Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Free Agent Friday: Thuney and Conference Title Talk with Murph - 1/17/2020

Episode Date: January 17, 2020

It’s Free Agent Friday on Locked On Patriots. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Thomas Murphy to discuss Tom Brady’s moving plans, a Patriots fans’ guide for AFC/NFC Championship Weekend, and the impending free agency for guard Joe Thuney. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful. Welcome to a monster edition of Free Agent Friday here on Locked On Patriots, your daily home for news, notes, and analysis, seasoned with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. My name is Mike DeBate. I am your host of Locked On Patriots, which of course is a part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Always feel free to reach out to me and follow me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC and be sure to follow Locked On Patriots on Twitter as well at LO underscore Patriots.

It's Free Agent Friday here, folks, on Locked On Patriots, and you heard me introduce it as a monster edition of Free Agent Friday. Yeah, you know where I'm going with this. M is for monster. M is for Murph. My good buddy Thomas Murphy joins me today to close out the week here on Locked On Patriots. And Murph and I have lots to talk about.

Tom Brady, where are he and the family going to live? Who's got the edge this weekend in the NFC and AFC championship games? Who might Patriots fans be pulling for? And last but certainly not least, we will delve into Free Agent Friday here, and I will ask Murph the tough questions on what his thoughts are on the Patriots being able to retain one of their key free agents. So sit tight, folks.

I always love when Murph stops by here to talk Patriots football. I know you love it as well, and I hope we're able to close out the week the right way here on Locked On Patriots, and I sincerely hope, as always, that you enjoy today's podcast. And in the honor of Free Agent Friday, we will be chronicling a free agent, a big-time free agent for the New England Patriots. Last week, Jay Soderbergh joined me on this very chair, and we talked about quarterback Tom Brady. Murph and I are going to talk a little bit about Brady, but not in that way.

Between Jay's insight last week and this past Wednesday when Miguel Benzon joined me here on Locked On Patriots, and we talked about the potential contract and what it might take to get Brady back here in Foxborough. Today, I'll be staying on the offensive side of the ball, and with the exception of Tom Brady, he is the most important free agent on offense that the Patriots have right now. I'm talking about right guard Joe Tooney. Tooney was by far their best offensive lineman all season long. Normally, I would say arguably their best offensive lineman, but to me, there's no argument here. Joe Tooney was absolutely

phenomenal this year. On an offensive line that had its struggles all year, Joe Tooney was the one reliable person on that line. He never missed a game. He was named second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press. And ESPN's Mike Reese pointed something out that was really an eye-opener for me earlier this week. Mike noted that ESPN has a metric that uses NFL NextGenStats tracking devices to chart which linemen can sustain their blocks for two and a half seconds or longer. Based on that metric, Tooney had a 97% pass block win rate. That mark was second-best among all guards in the NFL, ranked only behind Marshall Yanda

of the Baltimore Ravens. So based on those statistics alone, Tooney's going to be in high demand. Offensive linemen are always at a premium in the NFL, folks. They're among the highest profile and among the most sought-after free agents in all of the NFL. In a perfect world, the Patriots would be salivating just to lock this guy up long-term. He's the perfect Patriot. Never misses a game.

As a matter of fact, in his NFL career, he hasn't missed a game. Seeing that he was drafted in 2016, that's pretty impressive. And a little background on him being drafted for a minute, folks. Like I said, Tooney was drafted in the second round of the NFL draft in 2016 by the Patriots. That's a pick they acquired in a trade. You know which trade it was? It was part of the return that they received for defensive end Chandler Jones when they traded him to the Arizona Cardinals.

