Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - East Meets West IV: Patriots/Cardinals Crossover - 5/7/2020

Episode Date: May 7, 2020

It’s AFC East/NFC West Divisional Crossover Week across the Locked On Podcast Network.  Joining host Mike D’Abate is Alex Clancy of Locked On Cardinals to discuss both the New England Patriots and the Arizona Cardinals’ 2020 NFL Draft report cards, their potential rosters and the chance to prove the doubters wrong in 2020.   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. It is the fourth and final day of Intradivisional Crossover Week here 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. Today's episode is brought to you by Built Bar. Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to BuiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKEDON and you'll get $10 off your first order. And a good day to all of you. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, because it's your team every day,

that means your questions, your comments, and your feedback, always welcomed and greatly appreciated. Feel free to send that feedback by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there cruising through the Twitterverse, please be sure to give the Locked On Patriots account a follow as well at L-O underscore Patriots. Patriots fans, another week here on the Locked On Patriots pod is nearly in the books. And all of us across the NFL channel here at the Locked On Podcast Network

have thoroughly enjoyed this intra-divisional crossover between teams in the AFC and the NFC. And folks, for a brief period of time, it seemed like the program directors here at the Locked On Podcast Network had magical, mystical powers to predict the future. And what do I mean by that? I'll explain. As I'm sure all of you know, today, Thursday, May 7th, 2020, is NFL Schedule Day. The schedule for the upcoming season is expected to be released at 7.30 p.m. Eastern Time, and at that time, we will know exactly who and when the Patriots will be playing. And late Wednesday afternoon, early evening, it was reported by NFL insider John Clayton

that the first four games of the 2020 season would be between the AFC and their NFC counterparts. And as you know, across the NFL channel here on the Locked On Podcast Network, we've been doing these interdivisional crossovers to give you a closer look at what these matchups might be like. Well, if in fact that ended up being true, it would mean that the New England Patriots would be playing their first four games of the season against the NFC West opponents, three of which we've already chronicled here this week,

the San Francisco 49ers, the Seattle Seahawks, and the Los Angeles Rams. And until it's made official, folks, there is still a chance of that happening. However, some of the information coming out early Thursday indicates that may not be the case across the board. And I'll come back to that in a moment. But once again, folks, it is the fourth and final day of our intra-divisional crossover. And to help provide some insight on the Arizona Cardinals today, I will be joined by Alex Clancy, host of Locked On Cardinals right here on the Locked On Podcast Network.

And admittedly so, folks. The Patriots and the Cardinals, including their fan bases, don't really know a lot about each other. But in 2020, they might just have something in common after all, and that is the element of surprise. I know, folks, it sounds weird to hear that the Patriots might be a surprise team in the division. They've only been the division champions for the last 10 years, and a double-digit win

total has seemed like just a formality for the last 20 years. But as I've said many times here on the pod, it's a new dawn and a new day in Foxborough. And the Patriots are hoping to raise some eyebrows and prove to everyone out there that they're still here. Well, the Arizona Cardinals are looking to do the same. They've had one of the more interesting and high-profile off-seasons in the NFL this year. The addition of DeAndre Hopkins into that Arizona offense makes them an instant nightmare for opposing defenses.

And much like the Patriots, the Cardinals are hoping to prove some of the prognosticators wrong in the upcoming 2020 season. And who knows, folks, with tonight's official release of the NFL schedule, it is still possible that these two teams might open the season by facing one another. So folks, sit tight. Another informative and action-packed episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast is on tap for you today. Alex is a great analyst and knows the Arizona Cardinals as well as anyone, and I have no

doubt that you'll be interested and intrigued by what he has to say. But before we make this crossover official, folks, I did allude earlier to those initial reports of the AFC and NFC hooking up in the first four games of the season to be maybe a little premature and possibly even inaccurate. While most of the NFL mediaverse was preparing for AFC and NFC interdivisional matchups to open the season, some news started to come out on Thursday morning that may contradict those reports. And one of the first pieces of information to leak was via Nick Underhill, who covers

the New Orleans Saints. And Underhill reported late Thursday morning that his New Orleans Saints would be opening the season against Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now keep in mind, folks, this is not confirmed until it becomes official tonight from the NFL. But Nick is one of the most respected and accurate journalists in his craft, and in fact, he should be a familiar name to all of you. Nick covered the Patriots for the Athletic Boston in 2019, and in my estimation is always reliable and accurate. So if in fact this holds true, it may mean that week one is a matchup of all divisional games. And to further stoke that fire,

