Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Draft Musings with Murph - Patriots 2022 Draft Prospects and Coaching Choices — 2/24/22

Episode Date: February 25, 2022

The New England Patriots currently hold the 21st pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. However, will the Pats choose offense or defense? Joining host Mike D’Abate is fan-favorite Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy as the duo begin to Muse the Draft, giving their thoughts on the Patriots potential choice in the first round. They also discuss the Pats’ offensive coaching staff and its impact on the team’s chances for success in 2022.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Patriots fans, it might not be Monday, but it is time for a little hashtag Locked on Murph. That's right, the monster master of disaster, the green king of sting, the counter-Murphy Fisto himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy joins me here today on the pod as we discuss whether the Patriots should go offense or defense in round one of the 2022 NFL Draft, and why the Patriots offensive coaching staff might just be in good hands after all. My name is Mike DeBate, and you are about to be locked in to the Locked On Patriots Podcast. You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast, part of the Locked

On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful and thank you for spending part of your Thursday or Friday morning with us right here on Locked On Patriots. I'm your host, Mike DeBate. And in addition to being your host here on Locked On Patriots, I also cover your New England Patriots for Patriot Maven of Sports Illustrated. Feel free to give me a shout on Twitter at MDABATENFL. And while you're out there doing some Thursday traveling through that Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots.

Pats fans, today we have a special treat for you. It's not Monday, but it is still. Hashtag Locked On Murph Day. The schedule got shuffled a little bit because of the Monday holiday, but it is hashtag Locked On Murph Thursday. That's right. The legendary green man, Thomas Murphy, my good friend, my benefactor in this business, joins me here on the hot seat today. And Murph and I have plenty to discuss.

And one of those topics will be the Patriots coaching staff, especially on the offensive side of the ball. We all know that Matt Patricia, Joe Judge, set to take on a bigger role on the offensive staff this year. But does that necessarily mean doom and gloom for the Patriots? Well, not really, but Murph has got his thoughts on the subject. I won't steal his thunder. I'll let you listen to what the man has to say.

And for those of you that know Murph the way I do, you're not going to want to miss his insight. Last but certainly not least, it is time to start musing the draft here on Locked On Patriots. Because once again, Murph and I do not mock the draft. We do not insult or make fun of it in any way. Instead, we provide our musings on exactly what we expect the Patriots to do and what we feel they should do. That process starts today. Right now, the Patriots possess the 21st overall pick in the upcoming 2022 NFL draft.

And while I know there are a lot of you out there that expect the Patriots to trade this pick because it's just what Bill Belichick does, or actually, if you really pay attention to how Bill Belichick drafts, you'll know that's not what he always does, but conversation for another day. If the Patriots do in fact hold on to this pick, will they go offense or will they go defense? Well, I've got a strong opinion on which way the Patriots should lead, and you know who else does? My good friend Murph. So, settle in, sit back if you can, and be prepared to absorb the green wisdom and counsel of my good friend,

the legendary Thomas Murphy, when today's Locked on Murph Thursday episode of the Locked on Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, thank you so much for continuing to make Locked On Patriots your first listen every day. Now, make sure you're following Locked On NFL as well. Locked On experts covering the biggest stories around the NFL every Monday through Friday in less than 30 minutes. It's free and available wherever you get your podcasts. Locked On listeners, football may be over for this season, but basketball is in full

steam, both pro and college hoops. From all the latest odds, totals, player performance props, to where the next fired head coach is going to land, BetOnline.net is the number one spot for all of your sports betting needs. BetOnline remains the best spot for all of your sports scores, podcasts, and news this season. And it's not just basketball. BetOnline.net is your source for hockey, boxing, and UFC odds, all proudly found at BetOnline.net. So head to the website today or use your mobile device to learn more about the trends and the action. Bet Online, where the game starts. Patriots fans, it's been a holiday week.

