Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Defense Wins Championships: New England Patriots Defensive Standouts - 8/25/2020

Episode Date: August 25, 2020

With most eyes affixed on offense, key members of the New England Patriots defense are starting to emerge as potential impact players. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com to discuss the progress being made on the interior of the defensive line, the linebackers and the secondary. Mike also asks Steve to combine his knowledge of football and military protocol in analyzing the Patriots’ latest addition at the tight end position. 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. Today we delve into the defense on the Locked On Patriots podcast, your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots.

Patriots fans, it is Tuesday, August 25th, 2020. For those of you scoring at home, 19 days from today, Sunday, September 13th, will be the Patriots' home opener at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough against the Miami Dolphins. But a lot can happen within 19 days, and right now on the practice fields adjacent to Gillette, training camp continues, and it continued this morning on Tuesday. And for the past few days here on the pod, folks, we've been talking a lot about the

offense, particularly the quarterback battle between Jared Stidham and Cam Newton. By all accounts, and for all intents and purposes, Cam appears to be running away pretty steadily with the starter's job. And not just here on Locked On Patriots, but really I think across Patriots media, that positional battle has gotten the lion's share of attention, and with due cause. But don't forget the defense. And here today on the pod, we're going to make sure that you do not forget the defense. And here today on Locked on Patriots, to help me in that endeavor, is one of my most trusted

colleagues when it comes to defensive strategy. Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com makes his weekly appearance here on this Tuesday, and we will talk about the Patriots' defensive backfield, specifically how the emergence of Kyle Duggar has changed our opinion on some of the roster hopefuls in the Patriots' secondary. We'll also discuss an often overlooked but very important aspect of the Patriots' defense, and that's the defensive line, particularly along the interior, who's caught our attention so far with their stellar play in camp. We'll also take a deeper dive into the linebacker position

and why, even though names like Van Noy, Collins, Roberts, and Hightower not being on the field for the Pats this year might not be such a disaster after all. Finally, as you all know, Steve does have a military background, and the Patriots just signed themselves a Navy midshipman. And if you didn't think I was at least going to get Steve's opinion on the latest Navy man to get a spot on this roster, well then folks, you may not know me that well. It's a defensive focus here on Locked On Patriots today, so sit tight, settle in, as we welcome the wisdom and counsel of one Steve Balistrieri to the pod in just a few moments.

But first, folks, today the Patriots were back in the pads again. A one-hour, 50-minute session that featured a lot of situational work and was a bit lighter when compared to Mondays, but it still had its share of noteworthy moments and developments, including a pretty heated battle between a certain wide receiver and a new cornerback. And be forewarned, folks, I've been pretty good about this, but there may be a couple of lame dad jokes thrown into my analysis of that battle. But first, let's start with the roll call. And of course, Sonny Michel, Brandon King,

Lamar Miller continue to be absent. Michel and Miller, of course, remain on active pup. Brandon King on reserve pup. He's out for at least the first six games of the season, but also absent on the field on Tuesday, defensive tackle Bo Allen, offensive tackle Yodney Kajust, wide receiver Will Hastings, wide receiver Devin Ross, wide receiver Jeff Thomas,

safety Adrian Phillips, and a new addition to the absentee list, Julian Edelman. But folks, I wouldn't panic on Julian's absence just yet. I'm being told it's more of a maintenance day, but again, keep a sharp eye. Anything and everything is always possible in Foxborough. Those that were on the field but limited were linebackers Therese Hall and Cash Malawiah. Both were present at practice after they went down with injuries on Monday. Hall was very much limited in practice, and it was clear to see that Malawiah

had a reduced workload. Safety Kyle Duggar, wide receiver Jacoby Myers, and quarterback Jared Stidham all continue to be limited in practice as well. And making his return to the field, much to the chagrin of those that love to wallow in the cave of negativity, particularly between the hours of 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on the East Coast, cornerback Stephon Gilmore was back in action after a four-practice absence, which was listed by the team as an excused absence. Not a contract holdout, folks. Very important to remember.

