Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Crossover Wednesday: From Brady to Stidham? - 3/11/2020

Episode Date: March 11, 2020

Could the New England Patriots be ready to enact the ultimate quarterback crossover? Joining host Mike D’Abate is Zac Blackerby, host of Locked On Auburn. The duo discuss the good and the bad of Stidham’s career as an Auburn Tiger, and most importantly, what Patriots fans might expect from him as their potential starting quarterback in 2020. Mike also provides his thoughts on the Pats’ compensatory draft picks windfall, and Rob Gronkowski’s expected signing with WWE.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful. It is Crossover Wednesday here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. Your daily dose of 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 the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And because it's your team every day, that means your questions, your comments, your feedback are always appreciated and very much encouraged. You can send those in by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're roaming around on the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well, at LO underscore Patriots.

Patriots fans, there is only one man that most of you want to see as your starting quarterback in 2020, and yeah, we all know who it is, Tom Brady. But the reality is that it might be someone else, and as hard as that may be to believe, it is at least possible. Now fear not not, everyone. I'm not wavering in my stance at all. I've said right from the beginning, I believe it as strongly today as I did the minute the season ended. I believe that when all is said and done, Tom Brady will be the starting quarterback of your New England Patriots when the 2020 season begins.

But if the worst should happen, the 2020 season will still happen, meaning that the New England Patriots will need a quarterback. Now folks, it might be someone outside the organization. It might even be a 2020 draft selection. But lately, a lot of Patriots writers have been making a compelling case for someone within the organization. And that man is your current Patriots backup quarterback, Jarrett Stidham. Now if we're being honest here, folks, there's not exactly a ton out there on Jarrett Stidham.

His professional portfolio is not exactly abundant. We all remember his Week 3 debut against the New York Jets. Comes into the game, promptly throws a pick six, Tom Brady comes right back in. I know, it doesn't exactly fill you with a whole lot of confidence, but it's also not fair to judge him based on one performance, especially when he's a rookie with a lot still to learn. And here on the Locked On Patriots podcast, I haven't done a whole lot of speaking about Jarrett Stidham.

In fact, I scouted him pretty heavily when the Patriots drafted him last year, and there's still a lot that I'd like to know. So when I found myself in need of a little expert analysis when it comes to Jarrett Stidham, I chose to dip into the very deep pool of talent we have here on the Locked On Podcast Network. And who better to join me today on this little twist that we're putting on Crossover Wednesday than the host of Locked On Auburn. Zach Blackerby will join me today on the hot seat, and I will be seeking his insight today

on what type of quarterback Jarrett was while he was an Auburn Tiger. What were his strong points? Where were the areas he needed to improve? And of course, folks, I will be asking him that all-important question. If Jarrett is handed the keys to the kingdom this year in Foxborough, what kind of season can Patriots fans expect with Jarrett Stidham running this offense? Zach does an amazing job with the Locked On Auburn podcast. He's very insightful, but he's also very honest.

And that's the type of opinion you're going to get from Zach today. So sit tight, folks. I am very much looking forward to speaking with Zach regarding Jarrett Stidham. I'm sure you'll find it insightful, and I hope that you enjoy this little college twist that we're putting on the Crossover Wednesday concept, especially if the Patriots are forced to enact the ultimate crossover when it comes to the quarterback position. However, before I welcome Zach into the hot seat today, I wanted to share a couple of news and notes items from the land of Patriots Nation.

And we start with a pretty big development when it comes to the Patriots' 2020 draft status. On Tuesday, the NFL announced the awarding of 2020 compensatory picks. And folks, your New England Patriots came away with the biggest haul of all. The Pats will own the rights to an NFL-leading four compensatory selections in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft. In the third round, the Patriots were awarded the number 98 overall pick and the number 100 overall pick.

In the sixth round, they were awarded pick number 212 and pick number 213. Now, some of you might be wondering what a compensatory draft pick is and how they're awarded. Well, there were 32 of them that were handed out, and those draft choices were dispersed to a total of 15 organizations. Besides the Patriots, the Houston Texans, the Minnesota Vikings, the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and Seattle Seahawks all garnered at least three apiece, but New England was the winner here with four.

