Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Lamar Jackson to the New England Patriots? — Robert Kraft, Meek Mill and Foxboro Finance

Episode Date: March 29, 2023

Despite recent reports indicating their lack of interest in his pursuit, the New England Patriots continue to prominently factor in rumors surrounding Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. While Jackson is among the most dynamic players in the NFL, the cost to acquire him is extensive, to say the least. Host Mike D’Abate welcomes Miguel “PatsCap” Benzan to discuss the framework of a potential deal to acquire Jackson’s services, as well as signing him to a long-term extension.Find and follow Locked On Patriots on your favorite podcast platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-patriots-daily-podcast-on-the-new-england/id1140512627Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFmwg3WbfxAU3tR5Ve?si=k196wH-yRqifUcQQz8SjIQStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-on-patriotsAnd follow host Mike D’Abate on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the New England Patriots and talking with fans.On Twitter: @mdabateNFLSupport 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 “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.Ultimate Football GMTo download the game just visit Ultimate-GM.com or look it up on the app stores. Our listeners get a 100% free boost to their franchise when using the promo LOCKEDON (ALL CAPS) in the game store.FanDuelMake Every Moment More. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG(CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat(CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lamar Jackson reportedly wants to be a New England Patriot, but whether or not he can be ultimately will be decided by Foxborough Finance. Stick around. You're about to be locked in to the Locked On Patriots podcast. 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. Thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots

a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. And please subscribe or follow for free on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts to ensure that you get the latest episode as soon as it's available. I'm your host, Mike DeBate, and I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. So reach out to me and let me know what's on your mind on Twitter at N-V-A-B-A-T-E-N-F-L. And while you're out there showing some love to the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow

the Lockdown Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. That's fans. The news of the day is big and rapper Meek Mill actually sent the New England Patriots rumor mill into overdrive late on Monday. Or did team owner Robert Kraft do it for him? Well, Meek is known to have a close friendship with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and he may have revealed the preferred playing destination of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson for 2023 and beyond here's the hint folks it's Foxborough Massachusetts that's right while speaking at the NFL owners meeting in Phoenix on Monday

Kraft revealed that he had received a text from Meek Mill about three or four days ago and according to Robert Kraft's words claiming that that the former first-round draft pick and NFL MVP wanted to join your New England Patriots. Well, of course, Patriots Nation went into a frenzy at the possibility of adding one of the most dynamic players in the league, and I can't blame any of you. I mean, it's definitely exciting to hear that one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL is eager to play for your New England Patriots. Keep in mind, the Patriots are well set at the quarterback position. We're going to tackle that throughout

the course of this week here on Locked On Patriots. But again, adding someone like Lamar Jackson raises the bar, puts a different type of ceiling on what this team can do in 2023 and beyond. And it's definitely worth the consideration without any question. Now, all of this is possible because Jackson is embroiled in a contract dispute with Baltimore, leading many believed that he's played his final game in Baltimore. He's played his final down as a Baltimore Raven. Now, Lamar has been linked to, previously linked, I should say, to the Patriots in trade rumors. And a lot of the stuff that's been coming out shows that the Patriots were thought to be out of the running for his services prior to Kraft's revelations. But after turning down a contract extension offer in the offseason, Jackson right now finds himself in need potentially of a new home.

And he does so on the heels of a pretty impressive performance in 2022. Despite some injuries, he finished the season having completed 203 passes, 2,242 yards, 17 touchdowns. He also carried the ball 112 times for 764 yards and three scoring runs. So if you're talking weapons on the ground, folks, this guy is definitely as good as it comes. But he's also a very good pocket passer as well. Don't let the others fool you on that. He can definitely hold his own in both areas on the field. Now, he was limited to 12 games in 2022.

He sprained a PCL in Week 13 against the Denver Broncos, missed the remainder of the regular season, as well as Baltimore's lone playoff game, the 24-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on wildcard weekend. From an on-field perspective, folks, Lamar Jackson is the type of quarterback, again, that can change the dynamic of a team. He is the most electrifying player in the game today.

He's the league's best rushing threat from the quarterback position. As I just previously said, a much better traditional pocket passer than he gets credit for. If you don't believe me or don't want to take my word for it, go check out my guy, Taylor Kyles of CLNS Media, who joined us here a few days ago on Locked On Patriots. You check out his Twitter feed. He's got an awesome thread about exactly what Lamar brings to the table as a pocket passer. So check that out.