But I digress. During Tuesday's practice, there was one injury that is noteworthy. About 90 minutes into the session, tight end Devin Asiasi went down with what appeared to be an ankle or a foot injury. Trainers and a member of the Pats medical staff checked him out on the sidelines. He appeared to be moving okay. Looks like the Patriots dodged a bullet here. But again, we'll continue to keep an eye on it for you. And as always, I'll keep you updated right here on Locked On Patriots with the latest development on any injury news related to your New England Patriots. On the field, once

again, it was a lighter day than what we had seen on Monday, but there were still some noteworthy standouts, including a battle between Nakheel Harry, who had himself another solid day, and cornerback Michael Jackson Sr., and this is the second straight day that we've seen tempers flare between these two. They squared off multiple times while working on run blocking, doing a lot of talking during 11-on-11 work, and later had to be separated after Harry pancaked Jackson on a one-on-one blocking drill. And in a way, folks, you gotta love the competition here.

Both of them trying to show each other that they're really not scared. They're playing with their future. This ain't no truth or dare. All right, well, there's one, folks. But you get the idea, folks. They're trying to be tough. They're trying to do what they can. No one wants to be defeated. A little back and forth here isn't necessarily a bad thing. Showing how funky and strong is their fight. It doesn't matter who's wrong or... All right, well, you get the point, folks. The bottom line is, between Jackson and Harry, we're seeing a lot of fire, and I think that's a good thing. As long as they know how to harness it and contain it,

it can lead to big things from two guys who are starting to come into their own and have a solid camp, especially Nikhil Harry in the last couple of days. Don't let my lame dad jokes distract you from the fact that Harry did have another solid day. He beat Juwan Williams and Jason McCourty on two back shoulder receptions, and Harry seems to be playing with that proverbial chip on his shoulder, and I for one am glad to see it. Like I said yesterday here on Locked On Patriots, I still have a lot of faith in this kid.

I think he's up to the challenge, and he's showing it so far in the last couple of days. On the defensive side of the ball, the front seven continues to impress, especially defensive tackles Lawrence Guy and Adam Butler. They're the elder statesmen in that core, believe me folks, and they're showing it. They're not only helping the younger players on the field, but they're showing that they are more than capable of leading this team in the 2020 season. Chase Winovich and Derek Rivers continue to be among the standouts at the outside linebacker hybrid defensive end position, and also Anthony Jennings and Josh Uche as rookies continue

to show that they may be two of the strongest Patriots picks in the NFL draft this year. And last but certainly not least there was an eye on the special teams particularly the kicking battle and Justin Rohrwasser and Nick Folk went head-to-head once again near the end of practice. Folk is starting to prove himself to be the more consistent of the two kickers. During team drills, Rohrwasser made two of three attempts, while Folk made all three of his kicks, which ranged from anywhere to 33 to around 50 yards out. Again, folks, it's still early, but if Folk continues to outshine Rohrwasser in the kicking game, a lot more eyes are going to be on this competition, so definitely keep a sharp eye out. But for the purposes of today's discussion here on the pod, we are delving into the defense.

And Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com is about to join me here on the hot seat to discuss anything and everything related to the Patriots defense in 2020. This and more when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. I don't know about you sports fans, but breaks in the action always make me hungry. I'm Mike DeBate, host of the Locked On Patriots podcast. And folks, if there's one phrase that we've heard a lot of during 2020, it's quote unquote new normal. And some may embrace that phrase, some may find it annoying.

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Make sure to put Locked On in their How Did You Hear About Us box so they know we sent you. Amazing selection, reliably low prices, all the parts your car will ever need. rockauto.com patriots fans there is a lot happening on the practice fields adjacent to gillette stadium at one patriots place in foxborough and speaking of one patriots place we are kicking off the week with a little back-to-back talk with the gents of the one patriots place podcast yesterday was all about some locked on murph but today is about banter with Balistrieri. That's right.

Back for his weekly spot to talk a little more Pats camp is Patsfan.com's columnist extraordinaire. He is my paisan. Steve Balistrieri joins me today for his weekly spot. Welcome back to the Locked On Patriots podcast, my friend. Oh, thanks for having me. And I love that introduction. I'm going to have to remember that. Write that one down.