Now, the reason the Patriots received four picks is because they lost, quote-unquote, more or better free agents than it acquired in the previous year. Folks, that's really the major criteria for being awarded a compensatory pick. Now, salary, playing time, postseason honors, they all factor into the equation as well. But because the Patriots found themselves on the receiving end of four compensatory draft picks, they now have a total of 12 in the upcoming draft. Now you might be wondering to yourself, well who are those more or better free agents that they lost? Well keep in mind that in the last offseason, Chris Hogan, Cardero Patterson, Trent Brown,

Adrian Waddell, Malcolm Brown, Trey Flowers, and cornerback Eric Rowe, all were considered qualifying free agent departures last year. Trent Brown, Adrian Waddell, Malcolm Brown, Trey Flowers, and cornerback Eric Rowe. All were considered qualifying free agent departures last year. That's how the Patriots were in line to recoup some of that capital. And to be honest, folks, this is not anything that's new to the New England Patriots. Dating back to when the compensatory formula was first introduced by the NFL Management Council in 1994, the Patriots have been awarded 43 selections. That tally ties the Dallas Cowboys for second most after only the Baltimore Ravens at 52. And keep in mind, folks, that much of that compensatory haul that they've enjoyed over

the last few years has been during the Bill Belichick era. Now, on the surface, this means that the Patriots have yet a few more opportunities to get a diamond in the rough, someone in the 2020 NFL draft that can make an immediate impact on this roster. But starting in 2017, these compensatory picks became tradable assets. That's important to remember, because if the Patriots want to trade up in the NFL Draft, they may need some of this newly found draft capital to do so. Also, if the Patriots want to be active in the trade market, and we've heard smatterings lately that they are active in the trade market, trying to acquire some additional offensive skill position help

in the hopes of keeping a certain quarterback around for at least one more year. This really does nothing but help them in that regard. So compensatory draft picks can be a big deal. And especially in the last couple of years, they've become an even bigger deal. What will the Patriots do with this plethora of draft picks? Well, that's anyone's guess. But all in all, the Patriots receiving four additional picks is great news for them, and even if they stand pat and maintain all 12 picks, it allows us as amateur draft gurus

to be able to include them in mock drafts now. Keep that in mind, folks, as we head toward Mock Draft Monday, as well as the Mock Drafts of March exercise that will continue here on the Locked On Patriots podcast throughout the month of March. But the compensatory picks is not the only noteworthy item I wanted to share with you today, and this one may cause some frowns among you all in Patriots Nation, but it's probably news we all should have expected.

And folks, if this ends up becoming official, it's probably safe to put the rumors of Rob Gronkowski's potential return to New England away and to bed once and for all. Because folks, Rob is about to return to the public eye in a big way, but not on the gridiron in the squared circle. According to Ryan Satin of Fox Sports, Gronkowski is deep in talks with WWE and close to finalizing a deal to become a performer in world wrestling entertainment.

Now, this has been rumored for quite some time. Gronkowski's dabbled in professional wrestling before. He had an appearance at WrestleMania in 2017, and both WWE and Gronkowski have had mutual interests since then. But last night, those rumors got put into full effect, and it seems like the time may be at hand. Now, the reports are that Rob may be able to make a WWE appearance as soon as March 20th, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

As a matter of fact, at the time I'm recording this podcast, his signing hasn't even been made official yet. But if, in fact, Rob has traded in Gillette Stadium turf for the canvas of a WWE ring, it's most likely safe to assume now that Rob won't be turning to professional football anytime soon. And again folks, this really shouldn't be surprising to anyone, whether it be in Pat's nation or anyone across the NFL landscape. Rob's retirement from the NFL last year had a permanent feel to it from the moment he announced it. I know he teased a lot through the media about his return at various points throughout the year, but if I'm being honest, and folks, I want to preface this, this is my opinion,

it's not a take, and it's certainly not anything that I've received directly from Rob's camp or the Patriots. But I believe that Rob always had a finite window of the time he was going to spend on an NFL football field. The rigors of what the game of football does to your body on a day-by-day, game-by-game basis are extensive, to say the least. So extensive that at the age of 29, Rob needed a full year to have his body recuperate and heal.

And a lot of you are going to look at this with a cynical eye and say, well, he's going from the NFL to WWE. That's just as dangerous. Why won't he just come back to the Patriots? And I get it, folks. Rob is one of the most beloved athletes that's ever worn Patriot blue. With the exception of Tom Brady, he might be the most popular athlete the Patriots have ever employed. While he played the game, he was unquestionably the best tight end in the league every year he put on shoulder pads.

