Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Foundation Check: Do Drake Maye’s Patriots Possess Championship Core?

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Pats are better on paper than they were last season, but that doesn't necessarily mean they have a championship foundation. 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 am your host, Nick Cattels. Today's episode is brought you by O'Doo. Great organizations win because operations matter,

Starting point is 00:00:33 and that's why you should get O-Doo. Try for free today at Odo.com slash lockdown. That's O'D-O-O-O-com slash lockdown. On today's show, the Pats have a clear and significant advantage in the AFC East. In the second segment, I'm starting to believe I was wrong about Pop Douglas. But first, the Pats are getting closer and closer to building that championship foundation. There's no doubt in my mind that has currently constituted on paper, the paper, Patriots are a playoff team for 2026. But the question for today's episode is, have they truly built a championship foundation? Now, what are the parameters of a championship foundation? Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL network, a couple months ago he posted, I'd like to revisit this

Starting point is 00:01:22 concept for every NFL team to build a championship foundation. You need to fill these 12 spots. So let's make a little bit of a checklist here. first box you have to check is quarterback. Second box, three offensive playmakers. Third box, three quality offensive linemen. Fourth box, two pass rushers. And the fifth box, three defensive playmakers. So one quarterback, three offensive playmakers, three quality offensive linemen,

Starting point is 00:01:56 two pass rushers, and three defensive playmakers. Do the Patriots check all of those boxes? That's the question. Do they check all those boxes? Let's start a quarterback because that is the easiest box to check, chiggity check. No doubt, Drake May checks the quarterback box. Runner up to the MVP turns only 24 years old in August. And a lot of times we say the sky is the limit for this musician or this athlete or whoever.

Starting point is 00:02:26 And sometimes it's just kind of a cliche that's thrown up against. the wall for certain athletes, musicians, or whatever? Well, Drake May is not one of those guys. We are not throwing that up against the wall. When you are the runner up to the MVP in your second season in the NFL, the sky is truly the limit for you. So Drake May, easy check. Easy check there. Offensive playmakers. Well, let's start with the guy the Patriots just brought to town. AJ Brown classifies as a playmaker. We've talked about why. We've given you all the reasons from being dangerous downfield to contested catches, to yards after the catch, to being a red zone threat. There's no doubt that A.J. Brown is an offensive playmaker. I'm also going to loop

Starting point is 00:03:12 Drake May into this conversation. And I know that he is checking the quarterback box, but Drake May is a playmaker. If you look at the explosive plays from the Patriots offense last year, 15 yards or more, the Patriots were at the tippity top of the list. Now, why is that? Is it because they just had tons of playmakers on their team? No, it's because their quarterback is a terrific playmaker, extending plays, running for first downs, a big arm to throw the football downfield.

Starting point is 00:03:41 So not only does Drake May check the quarterback box, I also think he checks the offensive playmaker box. I would not say Ramandre Stevenson at running back is a quote unquote playmaker. you might be able to make that argument, the catch down in Miami last year, right? The over the shoulder catch on the boundary, terrific play. There have been moments. But I would say Ramandre Stevenson is mostly a between the tackles guy, not the explosive playmaker, but your sophomore running back, Trayvion Henderson, is absolutely a playmaker.

Starting point is 00:04:18 He is a home run hitter. That is the number one thing we discussed when we discussed Trayvion Henderson. his ability to hit home runs. We saw it last year, three or four or five times. Big time plays from Trayvion Henderson. He might not be consistent, and we'll talk more about Trayvion Henderson in a future podcast, but he is a playmaker,

Starting point is 00:04:40 and he made plays last year in his rookie season. You want to see more of them, but he made them. So I think you have those three offensive playmakers right there checked off. You still have the possibility of Kyle Williams, Pop Douglas popping for you, no, pun intended. Romeo Dobbs, not necessarily known as a playmaker, but I think the Patriots have three offensive playmakers. How about offensive line?

Starting point is 00:05:05 Three quality offensive linemen. You go back to 2023. You go back to 2024. There is no way on God's Green Earth that you would debate anybody if they said the Patriots did not have three quality offensive linemen. Well, now we fast forward to 2026. And I believe the Patriots, they have all the make. up front to have three quality offensive linemen. Michael Wenu was a quality offensive lineman in

Starting point is 00:05:30 2025. I expect him to repeat that. Morgan Moses was also a quality offensive lineman in 2025. And I know he's 35. I know he's dealt with a bunch of nagging injuries. But the recent history tells us that Morgan Moses posts that he plays football. And he's a quality offensive lineman. And if you don't want to buy the Morgan Moses argument, Elijah Vera Tucker, if he stays healthy, unquestionably a quality offensive lineman at the NFL level. And you could argue that if Will Campbell takes a step forward in his second season, that he is a quality offensive lineman.