Now, I know you've heard a lot of the trash takes in local afternoon sports radio recently stating that the Patriots were the big losers of the Chandler Jones trade and that they received essentially nothing for him. Well, based on the stats that I just read you regarding Tooney's record here in New England, I wouldn't say it's an accurate statement to say they received nothing for him. Maybe a little fact-checking, maybe a little background, maybe a little less bile and a little less desire to raise the ire of Patriots fans would have made that statement a little

more accurate. But folks, I digress. That doesn't change the fact that Tooney is likely going to command big money on the open market, and that's probably not a good thing for the Patriots. The NFL guard market has really risen to a lucrative level lately. It really started in Jacksonville when they signed Andrew Norwell to a five-year, $66.5 million contract. That contract included $30 million in bonuses and guarantees, and he signed that in March

2018. That set the stage. And then just a few months later Dallas shelled out big money to sign Zach Martin to a six-year $84 million extension. So once again folks big money potentially on the table here for Joe Tooney and if you're a Patriots fan you're probably looking at this and saying the Patriots will never shell out that kind of money especially for an offensive lineman especially for a guard. Not so fast folks. Just in August of 2018 they shelled out big money for a guard, and that's Shaq Mason. Mason signed a 5 year, $50 million dollar extension.

At the time it was considered a great move. Still is. Mason had an up and down year this year but is still one of the top offensive linemen in the Patriots system. So New England obviously doesn't look at the guard position as somewhere where they would look to shop at a bargain basement. The problem is whether or not the Patriots would feel comfortable having two guards as their two highest paid offensive linemen. Again, the type of contracts that guards are getting may price the Patriots out on this one.

Also don't forget is there are a lot of teams with a lot of cap space with a lot of offensive line needs. Two that come to mind right away are the Indianapolis Colts and the Miami Dolphins. Indy already has one of the best offensive lines in football, but especially if they're going to be breaking in a new quarterback or trying to continue to develop Jacoby Brissett, they're going to need all the help they can get. And who better than Tooney to come into a system that would be tailor-made for him to succeed? The lure of Miami and the connection with Brian Flores could be tougher him to turn down as well. And of course, the wild card in all this is Tooney is the perfect guy that any team would want. Not only is he great on the field, he's a great presence in the locker room. He does whatever is asked of him.

Recently on ESPN, their analyst and former Patriot Damian Woody, who was a very good offensive lineman in his day, knows a thing or two about the position, had this to say about Joe Tooney. Quote, This is a guy who literally when he came in, boom. They plugged him in. He's been a solid starter. knows a thing or two about the position, had this to say about Joe Tooney. Unquote. That type of reliability and durability makes it very likely that Tooney has the ability to cash in big time here. He's a two-time Super Bowl champion, so taking a hometown discount to win a ring may not be the highest priority for Tooney right now.

He may be looking to secure the future of himself and his family, and you absolutely can't fault him for that. As much as it hurts me to say, he's likely to get a more lucrative contract on the open market, more guaranteed money, and maybe even more years than New England would be willing to commit to him. When I talked to Miguel on Wednesday, I asked him the question about the franchise tag, and we talked about Tooney's cap hit for the franchise. Patriots would be on the hook for $14.9 million against the cap if they franchise Tooney.

With the laundry list of free agents that they have, that's unlikely to nearly impossible. So for any of you holding out hope on Tooney possibly getting the franchise tag, I would probably advise against it. So folks, I apologize. I always try to take a glass half full type approach, but when I look at Tooney's resume, and the amount that he would command on the open market and what the Patriots could commit to him, it just doesn't seem like a fit. But you know what? Don't just take my word for it. I'm going to bring in my main green man in just one moment, and I'm going to ask him that very question on Joe Tooney. We'll even talk a little bit about where Brady may be living next year. And also, I'll get his opinion on the AFC and NFC championship games this weekend. Because

folks, the conference championships are here. Kansas City, Tennessee, San Francisco, Green Bay, you're all excited to see your teams play this weekend. Sorry folks, it still seems weird to me that the Patriots aren't in this game. But there are two great games on the slate, and it's time for two of those teams playing this weekend to end their season. But you still have time to feed your fantasy fix with DraftKings, the leader in one-day fantasy football.

