Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Friday with Fox - Patriots, COVID-19 and Brady Watch - 3/13/2020

Episode Date: March 13, 2020

To reverse the trends of misfortune experienced by all this week, host Mike D’Abate welcomes Tanya Ray Fox of FS1 to discuss the impact of COVID-19 (aka Coronavirus) on the world of sports, particularly the New England Patriots. Finally, the duo offer what might be their final prognostications on the future of Tom Brady in New England.  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. Welcome to your Friday the 13th episode of 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. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And because it's your team every day, that means your questions, your comments, and your feedback, always encouraged and greatly appreciated. Feel free to send me that feedback at any time 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 roaming around out there on that Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. Yes, Patriots fans, I did mention in my intro that it was Friday the 13th. And while some of you listening might be superstitious, don't worry. I'm not going to mention Camp Crystal Lake or Jason or even Mrs. Voorhees. Well, I guess I just did.

But I won't do it again, I promise you. Because folks, I think we've had enough bad luck and bad karma this week to last a lifetime. COVID-19, aka the coronavirus, continues to bring the sports world to a standstill. In fact, just this morning it was announced that two iconic sporting events will be postponed. The Masters annual golf tournament has been postponed by the PGA. Further reports that suspension should last at least a couple of weeks. And of course, one that hits very close to home for all of us here in New England is the Boston Marathon.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced this morning that the Boston Marathon will indeed still take place, but it will take place on Monday, September 14th. And of course, news on any type of public gatherings, sporting events, and even the fate of sports in general continues to break around the clock. After I recorded yesterday's episode of Locked On Patriots, NCAA made official what everyone had expected all along. Both the men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments have been suspended. And shortly thereafter,

the rest of the collegiate athletics for the spring semester were announced as having been canceled. Now, folks, we continue to muddle through a week that has caused shock, surprise, anger, and fear. The truth is that none of us know what to expect from one day to the next. This may turn around quickly,

and we might rebound without much of a hiccup. At the same time, it could get worse, maybe even a lot worse. We just don't know. All we know right now is to take the proper precautions to take care of yourselves, but also take care of each other. For my part, here on Locked On Patriots, I hope that the 30 or so minutes that you invest in listening to the podcast each and every day is able to provide you with some much-needed diversion. And in the absence of live sports, I think we all need that right now. From an NFL standpoint, especially from a Patriots standpoint, folks, you know there's always a lot going on.

Never a shortage of news, never a shortage of notes, never a shortage of the occasional opinion. Each and every one of you that take the time to download and subscribe to Locked On Patriots mean the world to me. If any of you are experiencing health problems right now, I sincerely wish you the very best toward a full and speedy recovery. If you're healthy and taking precautions right now, please continue to do so. I totally get it.

It's not easy being cooped up sometimes, especially when the days are getting a little longer, the air temperature starting to rise a little bit. But ultimately, folks, by staying safe and out of harm's way, we're helping to do our part to make this pandemic a thing of the past as quickly as possible, and keep in mind that in the process, you might just help to be saving a life. But folks, because this is Friday the 13th, and we've already more than established that we needed an infusion of good luck as opposed to bad, I'm no longer going to refer to today's podcast as a Friday the 13th episode. In fact, I'm confident that my guest today will turn the fortunes around.

So from here on in, today's episode is now a Friday with Fox, as in Tanya Rae Fox of FS1 and the Almost Shameless podcast. And Tanya's blend of wit and wisdom is exactly what we need on Locked On Patriots today. She is a dear friend of mine, and I'm honored to welcome her to the hot seat today to discuss the week that was here in the world of professional sports, her opinions on the suspensions and cancellations of many events across the sports landscape. And last but not least, Tanya and I will be talking a little bit about how some of these cancellations and travel restrictions might affect the New England Patriots, especially

when it comes to scouting draft prospects and trying to sign free agents. And don't worry, folks. I will be asking Tanya her opinion on the Tom Brady situation. Because this weekend, we enter the 11th hour. That's right. Starting this Monday, March 16th, the NFL's legal tampering period begins, which means that any team can negotiate with any free agent. Yes, folks, that includes Tom Brady. And during those negotiations, an agreement can be reached to