And because it's been a holiday week, the schedule here on Locked on Patriots, as really anywhere, has been a little, how shall we say, disjuncted. Well, we get back to basics today. Because although Locked on Murph Monday didn't exactly happen, we're bringing you Locked on Murph Thursday. Different day, but still the same energy, the same vibe, and the same wisdom and counsel that you've been craving all week long. That's right, folks. He is here. He is ready to roll. My good friend, the Count of Murphy, Fisto himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy, back for his weekly appearance here on Locked on Patriots. Thank you for coming to me in friendship. Thank you for joining me today, Don Murph.

Yeah, folks, don't worry. It's not Monday. We're not dragging you back to Monday. You're actually at Thursday. You just got today and tomorrow to get through to the weekend and all that snow that you're going to have Saturday morning. I'm sorry. Absolutely.

It's just when we think we're out, it pulls us back in. It was beautiful here on Wednesday, folks. Just I mean, in the northeast, 60 degree temperatures, some, you know, reached almost 70. Some actually ticked over the 70 degree mark. Really just remarkable in terms of the weather that we were getting. And then like a punch in the face, Murph, you go outside to get your morning mail or your morning newspaper or anybody still gets morning newspapers or whatever. The moment you come out, I do as well. I do as well. I'm still old school like that. And you walk outside and you feel that 25, 30 degree weather that just reminds you the calendar still says February and it's still winter. But we're going to help you get warm today here on Locked on Patriots because it is Locked on Murph Thursday here on the pod. And we've got a ton to talk about, but we really and truly do. Whether it comes to the Patriots offense, the draft, we've got a lot of stuff coming up, and this is a great opportunity for us to be able to pick the wisdom and counsel of the great man himself who's joining me on the opposite end of this microphone.

And let's dive right into it, bud. Before we get into musing the draft a little here, because we're going to start musing the draft with Murph each and every Monday here on Locked On Patriots. Mock Draft Monday, yeah, it's Mock Draft Monday, but we all know it's Locked On Murph Monday, and that's exactly how we're going to co-celebrate the first day of the work week. But today, we're going to introduce that in a little bit, but not before we get to what really is essentially, I don't want to say the story of the week, Murph, because I think a lot is being said about J.C. Jackson

and his contract situation. Talked a little bit about that yesterday we'll continue to monitor that as we go through here on Locked On Patriots and as we all continue through the news cycle we'll keep you up to date on the latest when it comes to JC definitely want to check out tomorrow's pod my good friend the Pats cap himself miguel benzon joins me to answer all your financial questions about jc jackson murph the other big story in new england right now is the offensive coaching staff and some fans are losing their minds at the thought of joe judge and matt patricia having a solid i don't want to even say solid, having a prominent voice in the offensive strategy for the New England Patriots this year.

Not a lot of play-calling experience there. People are looking at their head coaching experience going, what are the Patriots thinking? So there's some unsettled feelings in Boxborough with regard to these two. Mac Jones, interestingly enough, gave an interview over Super Bowl week with folks over at Patriots.com, and Mac mentioned what he needs to do to get better for the 2022 season, and for anyone that is wondering if Mac Jones is willing to put in the work, you can put those,

you know, qualms to rest. Mac is staying in the area this offseason. He plans on working closely with the coaching staff. He's already said he intends to make individual improvements to his strength, his diet, getting a little bit more pro-ready in terms for his second season. Part of that is going to be developing a synergy with his coaching staff. And you have to think that if somebody like Joe Judge is going to be working closely with the quarterbacks, as Burt Greer reported last week, then Mac is someone that I know is going to be in the crosshairs when it comes to this coaching staff's ability to take this offense forward. But just on the surface, when you heard Greer's report,

