Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - LOCKED ON PATRIOTS- 4/18/17- Busy Tuesday In Foxboro and Breaking Down Which Offensive Tackles The Patriots May Target

Episode Date: April 18, 2017

Chris Simoneau, Patriots Insider for Scout.com, discusses all the Patriots latest news and also breaks down a list of offensive tackles the Patriots may target in next week's NFL Draft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Learn more about our healthy benefits at fepblue.org slash getmore. Good evening, I'm Chris Simino, Patriots Inside of a Scout.com, and also your host of Locked On Patriots, your source for everything Patriots. Today is Tuesday, April 18th, 2017. Today was a busy day in Foxborough. Patriots are gearing up for their draft next week, and they're also still making moves in free agency that could turn into significant pickups. We're going to get into all that when we update you on all the news for today.

We're also going to discuss some of the top offensive line prospects the Patriots may be targeting, as they typically do every draft day. When you have an offensive line coach like Skarniecki and you've had the success with late-day draft picks on the O-line, that's something you continue to do because with offensive linemen, in my opinion, they're as valuable as quarterbacks and cornerbacks. You can't score if nobody blocks. So we have a few guys that we think the Patriots may be interested in.

In fact, one of them today we found out is Ryan Ramzik, who is a first-round talent in the first-round grade. He's actually the number one ranked offensive tackle available. So that one surprised me a little bit. Seems odd for a team that doesn't have a pick until number 72. But if you take a look at some of the rumors that have gone on this offseason as far as trades are concerned, it makes you wonder if maybe something really is in the works, possibly two trades in the works,

come draft day that could really shape this roster. I just don't think they're done yet. Again, it makes you wonder if something's up their sleeves. Before we get started, I just want my listeners to know that it can be found on Twitter under the handle Chris underscore Simino. If you have any questions for the show, be it about the Patriots, myself, Patriots Insider, or if you're looking to advertise here on Locked On Patriots, you can email me directly at simino.christopher5 at gmail.com. That's S-I-M-O-N-E-A-U dot Christopher5 at gmail.com.

If you're a member of Patriots Insider on scout.com, you can contact me directly on the site via message. All right, enough with the formalities. Let's get down to some very, very interesting Patriots news. Like I said, it's been a busy day, so let's get to it. First big news of the day, Malcolm Butler has signed his tender. So it's a one-year deal. It's a $3.91 million contract contract so there's a couple different things that can happen here now the first thing he signs his one year deal

Patriots keep him he plays under his one year deal plays out his contract goes into free agency next year Patriots decide not to franchise him because they still have Garoppolo and they just move forward they pick up a third round compensatory pick for him

that's option A he plays it out leaves They pick up a third-round compensatory pick for him. That's option A. He plays it out, leaves in free agency. Patriots get the compensatory. It's been great having you. He's an old free agent as it is. Yada, yada, yada, he moves on. Second scenario. Now, this is not the second scenario you would expect. Patriots finally get him to sign his tender.

Draft comes and goes. No trade happens. And Patriots have a conversation with Butler. They have a conversation with this foolish agent who really is way over his head. And they finally convince him that he's not going to get the type of money that he's looking for on the free agent market even next year. Because, again, he's going to be 28 years old going to his first free agency deal. He's not going to get paid what Stephon Gilmore got paid. It's not going to happen by anybody.

Nobody's giving him that money because he's too old with not enough experience. So he needs to understand what his worth is. Patriots get him re-signed to a four-year deal. That's the second option, a four- or five-year deal. The third option with Butler, and this is the one that everyone thinks is going to happen, but I personally do not, but I could be wrong, is New England trades him. They trade him to either New Orleans

or Seattle, depending on what the situation is. As far as the Richard Sherman thing, it's still up in the air. At this point, I think that is an option to trade him, but the Patriots have made it clear that if they're going out and they're looking for Richard Sherman and trying to make a trade for a guy like that, and they've already signed Stephon Gilmore, and now all of a sudden they have other guys on their radar who