You will not be disappointed. Really proves that he can thrive in a Bill O'Brien offense. I know a lot of people are saying it's not a like for like. You really can't plug him into the type of offense Bill wants to run. Trust me, he can utilize the tight ends. He can definitely utilize guys getting yards after the catch, and he's also a threat to run the ball. So anytime you can get that type of talent in the quarterback room, it's definitely worth a shot and definitely worth a look but again if you're going to get this done it's gonna come down to money it always does

folks and both sides publicly maintained optimism that a deal could be reached during the offseason when i say both sides we're talking about the balt say both sides, we're talking about the Baltimore Ravens and we're talking about Lamar Jackson, obviously, but Baltimore has remained reluctant to meet Jackson's contractual demands, which reportedly include a fully guaranteed deal. As a result, Lamar has been less than enamored with the way the Ravens have handled this situation. Probably the converse is true as well. But Lamar revealed yesterday, I should say on Monday, by social media, that he had in fact requested a trade from the Baltimore Ravens in early March. I believe March 2nd, he said, was the day that he actually did so. In turn, the Ravens responded by placing the non-exclusive tag on Jackson. So both sides right now at an impasse, and it doesn't look like it's getting any warmer

between the two sides. If anything, it's only gotten icier. Now, should the Patriots decide to even entertain the idea of bringing in Lamar Jackson, they would be forced to surrender two first-round picks to the Ravens, and they'd also have to agree to what a lot of people are potentially saying could be one of the most lucrative contracts in NFL history. Now Robert Kraft didn't offer any additional information on this surrounding the exchange with Meek Mill other than to say that Meek just said that he got a text or sent him a text a few days ago and said that Lamar is open or at least willing or wants to

play in New England. All of this right now is rumor and innuendo. That's all we can categorize this as right now. I'm not doubting Robert Kraft. I'm not doubting Meek Mill, not even doubting Lamar Jackson at this point. That text chain probably all included accurate information, but variables here. We don't know if Lamar wants to play on other locations. Just because he's open to playing in New England or would like to play in New England doesn't mean that's the only place he wants to go. He may have other avenues, other areas that he's willing to suit up, including a return to Baltimore, which reportedly is still sort of on the table. I'm not saying that it's really going to be something that happens, but keep a sharp eye on that, folks. Stranger things have happened in terms of Lamar Jackson once again donning a Ravens

uniform. It's possible. That's all I'll say on the subject there. But at the same time, Robert Kraft was also very cagey about answering questions regarding Lamar Jackson, saying that this was the text I got. Ultimately, it's going to have to be Bill's call. I know a lot of people made a lot out of that. I would sit there and say that I think he's just basically letting everyone know that football operations are going to be in Bill Belichick's hands. So whether or not any of this means that the Patriots are keeping their options open

when it comes to acquiring Lamar Jackson, only time will tell. But until then, let the speculation continue. And with only $12.9 million in cap space available, we're just north of that. The New England Patriots face a tough decision. And because they face a tough decision, the only one that can break down exactly what the Patriots would need to do to make a deal with Lamar Jackson, work out financially, then the Pats cap himself, a salary cap, top gun, the wizard of Benz on joins us here today on locked on Patriots to offer his wisdom and counsel when it comes to your New England Patriots and potentially working out a long-term deal with Lamar Jackson.

Miguel Benzahn joins us here in just a moment to break down and outline a potential deal with Lamar and what roadblocks may stand in the way of that when it comes to the Patriots' current roster and salary cap situation. You do not want to miss it, so keep it right here when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, folks, today's episode is brought to you by our good friends over at FanDuel Sportsbook. The tournament is heating up. It's reached its fever pitch, and there's no better place to get in on the action than FanDuel, America's number one sportsbook.

That's because right now, FanDuel is giving new customers a no-sweat first bet up to $1,000. That's up to $1,000 back in bonus bets if your first bet doesn't win. And go to FanDuel.com slash LockedOn and sign up today to claim your no sweat first bet. Then you can wager on everything from the money line to the point spreads to which team will be cutting down the net all on an app that's safe, that's secure and super easy to use. So don't miss your shot at a no sweat first bet up to $1,000 when you join FanDuel today. Just go to FanDuel.com slash locked on to sign up. Make every moment more with FanDuel today. Just go to FanDuel.com slash LockedOn to sign up. Make every moment more with FanDuel.