or when you heard about Joe Judge coming back, or even Matt Patricia taking on a more active role, is this a good thing or a bad thing for the Patriots? And I'm going to throw you a little curveball as well. Is there another shoe still to drop here when it comes to this coaching staff? So let's jump on the good foot first. With Matt Patricia, you know, working so intricately with the offense, we don't have to worry about him going over and screwing up the defense this fall, people. And that's a good thing. is not the scenario that I wanted. All right. The Patriots missed a huge opportunity at hiring me to come in and run the offense or somebody of the ilk of Mark Schofield, who could have come in and been a fantastic quarterback's coach and, you know, GM. I'm not happy, Michael. I'm not happy at all. Neither of these guys have shown an affinity to be offensive coaches in any way, shape or form. I think in the in the lowest points of the Detroit, the Detroit Lions period of time, you can't you can't get much worse than the offense was under Matt Patricia. I'm really scratching my head, wondering why Bill is clinging to his his old cronies when there's an old crony out there, you know, in the name of Bill O'Brien that could come in here and not miss a beat as to where this offense needs to go, how it needs to be run, and somebody who already has a fantastic working relationship with Mac Jones. Yeah, absolutely. I think a lot of people are still waiting for the O'Brien shoe to drop,

and it's funny how just when you think this story has run its course, little bits and pieces, dribs and drabs come out and oh i don't think there's still something to this or something's still going to happen uh there just seems to be that prevailing rumbling that continues on through the patriots grapevine and i'm hearing the same thing so i'm really keeping an open mind on this i don't necessarily know if they're done i am lighting every prayer prayer candle that I can at mass on Wednesday morning that this happens. There was some, you know, it gave me a tad bit of hope this week that I got it from somebody that I consider an insider that, you know, Derek Dooley was just added to

the Alabama coaching staff as an offensive analyst. And that is just giving me the slightest bit of hope that Bill can work out something down there in Bama to get OB back here and standing on the sidelines holding a clipboard. Yeah, and I think it would be the best-case scenario for Mac Jones, the best-case scenario for Bill O'Brien, definitely. He gets back in the pros, gets a chance to once again prove himself. Arguably, he's been trying to come back into the Patriots fold for a number of years, if you believe some of the reports that are out there that he really, you know, desired to come back even while he was coaching the Houston

Texans. It really is, I think, just a hand in glove fit look at what do you look what look at what the man did at penn state when they were absolutely you know the dregs of college football and bringing them back to the way uh to to some kind of prominence this is a man with with knowledge of this system that is is almost unparalleled there are three people that know this system better than uh than oh bill O'Brien. And that's one is Tom Brady. The other one is now coaching out there in Oakland. And the last one is me. Yeah, absolutely. And any one of those choices would be a great choice as well. I still say hire Murph for the staff, folks, because the problems would be solved. See, this is one thing

about conspiracy theorists love this is that you'll never hire the complete right man for the job because you never really want the problem to be solved. Well, this could be the problem. If Murph comes in, you know, that's it. You just, the only, the only problem that you have at that point is finding out the ring sizes for everyone on that team, because that's the only question mark. You put Murph in the coach's seat, Superbowl every single year. I year I'm just saying you have to know I'm not going anywhere else Bill you absolutely I'm not leaving I will stay there forever they will have to escort me from the building no offer is is is high enough and reportedly that's exactly what Bill is looking for stability one of the big reasons why he went

with matt grow in the director of player personnel job instead of elliot wolf we talked about wolf a lot i really i made a strong case for elliot to be the guy but when you hear the rationale behind it you kind of understand there's also something to be said about going with the best guy for the job in the moment you want to try to strike while the iron is hot and try to be able to do everything you can in that moment to be the best team you can be. But when you're the New England Patriots and you've already had a couple of guys in this position, hold it for a year and then move on. And now Dave Ziegler, you don't want Elliot Wolfe to slide into this and say next year. Oh, yeah. By the way, Team X is going to offer me a general manager job I'm going to go ahead and take it that probably also means that you have Elliott Wolfe for maybe another season so utilize him in the draft very

smart and we're going to get to that draft in just a moment yeah but one of the things that I just wanted to pick your brain about once again before we leave this subject and let it be, was obviously on the offensive coaching staff, a lot being made about Matt Patricia and his involvement. And I've gotten so much feedback. Murph, I know you have too, because you get the same type of feedback that I do, that the Patriots are absolutely insane for allowing him to look at the offense when he doesn't have experience coaching offense. Well, that's not exactly true, folks. The one thing that you have to remember about Matt Patricia is he actually was an offensive lineman in college.