officially sign a deal when the NFL free agency period begins on Wednesday, which is also the start of the 2020 league year. Now, as of the recording of this podcast, no decision, I repeat, no decision has been made when it comes to Tom Brady's status for 2020 I'm sure there are Twitter rumors going around out there sources telling you that the Patriots are only willing to offer one or two years or a certain amount of money other reports with sources that'll say Tom is fed up and he's ready to leave and without a lot else going on right now folks to take your mind off it might become a bit more fixated on Brady Watch 2020. To help save the wear and tear on your nerves, which I'm sure are probably already stretched to the limit as it is, do not panic, do not celebrate until you see official word come

from Tom Brady himself or the New England Patriots organization themselves. Because anything else is speculation. If word should break over the weekend, I will definitely be sure to share my thoughts and analysis with all of you. However, if Sunday night should lead into Monday morning and there's still no word on a contract agreement between Tom and the Patriots, keep in mind that does not definitively mean he's leaving, folks. Tom is still very much able to sign with the Patriots, it just means that they have more competition. And perhaps, maybe that was the strategy all along. One thing is certain, within the next few days, we will find out.

Until then, try to keep a level head and rest easy, while I keep a sharp eye. And before I welcome my good friend Tanya Rae Fox in to talk some Patriots football today, there are a couple of news and notes from Patriots Nation that I wanted to share with you. One of which broke shortly after Tanya and I spoke this morning for the purposes of today's show. And that involves your New England Patriots starting to take precautions in response to COVID-19. Now, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, the team has told members of its coaching staff and scouting department not to fly and also encouraged them to work from home, quote,

for the time being. Now, as of this morning when Tanya and I spoke, the Patriots had yet to officially announce this move, but I commend them for doing so, even when the NFL has yet to issue any uniform measures. And I should note that Breer stands by this report, however, New England has yet to issue an official statement on the matter or take any additional steps. But taking Breer's report at face value, I completely agree with what the Patriots have done here. Acting swiftly and cautiously is the correct response in this situation, folks.

Considering how fast the coronavirus is spreading and how personal interaction is enough to carry it from one place to another and allow it to spread between people, to me, this was a move that had to be made and I think really should be made across the NFL landscape. Now, again, as of the recording of this podcast, the NFL had yet to issue any league-wide mandates. As I said yesterday here on Locked On Patriots, the NFL currently has no plans to delay the start of the 2020 league year, which is set for this coming Wednesday, March 18th. That means, for the most part, it's going to be business as usual. Now, according to the NFL Network, they did make one move.

The league has canceled its annual meetings scheduled for March 29th to April 1st. Any votes that were scheduled to take place at those meetings will now be held at the spring meetings, and those right now are scheduled from May 19th through the 20th. Lastly, for those of you that are concerned about the NFL draft, again, as of Friday, it was unclear whether the draft, which is currently scheduled between April 23rd and 25th in Las Vegas, would be postponed, held without fans in attendance, or maybe not even held at all, or even rumblings that the draft may be held virtually. But at this point, the NFL has yet to issue any official statement. All we know is that they're expected to do so soon.

And while they continue to make contingency plans, the rest of the teams around the league continue with their draft preparation process. So what does all this mean for your New England Patriots, folks? Well, to help shed some light on that situation, I'll be welcoming in my good friend Tanya Rae Fox in just a moment, and we'll be talking about COVID-19, its impact on the sports world, its impact on your New England Patriots, and last but certainly not least, folks,

our what could be final speculative thoughts on the future of Tom Brady in New England. Patriots fans, to say it has been a hell of a week is a massive understatement. But to close out the week here on Locked on Patriots, we needed a guest that is the best at providing spot-on insight with razor-sharp wit. And folks, I am happy to say that I am joined today by that guest. You know her great work from platforms such as USA Today, NFL Network, NBC Sports Boston, just to name a few. She's currently doing amazing work for FS1.

And her podcast, The Almost Shameless Podcast, is a phenomenal listen. I wholeheartedly recommend in advance without any hesitation. And maybe, just maybe, we will get that Twitter verification for her sooner rather than later. The incomparable Tanya Rae Fox is back here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. Thank you so much for joining me today, my friend. It's so great to be doing this again, a week later than we wanted, but we got it done. And it's like I always say, it sounds like I'm making this up, but I'm not.

I genuinely like starting my Friday mornings like this. It really is wonderful. I'm sitting here with my English breakfast tea because I'm taking care of my immune system. So we're doing tea instead of coffee. And I'm going to talk sports with Mike. There's no better way to start my weekend. Well, I'm honored and humbled by that, first of all. Thank you. And I agree going to talk sports with Mike. There's no better way to start my weekend. Well, I'm honored and humbled by that, first of all. Thank you.