Patriots fans, the topic of the moment here in Pats Nation continues to be Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, whether he might find himself in a Patriots uniform for 2023 and beyond. And we're all excited about the possibility. It's intriguing. But really, the question is here, folks, can the Patriots make this financially work? What needs to be done to even make this a possibility? Well, here today to help with the biggest and most important questions on the subject

is the subject matter expert, the Patriots salary cap top gun himself, the Pats cap. Miguel Benzon joins me today. Miguel, I thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to enlighten us all on what a potential deal for Lamar Jackson may look like, all the financial parameters. Miguel, we know this is going to be tough, especially if Lamar Jackson is, as reported, truly seeking a top of themarket, fully guaranteed contract. We know that's going to be difficult. But even though it's difficult, we still cling to the possibility that it's not impossible.

Now, according to your calculations, New England has just north of $12.9 million in available salary cap space for the 2023 season. If the Patriots are going to try to bring in lamar jackson how can they make this work okay let's remember that he's under he's under the ravens tag right now so he's costing them 32.4 million dollars on the cap so what is the easiest way for them for the pages to make him an offer that the page the the Ravens would not match. And that would give him a cap number that's high. Like, I'm going to say $50 million is used for wrong numbers, right? People have been asking me on Twitter, well, can't you give him a low cap number

in 2023 and have his cap number explode in 2024, 2025? They could, but then the Ravens would be I would think they'd love for the future pages to do that unless that deal can be claimed part of a fully guaranteed deal right I have my doubts that the Patriots would ever sign a player to a fully guaranteed, a big time player, because all the list, let's call strange on a fully guaranteed deal, a big time judgment to a fully guaranteed deal. All right.

Bob craft is one of the most influential owners. It is not a secret that the NFL owners did not like Jeff Oslem, giving them Deshaun Watson that fully guaranteed deal. I can't imagine that Bob Kraft would go outside the owner's click or whatever and give someone else a fully guaranteed deal. All right. So there are three ways to look at it. I'm going to say let's give Lamar a low cap number in 2023. I think the Ravens will match the deal. You give him like a medium-sized cap number, all right, in 2023. I think the Ravens still match the deal.

You give him a large cap number because the Ravens still signed match the deal you're given to a a large cap number because they the ravens are tight on the cap because they have him sign on on him at 32 mil but they couldn't i don't think they can make enough cap space to get to 50. all right right so let's go with 50. so and um and i'll just uh if you could bring up the deterrent um worksheet that i brought up for 50 million dollars just to show people the numbers okay okay so this is what i consider a deterrent work worksheet that would prevent the ravens from matching it and you look folks and i'm just trying to i just kept the deal simple, all right? His cap number in 2023 is $47.5 million. And then it stays steady at $50 million, and it goes up to $52.5 million in 2027.

And if you look at the bottom half of the worksheet, you see why he would want to take the deal. He's guaranteed to be on the roster for the next three years, 2023, 2024, and 2025. The Patriots would not make sense financially to cut him. You could try to trade him, but you would also have a lot of dead money if you were going to try to trade him in 2024 or 2025. I think this is a deal that the Ravens could not match. And the Patriots could sign him to that deal. It's not fully guaranteed, all right, folks?

Because you see in 2025, excuse me, 2026 salary and 2027 salary, it's not fully guaranteed. His 2025 salary will become fully guaranteed in 2024 so within the first year of his deal he's going to guarantee himself the first three years salary and to get a 82.5 million dollar signing bonus all right that's what that's the kind of deal i think the patients would have to give them to get them away from the ravens all right i don't think they would i don't think they'll do that all right it's not because I think it's more of an owner click thing more than anything else. It's not going to happen. All right?

But let's just say I'm wrong. Because, folks, I'm wrong all the time. Okay? Not as much as he would have you believe, folks. Don't let him fool you okay um let's go Mike and bring up the oh what did I call it the locked on Lamar thing absolutely table with the savings the table with the savings all right so let's say we we want we we're able to sign them to a deal all right right now when we say i have them with 12

and i have i with 12.9 million dollars that's before um i learned the details of we learned the details jamal's mills restructure all right so let's say how do you want to create the cap space miguel all right you're a great 4040 million to get them on around $40 million. I just, I picked some guys with some high numbers. All right. Cap numbers to create the savings, the void year savings calendar. And so I said, let's pay the player. All of his cash is due in 2023 minus his minimum salary,