He played four years for Rensselaer Polytech. He played guard. He played center, cut his coaching teeth as an offensive assistant here in New England. So there is experience on that side of the ball. But when you look at the offensive line and the issues that the Patriots had last year, and, you know, obviously some of that was due to the injury of Trent Brown. Actually, most of it was probably due to the injury of Trent Brown, but they had a rough year to begin with. They thought they were going to have both Prasillo and Popovich. Popovich opts out because of the COVID-19 restrictions on the vaccine. Now they don't have either one of those

guys. With regard to the offensive line, is this something where you're worried about Matt Patricia having too much of a hand, or is this more of an advisory role in your opinion, and Billy Yates is really going to be the guy they're listening to? Yeah, I think Billy Yates is really going to be the guy they're listening to. Yeah, I think Billy Yates is really going to be the guy that they're listening to. I'm hoping and praying. Yeah, I know Junior was the, you know, all-time leading blocker at Polytechnic, you know. But no, no, no. This is like asking a catcher to, yes, come in and be my pitching coach. All right?

It doesn't work that way. It doesn't work that way. It doesn't happen that way. Believe me, I played a lot of years and a lot of downs in between a lot of great linemen, and I was happy to be the center in between all of that. But it doesn't fit. It doesn't make sense. For somebody to spend so much time on the other side of the ball

and not really being outstanding at it, I never liked him on the defensive side of the ball. I like him even less on the offensive side of the ball. So, yeah, I'm going to go with the former as opposed to the latter, Michael. It's just, it hurts my head. It hurts my head. And if it hurts Murph's head then it definitely hurts everyone here in Patriots uh fandom and I do agree with you I think that Billy Yates is going to be the guy

that they're going to listen to he developed an awful lot of respect he developed a very good camaraderie in that offensive line room from the guys that I've talked to and the respect that he's given throughout the league I really think he's ready to make that next jump. And look, I said this to Steve. I said this to you not too long ago. If Billy Yates ever needs any help, who's a better consigliere than Dante Skarnecchia? I mean, really, he's always a phone call away. You know that he'll probably be working with him. Scar is going to show up during training camp, during mini camp. He'll do his requisite rounds. He's not going to be back on the sidelines. do hear that quite a bit folks i'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but bill is not going to coax dante out of retirement he's made his final decision exactly

but it doesn't mean that football is completely out of his system and you know it's something that i think he can lend some wisdom and counsel there. And at the end of the day, don't worry about Patricia having too much of a hand in this. First of all, the guy still does know the game of football. So before anyone thinks that the Patriots are just bringing in, you know, someone completely, you know, green off the street that doesn't know anything about the game, that's not the way it works. But I do think in terms of the imprint and the fingerprint on this offensive line, I think it will be Billy Yates.

And, you know, we'll see. Murph, the offensive coaching staff is going to be interesting to watch. But all eyes are starting to turn toward, well, they're starting to turn toward free agency and we'll give it. It's just due in a little bit. But, you as well as I do that we love to muse the draft here on Mondays on Locked On Patriots. And even though it's Thursday, we're still going to continue to muse. Mock Draft Monday will start up this coming Monday on the 28th, but Murph and I have some musings for you as you start to work on your own mock drafts that we will critique right here next week on Locked On Patriots.