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported shortly thereafter that his New York Jets would in fact be opening the season against the Buffalo Bills. So by process of elimination, if the NFL season will open with teams playing divisional foes and the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills are already off the schedule, that would mean that the Patriots would open up against the Miami Dolphins. And that means the potential of a Jarrett Stidham to a Tungvalova showdown between the Patriots led by Bill Belichick and the Miami Dolphins led by Brian Flores.

That could mean for an amazing opening weekend. But again, folks, until the schedules are made official on Thursday evening, we will not know with 100% certainty who the Patriots will be playing and when they'll be playing them. At this point, we know the home opponents, we know the away opponents, but that's about it. So to confirm or deny all of the rumors swirling around out there, keep a sharp eye on all NFL media outlets for the official word on the 2020 NFL schedule, especially when it comes to your New England Patriots. And if by any chance, folks, you are listening to this after the schedule has been released,

please know that on Friday's episode, we will be breaking down the schedule. Who are the surprises? Who is the most anticipated matchups? And maybe even play the what-if game when it comes to wins and losses. And I will be joined by a very special guest to do so. Who will be joining me? Well, stay locked in to the end of the Locked On Patriots podcast today to find out who will be joining me to close out the week here on Locked On Patriots.

But before I'm joined by Alex Clancy of Locked On Cardinals, I need not remind you that as we continue to adjust to our new normal, finding the energy to complete daily tasks lately is not exactly easy. And you know what else is not easy either? Finding a healthy, low-calorie treat that is just as delicious. Well, your search for a protein bar that gives you everything you need and everything you want is over. Because Built Bar is that tasty treat that you've been looking for. So don't delay, make it your go-to bar today. And folks, I'll be honest, I was never a big fan of protein bars.

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Make Built Bar your go-to bar today. Welcome back to Locked on Cardinals. As I said before the break, it's time for the Locked on Cardinals Division Crossover Series portion of the podcast. It's awesome to get on Michael DeBate from the Locked On Patriots. Michael, a lot has happened in New England over the last several months. What's it like right now going pre-Tom Brady to post-Tom Brady? I think there's a lot of anticipation in the air, Alex. I also think there's a little bit of uncertainty,

maybe a little squeamishness on behalf of some of the fan base. But ultimately, I think the fans are starting to realize that the Tom Brady era for the last 20 years was an amazing time, probably more than any franchise could ever hope for, certainly more than Patriots fans that date back before the Brady Belichick era would have ever imagined. But that era is now behind, and now it's essentially the Jared Stidham era and a new era in Foxborough. And I think there's a lot of anticipation. A lot of the information that has come out about Jared Stidham has been very positive

from beat writers, from those that cover the team like myself and others that have seen this kid in practice. They've seen him take snaps in the preseason. They know the rapport that he has and the respect that he commands in the locker room. So I think in a lot of ways, people are anticipating a pretty decent season in New England. Now, are the expectations as high as they usually are? Definitely not. I think everybody looks at this now and understands that the era of domination, especially in the AFC East, those days are probably over. So at this point, the Patriots now are going to be a little bit more competitive in terms of the teams that are going to pose that challenge to them. Buffalo

