Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Leaders and Unsung Heroes: 2020 New England Patriots Roster - 6/10/2020

Episode Date: June 10, 2020

The New England Patriots have long been a team that has led by example.  However, with the departure of Tom Brady, the Pats will need some of their veterans to step into that leadership role.  Joining host Mike D’Abate is fan-favorite Thomas “Murph” Murphy to discuss the potential leaders in the New England locker room, as well as on the field.  The duo also conclude their discussion by giving their thoughts on the ‘unsung’ heroes on the Pats’ roster.   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. Today is Wednesday, the 10th of June, 2020, and you are listening to 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. Today's episode is brought to you by Rock Auto. Amazing selection, reliably low prices, all the parts your car will ever need. Visit rockauto.com and tell them Lockdown sent you. What is happening, Patriots Nation? My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Lockdown Patriots Podcast. As always, a proud part of the Locked On Patriots Podcast. As always, 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, comments, and feedback are always welcomed and highly encouraged. Feel free to share that feedback 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 out there

zooming around through that Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. Patriots fans, it's hard to believe that the summer is always upon us, and summer is usually a time for big blockbuster movies. And one of my favorite summer blockbusters goes all the way back to the summer of 1988 and July and the release of Die Hard. And if you're like me, you'll believe that

Die Hard is one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time. That's right, folks, count me among those that believe Die Hard is a Christmas movie. But there is a scene in that movie with one of my all-time favorite movie characters, Hans Gruber, played by the late great Alan Rickman. And as I was busy making preparations for today's pod, I actually thought of Hans Gruber, when he says, and I quote, And when Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer. Of course, to be followed up with, benefits of a classical education. And if you either liked or disliked my Hans Gruber impression, I would appreciate some feedback on Twitter, but I digress, folks. It made me think of today's pod because for the

last couple of weeks we've been talking about positional depth charts when it comes to the 2020 potential roster of your New England Patriots. Well, yesterday, alongside Steve Balistrieri, we concluded positional depth chart analysis. We've pretty much talked about the Patriots roster from start to finish. But one of the most important parts of a successful NFL locker room is leadership. And that's going to be especially important to your New England Patriots this year, folks. For the last 20 years, they had one of the best leaders to ever put on shoulder pads, and that's Tom Brady. But he's trespassing down in Tampa Bay right now.

So who does that leave? Who picks up the baton and becomes that leader in the locker room, both in voice and by example? Well, we'll talk a little bit about those locker room leaders in the first segment here on Locked On Patriots today, but we're not going to stop there, folks. Because not every true leader in Foxborough is always a household name. Being the stock-raving Patriots fans that you all are, I'm sure that I haven't mentioned a name that you all haven't heard before. But outside of New England, a lot of the guys that should get the credit they deserve for

being leaders on this team don't often get that national recognition. Well, here on Locked On Patriots today, we're going to give some love to those guys that fly under the national radar, but are second to none when it comes to the hearts of New England Patriots fans. So sit tight, folks, and action-packed episode today as we break down the leaders and unsung heroes on this Patriots team. And if you notice, folks, I said we. That's because I have a special guest joining me today.

And it being Wednesday, I thought it would be a good time for some wisdom. Some green wisdom. That's right, folks. Each and every week, this man does us the honor by bringing his wisdom and counsel directly to the hot seat of the Locked On Patriots podcast. And that is my main green man, Thomas Murphy. And I, as well as my good friend Murph, will provide our thoughts on who we think might take that leadership role this year in Foxborough. Is it Devin McCourty?

Could it be Matthew Slater? Perhaps James White? Or even Julian Edelman? Well, Murph and I will provide insight on why all of these guys will step up their leadership abilities this year, and we'll close out the pod today by telling you who we believe is the Patriots' most unsung hero on the roster. Murph's weekly spots here on Locked On Patriots are always among the highlights of my week, and I know you enjoy them as much as I do.

