Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Explosive Moves: Patriots Wide Receiver Wishlist | Offensive Offseason Strategy

Starting point is 00:00:00 DJ Moore has been traded to a division rival, and now it's time for the Pats to respond with their own wide receiver acquisition. This is Lockdown 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'm your host, Nick Cattell, has been covering the Pats for the past 16 years, also the co-host of the Greg Bedard Patriots podcast. And I'd like to welcome you to Lockdown Patriots, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, now the number one sports podcast network, your team every day. On today's show, I'll give you five names. One, two, three, four, fifth.

Starting point is 00:00:49 I'll give you five names and free agency that I think could help the Pats in 26 on the defensive side of the football. In the second segment, we lay down an offensive plan for this off season. But first, the Pats need. to address the wide receiver situation. Today's episode is brought to by GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account,

Starting point is 00:01:13 and use code Lockdown for $20 off your first purchase. Stefan Diggs is gone. I don't believe he's coming back. And if you thought the Patriots needed a receiver before Diggs was released or was told he would be released, then you probably feel like I feel. Now they need two wide receiver. receivers and preferably a number one and a number two in that order.

Starting point is 00:01:40 So let's focus on the top four options the Patriots have at receiver in my eyes, and I will rank them for you. Let's start with number one. And I think number one is clear. He's somebody we have talked about the last couple of episodes, and that is Alec Pierce, Colts wide receiver walking into free agency. We've talked about his fit. We've told you why he makes sense.

Starting point is 00:02:03 let me tell you why it makes all the sense in the world for Pierce to say yes to the Patriots. Daniel Jones, the Colts quarterback, probably. He's on the transition tag. Daniel Jones blew out his Achilles last season. So you don't really know if when Jones is going to come back. You don't know how Jones is going to look when he comes back. And Daniel Jones is a different type of quarterback. We've seen Aaron Rogers. We've seen Kirk Cousins. We've seen those two guys come back from Achilles ruptures. But as we know, Daniel Jones, he utilizes his athleticism at that position, much more than Rogers does now and much more than Kirk Cousins ever did. So if you're Alec Pierce and you're looking and you want stability at quarterback, Drake May versus Daniel Jones post Achilles.

Starting point is 00:02:59 I think to me that answer is easy. Then you look at the head coach, Shane Steichen versus Mike Vrable. Now, Stuyken did a tremendous job last year through the first half before Jones got injured. But Jones was starting to tail off a little bit before that injury. And if you look at what the Patriots did with what they had on the roster in 2025, making it to the Super Bowl, soft schedule, no soft schedule, whatever, who would you rather bet on? Would you bet on Mike Vrable,

Starting point is 00:03:33 who's been to an AFC championship game and now a Super Bowl, or would you bet on Shane Steichen? I would lean towards Vrable. And then you look at the overall operation in Indianapolis. Chris Ballard, the GM, he's on his last leg. He might be done if this season in 2026 does not go well for Indy. So if I'm Alec Pearson, I'm looking at quarterback,

Starting point is 00:03:57 I'm looking at coach. I'm looking at the GM and Indy. I'm looking at the injury situation with Daniel Jones. Why would I not choose the Patriots? As long as the Patriots were willing to put that money down on the table to back up that Brinks truck. And you're the Pats. You don't have to give up picks. Pierce is young.

Starting point is 00:04:16 And again, he's the perfect fit. So that's my number one option. My number two option would be Brian Thomas Jr. BTJ down in Jacksonville. reportedly the Jaguars have discussed BTJ with other teams. And to me, I'm looking at BTJ and saying that's the explosivity that I want in my offensive life. If I'm the Patriots and I'm looking at all of these options, I'm saying to myself, BTJ can get downfield.