Starting point is 00:06:10 So I think the Patriots, as long as Elijah Vera Tucker is healthy, they check that box. I also think that if they get that step forward from their, second year left tackle. They will check that box as well. And we're not even discussing Jared Wilson. I do think it's going to take him a little bit more than a year to fully transition at the NFL level at center. But I feel pretty good about the Patriots having three quality offensive linemen this upcoming season. How about pass rush? Now, a lot of people will fall into the trap. When we mention pass rush, immediately people will think defensive ends, edges, right? And

Starting point is 00:06:47 they'll say, Nick, they don't have two quality pass rushers. but I would argue, I would counter that you also have to think about the interior defensive line. The interior defensive line is critical in the NFL. We've discussed it time and time and time again. Don't just focus on the outside rush. Also focus on the interior rush because that will bother a quarterback. A lot of times that interior pass rush will bother a quarterback more than the outside pass rush. can get to quarterbacks mentally.

Starting point is 00:07:22 We've seen that. We saw it with Tom Brady. So do the Patriots have two pass rushers? Well, yes, Milton Williams has to be one of those, right? So Milton Williams checks that box. He's 100% there. Then I think the Patriots will need some help to find that second guy. I'm not going to buy into Draymont Jones being that electric pass rusher.

Starting point is 00:07:44 I don't think that's what he is. But Christian Barmore, when we're talking about the inside of the the defensive line, Christian Barmore, if he can find more consistency. We talked about it in our top 10 rankings in the previous episode. Christian Barmore, according to ESPN's pass rush win rate, was seventh in that analytic for Interior Defensive Line. It's just he wasn't as consistent as you want to see him be. If he can find that consistency, then I think Christian Barmore checks that box.

Starting point is 00:08:15 If not, you've got to hope that Harold Landry stays healthy. If you get Harold Landry for, let's say, 14 games in 2026, playing at the level he played in the first month of 2025 before the injury, if you get that Harold Landry, then you can check the box. Now, if Barmore is not consistent, if Landry can't stay healthy, then you move on to Elijah Ponder or Gabe Accus, and you have to hope that one of those guys really hits their stride. Right now, I'll say that the Patriots are probably one pass. Russia short, but they can absolutely get there in 2026. Finally, defensive playmakers, I think this aside from the quarterback, is the easiest box to check for the Patriots. Kevin Byrd led the NFL in interceptions last year.

Starting point is 00:09:06 For his entire NFL career, he has been a playmaker on the back end of a defense. So Kevin Byard, 100% a playmaker. I would label Marcus Jones at Nickelback. a playmaker. I would absolutely label Milton Williams as a game-changing playmaker in the middle of that defensive line. So if you had Kevin Byard and you have Marcus Jones and you have Milton Williams, that's already three boxes checked, which is all you need in the defensive playmaker category. But I also think you can look at Christian Gonzalez and say he's a playmaker. Carlton Davis would argue that he is a playmaker.

Starting point is 00:09:47 Robert Spillane when he's healthy. And don't overlook Craig Woodson, the charge he made at the end of last season. I think Craig Woodson has all the fixings to be a defensive playmaker. So when you look at this and you think about Daniel Jeremiah's checklist, the 12 spots that need to be filled to have a championship foundation, the Patriots are pretty much there. They've got the quarterback.

Starting point is 00:10:17 They've got the three offensive playmakers. I think they'll end up having the three quality offensive linemen. They might be one pass rush or short, but they absolutely have three defensive playmakers. So if Christian Barmore can be more consistent or Harold Landry can stay healthy or, you know, Elijah Ponder or Gabe Accus can pop in 2026, you have a championship foundation. and I can't believe we're saying that after what we witnessed just a couple of years ago. But we are, thankfully. Coming up, Pop Douglas might have, you know, when I look at him, he might be in line. He might be in line for a bigger 2026 than I anticipated.

Starting point is 00:11:08 I think I'm turning a corner with Pop Douglas. This is Lockdown Patriots, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network. now the number one sports podcast network, your team every day. Workplace chaos can show up fast. The problem is finding the right candidate can take a whole lot more time than most businesses can afford. That's where Indeed, sponsored jobs comes in. Indeed, sponsored jobs helps you reach candidates who actually fit what you're looking for based on skills, experience, and location. And find out of the right person can make all the difference, whether it's building a business or building a winning team.