And I agree with you. Maybe it was a week beyond what we originally wanted. But you know what? They say good things come to those who wait. And I think your appearance today was needed today maybe a little bit more than it was last week. And I'm sure we'll get into that. But thank you so much for the kind words. And I feel the same way.

It's great to be kicking off a Friday and a weekend episode here of Locked On Patriots by talking sports with you, my friend. And I do appreciate it. So obviously the white elephant in the room. And, you know, Tanya, I didn't think there was a story out there that could make me wish for more Tom Brady speculation. But this has been a week like I've never seen in my lifetime. And I don't want to speak for you, but I'm assuming it's probably similar to my experience. Ultimately, the health and well-being of people all over the world, that's the most important thing that we've learned this week.

But we both make our living in the realm of sports media, and both professional and collegiate sports are currently at a standstill. As you reflect over the last week, do you believe that the decision makers, meaning the league commissioners in conjunction with lawmakers and healthcare consultants too, have they done an adequate job in trying to keep everyone as safe as possible by at least postponing these events? Yeah, I mean, I think that the leagues themselves were put in a really tough position because, you know, from what I can tell, the leadership above them in terms of like the CDC and the government were having a really hard time catching up to what was going on. And so the leagues themselves were almost like they had to make a really difficult decision because the leadership wasn't there for them to follow a specific guideline. There wasn't anything.

It was like they had to make their own, you know, individual assessment and go from there. So it really, you know, you have to give a lot of credit to Adam Silver because he was the leader in this. And they kind of did have, I understand what happened. You don't want to wait until someone gets it, but there has to be a patient zero in order for us to rationalize this in our own minds. you know, as swift as he went from Rudy Gobert test positive to like the NBA season is canceled so quickly. And I, and I know that we all had a little bit of whiplash dealing with that, but at the end of the day, it really gave everyone else in sports permission to take this as seriously as the rest of the world has been taking it. And that was incredibly important because you start seeing like, all right, now there's like a coach who might have it. And like, you're, you're hearing these like little individual cases and like,

you're realizing that if one person in the locker room has it, that's like locker rooms. I mean, my God, like if there's any breeding ground for, you know, the spread of disease, a locker room is it, it's like a classroom. There's specific places where you're almost like, it's almost impossible to not spread it. So I just, I'm impressed with their, um, with the foresight because it's not just Adam Silver didn't set the precedent just for sports i mean disneyland and disney world are closing down parks now like this is he we didn't really fully grasp the the the the nature of this until the nba suspended their season and Tom Hanks got sick. Absolutely.

And then all of a sudden we're like, holy crap. So I personally feel almost proud to be a part of sports media right now because I actually do think sports, because of the nature of sports and the crowds and everything else like that, and because it is such a communal experience, they have led the way in reacting to this in America. And to me, um, as obviously it's a devastating situation and, and there is like a lot to be, um, serious about and scared of, but in the, in, in the best way I can, I'm proud of the sports community for leading the way. I think that's very well said and very eloquent. In terms of your affection and your admiration of Adam Silver, I could not agree with you more. I think that the leadership that he showed right off the bat definitely was something that the country needed.

I think the sports world needed. Prior to that, it had been, well, okay well okay well now our locker room access is going to be limited meaning the media and we won't be able to bring you the same type of reaction from game to game that we normally could being in there i think there was a lot of that going back and forth and there seemed to be a little bit i don't want to say sarcasm but there seemed to be a little bit of malaise i think on the part of a lot within our industry and fans in general, thinking that maybe this was going a little bit too far and that maybe people were overreacting. The X factor here was when a player tests positive, and you mentioned that. It absolutely changes the complexity of all the decisions that had to be made from that point on.