have become free agents who we're going to get into in a moment, they want two number one corners this year. And as far as a slot or a third guy they want a guy who was a former number one or a number two they're looking to have a solid solid secondary because the core that they're going to face and the receivers they're going to face this year are excellent and they're going to have a tough season if they're not ready in the secondary so they have to make some type of deal here they're either going to keep butler and they're not ready in the secondary so they have to make some type of deal here they're either

going to keep butler and they're going to go into the season with maybe the best corners in the league and i don't think they're done yet i think they're going to sign somebody or they're going to trade butler they're going to get back a top corner or they're going to draft the best corner in the draft and they're going to sign the best free agents available one of those things is going to happen because there's just no way that a team that's been this aggressive in the cornerback market is just going to give up a guy like Butler and not have anything to go onto the field that can resemble him or be better than him in 2017.

This team is clearly going for a second three out of four. That would be unprecedented in the history of football to have Belichick and Brady go three out of four twice to bookend their careers. So it's quite clear that that's what the Patriots are trying to get done here, and I respect the heck out of it because, you know, that's an impressive feat if they're able to pull it off. So everyone's been saying for years, how come they don't take advantage of, you know,

try to take advantage of Brady and try to get as many championships out of him as they can? Can't they see the light at the end of the tunnel? Guess what? They're starting to see the light because the light's getting closer, and they understand that his time is coming to an end. Brady could come in next season, week eight, and stink and be done. People need to understand this. He's 40.

He's not getting any younger. He's 39, but he's understand this he's 40 he's not getting any younger he's 39 but he's going to be 40 he's not getting any younger so at any moment he could drop off and not be good anymore so if they can put all these talented players around him they might be able to disguise it for a season and still be able to win with him

and they could also just say you know what we got one more good year left of him being what we think he can be, and then we know we're going to see him drop off a cliff. So let's go out there and have the best possible team we can put together. And that means keeping Malcolm Butler, or if you're going to trade him, you're going to trade him for a guy like a Richard Sherman, or if you're going to trade him, you're going to trade him for an 11th pick

so you can go out and draft the number one corner, and then go out and sign guys, which we're going to get into momentarily. But either way, you're not going to take away from what this team does and what this team's trying to do, which is win three out of four for the second time. Malcolm Butler, in some shape or form, either by trading for another player or being on the field himself, is a big factor in that. So don't expect to see that the Patriots trade him just to pick up more currency in the draft. They're not interested in this draft.

Another thing we're getting into soon. The Patriots today did offer a restricted free agent a deal, too. Running back Mike Glisley of the Buffalo Bills, formerly of the Buffalo Bills, if this goes through, was offered a two-year deal for $6.4 million. $4 million comes in 2017, and the rest of it comes in 2018. From everything that I've heard, sources have told me that the Bills are unlikely to match the deal.

The Patriots set it up so it was a little bit tough for them to match it. It's kind of similar to what they did with Chris Hogan last year, which turned out to be a great steal. The Bills have five days to match it. If they do not match it, the Patriots will give up a fifth-round pick. But, you know, that's fine. You're giving up a fifth-round pick to pick up a guy like Gallizly, who last season he was one of the most underrated running backs in football

playing for a team that just wasn't that good. Gallizly played his college years in Florida. He was a good player in Florida, and there's no question that he's the type of guy that can come to New England and run for, say, 1,200 to 1,300 yards in 14 to 18 touchdowns if given the opportunity to do it.

I mean, he's 5'11", 210. He's got that great build. He runs physical. He's got good speed. He's a better speed overall back and better for today's game than LeGarrette Blount is. And a guy like that, you know, he ran the ball 101 times last year for 577 yards and 8 touchdowns. That's incredible. 5.7 yards per carry, eight touchdowns on just 100 carries you know if you multiply that

double his carries he's going over a thousand yards over 15 touchdowns easily okay he also can help out in the receiving game now last year he only had nine catches for 50 yards and a touchdown but i think that had a lot to do with what the bill is doing offense i think that he could be a guy that helps out but mainly you're going to see him as a first and second down running back that the Patriots will use and lean on heavily. And I hate to say this, I know there's a lot of you LeGarrette Blount fans out there, but if this deal gets done and he doesn't get his offer matched and he doesn't go back to Buffalo, I don't think that LeGarrette Blount's coming back.