Starting point is 00:04:44 He can beat defensive backs. He does a great job of tracking the football when it's in midair. he is a fit just like Alec Pierce would be with the quarterback and Drake made the ability to throw the football deep. Brian Thomas Jr also, he's only 23 years old going into his third NFL season. He turns 24 in October, but because this is only his third season in the league,

Starting point is 00:05:12 BTJ is under contract through 2028 if you pick up that 50-year option on his deal. that means that Brian Thomas Jr. will start his second contract in the league at like 27 years old, walking into his prime. You don't see that very often. I mean, it's truly unbelievable to think about him turning 24 in October. And, you know, it's such an advantage. Now, of course, the thing about Brian Thomas Jr. is the cost. I think it would cost you a pretty penny to make that deal with Jacksonville, especially after the DJ Moore to Buffalo deal on Thursday in what Buffalo gave up for more, which was a second round pick, which I thought was crazy,

Starting point is 00:06:03 for more and a fifth round pick. So that cost, I think, would be through the route. Third option to me is A.J. Brown. Again, somebody we've talked about an awful lot, I think he would cost you less than B.T.J. but he also brings more questions than BTJ. Now, Brian Thomas Jr. has his own questions that he brings to the table. Don't get it twisted. But A.J. Brown, we know the questions, the knees, the drama that he has caused in Philadelphia.

Starting point is 00:06:32 He's going to be 29 years old this summer. So there are definite questions about Brown. Some would wonder if he still has enough gas left in the tank. Now, I think he still has two or three years left. And I think you're bringing in, if you made that type of deal, you are bringing in a very, very motivated A.J. Brown. Chip on his shoulder, highly competitive guy, out to prove the football world wrong. Out to prove that it wasn't him in Philly, that it was Jalen Hertz. And it was the offenses problem.

Starting point is 00:07:06 And joining Drake May and Josh McDaniels to pair up with his buddy, Mike Vrable, to be the true number one guy getting the targets in New England, the contested catches, the competitiveness, I think, would be juiced back up within A.J. Brown, I got him as number three. So so far my top three, Alec Pierce, Brian Thomas, Jr., A.J. Brown. My fourth, my fourth option is somebody we haven't talked about a lot, if at all, and that's Romeo Dobbs. And I think he is an interesting option for the Patriots. He brings tremendous versatility. He can play inside. He can play outside. He's got strong hands. He is young. He turns 26 next month. So he should be walking into his prime. And I would argue that Dobbs is underrated. And the biggest issue with Dobbs is his health. And you, you know,

Starting point is 00:08:05 you wonder if he's going to be, you know, healthy enough for you the next three, four, five years, however long the contract is, he's had concussion issues. He's had concussion issues. so that's absolutely a question. He's not the biggest guy in the world compared to some of these other receivers we're talking about. You know, he's not as big as an Alec Pierce. And, you know, he isn't small, but his body type would fool you. He's 6 foot 2-204. So he is smaller than he's definitely smaller than Brown.

Starting point is 00:08:39 And he is smaller than Alec Pierce. But it's not like you're working with somebody. use 5-9, 5-10. And again, he brings that inside, outside versatility and underrated why? Well, pro football focus wrote about Romeo Dobbs a few weeks ago. Zoltan Boudai wrote Dobbs posted a career high, 75.3 PFF receiving grade and 724 receiving yards in his fourth season. Over the past four years, Dobbs often emerged as the team's top receiving option.

Starting point is 00:09:08 His 335 targets over that span are more than 100. more than second place. Similarly, Dobbs led the team in receiving yards and receiving touchdown since 2022. He's among 78 wide receivers who were on the field for at least 1,200 snaps over the past four seasons. So even though he does have the concussions, he's played more than 1,200 snaps the past four years, one of 78, and his 76.5 pf receiving grade ranks 37. Now, I think Romeo Dobbs is more A2. But again, I think Romeo Dobbs is an upgrade compared to anybody else that you have in that room right now. I think Dobbs is better than Hollins. He's better than Kishon Booty. He's better than Kyle Williams at this point. He's better than Pop Douglas. He's absolutely better than Fton Chisholm.