Bills have massively improved. Arguably, they're the team to beat right now in the division. The New York Jets, the Miami Dolphins have both made significant offseason moves that have helped them to compete at a high level. So I think there's a lot of anticipation in the air about how this team is going to fit in. But I also think there's a lot of optimism, and it begins and ends with Jared Stidham and how he's going to command that respect and I can tell you from having watched this kid in practice seeing him in pre-season he can step up he can make the throws and he can do the job so it's going to be up to the supporting

cast around him to give him a chance to compete and I think the Patriots have done a fairly good job of assembling that cast so far. Michael DeBate locked on Patriots. Alex Clancy locked on Cardinals here for the Locked On Crossover Series. We will talk, Michael and I will talk when the season progresses. If it happens on time, we'll find out tonight when the Cardinals and Patriots will actually play. There's a couple interesting things, at least from my stance, with Jared Stidham, and they're polarizing. One is the pick six against the Jets in the blowout

that got him benched and then the other side where he could be the next Tom Brady because Tom Brady was Jared Stidham before he was Tom Brady. I know it's going to be somewhere in the middle because those two things are so polarized and so focused upon that we really when it comes down to it aside from people that cover the Patri, don't know anything besides Bill Belichick's system, Josh McDaniel's offensive system, and the fact that you can win games with a solid defense and their secondary is still arguably the best in the game and a good run attack where they still have 68 running backs.

So is there a situation in New England where, even though Jared Stidham doesn't have a whole lot of game time action, could yield seven or eight wins next year, even though they're picked to win the division is seven or eight wins. Would that be looked at as a win with the team is currently constructed? It's tough to say, I think from a logistical standpoint and from a purely football standpoint, I'd say seven to eight wins would probably be, I'd say a logistical standpoint and from a purely football standpoint, I'd say seven to eight wins would probably be, I'd say, realistic at this point, maybe even a little bit beyond that. But in terms of being a success, a lot of that falls into how the fans are going to, you know, perceive it. And unfortunately, it doesn't always work that way, but that is the case.

I think a lot of fans would look at a seven, eight win season when they're used to seeing the Patriots compile double-digit wins almost in their sleep and say, oh, this is a terrible season. This was a complete failure. This is the worst I've ever seen. Well, I think in a lot of ways, the fan base forgets that this franchise had seasons of 1-15 and cellar dwelling in the old AFC East before Brady and Belichick came to town. So I think the expectations on Jarrett Stidham need to be tempered a little bit, in all fairness to Jarrett, because coming in and replacing, arguably, the greatest quarterback of all time is a daunting task for anybody. But, again, I like the way this kid has the makeup of being able to come in.

He studied under Brady for a year, so he did pick up some tools of the trade. Jarrett is a very quick study. Some of his mechanics and a little bit of his decision-making are things that he may struggle with this year, and that may be the reason why the Patriots struggle to find some victories, especially against a lot of seasoned teams, including the ones that we've been breaking down all week here in the NFC West. So I think in a lot of ways, people need to understand that his decision-making is not going to be as sound as Brady's was. Some of his mechanics may be a little bit off, but ultimately this kid's going to make throws and he's going to make plays that are going to make you very, for lack of a better term,

optimistic about the future here in New England. And I think he may, again, open some eyes doing it this year because anything and everything can happen in the NFL. Once they start to play the games, you never know how these things are going to play out. So I think the Patriots have a chance to be a little bit better than some have anticipated this year, and we'll see. Ultimately, it'll be up to the offense and the defense

to be able to carry this team, probably mostly the defense this year. Yeah, Michael DeBate, Locked On Patriots, Alex Clancy, Locked On Cardinals crossover series here on the Locked On Podcast Network. It's interesting because when you look at the team constructed as it is, where there's really not one outside wide receiver on this squad that has done anything aside from Nikhil Harry, who showed flashes

towards the tail end of last season, but adding Marquise Lee, I guess, could add a little texture, but he can't stay healthy over the course of his career. When you look at a guy, and for those that play fantasy football, and those that have followed the Patriots closely, which I have just because I appreciate greatness. Tom Brady's the greatest quarterback, in my opinion, of all time. He's been to a lot of Super Bowls. He's won a lot. He's had some ripped away from him. There's one constant in