I think this is the end of the road. And I also think that the chances of signing Adrian Peterson might drop too, but we'll get into that a little bit more in the show later on. But Glisly, yeah, offered two years, $6.4 million. Very, very tough contract for the Bills to match just because of the way the Patriots set it up. They have five days. I'll tell you this, Patriots fans,

I would desperately want Glisley on this roster because he's that next running back they could use that would really help them out, and then hopefully they'll take somebody in the draft too and they can move forward with their core five and be ready to go for 2017. Not everybody was getting signed today, unfortunately. The Patriots cut guard Trey Jackson.

Jackson, who was a fourth-round pick out of Florida, another Florida player. Actually, Jackson was out of Florida State, my apologies. He actually was a starter in 2015. He started essentially every game. I'd have to look that up again, but I know that he started at least 10 games that season. He was effective for them. He struggled a little bit in his past blocking, but he was a good run blocker, and he was a good player coming out of college, too. Unfortunately for Jackson, he wasn't able to overcome his

injuries last season. It doesn't look like he's doing too well this season as far as the injury issues, and he was just passing the depth chart. It is what it is. So hopefully Jackson gets a chance with another team. I know the Patriots really like them and he's one of those kids that he'll get another shot but it just comes down to can he stay on the field or not and I personally don't think that that's going to be the case. I feel bad for him because I liked him coming out of school. Seems like a good kid and we're rooting for you Trey Jackson. Hopefully you can get healthy and get back on the field for another team.

Patriots also re-signed today tight end Matt Lengel. It's funny because he kind of looks like Rob Gronkowski. Obviously he doesn't play like him, but he looks like him. He was actually decent for the Patriots at the end of the season last year when they had a couple issues. Obviously Gronkowski was out. Lengel stepped up. He did a good job.

So Patriots rewarded him with a new deal. Let's see if he sticks around and doesn't get cut. You never know with these tight ends because it could be a guy that comes up in the draft that they like. And next thing you know, they got Gronk, Dwayne Allen, and some other guy we've never heard of. And Matt Lengel is gone. So we'll see what happens there. More news. More guys.

It was crazy down there today. Danny Amendola signed the new deal. He had to free up some cap space in order to keep his roster spot, which we've talked about multiple times on this show, and he did just that. A guy like Danny Amendola is smart. He knows, why would I go somewhere for the, quote-unquote, more money when you could very easily get cut.

If Amendola goes to a team and he doesn't fit their system exactly the way they want him to, they cut him. Because he's not going to get paid a huge amount of money. Nobody's going to give him a huge signing bonus anymore because he's at that age where they don't give him to him anymore at that age. It made all the sense in the world for him to sign a good team-friendly deal where he gets to keep a job, he continues to get paid,

and he continues to be one of Brady's bankies. So good job by Amendola. Signs his new deal. Most likely keeps his roster spot. Keeps the Patriots happy. Keeps Brady happy. Keeps Amendola happy. Good job keeping him in the fold.

Nick Casario today spoke about the upcoming draft, and it was very enlightening. Every year, I don't think people quite realize this, but the Patriots don't have that many players with draft grades. They just don't. They have a very, very high threshold of what you should be in order to be a draftable player. And if you're not a draftable player, they're not going to give you that grade. They're going to give you a UDFA grade, undrafted for agents. So Casario said that he believes there are 50 to 75 players that the Patriots have given draft grades to. It tells you everything you need to know.

