Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Building on Strength: Patriots to Enhance Special Teams, Offensive Line — 1/11/2021

Episode Date: January 11, 2021

Although the New England Patriots may not be playing playoff football, there is still a great deal of business to which the Pats must attend in the offseason. Joining host Mike D’Abate is fan-favorite Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy to discuss the Patriots’ need to maintain their prowess on two areas of strength: special teams and along the offensive line. Mike and Murph also offer their thoughts on Wild Card Weekend, and whether the Pats’ might have had success against the 2020 playoff teams.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. EchelonGo to EchelonFit.com/LockedOn and try any Echelon Fitness equipment at home for 30 days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful. You are now locked in to the Lockdown Patriots podcast. It is Monday, January 11th, and because it's Monday, that means today is a hashtag LockedOnMurfMonday right here on your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions,

the New England Patriots. Today's episode of Locked On Patriots is brought to you by Built Bar. Go to BuiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKEDON to get 20% off your next order. Greetings and salutations, Patriots Nation, and thank you for kicking off your work week's worth of Patriots coverage right here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of Locked On Patriots, 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, comments, and feedback are always welcomed and very much appreciated.

Feel free to share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there searching for that Monday Muse in the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Pats fans wildcard weekend in the 2020 NFL playoffs is in the books. Six great games between Saturday and Sunday. A key division rival moving on in their pursuit for a Super Bowl berth. Another franchise in the city of rock and roll getting their first playoff victory in quite a while.

And of course, an old friend or two leading their Buccaneer crew to victory in this wildcard weekend. Only eight teams remain in the 2020 NFL playoffs heading into the divisional round this coming weekend. And if I'm being honest, folks, just felt like something was missing this weekend. And it's really going to feel like something's missing this coming weekend. And if I'm being honest, folks, just felt like something was missing this weekend. And it's really going to feel like something's missing this coming weekend. That something is your New England Patriots.

And even with an earlier than usual exit last year, the Patriots were at least a part of the playoff picture. This year, not a Flying Elvis logo in sight. And I know there are 31 other fan bases that are absolutely loving not having to see the Patriots in the playoffs. But we're not one of them. We want our guys in the playoffs. We need our guys in the playoffs.

And the journey to bring this team back to the playoffs starts right now as the Patriots front office and coaching staff prepare to build the best possible team they can in hopes of competing for that playoff spot in the 2021 NFL season. And for the better part of last week, we identified a lot of areas in which the Patriots need to improve. And if there's one thing finishing with a 7-9 record will teach you, it's that there are several areas of weakness that the team has to address in the offseason. But it's important not just to identify your weaknesses, you also want to identify your strengths.

Build on what you currently do well. Just because you need help in other areas doesn't mean that you want to become deficient in an area in which you were proficient last year. Two areas where the Patriots were particularly good in 2020 were on special teams and along the offensive line. And that's where we'll focus today's discussion. And because it's Monday, that's right folks, you heard me right earlier, it is hashtag Locked on Murph Monday.

The Green Master of Disaster. The Green King of Sting. The Count of Murphy. Fisto himself. My good friend, the legendary Thomas Murphy, joins me here today on the hot seat. And we will discuss the Patriots' prowess on special teams. How the Patriots to all pro selections in 2020, meaning punter Jake Bailey and punt returner Gunnar Ryszelski.

That's right, folks. The NFL and the Associated Press made that man a gunner, and I for one could not be happier for the kid. You can bet that they will be in the fold, and they'll be a formidable part of keeping that special teams unit as strong as possible. But it doesn't end with just Gunnar and Bailey. There is also second-team All-Pro and current special teams captain Matthew Slater that the Patriots would love to keep around. Also, free agents such as Cody Davis, Justin Bethel, and a guy that Tanya