Absolutely. Banter with Balistrieri. You know, I love alliteration. I have been dubbed the admiral of alliteration by our good friend Claire Cooper at Classy Claire. And I tell you, really, I'm loving that nickname. So I really, really appreciate that with her. But I thought that was a good way to build that in. But, you know, but it's always, always an honor to share the microphone with you.

I'm so glad to be able to do that on a weekly basis here on the pod. And, you know, all eyes have been on the offense as of late, at least in terms of the fan base. Cam continues to emerge as the choice at starter, rightfully so, based on what we've seen so far, Steve. As always, reports of Nikhil Harry's demise have been greatly exaggerated. Last couple of days, he's looked pretty sharp out there, including some chirpiness on Tuesday's practice with Ian Michael Jackson Sr., and we'll get into that in a little bit. And also Devin Asiasi, Damian Harris, they've been very impressive in their attempts to grab the spotlight. But you I both know Steve that defense wins championships and that's where I thought we'd spend some time today starting with the secondary and no one can deny that this is the strongest

part of the Patriots roster uh Stefan Gilmore was back on the field today despite some claims from the afternoon drive time cave of negativity that he was unhappy and sticking it to build the GM he's out there folks and he's still your best defender on the field JC Jackson has looked solid Devin McCourty solid as well those guys are roster locks no one's worried about them but one of the biggest questions has been who will emerge as the player that takes that Patrick Chung role and yesterday Steve Murph and I spoke pretty glowingly about Kyle Duggar and the impressive play he's exhibited on the field. Kyle's been limited in practice for the past couple of days,

but so far I think he's validated that second-round draft capital that the Patriots spent on him just a few months ago. We both know this is not an easy secondary unit to crack by any stretch of the imagination, meaning that a lot of the spots are already set, but the safety position could brew some potential matchups. From your evaluation in camp so far, Steve, who do you have your sharp eye on when it comes to making an impact in the defensive backfield? You know, like you, I initially thought it was going to be Adrian Phillips. He's a veteran.

We know Bill likes to lean on veterans, especially with rookies coming in. They don't want to put too much on their plate. But then Phillips was dinged up. He missed some time. And then Duggar has, I think, exceeded expectations at least for year one. We expected the learning curve for him to be a little bit steeper coming from a really tiny, and I can say tiny because I've been to college in North Carolina. I mean, that is a really small school. So we expected, you know, you know, Duggar was going to have a

little bit of a learning curve, but it hasn't worked out that way. He's been outstanding. He's making plays. He's moving all over the field. And the thing I like most is that the coaches feel confident enough in him where they're moving him around and trying him in a bunch of different positions. You know, deep safety, they're playing him in the box. They're lining him up in the slot at times. And then, of course, you know, the big nickel playing the linebacker position. safety they're playing them in the box they're lining them up in the slot at times and then of course you know the the big nickel playing the linebacker position I think you have to take that

as a very positive sign that they like what they're seeing in this kid and I think the sky's the limit for them yeah I would definitely agree with you and look this comes from a guy that's been highly touting Adrian Phillips and look I'm taking my social media lumps on that especially the past few days adrian has not really had a stellar camp by any stretch of the imagination he's been out he's been absent uh present on the field but he's been out of drills for a number of days now and he needs to get on the field uh you know he's losing ground to Kyle Duggar, even guys like Terrence Brooks, even Cody Davis, and even a guy like Juwan Williams, who I'll mention in a minute. But Phillips is someone that I believe could be a very big contributor to this team. I've said it before. I'll say it again. But sometimes certain circumstances will dictate whether or not you're

going to be able to make the impact that you can, even if the skill set is there. And I can tell you, folks, I did cover him in Los Angeles. The skill set is absolutely there. He was cut loose from Los Angeles because of a log jam at the position and a number of players that were ready to take that next step. It was just a logical step for Los Angeles to cut Adrian loose and be able to go elsewhere to showcase his talent. So I've heard that the last couple of days. Well, if you were that good, why didn't Los Angeles just keep him? Well, there were a number of reasons for that. But I agree.