The Pats have the 21st overall pick in the upcoming 2022 NFL draft. Do the Patriots go offense or do they go defense? Well, our great green friend here has the answer and we'll hear his thoughts when this Thursday episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, once again, thank you for making Locked on Patriots your first listen every day. Remember, Locked on Patriots, free and available on all platforms. It's Thursday here on Locked on Patriots, but it's still hashtag Locked on Murph Monday, well, Thursday, whatever. It's still Murph's day here on Locked on Patriots. You didn't think we were going to go one week without

Murph. We can't do it, folks. It's just not allowed. It's not permitted. And quite frankly, it's just not something I'm willing to do. So the good man was gracious enough to grace us with his presence on a Thursday instead of a Monday, moved around a lot on his schedule to do it. And I appreciate that. Murph, we talked about the Patriots offensive coaching staff and the impact that may have

on roster building, or that may have on the X's and O's we see on the field in 2022. But what will also have a major impact is the Patriots performance or their acquisitions in the upcoming 2022 NFL draft. And, you know, we love to muse the draft here on Locked On Patriots. We don't mock it. We don't, we never mock the draft. And, you know, we love to muse the draft here on locked on Patriots. We don't mock it. We don't mind. We never mock the draft. No, we do not make fun of the draft here on locked on Patriots. We muse, you know, we theorize, you know, maybe we'll do that theoretic Thursday right over here instead of, instead of musing Monday, I love my alliteration. Maybe we'll do that. So

let's theorize a little bit. You are Bill Belichick, and we are your, you know, right now, Matt Groh, or you're in that director of player personnel seat. You're looking at this draft, and you see the Patriots sitting there with the number 21 pick. You know, not top 10, not top 50 that they had last year, but still not a terrible position to be in either. A good, you know, solid spot in the first round. A lot better than they've

had most of the last two days exactly well some of that thanks to roger goodell but we won't go there that's a different conversation for another day uh asinine removal from the patriots in the first round of the nfl draft we could fill a week on that but um this year the patriots are in that number 21 slot your bill or or your Patriots brain trust. Assuming you're not going to trade the pick because that again, that's another conversation for a whole other day. Assuming you're going to stick with 21, you're going to go with 21 here. Are you going offense? You go in defense and why?

I'm going, I'm going defense. This, this defense is old. It's slow and it'm going defense. This, this defense is old. It's slow and it needs playmakers. Um, this, this draft is absolutely stacked at the wide receiver position at what you people would call the skill positions. And we'll address that, uh, later on. And, but no, I am going defense in the first round. I have my whoopee. This is the man that I want in the first round at 20. He is going to be there. There are a lot of people out there that are in love with Darren Beavers. You know, I should be too, being a UConn alumni myself. But the guy that I want is N'Kobe Dean, the linebacker out of Georgia. You know, Dean is the Buckus Award winner as a nation's top linebacker.

He consistently makes plays at every level on the field. He's the best tackler in this class. He's an athletic freak. This is a man that can answer a lot of the questions that this defense has when it comes to competing in the AFC East, when it comes to stopping these, I don't want to call them run first quarterbacks, but the quarterbacks with the ability to move the chains with their legs. N'Kobe Dean's the man.

He does not fit. Yes, Steve, I know. He does not fit Bill's prototypical type of linebacker. But this is a man that you can line up at linebacker or at safety in the box. We are going to have safety issues coming up in the next couple of years. And I think N'Kobe Dean is the man. I want him. I want him at 20.

He's going to be there. Bill, take the man. I want him. I want him at 20. He's going to be there. They'll take the guy. We're going to really anger Steve, but I am in complete and total agreement with you. I am so glad that you mentioned N'Kobe Dean. Believe me, we do not talk about this beforehand. I want a fresh reaction. I want to know what Murph is thinking, just like you do. I don't know what he's going to say on the other end.