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Eligibility restrictions apply. See DraftKings.com for details. Folks, your New England Patriots might not be playing this weekend, but that doesn't mean the best of the best is not going to make his voice heard. He's got a lot to say. I'm always proud to give him the platform to say it. His thoughts on Tom Brady's moving plans, his Free Agent Friday take on Joe Tooney as we open the show here today, and he might just have some insight on New England's second

favorite quarterback who is still playing this weekend. He is a columnist extraordinaire for DieHardBostonSportsFans.com, compiles one half of the hosting tandem of the One Patriots Place podcast, which is one of my favorite listens. And he does that alongside our mutual friend, Steve Balistrieri, who also joined me this week here on Locked On. He is my main man, Thomas Murphy. Murph, welcome back home, my friend. God, man, thanks for having me.

You know, if it wasn't for here, I'd have a real complex, you know. Oh, well, you know. The Lockdown guys keep asking me back. People ask me on their shows often. You know, it's not often they ask me back because they usually piss somebody off. But here at Lockdown, man, it's always, yeah, Murph, come on in. Well, you know, Murph, I've given given very serious consideration my friend to the naming the guest chair after you I can never be appreciative enough of your insight and always making me look

a little bit better than I really am you bring your insight your wisdom and counsel it all comes from a great place I enjoy it the listeners enjoy it and that's why we have you back periodically my friend but there's always strategic reasons why I bring you in as well and today's why we have you back periodically, my friend. But there's always strategic reasons why I bring you in as well, and today's topics really couldn't have been a better fit for us to have a nice conversation to segue into the weekend. So let's start right off, my friend. My good friend over here is a resident of the state of Connecticut, in case you haven't all known. If you follow him on Twitter, you know he is.

But earlier this week, Murph, we thought there was going to be another resident. Well, I should say resident. By all accounts, he's bringing the family along, and that is Tom Brady. Murph, to help me put a lid on all this, you follow the story as closely as we all do, maybe even more considering the connections that you have with some of the stories that have come out. What was your take on all this? And are we reading ghosts into the tea leaves here when it comes to when and where the Brady's plan to move? Yeah, they really are.

Every time a different truck shows up at the Brady's household, they think that furniture is being snuck out in FedEx trucks or Amazon Prime trucks. We saw a drone fly over Tom Brady's house. It must mean he's moving to Greenwich. Well, Greenwich isn't that far from me. And so what I did was I went down and I started knocking on doors with a giant plate full of brownies like you do, you know, to welcome people into the neighborhood. Welcome people to the neighborhood.

That's a very neighborly thing to do, Murph. That's very honorable, my friend. And I couldn't find anybody to accept the brownies. Couldn't. You know why? Because Tom Brady doesn't own a house in Greenwich. He doesn't. There's no house here in Greenwich that tom brady currently owns or resides in or anybody

there at any old i mean i even went to a couple of open houses to see if you know giselle might be in there peeking around and just saying hey i'd really like to coach your kid in little league someday and and no it that it didn't happen they're not here they They have not moved. I'm not going to say that they aren't going to move. But as you know, a lived-in home is much easier to sell than an empty house. And when you're asking, you know, 200 times the value of a home for that home, you have to do everything to make it look lived in and loved and everything like that to be able to move it, even if your name is Tom Brady and Giselle Bunchen. And that hasn't happened yet.

They have not moved a single box out. Now, there's been a lot of backtracking by people who reported this to begin with and a couple of people who just stick by what they're saying. But no, Tom Brady is not in Connecticut. Gisele Bundchen is not in Connecticut. Believe me, I would know, and they aren't here. Yeah, and I think we've covered this a little bit earlier on this week. I asked Steve that question. Miguel Benzon was a guest here on Wednesday,

and we talked a little bit about Tom Brady and Miguel and I mostly talked logistics. Thank you so much. Much appreciated. And Steve and I got into a little bit of the back and forth and being much ado about nothing. And look, I'm not disparaging anybody that puts reports out there.