I think he needs to get on the field if he's going to show that. And it needs to happen quickly because Kyle Duggar has looked very impressive. Juwan Williams is someone I wanted to come back to for a moment. I know he's listed as a cornerback, Steve, but I think he's looked better against the tight ends than he has guarding wide receivers. Even in the limited action that we saw from him last year, I thought that was the case. And early on, we heard rumors that Jawan might be willing to move to the safety position. Now, he had some tight coverage against Devin Asiasi the last couple of days in training camp. Yesterday forced an incompletion in 11-on-11 drills.

And to me, that really showed what he could do in that role. I think he's battling for more time and a playoff roster spot, really. A playoff roster spot, a roster spot at either cornerback or safety. A transition to safety might be his best bet here. Is there a possibility that Williams could turn enough heads at the safety position to switch positions and not only just make the roster that way, but also be effective on the depth chart? Oh, I absolutely believe that. I think that, you know, when you're looking at the big picture, you know, eventually they're

going to need a big safety to take over for Devin McCourty. And, you know, I think he would fit the bill for like your big free safety. And, you know, one of the things that we all need to take with the caveat through training camp is, you know, they just line up. And we've seen this, especially in drills. And you see a big safety or corner like a Jawan Williams, and he's going against a small slot corner like a Devin Ross or, you know, Damian Bird. That's a matchup the Patriots would never let him face in a real game.

But in training camp, it's catch-as-catch-can. And that's a matchup the Patriots would never let him face in a real game. But in training camp, it's catch-as-catch-can. You know, the guys line up, and when it's your turn to go on drills, you're going to go against a guy like him where, you know, he's not going to come out looking good. And we saw that in training camp. The people were talking bad about Brandon Browner a few years ago. And then, of course, the Patriots used Browner, you know, to his strengths when the season started.

And they would line him up covering the big wide receivers or sometimes tight ends. And it worked out quite well for them and ended up in a Super Bowl victory. So I'm not concerned at all with Jawan Williams. I know, you know, a lot of people, oh, Damian Beard made him look bad. Oh, Devin Ross. Well, he's not going to face a guy like that in the regular season. And I think it's very possible that they could switch him over considering how deep they are at corner. Yeah, I think so as well. And one of the big reasons why I think Jawan Williams might be

better off looking at the safety position is the emergence of a guy like Michael Jackson Sr. who's actually been pretty solid throughout training camp so far and really making an argument to be a significant member of this cornerback depth chart. He continues to make plays when he's given an opportunity. He won reps against Julian Edelman. He's been matching up pretty well with Damir Bird in one-on-ones. He's broken up some passes and team drills. He's got length. He's got good instincts. He's got some experience, and that helps him out. Reportedly, in Tuesday's practice, he got very, very chippy with Nikhil Harry, who's showing some fire again the last couple of days. I'm glad to see that because I think Nikhil has a ton of promise, and I think

he can live into it. I know a lot of people are giving him a hard time but I'm glad to see him coming into his own and I think he could be a really good factor for that offense this year but Jackson senior continues to impress me and he may end up making a strong case to make the team a cornerback meaning that a guy like Williams might be more suited to make the roster and make an impact at the safety position a guy that we haven't mentioned so much in training camp but really has been kind of under the radar having a very good camp is Cody Davis. And originally we talked about maybe Phillips or Davis being odd men out when it came to the safety position. Davis is coming into his own in that Nate Ebner role,

and we talked about this several times in the offseason. He's playing a full-time role on special teams. He's getting in a little work at safety. He looks to be that Nate Ebner guy, and I don't think too many people are surprised about that. So the secondary continues to surprise, my friend. And, you know, we considered that pretty well locked down in terms of what personnel was going to be lining up in both the safety and the cornerback position, but the Patriots always seem to have some surprises on the horizon. And one area that doesn't get a ton of press, but it does have a share of questions, is the defensive line.