And again, folks, I did a lot of retrospective thinking in preparation for today's pod. As I started to think about the questions that I'll ask Murph in just a moment, it hit me once again that we're talking leadership in the Patriots' locker room without TB12, without Tom Brady. And folks, don't get me wrong. The show must go on. The Patriots are going to be just fine in that department. And Murph and I will explain exactly why they'll be just fine in that department in just a

moment. But if you're like me, every time you think about the contributions that Tom Brady made to the New England Patriots, to the region of New England itself, you can't help but marvel at it. And it really makes you long for a way to be able to commemorate that. Well, the good news is that our friends at Nyko Sports have an amazing football to do just that. Commemorate the GOAT, Tom Brady and his amazing 20-year career as the quarterback for our beloved New England Patriots. If you remain a Tom Brady fan, and any self-respecting Patriots fan should remain a Tom Brady fan,

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And you can also order online at Nikosports.com. That's N-I-K-C-O sports.com. And make sure to mention the Locked on Patriots podcast. Don't delay. Give the gift of the goat or make this beautiful football a part of your collection today. Patriots fans, a leadership role is something so vital to the success of your New England Patriots. And who better to share the microphone with today than someone who leads by example

and gives us all something to shoot for. That's right, everyone. Your favorite and mine. My benefactor in this business, the Count of Murphy Fisto, the legendary Thomas Murphy, is back for his weekly appearance here on Locked on Patriots. Thank you so much for coming to me in friendship and for joining me today, Don Murph.

Oh, bud, I'd like to thank you for keeping this, you know, weekly thing going. And the fact that you cut me a deal on the price to be here really means a lot to me. Well, you know, it's always, always good. You know, Hyman Roth always makes money for his partners. You know, I always try to remember that sentiment. No, I'm only kidding. I'm kidding, folks.

No, in all actuality, it's our honor, our privilege to have you here on a weekly basis. I should be the one thanking you for lending your wisdom and counsel to Lockdown Patriots each and every week. It's something our listeners, I look forward to, and that's why we continue to have you back, my friend, because you just bring it like no one else can. And I know,

it's a quick turnaround for your weekly visit this week here in the Lockdown Studios. Some scheduling updates, folks, to our programming this week again. But I and all of our listeners are psyched to have you here as always. And the keyboards here in the Lockdown Studios are illuminated green in your honor today. So I assure you that everything is right now exactly where it should be. And we're at one with the universe. But today, my friend, we are talking about leaders and unsung heroes and again who better

to consult on this subject than a superhero himself that is you my good man and let's start with those leaders murph if i'm being honest i am very tired of starting all of our discussions with for the first time in 20 years tom brady isn't going to be a New England Patriot when the season starts. It's hard. I don't like saying it, but it's true and it's accurate. So that means that other players will need to step up and fill the void left behind by Tom. And by consensus, most believe that it will be guys like Matthew Slater and Devin McCourty. But over the past couple of days, we've seen Julian Edelman's name emerge as one of those leaders. And his most tenured receiver, and he seemed to be hitting it off,

and that means he is Jared Stidham in this case. Stidham, along with Edelman and a handful of others, have already begun working out together this offseason. Now, in his appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub this week, NFL Network's Mike Giardi, and you and I both have the highest regard for Mike's opinions in his appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub this week, NFL Network's Mike Giardi, and you and I both have the highest regard for Mike's opinions in his reporting. He said that Edelman has warmed up to Stidham a lot quicker than he did the last time Bill Belichick drafted a potential heir to Tom Brady's throne, and that was Jimmy Garambola.

