Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Fox on Foxboro: Talking Patriots Training Camp with Tanya Ray Fox - 8/14/2020

Episode Date: August 14, 2020

On the cusp of commencing padded practices, the New England Patriots face a number of challenges when evaluating their roster for the upcoming NFL season. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Tanya Ray Fox of FS1 to discuss the steep learning curve that is to be faced by rookies and new veterans when becoming acclimated to the Patriots’ system. The duo also discuss of the ability of Cam Newton to handle the pressures of playing in New England in the wake of the Tom Brady era. 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. Thank football. It's Friday here on the Lockdown 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, back and better than ever. Visit builtbar.com and enter promo code LOCKEDON for $10 off your next order. Patriots fans, the weekend is in sight, and we are that much closer to the Patriots putting on the pads and amping up the practice level starting this coming Monday. And of course, you're covered because you're locked into Locked On Patriots. 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 that means your questions, comments and feedback are always welcomed and greatly appreciated. Feel free to share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter

at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-F-P-C. And while you're out there giving the weekend nod and saying, how you doing, to the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Lockdown Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. Pats fans, I feel like I could begin the pod each and every day by saying the phrase, there's never a dull moment in Foxborough. I know I've said that a lot of times here on the pod, but there really isn't. Lately, there seems to be no shortage of roster comings and goings when it comes to your New England Patriots.

And on Thursday afternoon, word broke of a couple of departures and one major arrival. And I'll break down each one of those for you in just a moment. But of course, today is Friday, August 14th, 2020. And you know on Fridays we like to close out the week in style here on Locked On Patriots. And today, we won't only live up to that expectation, we're going to exceed it. Because there are few better ways to spend a Friday, folks, than talking Foxborough football with my good friend Tanya Rae Fox of FS1. Tanya is absolutely a fan favorite here on the Locked On Patriots Airwaves.

And anytime we share the microphone, it's always fun, informative, and very candid. Those of you that follow Tanya on Twitter and listen to her podcast, the Almost Shameless podcast, knows that Tanya is as honest and as accurate as they come. And today, folks, I will seek her wisdom and counsel on the Patriots' strategy for the upcoming 2020 season. We'll be discussing why the elimination of preseason games makes it that much more likely that the Patriots will seek a veteran presence on the team this year and in turn making it a little more difficult for the rookies and new faces to catch on.

But that doesn't mean the Patriots don't have the talent to put together a strong and well-built unit this year. Tanya has some very interesting things to say about the players that are on this roster and may help to quell the anxiety of Patriots Nation just a little bit. And last but certainly not least, we'll be talking all of the hype and hoopla surrounding, you guessed it folks, Cam Newton. Not only will Tanya and I be discussing the adjustments the Patriots must make on the field to accommodate Cam, but also how Cam will be able to assimilate

into the Patriots coaching staff style, meaning can he coexist with Bill Belichick? I know folks, there's still a narrative out there and Tanya and I will delve into that, but we'll also be discussing Cam's work ethic and why he is well suited to handle the internal and external pressures of playing in New England. And to tie it all together, we'll talk about how Cam and each member of the New England Patriots roster, including the coaching staff, faces a tall task in playing in the shadow of the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era. An action-packed agenda to close out the week here, folks, and Tanya and I leave no stone

unturned in this discussion. So sit tight, settle in, and Tanya Rae Fox of FS1 will join me here on the airwaves in just a moment. But before I welcome in my good friend to close FS1 will join me here on the airwaves in just a moment. But before I welcome in my good friend to close out the week in style here on the pod, I did hint earlier at some roster comings and goings in Foxborough. And in true Godfather fashion, folks, just when we thought we were out, they pulled us back in. And as first reported by Jim McBride of the Boston Globe, rookie Patriots offensive lineman Dustin Woodard,

the center from Memphis who had been selected by the Patriots with their final pick in the 2020 NFL draft in the seventh round, announced that he would be retiring from football. Yes, folks, you heard that correctly. A rookie that hasn't taken an official snap in the NFL as of yet has announced his retirement. Now, Jim was very careful to advise that he did not believe this decision to be COVID-19 related. That report was later validated by numerous beat writers

speaking to their sources close to the team advising that Woodard's decision was based on a lack of desire to play football any longer. And look folks absolutely his prerogative and in no way would I ever criticize anyone for making a decision they feel is best for them. But from a Patriots team perspective this did lessen their depth chart on the offensive line a bit. After all, Woodard was considered the favorite to back up David Andrews. He was really the only other true center on the roster until the Patriots signed Tyler Gauthier earlier this week. All of a sudden, the decision to sign Gauthier looks to be much more impactful than it was before. At this point in time, I think Gauthier may have a significant opportunity here to end up making the 53-man roster and be a potential backup option for David Andrews.