I've heard so many people talk about how great of a draft this is. It's a great draft. It's really deep this and that. This draft is deep at the cornerback position. That's it. The quarterbacks aren't that strong. The offensive linemen, if you look at it, you have better chances of getting guys down in the third, fourth, and fifth round. There's just not a lot of depth at certain positions. There's depth at certain positions, but there's not a lot of star power. And if you don't get one of the top 12 guys in the first round,

you're pretty much getting a second-round pick after that. And getting an assassin trickle down, you know, when you're in the lower second round, that's one of the reasons. You look back at the Patriots, you look at the trade that they made when they went from the last pick in the second round down to 64, down to 72. They look at it and say, well, we only see 50 to 75 guys that are draft grades, so what's eight spots? What's the difference?

We don't even like all these guys. We're probably going to move that pick next year too. To next year too. It's very enlightening to watch the Patriots on draft day because if you know they're the best team in the league and they don't do it through free agency, they pick up free agents here and there that help out, but mostly this team is developed through the draft.

Just look at it. If they're not going out and drafting guys last year, they didn't draft that many, and they're not looking to draft guys this year, that tells you a lot about the draft. And the other thing that's very interesting that they're doing is they're starting to notice and they're starting to take players that they have draft grades on who turn out to be bust

because they don't think they're being coached properly and they bring them in and coach them up. So the Patriots, I think now they're pretty predictable in what they're going to do in the draft, and I just think that Patriots fans should really pay attention when you see 50 to 75 players are on their radar only. Out of the 250, they're going to be selected. That says a lot.

Speaking of the 2017 Patriots, the 2017 Patriots will raise the banner, even though they don't know where they're going to put it, seriously, against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night, the first Thursday night in September. I think it's the first Thursday. I could be wrong about that. We'll check on that. It's either the first or the second Thursday. Either way, the Patriots opening against the Chiefs, which I think is a good matchup for them. The Chiefs have a good defense.

They have a very efficient offense. It will be interesting to see them next season. I think that's a good opener for New England. I think it's a good opener for the Chiefs too because it gives them a chance to come in and possibly upset a team that everyone's looking at as the best football team on the planet. Patriots-Chiefs, September, opening Thursday. Patriots raise the banner, and then they come out and try to take care of the Chiefs, Alex Smith and the Chiefs. Free agents are still available out there that I think the Patriots might want

to take a look at. The three guys that I think could possibly still be targets of this team, one of them to a lesser extent depending on what happens with Gilleslie. Jason McCourty, I think, after he was released by Tennessee the other day, obviously you see the fit because of his twin brother being here. Also, there were the trade rumors back in 2015 when the Patriots were interested in trading for McCourty. It's a natural fit, but what it comes down to is, is he going to take the money that the Patriots are going to want to give him, which is not going to be a lot. I think if McCourty does come back, come to New England,

that's going to be very, very, it's going to hinge on what happens with Malcolm Butler. He could come in as a third guy, and they could use him as a nickelback, but I just don't see that happening. The second guy, Jarrell Rivas, now he I could see coming in as a nickelback. So if they decide to keep Butler and they decide to keep him on a one-year deal, I think there's a better chance we see Rivas signed and he's the nickelback in 2017. If the Patriots decide to move on and they trade Butler, I think they might sign McCourty and Rivas and have McCourty on the outside and Rivas on the inside.

I don't think that the Revis thing is done yet. I really do believe that he's coming back to New England, and I think McCourty all depends on what happens with our guy Malcolm Butler. So we're still kind of up in the air on that one, but I do think that Revis eventually will be signed and he'll be used as a nickelback next year. Among other things, too, he talked to Belichick about playing safety back when he first signed with New England, and Belichick just kind of laughed it off and scoffed at him like, you know, that's not happening. But, you know, Rod Woodson did it,

and if you look at these guys later in their career, Charles Woodson did it, too. I think Revis actually has the best build because he's thicker than those other guys were. I don't think he has quite the same speed, but he's pretty close, especially if he's getting himself in shape and not eating cheeseburgers like he was last offseason. So I think that Revis could be a nickelback slash third safety type coverage type safety guy that could really, really be helpful for this defense and i do believe that they're going to resign him i'm bringing back and again mccordy it all comes