Starting point is 00:10:03 He would be an upgrade in that room. So those are my four. Now, Marvin Harrison, Jr. becomes available. We'll have another conversation. But I've got Alec Pierce. Brian Thomas Jr., AJ Brown, and Romeo Dobbs, 1, 2, 3, 4 as my options at wide receiver. Patriots need to upgrade that spot. All right, speaking of the offense, what would I do with the offense if I were Mike Vrable this offseason? Find out next. This is Lockdown Patriots, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day.

Starting point is 00:10:37 We live in a world where we can stream anything, order food and minutes, and carry supercomputers in our pockets, and somehow, buying tickets to a live game still feels complicated. Hidden fees, jumping prices, endless steps. There has to be a better way. Check out the GameTime app. It gives fans the advantage and makes getting tickets simple, whether it's NFL games, concerts, comedy, whatever you're into. All you do is jump on the app to check out tickets for an upcoming game and it honestly takes minutes. You can see panoramic views from every seat before you buy and the price you see includes all fees. No surprises at checkout. Two taps and you have great seats locked in. Fast, easy, done. Take the

Starting point is 00:11:23 guesswork out of buying tickets. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use code locked on for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, create an account and redeem code L-O-C-E-D-O-N for $20 off. Download game time today. Free agency is here and so are we. Get one month free of the Everydayer Club with Code Free Agency, no spaces now through March 15th. Go add free and keep this conversation going on Discord. Join the club at lockdown patriots.com or check the link in the show notes to learn more. Also, don't forget to click that thumbs up. Give us a like on YouTube, throw a comment in.

Starting point is 00:12:06 I want to know your top wide receiver options. How would you rank the top four or five guys? Don't forget to like, comment. Don't forget to subscribe. The next goal, 10,000 subscribers. Legal tampering is one of the funniest terms in all of sports. It makes absolutely no sense to me. But what I can tell you is the legal tampering period begins noon on Monday.

Starting point is 00:12:30 So we are inching closer towards free agency. What would my offseason offensive plan look like? Well, let's start with priority number one. It's what we just covered. Wide receiver. that depth chart, you need some upgrades. So I'm going big. Priority number one, I'm going big at wide receiver for Drake May.

Starting point is 00:12:57 Here's my wide receiver plan this offseason. I sign Alec Pierce, four years, $112 million. That's $28 million per year with $50 million guaranteed. It's not going to cost me any picks. I'm signing him. Then I'm going to look towards the, draft. And I'm looking specifically round one through round three. I think that's where you want to land a receiver. You don't want to wait too long. If you wait too long, then, you know,

Starting point is 00:13:29 there's going to be guys with all sorts of question marks that you're going to draft. Now, you need a Z type to help replace Defon Diggs. If you sign Alec Pierce, that's your boundary guy. You bring in somebody who can move around the line of scrimmage and be that Z type receiver. I'm looking to draft a guy like that. Skylar Bell, Yukon, maybe just maybe. I'm also trading Pop Douglas. I love Pop Douglas, but as we've talked about on this podcast, he's not a great fit for the Josh McDaniels offense.

Starting point is 00:14:00 He cannot consistently block at a high level. I'm trading Pop Douglas for a day three pick during draft weekend. And I'm walking in with Alec Pierce, whoever I draft, maybe Skyler Bell, along with Kayshon Booty, Kyle Williams, and Matt Collins, and those guys can battle it out. Efton Chisholm starts camp as your wide receiver 6. That's what I'm doing at wide receiver. I'm bringing in Alec Pierce.