You get information. You find sources, especially in today's immediacy of the way the media works. You want to be the first to get stories out. It does do a disservice, though, to the subject. and I will say that, because what it does is it creates confusion, it creates chaos, and it creates clicks. I know ultimately that's what people are going for, but just a little bit of vetting and a little back and forth would have told us that he doesn't have a home in Connecticut. Obviously, Tom Curran's report is the one I'm referring to. You and I both know Tom. We both trust Tom.

We know that he has a great deal of insight into the Brady camp. I'm not going to go into intricate details, but Tom is pretty reliable when it comes to stuff like that. Folks, take these stories with a grain of salt. From what I've told you here on Locked On Patriots this week, Murph echoed my

sentiments. Take these stories with a grain of salt. Use your eyes. Use your common sense. Realize that it's all part of the game when guys are going to move, when things are going to happen. You just have to play the game the right way and understand where it's coming from. So thank you, my friend.

And I know you'll be the first to let me know if that plate of brownies gets taken, someone comes knocking on your door, and it's Tom Brady wanting you to coach his son or daughter in Little League and have you bring them to prominence the way Butchie is ready to take over Major League Baseball. And, boy, I'll tell you, Major League Baseball, they need the Butchie right now, buddy.

They really, really do. They need the good karma. Exactly. They need the good karma. They need the prolific. They need the new star. And that bat's going to be weighing heavily on his shoulders, but I think he can carry the load. He comes from good stock, buddy.

It is free agent fraud. I'll take your brain a little on Patriots offensive lineman that is pretty prolific, and that is Joe Tooney. I opened the show here today by outlining what it might take to re-sign Joe, and obviously the Patriots are not a big fan of using the franchise tag. When Miguel joined me here on Wednesday, we talked about the franchise tag as a possibility, and he essentially said that he did not believe that there was a chance they would use it on him.

I agree. That would be a $14.9 million cap hit for the franchise tag, which in a lot of ways is not astronomical, but I think it's more than what the Patriots are going to want to use. In your opinion, when you look at Tooney, especially the impact he had this year, not missing a game, second-team all-pro, really was the anchor of that offensive line. For the Patriots, what's the best argument for the Patriots

to give him the big contract that he's looking for, and What's the best argument for the Patriots to give him the big contract that he's looking for? And what's the best argument against it? Well, the best argument to bring him back is simply that the man's a rock. He's out there constantly. You never hear his name. Do you know why you never hear his name? Because he's really good at his job.

Thank you. There is nobody on the planet that I would rather see the Patriots use a franchise tag on, even though I am firmly in with you and Miguel. I would never not be jumping a car with Miguel. They probably won't use the franchise tag. It's been quite a long time since they have done that. The last time they did it was with Gostkowski, and they got ripped for it everywhere. And this year, you realized why that was just stupid to do. But last year, they paid off Shaq Mason to a really good tune, $9 million. Another guy whose name you don't hear that often. And I think it's going to take something north of that. Right now the highest paid guards in the league are making between,

you want to say $11 and that $14 million that Brandon Brooks is making right now. Zach Martin is making $14 million. I think it's going to take a creative contract around $12 million a year to bring him back. Now, how they structure that, I'm really not sure. That's a better, you know, go back and talk to Miguel about that. But I think that's the number that's going to have to happen. Or this young man who has given his all, and i mean that folks his all to this team since he's put on a patriots uniform uh it's going to take to keep him here where he will be

playing somewhere else because there are a lot of people out there with a lot of cap space miami that would really love to have a man of this ilk protecting whoever they have under center next year yeah you mentioned miami i've heard indy's name bandied about as well despite of the fact a man of this ilk, protecting whoever they have under center next year. Yeah, you mentioned Miami. I've heard Indy's name bandied about as well. Despite the fact that their offensive line is one of the best in the NFL, their cap space would allow them to do that and solidify it. I think Miami is probably a more logical fit,