down to butler the third guy well again this is all depends on what happens with mike glisley adrian peterson the reason the patriots didn't sign peterson when they had the opportunity when they brought him in was because they had to give up a draft pick if they signed him before the draft. It's one of those rules that's in place with guys that get cut that are still in the contract. They're not going to give up a fourth-round pick to sign a 31- or 32-year-old running back who's coming off a knee injury. If Gallizoli does sign, I just don't see Peterson signing

unless they offer him some crazy low deal and he accepts it because that's all he can get. So Adrian Peterson is still up in the air, but I think he might be going the way of LeGarrette Blount and not being a Patriot because I think Gilleslie just is the guy that they've wanted all along with his speed and explosiveness that he currently has that Peterson doesn't look like he has quite as much anymore. I know he still looks like he's explosive,

but he doesn't have what Gilleslie has right now. So it would make sense for the Patriots to focus on him. And if Buffalo matches, then Adrian Peterson will probably be signed right after the draft is over. On to some quick non-football news here. So we talked about this last week, and I've told you guys how I feel about Aaron Hernandez, and I still feel the same way.

But I did tell you guys this too. I thought he was going to be found not guilty, and you just look at it. You have a guy who, you know, in the main witness has immunity. You have to have corroborating evidence in order to convict the guy. And there was no corroborating evidence whatsoever, unfortunately, except for Ortiz's story. And Ortiz's story was not found to be believable by the jury,

so the jury found Hernandez not guilty on every count except for the illegal possession of a firearm, which actually carries a four-year sentence, which is added on to his life sentence. So after he dies, they can keep him in a box somewhere for four years and then go bury him somewhere. But the thing is that kind of worries me a little bit about this, and I've been openly critical of Fernandez in print

and talking on the podcast and talking on radio shows. I think he's a bad guy. He's a sociopath. I strongly believe that he murdered those two men. I don't care what anybody says. I believe every word that Ortiz said during the trial. I just think that if he had gone about it in a little bit of a less angry tone and not shown that he was

clearly trying to get back at Hernandez, I think that the jury would have maybe probably looked at it differently. But at the same time, no corroborating evidence was just a terrible job and the prosecution's probably not coming up with evidence. I don't get that. But this is going to help him on his appeal. And this lawyer that he's hired is the same guy who got Casey Anthony off, who clearly murdered her child. So he's now gotten off a child murderer, and who I believe a man who has killed three people. He thinks he's going to be able to get off Hernandez when they go to appeal. And I have a bad feeling that he's going to be right. So now the one thing, and I'm no lawyer, not even close, but I do have a brain,

and the one thing that they can come back to is say, listen, why would he have killed Odin Lloyd, who he had a relationship with, if there was nothing for him to be hiding? He was found not guilty of killing anybody or shooting anybody. So why would he kill somebody who was supposed to be his friend if he didn't do anything? And that's going to be exactly what the appeal is going to be all about. And they're going to get, I'm telling you right now, I'm telling you guys, there is a very, very, very good chance that Aaron Hernandez wins his

appeal and eventually gets out of prison. And it's sad because it shows you that you can kill people and if you have enough money and you can hire the right lawyers, you can get away with it. But I honestly don't think that Hernandez's life is over yet. I think that him being found not guilty on that double murder is huge and is going to give him a very, very big boost in his appeal process. And again, I'm predicting right now that Aaron Hernandez is going to be out of prison

within the next decade. I'm not going to say it's going to be tomorrow, but within the next decade, Aaron Hernandez will be a free man and he'll write a book and he'll make all types of money and he'll be hidden away somewhere for the rest of his life

but he won't be in jail. I'll tell you that right now. So, interesting, interesting development in the Aaron Hernandez saga. So, last but not least, the news for today. I just wanted to give this quick to you guys. The Patriots and the Jaguars have talked about possibly having joint practices.

It's important to note too because it just makes sense. You know, Tom Coughlin taking over the Jaguars' operation this year and the Patriots having a, and Bill Belichick and Coughlin have a long-running relationship in the league, having worked together with the Giants, face each other in a couple Super Bowls, which obviously Coughlin got the best of him.