Starting point is 00:14:31 I'm drafting another receiver in one of the top three rounds. That's a complete depth chart. You've got Pierce explosiveness. You've got whoever you draft with these short area. quickness. That's what you're looking for. Mac Hollins, his unique skill set we've discussed. And then you've got Kay Sean Booty versus Kyle Williams, whoever outperforms the other in camp, leapfrogs the other dude. And I think Drake May at that point is in a better situation. I don't think you're going to spend big money on two receivers this offseason. I just don't

Starting point is 00:15:05 think that's going to happen. I think you're either going to pay Alec Pierce or you're going to trade for AJ Brown. Number two, let's look at that. that offensive line. Offensive line is next on my priority list. I'm spending the big money on Alec Pierce, which means I have to go somewhat cheaper on the offensive line. Now, we talked about Isaac Seymalu on the podcast yesterday, the idea of what he could bring to the table at left guard. I think in this scenario, he's going to price himself out. So I'm going to look at Joel Betonio. I'm looking at Joel Betonio, one-year deal,

Starting point is 00:15:44 $6, $7 million. Makes a lot of sense. I'm shifting Jared Wilson from left guard to compete at center against Garrett Bradbury. I am re-signing Vadarian Lowe to a two-year $12 million deal. Vinarian Lowe is not the greatest

Starting point is 00:16:00 offensive lineman in the world, but he knows the system. He understands the scheme. He is somebody that has shown at least flashes. I did think he was terrible replacing Will Campbell during Campbell's injury. And I don't think you're going to have to pay a ton of money for him. So I'm looking at Vadarian Lowe.

Starting point is 00:16:19 If not Vadarian Lowe, I'm kicking the tires on Jedrick Wills, who visited the Patriots, according to Jordan Shultz. I'm kicking the tires on Jedrick Wills, who did not play last year in the NFL. But Mike Vrable was with him in Cleveland in 2024. And Jeddrich Wills has a ton of talent. The health has been an issue. Some of the football character stuff has been an issue. I'm going to trust Vrable. If Vrable thinks he can get the best out of Jedrick Wills,

Starting point is 00:16:45 I'm kicking the tires there, especially if Vedarian Lowe prices himself out. I'm restructuring the contract of Michael Wenu. I'm going to tack on a couple of years and make that cap hit a little bit lower. And starting at tackle, I'm going to stick with my guys. I'm sticking with Will Campbell on the left side. I'm absolutely sticking with Morgan Moses on the right side. And meanwhile, I'm going to look to draft a right tackle in either the second or third round. To me, going into the draft, if you could get edge, wide receiver, and right tackle figured out in your first three picks, you feel good. Now, it doesn't mean you reach for a guy. If it doesn't fall that way, it doesn't fall that way. But in a perfect world, that's what I would be looking at.

Starting point is 00:17:27 I'd be looking at addressing edge, right tackle, and wide receiver with my first three picks, with my top three picks. And then I'm looking at a guard at any point starting in the fourth round. You've got two fourth round picks. You've got a fifth. You got four sixths. In the fourth to sixth round area, in that range, I'm looking for a young guard to draft. Now, if you do that,

Starting point is 00:17:50 you have upgraded that left guard with Betonio. You have drafted a young right tackle and a young guard to start to develop. You might even draft two young guards because eventually Michael Wenu is going to age himself out. So you've got a couple of young offensive linemen to develop. Morgan Moses steady. You hope Will Campbell takes that next step in his development.

Starting point is 00:18:13 Whoever plays best in camp between Bradbury and Wilson wins the center job. And Michael Wenner was really good this past season. So that's what your offensive line looks like. Next on the list is tight end. And I'm going to go with the sign and draft approach. I'm signing a tight end and I'm drafting a tight end, much like receiver. Stick with Hunter Henry. There is zero reason to do anything with him.

Starting point is 00:18:36 there's no point of moving away from Hunter Henry. I'm signing Kate Otton from Tampa. Three years, let's look at about $27,000, $9 million per year. I'm signing K'd Aton and I'm drafting a quote unquote Y tight end. And I'm just going to strictly, I think Kate Otton can play some Y because of his ability to play in line. We discussed that on yesterday's episode. But if I'm going to focus on the Y tight end in the draft, I'm looking for a big blocking. tight end. And again, you're looking fourth round, start fourth round to sixth round in that range.