So as I like to say, folks, keep a sharp eye on this one. As for Dustin, I just want to reiterate the fact that it takes a lot of courage at his age to do exactly what he did on Thursday. Walking away from the game of football at a very young age with with the potential of making significant money, can't be an easy decision. And although I never got a chance to cover him on the field, I certainly wish him the best in his future endeavors, and hope that he finds success no matter where that future may take him. But the Patriots were not done announcing departures yet, and if I'm being honest, this one surprised me a little bit. Jim McBride also reported that the Patriots had indeed released defensive end and undrafted

rookie free agent Nick Coe out of Auburn. Now, for all of you faithful listeners of Locked On Patriots, you know that I was pretty high on Nick. As a matter of fact, earlier this week, Zach Blackerby of Locked On Auburn joined me. We wished Nick a very happy birthday and both expressed optimism that he might crack the 53-man roster. As a defensive end, Nick has a tremendous upside. His productivity did dip a bit in 2019, recording only five solo tackles, but in 2018, he showed exactly what he can do when he's locked in and ready to go. 15 solo tackles and seven sacks during his 2018 campaign at Auburn.

But during his 2019 campaign, there were rumblings about some behavioral problems. And although it's really harsh to label Nick a malcontent or a disruption, there were many who questioned his buy-in to football. It is certainly interesting that a guy in 2018 who had a first-round draft grade put on him by a lot of competent draft analysts all of a sudden dropped off the board in 2019, went undrafted, and now is being released from his first NFL opportunity. Let me be very clear, however. I have not received any indication or heard from anyone that it was an attitude or buy-in

problem that led to Nick's release. At the end of the day, it might have just been a numbers game. But I certainly had high hopes for what Nick Coe could do in this defense, and I was a bit surprised and maybe even a little disheartened to see him on the chopping block this quickly. But the Patriots' brain trust knows their team best, and as a result, the Patriots had bid a fond adieu to both Dustin Woodard and Nick Coe by the end of the day on Thursday. But as the old adage goes, for every departure, there's an arrival. And even though it was an expected arrival, it was nice to find out that the Patriots' signing of running back Lamar Miller was made official yesterday. Dare I say, it's Miller time in Foxborough. Yeah, I know folks, bad dad joke. Even considering that Lamar

Miller's Twitter handle is indeed Miller time, it was still a little bit of a lame attempt at humor. But Lamar Miller is now a New England Patriot, and promptly, he was placed on the physically unable to perform list. I know it probably raises a few eyes, but from those in the organization that I've spoken to, this seems to be more of a precautionary measure, and it is expected that Lamar Miller will be able to start the season on time. But like we do with all things here in New England, folks, keep a sharp eye out, especially next week when the pads come on and the Patriots hit the practice fields

for the first time in earnest for this year's New England Patriots 2020 training camp. But will this group of Patriots be able to carry the load? Will they be able to handle the pressure? Well, that's just one of the questions I'll tackle in just a moment with my guest today and good friend, Tanya Rae Fox of FS1. But first, we've all heard the phrase, often imitated but never duplicated. And folks, the only ones who could provide the best healthy, low-calorie, and delicious treats that you know and love are the ones who provided the best in the first place.

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and you'll get $10 off your next order. That's B-U-I-L-T-B-A-R.com and use promo code LOCKEDON for $10 off at BiltBar.com. Patriots fans, it's almost time to put on the pads and practice for real in Foxborough. The 2020 incarnation of your New England Patriots will start to take shape within the next couple of weeks. But to close out this week here on Locked On Patriots, I welcome one of our favorite guests. A guest that is the best at providing spot-on insight with razor-sharp wit.