Now, we can laugh at that, and we can say that's tongue-in-cheek, but at this point, Edelman really doesn't have much of a choice to warm up to Jarrett Stidham because Tom was there when Jimmy was drafted before. Tom's not there anymore with Julian, so he has to make do with either Stidham or Brian Hoyer. But I believe that Julian's not just warming to Jarrett because he has to. I think there seems to be a fire in this guy to prove that he isn't just a product of Tom Brady. I think he wants to show what he can do, and I think he's definitely invested in what the team can do. Murph, from what you've seen from Julian, do you believe he can be that leader by example this year that the Patriots are going to need? Oh, without a doubt. He's shown it multiple times in the past. This is not a man that looks at anybody as a successor to his job in the way that, I'm sorry to say,

that some other players here have looked at different positional players that are drafted or coming in. And, you know, maybe use it as a, and, you know, rightfully so, use it as a chip on your shoulder to get better. This is somebody that's always embraced the new guy coming in, tried to help them understand this Encyclopedia Britannica of a playbook that happens here. And Julian's just a fantastic human being. And we've seen that time and time again off the field, but on the field and in the locker room, and especially on the lower field, the practice fields, the extra time that Julian will put in with new receivers

is something that will translate well into the future. And it's something that a lot of people haven't seen in the past. And I'll bring it up later when we're talking about our unsung heroes of the Patriots and what they've had to say about Julian Edelman. Yeah, without question. And I think just something as simple as watching Julian play through the multitude of injuries he had last year. I mean, whether it be his shoulder, whether it be his ribs, whether it be his finger, people forget he hurt his finger in the preseason.

So they were already you already got off to a rough start. Of course, the knee and there were all different types of injuries that this guy had that he played through. And I think just that type of example that you set really does provide that blueprint for your teammates to say, you know what, if you're able to get out there and go, and it's not causing you detrimental harm, you need to be tough. You need to be dedicated to this team winning and to this team's success. And something like that really sets a great example. So I agree with you wholeheartedly on Julian. I also think, again, the extra motivation cannot be understated enough. Mike Giardi said this yesterday on 98.5

the Sports Hub. You know, he said that he had spoken to Julian's teammates and one of them, and I'm quoting Mike directly, and he said, quote, Julian is Julian. He hates excuses. He hates to lose. He's already got that red ass about this season. People thinking we're no good and that he's just a product of Brady. I think he's very motivated to go out there and to show that he can do this. He can be successful with another quarterback under center and he can be the guy to help lead the Patriots into that next phase. Hopefully that next wave of success that we all hope Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots will have eventually, whether it's this season or whether it's a couple of years still out. I think Julian wants to be a part of that transition. And I think he wants to be a part of the success as well. So

I think in a lot of ways, his work with Jarrett Stidham is very encouraging. I think it shows a lot of faith in his quarterback. Again, whether it's Julian posturing or whether it's Julian being very honorable and very much forthcoming, I think it's probably the latter rather than the former. I think Julian is showing confidence in Jarrett because he knows he can. I think any type of false bravado in this situation would react negatively on him and the team. And that's just not the way Julian Edelman does business. So again, I agree with you. And I think that Julian is someone that's going to be relied upon this year and staying on that for just a moment, Murph. I don't think we can really evaluate Jarrett Stidham's leadership ability until we see him on the field. I don't think it's fair

to speculate neither to Jarrett nor to the Patriots themselves, but they're going to need someone other than Julian to step up into that leadership role especially on offense defense and special teams guys like McCourty guys like Slater Dante Hightower there's a lot of leadership pedigree on the defense but when you look at the offense you see a lot of newer parts you see a lot of transition so I think someone on that offense is going to need to step up and based on all I've seen covering the team for the past two years I think James White is that guy I think he has the tools I think he has the experience and let's face it he also has the national reputation to command that respect to be that leader on the field when you look at this roster Murph do you believe White

is that guy or are we missing someone here that could really step up into that vocal and into that spotlight type leadership role that's going to be able to take some of the pressure off of Julian this year? I do agree with you. I think James White is a seasoned veteran at this point in time in his career. I don't think anybody can dispute that. He's a man who does whatever is asked of him, including taking a lesser role than one he probably feels and I feel that he could take. I think Sonny Michel has taken a lot of snaps away from him. I don't want to put it on Sony. The Patriots running back room is, is, as I've described before, a Hydra and Bill will use whatever head that he needs to use in that game or on that series of plays or, or just from play to play. And, and I know that