From a PR standpoint, he was honest and likable. From a charitable standpoint, no one in Boston did more for children's charities than Rob Gronkowski. He's beloved by fans all over New England. I love the guy, but I always believed his decision to retire was final. I believe he achieved in football everything he wanted to achieve. To put himself through that type of physical strain one more time is not something I ever believe he was interested in at any point last year and certainly not now. WWE can physically be demanding, but there is a choreographed art to what he'll be doing. Not fake folks, these guys take actual bumps and do perform with some physically demanding

feats, but Rob is far from being a stupid human being. Knowing the toll that injuries took on his well-being, he's not going to sign on to something that's going to put himself at great physical risk. I don't expect to see Rob as a WWE workhorse. He's not going to be working house shows, pay-per-views, wrestling constantly. In fact, if I'm making an educated guess, I would say you're going to see him in the ring maybe two, three times a year at the maximum. Again, I could be wrong on this, but that's just my gut feeling. So in his new endeavor, I definitely wish Rob well. I wish him could be wrong on this, but that's just my gut feeling. So in his new endeavor, I definitely wish Rob well. I wish him all the best in health, and I actually look forward to seeing him in the squared circle. I think his charisma and character make him a good fit for

WWE television. I think Vince McMahon knows this. I think Rob knows this. And if nothing else, folks, it'll be entertaining. But back to the topic at hand here on Crossover Wednesday, and that's Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham. I will be welcoming in Zach Blackerby from Locked On Auburn in just a moment to discuss all things Jarrett. However, before I do so, I just wanted to take a moment to address all of you out there. If you've been a listener of this podcast, I'm sure you've heard all 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.

Unlike any other podcast, Locked On gives your local company the unique ability to reach local podcast listeners. Not just any podcast listener, but a Locked On podcast listener. If your company wants to connect with Patriots fans and a predominantly male audience that is well-educated with disposable income, then let's put your company right here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. Local fans love to support local businesses. Text the word advertising to 33777 or visit lockedonpodcast.com slash advertising and let us know who you are. We'll get our team to help your team achieve Locked On advertising success. Once again, text the word advertising to 33777

or visit LockedOnPodcast.com slash advertising. We look forward to hearing from you. Once again, Patriots fans, free agency officially begins one week from today. And while we all try to be cautiously optimistic that the Tom Brady era will continue here in Foxborough, it is possible that we might be witnessing the dawn of the Jarrett Stidham era. And yes, he is the backup quarterback here in New England. But do we really know the player? Well, my guest today has the inside scoop on employee number four in Foxborough, as he remembers Jarrett very well from his days as an Auburn Tiger.

He is the program director of the Auburn Network, the host of Lockdown Auburn right here on the Lockdown Podcast Network. It's my pleasure to be joined today by Zach Blackerby. Zach, welcome to Lockdown Patriots. Hey, man, Mike, big fan of everything that you welcome to Lockdown Patriots. Hey, man, Mike, big fan of everything that you do with Lockdown Patriots, big fan of New England way down here. So yeah, man, it's a pleasure to be chatting with you today. It's my pleasure as well. Thank you for the kind words. And I assure you, I'm just as big of a fan of the work that you do with the Auburn show and

all the stuff you do with the Auburn Network. It's good to see that we have Pats fan representation down in the South. Always happy to hear that. And I know you're a big Pats fan and I know you're watching as closely as we all are when it comes to Tom Brady and what he's going to do and how the 2020 roster as a whole is going to look. But you have an area of expertise that I wanted to tap into today, and that is remembering Jarrett's days when he was an Auburn Tiger. And last year, when the Pats selected Jarrett Stidham with the 133rd overall pick, fourth round 2019 NFL draft, I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting it. I had done several mock drafts, but I never really saw Stidham coming to New England. I did scout him.

And even though I was surprised by the pick, I did like it immediately. And in fact, in the draft analysis that I wrote almost immediately upon him being chosen, here's how I characterized Jarrett for my piece last year for fullpresscoverage.com. And I said, Stidham has been ranked as high as a potential second round choice. Therefore, this pick might yield a significant return on investment. The Auburn product has adequate size, good arm strength, above average mobility. He can fit the ball into tight spots, show the ability to drive the ball vertically when he has space to step into his throws.