You know her great work from platforms such as USA Today, NFL Network, NBC Sports Boston, just to name a few. She is currently doing amazing work for FS1, and her podcast, The Almost Shameless Podcast, is back. And it is as phenomenal of a listen as you'll find anywhere. Folks, the incomparable Tanya Rae Fox joins me today on the Locked On Patriots podcast. Thank you so much for returning and for joining me today, my friend. Anytime, as always. Thank you for having me on and thanks for the almost shameless plug. We are podcast partners in life.

We promote each other's stuff. This is a family operation, sister podcast. That's how we like to treat it. We don't, we're not in competition. We just, we, we lift each other up. And that's the nice thing about the podcasting world is like, it's like, there's so there's 4 million of them, you get to choose what you like. And so it's nice to be able to come on yours and talk about this and promote my own. It's just, it's just all around a great way to like kick off my weekend. So it absolutely is. And we always love having you on.

I always love having you on and the guests do as well. And I'm glad that you mentioned family, you know, coming from a Paisan. I know all about family. Never take sides with anyone against the family, but no, I know. All kidding aside, it really is. It really is a potter and family. I, and a lot of people use that hashtag. Speaking of hashtags, speaking of Twitter hashtags, as Vinny Gambini would say, let me ask you, where is that Twitter verification? I thought we really – I really thought that we were able to get through to Jack somehow.

Folks, it's the weekend. Let's get this hashtag viral. Let's get this done once and for all. Hashtag verify TRF. It's the right thing. It's the just thing. It needs to happen. We're going to make it happen for you, my friend.

You have my word. I know. I know. We will not rest until this happens. It will. It will happen. But, Tanya, there is never a shortage of narratives here in New England. The New England Patriots continue to make news each and every day, some of which broke yesterday, and we'll get to

that in just a moment. But Tanya, we've previously spoken about the impact that COVID-19 has on the NFL as a whole, particularly the Patriots. Now, last night would have been the first preseason game for this team, and it's a different situation this year, unfortunately. And at approximately 8.30 a.m. Eastern this morning, a little before your time getting going over there on the West Coast, Bill Belichick spoke about the challenges that this offseason has had on the team, particularly the rookies and some of the new faces, who he said in his own words face a very steep learning curve in fact he actually

used the words deep water and turbulent water you're going to see those a lot on social media over the weekend folks and he used those to describe the road ahead of picking up the playbook and being able to adapt to a new system tanya this is always an organization that gets significant contributions from rookies young players even undrafted free agents. They're among the top teams in the league at having an undrafted free agent on their roster seemingly every year. But this year might be a pretty tall task for those guys in terms of making the team and making an impact.

In your opinion, should Patriots fans be concerned that they may not be able to get those types of, or I guess I should say not get the type of production they're used to getting out of those rookies and young players this year? Or do you believe there's enough veteran leadership on this team to weather the storm and give the rookies a chance to develop? I mean, I think that every, I think the fans of the NFL and every team should be concerned about the lost opportunity for rookies. And, and obviously, with everything that's going on with college football, it's like, there's, it's, it's hard to watch and know that these guys have lost the chance to, you know, make these teams and really make an impact in the same way that guys have before them. You know, in the history of the NFL, we really haven't seen anything like this. So everybody should be concerned about how teams are going to integrate rookies onto their roster, how they're going to be able to, you know, like you said, where is the leadership going to be there? Obviously, with the Patriots, they are the team most affected by opt-outs by a pretty large margin.

So there is a little extra concern. However, I've said on this podcast a lot, and sometimes I sound like a broken record, but the Patriots are so deep when it comes to not only leadership and veteran leadership and people who understand the culture and the system there, but also, you know, on the coaching side of things that they do, they almost make back their disadvantage. You know, they almost, it evens everything out because there are a lot of teams across the NFL who are either under new coach or you know there's a new GM or a lot of like roster turnover or whatever else and don't and let's be honest we

know this you said it time and time again New England has the most established system and culture in the NFL you know and even without Tom Brady and even implementing a new offense all all of the structure is there. The foundation is there to work with. You know, so, I mean, the offensive rookies are at a massive disadvantage, you know, compared. The defense is going to be fine. Losing Dante Hightower for the season to an opt-out is, like, that's a kick, you know. But then you look over and there's Gerard Mayo and Steve

Belichick coaching the linebackers right and that's a that's a group that we've seen evolve and thrive every single year and then Jawan Bentley you know we saw flashes of brilliance from him this rookie season let's see what we can get out of him. You know, you lose Patrick Chung, but then you get Adrian Phillips. And so there's the leadership and roles that need to be filled are being filled. And those guys are not, you know, these are guys that are still going to be able to help rookies develop. So I guess like, yes, have a little bit of extra concern. You'd be stupid not to.