And we'll talk about the linebackers and the pass rush in just a little bit, but there are some great stories along the interior of the defensive line, and even at the ends when it comes to helping out the pass rush. Two guys in particular that have stood out to me in my coverage of camp so far have been Dietrich Wise and Byron Cowher. And both of these guys can fill roles that are very much needed on this team in 2020. Wise in particular, we considered him on that roster bubble. In fact, I had left him off of my latest 53 man prediction and he's making me look bad and I could not be happier about that folks because I do have an

affinity for Derek for Dietrich Wise Coward on the other hand I think he stepped up pretty big in the interior especially with the prolonged absence of a guy like Bo Allen but that's just my eye who stood out to you and is there someone from whom you're looking for more as we move deeper into camp when it comes to the defensive ends and the interior of this defensive line well when you're talking the defensive line i think you always start with a guy who's outstanding every day he's not flashy but he's just really solid that's lawrence guy and you know i think every time he takes the field, Lawrence Guy is just an outstanding football player.

And I remember when the Patriots picked him up, I remember John Harbaugh saying those exact words. The Patriots are getting an outstanding player. They're going to love this guy. And I think he's definitely, you know, lived up to that billing. I mean, I think he's the guy that they're going to lean on the most. But yeah, I think you're right. Byron Cowart seems to have really stepped up his game.

He's penetrating out there, which you love to see with the defensive linemen, those interior guys shooting some gaps and filling in there and able to rush the quarterback from the interior pocket. That's something they haven't done a great job of. And I think Howard's going to be a guy that's definitely going to make the football team unless, you know, something untold happens and he gets banged up. But going back to Dietrich Wise, what you said, I mean, you know, we talked about him a couple of weeks ago on the show,

how he didn't seem a fit with the 3-4, but if, you know, because of the, you know, dark of linebackers they have right now, maybe he makes a push, you know, if they go to a more of a 4-3 or a 5-2 look, and he's having a pretty strong camp so far. So, you know, Nolan's closing the book on him by any stretch. Yeah, absolutely. And in terms of sacks and in terms of individual pass rush talent,

I think Wise, dare I say, may be one of the best they have at the position. Noticing a couple of notes from those that are in attendance in camp, beating Isaiah Wynn cleanly for what would have been a would-be sack after registering two sacks and a quarterback pressure on Sunday's practice. He also beat Jermaine Illuminor for one of the defense's two wins in one-on-ones yesterday and Monday. So right now, when you look at a guy like Dietrich Wise, you see him coming into his own.

He's very good at defeating blocks without significant help from the scheme. I think that can spell a lot of playing time for him. And I think he's playing his way onto this roster. And again, that fills me with a lot of happiness because I do like Dietrich. And I think that he's worked hard to earn a spot on this team. Coward is the guy that's really surprising me in a good way. And I think he's emerged pretty well as a run stopper. Again, Allen's been on the sidelines. So Coward is making the most of his reps and getting in there and showing the team that he

can really be very effective in that role. You mentioned Lawrence Guy. Both Byron and Lawrence were very effective in making it tough on the Patriots' interior offensive line during practice yesterday on Monday. He's very strong. I think that's something that I didn't really get a chance to see a lot of last year in camp, but I'm hearing a lot more about it this year. He's got a pretty good, you know, hitch in his step to get off the line. When he keeps his pads down, he's tough to move. And I think he can help on the pass rush as well this year so good solid additions um essentially by uh by having guys step up for

the patriots i also want to give a little love to adam butler as well who continues to be a very strong force in the interior of that defensive line yesterday i want to make it clear he beat shaq mason clean during team drills with a slant rush. He's able to penetrate that line very well, and I think he's going to continue to be a disruptive force in the interior of the Pats defensive line. Again, he's one of those guys that falls under the radar a lot, but you hear his name throughout the game for making plays,

and that's something that the New England Patriots love. And they've made a very good reputation at having those guys on their roster. Steve, bottom line, the Patriots business is evaluating talent for 2020. And now that the pads are back on and the grind continues to go day by day, they are doing just that. In just a moment, folks, Steve Balistrieri will continue to occupy his spot on the defensive hot seat as we discuss the area on defense that I believe to be hit hardest by the offseason of 2020.