James is somebody who feels that, you know, I could still do that, but he is also a big enough of a person and big enough of a leader to sit there and just slap somebody else on the backside and say, go get them, go out there and go get them. But I, I, I do want to bring up somebody that this, this offensive group is, is so young, you know, from a wide receiver standpoint, from a tight end standpoint. There are guys that are on this team that have a little more time in. But I think a lot of the leadership from this team is going to come from the offensive line room.

Guys like David Andrews, guys like Marcus Cannon, Shaq Mason. These are our leaders. These are vocal men in that locker room that are going to bring their lunch pail to work every day and lead by example. But we'll also stand up and let folks know, you know, in a Tom Brady manner that, you know, we got to do everything faster. We've got to do everything quicker. Let's go out and get this done. Let's make that block.

A lot of the leadership on this team is going to come from that offensive line unit that is once again, healthy and together. That's such a great point. And again, I don't think the offensive line gets enough credit for the work they do on the field. First of all, usually you hear offensive linemen's names when they're either not making assignments or not making blocks or not executing properly. When you're an offensive lineman and your name isn't really said too much throughout the game, you know you're doing your proper job. But I also don't think they get enough credit in the locker room for being the vocal presence that they need to be.

I've had the unique honor several times of speaking with current Patriots Hall of Famer, former Patriots offensive lineman Matt Light, and talking to Matt about what the offensive line needed to do in the locker room when Brady had to lead by example on the field. And sometimes it was difficult for the quarterback, the focal point of the Patriots offense to be that vocal leader. It was the offensive line that kind of carried his message. And I think in a lot of ways, you're going to see that this year.

So that's an excellent point. And I'm so glad that you made that. Guys like David Andrews, again, you want to talk about someone that's going to lead by example, coming back from a difficult injury, David coming back and being a strong force on this team after missing all of last year with such a scary internal injury. That right there is leadership by example, without even saying a word, Joe Tooney coming back.

A lot of people didn't expect him to be back in this locker room, and I think he can take on a big time leadership role as well. So once again, my friend, you've helped to lend the wisdom and counsel and fill in the gaps that we all need when it comes to feeling better about the Patriots' leadership. And just by your presence, my friend, today, based on our conversation, I feel better about the Patriots' leadership and those that are going to assimilate into those types of roles this year. But what about the guys on the field that don't always get the press they deserve? Patriots have quite a few of those guys. And in just a moment, Murph and I will discuss those unsung heroes on the Patriots' roster. And Murph, there have been plenty that have worn Patriot blue who have been unsung heroes.

Some select few, though, have received their just praise and deserve every bit of it. And maybe even more. And first on that list, you guessed it, folks. Tom Brady, the GOAT himself. And folks, I just can't help myself but to keep looking at this beautiful, commemorative Tom Brady football saluting his amazing 20-year run with the Patriots, courtesy of our good friends over at Nyko Sports. This one and only Tom Brady football is fully embossed. Panel 1 has an action shot of Brady with the six Super Bowl championship logos, one for each of the Super Bowl titles he won here in

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rockauto.com Patriots fans, the legendary Thomas Murphy joins me here today. And Murph, we discuss the leadership abilities of some of the veterans on this Patriots roster. But some players just lead by example, even when they don't have the media and public cachet of guys like Julian Edelman, Devin McCourty, and even Matthew Slater. They're guys we don't often hear about, but they can change the complexity of this team just by their play on the field. I promise not to steal your thunder, my friend, but the floor is yours. Who on this roster does not get the credit he deserves when it comes to his contributions to the New England Patriots? Everybody knows what I'm going to say here.