Ray Fox and I discussed a little bit on Friday during her appearance here on the pod. And that's kicker Nick Folk. Should the Patriots be looking at options of bringing Nick back into the fold in 2021, or has Nick kicked his way into a brand new payday. And speaking of paydays, Murph and I will also discuss how Patriots guard Joe Tooney has likely earned a massive payday. Does that mean the end of Joe in a Patriots uniform? Also, what is to become of center David Andrews? And with his pleasantly surprising performance this season, did rookie tackle Michael Wainu actually make a better argument

to be Tooney's replacement if, in fact, he moves on? Well, folks, Murph and I will discuss all of this and much more, including Murph's thoughts on the games that did take place this wildcard weekend, when this hashtag LockedOnMurphMonday episode of the LockedOnPatriots podcast continues in just a moment. But first, LockedOn listeners, are we ready for some football? Of course we're ready for some football? Of course we're ready for some football, especially some college football. It's roll tide in the state of Alabama as the Alabama Crimson Tide prepare to take on the Ohio State University Buckeyes in the college

football national championship game tonight, January 11th at 8 p.m. Eastern. Don't forget the NFL, which is fresh off a wildcard weekend, and that divisional round playoff picture is now crystal clear. There is only one place that has you covered and one place we trust. BetOnline.ag. Sign up today for a free account at BetOnline.ag and use that promo code LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. According to our good friends at BetOnline.ag, the college football national championship game currently sees the Alabama Crimson Tide at 8-point favorites. And whether you agree or disagree with that line, don't sit on the sidelines anymore.

Get in on the action. And don't forget to use that promo code LOCKEDON to receive a 50% welcome bonus with your first deposit. And if you're out there on social media either before or during the game, don't forget to visit our good friends and exclusive partner at BetOnline underscore AG. And don't forget to use the hashtag BetOnline. Do that to take advantage of the best bonuses in the business. Don't forget, sign up for a free account and use the promo code LOCKEDON for your signup bonus. BetOnline, your online sportsbook experts.

Locked On listeners, betting on the NFL does not have to be a guessing game if you listen to the new Locked On Bets podcast hosted by your boy Q and handicapping expert Lee Sterling. Get daily picks and quick-h hitting advice to make the smartest possible wagers. Subscribe to the Locked On Bets podcast brought to you by betonline.ag wherever you get your podcasts. Pats fans, the New England Patriots may not be playing playoff football right now, but there is still a lot to discuss when it comes to this team. And throughout the coming days and weeks here on the pod, we will take a deeper dive into the Patriots 2020 season.

And what it means for 2021. But here today on the pod. We continue to break the surface. And because it's Monday. You know what that means. It's that time again. Your favorite and mine. My benefactor in this business.

The count of Murphy Fisto himself. The legendary Thomas Murphy is back for his weekly appearance here on Locked On Patriots. As always, thank you for coming to me in friendship and for joining me today, Don Murph. Oh, bud, always my pleasure. Always my pleasure. Since we started doing this on Monday,

I actually look forward to Mondays. Maybe I need therapy. Sit down and talk to somebody about this. I look forward to Mondays. Maybe I need therapy. Sit down and talk to somebody about this. I look forward to Monday. Well, I assure you we do as well, and I know our listeners do. Locked on Murph Mondays are always among our highest rated, and they're always

among our fan favorite moments. I owe that all to you, my friend. Let's just get down to it. Wild card weekend we're coming off of, buddy, and it's always fun. There's no question about it. We love football. We always take our opportunities to watch football.

But if I'm being honest, man, it just wasn't the same this weekend. Even we had Tom Brady and the Bucs taking center stage on Saturday night, but it just didn't feel like our own anymore. I don't know. Maybe that's just me, but it's just kind of how I felt. But that being said, some very good matchups on Saturday and on Sunday. Some good games. Buddy, the floor is yours.