And I absolutely 100% agree with you. I think he's going to say on the other end. And I absolutely 100% agree with you. I think he's the guy, if you're going to move along with the times and you're going to, you know, and I can see, I can see, I know. And Steve makes a valid point. It is not Bill Belichick's prototypical type of linebacker, really not the type of guy that fits into the normal system that you see. But I think a Salazzo in here, you know ben's on peak you know things old-fashioned you know you gotta be able to evolve with the times and i think bill is willing to do that i

think he's starting to show a penchant to be able to do it the last couple of years and the reason that i do like dean in this role is because he is that downhill player that is i think essential to the patriots being able to he's an r RPL eraser. He really is. He stuck. What is the biggest problem that this, this offense had last year? It's stuffing the run. We can bring another big, big guy in upfront. There are guys out there in this draft and the second and third, or even the fourth rounds that you're able to do that, I think, but no, you've got to hit a home run with this pick.

The Patriots had a fantastic draft last year. They've got a couple of guys that are coming back in off the redshirt years that are going to totally remake this defense if they are on the field. I'm not sure what's happening with health issues or anything like that. Cam McGrone is coming back, and why can't I ever remember the name of the kid, the Arkansas kid? Oh, my God, help me. The Arkansas kid, Dietrich Weiss? No, yeah, Dietrich Weiss. I'm so insane. Never mind.

But Dean is the man. He really is. He's somebody that is going to come in here, make plays on a consistent basis. He's a four-down starter, three-down starter from the get-go. Absolutely. He truly, truly is. He was among the leading tacklers in the nation last year when it came to run defense, and there's a reason for that. Not only is he a very good tackler, he doesn't really miss anything, especially when he's aligned in the box, but he picks up the run so quickly. This is why Murph says he's an RPO eraser. In order to be able to defend against the RPO, against a lot of these young mobile quarterbacks, a la Lamar Jackson or even Pat Mahomes, guys that can take the ball, tuck, run, do what they need to do with it. Somebody like a Dean is very, very good at being able to do that because you have to pick up the run very quickly in order to be effective in that role.

I think he's a tough player. When the plays are not really in his wheelhouse, he'll do his due diligence. He'll get through that deluge, I guess is the best way for me to put it, and he'll get to the ball whenever he needs to. He does play with a lot of tenacity. So I like this selection, and I think you're absolutely right. I know some people will tell you the linebacker, they want Devin Lloyd. You see that name come up a lot.

Lloyd is a phenomenal player. He's not going to be there, folks. He won't be there. He's not. He's not going to be there. Devin Lloyd is off the table by pick nine. It's just not happening. And who I meant to freaking give a little dap to was Ronnie Perkins out of

Oklahoma. That's your defensive end that everybody is claiming to. I mean, I've got CBS telling me that the Patriots are going to take Boya Mafia out of, out of Minnesota. He's a guy that two weeks ago was going in the fourth or maybe third round. The edge is going to be taken care of there. The edge rusher position is going to be, the Patriots could certainly address

it later in the draft, but even with that guy in the third or fourth round, but not in the first round. No, I'm sorry. It's not going to happen. This is the pick that needs to be made. The playmakers need to be restored on this defensive side of the ball. And this kid is it. Yeah, he really is. And I just, I love everything about his game. And again, he doesn't fit that cookie cutter type linebacker that the Patriots love to employ. If you're going to go with that type of a player, then yeah, Darian Beavers is definitely the guy that the new England Patriots would

target. He does remind me of an, of a Dante Hightower type, you know, that, that lumbering type of, you know, linebacker that just really, you know, is such a great fit in this system. But, again, I think that the Patriots need to evolve a little bit, show a little sign of the times, and go with that. This dude is a faster, stronger Teddy Bruschi, people. Yeah, very good comparison. Just a smidge shorter, faster, stronger, you know. God, man, he is.

When you watch him play, you just want to put, you know, an inch and 30 pounds on him, and he's brewski. This kid just, he kind of knows through the ball, and I'm not going to get off it until after the draft. Yeah, and you know what? And he's spent time in the SEC. He knows how to play in big games. Obviously, Georgia, the season that they had, no question about it.