But I still see so many pieces that are falling into place, at least on defense and special teams where things are a little bit more steady. That, you know, I don't know how many opportunities they're going to have to prove themselves. But, again, it's an even playing field across the league. So the Patriots aren't, you know, Patriots rookies aren't really any more affected by this than rookies on any other team. If anything, they're coming into a really solid system with really smart coaches, reallyies along and look the veterans that you've mentioned guys like juwan bentley guys like adrian phillips even though he's a new face coming into a new place i covered adrian when he was playing for the los angeles chargers and i pretty much have said that ad nauseum here on locked on patriots all of my listeners are rolling their eyes again and saying oh yeah well there he goes talking about his chargers days but this was a guy i was so happy to see come into the New England fold because he's so coachable. He's easily adaptable to any situation.

He can pretty much be a jack-of-all-trades. I call him a Swiss Army knife on the defense, that he can pretty much play anywhere. Bringing in guys like that is something that Bill Belichick is noted for. Brandon Copeland is another guy having experience in the Jets system and coming in here and being able to be that type of linebacker that versatile linebacker that the Patriots have always employed having Steve Belichick having Gerard Mayo like you said does mean a lot when

it comes to the coaching staff and it does give the Patriots I think a leg up on the competition in that area but to hear Bill say that this morning and that it's only going to get tougher as the road goes on just gives you an insight as to how difficult it is for younger players right now assimilating into an offense and not getting our defense and not getting a chance to really showcase their talent the way they normally would with preseason games being out there. One rookie that made headlines yesterday, Tanya, was seventh round pick and potential backup center Dustin Woodard, and he made the decision to retire before even taking a snap in the NFL. This was a surprise to me and a lot of Patriots fans and media alike, but from the sources I've spoken to, this was not related to COVID-19 concerns. It was simply just

a loss of desire to play football, But it only hammered home the point that the Patriots are always looking to that next man up mentality. In fact, it made the signing of someone like Tyler Gothier, who is a solid backup interior offensive lineman, no one that's going to be a Pro Bowl contender, but has experience in the system, coming in, doing what he has to do. It really cemented that next man he has to do. It really cemented that next man up mentality to me. I looked at it and said, that signing makes a whole lot more sense. And the Patriots made some of those acquisitions the last few days, bringing in guys like Lamar Miller at running back or Michael Jackson Sr. at cornerback. Good solid

additions, but the fan base always seems to be clamoring for more. You know it. I know it. We've experienced it. We've covered it. Hypothetically, you, Tonya Rae Fox, inherit the general manager duties of this team from Nick and Bill. counting too much against the Patriots salary cap and allowing them to tread water and see what they have or is there a position or even a player that you would invest in right now to make a splash heading into the season knowing that these veterans seem to be at a premium right now yeah I mean I think that right now considering the fact that you can't really count on anyone playing the full season, regardless of whether they're a star player or a utility guy who you're trying to get the most of, regardless of whether they're like a Kyle Van Noy type that comes in and, you know, really like creates a new chapter for himself on your team or someone we forget about. Everything has become so even like the playing field when it comes to like how to stay on this team and how to make an impact has really been lowered to

are you healthy and are you going to play like we're at a point now where you could bring in whoever you want you could bring in whatever free agent big free agent splash you want to make. And you already know that this player could end up with COVID-19. They could end up going out and having to quarantine. Like someone in their family could get sick. There could be an out. We don't know what this season's going to look like. So now is not the time to stray from your, you know, normal way of operating your team. And the Patriots have a way of, like you said, doing the plug and play, next man up.