especially with the Brian Flores connection. But again, you reiterated a lot of the same points that I made when I opened the show about Tooney. It's a situation where you're looking at a guy like Shaq Mason, who was extended. They did bring him a pretty good return. But it's going to take more than that. It is going to take a greater effort than that to get him signed. And that's not necessarily because Tooney is going to play hardball with the team. It's just simply because I think teams are going to come in and be able to blow him away with offers that the Patriots simply cannot match or maybe will not match,

considering the other needs that they have. I mean, you look at that. They have 20 free agents in 2020. That's a pretty big, long, extensive list of guys that need to be re-upped. And of course, you're talking two of the biggest fish in the free agent pond right up at the top of the list. Obviously, Tom Brady, everyone knows that. Devin McCourty as well. He is essentially, we've called him several times, the quarterback of that defense, the person that keeps everybody together,

both he and Hightower, are two very big keys, and especially if they look at the discrepancy between the Hightower cap hit, which right now, Dante is on the hook for, I believe, $12.4 million, according to Miguel's numbers. And if he were to be cut or traded or anything, the dead cap hit is significantly less than that. That's a fairly big savings. Another name we talked about was Marcus Cannon, who has a pretty big cap hit, but the dead cap money is not as extensive. He may be one that may be looking to move on as well.

So I think there are a lot of dominoes that would have to fall into place in order for Tooney to be able to make sense for the Patriots and in order for them to be able to give him the type of contract that he's going to command. But ultimately, I think it's going to be a tough fit. Murph, thank you. We always appreciate it. I'm sorry, go ahead.

Steve wrote today. If you guys want to go check out my good friend Steve Balistrieri over at patsfans.com, he wrote an extensive, a fantastic breakdown of the Patriots' free agency and where the needs are. He didn't get into too much who to bring in, but who the free agents were that the Patriots are looking at. And there's some names in there that you're going to be surprised to see that the Patriots may be moving on from. Yeah, absolutely.

No, absolutely. And definitely check out that column. Again, Steve was a guest here on Locked On on Tuesday, and we delved into that just a little bit. But ultimately, I think this is going to be a very good eye-opener for a lot of people. Sorry for the shameless plug there. No, it's not a shameless plug. Steve is part of the Lockdown familia.

You are not plugging anybody that is not already has the gold seal of endorsement from Lockdown Patriots. Between you, Balistrieri, and Glendon, you guys are pretty much family here, and you know that. You always have the designated seats at the table. So no, definitely check that out because Steve is always, always great in everything that he does. One more question on the Foxborough situation,

and then we're going to delve into a little bit of uncharted territory for us, Murph. And that is an NFC and AFC championship weekend that does not include the Patriots. Perish the thought. I still can't believe it, but it is true, folks. It is an NFC and AFC championship weekend that does not include the Patriots. Perish the thought. I still can't believe it, but it is true, folks. It is reality. But staying on the Patriots free agency situation, we've seen a lot go back and forth now about the tight ends and about how that position needs to be upgraded.

It's so difficult to think that the Patriots are going to go into this season riding the back of Matt Lacoste and Ryan Izzo. I think that's obviously not going to happen. It would not shock me to see either one of them maybe come back. I mean, I know Lacoste doesn't have that very high cap hit, so he could end up being retained as a depth piece. But when you look at the tight end position, do you think the Patriots go veteran tight end by the free agency or maybe even the trade route?

Or do they attack the draft this time around? Which we were both a little bit surprised that they didn't draft a tight end last year when there were some prolific tight ends available. Yeah, there were quite a few tight ends available. They were still hopeful that Gronk was going to come back. Gronk kind of played cat and mouse all year and didn't do anything until after. That kind of, you know, eliminated that. And the Pats could not work out a trade for anybody.

That's why we saw Ben Watson come out of retirement. And, you know, we all saw how well that worked out. No, I don't see them going into the season with just this group, just Lacrosse, just Izzo. They're going to have to do something, be it in free agency or in the draft. Actually, I think they're going to end up doing both. Austin Hooper's out there. Hunter Henry is out there as a free agent.

