Super Bowl champions. Chris Clark, host of Locked On Chiefs, joined me here yesterday on the pod and we discussed the offense, the defense, and even the season prognosis of the defending champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.

But today, folks, we're moving right along, and we're going to be traveling Rocky Mountain High. And folks, I know what you're thinking. Please keep the jokes to yourself. This is a family podcast, after all. But in case you haven't guessed, that means the subject of today's podcast is the Denver Broncos. And to help break down those Broncos is my good friend and colleague, host of Locked

On Broncos, Cody Rourke. And Cody is second to none when it comes to Denver Broncos analysis, whether it be X's and O's on the field, personnel groupings, front office moves, or coaching strategy. Cody is the first source that I go to whenever I need Denver Broncos information. And quite honestly, folks, he's the only one I need. Couple that in with getting a chance to share the microphone with a good friend, and that makes for a pretty fun podcast on tap for all of you. So settle in, folks.

An action-packed show on the docket for you today as Cody and I get set to break down all things Patriots-Broncos right here on Day 2 of East Meets West AFC-style crossover week right here on the Locked On Podcast Network. But before I welcome Cody here to join me on the pod, I just wanted to take a moment to address a subject that, up until last night, I wasn't even sure I was going to address on today's pod. And judging by the tone of my voice, you can probably figure it out. By now, I'm sure you've all seen the reports that have been festering throughout social media like a fungus

surrounding Tom Brady and Josh McDaniels and Tom's eventual decision to leave New England. And this all essentially started when Gary Myers, a longtime reporter for the NFL and someone whose work throughout the years that I have respected and enjoyed, went public with a report that one of the major reasons why Tom Brady left New England was because of a deteriorating relationship with offensive coordinator and close Brady friend Josh McDaniels. And for the past 24 hours, Myers has staunchly defended his sources, stating that he fully trusts them, and even going as far as to defend that stance in a guest appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hubs, Zolak and Bertrand, earlier in the day on Tuesday.

And while Myers would not reveal his source, he said that if he were to reveal the manner in which his source was connected to the story, it would leave no doubt that this was indeed the truth. Folks, I'm not going to validate or vilify the veracity of Myers' report. That's not my job. As a journalist, it's Myers' responsibility to obtain information from sources that he trusts, fully vet that information, and then submit it as news for public consumption. That's the definition of a journalist. And whether Myers wants to admit

it or not, there are people in this world without his extensive resume that do understand how the concept of journalism works. And to be honest, folks, one of the reasons why I am addressing this today is because I saw Myers take a pretty snarky swipe at a journalist that I've worked with and respect a great deal. Pulling rank and telling someone they don't understand the concept of journalism does nothing to further the validity of anyone's claim, whether you're a seasoned journalist or someone just starting out in the business. But what does make me question the validity of this particular story is the rapid and definitive public response from the very subject of that story, Tom Brady himself. Brady took to Instagram and actually took a snapshot of this story and

superimposed, in very bold font by the way folks, a big time refute that cannot be disputed. Brady's comments were as follows, Please stop this nonsense. Please be more responsible with reporting. And he concluded with, 19 years together and brothers for life. And then Brady tagged Josh McDaniels in this post. Now the easy and pedestrian way to argue your way out of this, folks,

is to say, well, what do you expect Brady to say? Do you expect him to say that there was friction? And folks, the answer is just as easy. No, I don't expect Tom Brady to say that there was friction. But you know what else I didn't expect? I didn't expect Tom Brady to respond to this story at all. In the time that I've covered Tom, he's never been one to so quickly and so publicly

call out a story as being quote-unquote nonsense. Again, these are Tom's words that he's using, not mine. Nobody provoked Tom or prodded him for a response here. He very easily could have ignored it and just let it be. But obviously, he felt strongly enough to take to Instagram to write a wrong that he believes was going to spread a false narrative about the friendship and working relationship that he had with Josh McDaniels, someone he's worked with and been a close friend of for 19 years. Quite honestly, that's why I believe Tom in this situation. If someone had cornered him, put a camera in his face, put a microphone near his mouth and said,

Tom, this is what they're saying about you and Josh McDaniels. Do you care to respond? I would definitely be much more apt to use the argument, well, what do you think he's going to say? He's put on the spot, he's in a corner, and he's most likely to respond in a way that's going to make the situation less benign. That didn't happen here. No one forced Tom Brady or even asked Tom Brady to respond to this report.