If you don't, you don't listen to the show enough and you should listen more. But what Brandon Bolden brings to the New England Patriots can't be measured in dollars and cents. It can't be measured in Sports Illustrated cover shots. It can't be put into context in highlight films. But what Brandon Bolden has done in his long career here in New England, I do not consider his year in Miami. I just don't do it. It should have never happened. But what he does here, we're talking about leadership. He will be, for the first time in his career, the oldest man in the running back room. And you can definitely count on him as a leader in that room, along with James White. What he's done here has enabled the Patriots, over the course of their history history to win three Super Bowls. He has made contributions on special teams that we don't even see.

He was a turning point in the Super Bowl against the Seahawks. If people remember, Cliff Averill was living in Tom Brady's face for the entire game and for the better part of the third quarter until Bill Belichick called Brandon Bolden's number and had Brandon go out there and just to set a block to get Tom Brady just a fraction more time because he knows that Brandon is the absolute best. I mean, one of the best I have ever seen at picking up a blitzer or picking up a bigger man coming off the edge. And he knocked Cliff Averill out of that game.

And the Patriots went on to create, at that time, the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history down double digits. And to win that one. I talk about Brandon Bolden a lot. He touches me as a, as a, not only a football player, but as a human being,

as a, as a great father. And, and it's just, it's just fantastic. He's, he's a classy act. He's,

he's, I put him in, in the, the, the classy section, like I would classy Claire, our good friend of the show. He's just, he's just amazing. he's just i love it just amazing he's just he's just amazing i love that word that clazy so that that's what i

put brandon bolden as he he is he is that person he he is that leader and uh he is an unsung hero and um one other person that i would really like to bring up is a man who played a single season here, just one season, and that is Malcolm Mitchell. football game that I have ever witnessed in my life. Um, the Superbowl comeback against the, uh, the, um, the Atlanta Falcons would not have happened. He, that, that man hauled in six of seven, uh, targets on that, uh, on that beautiful day for 70 yards. Um, he, he moved the chains every time that he was asked to. It was a beautiful thing. And he's a man whose career was ripped away from him. And a lot of people would not be talking as much about the difficulties that Bill Belichick has in finding wide receivers, because he was a fantastic wide receiver for this organization. Nevermind that the, what he did was able to do at Georgia.

And he's another unsung hero. Um, there are guys, there are guys throughout, um, Patriots history that we could talk about that are, that are unsung heroes. Uh, one of my favorite was, was the original, uh, H to the Izzo, uh, Larry Izzo who played with the Pats from 2001 to 2008. Bill Belichick used to talk glowingly about him during his time here, saying that he will never see another football player the equivalent of Larry Izzo. The things that he was able to do on special teams. We all know that Bill Belichick started his career as a specials coach.

And to play special teams for him is not an afterthought. It is not a, you know, we're just going to fill in here. Bill Belichick will hold a roster spot for somebody to simply play on special teams. And Larry Izzo was one of those guys. I completely agree with you. First of all, you did mention Klazy Claire. So I owe her a hey girl whenever you mention her. So there you go, Claire.

Thank you so much for your support. One of our biggest fans here at Locked On Patriots. We're always happy to call her out and shout her out. So, you know, thank you for that. I do appreciate it, Murph. But I'm so glad that you mentioned Malcolm Mitchell as well, and a name that I don't think is mentioned enough here on Locked On Patriots.

Obviously, he's no longer with the team. You put it very eloquently when you said his career was ripped away from him. That may sound a little harsh to some, but it's absolutely accurate. This is a kid that was on the cusp of such big things. You look at his performance in the Super Bowl on the biggest stage at such a young age and what he was able to do. It's bittersweet to talk about Malcolm because you look at the what-ifs and you imagine how great he could have been in this offense with more time to develop with Tom Brady.

