Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Disrespected: New England Patriots & Drake Maye Slighted By Ranking

Starting point is 00:00:00 Even after going to the Super Bowl last year and having a really good offseason, the Pats, they're still being disrespected. This is Locked-on Patriots. You are Locked-on Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. What's happening? I am your host, Nick Cattels. Today's episode is brought to by Fandul. The biggest stage in world soccer is here. Let there be goals on football.

Starting point is 00:00:35 Fandul, visit Fandul.com to get started now. On today's show, the reporting from minicamp on Reggie Gilliam tells us that we might have underestimated his impact on this team. In the second segment, two young players can make all the difference in answering a significant question facing this defense. But first, apparently 2025 in this past off season meant nothing to a certain prediction model. The paths to me, when you look at them on paper, which is all we can do in June,

Starting point is 00:01:05 If you look at them on paper, the Patriots are a contender in the AFC. But ESPN's Football Power Index rankings came out a couple weeks ago, post the AJ Brown trade and the FBI disagreed with what I just said. The football power index of ESPN has the Patriots ranked 14th in the NFL, pretty much middle of the pack. they have the Patriots as the seventh best team in the AFC. So number 14 in the NFL, number seven in the AFC. Mike Reese wrote about that over the past couple of weeks here.

Starting point is 00:01:44 Here's what he wrote. A top takeaway was low expectations for the Patriots. They are not favored to win the AFC East and have a 6.7% chance to get back to the Super Bowl, a 2.7% chance to win it. Now look, playoff. friends depend on a lot of unknowns. So I'm not going to sit here and lose my mind about, oh, the Patriots have less than a 7% chance to get to the Super Bowl. And they have less than a 3% chance to win the Super Bowl. When you talk about getting to the postseason, a lot

Starting point is 00:02:16 depends on who you're playing, where you're playing, are you healthy, and what kind of weather are you going to have to deal with? All of that is unknown. But when we think, about this regular season, we think about where the Patriots should be slotted in the AFC. They should no doubt, in my mind, no doubt be favored to win the AFC East. And I know Josh Allen and a lot of national talking heads will sit there and tell you Josh Allen this, Josh Allen that, Josh Allen always gives the Buffalo Bills the edge. Well, Josh Allen did not give them the edge last year.

Starting point is 00:02:55 The Patriots won the AFC East in 2025. and Drake May is taking steps to get closer to Josh Allen. Now I know. You could argue and say, well, Drake May finished as the runner up to the MVP. And Josh Allen did not. So Drake May is already ahead of Josh Allen. I would disagree. I have to look at the totality.

Starting point is 00:03:18 And I have to look at what Josh Allen has done in the NFL for several years. It was a fantastic season in 2025 for Drake May. But you want to see him take the totality. that next step as defenses adjust to him, adjust to the Patriots offense. What does Drake May do to respond to that? But I would also argue that Drake May is getting closer and closer to the Josh Allen level. And if Drake May has another really good season in 2026, he becomes part of the perennial conversation, the perennial MVP conversation.

Starting point is 00:03:55 So the quarterback to me, the difference between Josh Allen, and Drake May is much smaller right now in 2026 than it was getting ready for the 2025 season. Then I look at head coach, Mike Vrable versus a rookie head coach in Joe Brady. Joe Brady, this is his first year as a head coach. He did not, you know, take that job in college. He was an offensive coordinator in college, offensive coordinator in the NFL. Mike Frable is one of the best coaches in the league. Patriots have a clear advantage at head coach.

Starting point is 00:04:34 Offense versus offense. Even though the bills have Josh Allen, I still think the Patriots offense with A.J. Brown, Romeo Dobbs, the two-headed monster in the backfield, the offensive line they've put together, Hunter Henriette, tight end. I would still put the Patriots offense ahead of the Buffalo Bills. Now, it might be slightly ahead, but I would have the Patriots offense

Starting point is 00:04:56 ahead of the Bill's offense. And I would also give the Patriots the slight edge on defense. So when we look at the division, I would say the Patriots should be favored to win the AFC East. I also think the Patriots being seventh in the conference in this model is straight up disrespectful. It's ridiculous.