Spread some green wisdom and counsel here for us today, my friend. What caught your eye over wild card weekend? And is there anything that you learned about the teams that were in action, whether they be the teams that are moving on or the teams that were eliminated? Yeah, I got to say that the bills can be had. It's a feeling that I had earlier in the year, and that it was just compounded on what happened on Sunday. And also, again, what we see during the regular season isn't necessarily what we're

going to get come playoff time, how difficult it is once you've seen these teams that you're going up against two times during the year when you're running into them, games like the Seahawks and the Rams. And it is. It's going to be for an interesting divisional weekend. It's really going to captivate the NFL audience. And, yeah, it felt kind of wrong this weekend. Something just felt a little off not having the Patriots in there. Yeah, it definitely did. There's no question about it.

I mean, it's like it's one of those things where you just look for that logo when it comes to playoff football, whether it be on wildcard weekend or whether it be in the graphics that certain networks will put up and say, okay, well, this team has earned the right to go to Foxborough and go and face Bill Belichick and Tom Brady and the Patriots. You didn't see that this weekend. It was just, it was a little bit different. I'm glad you mentioned the Buffalo Bills because that surprised me a little bit that Buffalo's defense did have some difficulties being able to control Indianapolis. Indianapolis outgained the

Bills 472 to 397. They held the ball for more than 34 minutes. And the Colts were able to convert on 9 of 17. They stayed on the field over and over again. So this is a situation right now. If I'm the Buffalo Bills, you definitely have to shore that up with a high-powered offense now on the horizon coming up for them against Baltimore coming up this weekend. It's going to be a big game for them. And Buffalo's offense is going to have to get off the block a little bit quicker than

they did. Their offense had a hard time getting going in the first half, and they just didn't have great starting field position. Those are things that need to be fixed if this Buffalo team is going to be legitimate. Buddy, I did mention Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay bay buccaneers and i know some of our listeners are going to roll their eyes when we mention tom i get feedback all the time he's not a patriot anymore stop talking about him stop living in the past i understand it i do and i do understand the argument but there is a part of tom brady that's always going to be in the

wingland patriot when you looked at what the tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to do this weekend, are we seeing the Tom of old again kind of get that motivation to prove all the doubters wrong? Is he on that type of a run? Does he have that eye of the tiger, that look in his eye? Or is this a little bit of fool's gold saying that they played against Washington, they're a little bit depleted playing against the young quarterback and maybe they might be running up against it as they look to face Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints coming up this

weekend if if the the Buccaneers are let down by anything it'll be their defense um in these in this playoffs I was really um I I got into it with a few non-Twitter followers that decided to show up at my doorstep, as they always do when, you know, Tom Brady is the subject. This is a man who threw for 365 yards and two touchdowns at 43. At 43. And, yeah, I did see that look in his eye before kickoff. You could see it in the tunnel. You always know when the light switch is on. You can always see it in the eyes as to what he has in store for an opponent that night. You can see it when it's there, and I've seen it when it's not there, and it has been not there on certain occasions.

But, no, the Tampa Bay defense is god-awful. It really is. To give up 306 yards to a man that is being called a beer, Heineken, on major sports networks, was really eye-opening. And I can't wait to hear the local radio talk show hosts this week talking about how Bill could let this talented individual just walk out of here and leave us with nothing but Cam Newton and Jared Stidham when there was a guy like Heineke already on the roster

and he just walked away for absolutely nothing. The kid had a good day. He had a good day because the Bucs' defense was terrible. But their offense is just something that is amazing. I think I counted 43 drops of Tom Brady passes on the evening, so just imagine what would have been if that hadn't happened and they were able to do something. The running backs that Tampa Bay has are more than serviceable.

Fournette didn't have a fantastic game, but he did have a good game, you know, 93 yards on 19. Here's a stat for you all. Tom Brady has never lost to the same team three times in a season in his 20-year NFL career. And I just think he's going to have something special come next Sunday when they take on the Saints. Yeah, and again, that look in Tom Brady's eye is something that you can definitely see. And I'm glad you've mentioned that it's been there before and it hasn't been. I did see it on Saturday.