He did this on his own free will, and that proves to me that there was some passion that was ignited by what he read. Now, this might sound like I'm trying to indict the work that Myers did in gathering the information and in the sources that he used. Actually, it's quite far from that. I understand exactly what Gary did. He had a source that he trusts. That trust was enough of a vetting to him in order to be able to go public with this. But when Tom Brady himself, the very subject of this report, breaks character, so to speak, and specifically calls out a report as quote-unquote nonsense, then maybe, just maybe, it's time to acknowledge the fact that this report might not be canon law. Ultimately, and this is

the bottom line here, folks, Tom Brady left the New England Patriots because neither he nor the Pats saw eye to eye in terms of the best future for both sides moving forward. It wasn't because Brady was sick of Bill. It wasn't because Bill was sick of Tom. It wasn't because Tom and Josh were no longer passing notes to each other during study hall. And it wasn't because Tom Brady was just looking for kicks on a Friday night. It was because Tom Brady had a vision of his future in mind. The New England Patriots had a vision of their future in mind, and like so many relationships, which by the way, 20 years existed pretty harmoniously and pretty successfully, the two sides just didn't see eye to eye any longer. That's as simple as that, folks.

Most of us, myself included, misread that a lot more than we'd care to believe. But at the end of the day, if you're still looking for a reason why the Patriots and Tom Brady went their separate ways, it's as simple as this. They both felt it wasn't their best interest to move on. Everything else is just window dressing. And on that note, folks, we put the past aside and we get ready to move forward to the 2020 season and the future in Foxborough. And one of the Patriots' future opponents is those Denver Broncos. And in just a moment, Cody Rourke of Locked On Broncos will join me here on the pod to discuss all things Mile High. Again, folks, no, we're not going there. This is a family show.

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Make Built Bar your go-to protein bar today. Folks, it's been said that Superman has his kryptonite. And with all due respect to the Miami Dolphins, the Denver Broncos were long considered to be that kryptonite to the Patriots and Tom Brady's Superman. Well, Tom is no longer calling New England home these days. He and Rob Gronkowski are living del Boca Vista down in Tampa Bay. But this Week 5 matchup, tentatively scheduled for October 11th,

will still be a great matchup between two proud franchises and two intriguing teams. And because it's crossover time here on the Locked On Podcast Network, the New England Patriots will be crossed with the Denver Broncos today. I'm Mike DeBate, host of the Locked On Patriots Podcast, and joining me is Cody Rourke, host of Locked On Broncos. Cody, thank you for joining me here on the crossover today. Been looking forward to this conversation for a while, my friend. Always fun talking with you, Mike.

You know, I love what you do over there with Locked On Patriots and look, a lot of ties between these two teams and we get to meet early on. We get to meet in that week. I believe it's week five matchup, if I'm not mistaken. So it's going to be fun. The last time the Broncos won in Foxborough, it's been some time. Jake Plummer was the quarterback for this Denver Broncos team,

and that was many, many moons ago. So looking forward to this matchup, obviously, and to talk Broncos-Patriots with you. It will be. It'll be a great matchup. And you talk about the Brady and Manning matchups and even going back to Shannon Sharp calling and wanting to bring in the National Guard because they were killing the Patriots. There's a lot of history

between these two franchises, two proud franchises. And again, I think it's going to be a great matchup, maybe a little better than people are giving it credit for. And Cody, the Broncos have been a team on the cusp in recent years and resetting the roster foundation. Now, one of the ways they've done so is through the draft. And it's really been, I think, about a three-year progression if you look at this objectively. I love what John Elway and the Broncos Brain Trust did this year in the draft. Obviously, Jerry Judy's going to be their crown jewel. But bringing in guys like K.J. Hamler, Lloyd Cushenberry, and Albert Akwegmanam, those are guys I had my sharp eye on when it came to possible fits for the Patriots. When you look at this draft hall, how did the Broncos make out in 2020?