Who's the close, who is the guy we can see at a value who's willing to work, who we can plug in here? And are we, is the loss of the sort of immediate talent or the big splash, you know, leveled by the fact that this player is here and is hungry and is working and is going to try and is going to do their best within this system? That is more valuable than it's ever been. You know, like their best linebacker opted out. They're starting Stacey, the guy who's been on the team for 10 years,

opted out. You can't count on talent alone to carry you through this season. And especially if you don't already have it, you know, taking a risk at this point is, is totally unnecessary. Like you're not going, you know, you look you're not going you know you look at the arizona cardinals and you look at their receivers right you can't replicate having larry fitzgerald and deandre hawkins and christian kirk like you either have them on your team right now and you're moving forward with them or you have who you had and you're working with that because that is we

are at the point where taking extra risks and putting more onto the salary cap and then potentially having that blow up in your face is just like, if you're Bill Belichick, he's never done that to begin with. Why would you start now in a time that's so uncertain? Now more than ever, you go back to your baseline. You go back to what you know, you go back to the systems that you trust, especially while you're implementing a new offense. Now, I don't think Josh McDaniels is going to have as much of an issue

implementing a new offense as people might think, but still there are always hurdles there. You go with what you know in times of uncertainty. Think about how we've been living our lives. Back to basics. You know, and that's going to go straight through not only in football but in real life it's back to basics and so on 100 stick to what you know and next man up is is is the is the way they operate and i think that they should stick with that throughout this season

thank you my friend for that level-headed, because a lot of what I've been trying to do here on Locked on Patriots is talk some off of the ledge when it comes to the grass being greener on the other side. Oh, well, they didn't go after Jadeveon, or they didn't trade for David Njoku, or they need more help at tight end, or what are they possibly doing? Oh, Jordan Leggett's not the guy, And then Jordan Leggett decides not to sign here. Then all of a sudden the narrative becomes, oh, well, not even he wants to come here. What's going on with the New England Patriots?

They need this guy to go for the jugular. I think a lot of what fandom is in professional sports, and this is not just unique to New England, it's not even just unique to the NFL, is looking at the shiny name that's out there and thinking, my team has to have him to compete, especially when Dante decided that he was going to opt out. Jadeveon Clowney became the hot name. Oh, they have to bring him in. It's Clowney or Buss. They need this guy in the defense.

If they don't bring him in, this season is lost. I think a lot of fandom and even media sometimes can get lost in the talent that the Patriots already have on the roster. I think you've articulated that quite nicely, and I appreciate that because there is some talent here, folks. They've got talent at the tight end position. Devin Asiasi, happy birthday to Devin, by the way. It is his birthday today. And Dalton Keene are rookies, but they have the ability to come in here and make a pretty big impact. You talk to players or scouts that know these guys from their time at UCLA or Virginia Tech. These guys are very coachable commodities, and they take direction very well.

I think Bill approached the draft very well this year in drafting guys both on the offense and on the defensive side of the ball that are very coachable, very adaptable, very versatile. And their scouts and coaches and guys that have covered these guys in college ad nauseum have told me a lot about guys like Devin and Dalton. Even on the defensive side of the ball, where you have guys like Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings, they can pick up systems pretty quickly. So even though they're rookies, that learning curve we talked about earlier may not be as steep for some of these guys because they are a little more adaptive.

The Patriots system is put in place for a reason. And I think that next man up mentality is going to be showed very well this year on the field. And I look for the Patriots to be able to weather the storm. So I think that type of low risk, high reward approach that the Patriots are taking to the season is the right approach in the offseason we'll see what they uh what they'd like to do with all of the supposed cap space that they're going to have and how they're going to be able to dole it around and Tanya we've talked about the Patriots roster and that cap space may be put into use particularly for one guy next year a lot of people seem to think that it's a one and done here with Cam, but maybe not.

I've tipped my hand. We're going to talk about Cam Newton in this next segment, folks. And Tanya, as only she can, will describe whether or not she feels that the Patriots will sink or swim in the wake of the Tom Brady era with Cam Newton at the helm. This and more when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, I am honored and humbled always to be joined by my friend Tanya Ray Fox of FS1 and the Almost Shameless podcast today. And Tanya, reality starts to set in more each and every day

that Cam Newton is a New England Patriot. I say that in a good way. It's really injected life back into the fan base, especially after the departure of Tom Brady. But Cam's arrival comes with a lot of expectation and hype. I think of the Spider-Man quote, with great power comes great responsibility. And Cam can handle the attention. I don't think there's any question about that. He's no stranger to all eyes being on him.