convert that cash into a signing bonus and add and have it prorate that signing bonus over five years that's the maximum so and so you whatever number of board years you needed to add to the deal i would add it to to the deal. In Matthew Judon's case, it would be three. He's already signed for two more years, so it would be three more years. Hunter Henry would be four. That column is bolded because that's the

highest amount for his row. Next column over is a cut dead. If we were to cut Matthew Judon, that would be his dead money. And the next column over is cut savings. That would be the amount of cut savings I would get. All right. And then the trade dead and then the trade dead trade savings. Some people have a difference between cut dead and trade savings because they have guaranteed salary. Guaranteed salary goes to the new players new team when

they're traded all right the last column is the max team so basically just said use the formula just give me the maximum value that's in the ford saving year savings column the cut savings column or the trade savings column and then i bolded those figures sometimes for several players the cut savings and the trade savings are the same amount of money right okay so we get the patrons and you can see at the very bottom right maximum amount of savings is 63.5 million dollars the patrons did all these things all right but mike i don't think okay some of these things are like like using four years for like, excuse me, three years for Judon, Garchar, and Andrews. They've never done that before. So I think that's out of the table. maximum savings with trading or cutting hunter henry or or trading or cutting trent brown right all right or the one of those those are the choices you have to to do but would you what would

the little amount wanna he says i guess he said the told me milk he wants to come to the patriots does he want to come to the patriots without a hunter henry without a trent brown or without a davante paco or david andrew, or Kendrick Bourne, all right? Because remember, folks, even after you get him on the team. Yeah, fair question. And remember, if he comes over on an offer sheet, all right, and whatever you sign him to, you can't lower his number for the rest of his year.

So if you sign him to an offer sheet and it's $50 million, whatever, let's just run around numbers, that's going to be his cap number for the rest of his year. So if he signs up to an offer sheet and it's $50 million, whatever, let's just run round numbers. That's going to be his cap number for the rest of his year. You have to wait until the end of the regular season to then do anything else to his deal to lower his future cap numbers. But you can't touch his cap number after this year.

So you get this, you get you create your savings. But let's remember, folks, and we can Mike, if you could bring up that thing I texted you in the DM about the operating. Absolutely. Like, folks, this is what the patrons have to have to account for the rest of the year. Draft, I put down draft class and i said three to four million dollars that's probably take maybe one and a half million dollars if you have to give with the first round draft bet all right right replacing injured players three to five million dollars practice squad including evaluations the patriots for the last two years have spent between four to five million dollars the salaries of players 52 and 53 on the, on the roster.

It would be the minimum salary for a rookie $750,000 times that by two, you get put $1.5 million. All right. And then there's about 20 plus players who have active roster bonuses, who some of them have considered not likely to be earned because they did not, were not active for all 17 games last year. For example, Ty Montgomery.

He was only active for only one game. So he has 16 not likely to be earned active roster bonuses. If every Patriot earns all of their not likely to be earned active roster bonuses, they're going to lose about two to two to two and a half million dollars all right so that's a total of 13 and a half to 18 million dollars i can't pin it down because i folks i don't know who's gonna get injured or when it's gonna get injured right all right um and none of us could know that all right it's amazing it really really is especially when you put this into you know terms that a lot of us can see here and especially those that are viewing on youtube

right now miguel has laid out spreadsheets that are extremely helpful in terms of giving you a visual as to what the savings are what needs to be done and i think the big eye opener was that uh you know la marvara spreadsheet that you uh sent me that we just showed when you look at the names on that sheet and i think you hit the nail right on the head is this a team now that all of a sudden lamar jackson is going to want to come to without a few of those names it's not just one or two that you're picking off that list folks multiple moves would have to be made things would have to be done even if they're extending players or adding void years

this is atypical for the new england patriots miguel i think you've laid this out so well thank you so much for doing all this i just want to just make a slight clarification folks i'm not extending the player i'm just i'm just restructuring his deal so i'm paying most of his cash but the minimum salary all right and somebody had asked this in the dm why i was why i never talk about extending for example matthew judon or a hunter henry because the maximum i'm looking for the maximum savings if we were to extend hunter henry i would definitely be able to lower his cap number but not as much as i could if i cut him or it was to trade him and if we want to get i just wanted to show the maximum amount of savings all right so that's why i i use the word

void yet savings rather than extending um and then and folks in this list of here that we were we're showing i'm not even talking about i don't have the extensions here for cal dougar michael wanu or josh uchay all right so not only is is it that i would think that acquiring lamar would means couple of current patrons would be not on the roster i think would impact the page it's to sign extend those young one of those young three stars. All right? And that is what