He's accurate, does a great job of leading his receivers to yards after the catch. Sitton will certainly be in the mix to make the roster, competing with Danny Etling and Brian Hoyer and could make a strong case to be Brady's primary backup in 2019. And we all know he ended up winning the job. Now, I would love to take a victory lap here, Zach. I'll be honest with you, but that description only tells you so much. While Stidham was at Auburn, what qualities did he possess that made you believe he would be a pretty good pro at this level? Yeah, I think he's a leader. I think he's kind of, you know, the, the cliche term, you know, student of the game.

Um, and also, you know, I was kind of in a different boat than you, Mike. I thought that he, the new angle is going to kind of be um i thought i don't know i thought it was a good chance he was going to go there and so when uh my twitter dms and my twitter mentions blew up when new england ended up taking them and uh i was pretty excited to see that and a big reason why is because i think he found a lot of success just kind of getting rid of the football quickly in this auburn offense you saw him really succeed well when he was able to kind of rely on other guys to make plays. Now, I'm sure if you're hearing that and you're saying, well, you know, that doesn't

sound good, you know, kind of rely on other guys to be successful, but that's kind of, that's kind of what you saw, especially that 2017 year. That was his first year at Auburn. You know, he went to Baylor as a freshman, did the whole Juco route, took a, took a year off of football and just kind of worked out to stay relevant and didn't want to lose any eligibility. And then, yeah, he, he, the first of his two years at Auburn, he was fantastic, but a lot of that had to do with some of the guys that were around them. I mean, Jarrett Stidham is one of the few guys that can say, Hey, in college football, they, he beat two number one teams in the span of a month.

And he kind of blew them both out of the water. And I think that was really peak Jarrett at that point. And then everyone kind of thought, okay, he's got a chance to really make a case on a national stage, a big-time bowl game when he took on UCF over in Atlanta. And it went pretty poorly. And so anytime you kind of saw him get in any kind of hole, Auburn fans were kind of waiting to see him be able to pull these guys out,

and you didn't really see that. But as far as things that he did well, I think he did a good job using the talent around him. I think that's kind of what it comes down to. In 2017, his best year, he had sec, uh, offensive player of the year carry on Johnson. Now he's with the lions. As I'm sure, you know, he's, uh, he relied on him a lot and he made, he made chair. It looked really, really good. Um, so I think that's kind of the thing that he does well, as he allows other guys to succeed. We haven't really seen him be able to do that at the NFL level yet.

Absolutely. And I think in a lot of ways, first of all, I'm glad that you said that you saw, you know, the opportunity and the ability for Jarrett to be able to come up here in New England and saw him as someone that would be a good fit. Several of my colleagues in the media did as well. I was in the Gillette Stadium media room when Jarrett was drafted. And a lot of people were, I don't want to say surprised, but a lot of people, I think, looked at it and said, okay, well, you know, this makes some sense. We have to look at Tom's age. We have to look at the situation that he's facing with his contract.

And they need to get younger at the position without question. And Jarrett seemed to be a good fit. The one thing that I can tell you from his introductory press conference call with the media is everyone collectively was so impressed be a good fit. The one thing that I can tell you from his introductory press conference call with the media is everyone collectively was so impressed by the maturity and the confidence that he portrayed. Not a cockiness. He didn't come off as being aloof or being overly confident, but it was confidence in his ability to come up, learn from Tom Brady, learn from Bill Belichick, learn from Josh McDaniels and be able to apply it.

So I think that speaks very, very well of him. You mentioned his ability to be a leader, playing with those that around him that make him look good. If in fact he's going to be the guy, and I'll get into that in a minute, that may be applicable because what I think the Patriots might do at that point is instead of putting a lot of capital into putting together and bringing in Tom's replacement I think they may go with Jarrett here and try to beef up the supporting cast that he has around him but following up on what you said a little bit about um Jarrett's difficulty when he falls into a hole and his ability to kind of bring himself out of it.

Following up on that a little bit, specifically in his game, what do you see as areas in which he needed to improve when he was in Auburn? And again, keep that in mind because we don't have a huge sample size when it comes to what Jarrett can do at a professional level yet. So what did you see at Auburn mechanically that you think Patriots fans should be maybe a little bit wary of if he's the man under center this year? I think a lot of it had to do with deep game as far as issues go. He dips his elbow a lot when he threw a deep to guys like Darius Slade. And you've seen how well he's done with the Giants last year.