Starting point is 00:05:20 I mean, look at some of the teams that are ahead of the Patriots, the Kansas City Chiefs. you go back two or three years ago, of course you have that argument. Of course, nobody would beef with the idea of the Kansas City Chiefs being ahead of the Patriots in a preseason ranking. But when you look at the Chiefs now, in their current iteration, to have the Chiefs fourth overall in the AFC to me, that's borderline crazy.

Starting point is 00:05:45 Rishie Rice, their number one receiver, literally just got out of prison. Travis Kelsey, if he's not washed, he is on the 18th hole. and on the green of the 18th hole. He's for all intents and purposes, staring down the barrel of his football mortality. I don't think any of us would expect Travis Kelsey to have a 75 catch season out of nowhere. I just, I do not see that type of season for Kelsey in 2026.

Starting point is 00:06:15 76 catches last year. I think he takes a drop back. I think he ends up catching, I don't know, maybe 60, 65. at the most. But Travis Kelsey, no doubt on the back end of his career. Patrick Mahomes coming back from an ACL. Now, of course, ACLs are different in 26 than they were in 2016. You can come back from ACLs much quicker. We just saw Stefan Diggs last year recover from an ACL and do what he did. But your starting quarterback is still coming back from an ACL. He's now in his 30s. I have questions about

Starting point is 00:06:50 their cornerback position outside of Mansour Delane, who they drafted. in April. So I think the Chiefs being at four is a reach. I also would question the Texans being ahead of the Patriots. Now, I do think the Texans are a really good football team. But how on God's green earth could you put the Texans ahead of the Patriots after what we saw from C.J. Stroud last post season? How in the world? He was that bad. Now, yeah, he's better in the regular season. But after watching what happened to C.J. Stroud in the postseason, would it surprise anybody if he didn't have a great year in 2026? So I don't know how you put the Texans ahead of the Patriots, given the quarterback. I think the Patriots, looking at the Pats versus the rest of this conference,

Starting point is 00:07:40 I think the Pats are right there on paper with the Broncos, the Chargers, the Bengals. You might argue the Baltimore Ravens. I think the Patriots, I would not slot them any lower than fourth or fifth in the AFC. And fifth feels like a little bit of a reach to me. Seventh. Seventh is disrespectful. 14th after going to the Super Bowl last year and improving your roster with a staff that has stayed together with a quarterback that should take that next step. Fourteenth in the NFL, barely above the middle of the pack. Disrespectful, man. Disrespectful. Coming up, the need for speed at edge. This is Lockdown Patriots, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network. Now, the number one sports podcast network, your team every day. The biggest stage in world soccer is here. What about Team

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Starting point is 00:09:45 Now, I am very happy with the Patriots offseason. However, that does not mean there aren't questions about this team's construct. Those questions include the potential lack of speed at edge. Thank you for making us your first listen and for being an everydayer. Get your daily Patriots fix completely ad free by joining the Everydayer Club today. Start your seven day free trial right now and get closer to your team without the interruptions. Click the link in the show notes or go to lockdown patriots.com to claim your free trial. Don't forget. Click that thumbs up. Give us a like. Helps us with the algorithm on YouTube if you're watching. So don't forget to give us

Starting point is 00:10:25 that thumbs up. Don't forget to throw a comment in as well. Do you think ESPN's football power index has disrespected the Patriots, ranking them 14th in the NFL, 7th in the AFC? I think that is disrespectful. I want your thoughts on that. And don't forget to subscribe 10,000 subscribers. That's the next goal. We continue to slowly march towards 10,000. Of course, I know, until we get the training camp, it is the dead season. But don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe. Mike Vrable, when he met with the media at mandatory minicamp, he sounded confident about the edge position. We talked about it that week. We discussed what Mike Vrable said about the position. And I was slightly surprised that Mike Vrable sounded as confident and bullish at edge as he

Starting point is 00:11:13 sounded, especially him saying that the day after he admitted that the Patriots likely have to add some numbers to the tight end room. I am less confident. at edge than Mike Vrabel is, but it's not only because of depth, the health questions, it's not just because of that. I wonder if the Patriots have enough speed at edge. Chad Graff wrote the following at the athletic.