And that's the linebackers. Are the young guns really ready to ride lead? Well, I will ask Steve that question. And I will ask him to combine his two areas of expertise and provide his thoughts on one of the latest Patriots acquisitions. What do I mean by that? Find out when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, to say that 2020 has been a trying year is definitely an understatement, folks.

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And to make it even easier to try this amazing duo of topicals and everything else CBDMD has to offer, they're offering all our listeners 25% off your next order when you use the promo code LockedOnNFL at checkout. Once again, that's CBDMD.com, promo code LockedOnNFL for 25% off your purchase of superior CBD oil products from CBDMD. Patriots fan Steve Balistrieri joins me here today on Locked On Patriots. And Steve, I sound like a broken record on more than one occasion here on Locked On Patriots. But when it comes to the linebackers, I tend to focus on the subtractions rather than the additions.

Kyle Vannoy, Jamie Collins, O'Landon Roberts, they're all gone. Nothing we can do about that. Hightower has opted out. He's not going to be on the field this year. But for the players that are on the field, a lot of these guys are starting to show that Juwan Bentley might just have some more than adequate help in the middle of the field this year.

And they're headlined by a young core of players, guys that we've talked about, like Josh Uche, Anthony Jennings. Cash me outside. How about that, Malaya? Somewhere Murph is rolling his eyes i can feel it he is not happy about that nickname but folks i'm gonna continue to try to make it happen but look these guys have been impressive and if i may say so they're getting the press that they deserve but two guys that I think could make an impact here are not really true linebackers they're more hybrid defensive ends that rust the passer that rush the passer can't talk today folks and I think they can be effective in coverage as well and they're Chase Winovich

and Derek Rivers who Rivers many had left him to the boneyard but he's had a pretty impressive camp you just hope with Derek that he stays healthy but the talent obviously is there I'm gaining more confidence by the day and what I see from the linebackers in the pass rush Steve but it's still early we like to take a level-headed approach and you always take a measured point of view when it comes to things like this what's your take on the current situation at linebacker and pass rusher and might we even see the Patriots be more aggressive in rushing the passer this year oh i think so i i do uh and it's a youth movement i mean uh through uh whatever caused it they're going through a youth movement they they lost a lot of experience this year so they have a lot of guys. They're going to have to lean on these young guys.

You know, a guy like John Simon, Chase Winovich, they're going to lean on these guys. Winovich is only in his second season. Then you have a guy who didn't play a ton of defense, more special teams, and a guy like Brandon Copeland coming in. You have, obviously, DeJuan Bentley. But then you're two rookies this year Josh Uche, Anthony Jennings I think these guys are going to play some really valuable snaps this year and

when you're dealing with a lot of young guys on the field they're going to be growing pains there's going to be mistakes and one way to ease that a little bit for the defense overall is to be aggressive and And one way to ease that a little bit for the defense overall is to be aggressive. And I think they might be looking to be a little bit more aggressive this

year because they know they can lean on that secondary. Whereas, you know, they can't sit back as much where, you know, some of these younger guys, the growing pains might be a little bit more pronounced. So I think the opportunity will be there for them to be much more aggressive. We might see more of those cover zero looks early this season. I think so. And one of the big reasons why is the emergence of Winovich. And look, we all knew about this kid's motor coming out of college from Michigan.

We knew, we heard about it, that he just doesn't stop. He's constantly moving, constantly going. That burst off of his stance is something that stands out with Chase Winovich any time you see him. He's also got the ability to bend and turn the corner tightly. That makes him a very difficult guy to block. He's been matching up a lot lately with Jermaine Illuminor, and he's been beating him on more than one occasion. don't necessarily take that as a negative for jermaine i take it

more as a positive for chase because i think that's more to accentuate his style and his ability to make plays in that linebacking court and at the defensive end position as well rivers has always had that pass rush ability when he's out there, but he needs to be out there. And that's something over the course of the last few years, he hasn't been able to do consistently. If he can somehow harness together a healthy season, he could be a sleeper in this core. He could be that hybrid linebacker defensive end that the Patriots may need