And I think that in a lot of ways, you're going to continue to see that. Look, an interesting tidbit. That 36-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Brown was the first. I think that was the longest touchdown pass that Tom Brady has thrown in the postseason since 2011. You want to talk about a guy that's been able to reinvent himself. I don't think he gets enough credit for doing that and playing to the strengths of what his team can give him. Tom Brady has relied a lot on short, crisp passes

to be able to move the ball effectively downfield. That was the longest touchdown pass he's thrown since 2011. So huge props to him for that. They did, you know, Tampa, obviously, I think you're absolutely right. I think Tampa will be carried as far as their defense can. That's my worry with this team, but they're going to be able to put up points even against the New Orleans defense, which is playing better as the year goes on. But they definitely will have their hands full with Tom in that offense.

Really quickly, buddy, before we bring this back into a Patriots perspective, because it is locked on Patriots, folks. Thoughts on Sunday night's game, the nightcap. Were you surprised by the performance of the Pittsburgh Steelers? Or is this the true Steelers team? And we're just seeing that. Did the Browns deserve? I think they do deserve a lot of credit for the way they came out and played from the get-go, but was this more

of exposing the Steelers than it was a lauding of the Cleveland Browns? I don't want to give the Steelers too much credit, but I don't want to take too much away from them either, away from the Browns and what they were able to do either. I did not believe in the Pittsburgh Steelers all year long. I am not a fan of Mike Tomlin.

I've been on record as saying that no coach in NFL history has accomplished less with as much talent as he has over the course of his career. And that's talking about a man who has two Super Bowls under his belt. It's just the box score is very misleading as to what was going on in that game. I thought the Browns, they jumped out to, you know, nobody had scored 28 points in the first quarter of a playoff game in NFL history, I think.

And they kind of got a little complacent and allowed the Steelers, you know, glimpses of hope. And you saw what Ben Roethlisberger can do when he has time and opportunity. But I said at one point last night, yeah, down 25 points, Tom Brady, sure. I'm sitting around, but down 25 points, Ben Roethlisberger, no. It's not going to happen. You know what's going to happen. He's going to throw that big pick in a big spot during the comeback, believing that he is still 26 years old, and he's not.

He just isn't. But that being said, the Steelers do have enough talent that they should have won this game. They just didn't have it. The Browns worked harder than him. They wanted it more, and they weren't going to let the situation dictate what was going to happen. That being said, I don't think they're winning this weekend.

Yeah, I was going to say, a very tall task to go up against the defending Super Bowl champions, but hey, congratulations to Cleveland. I mean, the last time these guys won a playoff game, a guy we all know very well, and Bill Belichick was talkinging the sidelines for the Cleveland Browns. Bill Parcells was the coach of the New England Patriots at the time. So it goes back a long, long way. I was a young whippersnapper, barely. I don't even think I was in my teens yet the last time that happened.

So it's been a while. It has been quite a while. It's been a while. And, you know, kudos to the Browns fans, some of the most loyal. And I get on fan bases all the time. But these guys are amazing. I love Cleveland. I love their fan base. And, you know, I am rooting for them this weekend. I think they can do it. I just don't think they will. Yeah, well said. And I think Cleveland fans are right now so starved for that type of success. They're enjoying it. And again, that is it's a great fan base to to get behind.

And I'll be rooting for them as well. No question about it. But I do think it's going to be a tall task. Buddy, this is Locked On Patriots. And before we get into the logistical business of the New England Patriots, uh, we'll play a little hypothetical here. Um, the Pats did finish with seven and nine records. So it wasn't a foregone conclusion that they were going to end up making the playoffs. They struggled to do so just wasn't in the cards for them this year. They were in contention though, for a playoff spot for much of the season playing devil's advocate just a bit here for a moment, if in fact this team had made the playoffs,

is there a chance they could have had success this past weekend? And if so, do you think there's an AFC team that made the playoffs that would have been their best possible opponent to find that success. Yeah, and I think they could have done something. If they had squeaked it, they definitely could have done some damage. I think they could have been playing this weekend, and I think the late game is the precursor to it. I think they could have beaten the Steelers because they just do. It's what they do. I think they could have. This is surprising, but I also think that they could have beaten either the Titans or the Ravens.