I wanted to say. I forgot to go back and talk about, I needed to point out during Ross' cut-down weekend, actually, now it's a week. It's just one day now. Yeah, exactly. It's a change of today, just one day. Rookies will beat out higher salary salary players for a spot on a 15 year

end roster which would create cap space for example if a udv beats out miles bryant who for a spot that would create about 1.877 million dollars in cash space right and there's a i there's a ton of players right now whose salary doesn't cut against the cap. And Mike, you know, the hell of pages right now have three first three picks in a fourth round. Yes. None of those guys would be in the top 51 list. And I guarantee the pages of Ohio always had a healthy fourth round pick. Make the roster. Yeah. Yeah. Without any question. It really is. And that is an extreme eye

opener and thank you very much for making the clarification between extensions and adding four years and how that differs and how the max savings is a step that needs to be taken here for the new england patriots and i think a lot of us get lost and get hyped up in the hoopla of being able to add a player of lamar's caliber that you really need to take a look at the financials and how that needs to be done. Once again, folks, difficult, not impossible, but I think Miguel has laid it out here very nicely. And we're just scratching the surface here on Locked On Patriots.

Miguel still has more to come, more visual aids, more wisdom in counsel. The meter's already broken off, but we're about to break it off even more when this episode of the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues. But first, folks, please remember that today's episode is brought to you by our good friends over at Bilt. The Bilt March Madness bracket is here, and we know you have a favorite bar or puff, and now's your time to make it count. So go to BiltMarchMadness.com to vote for your favorites and when you vote for your favorite bar or puff you will be entered into a drawing where 50 lucky locked on listeners will get a free box of bill how about that folks but i'm not done yet not only that one one very

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patriots fans the amazing the salary cap top gun joins me here today. The Wizard of Benz on the great Miguel Benz on joins me here today to talk about the financials involved in a potential deal for Lamar Jackson. Miguel, you've already broken the wisdom and counsel meter off here by laying out some of the details, some of the difficulties that could be involved in a deal such as this type. I don't want to step on your toes anymore, my friend. Please, the floor continues to be yours. You've already done a great job. Continue on in what you were saying about Lamar Jackson. What else do we need to know potentially about a deal here?

I just want to clarify, make sure people understand, when we restructure a player's deal in the ad board years and converting salary into signing bonus, it doesn't change how amount of cash they get that year. It doesn't affect the cash spending for that

year. It just gets accounted for differently. He's going to get, let's say, $10 million. We give him a 10 million dollar signing bonus instead of counting having all 10 comments cap this year would have two million dollars kind of for the next against the cap for the next five years or if they get a voted year to be eight million dollars next year all right that's the big thing it has nothing to do with being cheap or whatever god bless oh my gosh all right um if i could go on a little bit of set the record straight folks all right please i didn't get a chance to set mike uh a screenshot but i do want to say this um on the nflpa's internal reports

they have a column for cash spending right right? It does not include incentives. So when you see somebody say the Patriots are less than lower in the league, that's because the Patriots have about $37 million in incentives, all right? I think, I don't know for a fact, I don't cover all 35, the rest of the NFL, all right? But I do know they have $37 million. So it doesn't show up in the reports. It won't show up in the reports until the player hits them all right right the player won't get paid for them until february of next year so i know people right away after

march 15 will right away criticize the pages for the lack of spending for this 223 league year all right league from this year doesn't end until next March. Wow. Give it a break, folks. All right? All right. And I'll say this. The cash betting doesn't include any common cash betting

total in the land. It doesn't include the rookie pool. Teachers have the eighth highest rookie pool. All right? So those who do engage in this are being diseng misleading and disingenuous by not talking about the incentives and not talking about the rookie pool and that's all i gotta say because i want to be polite well if anything you are always polite here my friend and i always do appreciate but that again is an important distinction and something that is very relevant

because bill belichick, Robert Kraft, both at the owners meetings this week, they both mentioned cash spending. A lot of people were making the impression, maybe giving the impression that the Patriots were a little bit less than what they should. Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft both seem to take offense to that. And now you've outlined exactly why that seems to be in terms of spending and in terms of doing what this team needs to do. Excellent, excellent information. I really, really wish that Bill Belichick had mentioned the COVID year. I really, really wish in his answer. Mike, I actually watched it live. I actually listened to it live. I said, Mike, Bill, say COVID. Say COVID. Mention Hightower.