Who are the names that we should get to know? And was this the draft that finally put the finishing touches on the turnaround in Denver? You know, I think there's hope there, Mike, that this draft class for the Denver Broncos on paper has so much potential to be very promising. We look at John Elway's last two draft class in Denver. They've been very good. They've gotten some pretty good hauls out of it. And this could be year three in a row where they have guys

that come in and contribute right away. And so I think, you know, the obvious seed names to look at, Jerry Judy, first-round pick out of Alabama, phenomenal route runner all across the board. K.J. Handler, their round two pickup, a speed dynamic that will fit really well for them inside the slot. But if I'm looking at some other guys, I feel like could be some surprise

contributors. You know, I've been very high on McTelvin Ajeem, defensive lineman out of Arkansas, which they required with their third-round pick. Also, Lloyd Cushingberry could be the projected starting center for this Denver Broncos offense. And so when you look at the offseason additions altogether, I think with these young guys that you're bringing in, Michael Ojemudia out of Iowa is obviously going to be one of those

contributing guys that's going to compete in training camp. My biggest thing that I'm looking at here, though, Mike, is which one of these guys will come in and start. I don't necessarily believe you're going to have a lot of these guys, maybe outside of the offensive side of the ball with KJ Hamler and Jerry Judy, guys that are going to be starting necessarily. I think some of the defensive guys they picked up will be role players, guys that will rotate in, but will still have a pretty big role for this Broncos team.

So keep an eye on McTelvin Ajeem, defensive lineman out of Arkansas. He's my surprise guy to keep an eye on. Also, seventh-rounder Derek Tuska. You know, he's a phenomenal, speedy pass rusher out of Arkansas. He's my surprise guy to keep an eye on. Also, seventh-rounder Derek Tuska. He's a phenomenal, speedy pass rusher out of North Dakota State that could be one of those guys that sneaks on and maybe gets some key reps at the end of the season. It's really interesting. You always see these seventh-round guys every once in a while across the National Football League or undrafted guys. The Broncos have had some pretty good luck finding those guys, too.

But guys that come in and contribute. Andrick tusker could be one of those guys that you know could be valuable off the edge for this broncos team behind guys like bradley chubb bond miller and jeremiah atachi absolutely and i think in a lot of ways these two teams share such an affinity for those late round diamond in the rough type gems that i think both franchises are able to pluck out i'm so glad that you mentioned ajim all right i'll be in in the third round gems that I think both franchises are able to pluck out. I'm so glad that you mentioned Ajeem. All right, I'll be in the third round. I don't think you can necessarily consider it a third rounder, a diamond in the rough.

But I really like him the more I looked at him, and I started to look at Denver's draft hall in anticipation of our conversation today. You know, former edge defender moved inside and really causes a lot of problems for opposing quarterbacks. 14-and-a-half career sacks as an interior defender. I think he can be a nice of problems for opposing quarterbacks. 14 and a half career sacks as an interior defender. I think he can be a nice depth rusher in sub packages. I think he has the ability to be a long-term starter. So I'm glad you mentioned him as the guy to keep an eye

on because I'll definitely have my sharp eye on him. And I think he could make things interesting in New England when these two teams hook up, especially with a new quarterback under center in New England. And I'm sure we're going to get to that in a moment as well. But with that being said, Cody, the Broncos have also used the offseason to solidify their veteran presence as well as their coaching staff. That, to me, is going to help to promote stability this year. In particular, I love the move that they made in trading for Jarrell Casey

and A.J. Boye, really solidifying that defense. I like the fact that they made in trading for Jarrell Casey and A.J. Boye, really solidifying that defense. I like the fact that they brought back Shelby Harris as well. I also was intrigued by the fact that Vic Fangio is going to have both Pat Shermer and Mike Shula alongside him this year. Coaching is always an important part of what we do here in New England, so I always have a sharp eye on the coaching staff. And I think having Shermer and Shula particularly in camp is going to mean that Denver is going to be maybe a

little bit more apt to use the tight end position and maybe utilize Noah Fant to his capabilities. If you were to rank these moves, which would you say is the most impactful? And what will that mean for the Broncos chances in what promises to be a tough division yeah that's a great question Mike and you know I think coaching is so valuable you look at this coaching staff right now for the Broncos you talk about experience all across the board Vic Fangio as the head coach slash D coordinator Ed Donatel D coordinator you look at Pat Sherman now the OC in Denver with a lot of experience Mike Shue with quarterback position they also signed John Pagano to be the outside linebacker coach to work with Von Miller Bradley Chubb so they've got experience all across the globe here on a coaching staff which I think is great when you have a

really really young roster you want guys to have experience that have been around the game for quite some time to lead a bunch of new guys that are just maybe entering or they're fresh in the NFL so I think that bodes as a positive as a benefit to this Broncos team. And I look at those additions too. And I look at Pat Schirmer. I do think that the tight end is going to have a big role here. We're going to see Noah Fant, I think flexed out a lot more in the slot offset is maybe a wing in certain situations. Same thing with Albert Oak Wavenham, who they picked up in the fourth round. You know, you look at his tape at Missouri. He did a lot of that, especially when Drew Locke was the quarterback at Mizzou. They did a lot of that.