But there are some who question his ability to handle Bill's coaching style, maybe even the scrutiny of the New England fans in the media. Tanya, I'm going to put you on the hot seat for a moment here, and I'm going to ask you to either help alleviate or add to the anxiety of Patriots Nation. In your opinion, tell us why Cam Newton can or can't handle the pressure of being the man in New England this year. So I would be a lot more concerned about Cam Newton and handling the pressure in almost any other year because I, listen, I've written about Cam a lot and my writing has one through line through it, which is this guy doesn't get nearly enough credit for his talent. And he also has got to learn to take like the criticism and just and just walk away from it. Every guy deals with this and he just seems to get so perturbed by it.

And it just it doesn't bother me that he is so competitive and that he doesn't like being criticized and that he, like, you know, yells back at the media or fights with the media. It's more about just, like, you're wasting your time and it's distracting stupid people from how good you are at football. And there's a lot of stupid people covering football and watching football. And they get distracted by Cam Newton's, you know, pettiness. And the coverage of his career is one of the most frustrating things I've watched. He's an incredible football player and an incredible quarterback. And I know that football, you know, media in Boston is smart enough to recognize that and smart enough to be able to kind of maneuver around the more like the quirks of his personality.

But there's still, we get on this. I don't think he in one time in his 20-year career in New England blames another player for a single thing ever. He never shoved off blame. He never got on the podium and whined and cried. And that's something that we all have been, you know, kind of, we've been a little bit spoiled by. But so I like, you know, in normal circumstances, I'd be a little concerned that that would be an issue. I'm not worried about his work ethic. And I'm actually not really worried that he can handle Bill Belichick.

Let's not forget that like Brady and Bill clashed all the time you know there was mutual respect and um and there was a like a long sort of relationship and they cared cared about each other but they were they crashed you know and Brady's extremely competitive and extremely sensitive to criticism he took everything as a chip on the shoulder we just didn't see it as much you know he didn't he didn't maybe outwardly express it the same way, but he's a tough nut to crack, you know, and Bill cracked it constantly. I mean, he was on him constantly. And I do think that like that drives more competitive,

more talented people. And that's exactly what cam in. I don't have any issues with that. Now, on top of all this, there are the fans, right? Well, the fans are probably not going to be at games. And the media is going to be reduced. And who's going to be allowed to really be covering these teams on a regular basis in person is going to be reduced. So Cam is that, I know this is a wild thing, but Cam is, he's operating in a bit of a bubble that he wouldn't normally benefit from, you know, things have been a little, he's going to be a little bit more isolated. He's going to be able to like avoid a little bit more of the masses. Um, actually a lot more of the mass than he normally would have. So it's like almost like a perfect transition,

um, into, it's like, you get to come into New England and deal with all the craziness and get adjusted without it being full throttle. You're at like 40% rather than 100%. And I think that will work to his advantage because there are some things about his personality that would clash and that'll come up. I just happen to think that he is the most talented quarterback in that quarterback room by a large margin. And I would like to think that media and fans at the end of the day want,

like, that's really what they're asking for is to see somebody is to see the best product on the field. And I think people underestimate how competitive he is and how much he wants to prove people wrong and how well he wants to play football. Exactly the insight I was looking for. And again, I'm a big admirer of your work and the writing and the coverage that you've provided for Cam Newton throughout the years. And I think the dual nature of the way covering someone, an athlete like Cam, and covering an athlete like Tom Brady, and I will expound upon that a little bit as well, because following a legend that's been a legend in this town for 20 years is no easy task for anyone. It takes a special type of personality to be able to do it.

I do believe Cam is up to that challenge, and I will delve into that in just a moment. But getting back to what you said about having Josh McDaniels radically revamp the offense to fit Cam Newton's style or Bill Belichick's coaching style, being able to lend itself into coaching a guy like Cam Newton, part of the reason why Tom and Bill had the relationship that they had throughout the years, and you and I know this pretty well, Tanya, is Bill is going to coach guys in areas in ways in which he knows they can handle it.

You ride certain players and you make examples of certain players when you know that the guy on the other end of that is going to be able to handle it. Bill's not stupid. He's not going to simply institute the way he coaches with everybody and coach Cam in the exact same way that he coached Tom Brady throughout these years. Bill knows better than anybody that personalities are different. Certain personalities can handle it. Certain can't. And I'm not saying that Cam can't handle pressure or he can't handle criticism bill's going to be vocal he's going to you know call you out if he believes that you need to be called out but he may not do it in the same manner that he did with tom all of those years he knew tom could handle it and he knew tom was going to take that criticism and turn it into something different he was going to take that chip on his shoulder and tom was going to use it to go out

there as fuel for the next week and prove you wrong if you did something wrong in a game or in a practice and Bill called you out on it Tom was going to make sure that he didn't do it again and he was come going to come back and dare I say kind of throw it back in Bill's face a little bit Tom I think got a charge out of that and I'm sure Bill got a charge out of it too I'm sure he looked at it and said you know there he there he goes he's using my criticism and putting it into practice. That may not be the way he coaches Cam. And because of that, I do believe that this is going to be a pretty good marriage between the two of these guys. Both are saying the right things.