that offense during big games over the last half decade, and that's James White. And this guy was probably their best receiver over the last couple seasons consistency-wise. I think he had 10 or 14 catches, something like that, during the Super Bowl win where he scored a couple touchdowns. James White, in my opinion, he will be a top-round pick, maybe a third-round pick in the fantasy football drafts this year, especially in PPR, because if there is going to be a safety valve, it's no longer Julian Edelman because he runs further down the field. I think James White is going to be the guy,

whether it be out of the backfield or out of the flat. Is that crazy? No, I don't think it's crazy at all. And as a matter of fact, I'm glad that you mentioned maybe a little bit less emphasis on Edelman. And Edelman will get his touches, there's no question about it. He's just too talented and too ingrained in the way the Patriots play offense for him to be a lesser option.

But in a lot of ways, he may end up being a little bit more of an outside threat, believe it or not, this year, considering the Patriots' game plan and their makeup. So with White, he does provide that security blanket type of receiving out of the backfield that I think Jarrett Stidham is going to rely on very heavily. We saw the early stages of Tom Brady be able to do that. Guys that could catch passes out of the backfield, Kevin Falk, even to an extent using Antoine Smith as that bell cow type of running back that he started when the Patriots first started their dynasty in 2001.

I think you're going to see a lot of that type of offense in New England this year. Heavy emphasis on the running game. Sorry, Michelle, I think is going to be utilized a little more this year. I think with some of the additions and upgrades they've made on the offensive line, that's going to open up holes, going to allow him to find teams and be able to run a little bit better. The one thing I will say about Sonny is he's going to have to hit those holes a little harder. I didn't quite see that same burst from him last year as I saw the year before in

2018. 2019, he decreased in that. He's going to have to pick that up a little bit. But ultimately, when Jarrett Stidham is in trouble, I do look for him to go to James White, maybe even a little bit more than Julian Edelman because of the fact that he can get yards after the catch and he can run with the ball. Edelman can do it too, but James White is so adept at being able to do it, and I look for him to be one of his biggest weapons this year. Yeah, unfortunately, the anchor in the running back core that used to be LeGarrette Blount, big guys, big bruisers, has been replaced by flighty James White,

which makes it a little bit more difficult in short yardage situations, especially with pretty much a rookie quarterback under center, where if you need yards sony michelle proved last year he's not the guy he's not the bruiser that le garrett blunt always was especially with you know um running out the clock when you're up 10 points going to the fourth quarter give the ball to garrett blunt 15 times in a quarter to get first downs that's something that's been absent from the patriots over the last couple seasons, which has proved to be difficult for Tom Brady even to stay on the field when you have leads or in close games.

On the other side, and notice that we haven't talked about the draft with the Patriots because it's not this year's draft that I'm worried about with them. Before we go to break, they didn't have a first-round pick. Two second-round picks, both. Kyle Duggar was a great choice and a linebacker out of Michigan. Non-sexy picks, okay? Is this all, Mike DeBate from Lockdown Patriots, predicated upon Bill Belichick looking towards Trevor Lawrence

and sending away as many picks as possible to move up to that spot to draft him in 2021. Is that the plan or is that just a Disneyland fairy tale for all of us media types to talk about? Well, you know, one thing that I've learned with Bill Belichick is always expect the unexpected. When you think he's going to zig, he zags. So anything and everything is always on the table when it comes to Bill. From the sources that I've talked to within the team and people that I've talked to close to it, this is not a team that's tanking this year.