I think that would be a very interesting fit here in New England, depending on how much money he gets thrown at him. Or they could, you know, as I'll go back to Steve this morning, he brought up another attempt at O.J. Howard, to trade for O.J. Howard. That would really be something else. And it just really ticks me off because these are all people that I've told the Patriots to draft in the past, and they just have not done it. But no, something is going to have to happen. We saw this year with the lack of somebody being

able to run down the seams and use the middle of the field in that way, that there's a bowling pin effect, a domino effect, that takes away from the rest of this offense. And we really saw that this year, even though people are still saying that Tom Brady did not have it. The man threw for 4,000 yards, people, with this group of wide receivers, with a banged-up Julian Edelman and an offensive line that was simply held together with duct tape glue and wax from prayer candles that I personally lit at church every week. So, yeah, no, to circle back around, yeah, they're going to have to do something.

I think it is going to be within free agency and the draft to upgrade this, you know, terrible. I'm sorry. They're good people. They're all good people. But it was just a terrible crew of tight ends all year long. And especially, you hit the nail on the head when it came to the production that Gronkowski gives you.

It's an offense that is predicated on tight end productivity. It's not necessarily a situation where you're expecting someone to come in and equal Gronkowski. You're looking for someone that's going to be able to come in and give you the blocking prowess, give you the ability to receive. I know Benjamin Watson definitely did everything he could this year, but that's going to be able to come in and give you the blocking prowess, give you the ability to receive. I know Benjamin Watson definitely did everything he could this year, but that's a lot to put on the shoulders of a guy that really was on his swan song. Absolutely. Ben Watson could have gone to high school with Tom Brady.

That's how old he is. Tom would have been a senior and Ben would have been a freshman, but they were still, you know, that's still the same crew. And it was just too much to ask. I wrote last year that you had to Frankenstein it because there's no way to duplicate Rob Gronkowski without doing that. And they tried, but it just did not work with what they had. That is absolutely true. And there's a name in there that you mentioned that I'm so glad that you did, because I had the opportunity to cover him. And everyone that listens to the show knows I cut my

teeth starting to cover the Los Angeles Chargers out west. And I covered Hunter Henry as a rookie coming in, developing the way he had, and really actually emerging as more of a tight end threat than even Antonio Gates was in his last couple of years. He developed a very good trust of Phillip Rivers. Last year, you didn't get really a chance to see Hunter Henry's prowess up close and personal, especially when the Patriots played him in the divisional round because he was injured. He did play in that game, but he was only a shell of himself. He could be a very good fit.

I can tell you that kid can block. He's got the ability to make receptions. He's tough. He's not Rob Gronkowski, but he's in that mold. And with the right quarterback and the right system in place, he can really be prolific. So keep a sharp eye on that name. I'm glad you mentioned Hunter Henry because I do think he's going to be a

good fit here as well. Speaking of Patriots playoff prowess, Murph, I know it's a tough weekend for you, tough weekend for all of us here in Patriots Nation. We're used to seeing the Pats in this game. It's still a little mind-boggling that we're not seeing them, but you know what? We're not going to dwell on the past. We're going to dwell in the present, and there are Patriots connections here this weekend. For those of us that are looking for a rooting interest, obviously it's going to be a great game between the Tennessee Titans and the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC crown two teams

coming in a lot of stars a lot of productivity Hunter Hunter Derrick Henry is playing extremely well right now having one of the best post seasons that you could possibly find if you look at what the Kansas City Chiefs did last week amazing in terms of being able to come down from a 24-0 deficit. And Mahomes was obviously very prolific in that game. In your monster keys mode, when you look at this game, what is the key to victory for either team? And who do you think is coming out on top when we watch AFC Championship Sunday coming up in just a couple of days? Okay, we'll take care of Logan Ryan and the guys in Tennessee first.

