Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - From Day One: New England Patriots 2021 Training Camp Opening Day Recap — 7/28/2021

Episode Date: July 28, 2021

New England Patriots’ quarterbacks and heads-up defense highlight the action on the first day of 2021 training camp for the team in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com. The duo discuss the action from opening day of Pats training camp, and potential story lines in the coming days and weeks.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus.Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful. You are now locked into the Lockdown Patriots podcast. It is Wednesday, July 28th, 2021, a day you've all been waiting for because it is day one of Patriots training camp in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and we have the very latest here for you on today's episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast. And after listening to today's episode of Locked On Patriots, it is NBA draft season

and NBA draft GOAT Chad Ford, Locked On NBA draft host Raphael Barlow, and the host of Locked On Celtics covering your Boston Celtics for Boston Sports Journal, John Corrales, will be live this year covering the NBA Draft. It's Locked On NBA Draft 2021 brought to you by Bilt Bar. Get local expert analysis on each pick. Follow Locked On NBA on YouTube today and watch our live coverage on July 29th at 7 p.m. Eastern. That's 7 p.m. Eastern tomorrow night, Locked On NBA. Greetings and salutations, Patriots Nation.

Happy Hump Day. It's the most wonderful time of the year, and it also took every ounce of my self-control not to sing that, but I value you too much as listeners to turn you off right from the get-go. Welcome to this Wednesday episode of the Locked On Patriots Podcast. My name is Mike DeBate, and I cover your New England Patriots for Patriot Maven of Sports Illustrated. I am also 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 folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, comments, and feedback are always welcomed and very much encouraged. So share that feedback. Send it to the internet by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATENFL. And while you're out there doing some Wednesday wandering through that Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. And as you can tell, Pats fans, excitement is in the air. The Patriots open 2021 training

camp on the practice fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts. Fans are back in attendance, and all of us here in Patriots fandom are excited to watch this 2021 iteration of your New England Patriots. Now, there are a lot of camp battles that are brewing, a potential battle at quarterback. Cam Newton, Mac Jones each made their case on day one, but there is a lot more to go. The Pats' newest wide receivers, Nelson Aguilar and Kendrick Bourne, also got a chance to showcase their talents a little bit today, as did often maligned receiver Nikhil Harry. That's right, folks. As much as it may upset a lot of you,

Nikhil actually looked pretty good out there today. As for the new tight endage on the roster, sorry, Claire, tight ends didn't look so great in day one, but that's only the first day. A lot of that should be attributed to the stout play of my main man, Adrian Phillips. Safety extraordinaire, defender extraordinaire, and someone who I believe will have a major impact on the New England Patriots defense in 2021. A lot of other players looking good out there, like Raekwon McMillan making plays, J.C. Jackson in the tight coverage, Sonny Michel actually looked pretty good in the early rounds. Patriots have a lot of

promise. But again, it's the first day, so it's very difficult, folks, to get too far ahead. We need a little reasonable wisdom and counsel today here on the pod. And luckily for us, my guest today is our resident voice of reason. That's right. Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com joins me on the pod, and we will be breaking down day one's action from Foxborough. We'll also be talking about some potential storylines that might catch your sharp eye including a potential battle at the kicker position. Steve and I alluded to this last week when we talked about the special teams and we might go back into that subject today. A lot to talk about, a lot to be excited about. Football is back in Foxborough, and something just feels right in the world about saying

that. So without much further ado, my good friend, my Patriots Paisan, Steve Balistrieri, will join me on the hot seat when this Wednesday, day one training camp episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Locked On listeners, Built Bar, the most delicious, healthy protein bar you've ever tried, has so many delicious flavors. There's something for everyone. And when you talk to a Built Bar fan, and I have, folks, believe me when I tell you,

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mint brownie, double chocolate, cookies and cream, and so much more. When you want a treat that's not only pleasing to your palate, but also great for your health, don't delay, do it today. Make Bilt Bar your go-to protein bar right now. Visit Bilt.com and use promo code LOCKED15 to get 15% off your next order. That's promo code LOCKED15 for 15% off at Bilt.com. Patriots fans, it is Wednesday, July 28th, meaning that first camp practice for the New England Patriots is now in the books as we speak. Training camps open, the 2021 season is nearly upon us, and it is time for a visit from our resident voice of reason

to lend his wisdom and counsel here on Locked On Patriots when it comes to Pat's training camp. One of the best, most knowledgeable columnists that you'll find in Patriots media. You already know his great work from patsfans.com as well as being the co-host of two amazing podcasts, Patriots 4th and 2, and one Patriots place. He is my Patriots Paisan, and despite what he'll tell you, worthy of all the praise he gets and then some each and every week. Steve Balistrieri joins me today. Steve, welcome back to Locked On Patriots, my friend.