They beat the Ravens already this year. The Ravens did exactly what they needed to do to the Titans, to their run defense. I know the Patriots have had a difficult time stopping the run this year. And you can't take anything away from the effort that you got all year long from Der Derek Henry, but they played it perfectly. It's almost as if they had gone back and read my keys

to a former Tennessee game in funneling Henry up the middle because his yards per carry are just almost nonexistent at that point when you funnel him up the middle, when you make him go up between the tackles and don't allow him to get outside and use that amazing stiff arm that I've never seen anybody since Jim Brown be able to use. And I don't throw that out lightly. He does have one of the best stiff arms that has ever graced a 50, 100-yard field in college or pro, but the Ravens did it perfectly. I think that the Patriots, Bill,

could have schemed that up again and won this game. Last year, he showed what you shouldn't do in allowing him to get to the outside the way he did. But those are the teams that I think the Patriots would have been able to beat. And yes, again, I think when putting together this defense before the opt-outs, that he was setting up for teams that were on the Patriots' schedule this year. And that's why they had beaten the Ravens earlier. Yeah, I think a very good analysis in terms of what this team could have done, and I'm glad that you mentioned the Ravens and the Titans.

You know, not for anything, but Tom Brady told John Harbaugh a few years ago that maybe he needed to learn the rules a little bit better. What better way to learn the rules, folks, than to turn the keys? You go back into the archives. I told you, you become a better football fan by learning the keys. That's where Harbaugh's getting his information from. He is turning the keys, and look, it led to success this weekend. And, you know, I'm telling you, I'm telling you, there's something to that.

There is something to that, folks. Stick with me. Turning the keys, learning the game of football, it all works hand and a ravers having a ravens win as well now i don't think so buddy i think you're right up there but you know we we've talked some playoffs it's been you know it's been fun and we did a little prognosticating as well but you know what bud enough is enough you're here to talk business let's talk business and there were two areas where the patriots did very well in business this past season. They were special teams and the offensive line. But can that success be sustained? Murph and I ponder that very question as it relates to both

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Go to BiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKEDON to get 20% off your next order. Don't delay. Do it today. Use promo code LOCKEDON for 20% off at BiltBar.com. Pat's fans, Thomas Murphy is here for his hashtag LockedOnMurph appearance on the pod. And buddy, the Patriots did have some bright spots on the 2020 season. And some of those bright spots are being recognized on a national level,

and rightfully so. Punter Jake Bailey and punt returner, my main man, who made that man a gunner. We're both named to the end to the, uh, the first team NFL roster on Friday. And you know me, I love the meme that really made me happy, but these two guys were definitely deserving of those honors. Uh, I don't want to forget the captain as well. Matthew Slater named a second team AP all pro by the national panel of 50 media members that vote on this. J.C. Jackson and Justin Bethel also garnered votes for the Patriots.

You know, this, of the three phases, in my opinion, Murph, I think you can argue that special teams was the best and most consistent all season long. And the Pats have guys like Gunner, Bailey, and Slater, assuming he comes back. You know, he said that if he does, he won't play football anywhere but New England. We're hoping he's got a little more under his, you know, a little more under the hood for one more season. But they do have guys like Bethel and people that do require re-signing at this point. It's pretty much a foregone conclusion that the Patriots would like to keep the band together on special teams

because it's really where they shine, and I think they still stack up above the rest when it comes to the NFL. But in your expert professional opinion, my friend, how will they do that? They've got a ton of money, and I believe some of the guys that we're talking about realize that they are better served here than anywhere else. I don't think anybody is going to come up and blow these guys away with an offer at this stage of their career. I do believe they will come back. He will be able to keep the band together. There's no – special teams is a very cerebral game.