Then you're looking at players being infected, games being affected, long-term seasons being affected. So taking those precautions early definitely helps when it comes to being able to contain the spread. So I agree with you. I really do believe that the commissioners in all of the leagues right now, I think, are doing all they can. We're seeing seasons suspended. We're seeing,

you know, different types of communal gatherings that are taking place that are going to take place at a later date. I know you have a lot of connections up here to the Boston area. I'm not sure if you saw, but Marty Walsh announced earlier that the Boston Marathon is indeed suspended until September 14th. It's going to take place in the fall this year for the first time in its history. So I think that's going to be, you know, an interesting development. And we'll see if some of the other major events follow suit. I know the Masters is going to be delayed. That was a pretty, you know, interesting news story that sent shockwaves through a lot of

people this morning. So the one league right now that hasn't seemed to alter a whole lot, Tanya, is the NFL. And of course, I don't mean to be insensitive, but this is Locked On Patriots. And I know you're passionate about Patriots football, as we all are in Patriots Nation. So from the league statement yesterday, meaning the NFL, the start of the 2020 season is not going to be postponed. Wednesday, this coming Wednesday, March 18th, the NFL regular season, excuse me, is going to kick off and we're on to 2020. Now, some will argue that this is a non-issue, that discussions can be done over the phone, by video conference, so a delay wasn't really needed. However, I think this

might have an effect on the Patriots maybe a little bit more than other teams, because Bill Belichick and the Pats Brass like to take a little bit more of an old-school approach, especially when it comes to draft prospects and scouting, face-to-face meetings with potential free agents, and several teams are recalling agents and scouts even as we speak. Now, the Patriots haven't done so yet, at least not as of the recording of this podcast, but it could be trending in that direction. If this becomes necessary, could this hurt New England a little bit more than we think right now, or am I buying into the hype a little bit too much, and will the Pats just adapt and be fine?

Well, I think to some degree, i understand what you're saying in terms of bill's style of of scouting and and running an off season however whenever there is a situation that's that disadvantages the entire league in the way that this could and will. That's always, it always ends up being a positive for Bill Belichick, and here's why. So regardless of the fact that he normally runs, he definitely scouts and runs his things in an old school way. And it works. We know that.

There's no question about that right now. But he is the master of adapting to whatever is thrown his way. Whether it's rule changes, whether it's sanctions, whether it's losing draft picks. the Patriots deal with probably more adversity in terms of the league throwing wrenches in their way than most teams in the league over the last you know 15 years right ever since ever since Spygates it's nothing really ever deters them and that's that the master of Bill Belichick has always been adaptability, always, in any situation. We look at him as being a very rigid team leader, but in reality, that's actually not what he does. What he does is he establishes a culture, and then that is the format that everything works within, right? So when something like this pops up, which nobody has ever dealt with before, so everybody's working from the same template, which is basically a blank slate.

Nobody knows what it's like to try to scout and do all this stuff amid a pandemic, which is why we're all hiding in our houses and trying to figure stuff out ourselves. So we're all working from the same starting point. This is a coach who has proven that he can basically adapt to anything that the league has thrown him before, whether, you know, whether it's, I guess, I'm, I guess my point is, I don't want to get too, like, I know I'm kind of ranting or whatever, but whether it's, you know, the draft or off season or preseason or regular season or in-game adjustments or all of it, we know that he's done it before. So I have no question that this is actually an advantage to the Patriots rather than a disadvantage. Well, first of all, two things. First, that wasn't a rant. I thought that was a very clear explanation and a very good explanation. And second of all, folks,

if any of you wonder why I hold Tanya in such high regard and why I love having her on this podcast, it's for answers like she just gave. That's exactly what I think Patriots Nation needed to hear, because I'm hearing a lot this week that, oh, if the Patriots can't meet with this free agent or if they can't meet with that one, this may mean that they get shut out. They're slow on the draw when it comes to free agency as it is. I think it's important to remember that there really has not been an organization in all

of professional sports, Tanya, within the last 20 years or so that's adapted to change and adversity better than the New England Patriots. Every time the rules tend to change to maybe look like it's going to provide a disadvantage to the Patriots, they end up coming back and they actually end up mastering them before anyone else could even get off the ground. So I agree with you. I think you kind of helped to quell maybe even some of my squeamishness in asking that question and being able to just remind us of who really is in charge in New England and what those powers that be have been able to do over the past 20 years, meaning Robert Kraft, obviously, at the helm, Bill Belichick as head coach,

and also the staff and the organization around him, scouts, whether it be an Ernie Adams or anyone else. These guys know how to adapt to a tough situation. So I think in a lot of ways, I think the Patriots will be just fine. And I think I just needed to be reminded of that. So I thank you for that. And I think my listeners will thank you for that as well as they're listening to it. Lastly, my friend, you know as well as I that once everyone in New England stops trying to find the last bit of toilet tissue and hand sanitizer in the region, they're going to have their eyes squarely focused on Tom Brady.