Oh, always a pleasure to talk football with you. And it's time back for football season, isn't it? They're back on the field. So we are. The boys are back in town. Everyone's excited. They are. Everyone is excited.

Fans back at Gillette looked like a little bit more of a normal circumstance. Of course, folks, be remiss if we didn't mention that. It's the first time fans are in the stands to watch training camp since Tom Brady's departure. So a little bit of a break from the norm there. But Mac Jones got a few loud ovations at camp. Cam Newton got his share of cheers as well uh Patriots fans were just glad to see their favorite team in Foxborough back on the football field even if it is the practice fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium even if the pads are not on

and it's more of an extension of mini camp uh there's still a lot of anticipation a lot of excitement and there's always lots to talk about in Foxborough. First off, it was good news, definitely, to see both Trent Brown and Kyle Van Noy back on the field. Van Noy wearing a red no-contact jersey. But the fact that he's out there shows that both of these guys are free of the pup list. And they're out there participating. So good news for the patriots on that end steve highlights from day one of training camp are very few and far between i always liken it as like the first day of school you know you find out what's going on you find out a little bit

about your teachers your friends where they're headed but there's not a whole lot to tell about what you're going to see in the season really until the pads come on. And Bill Belichick said yesterday when he addressed the media that it may be at least a week before we see the pads come on for practices at Gillette. But that being said, we're going to break it down because that's simply what we do. Tale of two quarterbacks, I guess we'll begin with, because it seems to be the story of the day. And, of course, Jarrett Stid because it seems to be the story of the day. And of course, Jarrett Stidham right now, not on the practice fields. He's on the pup list, so he's not out

there taking any snaps. But the Patriots, two top quarterback options, and sorry for all the Stidham fans out there, but the Patriots, two top quarterbacks right now on the depth chart are Cam Newton and Mac Jones. By all accounts, Cam looked to be somewhat comfortable, did throw a couple of interceptions. One of them that was noted, Adrian Phillips, was able to pick off a pretty poorly thrown ball by Cam. Cam looked upset with himself after he did that, spiked the ball into the ground, was not happy about it.

Also, the first interception of training, Cam, came on behalf of Raekwon McMillan, someone whose praises you've sang here on Locked On Patriots, picking off a Cam Newton pass as well. But there were times where he looked sharp, scrambled for a touchdown, posed in front of the bleachers, which I guess got a nice ovation from those in attendance and the fans. So a lot to digest when it comes to Cam. Mac, on the other hand, took the first

lap of training camp. I guess this was a little bit of a snafu on one of the handoffs in the red zone area. Poor exchange in the goal line work is how my good friend Ryan Spagnoli of Pat's Pulpit put it. And the crowd gave him a pretty good welcome as he jogged past the hill in the stands, took his first lap. But there were times where Mack looked pretty sharp as well. Apparently he hooked up twice with Nelson Aguilar, and that seems to be a budding relationship there. Steve, a lot to digest there, but when you look at the quarterback battle and you look at day one of practice being in the books. Do you think that this is indicative of what we might see moving forward, or is it still way too early to develop an opinion on either one of these guys?

I think it's still a little early. I mean, once the pads come on, things will pick up in intensity a little bit. I know that, you know, everyone's excited because it's the first day of camp and the fans are out there. Now there's a little bit of noise on the practice field, you know, everyone's excited because it's the first day of camp and the fans are out there. Now there's a little bit of noise on the practice field, you know, for the first time, like you said, since Tom Brady was the quarterback back in the 2019 training camp. So, you know, I think everyone's kind of leaning forward in the foxhole, as we used to say a little bit in the military. But, you know, I used to say a little bit in the military but you know i i think

it's a little early it's nice to see the players out there and uh like you said i think one of the things that uh you can take away is you know mac jones and algalore are trying to you know build a little chemistry there and that's something you can definitely keep your eye on. Absolutely. And when you start to see these types of chemistry relationships beginning in training camp, it's always a good sign, and especially between a quarterback and a receiver. The Patriots have had difficulty with receivers in the past. They've had difficulty finding receivers that get quote-unquote separation.