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Starting point is 00:13:37 You know, for months, I've been saying that Pop Douglas could be on the outside looking in when it came to this roster because of his questionable fit, the size, the numbers game that they're going to play at wide receiver, especially as long as Kishan Booty is in the room. But last week, last week, something happened that changed my mind. Thank you for making us your first list and for being an everydayer. Get your daily Patriots fix completely ad free by joining the Everydayer Club today. Start your seven day free trial right now and get closer to your team without the interruptions.

Starting point is 00:14:10 Click the link in the show notes or go to lockdown patriots. com to claim your free trial. Don't forget if you're watching us on YouTube, click that thumbs up. us a like. We appreciate every single like that we get. Helps us with that algorithm. Don't forget to throw a comment in as well. Your thoughts. Do the Patriots check every box

Starting point is 00:14:28 for the Championship Foundation? Daniel Jeremiah, set the list. Do they check all those boxes? Don't forget to comment and don't forget to subscribe as we continue to slowly march towards 10,000 subscribers. Mike Vrable at the owner's meetings praised Pop Douglas

Starting point is 00:14:47 and discussed getting Pop Douglas to football more. It's one of the priorities. And I was wondering at the time, and we talked about it, was this Mike Vrable pumping up his guy? Was he just pumping the tires of pop? Was that just typical kind of coach speak to motivate the player? Was it Mike Vrable playing leverage games, so to speak, with Philadelphia before adding A.J. Brown to tell,

Starting point is 00:15:17 Philadelphia, we're perfectly fine with what we have. We don't necessarily need to trade for A.J. Brown. Was it some of that game being played? Well, then I heard from Drake May. Drake May spoke to the media last week at minicamp, and here's what he had to say about Pop Douglas. He does the right thing, makes the right plays, makes catches. He's hard to cover.

Starting point is 00:15:42 You can't guard him in a phone booth. He's so good at breaking off of man coverage. He's a mismatch. He's hard to stay in front of. Looking forward to kind of seeing his role grow bigger, unquote. All right. So first, you add Mike Vrable at the owner's meeting saying, we got to do a much better job of getting Pop Douglas to football.

Starting point is 00:16:03 We need to make him more of a thing within our offense. And if you wanted to just pass that off as coach speak or trying to win the leverage with Philadelphia, well, now we have post-A.J. Brown trade, Drake May going out there and saying, I look forward to seeing Pop Douglas's role grow bigger within the football team within this offense. And so now I'm taking this legitimately.

Starting point is 00:16:29 I am now taking it legitimately that the Patriots, they believe Pop Douglas can be a player in this offense. I wasn't quite buying it early on, but I have turned the corner. When the head coach comes out and the quarterback comes out, pushing for Pop Douglas's role to increase, to get bigger, to have more influence within the offense. When you have the head coach and the quarterback saying it, you have to start treating it seriously.

Starting point is 00:17:01 And when I look at this with what Mike Vrable said, what Drake May said, and what Pop Douglas did in flashes last year, I think it's now less likely that he's going to get dealt. I think it's much more likely Kishan Booty is the odd man out, even though I've also left a little bit of wiggle room with Kishan Booty. I don't think the Patriots are just going to trade him to trade him. But I do think now it's more likely that Kishan Booty gets traded than Pop Douglas gets sent packing. With the head coach and the quarterback saying what they've said about him, I really believe that they want him to be a bigger part of this offense.

Starting point is 00:17:42 So the question is, what could Pop Douglas bring to this offense that other guys can't bring? Well, Kyle Williams can bring you speed. And if you move him around the offensive line, he could bring you speed from the inside. But Efton Chisholm is not a fast guy. Romeo Dobbs is not a fast guy. A.J. Brown is not a fast guy. You know, you look at Pop Douglas. He's quick.

Starting point is 00:18:07 He's fast. And he could bring the speed element. It's not like he runs a four, three. but he could bring the speed element from the inside slot. We've got big slots for days. If you're the Patriots, that's what you're saying to people. We've got, we've got big slots for days. We can play Romeo Dobbs in the slot,

Starting point is 00:18:25 AJ Brown on the slot, Mack Holland's in the slot. But you don't have that smaller, quicker, faster slot. Now, again, Kyle Williams might be able to fill some of that role, but is he there yet? I'm not sure. So one thing Pop Douglas can do is bring you speed from the inside in this passing game. The second thing is he can create separation. He's always been able to create separation.