It makes sense for the two teams to play together. It's better for Jacksonville than it is for the Patriots because Jacksonville needs this. They desperately need it. And I think it's good for the Patriots too because they get to go up against a different NFL team and that helps them when they get into game play. So, Patriots-Jacksonville possible, most likely joint practices this summer. And we'll be down there to cover them because we here at Lockdown Patriots are now in the door. We are in the building. So, we're going'll be down there to cover them because we here at Locked On Patriots are now in the door. We are in the building.

So we're going to be down there a lot. We're going to get into that a little bit more in a minute. Actually, we had one more note. Rex Burkhead was down at Foxborough on Tuesday, the first time he's got to meet with the media. This is what he had to say. Quote, it was very intriguing, of course, how they use their running backs. They split them out.

They use them in the backfield. Just the multidimensional ways that they used them, what Coach McDaniels does with his offensive schemes, it's great, and it felt like it was a great fit for me. He says, you know, quote, I grew up in Texas. We had seven-on-sevens in the summers all the time. We had to play receiver. You can't hand the ball out there.

It's true. I coach football, and we do the seven-on-sevens too, and there's no handing off. It's all throwing. So if you're a running back, it's good for you to get going. He got really comfortable with that, just trying to be an all-purpose back, being able to split out, catch passes out there, something that he says he's always wanted to do.

So I think that makes sense. A guy like Burkhead with his flexibility and his different style, he's a different type of running back, but he's a talented running back. I think that he's a good guy that can come in, they can use him on all downs, and they can mix it up. So with Burkhead, possibly Glisley, White, and Deion Lewis, that's a pretty good core that they've got going there, and I think they're going to draft the kid out of Texas too.

So interesting times here, interesting times in Foxborough. The running back core is shaping up, and it looks like it's going to be more dynamic than it has been in past seasons. So Patriots also began their off-season conditioning program. Tom Brady was a no-show, no big deal, nothing to see here type situation. Everybody knows that Brady's working out, and he'll probably be in better shape than anybody when the season starts because he eats his food that's made out of bark and that keeps him in shape.

So I promise that's the last thing we've got for the news. So let's take a minute to tell you about one of our sponsors. PatriotsInsider on Scout.com provides daily news, video from NFL.com, fantasy football information. You can play it. You can do anything on there. And you can also earn money back if you sign up today. What you want to do is sign up for Patriots Insider on Scout.com,

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So definitely take advantage of signing up for Scout so you can get all those updates, player interviews, all that good stuff. So again, nwe.scout.com, register today. We're blowing up. Go check us out. It's an unbelievable deal. So speaking of the draft, which I'm going to be at, well, I'll be in Foxborough. I will not be at the draft itself, but we'll be down in Foxborough live.

We're going to get into that in a minute and tell you guys all about it. The one thing that I've always believed, and the Patriots believe the same thing, is you always have to have at least one eye on the offensive line and make sure that you're always filling that slot because you just never know. You never know when you're going to have a guy who, you know, could be a 30-year-old tackle and, you know, this guy's our guy, Nate Solder, he's our guy, he's going to be good to go for a couple more years.

He can go down, drop of a hat, and next thing you know, you're sitting there without a tackle, you're sitting there without a guard. So the Patriots have been bringing guys into their development program for years, and I just think it makes sense to continue that and there's a few players on this list here who I think will stand out for them first, he's the number one tackle prospect in fact, draftneck.com, which is a great website

they have him listed as their 15th ranked overall prospect he came in for a meeting with the Patriots today. So that, to me, says that there's definitely something afoot when it comes to possibly making a trade. It's very, very strange that they would bring him in here to have an interview when they don't have a pick until 72. So that's something to keep an eye on. Ramsey, again, he's the number one rated offensive

tackle in the draft. He did 25 reps on the bench press of the combine, which is impressive. Big guy, 6'6", 310 pounds. He's a good player. He was a Division III student-athlete, but he did jump up to play major college football, and he was able to excel at it. He's just one of those kids that comes out of his stance fast. He does a good job keeping his pads underneath him. Does a good job of accelerating to his target.