Aguilar looked to be the best at being able to do that in today's practice and Wednesday's practice, so we'll see if that continues. Those types of vertical routes that he was able to run in Las Vegas is something that I think the Patriots will continue to utilize him in, and they'd be smart to do so. And from what we saw in the field today, it looks like Nelson Aguilar is definitely well equipped to be able to do it. But I like what you said about being temperate in your evaluation of the Patriots so far, folks. Still very, very early. But again, exciting.

I think the takeaways for me is that Cam's arm looks stronger than it did in 2020. Maybe that's better conditioning. Maybe it's simply just more practice time. Maybe Cam is putting in a little bit more work this offseason than he did last year because of the time that he has to do it. But either way, his arm being stronger is definitely a good sign. With Mac, it looks like the quick reads and his ability to be able to read them really stands out among the rest. And that quick release that he has is going to really endear him, especially to Josh McDaniels,

for all those years that Tom Brady was here in New England, one of the quickest releases in NFL history. And now if Matt can show signs of being able to do that, it spells well for him in his future endeavors. Steve, one of the observations that was talked about at training camp on Wednesday is that Sonny Michel came in running with a purpose, and I'll clarify what I mean by that. He looked a little quicker. He looked healthier to start camp this year. It's the first time in his four years since he's been in New England that he hasn't started a camp on the pup list. I'll be very honest with you. When that pup list came out last week, I expected to see Sonny's name because you just get conditioned

into it. But Sonny looks like he's running with a little more purpose this year. He's taking a good amount of reps alongside Damian Harris. James White was out there as well. Of course, the rookie, Ramondre Stevenson on NFI. He's yet to take the field but in this circumstance sony's almost really i think embracing that i have something to prove mentality heading into camp this year does this bode well for sony in terms of sticking around in new england uh does it possibly increase his trade value out there on

the market or are the patriots looking at sony mich Michel right now with a day-to-day type of lens and saying, okay, you did it once, now let's see you do it again? How much of the stock in Sony would you place if you're the New England Patriots? Well, I think you hit the nail right on the head with number three. You know, the Patriots are, you know, used to seeing Sony. You know, one day he's looking really good, and then he's dinged up, and the next day he might be dinged up and then finishes the session, you know, looking strong.

Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head with that. Hey, this is a great start. Let's see you do it tomorrow. Let's see you do it next week. Let's see you do it all through training camp without missing any time. Yeah, absolutely. And you know what? It's unfortunate because I've always been such a fan of the way Sony plays, that downhill style of running that I loved watching him and scouting him when he was with University of Georgia, his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.

He just seemed like that prototypical running back that Bill Belichick loves to employ. And for whatever reason, mostly I think because of health, it just hasn't worked out the way a lot of fans and maybe even the Patriots and of course Sony himself have hoped for. But there's always that budding talent that just seems to be lurking below the surface with Sony Michel. I think he has a shot to bring it all out this year i wrote a couple of weeks ago for sports illustrated that the patriots would be very smart to consider keeping him on staff all season long that the return they'd get for him out on the open market is probably not going to equal the value of

what he can provide to the team this year dam Damian Harris is definitely the feature back. I don't think Sony's challenging him for that role any longer, but Damian has had his issues with injury as well. And really last year was his first foray into being a feature back in the NFL. That takes a lot. It takes a lot to stay healthy and it takes a lot to remain at that level. So if he stutter steps in any one of those circumstances, Sony is definitely capable of coming in and carrying the load. And we see from a team like the LA Rams, who just lost Cam Akers for the entire season, it's always good to have a plan B. And Sony Michel was a pretty good plan B in my opinion. But again, you did it once. Now let's see you do it again. I got the echo of Ric Flair saying that in my head as i see it

as i say it um but it is it's true i mean let's see if he can be consistent and if he can be consistent then i think even if this is his final go-round in new england i think they can get one solid productive year out of sony and maybe it's worth whatever type of uh you know return that they could possibly get for him on the open market. Sometimes knowing what you have is a little more important than what you're going to get and the uncertain. Steve, again, that's why your wisdom, your reason, it always brings us back to a level headed place here on Locked On Patriots.