Their key to the game is to continue doing what they're doing. It is ball control. It is getting Henry outside the tackles. Get him to the edges where he can use those long, strong arms of his to just stiff arm his way for six and eight yards a carry and keep the ball away from Kansas City that's their that's their goal that's what they need to do and then this defense needs to keep doing what they've been doing which is taking away once again you know a page right out

of the Patriots is take away um the opposition's best weapon and we all know who that is and that's Patrick Mahomes. So that makes things really, really difficult. But if they can do what the Patriots did last year, not get pushed behind the play and allow him to extend things until the secondary breaks down and make those plays, they're going to have a lot of success. Get into his face, but do not get pushed past the play.

And then on the offensive side of the ball, like I said, get Henry to the edges and run it out. I can't believe this. Ryan Tannehill has less than 200 yards passing in this playoffs, and his team looks like they could actually go to the Super Bowl. That's true. And who would have thought that, that Ryan Tannehill could be starting a Super Bowl in Miami and not wearing a Miami uniform? Or that he could be starting a Super Bowl in general. I don't think people figured it. To be quite honest, I think the league is terrified that that happens.

It's a great story, but I don't think the league wants to see that Super Bowl. I think the league wants a rematch of the first Super Bowl, which was Kansas City and Green Bay way back in the day, you know, for the 100th year anniversary. Now we'll get to our friend Jimmy G. What Jimmy and the Niners need to do is do what they do best. Jimmy is hands down. Folks, he studied under the best quarterback in NFL history for quite a few years. This is a young man that knows how to decipher a defense. This is a man that had run the scout team his entire time here. If you folks are wondering why the Patriots went out

and got another quarterback, a veteran quarterback, during the season, it was to run the scout team because Stidham couldn't do it. All right? But what they're going to need to do is attack the Achilles heel of my favorite person, discount double choke, and that is get their defense, this defense that Green Bay has, get them into man coverage and then exploit it. And Jimmy, nobody's going to be able to do it better than Jimmy.

They did it earlier this year. I think they're going to attack them the exact same way the Packers are very, very predictable on the defensive side of the ball. And when you have a team that has the amount of weapons that the 49ers do, this is what you need to do. Get them into man coverage. Get into 11 and spread this team out. And then let Jimmy pick them apart.

He'll use a lot of motion. They'll use some stacked looks and then motion out of that to make sure and see which defenses they're in. You're going to see a lot of wheel routes run. You're going to see a lot of crossers run. I'm sorry, I cannot see the Packers keeping up with what the Niners are going to be able to do on Sunday. And I agree with you in a lot of respects.

And I know a lot of people are probably shocked out there. But I always agree with you because you always bring the truth. And I agree with that. I think it is going to be very tough for the Packers to be able to keep up with the way Jimmy is able to read a defense. I think that's something that he doesn't get enough credit for in the national spotlight. Here in New England, we know what he can do. We've seen what he can do. We've watched him in practice. We know that he's learned from the best, and he's applying those lessons each and every game that he plays. The thing to me that makes the Niners even more dangerous is their ability, that two-headed monster that they have to be able to run the

football. Even if Jimmy is given problems or he struggles a little bit with some of the looks, they have Tevin Coleman and Matt Breda in the backfield. They can run the ball, and that's one thing that Green Bay has surrendered a lot this year is those big-time run chunk plays. They have to clog the middle if they can't do that, and San Francisco is able to pick up on that. Then they can run the ball effectively, and that can open up things for Jimmy in play action and allow him to get the ball down the field.

So for that reason, I think we're like-minded. Nobody throws the ball downfield more than the Niners do. Absolutely. Nobody gives up more big plays down the field in the league than the Packers do. But no, I love what you added on there. Get the running game going. The Packers are vulnerable to that, and it will just set up play.

It's going to be a bloodbath. It is. The only way I see the Niners losing this game is if they wet themselves, and there's a bunch of turnovers. Other than that, no, I think we're going to see a 49ers and a Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl. Yeah, and that's exactly what I've predicted pretty much all week long here, is that it probably would be Chiefs-Niners in the Super Bowl.