It really is. It's a game that's played in the head more than almost any other position or any other grouping in the NFL. And Bill has been downright poetic about putting together special teams units over the years. There are guys on special teams here that you don't see anywhere else. You don't see the number one tight end in the NFL playing special teams

on other teams in this league. And it's a point of pride here. It's a point of emphasis. You see money spent here on special teams that you don't see anywhere else. And quite frankly, this is one of the reasons that the Patriots have been so successful for so long. And I don't think Bill is going to let those guys just walk away and spread that kind of knowledge anywhere else. He knows that now more than ever the special teams are going to have to step up

because, you know, field position matters. Flipping a field matters. Things like knowing, you know, when you can get in and out of bounds and how you're supposed to do it as opposed to the Steelers that run down the sidelines and get 15-yard penalties at the end of the game. It matters. And I just can't see that aspect of the Patriot way changing. I can't either, and I agree with you.

I think they do have the wherewithal to be able to get it done. And look, there is arguments that can be made to bring back these guys. In my fumbling way of trying to fumble through the question on a Monday here on Locked On Patriots, Gunner, Bailey, and Slater are all under contract for next year. The guys that are going to require re-signing, however, are just as, I think you can make the argument that these guys may not be just as valuable, but close. Bethel was obviously at the top of the list. I think he's one of the best kick coverage players in the NFL.

And with Slater's future on this team uncertain, and we don't know if Matthew's going to give it one more go and try to give it one more season or if he decides he's ready to hang it up or even if he does give one more season will this be his last coming up um you have to think that Bethel is somehow a priority for this team to be able to get him back and maybe in the fold uh for a little bit longer he doesn't offer much in terms of defense, but his special teams abilities cannot be denied, and I think he keeps them right on the cutting edge of where they need to be in terms of special teams prowess. Cody Davis is another one signed a one-year deal.

He's a pre-agent. I thought he was impressive this year. I think he did a nice job stepping in for where Nate Ebner had played so well for so many years, and I think Cody came in and really helped this team, you know, maintain that level of excellence. So he may be a guy that wants to come back maybe on a one-year deal. Those tiny million-dollar contracts that you don't see given out everywhere else.

Two guys that strictly play special teams. And, you know, it's brilliance. And, you know, it's a guy that, yes, if you need him, can come in and play a couple of downs on defense or a couple of downs on offense. And don't forget, you know, Brandon Bolden will be back next year. Absolutely. And you want to talk about the greatest possible shot at the arm to that special teams unit, bringing back Brandon Bolden, who, by the way, Superman wears his pajamas, folks. It's not the other way around.

Superman is a fan of Brandon Bolden, and for good reason. One quick point on special teams before we talk about the O-line for a little bit, buddy. Nick Folk. Tonya Rae Fox joined me here on Friday to kind of give her summation of the season. And she gave an awful lot of props to Nick Folk. And I'll be honest, I agreed with basically everything that she said. She said he was every bit as much advertised, if not more. We had questions about his distance.

We had questions about his reliability. He kind of was able to put those both aside, made big kicks when he needed to. One of the most reliable players on the team in 2020. We have Justin Rohrwasser in the pipeline. The Patriots now have Roberto Aguayo in the pipeline. But I think bringing Nick Folk wouldn't be the worst possible move for this team. I'd be all for it. What say you?

Do you think this guy should be back, or do you think that maybe there's a better option out there? Would I like to see him back? Yes, I would. Nick was more than advertised. It was something that we all worried about last year coming into the season. But I really think that he earned himself a bigger payday, a payday that I really don't think Bill is going to match. I like Nick Folk at $1.5 million, maybe $2 million, but somebody out there, with all the kicking woes that are in this league right now, somebody is going to offer him $4 million a year, and he's going to take it smartly.

That's just the way I'm looking at it. I'd like to see him back. I just don't see it happening. That is one person that I believe will probably get priced out of New England with all the other holes that we're about to fill. Yeah, absolutely. And there are a ton of holes to fill in this Patriots roster. And a couple of those might be on the unit that we're going to discuss here today

to close it out on Locked on Patriots. And for all of the special team success that the Pats had this season, New England's offense did struggle for most of the year. And I don't think that's a stretch of the imagination. I think most people would agree with that. To me, the exception to that rule, though, was the performance of the team's offensive line. You lose Dante Skarnecchia in the offseason, automatically people think that's going to weaken the offensive line significantly. But they, I think, did a phenomenal job of still being able to maintain that prowess.