Well, he did mention, I think he did mention Dante, but not for that reason. That would have been good, and it would have made your life, I know, an awful lot easier. But, you know, setting the record straight is something we always appreciate when you come on here and bring your wisdom and counsel to Locked On Patriots.

And, folks, Miguel has always, always done a good job about giving us the information, good, bad, or indifferent. He's going to tell you the way it is. And I think the way he's outlined this potential deal for Lamar Jackson, it's given us all a lot to think about here in Patriots Nation. Before I let you go today, my friend, any more parting news? Any more parting information that you think Patriots fans need to know before rumors start to maybe

swell a little bit beyond where they already are? Anything else on the Lamar Jackson front that we need to know as fans and even myself included on the media as well? Because you're never shy about setting us straight either. I mean, it's going to be easier for any team

to sign them after the draft because they don't give up the 2023 draft picks um i don't know i really wish he had an agent and i said this i think he should have i know i um i sent you this i think he should have taken read read Joe Corey's piece and accepted the fact that he's not, that the owners are not going to do it. And he maybe could have got a rolling guaranteed like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen did. We'll see. I personally think he's going to stay with it. Eventually, someone's going to talk to him and talk to him.

And the deal won't be fully guaranteed but it should be considered one because it has rolling guarantees i think it's gonna remain a raven and and if i'm wrong i'm wrong no i know a lot of people that are in the know a lot of people that look at the situation objectively are agreeing with you in terms of what it's going to take for the patriots to enter this foray i know again there's a lot of excitement in the air right now, and you've definitely proven that it's possible. But, you know, I always go back to Dr. Ian Malcolm's quote from Jurassic Park. I know the fan base is probably groaning right now because I use this one a lot.

You're so obsessed to think about whether or not you could. You don't stop to think if you should. And I think that's really, I think, relevant here for the New England Patriots in terms of moving forward when it comes to any negotiations with Lamar Jackson. But on the other hand, my friend, when you have the opportunity to add the most dynamic player in the NFL right now, you've got to do all of your due diligence. You've got to cross every T dot, every I. And you've got to listen to this man. You've got to listen to the Pats cap because he's got the financial news that you all need.

Miguel, what can I say? You've always knocked it out of the park. You continue to do so. I thank you for coming on on short notice to lend your wisdom and counsel on this Lamar Jackson situation. Folks, please do not forget to follow my good friend at Pats cap on Twitter.

I think one of the best Twitter follows you'll find in any walk of life. And especially if you're a Patriots fan, he's been extremely busy this time of year on Twitter. I think one of the best Twitter follows you'll find in any walk of life, and especially if you're a Patriots fan, he's been extremely busy this time of year, and we appreciate everything that he does. So tip of the cap and nod to the gods to you, my friend. And if you're looking for any type

of visual, if you listen to this podcast and you didn't get a chance to see it, I'll be sharing all of Miguel's information on the Locked On Patriots website when we tweet out our promotional muscle for this episode itself. So definitely check that all out. You'll find it all at LO underscore Patriots. But in the meantime, my friend, thank you for being the salary cap top gun.

I always say the plaque for the alternates doesn't exist because you have no equal. You truly are the Wizard of Benz on. Thank you for your friendship, and thank you for coming on today, buddy. You're welcome. Can I just give a quick shout-out to Matt Urban and Dick Kelly? Please do. Good job, Matt. Absolutely.

Okay. Thank you so much. And I know Matt, and I know Dan. They listen all the time, and I know they're definitely appreciative. We love their mock drafts. Murph and I did on Monday and yeah, keep those coming folks. But we'll keep a sharp eye out for any Lamar news as well.

And if things do break the way I know some members of the fan base wanted, you can bet that this guy's going to be back to break down how the Patriots are going to make it all work out. But I think he's given us a lot to think about here today. So folks, thank you once again for making lockdowned On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage, and hopefully also your first listen every day.

If you've made us your first listen, please make your second listen. Our good friends over at Locked On NFL scouting with the draft dudes, my good friends and colleagues, Kyle Krabs and Joe Marino do an amazing job of walking you through all the ins and outs of building a franchise and scouting in the NFL. So download, subscribe, follow wherever you get your podcasts.

And while you're out there, also be sure to follow, subscribe wherever you can to Lockdown Patriots. Make us a part of your daily New England Patriots coverage. On behalf of my good friend, Miguel LaPatscap Benzon, I'm Mike DeBate. Stay safe, folks. Stay well. Be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.