So anybody that thinks that they're tanking for Trevor or losing for Lawrence or whatever colloquialism that they want to put in is simply not accurate. They're rolling with Jarrett Stidham, and they're rolling with him for a reason. It's because they believe that he can win them games. The long-term plan is to keep him at quarterback. Now, if something changes this year, and obviously, and they see something in Jarrett that leads them to believe that all of their faith in him was misplaced, then definitely, I think you're going to see things on the table. But if things progress the way the Patriots believe they will, then Jarrett Stidham

is likely to be the guy this year, next year, and beyond. They have that much faith in him. When you look at what they did this year in the draft, it really leads me to believe that Jarrett is indeed the guy. The moves that they made support that. Shore up your defense. Shore up your offensive line. Get a couple of good tight ends, versatile tight ends,

that can be complementary pieces toward each other in Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene out of West Virginia. Those are going to allow them to get them the opportunity to utilize the tight end position but also grow alongside these guys. Nikhil Harry coming back from his injury last year is going to make him much more prolific this year than he was the year before. McKeel just could never find his rhythm. It wasn't a problem with Tom Brady or a lot of people say, Brady doesn't like young receivers. He's not going to throw to this guy. That had nothing

to do with it. McKeel was battling injury all year last year and just simply couldn't run the routes the way he needed to because he was still trying to come back from that. In a lot of ways, I look for him to be a bigger option this year, too. So I think what the Patriots did this year is really make some strides in their defense. Guys like Kyle Duggar, Joshua Uche, bringing these guys in, even Anthony Jennings out of Alabama. It really solidifies that defense and gives them depth at a lot of key solid positions. Upgrades on the offensive line. I mentioned before Michael on when you coming into this team is huge. He provides a big body,

a young body that they can, you know, use as a weapon of defense for Jarrett's that I'm, I think in a lot of ways, the moves that they made indicate that Stidham is indeed their guy. So I'm about 99.5% sure that they're not going to tank or they're not trying to bring guys in with the sole purpose of picking Trevor Lawrence next year.

But again, I never say never to anything because you just don't know what Bill's going to do from year to year. Alex Clancy, Michael, debate, crossover series here for the Lockdown Podcast Network. On the other side, it's my turn to hit the firing squad. Michael is going to rip through all the questions he has surrounding the Arizona Cardinals off season draft, et cetera. That's next locked on Cardinals locked on Patriots. It's the locked on crossover series continuing next Cardinals fans and Patriots fans, the fourth and final day of this intra-divisional crossover.

I'm Mike DeBate, host of Locked On Patriots. He is Alex Clancy of Locked On Cardinals. And we are breaking down this trending matchup when it comes to the 2020 season. And Alex, the Cardinals, in my opinion, have had one of the league's most high-profile off-seasons. Started when the Cardinals dealt David Johnson to the Houston Texans in exchange for superstar wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in a package that included some draft picks.

And I was intrigued, to say the least. Adding him to a group of playmakers in Cliff Kingsbury's up-tempo offense already includes Kenyon Drake, Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk, and a host of young fast catchers on this roster. I think it's going to make the Cardinals incredibly difficult to defend. They were already tough, but the addition of Hopkins makes it even harder. And in anticipation of today's podcast, I started thinking of the possibilities and the dilemmas that this is going to provide for defenses,

even strong defenses like that of the New England Patriots. I mean, do you double cover Hopkins? Do you stop the running of Kenyon Drake? Do you take someone out of coverage to spy Kyler Murray? A lot of endless possibilities. And Cardinals linebacker Jordan Hicks recently said that defenses are going to have to pick their poison now at this point. And I agree with him there.

You really can't just sit back and pass rush three against Kyler Murray. He's going to scramble all over the place on you if you do that. And I think the addition of Hopkins in its purest form has the opportunity to spread the field wide open, and it's going to make the whole thing run smooth in Arizona. But you know this team better than anybody, Alex. From a Cardinals perspective, what distinct advantage does this provide to their offense? And how also does it help the psyche of an Arizona defense that already has a couple of stars in Hicks and former Patriot Chandler Jones? I mean, here's the thing.