Bill had glowing things to say about Cam this morning, saying that he works hard. He's a really tough competitor, and he's able to harness that energy and put it on to the field. Cam's also said that he really, he believes that he's well-suited to play under Bill Belichick. So I don't necessarily have those concerns. You did bring up following that legend in Tom Brady. And I just wanted to expound upon that for just a little while longer. The Patriots team, I think as a whole faces a very steep challenge of following the Brady Belichick era and all of the success that they've had here for a number of years. So I don't just want to put all of that pressure on Cam Newton and say, well, he's the savior. He's the guy under center. He's going to have to handle the load and take this team to the next level. I think Cam is better suited at quarterback to handle it than anybody else on the roster right now, more so than Hoyer or even Stidham or definitely more than Brian Lewerke, who I constituted as a whole under Bill Belichick

has the ability to rise above that specter of Tom Brady simply because it's Bill at the helm? Or do you think there are players on this team that are going to rise to the level that need to be risen to in order to be able to captain this team or guide this team to success in 2020? I think that it's hard for us as people who have covered Tom Brady and Bill Belichick together on the Patriots for so long to untangle them, even now that they've been separated, you know, and right now, really, realistically, the Tom Brady era, it was over when Tom Brady left.

It's a different, when you lose a franchise quarterback like that, which we've really never had a quarterback like him in the NFL. Players don't play on teams with the same coach for 20 years. It doesn't happen. Not quarterbacks. So it's unprecedented, and it's hard for us to understand, like, how you would move on from that. The Patriots are real

guinea pigs in this in this scenario you know usually there's something you can point to and look to and say like here's a sort of blueprint on how this goes um having a quarterback like Tom Brady in a place for two decades and then have them leave and then have the season go the way that it's gone you know with the reduced preseason and all of that stuff and everything we've talked about this entire podcast, it creates a massive question mark. So, no, I don't think that they can rise to the level of, like, I don't think this is the year that we're going to forget about Tom Brady.

He's still playing in the league. He's with Gronk. They're in Tampa Bay. It's just not going away. And like there is going to be a ton of pressure and it is still going to loom over the Patriots because he's still, if he'd retired, that would be one thing. If he was retired and, you know, just living, you know, out in LA with Giselle and doing whatever he was doing, that's a completely different story. But now there is, like, it's not the specter of Tom Brady

looming over New England. It's actually Tom Brady. He's still around. So it's going to be a lot harder to get out from underneath that. And the Patriots have an uphill battle. Like, let's be honest. We've talked about all of the issues, all of the question marks and the things they have to overcome are, you know, I do think that they're uniquely equipped to be able to overcome them. But they have had the most opt-outs.

They are implementing a new offense. They are, you know, they're doing all these things. Individually, these aren't hurdles you can't overcome. But as a total, as a cumulative, you know, it starts to get a little bit daunting. And, you know, the AFC has gotten a little bit better. And we don't know how healthy Cam Newton is going to be. And as much as I believe in all these things individually,

some of these issues are going to crop up and they're going to persist. And there will be segments of the media and segments of the fan base who will not let the Tom Brady thing go. I already see it in my mentions all the time. Bill wouldn't pay Tom. This is what we get. There are people who have taken sides in this within the Patriots organization. So whether or not they succeed, I think that they could go 12-4

and make the playoffs and, you know, have a good little run. And there's still going to be a pretty loud segment of fans who are mad that Tom Brady is in Tampa Bay and who think that, you know, that this didn't go the way that they wanted it to go. And that those people are going to be able to be loud because there is no, there's no fans. There's no regular, we're not regularly interacting with the game in the same way. I really think that this is the very best they could have done to try to move on from Tom Brady while Tom Brady was still in the league.