Starting point is 00:19:13 That's where you look at the tight end. That's where you look at the guard and anything else you want to do. So I'm looking to draft a Y tight end. I'm giving Brock Lampe, by the way, if you want to look at fullback, which I think the Patriots have to, I'm giving Brock Lampe a shot at fullback and maybe signing a UDFA undrafted free agent for competition at fullback. You get younger, you upgrade the blocking at tight end, you have Kate Otton's versatility, you have Hunter Henry's dependability. And my last priority is running back. I think you're in fairly good shape. Ramadre Stevenson, Trayvion, Henderson, Terrell Jennings, Elijah Mitchell, Lan Larison. But if you can get a good, steady vet on the cheap,

Starting point is 00:20:02 I'd absolutely entertain that. If you can't, then I'm looking at the sixth round, seventh round, seventh round, maybe another UDFA type guy like Land Larison was last year. But I think you're okay at running back. I don't have a huge amount of urgency at this point at that position looking at what else I have to do offensively. All right. Coming up, five names and free agency that would help this defense. This is Lockdown Patriots, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day.

Starting point is 00:20:33 It's tax time. But for a lot of us, the old way of doing taxes is, well, it's a lot. trying to book an appointment that's not the most convenient, sitting in a waiting room with a stack of papers, emailing back and forth and wondering if they really get your situation. But this year, you're getting a major upgrade. Intuit TurboTax now has in-person locations nationwide. You can meet face-to-face with a real tax expert

Starting point is 00:20:57 and your documents get uploaded straight to your TurboTax app on the spot. And just like that, you're done. Your TurboTax expert works to get you every dollar you deserve. while you get real time notifications as you go about your day. It's the relief of walking in and meeting a real person and walking out knowing that your taxes are being handled right. Head to turbotax.com slash local. Again, the website is turbotax.com slash local and you can find a store near you

Starting point is 00:21:30 and book your appointment. Don't forget to help us out, like, comment, and subscribe as you watch. watch this podcast on YouTube, the lockdown Patriots family, more than 9,000 subscribers at YouTube. We continue to grow thanks to every single one of you. All right, free agency again, it hits on Monday, the legal tampering period. I gave you five names on yesterday's podcast on the offensive side that I would be looking at if I were the Patriots. And now I want to give you some names on the defensive side. I do think the Patriots will add multiple good players this offseason. I think they're looking more offensively in free agency, but I don't think

Starting point is 00:22:17 they're going to disregard defensively. No particular order. Here's just five names I'd be looking at. Jalen Phillips. He upped his level of play in Philadelphia when he was traded to the Eagles from Miami. A lot of people will say, well, he doesn't complete a lot of sacks. He doesn't finish a lot of his past rushes and convert them into sacks. But I, I'll tell you what he does. He gets pressure on the quarterback. Mike Giardy of Boston Sports Journal, he wrote that in the nine games,

Starting point is 00:22:48 Phillips played for the Eagles. And those nine games, including the postseason, he had 44 pressures. It's a lot of pressures. I mean, you just extrapolate that through a season, and you're talking like 80 pressures,

Starting point is 00:23:01 which is a massive amount. Now, when you look overall in the season, again, 44 pressures and nine games, including the playoffs in Philly, not nearly as productive in Miami. So in total, Jalen Phillips finished with 63 pressures in the NFL, but that was still 11th best. So not bad at all, just on the outside of the top 10 in pressures this past season.

Starting point is 00:23:27 His overall grade, according to pro football focus was 80.9. And that's been his overall grade throughout his career. So we're talking about somebody who has graded out very well. Football Focus also had Phillips for 31 run stops last season, which is a good number. And he's only 26. He turns 27 in May. The question I have, of course, is the health. He's had several issues.

Starting point is 00:23:56 He was healthy last year, but can he stay healthy? And is he a little bit too big for Mike Vrable? 65-266. We've talked about Vrable, and you look at his pass rushers, you look at those edges. those guys are usually around, you know, $255 or so. So is Phillips a little too heavy? I don't think so. The reports say that the Patriots have been interested in Jalen Phillips.