We've come a long way. This is my fourth season covering the Cardinals for the Locked On Podcast Network and with Fox Sports 910. And it's going to be fun. This is the first year where it's going to be fun. And we saw last year with Cliff Kingsbury's offense that it didn't really matter who was wearing the jersey for the wide receiver position with this team. There's going to be a bunch of routes run with four wide receiver sets up the wazoo

for the first part of the season. Kind of trickled back a little bit, regressed to the mean a little bit the second half of the season. But when you add a guy like DeAndre Hopkins, picking your poison, I guess, is the right cliche to use in this situation. Because Larry Fitzgerald still produces. Larry Fitzgerald is still a great red zone threat. He runs routes perfectly. He can be outside, inside now. He can run the slot now

thanks to Bruce Arian's time here resurrecting Larry Fitzgerald's career. Larry Fitzgerald and DeAndre Hopkins are 1-1-8 interchangeably with the best hands in the league still. Larry Fitzgerald still holds that trophy and DeAndre Hopkins is right behind him or interchangeably so. So when it comes to this, I think the run game is going to be the most suspect of the levels of the offense. Kyler Murray's proven that he's an NFL quarterback. I was wary. I thought that they should have drafted Nick Bosa last year when the draft was coming up. Thought pairing him with Chandler Jones would prove to be better for the future. I was wrong. Kyler Murray is obviously ready to be an NFL quarterback and proved as such last year. And when you have the toys that he has now, Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk, and DeAndre Hopkins, it's going to be fun from the passing aspect.

I'm worried a little bit about the run game, especially because they didn't, aside from drafting Eno Benjamin in the seventh round, who could prove to be the backup in leapfrog Chase Edmonds. It's going to be a situation where if this virtual rapport building time that teams are going through with new players and draft picks doesn't act as a bigger hurdle than it should with the rapport build between DeAndre Hopkins and Kyler Murray. This could be an incredible upgrade for DeAndre Hopkins' career, and you wouldn't think that that's possible with coming from Deshaun Watson. Larry Fitzgerald's tutelage, Kyler Murray's

level-headed nature, which I guess would be a push with him and Deshaun Watson. The offensive schematics that are going to go into place to put DeAndre Hopkins in a place to succeed is something that is so mutually beneficial for the Cardinals and DeAndre Hopkins that it could bear fruits that neither Hopkins nor the Cardinals could have ever foreseen going into the 2020 season. Yeah, and I think that's an excellent point.

And really, I think the type of insight that Patriots fans really don't get an opportunity to see when it comes to the Arizona Cardinals, you hear about the young talent, you hear about all of the exciting possibilities and the exciting capabilities that they have and guys that they've brought in. You almost forget how much ingrained Larry Fitzgerald is into that offense and just how great his career has been. I can tell you longtime Patriots fans up here have coveted Larry Fitzgerald for a number of years, even though they knew the chances of him ever finding his way

to New England were slim to none, that he was committed to the Arizona Cardinals, and that was pretty much where he was going to start and finish his career. The England Patriots fans always wondered, what would he be like catching passes from Tom Brady? And the insight that you provide, I think, really gives us a great option and a great look inside as to what this Arizona offense can look like this year. And I'm excited to see it. But as impressive as some of the free agent acquisitions and trade acquisitions and upgrades

that they've made, I've been looking at the Cardinals draft, and Alex, I think they've had themselves a pretty good 2020 draft as well. Isaiah Simmons, Josh Jones headline a pretty good haul, in my opinion. When you look at the Cardinals draft, what is the feeling in Arizona's camp and who do you expect this team to help take that next step in 2020 and beyond? I mean, so here's the thing. I put out on Twitter,

a bunch of negative things about Steve Keim up until the end of the 2018 season. So starting at the end of the 2018 season, which was debaucherous, awful, should be stricken from the record with Josh Rosen and Sam Bradford and Steve Wilks and Al Holcomb, it was not a good situation. Mike McCoy getting fired after a bludgeoning on Thursday night football against the Broncos where Josh Rosen, I think, turned the ball over five times.