And so I feel like there was a role here where, you know, they're going to get Fant involved a lot more in the passing game, but I feel like they're going to use Albert Oak Wabenum in the blocking game as well and then set things up after a couple plays, you know, on dump outs, on fake the inside zone, dump out to the flats, or tight end pop passes. We could see a lot of that with this Broncos team, but you look at all the weapons. It's just crazy. Drew Locke's going to have his pickings, and I think that you have a quarterback coach

with Mike Shula. That's going to bode well for Drew Locke. I think that's a valuable thing to have for him. Absolutely, and that's such great insight on the tight end position. And you mentioned O'Quigley again, a guy that I had my sharp eye on when it came to New England. I agree with you. I think they can use him very nicely in the blocking game, but he can also get open.

People forget that he's a very fast runner. He ran the 40 in just 4.49 seconds, so if they need a little bit of a burn at that position, I think he can do that very nicely. And again, the Missouri connection with Drew Locke. And that leads me quite nicely into my last question for you here today, my friend, before we turn the tables and you put me on the hot seat, and that is regarding Drew Locke. Drew is entering 2020 as the unquestioned starter.

Joe Flacco, Case Keenum, gone. Meaning Drew Locke is the guy, and from everything I've read about Drew, he seems to have that type of a makeup and brings that prowess on the field that leads John Elway and the Denver Brain Trust to believe that this is the guy moving forward. But Cody, I trust your judgment implicitly. You know this team as well, if not better than anyone. When you look at Drew Locke as a complete quarterback, what leads you to believe that he's the answer for this team, not just this year in 2020, but beyond and as a long-term solution at the position? You know, I think for me, when I go back and I reference what's been said about Drew Locke by his teammates, the moment he came into the starting lineup, there was this energy

to him. Joe Flacco, you look at him in the huddle, you look at him on the sideline. And I remember there was a Thursday night football broadcast against the Chiefs where Troy Aikman even said that, you know, a guy like Joe Flacco, a quarterback shows zero emotion when they're getting blown out. That to me, he said was very unsettling for him. Drew Locke just brought this different energy. And Dalton Reisner, who was a rookie last year as well, talked about how Drew Locke prepared to be the starter before he was a starter. He was roommates with him, and he'd be drawing up all the plays on the bathroom mirror. He would also be calling out the plays like he's getting it in the headset.

He'd be echoing the play call, memorizing it. So, for me, this is a guy that prepares. The Broncos haven't really had a guy with some moxie, with some of the swagger that we say. And I know it's cliche to say that about a quarterback, but you go back to Trevor Simeon. He was one of those calm, cool, collected type quarterbacks. Not a lot of energy, but a guy that was going to come out

and try to do his best for you to win. Paxton Lynch was a guy that didn't come in at all, didn't prepare to be the Broncos' starting quarterback. Things didn't work out with him, obviously. Brock Osweiler came back for a little bit of a stint there, wasn't the guy, obviously. And then you go in with Case Keenum, who was a guy that was a leader, in my opinion, a guy that tried to lead and rally the offense,

but just wasn't the guy. They didn't play to the strengths of him under Vance Joseph in terms of the play action. They didn't utilize him the way that he should have been coming off that big year that he had for the Minnesota Vikings under Pat Shermer in 2017. Then you go in, you have Joe Flacco who just holds onto the ball too long, not the most mobile quarterback.

We've seen the game evolve. So Drew Locke enters the starting line of Week 13 against the Chargers. He just got this energy to him. He takes chances, which towards the end of the season, he stopped taking as many chances as he did at the beginning of the season, and he started playing smarter football. So he adjusted. There was a game against Kansas City where he threw across his body.

He rolled out to the left side, threw all the way across to his right. It was intercepted. And so I think he went away from that gunslinger mentality that he talked about early on, that, you know, he's a gunslinger. He's going to take chances. He actually went away from that, started playing smarter football, and I think for the Broncos, going 4-1 in a five-game stretch with Drew Locke was promising.