And it's been the biggest story since the season ended it'll continue to be until we hear definitive um word that Tom is either staying or leaving and as of the recording of this podcast again folks nothing has broken uh we still don't know and uh you know Tanya this story has had more ups and downs than any one of my lame cliches would properly do it justice. So I'm not even going to name one right now. But it's just to say that the last time that we spoke, we agreed that the percentages of Tom returning to Foxborough were pretty high and by a big margin. But because of the ups and downs and because of all of the

information that's come out in the last few weeks. My question to you, as we approach the legal tampering period, have your feelings changed on Tom's potential return to New England? And why have they changed or why haven't they changed? Yeah, they've changed a little bit. I would say, unfortunately, we still, we actually don't know that much more now than we knew last time. We just know that Tom hasn't made a decision, right? So the longer this goes on, the more likely it feels like he's looking to potentially play elsewhere,

or at least examining his options really seriously. So I guess to that degree, I definitely am a little less confident that he is intent on returning to New England. There's obviously roadblocks. I still, for the reason I'm still confident that there's a higher likelihood he returns than he leaves is because there is only one team outside of New England that has expressed legitimate, we want Tom Brady, we are going to try to get him on our team, we are going to negotiate with him interest. And that's the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And that, you know, as much as we've heard rumors about the Chargers and the Raiders and these other teams,

they are the only team who said like, we're interested when we can, we will go in. And that is like, you know, listen, I understand that there's tampering and all this stuff. You have to be careful about what you say, but like you and I both know, there's a way to make it clear that you want to go after Tom Brady when the time comes and that other teams haven't done that. And we know that the Patriots are in a situation where it would benefit them to bring him back. We know that Kraft and belichick are like from the reporting from our friend tom curran and other people in boston that we trust we know that that is that they are negotiating

with him so my you know i'm at the point now where i do think that like the way that things are going right now with sports and the standstill that we're at across the board and however the coronavirus ends up affecting the scouting and everything else like that it is really created such an it's it's it's created such a uncomfortable sort of like stall it we're all stalled out and there's no way that that's not going to affect you know the mindsets of some of the players in the NFL even if they aren't being affected but you know their season and their preseason all that stuff isn't being affected you know we're looking down the barrel of this affecting the draft and everything else like we don't we we we're in the early stages of this,

of all these leagues being suspended, and we don't really know how the next couple of weeks is going to play out. I think that for a lot of people, the status quo is actually becoming, it's almost like when you see the grass is greener and then you um it's almost like it's almost like the the when you see the grass is greener and then you realize it's not you know like there's a lot of people who are like damn i was really hating on the nba regular season and now all i want is to watch like uh you know a

grizzlies game like it's true things into perspective. And Brady is, we know this, he is somebody who gets really passionate. He gets really hot. We know that behind the scenes, he has been like expressing his, his discomfort with the situation. And sometimes you need the energy of the world to settle you in, calm you down so that you can reassess and you can really look at the broad picture and, and reassess your priorities. And Brady is old for the last couple of years. This has been his MO. He gets really kind of punchy in the off season. starts talking he's doing tom versus time he's talking to jim gray he's running his mouth and and then everything settles back in and belichick has stayed the course he is who he is we know how he's going to operate he is regardless of what tom brady or anyone thinks, the most steady, most reliable presence at Gillette.

Because there's nothing that he's going to throw at you that you can't expect. He will operate the way he's always operated. And the devil you know is incredibly attractive in a situation like this. Not only just coronavirus, but just NFL in general, like it really is starting to, I would be shocked if he's not thinking to himself right now, like I've got to, I've got to just calm down. And I don't want to project my feelings onto a person that I don't have a personal relationship with and Tom Brady, but like, we're all doing that and he's a human. And I just, that's the only reason that I'm thinking that right now it's still the Patriots over anybody else.