Since then, Steve Keim has been a top 10 GM in the NFL. Hitting on Jordan Hicks, drafting Kyler Murray in that working, Cliff Kingsbury not looking completely inept, and then them winning five games, and then this draft was immaculate. And it's not exactly the way it was drawn up, especially because offensive line should have been the way to go at eight. But over the course of time, the Cardinals have been in a situation in the draft where it hasn't worked out in these situations, but I think this one will, where in 2017,

Robert Camdiche dropped all the way to the bottom of the first round. Cardinals had a completely different game plan for that pick, but because he dropped, they had to take him, so they took him. The next year, they had the 15th pick. Nobody expected Josh Rosen to drop all the way to 10, so they needed a quarterback and they had to move up to take him. Not necessarily that they wanted to, but because the quarterback was there, they needed a quarterback, had to move up. This is the same situation where an offensive lineman, you know, whether it had been Tristan Wirth, Jedrick Wills, etc., Isaiah Simmons wasn't supposed to be there. This wasn't supposed to be a situation where they had to make a decision between an offensive

lineman, which the non-sexy but necessary pick, or who could potentially be a transcendent talent. And that's what the draft is. You draft based on NFL potential alone and measurables. And Isaiah Simmons knocked all of those out of the park. He's 240, he's 6'4", and he runs a sub 4'4". It's like these are video game characteristics. And the fact that you could get him at 8 overall to kind of add him as a rover, as it were, in the secondary

and in the linebacking core, both of which had gaping holes last season. It was a can't miss. You could not pass up on Clemson's Isaiah Simmons at that point. And then jump to the third round where Josh Jones was sitting there in the eighth pick of the third round. The Cardinals, if they were to have traded back in the first round with Atlanta, which looked to be a hot spot to trade back to 16, they were targeting Josh Jones at 16. That was the guy they wanted to draft at 16 if they were to have moved back. So the fact that they got him 40 picks later, or 50 picks later, is absolutely, unbelievably, you could not script the first and third round picks for the Arizona Cardinals in this draft.

It was not supposed to go this way at all, but somehow it worked in this kind of serendipitous way where they got so much value. They got DeAndre Hopkins as their second round pick, and they got so much value, at least on paper, with the first and third rounders, that all they had to do was fill out some interior defensive help in the fourth round and, you know, a dart throw with a linebacker in the sixth and Eno Benjamin in the seventh. This was a perfect draft by Steve Kime, but not in a way that anybody expected it to be. I think that's a great piece of insight, and I agree with you 100%. Look, Isaiah Simmons is someone that as a Patriots fan and a Patriots you know analyst I looked at him and said there's little to virtually

no chance that they'll be able to snag him at number 23 you knew that unless he either slipped inexplicably or the Patriots traded up to get him but I found myself prognosticating maybe a little in my own head about what he might look like in a Patriots uniform. And I think Isaiah has a chance to be one of the standout defenders, if not the standout defender, albeit no disrespect intended to Chase Young, but I think he could end up being the standout defender in this draft. Look, when you look back on the film with him, he was a slot corner, a pass rusher, a free safety, a run box safety, and a middle linebacker when he was at Clemson. That's pretty impressive when you take a look at the versatility

that he can bring to the table. Depending on the scheme, I think Arizona is going to be able to create a lot of complex schemes with Simmons in the middle, and really I think fans and analysts alike are going to be salivating to see what this kid can come back and do. He can stand up in zone coverage, in covering backs and receivers. I just think he's going to be a great fit in Arizona. And, again, you hit the nail on the head.

He's sitting there at number eight. There's no way you can pass up that kind of talent. And Josh Jones, an offensive tackle, getting him in the third round, has the potential to be a steal. I like this kid out of Houston. I know his pass protection, they say, needs coaching up a little bit. I think he'll get that in Arizona, but I really believe he is close to being a starting-type caliber offensive tackle in the NFL. And again, I really like Arizona's

Hall, and I'm looking forward to seeing these guys up close and personal this year as the other New England Patriots get set to take on the Arizona Cardinals, one of the more exciting up-and-coming teams. I think a team that has a chance to surprise some people and open some eyes. And who knows? Maybe the Patriots might be in that category as well. It sounds weird talking about the Patriots exceeding expectations or opening some eyes, but I think that's where we're at in Foxborough right now.