Is that enough to rule him as the guy yet? No, I think it's way too short. Five games, we saw a little bit from him, but 16 games in 2020 is going to be a true determining factor. If he could lead this Broncos team to a 500 record or above, 8-8, 9-7, then I think that you have some substance to the fact that, look, this is a guy that you could build around for many years to come. And certainly, with the Broncos' emphasis this offseason,

with loading him up with weapons, certainly they believe that Locke is the guy long-term. Once again, spot-on insight, my friend. And you bring the wisdom and counsel like no one else can. I'm not surprised. And I know on behalf of Patriots Nation, we thank you for that type of insight when it comes to anything and everything orange and blue related to the Denver Broncos.

But this wouldn't exactly be a true crossover, bud, unless we flip the script and you put me on the hot seat. In just a moment, folks, Cody Rourke and I will talk about the tumultuous offseason in Foxborough and what it means for the Patriots this season when this crossover episode of Locked on Patriots and Locked on Broncos continues. All right, Mike, now I've got a bunch of questions I've got to ask you about the New England Patriots because the offseason,

before the offseason even happened, after that loss against Tennessee, everybody was wondering, is this it for New England? Is this it? Is this the end of the dynasty? Tom Brady, there were rumors leading up into the season, actually, that he put his house up for sale, he disenrolled his kids, and that they were probably going to be moving out of New England.

You know, you can look at that a variety of ways because there's a lot of NFL players that have different houses in different states. I mean, so really for me, I was looking at it and I told myself, I would be shocked if Tom Brady wasn't back. But, you know, that's just me being outside of the market. So the biggest question, Tom Brady, he leaves New England during free agency. You know, obviously that's something that some expected,

some didn't expect to happen. What are your thoughts on Tom Brady's legacy in New England concluding? And, you know, are there any sour feelings amongst the New England Patriots fan base and Tom Brady? Well, to be honest with you, Cody, there are some, there really shouldn't be. I can tell you from my own personal experience, Tom Brady will always be revered as one of the greatest athletes in Boston

sports history, without question the greatest athlete in the New England Patriots history. So for his legacy to be questioned or for people to say that it was tarnished by his leaving to me is just it's disingenuous and it's simply not true. Look, this is a guy that provided six Super Bowl championships to the region of New England, came in as a sixth round draft pick number 199 in the 2000 NFL draft, and turned his career into arguably the greatest career that really any professional football player has ever had when it comes to the success he's had on the field. So I don't think it's cheap and or tarnished his legacy in the

least. I believe he'll still be the most beloved athlete in Patriots folklore. And again, you have to expect that at some point when Tom Brady does retire, and at this point, folks, we really have no idea when that will be. He just keeps going and going. He is the NFL equivalent of the Energizer Bunny. But when he does finally decide to retire, you have to think that a homecoming to New England for a one-day contract or a ceremony has got to be something that both sides will be amenable to. But look, it leaves a huge hole at the quarterback position. Without question, Tom was an indelible part of what this team did offensively. He was a big part of the reason for their success.

Now, a young quarterback comes in for the first time in a long while, takes the reins, and knows that he's going to be the guy full time. Jimmy Garoppolo did it for a brief period of time. Matt Castle did it back in 08 because of the Tom Brady's injury. But at the same time, they knew that the reins were going back over to Tom. There was never any question about who was going to get the ball back when he was ready to go. Tom Brady's not walking through that door, folks.

So in a lot of ways, this opens the door now for a little bit of a new focus on the offense. But in Brady's situation, I believe this is going to be a good fit for him. I think that going to Tampa with the weapons that he has, the opportunities that he's going to have under Bruce Arians, it's going to open up a lot for him to be able to exploit defenses and really show that at age 43 he's still one of the best and a lot left in the tank for him again at this point when you talk about surprise and you talk about shock about him being back yeah I was surprised I was shocked that he wasn't back in New England but when you look at the handwriting on the wall maybe we all looked at it a little bit too much with rose-colored glasses. Didn't realize that this was probably the perfect time for Bill Belichick

and the New England Patriots to move on, look for the future, and for Tom Brady to walk away. I still believe he would have been back if it was back on the Patriots' terms. That's how they wanted him back. But ultimately, Tom wanted more, and you can't fault him for that. So I hold no ill will toward Tom. I think most Patriots fans, most level-headed Patriots fans, would agree with that.