Starting point is 00:11:40 Last season, New England had the third slowest time to sack in the NFL at 4.01 seconds. Third slowest time to sack. The Patriots blitzed at the fifth high rate in the league during the second half of the season. And we've discussed this, right? Especially in the postseason, Patriots started a blitz a heck of a lot more because they just could not trust their pass rush with their front four to get home consistently enough. Harold Landry was not the same guy. Christian Barmore was inconsistent, et cetera, et cetera.

Starting point is 00:12:15 So when you look at the entire second half of the season in 2025, the Patriots, they had the fifth highest blitz rate. Hey man, we got to get home somehow. We're going to get home by being uber aggressive and trusting our corners on an island more often than not. And when you look at the Patriots offseason, as much as I like what the Patriots have done in the offseason, they did not add a lick of speed at edge this off season. Dremont Jones is a former interior defensive lineman who was pushed to the outside. He is not the type of of athlete. He does not have the bend. He does not have the type of speed around the corner that Caleban Chason had. Yes, I think he's a better overall player. I think he's better against

Starting point is 00:13:03 the run than Calebon Chase on. But we're talking about specifically speed at edge. Going from Cala Van Chason to Draymont Jones, you decreased your speed at edge. Gabacchus. Now hopefully Gabacus shows up for camp. Hopefully his contract gets ironed out. But Gabe Accus, as we talked about right after the Patriots drafted him, love the pick, love the aggressiveness to move up and pick Gabe Accus. But Gabe Accus is not your ultra bendy, speedy, around the edge type guy. That's not who he is. And so he's not going to bring you this athletic electricity off the edge in that super bend that we see from certain guys. So you added Accus, you added Draymont Jones,

Starting point is 00:13:55 Caleb-on-Chayson walked, you cut Anthony Jennings. Now, Anthony Jennings, he's not a bendy pass rusher, so that is what that is. But it's not as if you up your athleticism or bend in that room with the two guys you brought in. Now, I know you brought in Jesse Lucetta. We'll see if Lucetta makes the roster. But beyond that, Harold,

Starting point is 00:14:19 Landry. He's coming off knee surgery. We don't know if Harold Landry is going to look like Harold Landry from the first month of last season or Harold Landry post injury last season. So that twitchiness, that bend, that speed, that athleticism, we'll see if Harold Landry still has most of that. If he doesn't, he will have the speed element be decreased from his point of view and what he can bring to the table. but two sophomores, two second year players could answer this question. You might have speed at edge if two sophomores work out. Let's start with Elijah Ponder. If Elijah Ponder takes a step forward in year two, he could bring speed.

Starting point is 00:15:11 Lance Zerline, NFL.com, when you look back at Elijah Ponder's scouting report, here were three strengths, three of the strengths that Lance Zerline posted in his scouting report for Elijah Ponder. Number one, explosive takeoff with good lean and pad level. All right. Number two, transitions are smooth and sudden on third step inside moves. Number three, can bend low at the corner or loosen the edge with a two-hand swipe. So explosivity on the takeoff. the ability to bend low, the ability to be smooth and sudden on inside moves. So if Elijah Ponder, and I think we're going to talk more about Ponder at some point over the next couple weeks before camp starts in late July, Elijah Ponder, mandatory mini camp, everybody was singing his praises. And a lot of people were telling you and telling me that Elijah Ponder is a reason to get excited.

Starting point is 00:16:17 Elijah Ponder, going into the draft last year, his relative athletic score was a 9.7. At the time before last year's draft, that 9.7 RAS, that slotted Elijah Ponder 62nd out of 1,012 defensive ends since I think it's 1987. So almost 30 years of relative athletic score. Elijah Ponder, 62nd at 9.7. He is a tremendous athlete. Then you also have Brayden Swinson. If Elijah Ponder can take a step forward in year two, and he's that third guy in your rotation,

Starting point is 00:17:03 and then you got Brayden Swinson. If he can be a useful subrusher, that would also help. Let's get back to Lance Zerline. Last year, scouting report. I'm Brayden Swinson. Two strengths. Number one, basketball stutter steps can tilt blocker and open an edge.