more of with the absence of a guy like Dante Hightower. So I'm keeping my sharp eye on Derek Rivers this year. And he kind of is sort of like the resurrection, if you think about it. I'm just hoping that he stays healthy and that we're not jinxing him by talking about it because I really do have some, you know, hopes for him that he'll come into his own. I want that type of player that so many people were envious of when the Patriots drafted him saying they just got rivers. That's not fair. Even though he's, you know, had his injury history, this kid can play and he does show

signs of it. So hopefully he can put it all together. But the rookies have been impressive without any question. Josh Uche continues to look like he's getting the hang of things in this defense. Not an easy defense to assimilate into as a rookie, but he is taking a lot of coaching, and that's something that Isaiah Hull, who hosts Locked On Wolverines here, does the Michigan Wolverines podcast, and I talked about this with Mark Schofield last week, praised him endlessly for is Josh Uche will listen to his coaches. He will absorb all of the information that they're going to give him, and he'll put it

into practice pretty quickly on the field. And you'll see that. He can make the plays. There's no question about it. They're looking for more consistency out of him, but he's a rookie. They're looking for more consistency out of all of their rookies. But Uche has really stood out to me. Anthony Jennings is someone that continues to stand out to me as well.

Haven't seen too much of him yet. He's been on the shelf a little to begin last week, but he's been competitive in practice. He beat Yodney Kajust off the offensive line a couple of days ago, and that impressed a lot of the observers in camp. So keep an eye on him as well. And then, of course, Kash Malawai was injured in practice after his collision with Devin Asiasi. Folks, it looks like an arm or a shoulder issues for Cash.

He's steadily climbing the linebacker depth chart. It was limited in Tuesday's action, but he's expected to be okay long-term. And ultimately, I think he could play his way onto this roster as well, making the most out of a late round draft steal. And maybe the Patriots have something here as well. But Cash is not exactly an under the radar signing when you combine him or you compare him to the gentleman I'm going to mention in my last question today for you. And Steve, I don't get a

chance to do this often, but I'm going to ask you to combine your talents when it comes to both football and the military for just a moment. And I know you probably smirked a bit when you saw that the Patriots had signed a former Navy midshipman to compete for a spot at tight end. In fact, it's someone who decided to join the U.S. Marine Corps and spent the last four years serving as an infantry officer after it looked like football would not be in his future. And you'll be happy to know I made a Lieutenant Kendrick joke about that yesterday here on the pod, and everybody seemed to like it. But Paul Quisenberry is the guy I'm talking about, and he has the potential to make for an incredible story if it does work out.

And it's a long shot, folks, but it is possible because I think there's some prowess he can bring to the field what was your take on the signing steve and do you believe this could be bill's latest where did he find this guy well you know uh it was such a belichick signing because you know here's a guy nobody gave the second thought to i mean anyone wants to raise their hand and say oh i had them signing this guy all along i think uh you're you're joking uh so you know but it's such a belichick signing he was a navy guy you know uh he went to the uh naval academy and you know he was a defensive lineman now they're switching him to tight end he spent you know, he was a defensive lineman. Now they're switching him to tight end.

He spent, you know, the past four and a half years as a Marine Corps infantry officer. So, I mean, we know he has the self-discipline and all that stuff that's required. I don't know whether he'll be able to pick it up. You know, he's learning a new position. He hasn't played football in five years. So it's going to be really difficult for him. But as we've seen in the past, you know, Belichick loves making these moves. And would I be surprised if he makes the roster?

Yes. Would I be shocked? No. Because invariably he makes a lot of right calls when it comes to stuff like this. So we'll have to see. And we all know that, you know, tight end is wide open on this team. Yeah, it truly is. And I mean, look, Quisenberry and you made a very good point about the fact that he was a defensive lineman in college. Now he's essentially trying his luck on the other side of the ball and really has no pro or even significant college tape to be able to go on in terms of what he could do at the tight end position

or in the H-back, full-back type role. And we heard Bill Belichick say on Monday that this was something they would be keeping their eye on when it came to his prowess. You could either see him in line or from an offset position as an H-back or a fullback type player. And he was running with the running backs the other day in camp, folks. So keep a sharp eye when it comes to this. I wouldn't expect to see Paul on the defensive line. I don't think, I think it's unlikely that the team would ever actually employ him there unless he added some more bulk to his frame and proved that he could be maybe a little bit more of a two-way player.