And even though all of the hype and all of the excitement is surrounding day one of Patriots practice, we're going to bring it back to that level-headed place in just a moment, folks, because it's time to talk about potential camp battles or intriguing storylines. My good friend, the resident voice of reason here on Locked On Patriots, Steve Balistrieri, will discuss his thoughts on the outlook for training camp when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Locked On listeners, get all the latest news, odds, and info for all of your sporting needs, including Major League Baseball, the NBA, NHL, all of your UFC, MMA action, and of course

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bonus on your first deposit when you use the promo code LOCKEDON. Don't sit on the sidelines anymore. This is your chance to get into the action. Head over to their website or use your mobile device to sign up today and receive your 50% welcome bonus on your first deposit when you use the promo code locked on bet online your online sportsbook experts Patriots fan Steve Balistrieri joins me here today on day one of Patriots training camp 2021 and Steve we've broke down a lot of the positional depth charts here on New England's roster whether it be the linebackers, the defensive line.

We've had Murph in for a lot of these as well, talking safeties, corners, all different kinds of positional breakdowns. We've even talked special teams. But one thing that always stands out is positional battles, battles within certain positional depth charts that really, I think, accentuate what we see in training camp. Can this guy unseat this one? Going back and forth and really kind of hitting it head on and seeing exactly what is indeed the case.

With the Patriots, there are several of these, and some of them can even turn into some pretty intriguing storylines. Steve, no real rhyme or reason. Heading into training camp, now that day one is in the books, have any of these standout stories from the first day intrigued you? And you look at it as saying, yeah, this is going to be the storyline that I really want to keep my eye on, say, for the quarterback, because we know that's going to be the huge talk of the town. That's a given. Or is there a positional battle that really has yet to kick off and you think that it's just lurking below the surface, this is ready to come to the forefront? Well, you know, the talk of quarterbacks will be, I think, constant throughout training camp until probably the third preseason game. And then, you know, things will start falling into place and we'll see who's really

going to be the guy there. And I think that's going to dominate sports talk radio in Boston. But there's a couple of battles that I'm really looking forward to. And one of them, you mentioned right at the outset, Raekan McMillan intercepted Cam Newton. You know, he's a guy that I think could have a rebirth of his career here in New England. And then when I'm looking at it, you know, with Juwan Bentley, a guy I've always been high on, but he's in the last year of his contract. Could we see a change in him to guard there?

I mean, Bentley is a downhill player, but he's limited in coverage, and you have a guy that's a lot more athletic in McMillan, I believe. And, you know, that's one of the battles I'm looking forward to. Another one will be in the secondary. They have a lot of talented people. Joe R. Williams, does he fit? You know, does he fit what they need? And, you know, he's a second-round draft pick.

But, you know, is there a spot for him this year? And then, of course, kicker. Nick Folk had a career year. But, you know, you have a young kid in Queen Nordean who's got a cannon for a leg, and as you and I were well aware of, I mean, Ryan Allen, we talked about that a week ago. Ryan Allen could have been the MVP of the Super Bowl, and the Patriots replaced him the next year with a kid with a cannon for a leg.

Nobody looks back on that move with Jake Bailey. Absolutely, it's true and you know what and Bailey's leg was so big and so um productive and really I think caught the attention of so many people in training camp and throughout the season that when the Patriots had their kicker what was a couple of years ago and Stephen Kostowski was having difficulty with the injury they were bringing in all different kinds of kickers and they were trying as many options as they could. There was really a ground swelling of people that thought that Jake Bailey could handle double duty. We talked about it several times here on Locked On Patriots.