So this kid is ready for the spotlight. And I think he will be there at number 21. And I think the Patriots should do their due diligence in terms of looking at him as a serious option. All right, taking defense off the table now. Now I got to play devil's advocate. Bill override you, Murph. You're making the draft decisions.

But Bill or R. Or whoever it mi and says no, we're going I know Murph is not going to destroy some stuff in That's a given, but he ha he will do that job becau If the patriots were to be forced to go offense instead of defense, who should they be looking at? Why?

All right. Chris Olay out of Ohio state. If he's there, that that's absolutely a no brainer. He's a fluid kid with, with no hitch in his stride at all, you know, fantastic hands. He's a guy that gets the yak that I really, really love. And the other guy, it's going to be, it's going to be a tad bit too early for him. I think the Patriots can grab him in the second round, but I think he is the best receiver in this draft. And that's Sean Medici out of Alabama. You know, I hate to keep beating the Alabama drum, but this kid has everything. He really does. He wins the 50-50 fight. His ball skills are a

little iffy. He catches the ball a little bit too close to his chest and doesn't have the great hands that I would like to see. That Randy Moss type of late hands and snatch the ball out of the air. He's not that guy, but he gets me my yak. He's that guy that we can put inside, put outside, and he's just going to compete and compete and compete. He makes big plays at all, at every level of the field, whether you're trying to use him to stretch and get those seam routes open for your tight ends. There you go, Claire, or anything else. That's the guy that I'd really like to see, but I would like to see him in the second round and not the first.

Yeah, I think it'll be second round when the Patriots do address wide receiver. Although my friend and colleague, Kevin Thame Jr. for Patriot Maven of Sports Illustrated, made a pretty convincing argument for Traylon Burks of Arkansas coming out. Size, the speed, the opportunity there. That could be an area where the Patriots do look. But I think like Murph, I'm very like-minded with him. I think the Patriots have, you know, bigger needs that need to be addressed.

Yeah, he's the X guy. I get you. I understand where the man, and I'm not going to run him down, but he doesn't give me the yak that I'd like to see. I don't think he's quite fast enough. He's not an in-kill Harry, but he's not Stanley Morgan either, people. Yeah, and the Patriots really operate at their best when you have a receiver that's capable of running the route crisply, getting separation that you need, and getting the run after the catch.

That really, I think, is one of his best traits. When he has the ball and he has the option to use that quickness, that speed that he's got, he'll make defenders miss in the open field. And again, it speaks to how well he moves without the ball and getting the separation. That, I think, probably is his best trait. If running after the catch and getting the yards after the catch is something that Mechie is so good at, the separation that Mechie is able to provide really, I think, is his best trait because he really has just got a great burst. He can get separation from defenders. And I think he also has the ability to really get that next level speed against defenders down the field when he's running those go routes and he's running those posts for Alabama he's at his best and again he knows the Alabama system that type of synergy between he and Mac Jones really could be uh you know something special with both of these guys

knowing how that offense operates and then all of a sudden Murph Bill O'Brien pops into the picture and you're really really talking about something there there. All right, we just got the fan base a little too excited there. We did. I think we're going to have to temper the excitement, folks. Right. If Mechie hadn't gotten hurt at the end of the season, and I know that this is a concern and we need help right now, but I think he's the best guy in this draft yeah for this system going

forward for what the patriots like to do and he's worth the wait especially with the second round pick people you all know how well second round picks have worked around here over the past decade or so uh this is this is a this is a throw of the dice that i would make because there just is not talent like this in the afc east now there isn't there really really isn't and again i do believe he is worth the wait and he's someone that the patriots will be able to bring along i know there's a lot of talk out there that these guys have no weapons look bottom line jacoby myers most likely will be back in new england i can't see him testing the waters elsewhere. He's a restricted free agent to begin with. But Jacoby's already said he wants to come back to New England. He loves what it is here.