Did it take a little bit of a dip? Yeah, I think maybe the argument can be made, but I thought Cole Popovich and Carmen Brasillo did a great job at the helm. First off, you have to replace Marcus Cannon after his opt-out. They did that, and they look like they didn't really miss a beat in that term. Integrating Michael Wainu into the mix, who was a pick that not a lot of people were wondering what the Patriots might have had. A lot of size, a lot of upside, but they didn't think he was NFL ready, myself included. He came in and proved to be very much NFL ready,

and I think was one of their biggest surprise stories of the year. They had numerous pieces moving around because of injuries. They weathered that storm. Most impressively, in my opinion, this is an offensive line that switched from defending against the past heavy days of Tom Brady under center to an era where this team just ran the ball first. And I think they did a nice job of doing that. Their top five, Isaiah Wynn, Joe Tooney, David Andrews, Shaq Mason, and of course, Michael

Wainu. They started just five games together all year. That was between week seven and week 11. So there wasn't the continuity on this line that everyone had hoped for. But they still had a strong season providing ground protection, some pass protection as well. But the team faces questions on the offensive line, though, going into this offseason, most notably David Andrews and Joe Tooney, who are free agents. In your opinion, where do you see the Patriots going from here?

And do you expect them to progress or to regress when it comes to the play of their offensive line in 2021? Not so much because of coaching and logistics, but simply because of personnel. Do you think this team will return enough personnel to stay as strong as they were in 2020. Well, I said last night while watching the Bucs game that Bill should franchise David Andrews right now. Right now, because if he doesn't, he's going to end up in Tampa,

once again, snapping the ball to Tom Brady. Andrews is the key. I see this as a center. You folks have no idea how important it is to have that single foundation. Other guys can be moved around. Other guys, you know, Joe Tooney was franchised last year and brought back because we weren't expecting the young guys to step up the way that they have. And I really think that he's going to get blown away with an offer out there that I don't think Bill is going to match.

I really don't. I hope he does because as a lifetime offensive lineman, I know how important that unit is. I think he's a fantastic ball player, but I also think that at 28 years old, what you're being asked to do as a guard is different than what you're doing as a center. We do get beat up snapping the ball, but the rules have changed a little bit, and 29 isn't what it used to be. Joe Tooney is a man who has put in countless, countless snaps at a position that is so important. I understand what's going to happen. Somebody is going to offer him $16, $17 million a year in a five-year contract, and I don't think Bill is going to be able to go that way. But I would. I would franchise David Andrews and try to make at least an effort to extend him for

another three years, see what happens there. Also, with Tooney, maybe we all saw him sitting at the 50-yard line after the Patriots' last game and just sitting there and reminiscing about what happened, maybe play on those heartstrings a little bit. But money is, you know, the deciding factor, and it should be for any professional athlete, especially one who's given as much as Joe Tooney has over his career. I want to see him back. I'm just not sure that that's going to happen.

Yeah, I would like to see him back as well. And, I mean, the whole thing in a nutshell is the Patriots do have the wherewithal to be able to do it. Tanya and I discussed something very similar on Friday where we both discussed bringing back both Andrews and Tooney was feasible, but it wasn't likely. And it really wasn't anything that Bill would probably consider, especially knowing that Joe's already been franchised. They've had the opportunity to work out a long-term deal. I don't see that happening before he hits free agency now because Joe knows what's on the other side of that free agency. Don't kid yourself.