So it's possible. And I'm glad that you mentioned that because to me, this is an underrated battle that's potentially brewing here for New England. Matthew Slater talked to the media yesterday on Tuesday, and he mentioned Quinn Norton. He was asked about Norton, and he said, oh, he said, I'm really looking forward to seeing him. And they said, yeah, he's got a pretty good leg. And they said, yeah, he's got a cannon for a leg. It's great that you mentioned the word cannon, because those were Matthew's exact words. And folks, he definitely does. Look,

during his four years with michigan made 42 out of 58 field goals which is pretty good it's a little over 70 in terms of being able to hit for a college kicker that's that's pretty impressive but everybody is going to remember quinn norton from the 57 yard field goal at the end of the first half of the 2020 citrus bowl against alabama that set a record for the longest field goal in Citrus Bowl history. It also secured him the record for the longest field goal made in Michigan's program history. So even though Norton is a little bit inexperienced, he's got a very strong leg, and that strong leg combined with his ability and his youth could make things interesting.

And I'm saying this as one of the biggest fans right now of Nick Folk and the work that he did last year. I was so impressed with Nick and the way that he came in and not just lended the steadiness, the accuracy, but he added some distance to his repertoire. He cooked the 51-yarder last year as well, and people were saying that he couldn't get out there from over 40. So anything over 40, he was going to be in trouble. The Patriots had to really shorten his leash. He proved that he could still do it. And by all indications, the Patriots are still confident, I think,

in Nick to be able to do it. Otherwise, I don't think they would have brought him back. But competition is always good. I know Roberto Aguayo had to be jettisoned early on in the offseason. Looks like a competition between Nick Folk and Quinn Norton, and even if Norton doesn't win this one, hopefully he'll be able to spend some time on the practice squad and be an option for the Patriots,

because I think they have a kid here that might be able to handle those kicking duties in Foxborough much better than the Justin Rohrwasser experiment that just failed miserably, and there's no other way to say it, but unfortunately he did. But that leads me quite nicely into my final question for you. And it's kind of a takeoff on the question that I just asked you about potential camp battles, potential storylines. But when it comes to the Patriots as a whole and whether or not this is a quote unquote playoff team, I had the good fortune of joining my good friend and predecessor, Mark Schofield

on his podcast, the Scosho yesterday. And we talked a lot about the Patriots potential and how this is all going to shake out for them in the long run. It's my opinion that the Patriots are a playoff team on paper, meaning that talent-wise, I think they have the talent on both sides of the ball to be a playoff team. I like the additions they made on offense. I love the additions they made on defense. Special teams, they're still strong. And if they can get adequate to better-than-average quarterback play, I think they'll be a playoff team. However, there are teams in the AFC right now that are lining up to be able to block them from that goal,

two of which are in their own division, the Buffalo Bills, the Miami Dolphins. Miami now questioning a little bit about the strength of that defense with Xavier Howard now being on the trading block. Steve, when you look at the Patriots as a whole and their chances, I know it's kind of pie in the sky and projecting a little bit, but what are you looking for in training camp that's going to convince you that the New England Patriots can compete with the Buffaloes, the Miamis, the Kansas Cities, the Tennessee Titans, the Indianapolis Colts, some of the teams that are highly touted as amongst the best in the league right now.

What should we be looking for to let us know that this New England Patriots team has a real chance to contend? Well, I think we're both in agreement that the defense is going to be a lot, a lot better this year. So that's going to keep them in games. But what's ultimately going to decide whether this team makes the playoffs or not, and that's going to be a big jump because, like you mentioned, there's a lot of really good teams in the AFC right now. And, you know, look at the Miami Dolphins. They won 10 games last year and did not make the postseason.

So what's going to ultimately decide whether or not they make the playoffs or not, I believe rests on that quarterback position that we just said is going to dominate the talk. If we get a glimpse as training camp goes on in preseason, that the quarterback play is going to be much improved this year, especially with some of the additions they've made on offense. If that's the case, then this team has a really, really good shot at making the postseason this year. I really like the way the defense has been put together.