To me, the one key for the Titans, if you're a Tennessee Titans fan and you're looking for that one piece to chomp onto, I look at the status of Chris Jones in this one. Chris Jones is the defensive tackle of the Kansas City Chiefs. If he isn't in any way hampered, and he's been pretty hampered this week by injury, he hasn't practiced, all indications are that he'll go in this game. I don't think they're going to hold him out of it. He didn't play against the Houston Texans, but I do think he'll play in this one.

But if he's hampered at all, and that prevents the Kansas City front seven from being able to stuff the run, which that's Chris Jones' specialty, is being a big-time run stuffer. That opens up things for Derrick Henry. All of a sudden, he can run the ball in the middle if they try to shut the corners off because he's so adept at hitting the corners and getting big yardage out of that. If Henry can really exploit that matchup against the Kansas City front seven, that might be a tougher game in Arrowhead than people are anticipating, but ultimately, I do agree with you. I think Mahomes is playing

at another level right now, especially in a hometown crowd. I think Kansas City comes out, and I think they are able to get by the Tennessee Titans, and I think their Cinderella run, unfortunately for the Tennessee Titans, ends this Sunday, But it's been a great season for them, and it would be an entertaining Super Bowl, seeing Patrick Mahomes going one-on-one with Jimmy GQ, my Paizan, Steve's Paizan, and your Paizan as well. You're an honorary Paizan, my friend. We'll put you right in that group.

And watch Jimmy in the Super Bowl, which should be an amazing thing. And, folks, for the life of me, and I think I speak for Murph on this, don't be afraid to root for Jimmy this weekend. Don't let the hot fakers win this battle. Don't let it be, I don't want Jimmy to get in there because I don't want people to say, oh, see, they should have kept Jimmy and let Tom go. No, don't do that.

Root for the kid. He gave it all. It's all up here. Absolutely. We all wanted Jimmy. We wanted Jimmy to stay. We all did, but we knew it was not going to happen. And please stop, people. There is no comparison between Tom Brady over the past three seasons and Jimmy Garoppolo over the past three seasons. It goes directly to, you know, they should have kept this guy. They should have drafted this quarterback. No.

They just would have sat. they just would have sat. They just would have sat. And you couldn't – there was no way Jimmy was going to take a deal that was going to keep him here and, you know, allow the Patriots to do what they've done over the past three seasons. It's just three straight Super Bowls, two wins. Come on. Come on.

Exactly. That's true. It's just three straight Super Bowls, two wins. Come on. Come on. Exactly. That's true. It really is. That narrative needs to be put to rest. And on that note, my friend, we put a wrap on this week here on Locked On Patriots. And Murph, you always lend your wisdom and counsel like no other. That's why you're here at the familia table for the Locked On Patriots, and you always will be.

I thank you for joining me today. Folks, again, you should already be following this man. If you're not, I don't know why, but please do it. For any of our new listeners out there, definitely, I hope this allowed you the opportunity to follow this man on Twitter. You will not regret it.

At TeamRF207, the columns, the monster keys that he provides, the insight that he provides, entertainment value he provides, second to none. And if not, definitely check out his son, Butchie, who is going to light the Major League Baseball world on fire one of these days soon. And you know it. You heard it here first.

And also, never miss an episode of One Patriot's Place with Murph and Steve Balistrieri. Buddy, what can I say? Thank you so much. Have a great weekend. And I always appreciate you coming on, my good man. by truly humbled thank you always absolutely like I said have a great weekend thank you very much and you know we'll be having you back again soon it's a foregone conclusion and I love every minute of it and it'll be always be a fun time like it always is right and as for me, folks,

I will be back on Monday to bring you the latest news, notes, and analysis from Foxborough. And don't forget, each Monday from now until the draft, it's Mock Draft Monday

here on Locked On Patriots, and I will be working in tandem with the Draft Network to bring you the latest prospects and potential new Patriots that they'll select. As always, please be sure to join me

each and every day here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. Subscribe and download via your preferred podcast provider. Once again, I'm Mike DeBate. I thank Thomas Murphy for his time, insight, and appearance today. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Have a great weekend, everyone, and enjoy the championship games on Sunday.