Starting point is 00:17:22 Number two, acceleration creates momentum to swarm the passer. So tilting the blocker, opening the edge, acceleration, creating momentum to get after the quarterback. So Braden Swinson is another guy that can play edge that does bring a little bit of that speed element, that bendy element. that some of the other guys don't bring as much of. And I would also remind everybody, don't discount the interior of the defensive line.

Starting point is 00:17:57 We always have the conversation on the edges. I talked about this. I think it was last week. Edge, edge, edge, rush, rush, rush, edge, edge, edge, edge, rush, rush, rush, rush, that's what we always talk about. Do not forget about the interior defensive linemen on this team. This team is built from the inside out

Starting point is 00:18:15 when you talk about the defensive line. Do not discount the fact that you can push Draymont Jones to the interior and bring a little bit more athleticism there. More athleticism than Kyrie's Tonga, who was a terrific athlete for his size. Don't forget you have Milton Williams and Christian Barmore who have juice. They no doubt have pass rushing juice.

Starting point is 00:18:40 So if you could just get one or both of ponder and or Swinson to take a step, that will help. If your interior defensive line stays healthy, that will help. If you push Draymond Jones inside at times to throw out the quote-unquote NASCAR package like the New York Giants did back in 2007 to give Tom Brady and the Pat's offense fits, you could have a NASCAR package that will also help the speed element. of your pass rush. And trust the staff. Trust the staff to find ways. Twists in games up front. Exotic blitzes, pre-snap, post-snap changes, dropping defensive linemen into coverage,

Starting point is 00:19:31 bringing unsuspected pass rushers from the secondary and the linebacker core. So trust the staff. So I think it's a reasonable question to ask. I think it's a reasonable, concern to have, do the Patriots have enough speed at edge? But if Elijah Potter can take that step, if Brayden Swinson can be a useful sub-rusher to go along with your inside pass rush, to go along with your coaching staff, I think you could get there. I think you can improve upon what you did in 2025. Reggie Gilliam looks like an even bigger piece to the offensive puzzle than we expected.

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Starting point is 00:21:40 Thanks for section. Thanks for checking. I don't know what I just said. Thanks for checking out the Locktop Podcast Network. now the number one sports podcast network, your team every day. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe if you're watching us on YouTube. I loved the Reggie Gilliam edition. Loved it. My first thought, like many of you, and you heard it on this podcast, on this show at the time, man, Reggie Gilliam should bring a significant improvement to the run game.

Starting point is 00:22:09 That was the very first thought I had. But apparently Reggie Gilliam could be a bigger piece. to this offensive puzzle. First, let's start with the pass protection. Do not overlook Reggie Gilliam's ability to protect the quarterback. Reggie Gilliam finished number one in the NFL last year and pro football focuses pass protection grade at fullback. He was the number one pass blocking fullback in the NFL last year per pro football

Starting point is 00:22:44 focus. How good was Reggie Gilliam? Reggie Gilliam did not allow a single solitary pressure on his past blocking snaps. Not one. Not one single pressure. His past blocking grade was elite. 89.5. So do not overlook Reggie Gilliam's ability to protect the quarterback because that will allow Reggie Gilliam to get more snaps on late downs. It will allow him to get more snaps on maybe third and medium, maybe even third and long if Josh McDaniels is feeling froggy. So don't overlook that aspect.

Starting point is 00:23:28 This is not just a snot blowing, run blocking fullback. This is somebody who did a terrific job last year in Buffalo of protecting Josh Allen and should do the same exact thing for Drake May in 2026. Another aspect of Reggie Gilliam, which has me very intrigued, is he could be more of a pass receiving threat than we thought. Now, of course, it's all relatively speaking. I'm not sitting here telling you that Reggie Gilliam is going to light the world on fire as a pass catcher.