They've added some weapons on offense, but ultimately it's going to come down to either Cam or Mac and who can make the plays and get them over the top. We know they lost some really close games last year, and they got blown out and a few others, but the season with better quarterback play and better supporting cast might have made a difference. Yeah, I agree. I wholeheartedly agree. And I think that in a lot of ways, it's a very reasonable

opportunity and a very reasonable chance for all Patriots fans to think about what this team looked like last year as opposed to what they may look like going in this year. And again, it's very early to project how this team is going to be able to do because again, so much is beyond their control in terms of a playoff team. It's really going to determine or be determined by what the circumstances are outside. Are the Bills and the Dolphins going to be equal to what they were last year and really challenge the Patriots to even make a dent in maybe a second place finish? That could be a very realistic

possibility. These are two teams that know how to win. They're very well coached and they've got a good amount of talent on both sides of the ball. Outside the division, again, you've got Kansas City, you've got Indianapolis, you've got Pittsburgh, you know, even Los Angeles might throw their hands into that. Tennessee, Baltimore is going to be a team that's going to be there as well. So a lot of extenuating team that's going to be there as well. So a lot of extenuating circumstances that are hard to predict. But if you're the Patriots, you have to do the best you can to control your fate. We hear Bill Belichick say it all the time. All you can do is what those guys in the locker room can do, and they need to improve and keep

getting better each and every week. I think they're in a much better position to do that. This year, the depth charts are well loaded, and they have the training time to be able to work together and gain that cohesiveness that the Patriots really thrive on, you know, for all intents and purposes. This is a team that thrives on chemistry as much as on field skill. And I think it's going to show this year. So hopefully we're going on a deep run here, you know, throughout the season and maybe a playoff game or two. And who knows? Stranger things have happened if players and teams can start putting things together.

But again, but maybe it's a little early to think about that. But we live in hope, don't we? Steve, what can I say? Thank you so much for taking time out today to join me here on day one of Patriots training camp. Looking forward to talking ball with you here again next week, breaking down more training camp analysis, talking more potential camp storylines. But in the meantime, my friend, first of all, stay safe and stay well. But please let us know or our listeners know where they can find you, your great work,

and what they can look forward to in the coming days from the great Penn and the great voice of Steve Ballastrieri. Well, thanks again for having me as always. And I always enjoy our football chats and hey, you know, now the training camps here, that's when, you know, our focus is going to be on that and the training camp battles as they unfold, it might be a little bit slower than normal. But I think even though Bill said that, you know, they're going to be looking at things kind of like in the same manner as the

spring, I think there's going to be a little bit more evaluation rather than just teaching. And I'm sure the teaching stuff will still come. But I think now even some of these unpadded practices and that's what we're going to be our focus you know in the next few days you know there's going to be more evaluation now and then we'll see how everything plays out and that's uh hopefully what we'll be talking about for the next couple of weeks and no more COVID talk let's get into some football absolutely bill

belichick said it yesterday one of the most important aspects about football is the football part of it i'm paraphrasing that i believe was one of his quotes and uh you know right razor sharp with bill uh you know right right over there in mid-season form already including the we're not going to talk about personal contracts so we're not going to talk about personal contracts, or we're not going to talk about personal situations. I mean, that's a given. You have to get that in at least once every Bill Belichick presser. But no, for him to say about the football, I think that's exactly it. And it's good to see football back in the forefront.

Hopefully all the COVID stuff and everything will get worked out. Of course, no one's downplaying the seriousness of that, folks. No one would even think of doing that. But at the same time, it's good to be able to focus on football. And I think, above all, the team, the players, the coaches, and the fans, of course, are glad to see football back in the forefront in Foxborough. So, again, bud, thanks a ton.

And we will do this again next week here on Locked On Patriots. In the meantime, have a great week, my friend. Stay safe and well. And so Patriots fans, day one of training camp practice is in the books, but there is still plenty more coverage to come here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. And with the advent of training camp comes the thought that football games will soon be back in our lives. The good news is betting on the NFL doesn't have to be a guessing game if you listen to

the new Locked On Bets podcast hosted by your boy Q and handicapping expert Lee Sterling. Get daily picks, blowout specials, wrong team favorite picks, and Lee Sterling's lock of the day. Follow the Locked On Bets podcast brought to you by betonline.ag wherever you get your podcasts. And as for Locked On Patriots, do not miss a single second of the action. Stay up to date with our training camp analysis by subscribing to, following, and downloading the Locked On Patriots podcast on platforms such as the Odyssey app, Spotify,

Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Just make sure that you are staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank my good friend Steve Balistrieri for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's pod. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for continuing to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until next time, Foxborough faithful, stay safe, stay well,

be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.