But this is a typical Bill Belichick move without any question. He does have an impressive backstory. This would be a long-shot, feel-good roster story if he were able to make it on. But I do believe he's facing an uphill battle. Ryan Izzo has actually looked pretty good in camp he may be making his case to be that tight end three in this offense um jake burt rashad berry paul butler is also still there as well steve unfortunately our prognostication last week did not come true ellis was not the white knight we were hoping for. He lasted only slightly longer than Harry Ellis did when it came to going into Hans Gruber's office, which I guess was the vacated office of Holly McClain. But whatever, we're not going to go into the history of diehard here, folks, or we'll be here a lot longer than a half hour.

But in any case, yeah, I think Quisenberry is facing a long shot, but it would be the ultimate Bill Belichick move. that could be brought out by having a guy that was a former U.S. Marine officer, infantry officer, and started with the Navy could really just be an endless supply of material for someone with a demented sense of humor like me. But I'm glad that you were able to at least give your impression on it, and I appreciate it. Buddy, what can I say? I always, always love when you stop by the pod each and every week. You lend insight that I always pay attention to. And folks, I know you always pay attention to it, too, because more often than not, Steve is right on the money. I would always ask to let our audience know where they can find you.

But I believe most of them do. Just in case they don't, let everyone know where they can find you on social media and what we can expect and look forward to from the great pen of steve balistrieri within the coming days well thank thank you as always uh for having me on it's always a pleasure you know i love talking football with you i just wish we were all together down in gillette right now but uh covid being what it is, we'll just have to forego that this summer. Anyway, you can find me on social media, Twitter at SteveB7SFG. I write for PatsFans.com. I do a podcast for them called Patriots Fourth and Two.

We're doing a video cast with them this afternoon, about 3 o'clock. We should be doing a live video cast with Patriots 4th and 2. And as you know, we also do a podcast with the big green man, Thomas Murphy. One Patriot place, and we'll be getting back to that here shortly. Absolutely. And, you know, this week here on Locked On Patriots, you know you and Murph have embroidered weekly seats here on Locked On

Patriots. And this week, I didn't mess around. I started off with the Bash Brothers, one, two, and put them down early. But folks, I assure you, it's definitely, it's by design having these guys on. They're two of the greatest guys in any walk of life that you'll find,

but two of the most knowledgeable guys as well. And every time you and I get a chance to absorb their wisdom and counsel, we come out as stronger football fans and better people as a result. So stay safe, stay well, my friend. Yeah, I wish we were sharing that grassy knoll over on the practice fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium for training camp this year like we always do. But COVID being what it is, we're doing our best to cover as best we possibly can, folks. But having great guests like Steve and the insight he provides helps us to

provide the best coverage we can for all of you. So thanks again, buddy. We look forward to having you back next week. safe stay well thank you mike and so patriots fans i hope that you've enjoyed today's look inside the defense of your 2020 new england patriots and as always i and great guests like steve balistrieri try to do our best to answer all of your questions and solve all your problems but i'm sure you have more burning questions and for the second straight week we're going to open up the Locked On Patriots mailbag for a little midweek mailbag action. So that means take to Twitter and submit your questions directly to me at MDABATEFPC or the Locked On Patriots account at LO underscore Patriots. All of you, our great listeners here

at Locked On Patriots, submit phenomenal and insightful questions, and I expect nothing less this time around. So, to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, or to hear your name on tomorrow's pod if you do submit a question, please be sure to follow Locked on Patriots on Spotify, subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, download Locked on Patriots wherever you get your podcasts, and again, don't miss the opportunity to have your question read aloud and answered right here on tomorrow's pod.

Once again, I'm Mike DeBate. I thank Steve Balistrieri for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's podcast. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Stay safe. Stay well. Always be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.