Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Impactful Injury: Patriots Lose BIG Piece to Run Game, Julian Hill Out for 2026

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Pats have already suffered a significant injury that will impact their offense. And we haven't even hit mandatory minicamp yet. This is Lockdown Patriots. You are Locked on Patriots. Your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. What's happening? I am your host, Nick Cattell's bonus episode for you right now.

Starting point is 00:00:33 We have more intel on the Christian Gonzalez situation. as it becomes clear, he's making some business decisions. In the second segment, the latest on Mike Owenu and why he is going nowhere. But first, Julian Hill is officially done for the year. On Monday, we found out that Julian Hill was placed on IR to make room for A.J. Brown on the 90-man roster. Now, there was still a sliver of hope, which I mentioned during the Breaking News A.J. Brown episode on Monday, there was some hope that Julian Hill

Starting point is 00:01:05 could have been placed on the designated to return list before the season kicked off, which would allow him to return at some point during 2026. But we found out on Tuesday that is not going to be the case. Mike Frable said about Julian Hill, quote, Julian won't be able to play this season. Devastating, awful. I really enjoy the person and want to have him around here as much as we can. Disappointing because of the impact he's made in a short amount of time.

Starting point is 00:01:35 And Julian Hill was not the sexiest name this offseason that the Patriots acquired, but Julian Hill, no doubt, was a significant part of this offseason plan. He got a three-year deal. And the Patriots felt like there was some untapped potential as a receiver at the tight end position for Julian Hill, but mostly he was signed as that blocking tight end. The influence on the run game, we have discussed this throughout the offseason. and the Patriots being dedicated, being committed to run the football more effectively in 2026. And a big part of that plan to go along with Reggie Gilliam at fullback was Julian Hill at tight end. This is no doubt going to influence and impact the run game. On paper, you are a weaker running football team without Julian Hill. But it goes beyond that.

Starting point is 00:02:28 Julian Hill was supposed to take some of the licking and keep on ticking so Hunter Henry didn't play as many snaps in 2026. Because Hunter Henry, of course, he's in his 30s. You don't want Hunter Henry being overworked. He's already suffering from the wear and tear of a long career. And you look at him blocking last season. He did not block as well as he has blocked in prior seasons. So you were hoping that the presence of Julian Hill

Starting point is 00:02:55 would take some of that load off the shoulders of Hunter Henry. We've also discussed playing big, two tight end sets, 13 personnel, much, much tougher to do without Julian Hill. And this puts, speaking of big, this puts big pressure on Eli Raarden, your rookie tight end. And he could be asked now to be tight end too in this offense. And he's still trying to develop as a run blocking tight end. And now you almost have to speed that process up because Julian Hill is going to be out.

Starting point is 00:03:27 And tight ends, they usually take a little while to fully develop. tight end is not a position that most guys they parachute into the league and their impact players on day one. That's not usually the case. It is a slow progression at that position. So now Eli Raarden is going to have to step up and replace Julian Hill. But I hope the Patriots do not rush Eli Raiden's growth curve, even though some of that might be necessary. I hope they look at other options to not put all of this on Eli Rairden. So let's talk about a couple of options.

Starting point is 00:04:02 Possible options on the 90-man roster. C.J. Dupree, a 2025 UDFA that we discussed on the pod last year, he is still on this roster. And he is somebody who might now be part of the 53 man. Another name that we need to keep an eye on is Tanner Arkin, a 2026 UDFA. Here's what Evan Lazzar wrote about Arkin, who is 6'4, 262. Arkin has real potential as a point-of-attack blocker. He has the foot speed to create favorable positional leverage, legit upper body power, and length to create movement in the run game.

Starting point is 00:04:41 Arkin's drive angle blocks to wash down defensive ends, reaches on the backside of zone runs, and his ability to block in space are NFL caliber. He was essentially a sixth offensive lineman for the Illini, giving him a clear path to contribute as an in-line blocker. Arkin can block ranking third among draft eligible tight ends with a 76.9 pro football focus run blocking grade. So Tanner Arkin is a name that we all have to now get ready to see more than we might have thought going back just a couple of days ago as we watch can't play out.

Starting point is 00:05:20 There is one free agent option the Patriots might look at and that is Will Disley. He has been good to really good in the run blocking department. he was injured early in the season last year for the Chargers. He was released by the Chargers earlier this offseason. And so I don't know how healthy he is, but he is a name to keep an eye on. But Julian Hill being out for the year, no doubt right now, as currently constituted, negatively impacts your run game, negatively impacts your offense, negatively impacts how much you're going to put on Hunter Henry and Eli Rairden.

Starting point is 00:05:59 Up next, the Pat's best offensive lineman last year is secured for 2026. This is Lockdown Patriots, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, now the number one sports podcast network, your team every day. Today's episode is brought you by Indy. You know that feeling when you're overwhelmed at work and you just need one more reliable person on the team to get things back on track? If you're currently in the middle of workplace chaos, you don't have time to waste on bad fits. This is a job for Indeed, sponsored jobs. Indeed is designed to filter out the noise so you find candidates with the exact skills and experience you're looking for. It's about results. Indeed data shows that while I tell you about their service, 27 hires were made on Indeed worldwide.