Okay. I lied earlier, folks. I thought I was impressed with Tanya's last answer to the question that had so many great points that if I expounded upon all of them, you'd be listening to me for another 20 to 25 minutes. So I'm just going to let you absorb it. And I'm going to let you digest what she said, other than to say that I think you were spot on. I still believe that at the end of the day, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady realize they're better together than they are apart. And I think you're starting to see that. I think you will see that. And I think ultimately that's how all of this plays out. There is a chance, folks. Neither one of us are denying that, that there is a chance that he walks away because cooler heads may not end up prevailing. But in a situation like this,

you mentioned the devil you know as opposed to the devil that you don't. And I guess a better way to put that in terms of free agency perspective is he knows what he has, meaning Tom knows the situation that he has in New England. It's always a gamble to know where you're going, another franchise or another team. There is the appeal of a new challenge and a lot of people are bringing that up. And I see a lot more of that the next, the last couple of days about people saying, well, Brady may be intrigued by the next challenge. I think what motivates Tom Brady more than anything else is the ability to win. And I think he wants to be in a spot that maximizes that potential. I still don't see another fit that gives him the best opportunity to do that

other than here in New England. But we live in hope. I will say this, my friend, with the standstill that sports has right now, the amount of Brady opinion pieces that will be published when Tom finally makes that decision may finally break social media. If it does, you may have heard it here first on the Lockdown Patriots, that that may be the event that finally breaks it. It might not be the coronavirus. It might be, you know, the amount of, you know, pieces that are published about Tom Brady at that point. But again, thank you for that answer. I happen to agree with you.

And I would love to have you back on here once all of the dust settles to find out how right you were, how right we were all along, or how wrong we were all along, and then move forward from there. Because regardless of what, the sun will come up the following day in Patriots Nation a 2020 season has to be played and they're going to have to go out there and do that no matter who is taking snaps under center Tanya what can I say I can't thank you enough for joining me today maybe the silver lining in all of this social distancing that's going on right now is that we'll finally have more time and resources to get that hashtag viral folks hashtag verified trf i can't think of anyone that deserves it more it's the

right thing it's the just thing it needs to happen um what can i say thank you so much for joining me today my listeners already know where to find you i'm sure but just in case we have some newbies please let everyone know where they can follow you on social media and always find your great work. Yes. At Tanya Ray Fox on Twitter and Instagram. And then Almost Shameless Pod. So my Almost Shameless Twitter is at Shameless TRF. And that is also at Shameless TRF and that is also, uh, at shameless TRF on Instagram. I did not do a podcast this week

because I've been battling a sinus infection. So, uh, there, but there are five episodes up, so go listen to those and catch up on everything. A lot of it has been off season. So it's like all still very, uh, it's also very, you know, saws legs, still listenable, go catch up. And then in the meantime, I'll just be on Twitter, you know, like we have a lot of time on our hands now. We're all quarantined. So just, you know, interact with me on Twitter and let's start some, I don't know, Hall of Fame arguments or something. Hall of Fame arguments might be a welcome addition to Patriots Twitter and all over, you know, Twitter right now. Tanya, again, thank you so much for joining me today.

Take care of that sinus infection. Please stay healthy and safe, my friend, to you and all of your family. And we look forward to having you back on Locked on Patriots here. You're definitely a part of the fixture and family of this podcast. And I can't thank you enough for your support. Have a great weekend, my friend. Thank you. Thank you, Mike. You. Have a great weekend, my friend. Thank you. Thank you, Mike.

You too. Stay safe and happy and healthy. Thank you. And so, folks, that puts a wrap on the week that was here in Patriots Nation. It has been a rough week to say the least. And as we all band together to try to get through what is still a very difficult time, not only in our country, but also all over the world, I'm honored and humbled that you've chosen to spend at least part of your week with me and chosen the Locked On Patriots podcast as part of your weekly Patriots coverage.

I'd like to thank my guests this week, Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com, Zach Blackerby of the Locked On Auburn podcast, and of course, today's guest, Tanya Rae Fox of FS1 and the Almost Shameless podcast. Each of them were kind enough to take time out of their busy schedules to join me here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. And I appreciate their time, their insight, and their appearances very much. As for me, I will be back on Monday to bring you the latest news notes and analysis from Foxborough. And fear not, folks. No pandemic is strong enough to stop our Mocks of March exercise that will be continuing throughout the month.

Keep a sharp eye on both my Twitter account and the Locked On Patriots Twitter account for this weekend's exercise. And again, your submissions will be part of Mock Draft Monday's interactive segment. 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 am Mike DeBate. I thank Tanya Rae Fox for her appearance today. And most importantly, I humbly thank all of you for listening

and for staying locked into Locked On Patriots. And if you've enjoyed today's podcast, now tell your smart device to play the most recent episode of the Locked On NFL podcast. Stay healthy, stay safe, and have a great weekend, everyone.