You know, you have Brian Horrier there, a nice familiar face. You have the young Buck Jarrett sit him. Okay. We know he's going to be kind of competing and pushing cam and you have the big superstar, totally different, you know, sort of bot, public vibe and energy from Tom Brady. So really come in and mix things up. I don't know how much more they could have done to say like, Hey, we're invested in, in staying, you know, staying at the top of the ASC East and we're invested in trying to like make

all of this work while Tom Brady's still in the league. I, I, there, there's nothing more they could have done, you know, even if they just stuck with Jarrett Stidham, like this is the best you can do. And at the end of the season, one team will have finished better than the other. The Bucs will have finished better than the Patriots or vice versa. And then the conversation will continue. But no, to answer the question fully, no, they have not escaped, you know, the Tom Brady conversation. He will loom over the Patriots until he is retired and moved on.

Yeah, and I think it's important for the fans and media alike to remember that, that this is still going to be continued to be a story, folks, even though, yes, we are moving on from the Brady era. Yes, Tom doesn't play here anymore. I hear that an awful lot. Oh, he doesn't play here anymore. Don't even talk about him. It's very difficult to do that.

Because it will continue to be a narrative this year. And unfortunately. It's just the way of the world right now. We need to move on. There is a new team here. I do believe this team is equipped to be able to put out a competitive team. And maybe even a strongly competitive team this year. But ultimately that story will continue to remain.

And I think it's okay for the Patriots and especially their fans to remember that and to be able to speak about it because it is still very much a possibility that these two entities will clash. If not this year in the Superbowl, it's the only way it could happen. But down the line next year, these two teams are scheduled to play one another. So, you know, that narrative is at least going to be hanging out there. And if you think it's bad now, folks, could happen but down the line uh next year these two teams are scheduled to play one another so you know that narrative is at least going to be hanging out there and if you think it's bad now folks next

year is going to be even worse so tanya what can i say i always appreciate you joining me here on the pod uh your time your insight is always spot on always razor sharp i can't think of a better way to end the week than to bring you on here and lend your wisdom and counsel the way only you can. Before I let you go, my friend, the floor is yours. Please let our listeners know where they can find you and what you have coming on the horizon.

Yeah, you can find me at Tanya Ray Fox on Twitter and Instagram. And my podcast, Almost Shameless Podcast is on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and the handle for that on Instagram and Twitter is at ShamelessTRF. So go and follow me and subscribe to that. New episodes every Wednesday now that it's been relaunched. The newly relaunched episode just came out last week, so you can listen to the most recent one, catch yourself up and yeah, follow me going forward. That's what I'm up to right now.

Excellent. And again, the almost shameless podcast is a listen that I highly recommend. You will not be disappointed. It's great. Always insightful. Tanya, again, thank you so much for joining me today. Stay safe, stay well, have a great weekend. And we look forward to having you back on the pod really soon to talk about all of the comings and goings here in Foxborough and with regard to the New England Patriots.

Never a dull moment, and we're always happy to share it with you. Thank you so much, and we look forward, again, to having you back here really soon. You know I'll be ready for it whenever the time comes, and I look forward to it as well, Mike, and thank you again. Everybody have a great weekend, and we'll talk soon. Thank you, my friend. You as well. And so, Patriots fans, we put a bow on the week that was here

on the Locked On Patriots podcast. And it was an eventful week here in Foxborough. The Patriots starting Wednesday, taking to the practice fields for the first time, and starting to showcase some of that talent that we'll see on the Gillette Stadium field in the upcoming 2020 NFL season. But as Colonel Slade once said in Scent of a Woman, I'm just getting warmed up. And that's exactly what the Patriots are doing,

getting warmed up, because starting this Monday, they will put the pads on and start practicing for real in Foxborough. So to make sure that you do not miss a single minute of next week's coverage here on the Locked On Patriots podcast, subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Follow us on Spotify. Download Locked On Patriots

wherever you get your podcasts. And of course, don't forget that you can always listen to us right on your very own smart device. Simply ask it to play the latest episode of Locked On Patriots. Once again, I'm Mike DeBate. I thank Tanya Rae Fox of FS1 and the Almost Shameless podcast.

And of course, folks, don't forget this weekend to use the Twitter hashtag VerifyTRF for her time, insight, and appearance today. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for staying locked into Locked On Patriots. Stay safe, stay well, always be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great weekend, everyone.