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Starting point is 00:07:38 Thank you for making us your first listen and for being an everydayer. Get your daily Patriots fix completely ad free by joining the Everydayer Club today. Start your seven day free trial right now and get closer to your team without the interruptions. Click the link in the show notes or go to lockdown patriots. com to claim your free trial. And don't forget as you watch this bonus episode on YouTube to click that thumbs up, throw a comment in, and do not forget to subscribe. we are getting closer to 10,000 subscribers.

Starting point is 00:08:07 That is the next goal. So don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe. Michael Wenu has parked his big took-took in New England for the 2026 season. There was lots of speculation, some questioning. Would Michael Wenu be gone after the draft? And if it didn't happen after the draft, would Michael Wenow be gone when the A.J. Brown deal was consummated. Well, the answer is. is neither. Michael Wenu is sticking around. Mike Reese over the weekend noted that Michael Wenu,

Starting point is 00:08:41 who had no guaranteed money remaining in the final year of his contract, has signed a revised deal for 2026. His cap charge is reduced by $7.5 million. He gets $10 million in guarantees and bonuses. So he can make up to $10 million this year. The cap hit $7.5. A couple things. I'm thinking about. I'm questioning regarding this restructuring by Michael Wenow. Did Michael Wenu catch wind of the Patriots looking at cheaper options at Guard? I wonder if the Patriots used, for example, Joel Botonio as leverage in these talks. I wonder if the Patriots used Kevin Zeitler as leverage during these contract negotiations.

Starting point is 00:09:30 Maybe just maybe the Patriots said, look, if you're not, willing to play ball with us, Mike. We appreciate what you did in 2025, but that cap number is a little too high for us. We want to do some other things here. We can go out and we can go find somebody who is a much cheaper option. And obviously, Michael Wenu, his agency, his representation, they are well aware of who's available at his position right now. So maybe just maybe. We talked about Joel Betonio at the beginning of free agency. I thought he'd be the first signing by the Patriots. Whoopsie. Didn't quite happen. Got that one wrong.

Starting point is 00:10:06 But Joel Betonio, Kevin Zitler, both still available. Neither guy has said they're going to retire. So they're just waiting to pounce. So maybe the Patriots used one of, if not both of those names, against Owenu to increase the pressure on Owenu to agree to this. Now, the deal makes it easier to give out more signing bonus cash because overall, Michael Wenu is going to make less money in 2026. he's going to make less cash.

Starting point is 00:10:36 He wasn't guaranteed the cash, but he was set to make more money than what he's going to get here. So it does give you a little bit more wiggle room when maybe working with A.J. Brown on a possible restructuring. It gives you a little bit more wiggle room when you're talking to Christian Gonzalez and you're talking to both of those guys or one of those guys about a possible signing bonus, fronting the money, all that stuff, cash versus cap. Now, why would he sign this? Well, he gets more security. He gets more security and guaranteed money. As Mike Reese wrote, there were no guaranteed money. There was no guaranteed money remaining in the final year of this deal.

Starting point is 00:11:16 So now he gets that guaranteed cash, which gives him some financial security. And because he played ball with the Patriots, it gives him security for this season. He knows where he's going to play. Now, as far as looking forward and wondering about, what will happen in in 2027. I find the idea of Michael Wenu being a patriot next year, I find that to be unlikely. He doesn't necessarily fit the profile of what they're looking for, right? They're looking for like supreme athletes on the offensive line.

Starting point is 00:11:50 We've seen that. Will Campbell, Jared Wilson, Elijah Vera Tucker, Caleb Lomu, even Demetrius crown over for his size. They're looking for athletes. and Big Mike is not the athlete. He's going to be, you know, the road grader. He's going to make room in the run game for you. Big guy takes up space. So he's not necessarily the type.

Starting point is 00:12:14 And this might not have been the case. This restructuring might not have happened if the Patriots kept one of their fourth round picks and drafted an interior offensive line. They could have traded Michael Wenow or released him. So I don't think this is anything. close to a guarantee that he's in town next year. He's also getting older. I'll look it up right now.

Starting point is 00:12:36 I think he's 29. Let me just check on that before you run with it. He is going to be 29 in December. So he's turning 29 during the tail end of this season. So his age, the shape, again, it's been reported. He once again showed up heavy at OTAs. So I would not, if I were Michael Wen, I would not look at this contract restructuring and say, I'm staying in New England for the long term.

Starting point is 00:13:04 I'm not writing it off completely, but I find it unlikely. The very latest on Christian Gonzalez coming up next. This is Lockdown Patriots, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. The NBA finals are here, and every possession matters. Just ask San Antonio in New York. If you're looking to get even closer to the action, Fandul has a great offer to get you started. Right now, new customers can bet five. and get $150 in bonus bets if your first bet wins.