Starting point is 00:24:04 But it sounds like that he might actually be able to offer you, something in the passing game aside from just his past protection. Evan Lazar recently wrote about Reggie Gilliam. Gilliam's movement skills have caught the eye while running routes. Gilliam has more tight-end-ish skills as a receiver than his predecessors at the position. So you think of like the Yakub Johnson's of the world. Well, Evan Lazar is saying, no, Reggie Gilliam is different. He has more tight-end-ish skills as a receiver.

Starting point is 00:24:39 which Lazare writes could lead to some fun wrinkles from Josh McDaniels where Gilliam runs verticals from the backfield or flexes out wide and empty formations. Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald wrote about Reggie Gilliam as well. Gilliam was immediately deployed in a traditional fullback alignment and as a tight end. The Patriots have traditionally had their fullbacks and tight ends, share meetings, and position coaches. So, the way he runs routes, the way the Patriots were lining him up during mandatory minicamp.

Starting point is 00:25:15 A little bit different. Not just your eye formation fullback. A little bit different. And when we talk about Reggie Gilliam helping out with receiving and the passing game, again, it's all relative. Reggie Gilliam does not have to catch 50 footballs to be a threat in the past. passing game. All it takes is won every once in a while. You forget about Reggie Gilliam squirting out of the backfield and all of a sudden you give up a chunk play, then the defense is

Starting point is 00:25:53 going to be aware of that. If you see Reggie Gilliam lined up as a tight end in certain formations, the defense has to be aware of that. They have to take note. And I just think this brings fascinating flexibility to the offense. And we know Josh McDaniels loves being flexible. He loves moving receivers around. He loves guys who have the ability to do different things. I'm going to give you an example. Let's say the Patriots offense lines up week two, week three. Let's say the Patriots line up. And they have Ramandre Stevenson as their running back. They have Reggie Gilliam as their fullback. They also have a tight end out there.

Starting point is 00:26:45 And they also have Mac Hollins and A.J. Brown. Now, just think of this. Just think of having Reggie Gilliam, Ramandre Stevenson, Mac Hollins as your big slot, AJ Brown as your boundary receiver, or AJ Brown, your big slot, Mack Hollins as your boundary receiver. That look for a defense screams we're going to run the football.

Starting point is 00:27:17 You've got your two biggest receivers, you've got your fullback, you've got a tight end out there. That screams. that screams running the football. Well, guess what? Doesn't have to. Because Ramandre Stevenson can catch the ball. Reggie Gilliam apparently has tight end-ish skills receiving.

Starting point is 00:27:44 Obviously, Mac Hollins and A.J. Brown can run routes from either the big slot or the boundary X. So you throw that formation out there. the defense has no idea if you're going to run or pass. If they guess pass, you can run it down their throat. If they guess run, you might be able to sneak a chunk play against them. So that's the type of flexibility and versatility that I'm talking about. If Reggie Gilliam can play a role in the past game, even every once in a while, it's going to cause the defense to react to certain personnel groupings.

Starting point is 00:28:21 and a very good play caller like Josh McDaniels should and will take advantage of that situation. So maybe just maybe Reggie Gilliam going to play a bigger role than we thought. I can't wait to see this offense. I really can't. With the level of talent upped and Drake May taking that next step, fingers crossed,

Starting point is 00:28:46 Josh McDaniels, the play caller, you've got all the elements. All right, that wraps up. this edition of Lockdown Patriots, thank you for making us your first listen and for being an everydayer. Reach out to me on Twitter at Nick C Radio and don't forget to throw a comment in on the YouTube channel. Hit that like button. Give us thumbs up. Helps us with that algorithm. And don't forget to subscribe. Tell your friends, tell your family, tell your fellow Patriots fans. And if you never miss an episode, the Everydayer Club is built for you. Get Lockdown Patriots

Starting point is 00:29:14 ad free plus members only Discord access. I'm out there. I'm hanging out the Discord and more. head to lockdown patriots.supercast.com or check the link and the show notes to learn even more. Have a great day and we will see you next time.

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Disrespected: New England Patriots & Drake Maye Slighted By Ranking

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