And it's a new era now in New England, and they're ready to roll under Jarrett Stidham. So, yeah, that brings me to my next question. Now the focus shifts. Who replaces Tom Brady, Jarrett Stidham, and Brian Hoyer? The two quarterbacks on the roster right now. You know, for you, is the Patriots organization, are they sold on one of these two guys being the guy,

or could they potentially look at bringing in somebody else? You know, one of the free agent options still out there, Cam Newton. I just don't know if that would be a fit for New England. But, you know, I have a lot of questions. I don't have a lot of information on Jared Stidham and what's next because you go from Tom Brady to another quarterback. That, to me, I think is what my biggest test, my biggest evaluation is because after the Broncos lost out on Peyton Manning once he retired,

part of me was wondering who's going to step up, and obviously we've been going through that carousel for quite some time now. So, Mike, do you see the Patriots maybe getting involved in a similar situation here? Not so much in my opinion, Cody. I think they're ready to roll under Jarrett Stidham, and there are a lot of reasons for that. First of all, the Patriots saw what Jarrett had in store for them

when they drafted him last year in the fourth round out of Auburn. Bringing him in and making him a part of this organization, to me, was something that was a foregone conclusion when you looked at his prowess on the field, when you looked at the type of mental makeup that he brings to the field, and his ability to be able to shake off difficulties and shake off problems. This is a kid that has that ability. And that's something that can't really be taught. That's something that's innate. Yes, you can craft that ability. You can learn to deal with mistakes, learn to deal with adversity a little bit better. But if you have that coming right out of college, that's a big feather in your cap and something

that I think endeared him to Bill Belichick. If there is one thing that worries me about Jarrett this year, it's his ability to make decisions quickly. Tom Brady was the best in the league at being able to do that. Read defenses, get rid of the ball, not take a sack when you need it, when it's not needed, but taking a sack when it's needed, making the right decision with the football in your hands. That's something Jarrett's going to have to craft a little bit because when he's pressured, he's been known to throw an interception or two. A lot of that is what you saw last year against the Jets when he

came in through the pick six right away. If you look at the tape on that, it really wasn't as much Jarrett's fault as it was maybe a little bit of an incomplete route being run by the wide receiver, Jacoby Myers there. But in a lot of cases, that to me is the concern. And I think that's something they're going to have to look at. That's why you may see Brian Hoyer come in spotty at times and be able to right this ship if Jarrett runs into problems. You mentioned Cam Newton, and I'm a huge fan of Cam's. I'm a huge fan of his game. I don't think it translates well to what the New England Patriots have done in the offseason and the type of offense that they want to run. Now, is there a

possibility that they could bring him in? There's always a possibility. I mean, you can never, ever count anything out. But the Patriots are strapped for cap position right now. They have less than a million dollars worth of cap space, I believe just over 700,000. That's not going to get you much when it comes to Cam Newton. From what I've heard from the Patriots brain trust, they're looking to extend Joe Tooney give him a long-term deal spread that cap hit out a little bit to keep him in the fold and prevent that left side of the

offensive line from being weakened because that's going to determine how successful Jared Stidham can be in New England if he gets the time and he's able to complete step into his throws and make them this kid can put the ball on a dime he has that ability he's got the arm he can extend plays with his legs a little bit you may see him get a little creative when it comes to that this year but ultimately I think they're going to roll with him and I don't see them going in another direction I think it's Stidham's year and barring anything they see in 2020 I think it's going to be his job for quite some time. The Patriots seem pretty taken with this kid. Well, the last one I have for you here, Mike, obviously take a look at the pieces with Stidham.

You look at the wide receiver, Julian Edelman will be back. Nikhil Harry, hopefully, you know, for him, he can stay healthy this season. You know, I look at the Patriots defensively. They have a lot of those key players and pieces back on the back end of the secondary. How do you see this Patriots team really looking at 2020 in the division, especially with the rise of the Buffalo Bills who got better this offseason? And right now I think a lot of people that are outside of the Patriots market are looking at New England as what have they done to get better?