Starting point is 00:18:53 And that's crucial with, you know, A.J. Brown will not create as much separation as he might have at one time. Kyle Williams can do that at the line of scrimmage, but there are some questions if he can run the routes and be on the same page consistently. Mack Hollins is not a separator. So when you look at these receivers, the one guy that really stands out with his ability to gain separation at the line of scrimmage is Pop Douglas. He could also be a gadget guy if you need him to be. I think he can bring yards after the catch capability. Now, he's not going to run through a bunch of traffic. He's a smaller guy.

Starting point is 00:19:29 But if you set him into a wide receiver screen and you give him a lane to run, he can take off. And we saw that in New Orleans, right? last year. So I think he could bring yak. So speed from the inside, separation, gadget guy, yak capability. I think all of those things can help this offense in 2026. Now, one of the bigger questions from 2025 is, you know, how is he doing against certain looks post-snap, certain coverages? Is he on the same page as Drake May? Is he finding the correct spots in zone coverage?

Starting point is 00:20:08 And Todd Downing last week, the wide receivers coach, he discussed Pop Douglas and he said, quote, I would say he's really doing a good job with decision-making routes. So if there's a decision to be made, whether it's a choice route or a post or a cross, he's making decisions quickly and correctly. And that's a really valuable piece of this offense. So Todd Downing says Pop Douglas better with his decision-making. Drake May is telling us, Pop Douglas, I'm looking forward to his role being bigger. Mike Vrable at the owner's meeting is telling us, we need to get the football more to Pop Douglas. Now, yes, I still think his opportunity is going to be restricted. It will be limited because you have A.J. Brown and Romeo Dobbs and Hunter Henry.

Starting point is 00:20:57 But I look at this now after what people have been saying, and maybe they're just blowing smoke, but I'm going to buy into it. I think Pop Douglas is legitimately in the battle to play some. slot for this team. And I think it's more likely he's on the team and more likely playing football on a consistent basis. I'm not saying 50% of the snaps, but I now believe he could be a legitimate piece to this puzzle. Maybe I'm being naive, but I'm buying into it. Vrable, May, downing, they've sold me. I've changed my mind. I have a developing opinion. I now believe Pop Douglas could be a part of this offense and could pay some dividends.

Starting point is 00:21:43 The Pat's biggest in division advantage. Talk about that coming up next. This is Lockdown Patriots, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Running a business shouldn't feel like you're trying to connect a bunch of systems that were never designed to work together. One app for accounting, another for inventory, another for sales, and somehow none of them talk to each other. That's where O'Doo comes in.

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Starting point is 00:22:52 Great organizations win because operations matter. And that's why you should get O-D-O-D-D-O-D-com slash lockdown. That's O-D-O-O-O-O-O-com slash lockdown. We get so wrapped up in free agency, the draft and trades, like the AJ Brown deal, and rightfully so. But there's something else that gives this Patriots team a significant advantage in their division that we haven't fully discussed. Thanks for checking out the Lockdown Podcast Network. Now the number one sports podcast network.

Starting point is 00:23:26 If you're watching on YouTube, do not forget to like, comment, and subscribe. The coaching staff. The coaching staff gives the Patriots a clear advantage in the AFC East. I mean, look at the rest of this division, folks. I don't want to go too hard on some of these teams, but really? I mean, you start at the top. The top competition in this division, we all know, the Buffalo Bills. The Buffalo Bills, their head coach is a complete unknown.

Starting point is 00:23:55 We know Joe Brady as an offensive coordinator, but we don't know Joe Brady as a head coach. And don't get it twisted. Joe Brady is the head coach of the Bills because Josh Allen wanted Joe Brady to be the head coach. of the Buffalo Bills. We have no idea if this is going to work.

Starting point is 00:24:14 This might backfire. Now, it might work swimmingly. Joe Brady might take to the roll like a fish to water. No big deal. Easy peasy. One, two, three, he win 15 games and head to the playoffs and laugh at everybody for doubting him, right? I can't believe you doubted me.

Starting point is 00:24:31 But we don't know that. You don't know if somebody is a good head coach until they become a head coach. So yes, it could work out. but it could also backfire in spectacular fashion. Not only do you have a rookie head coach in Joe Brady in Buffalo, but you also have Jim Leonard who is bringing in a new defense. Now, Jim Leonard is highly respected defensive mind for a lot of people

Starting point is 00:24:58 who pay close attention to coaching and, you know, job openings and who should be doing this, who should be doing that. Very respected. but there are questions, a new defensive system, a first-time head coach. And remember, we're not sitting here telling you that the Buffalo Bills coaching staff is not going to work out. We're just comparing the Buffalo Bills coaching staff to the Patriots coaching staff. Who are you taking, Joe Brady or Mike Vrable? You got Josh McDaniels.