These have long been negotiations, and he knows what he's capable of going out there on the open market to get. And I think Bill is probably going to be reticent to match that. He'd match it to a certain point, but I think Joe is going to have those offers that's going to eclipse what he would normally get here in New England. I'm 100% in agreement with you on David Andrews. I say franchise him, bring him back, make sure he's in the fold because that center

is going to be so key to breaking in and giving continuity to what is likely going to be a new quarterback. Yep, it likely is going to be a new quarterback and you do want that stalwart there in the middle and a man who can peek up and point out anything that a young quarterback or a new quarterback might be missing. It's so important to have that. But, you know, with Tooney, it's just so much money. I'm not sure what the cap hit is at center.

We know what it is at guard, and it's significantly higher. There's just so many holes to fill that Bill could use that cash, bringing back so many other guys. If Rex Burkhead comes back, James White really needs to be brought back next year. There's just so many holes on this team right now. Usually you see Bill piecing out contracts so that they don't hit at the same time. It's just been a plethora this year with some of the opt-outs and those guys coming back next year as um you know where he's going to have to spend this money to keep this

team competitive and and possibly give them a chance in in the postseason next year yeah absolutely and i think in a lot of ways what you're looking at is maybe a changing of the guard. And I say that tongue in cheek because that's Tooney's position. He is a guard. And Michael Wainu is a natural guard, folks. And a lot of people are rolling their eyes saying, oh, he was a tackle. He did great this year. Why break it when it's not? you go back and you look at some of the footage there is still some concern about his lateral movement about his ability his footwork to be able to keep up at the tackle position i think you switch him inside the guard all of a sudden he becomes that much more formidable and i can't see anyone being able to get around him with that massive wingspan it might end up being a blessing in disguise for him in terms of his development but you can't expect him to be joe tooney overnight either folks so temperance take a little bit of a long picture look at the

patriots offensive line i still think they'll be solid even if joe tooney is on the outside looking in and uh leaves uh you know foxborough in his rearview mirror but uh always always great stuff buddy always interesting when you drop by the pod And you always lend the wisdom and counsel the way only you can. I say it every single time you're here. I'm going to keep saying it. You're familia here on Locked on Patriots. And we love setting the table to have you join us and lend your green wisdom and counsel. Folks, you should already be following this man.

But for any of our newer listeners, the count of murphy fisto himself at on twitter at teamer 207 do not miss murph's monster keys we joked about it earlier on in the pod but i'm being 100 serious when i say that by reading these keys folks you become more in tune with the game of football murph is seldom wrong he's usually right and believe me i call them point click learn and enrichment material at its finest. Proudly found on diehardbostonsportsfans.com. And, of course, two of the best pods in the business, one Patriots place with Murph and our great mutual friend Steve Balistrieri.

He's going to be joining us here tomorrow on Locked on Patriots. And also two Patriots place with our good friend as well, Claire Cooper, alongside these two fine gentlemen. My good man, what can I say? Always honored, always humbled by your presence. Oh, thank you, bud. You're always too kind. I'm always here for you every Monday and any day that you give a ring because, you know, that's what family does. Absolutely.

Family takes care of family. And a man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man. So what better way to end it today, folks? Thanks, Murph. Stay safe, stay well, buddy. We look forward to doing it all again on hashtag LockedOnMurphMonday, as we always do here on the pod. We love it.

We love it. Thank you, bud. Thank you, bud. And just like that, Patriots fans, so ends another hashtag LockedOnMururfMonday here on the pod. But fear not. Our good green buddy will be back here next Monday as we continue to break down the Patriots offseason, including taking a much deeper dive into each of the positional groupings.

But Murph is not our only weekly guest here on the pod any longer. My Patriots Paizan, Steve Balistrieri, will join me tomorrow here on the podcast as we continue to bring you the very latest news notes and analysis from Foxborough. So to be sure that you do not miss a single second of the action, download and subscribe to the Locked On Patriots podcast on platforms such as Spotify, Google Podcasts,

Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Just make sure that you're staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank Thomas Murphy for his time, his insight, and his appearance today. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for continuing to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage.

Until tomorrow, Pats Nation, stay safe, stay well, always be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.