How do you foresee the Patriots competing inside the AFC East this upcoming season? I think it's going to be a much tougher fit this year for the Patriots to try to contend for a division title. And that's not so much an indictment on what New England has lost, meaning Tom Brady and guys like Kyle Vannoy, Jamie Collins. I think you look at the teams in the division and how much they've gotten better, how much they've improved. The Miami Dolphins are much better on paper than they were a year ago. And this is a team that surprised a lot of people when they came in here to New England and beat the Patriots in the final regular season game and cost them that first round bye

that who knows what that could have done for the balance of power in the AFC last year when it came to the playoffs. The Buffalo Bills, you mentioned, are a much more formidable team and they were already nipping at the heels of the New England Patriots last year. The moves that they've made on defense have been solid.

Adding a guy like Stephon Diggs to that offense definitely opens things up for Josh Allen and allows him to be able to utilize his arm strength and really, I think, make him a better quarterback. And the New York Jets also, I think, have made some improvements as well. Sam Darnold is going to have a full year under center. This is a team that a lot of people felt was a sleeper playoff contender last year if they had a full season of a healthy Sam Darnold is going to have a full year under center. This is a team that a lot of people felt was a sleeper playoff contender last year if they had a full season of a healthy Sam Darnold. Albeit, you never know from year to year what is going to happen with health,

but assuming he's healthy for the full season, that may make him a better quarterback, and that may make the New York Jets a little bit tougher as well. So what I think the Patriots will do is rely on their defense. I believe they still have, if not the best defense in the division, a very, very close neck-and-neck matchup with the Buffalo Bills. So in that respect, I expect them to contend based on that. I also think offensively they'll be a little bit better than people believe. I think you're going to see a return to a pound, that ground game that the Patriots like to employ.

I think they're going to rely heavily on their running backs. I think they will utilize the offensive skill position players in areas that are going to accent what Jarrett Stidham brings to the table. In that respect, I expect a lot out of guys like Jacoby Myers, Nakiel Harry. They're going to have to step up and be big-time playmakers for Jared Stidham and again as long as you have Julian Edelman in that offense he's going to be able to dictate a lot of what happens

he's going to command I think a lot of double teams maybe even triple teams at times and that may open things up for guys like Harry like Myers and even James White out of the backfield to get big-time yards after the catch. So in that respect, I like the Patriots' ability to be right in the mix for a division title. They're not the far-gone conclusion that they were before, and in a lot of ways, I think this is going to be a true test of Bill Belichick, Jarrett Stidham, and the Patriots' coaching staff and how they're able to move forward. So I would say in an early projection for the Patriots' season, probably an 8-8, 9 So I would say in an early projection for the Patriots season,

probably an 8-8, 9-7 would be a great case scenario for New England. If they are on the losing end of things, folks, I will say this, and I've said it again over and over, they are not tanking this year. They're not tanking for Trevor. They're not losing for Lawrence. That's not the makeup of the New England Patriots. They're trying to win this year, and they'll try to do it as best they possibly can.

Just going to be a little bit more difficult with the competition they're facing. Well, I'm intrigued to see how everything plays out for New England this season. Obviously, these two teams will meet in week five. Both young teams led by a young quarterback in Drew Locke. Jared Stidham, the storylines will write itself as we get to that point, Mike.

But obviously, a lot of great insight as always. A lot of Broncos fans right now just got a lot more educated on what they could expect of the New England Patriots, what's going on there. I always think that's a great point of these crossovers, is that the other audience always gets to know a little bit more about other teams. And for that, to make smarter football fans, and I'm all for that. So, Mike, thank you so much for jumping on here today and talking Broncos, talking Patriots with us in this AFC East versus AFC West crossover series. And just like that, Patriots fans, two down and two to go

on this East meets West AFC style crossover week here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. We've kicked it with Kansas City. We've been down with Denver. But now, folks, it's time to Viva Las Vegas, as in the Las Vegas Raiders. And tomorrow here on the pod, Locked On Raiders and Locked On Patriots will cross over, and we will discuss this upcoming matchup in the 2020 NFL schedule. So, folks, to make sure that the content of this episode doesn't just stay in Vegas,

don't miss an episode and subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Follow us on Spotify. And remember, you can always play Locked On Patriots right on your very own smart device. And it's so easy to do it. Simply ask it to play the latest episode of Locked On Patriots. And if you've enjoyed today's podcast, now tell your smart device to play the most recent episode of Locked On Fantasy Football. Once again, folks, I am Mike DeBate.

I thank Cody Rourke for his time, his insight, and his appearance today. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Stay safe, stay well, and have a great day, everyone.