And guys like that, whenever a pass was over 20, 25 yards, you didn't really know where it was going to land. And so he overthrew some guys that were wide open, caused Auburn to miss out and lose some games there. Yeah, and as far as, you know, I'm kind of looking through here. I don't think he had a game-winning fourth-quarter drive at Auburn. And so that's kind of another thing. He had plenty of opportunities, and some of those were against defenses that he should have been able to take care of business against. I don't know. Jarrett is a guy that it looks good on paper and then sometimes when it was all kind of put together on the field, you just kind of wonder like, okay, when is Jarrett going to turn the corner? And he never, I don't think he really did. And so I think at some point, though,

he was definitely handicapped by what Auburn did offensively. Malzahn has found a lot of success. Auburn's head coach, Gus Malzahn, offensive guy, found a lot of success with mobile quarterbacks. Jarrett Stidham is not that. And it's either, Auburn's either throwing a pass within five yards of the line of scrimmage or they're going for the home run threat, 30, 40-yard passes down the field.

So his intermediate game, the one or two times a game that they did that, he looked fine at it, but we just don't know. Like you said, the sample size with his time in New England is so small, but those are kind of the things that I think you need to look at. Intermediate passing game and his deep stuff. His deep stuff mechanically was way off. You know, at times he would throw off of his back foot. He had a terrible offensive line.

He leaves the pocket for no reason. That was my biggest pet peeve in watching Jarrett is, you know, he, I don't know. And a lot of Auburn fans really expected him to take that step as far as pocket presence from 2017 to 2018. And that was kind of another thing that Auburn fans were just kind of looking at saying, you know, why, why, why can't you take that step? Why can't you turn that corner?

And so those are just some of the things that, that Auburn fans wanted more out of when you look at Jarrett Stidham. And so we'll, we'll see, we'll see how he does in New England. And we don't know what all they've been working on in practice with him. It's true. I mean, from a practice standpoint, and I think you make a good point, especially about the deep ball and some of the difficulties that he may have had leading that type of an offense.

One thing that I think Patriots fans need to remember is that there's still a work in progress with Jarrett. And I know he's been getting a lot of praise. There's been some articles written here in New England recently touting his ability. As a matter of fact, Jordan Palmer, who he works out with in the offseason, and everybody knows Jordan is the brother of Carson Palmer. And he's kind of a quarterback guru and someone that will work out with a lot of different. Sam Darnold is someone that he works out with as well. And he works out with a number of different young quarterbacks.

And he said that he believes Jared has the ability to not only be a starter in this league, but an efficient and good starter in this league. But again, I think there's a lot to to remember that he wasn't really up to the challenge of being able to run the scout team this year. That's why they brought in Cody Kessler. And that's not a knock to Jarrett. That's a tough thing for a rookie to be able to do, to come in and lead a scout team, especially one that's dedicated to detail the way a Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels offense is run here in New England. That's something to consider. So I think the Patriots know that they'll be working on that and hopefully, you know, we'll see some improvement there. But Zach, the white elephant in the room, I've got to put you on the hot seat and I've got to put

you on the spot, my friend. Again, Patriots fans don't have much of a basis on what Jarrett might look like as a regular contributor on the field. His claim to fame, or I guess maybe you can call it his claim to shame, is the pick six that he threw in week three against the New York Jets. He relieved Tom Brady. Tom had to come right back in the game. But if Tom leaves via free agency, my friend, we know he's not coming back in the game this time. It's going to be Jarrett's ball.

It's going to be Jarrett's team. Knowing him the way you do and putting together a balance of the good and the bad that you've done very eloquently today. What might Patriots fans reasonably expect from a Jarrett Stidham led offense in new England? Yeah. Yeah. And I think it kind of depends on what new England does. I mean, as of right now, if, if it's the same roster, just no Tom next year, I think that

offense is going to have a hard time moving the football with a lot of young quarterbacks. And, you know, if you put Jarrett there, I definitely think you're going to need some help there. I mean, I think we've seen glimpses, though, right? I mean, you can say what you want about the preseason, but there were some throws that I think he made in the preseason this year where you look and you say, oh, wow, okay, cool.

Now, I went up to Nashville to watch him play the preseason this year where you look and you say, oh, wow, okay, cool. Now I went up to Nashville to watch him play the preseason game against the Titans, and he had that 99-yard game-winning drive, eventual game-winning drive there. And so once again, you're playing against backups. He's also playing with backups. So, and I'm sure you know more about those guys than I do. But as far as expectations next year, I think Pats fans would be asking the same thing that Auburn fans. Okay, can Jarrett take that next step? Because on paper, once again, he just looks so good.