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Starting point is 00:14:32 Stud Corner is on his way towards a holdout if something doesn't get done by the time we get to camp and joint practices in the preseason. Thanks for checking out the lockdown podcast network, now the number one sports podcast network. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe. Help us out this bonus episode for you. Julian Hill, done for the year. Mike Gawainu sticking around, Christian Gonzalez, trying to get a deal done. We mentioned that Christian Gonzalez was not present for the first OTA practice.

Starting point is 00:15:02 I had said during that podcast last week that this was not Armageddon, but I wondered, was this a message? Was this a message from Christian Gonzalez about his contract? And that answer is yes. Mike Reese wrote about Christian Gonzalez on Sunday at ESPN. He wrote Christian Gonzalez was not present. And he hasn't been part of the team's voluntary work of late. That was according to a source. Gonzalez, if you were wondering, had participated in the team's voluntary offseason program,

Starting point is 00:15:32 each of the prior three seasons. Mike Vrable on Tuesday, all but confirmed that Christian Gonzalez is making some business decisions right now. And I want to make it clear. There's nothing wrong with that. I think he has deserved a contract. He's earned it. And if I were him, you see Julian Hill go down. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:15:52 Hey, man, I would love to get paid before I go out there and go bananas for you. So I want to make it clear. I'm not sitting here criticizing Christian Gonzalez for the business decision, but it's clear he's making business decisions now. Mike Cadillic of SI, he transcribed what Mike Vrabel said to the media on Tuesday, said the contract is the business and the professional side of this. I want Christian to be ready when he comes back. I'd imagine he'll be here next week, unquote. Now, of course, next week is mandatory mini-camp. The Patriots have moved that up. It was supposed to be, I believe, June 15th to the 17th. Now it's going to be June 9th and 10th. And Mike Catholic noted that

Starting point is 00:16:29 have Rable said the negotiations will remain private, and they want both sides to benefit from said negotiations. Now, you know, it's a change of behavior by Gonzalez, which to me, again, is sending a little bit of a message. It's not some profound message, but when you change your behavior, when you've gone to OTAs in these voluntary off-season program practices through the first three seasons of your NFL career,

Starting point is 00:16:53 and now as you're looking at a possible extension this summer, an extension that you want, go back to the Celtics game, several weeks ago when he's flashing the money sign. He obviously wants to get paid. And again, that's his right. And this change of behavior is sending a message. I would not expect Gonzalez to make many voluntary appearances.

Starting point is 00:17:12 Now, he was at Drake May's charity softball game. He's going to have a charity basketball game coming up. But those are, you know, for charity and those are get together. So I'm talking about team events. I'm talking like on the field. I'm talking about these OTAs. And I just would not anticipate. Gonzalez showing up to any of these voluntary practices.

Starting point is 00:17:33 Does this change his behavior at mandatory minicamp? I think that is absolutely worth questioning, and I think it's likely. Now, will he be there? Yes. Mike Vrable said he expects Gonzalez to be at mandatory minicamp. The question is, how physical will Gonzalez get? And if he's ducking the voluntary stuff, then you've got to look at it and say, yeah, Well, maybe he shows up to the mandatory minicamp,

Starting point is 00:17:58 but he's not going anywhere near, you know, full throttle, so to speak, at mandatory minicamp because he's watching out for himself. I think this is going to be under a microscope moving forward until if when a deal is announced. And yeah, I would have some slight concern giving Christian Gonzalez's hamstring last year. This is somebody who had the hamstring injury, missed a few games to start last season. I don't look back at the injury as rookie year because that's a collarbone, that's a collision injury. That stuff happens.

Starting point is 00:18:31 But when you talk about soft tissue injuries like a hamstring, yeah, I want to, I want to make sure that that guy is going to be fully ready when the season kicks off, as Rable himself mentioned to the media on Tuesday. So I would be slightly concerned if this causes Gonzalez to not be out there on the field as much. And, you know, maybe the hamstring pops up again. But will he be ready? I think he's completely professional.

Starting point is 00:18:57 I'm sure he's working out. But football shape is different, as we've always heard. So will he be ready? We'll see. Will it get heated? Will it get ugly? I think that is unlikely. That is not really Christian Gonzalez's temperament.

Starting point is 00:19:13 I don't think Mike Vrable will allow that to happen with the way he handles this. I think Mike Vrable understands the situation. Did the Patriots understand it? I think both sides will. handle this professionally. And I stand by my initial prediction. I think an extension gets done and it happens sometime in July. That wraps up this bonus edition of Lockdown Patriots.

Starting point is 00:19:36 Thank you for making us your first listen and for being an everydayer. Reach out to me on Twitter at Nick C Radio. Don't forget to throw a comment in on the YouTube channel. Hit that like button and subscribe. And if you never miss an episode, the Everydayer Club is built for you. Get Lockdown Patriots ad free plus members only Discord access and more. head to lockdown Patriots.com to check the link and the show notes to learn even more. But a great day.

Starting point is 00:19:58 We'll be back later on on Tuesday to talk more about AJ Brown and Drake May and what that means for the Patriots offense. See you then. Peace.

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Impactful Injury: Patriots Lose BIG Piece to Run Game, Julian Hill Out for 2026

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