Those two had a really good chemistry, a really good synergy. And it's just it's sad to think about what could have been on the field. But we wish Malcolm well in good health. And he's going to go on to do great things in his life, no matter what he does, simply because that's just the type of human being that he is. All the charitable work that he does for children's charities is tremendous. And he still does that, folks, each and every day. So I'm glad that you mentioned Malcolm Mitchell, because I think he does for children's charities is tremendous. And he still does that, folks, each and every day. So I'm glad that you mentioned Malcolm Mitchell, because I think he does deserve some love. On the current Patriots roster, again, I'm not going to steal your thunder.

Everything you said about Brandon Bolden is accurate. It's on the money, and it's exactly what I expected. And we all did. Anybody that's listened to you in the past knows your affinity for Brandon, but it's well-deserved. And you put into words exactly why you feel that way about him. I'm going to stay on special teams and I'm going to talk about another Brandon and believe it or not, this Brandon, I don't even think is a roster lock for

this year, but I do consider him an unsung hero year after year for the tireless role he plays on special teams. It's a, not a household name, but it's a name that Patriots fans know well. And that is Brandon King. And look, Brandon King missed the entire season last year with on special teams. It's not a household name, but it's a name that Patriots fans know well, and that is Brandon King. And look, Brandon King missed the entire season last year with his injury. No question about it. That was very difficult for him. And I think that's one of the reasons why he might be a difficult lock for the roster this year that he usually is. But I still think he has the upper hand to make this team and the reason being is that his special teams value is versatility um he could be seen as a defender he can come in technically he's listed as a linebacker he can come back in and play some of that hybrid safety

but his versatility really is in special teams i mean he can be used all over the field he's a four unit presence on that unit. We've seen him, you know, move out, cover the slot on, on certain occasions on defense, but his, his basic and his most prevalent role is being used on both the kickoff, the punt coverage teams. He's a member of the two return units. Brandon King always seems to be in the right place at the right time. That's why he continues to get a roster spot folks a lot of people are surprised whenever we do roster projections and I know you don't usually do the Murph I you know have to do them sometimes contractually obligated my friend and Brandon King is always someone that I list and Patriots fans

are always baffled by how can you put King there all the time how can you put King there they're gonna cut him loose they need that roster spot him loose. They need that roster spot. Well, yeah, they do need that roster spot. And it's filled by Brandon King because of what he's able to do. And the special team snaps. His acumen in the third phase of the game is truly unmatched, I think, in terms of what he's been able to do. I still expect him to be a multifaceted contributor this year.

When you look at 2018, his last healthy season, lined up all over the formation. He was a force player on kickoff returns. He was used in that wedge role on punt returns, which I think he did very well. He also saw a lot of action in the protection and the front line spots on both the kick and the punt return units.

I think in this case, he can really be a true force. Again, one of the only reasons why I say he might be in jeopardy is one, because of his health. He is coming back from the quad injury. You want to make sure that he's clicking on all cylinders. The other is the potential value that they could get in terms of cap relief and what he's able to provide. He's right now on the cap for $1.28 million. Excuse me. Sorry, Miguel. I know he's going to correct me and laugh at me for that.

But in any case, if they were to cut him loose, they can clear about a million dollars off of their cap space by releasing him. Again, I think that's a bargain. But at the same time, if they're strapped for space and they find someone that can play that role, a la Adrian Phillips or maybe And I continue to hope that he's able to play in New England for a good long while as well, because I think those contributions are so difficult to replicate in anyone else. Murph, what can I say? I always appreciate you taking the time out to lend your wisdom and counsel. You do it like no other.

I always enjoy giving you the opportunity to gush poetically on Brandon Bolden, and I'm glad that you had the chance to do it today, my friend. Again, folks, you should already be doing so. If you're not, I don't know why, but please, I implore you if you are not, follow the Count of Montefisto at Twitter, TMRF207. The columns, the monster keys are among my favorites, but all of the man's work is always top-notch. It can be proudly found at diehardbostonsportsfans.com.