Alex, it has been a blast sharing the microphone with you today, talking a little Pats and Cardinals. Hopefully we've had the opportunity to give each fan base a little more insight as to the team that they'll be seeing when the 2020 season kicks off. And at the time we're recording this, it's not quite Thursday night yet. We're about to see what the NFL schedule for 2020 looks like who knows maybe these two teams open the season it's still wide open at this point

yeah it's been fun Michael too I mean it's with these two teams especially it's you could see a 6-10 and 10-6 record between the two and not know who's going to finish with those records I mean there's so many question marks for both of these teams.

The structure in Foxborough with Bill Belichick and his boys is something that is an entity in the NFL that could yield you an extra two or three points a game against the spread. I mean, you have no idea how

much Belichick is going to insulate Jared Sittem or just let it rip. Because when it comes down to it this season, if they win three games, that's great for their future. If they win nine games, that's great for their future. So when it comes down to it, in essence, is a win-win situation for the Patriots this year. Absolutely. And again, I think a win-win situation for the cardinals this year as well who look to ascend and what i believe maybe not this year but definitely sooner rather than later the top of the

nsc west that's how much faith i have in this roster and again the insight that you provided to us and patriots nation leads us to believe that the future is going to be bright in arizona for many years to come once again i am mike debate Mike DeBate of Locked On Patriots. You can follow me on Twitter at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-F-E-C. You can follow the Locked On Patriots account at L-O underscore Patriots. Alex, take us home with where everyone can find you and your great work. And again, it's been a blast sharing the microphone with you today. Look forward to doing it during the season, bud.

Yeah, likewise, man. At Clancy's Corner and at Locked On AZ Cards, follow me. And so, folks, the intra-divisional crossover week here on the Locked On Podcast Network has come to a close. But here on Locked On Patriots, we are not done yet. With the release of the NFL schedule, including that of your New England Patriots, I will be breaking down that schedule tomorrow alongside my good friend Tanya Rae Fox of FS1, and we'll be discussing the matchups

that we're most looking forward to, which are going to be the toughest tests for Jarrett Stidham and company, and which games might be surprise wins or losses for your New England Patriots as they approach the 2020 season. So folks, to ensure that you do not miss this great episode coming up, along with any episode of Locked On Patriots, please be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, follow us on Spotify, and of course, you can always listen to Locked On Patriots on your smart device, and it's easy to do so. Simply ask it to play the latest episode of Locked On Patriots.

And one more thing, guys and gals, don't forget, this coming Sunday, May 10th, is Mother's Day. And if you're still looking for the perfect gift for mom this year, let me enlighten you on the latest read from author Alka Joshi. Don't forget, Mother's Day is Mom's Super Bowl, so celebrate this Mother's Day by scoring her favorite gift of the day. Your mom will be able to travel in her mind to exotic India, sample the food, and laugh at the perils of raising a teenager in 1950s India through a new book of fiction called The Henna Artist. By the way, this great read just happens to be Reese Witherspoon's book club's pick for the month of May.

And once it's yours, anytime during the month of May, post a picture of your mom or you holding the e-book or book on Instagram or Facebook. In your post on Instagram or Facebook, tag the author at TheAlkaJoshi. That's at T-H-E-A-L-K-A-J-O-S-H-I. All one word. And a donation of four meals per post, up to 10,000 meals will go to Feeding America. So guys and gals, buy the henna artist today at your favorite bookstore, including Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Walmart, Costco, Target, and make mom the ultimate winner in your family. And with today's podcast coming to an end,

now tell your smart device to play the latest episode of Locked On NFL Draft. Once again, I am Mike DeBate. I thank Alex Clancy for his time, his insight, and his appearance today. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Stay safe, stay well, and have a great day, everyone.