Starting point is 00:24:18 And as a matter of fact, reports say that the Patriots were talking to Miami to try to make a deal for Phillips at the trade deadline this past season. Number two name I want to bring up. I'm going to stay at edge for this one. Boye-Mafay, 6'4, 260 pounds. So now we're getting a little bit closer to that $250. He is also 27 years old, so he's walking into his prime. When you talk about Boye-Mafé, you talk about explosion. I mean, this guy is an explosive pass-rusher.

Starting point is 00:24:53 He was eighth. We talk about that ESPN metric, the pass-rush win rate. Boyer-Mafé was eighth in the NFL and pass-rush win rate in 2025. He can get after it. And I'm sure that Mike Vrable's a big fan. There were reports that the Patriots at least kick the tires before the trading deadline regarding Boye-Mafé with Seattle. And I've got to imagine Vrable loves the effort that you see from Maffa on film. He's going to give you the effort.

Starting point is 00:25:24 The motor is there. He pursues guys from behind. So you think about effort and finish and all that stuff. Boyer Maffa. I mean, he looks the part. He plays the part. I think he could be even better. He was part of a rotation in Seattle this past season.

Starting point is 00:25:42 He's still good after the quarterback with 40 plus pressures. Again, eighth and pass rush win rate. I think Boye-Mafay, if you're not talking about the tippity top of the market at edge and free agency and you take that next step down, Boye-Mafé to me is at the top of that list. Third name, David O'Iommata, defensive tackle, interior defensive lineman. I know, I know, I know, I know. You've got Christian Barmore.

Starting point is 00:26:08 You have Milton Williams. You've got depth there. But I'd be interested in David on Yamada. 17th in the NFL in run-stop win rate. So he was good against the run. He was even better against the pass. He was 17th in run-stop-win rate. He was 9th in pass-rush win rate.

Starting point is 00:26:29 So top 10 and pass-rush win rate on the interior, top 20 against the run on the interior. Pro football focus had David An Yamada as the eighth best overall grade for an interior defensive lineman. And he, again, we look at how big these guys are and do they fit the mold? He's a little bigger than Milton Williams, but he's not this huge 330, 350 pound dude, right? Milton Williams is 63290. David on Yamada is 6'4, 310 pounds. Now he's 33 years old, so he's a little bit older,

Starting point is 00:27:07 but I think you might be able to land him on a two-year deal. And if you're not going to bring back Kyrie's Tonga, then I'd be looking at David on Yamada as my third interior defensive linemen. Continue to develop Corey Durdin, continue to develop Joshua Farmer and Leonard Taylor and Eric Gregory and those younger guys, continue to develop those interior defensive linemen. But you've got Milton Williams, Christian Barmore and David Aniamada as your top three.

Starting point is 00:27:39 And I think all three of those guys can play against the pass and the run. And if you want to eventually move on from Christian Barmore, David An Yamada is not that bad of a choice as that second guy. Other names I'd look at, I will look at DJ Reeder. Now, he is a bigger interior defensive lineman, more of the Kyrie's Tonga mode. but I think he's good against the run. He can pressure the quarterback occasionally. I'd be looking at DJ Reader as a possibility.

Starting point is 00:28:11 And if Jalen Hawkins is not coming back and you need a safety, Brian Cook from Kansas City is a name that I would look at. So my five guys there, Jalen Phillips, Boye Amafé, David on Yamada, DJ Reader, and Brian Cook. Five free agent targets on the defensive side of the football. 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.

Starting point is 00:28:39 And don't forget to throw a comment in on the YouTube channel. Hit that like button and subscribe and get one month free of the Everydayer Club by using code free agency, no spaces, now through March 15th. Join the club at LockdownPatriots.com. Have a great weekend and we will see you next time.

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Explosive Moves: Patriots Wide Receiver Wishlist | Offensive Offseason Strategy

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.