And I can't see that not being worked out. You still have Nelson Aguilar under contract. I know. Stop with the groans. I can hear him from here. He's going to do much better this year. Exactly. A second year in the system. Give him a chance to be able to settle in. him from here but it's going to do much better this year exactly it's much better system give him a chance to be able to settle in and then of course kendrick bourne really exceeded so many expectations this year right you have to think he's going to be better as well so patriots and the last i checked patriots still have two pretty good receiving tight ends on this roster as well so they're not as devoid of weapons as people think they are but when you put mechi into this

lineup i agree with you there's something golden about. So we'll continue to monitor this. We'll continue to use the draft here on Locked On Patriots each and every Monday. But in the meantime, I thank my good friend, the legendary Thomas Murphy, for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's pod. But what can I say? I give you a call and tell you Monday's a holiday. I need you on Thursday. You're right there for the handoff, as always. I truly could not do this show without you. And really, you know, one of the great things about this job and working for a great company like Locked On is being able to share the microphone We hope you do as well. And we look forward to bringing you the action and bringing you the musings of Mike and Murph here on Monday next week. In the meantime, Bud, please let everyone know where they can reach out to you, where they can follow you on the Bird app or across social media, and what you have coming in the days and the weeks from the great pen and the great voice of the legendary Thomas Murphy himself. Well, hopefully I have some real baseball to talk to you folks about.

Because I'm really tired of talking about this lockout and the inches that they seem to cross in each meeting as to getting to a new collective bargaining agreement. It's just painful. It's just painful, people. So yeah, I will be doing some draft profile work. You can follow me on, on the bird app as, as our good friend, Mike, Mark Schofield likes to say at team earth 207, you can read everything that I do exclusively at e2g sports.com. Please go on over there. Some fantastic writers. I've got more guys coming in to cover the,

the MLB once they get all this stuff sorted out that you're really going to want to check out. And of course, you can catch me every week on One Patriot's Place with Steve Balistrieri and Klazzy Claire Cooper, of course, brought to you by E2G Sports. Absolutely. And again, folks, the work that this man does, the written work, the columns, especially baseball, football related for e2g sports.com point click, learn enrichment material every single time. Never miss an episode of one Patriots place. You heard the golden melodious tones of Steve Balistrieri and Claire

Clasic, Claire Cooper earlier this week, Murph rounds out the terrific trio we have here for you to help kick off your week in style on Locked on Patriots. Bud, we're back at it on Monday. Murph and I will be visual on Monday as Locked on Patriots finally makes its long-awaited debut on YouTube. But in the meantime, continue to stay safe and well, my friend, and thank you once again, honored and humbled as always by your presence. I'll get a haircut. And on that note, folks, we'll see you next Monday. Patriots fans, we are almost all the way through your work week, but here on Locked on Patriots, you know that we love to close the week in style,

and that's exactly what we're going to do. Free agency is just around the corner and you have financial questions. That can only mean one thing. The prodigal son returns. My good friend, the Pats cap himself, Miguel Benzon, joins me to close the week in style. And of course, we're going to talk J.C. Jackson. We'll talk Patriots' potential

moves to clear some salary cap space. And of course, as always, information you can only hear here on Locked On Patriots. Miguel sets the record straight about all those various cat myths floating around out there. Folks, you will not want to miss Friday's episode. And to ensure that you don't, please subscribe to, download, and follow the Locked On Patriots podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Remember that Locked On Patriots, as are all of the great podcasts here on the Locked on Podcast Network, are free and available on all platforms. And now that you've made Locked on Patriots your first listen every day, make your second listen, Locked on NFL Draft. My colleagues Ryan Tracy and former NFL cornerback Eric Crocker bring the NFL draft to life with insight and analysis on college football prospects and NFL front offices. Again, free and available wherever you get your podcasts. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate,

and I thank my good friend Thomas Murphy for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's pod. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for continuing to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until tomorrow, Foxborough faithful, stay safe, stay well, be the change that you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.