He's got the size. He's kind of got the look. I think he's got that swag that you want in a starting quarterback. It's just can you put it all together consistently? I think you would see games where he'd he'd go throw 350 uh for three or four touchdowns and you know not have any turnovers and then I think two weeks later in a game that you know New England should win assuming Jarrett's the starter there uh it'd be a game where you know he'd go out and throw for 180 and turn the ball over three times or you know miss mishandle a

fumble you know that was something that he really struggled with he fumbled a lot in the red zone for for no reason he. He just lost track of the football and Auburn would lose it. That happened in the Iron Bowl. I just think you're going to expect a lot of growing pains if he's New England's starter next year. I think that's a very accurate assessment

and we all know the easiest way to earn your way into the Bill Belichick doghouse is to not protect the football. Whether you're a quarterback, whether you're a wide receiver, especially if you're a running back. Those are no-nos in this offense, so I know that's something that they'll be working closely on.

As a Patriots fan, I don't think I'm putting words in your mouth when it sounds like you're hoping, just like we all are, that Tom Brady is going to be back under center and that Jared still has at least a year or two to learn from the greatest of all time. And if that happens, then I think we can really expect some big things from Jarrett Stidham

learning each a little along the way. I think that would do wonders for his confidence, his game, and his ability to be an effective starter. But if the keys of the kingdom are prematurely handed to him, I think you've given us a very clear picture and a very good picture about what we can expect in New England under Jarrett Stidham. Zach, what can I say? Thank you so much for taking time out of your day today to join me here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. We appreciate your wisdom and counsel.

We'd love to have you back on. If Jarrett ends up being the guy, you're going to be a frequent call of mine this year to break down some of the things we might be seeing. But in any case, I would love to have you back on because of your Patriots fandom and all you bring to the table. Before I let you go today, please let our listeners know where they can find you each and every day on the Locked On Auburn podcast and any other ventures that you might have that allow us to follow your great work. Yeah, absolutely, man.

Appreciate your time and appreciate the invite. And I'd be happy to come on whenever you need me. Yeah. At Z Blackerby on Twitter. And of course you can check out locked on Auburn every day as all of our shows here across the, the locked on podcast network are available wherever you listen to podcasts. I appreciate it, man. Anytime.

Take care. Thank you. Enjoy the rest of the off season and definitely keep a sharp eye out on the free agent wire, the draft and everything we've got coming up and continue the great work that you do with locked on Auburn. Have a great day, Zach. Mike, I want to drop one more note. Absolutely. Please do. Derek Brown. A lot of people say he's going to be a top 10 guy.

He sat down and visited with new England that's kind of gotten some uh some chatter and you know this part of the country I doubt he'll be available when New England picks but man if that were the case that would be that would be incredible so well you know stranger things have happened the Patriots got themselves four compensatory picks yesterday they've got a pretty good haul I don't know if they'd be willing to put together some sort of a package to't know if they'd be willing to put together some sort of a package to trade up if they feel it's in their best interest. But boy, I'll tell you, Brown would look good

in Patriot blue. So thank you for dropping that little nugget and we'll definitely do our due diligence and keep an eye out for that. Awesome. Thanks, Mike. Thanks, Zach. Have a great one. And folks, that's a wrap on today's Crossover Wednesday edition

of the Locked On Patriots podcast. Hopefully by listening to the podcast today, you were able to gain a little bit more insight on the type of quarterback that Jarrett Stidham might be in the NFL, specifically for the New England Patriots. We all hope that Tom Brady comes back to New England for 2020. That includes Zach Blackerby and myself. But Zach's analysis of Jarrett's days at Auburn should give us a little bit more clarity

on what we might expect to see if, in fact, he's handed the keys to the car this year in Foxborough. As for me, I will be back tomorrow to continue to bring you the latest news notes and analysis from Patriots Nation. As always, please be sure to join me each and every day right here on the Locked On Patriots Podcast. Subscribe and download via your preferred podcast provider. Once again, I'm Mike DeBate.

I thank Zach Blackerby, host of the Locked On Auburn podcast here on the Locked On Podcast Network, 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. And if you've enjoyed today's podcast, now tell your smart device to play the most recent episode of Draft Dudes. Until tomorrow, have a great day, everyone.