Starting point is 00:25:32 You've got Zach Corr slash Terrell Williams. Which staff are you taking? I think it's rather obvious. The Patriots also have Thomas Brown and Tom. downing. I mean, we waxed poetic about the staff last year and rightfully so. We will do it again this year. So the Buffalo bills a clear, clear disadvantage with their coaching staff when comparing it to the Patriots. Then you've got the Jets. I mean, come on now. Aaron Glenn did not prove anything last year. Now, maybe it was the team, maybe it was the lack of

Starting point is 00:26:06 talent, but I don't think anybody is walking into 2026 confident that Aaron Glenn is an NFL head coach. Frank Reich? I don't think anybody wanted Frank Wright. I mean, Frank Reich fell into the job with the Jets as offensive coordinator. Me, he's a guy who was, you know, kind of hanging around, and the Jets were going through all these different names and possibilities. And there was Frank Reich surviving.

Starting point is 00:26:36 Is anybody afraid of a Frank Reich offense? I would say no. Then you've got Miami. And I know Jeff Hathley was the head coach at Boston College, but it's different. College pros different. So until we see Jeff Hathley actually be a good NFL head coach, he's in the same category as Joe Brady,

Starting point is 00:26:56 maybe a little bit ahead because he has head coaching experience, but still at the NFL level, this is new to him. So when you look at Bobby, Sloick, Miami's offensive coordinator. He flamed out quickly in Houston. Everybody was talking about him. Everybody was saying how Bobby Sloick was the next big thing. He was going to be the next, you know, tight-pantsed head coach.

Starting point is 00:27:21 His first year with C.J. Stroud. C.J. Stroud was really good. And then Bobby Sloick and the Houston Texans offense fell off a cliff in year two as him being the play caller. So now he's in Miami with. with less talent. So just looking at the names, just looking at the people involved, it is pretty obvious

Starting point is 00:27:43 that the Patriots have a clear advantage on the coaching staff, but it goes beyond that. We also talk about stability. Almost every single coach return from 2025. Now, Robert Coogler, he moved on. Robert Coogler,

Starting point is 00:27:58 one of the assistant offensive line coaches, no longer with the football team. A young defensive assistant, assistant name escapes me right now can't remember it off the top of my head but he also left but nobody of of consequence here when you look at the big picture in the guys who are responsible for the most important jobs on this staff everybody came back terrell williams is back and healthy thankfully zach core's back josh mcdaniels is back thomas brown is back todd downing is back obviously Mike Vrable is back. Jeremy Springer is back.

Starting point is 00:28:34 Clint McMillan is back. Mike Smith is back. I mean, we just go down the list. The entire staff, aside from one of the three assistant offensive line coaches and a defensive assistant are returning. And that stability means a heck of a lot. Because when you look at these other teams, you know, Frank Reich first shot in New York slash New Jersey with Aaron Glenn. the Buffalo Bills, you know, a whole lot of new. Jim Leonard coming in. Miami got Bobby Sloick coming in. And Jeff Hathley putting that staff together. And Aaron Glenn, I mean, the Jets made a ton of changes on their coaching staff.

Starting point is 00:29:13 Aaron Glenn is one of the only guys who survived the coaching changes. And you could even argue that this staff is stronger for 2026 and it was in 2025 because of the experience that Zach Core gained last year. because now you have Zach Core to go along with Mike Frable and Terrell Williams. I mean, if you want to talk about a path to a top two seed, it is crushing the AFC East. With the Patriots schedule, if you can go 5 and 1 or 6 in O in your division, that sets you up to win 10 plus games. And with this coaching advantage and with your quarterback, you know, 5 and 1 is not a stretch. if you can find ways to beat the bills twice, you're looking at the possibility of a 6-0 run in your division.

Starting point is 00:30:06 And that is, again, it's just, it's so significant looking at the big picture and trying to find the easiest best pathway to have a top 2C. That wraps up this edition of Lockdown Patriots. Thank you for making us your first listen for being an everyday. Reach out to me on Twitter at Nick C Radio. Don't forget to throw a comment in on the YouTube channel.

Starting point is 00:30:25 hit that like button and subscribe. And if you never miss an episode, the Everydayer Club is built for you. Get Lockdown Patriots ad free plus members-only Discord access. I'm more involved now on the Discord. Check it out. That and even more, head to Lockdown Patriots. com or check the link in the show notes to learn even more.

Starting point is 00:30:44 Have a great day and we will see you next time.

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Foundation Check: Do Drake Maye’s Patriots Possess Championship Core?

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