And of course, never miss an episode of One Patriot's Place with Murph and yesterday's guest here on Locked On Patriots, our great mutual friend, Steve Balistrieri, who's putting out tremendous columns day after day for that site. I encourage you to check those out as well. But my friend, again, thank you. Don't miss the Sunday paper. Don't miss the Sunday paper. And I mentioned that yesterday, and I think that's such an appropriate way to describe the man's work. One of my favorite Sunday reads. I'll be reading this Sunday. You should as well, folks. My good man, honored and humbled, as always, by your presence. Thank you so much for joining me today.

No, thank you, bud. Thank you for having me. And folks, while we're out there, we're talking about unsung heroes. Don't forget my favorite unsung hero, and that that the Andrews Foundation continues to do year after since the September 11th attacks. Joe has been such an indelible part of Foxborough. We can all remember him running out onto the field, holding the American flags, knowing the sacrifices and the great service that his family and he provided to this country during that period. He continues to do so. He continues to be a beacon of light for those that need assistance, for those that fight for equality, and for those that want to be the change that we wish to see in the world. The Andrews Foundation does a phenomenal job on that. So thank you for that drop in, Murph. I do appreciate that. And I wholeheartedly agree with you when it comes to There are, and there's many that we could have sat here and talked for hours and hours about these guys. But I just wanted to get Joe in there today. I'm so glad that you did.

And again, so very well deserved. Murph, thank you again, my friend. Stay safe, stay well. And until next week, enjoy. Thank you so much for always bringing your wisdom and counsel here to Lockdown Patriots. Once again, Patriots fans, the wisdom and counsel of our good friend Thomas Murphy leaves you informed, entertained, and energized. But if you still find yourself in need of a little more energy,

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Don't delay. Make Built Bar your go-to protein bar today. And speaking of today, I sincerely hope that you enjoyed what Murph and I had to say about the unsung heroes in the Patriots' locker room, about those who may need to step up into a leadership role. Because in a lot of ways, those topics are a very fitting segue to the subject of tomorrow's podcast. And folks, across the entire Locked On NFL Network tomorrow, several of my colleagues will be taking part in a very special and very poignant roundtable.

And the subject of that roundtable is racial inequality and social injustice. And in tomorrow's episode, eight of my colleagues will get together and discuss the times in which they've experienced racism, what some of the positive steps that they're seeing being taken to help end racial injustice? And most importantly, they give their thoughts on what needs to continue to happen in order to facilitate change. Folks, I have never and may never again encourage you to listen to a show as much as I encourage you to listen to tomorrow's podcast. I have said so many times here on these airwaves that I am blessed to be a part of such a great team here at the Lockdown Network. That has never been more true than it is today.

I am so proud of my colleagues that took the time and the courage to share some very personal feelings and personal experiences. What they shared was not easy, but all of us across the Locked On Network know that in order to bring about meaningful change, discussing the most difficult of subjects is the first step in being able to do just that. Tomorrow, I strongly encourage you to lend my colleagues your ears. Listen to them so that way we can all join hands and lend our collective voices in unison to bring about the change we wish to see in the world.

The future of our nation, our nation the way it should be, a fair and just nation for each and every American is dependent on our ears, our voices, and most of all, our hearts. So again, folks, please be sure not to miss tomorrow's episode or any episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Follow us on Spotify. And don't forget, you can always listen to Locked On Patriots right on your very own smart device.

Just ask it to play the latest episode of Locked On Patriots. And if you've enjoyed today's episode, now ask your smart device to play the most recent episode of Locked On Patriots. And if you've enjoyed today's episode, now ask your smart device to play the most recent episode of Locked On Fantasy Football. Once again, I'm Mike DeBate. I thank my good friend Thomas Murphy for his time, his insight, and his appearance today. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for staying locked into Locked On Patriots. Stay safe. Stay well.

Be the change you wish to see in the world. And have a great day, everyone.