He's got a good punch. He does a great job overall. He's got great technique. The kid's athletic. He has no problems moving. He's got great feet. He's just an overall, he's a number one tackle prospect. That's what he is. He's a little thin of a frame. His shoulder's a little too narrow. And his arm's

a little bit short. So, does that sound familiar? Matt Light. Remember when everyone said that about Matt Light? Well, Matt Light turned out to be a pretty damn good player as a left tackle for the Patriots for, well, let me think here, three Super Bowl titles and five Super Bowl games. So I'm pretty sure he turned out to be a good pick. He doesn't have the broadest frame, so that can be just, again, like I said with Matt Light, sometimes on the edge he's going to have a little bit more of a challenge.

So if he does have to deal with guys like a Jason Taylor type, he could struggle a little bit. But he is very athletic, and he's a smart player. There's a lot of Wisconsin linemen who are very good in the league. They do a good job of learning the NFL systems. So I think that he definitely is a guy that's going to succeed. He's battle-tested coming from that conference, and I just think that he's one of those guys that can really step up and be a good player.

NFL.com compares him to Joe Staley. So Joe Staley's had a productive NFL career, a good player for the 49ers for a long time. In fact, the 49ers got him through a trade with the Patriots. So that's how things work out sometimes. He's a confident player, and I think that Ramsey could be a good guy to bring in. Now, if you look at that, though, you say to yourself, they're going to trade up into the first round. They're going to take an offensive lineman

when they just signed Marcus Cannon to a new deal, and Nate Solder, again, is only, what, 29, 30 years old. Makes you wonder if maybe they don't see Solder as the guy going forward, or maybe they see Cannon and know what they have with Cannon and say, you know what, this guy had one great season, let's make sure that we bring another tackle in here just in case one of these guys starts to drop off, more like not one of if they drop off, more like when they drop off.

So Ramsey is a guy that they have their eyes on. I think that that's a little too rich for their blood, but it is what it is. Another guy who I think that they like, Cam Robinson out of Alabama. He's got great size, 6'6", 322, but he's also ranked number 36. So he's another one that it's going to be very difficult for them to get him unless they make a trade up and they make the move to get him. Robinson's an athletic guy. I think that he could definitely help out.

But, again, the 36th-ranked prospect in 6'6", 322, there's a good chance the team will reach on him and take him before he's even off the board in the second round where most people expect him to go. Roderick Johnson, tackle out of Florida State, 6'7", 298 pounds, fits that Patriot mold with good length. Johnson's a guy that I think could definitely be there if they end up standing on the board for the 72.

And also, if you look at the Patriots' track record, they do like the Florida State players. Brian Stork, who I know they've released, and he's moved on, he's retired, but he had a great season for them. They won the Super Bowl and recently released Trey Jackson. Don't look at that as, oh, well, you know, we released these guys, so we're not going to like these guys anymore. No, that's not the case at all. The Patriots like Florida State offensive linemen,

and I think Roderick Johnson is a guy they definitely could have their eyes on because a kid can play. He's got that length, and he still has the ability to get a little bit bigger. He's listed at.298 through DraftNec. The Florida State website has him listed at.311. He came out as a junior also, so he's got some room to grow. I just think that he's one of those guys that if you get him in the third round or if he possibly drops down to the fourth round, you're going to get a guy

who's going to be a steal. He started every game at left tackle in 2015. He was voted the Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner as the top offensive lineman in the ACC for a second straight year in 2016. First team All-American Walter Camp, first team All-CC by the media and the coaches. The guy's 31 consecutive starts. He's a stud. So I definitely think that a guy like him, if they can get Roger Johnson and get him in the third round,

that's some great value. So he's one that I really, really like, and I hope that they can get him and he'd be available and see the time to pick. Will Holden out of Vanderbilt, 6'7", 3'11". He's another guy that I think would be a good fit here in New England. He's got that good size that they like. They love those 6'7", 6'6", guys.

They got Brady who can see over that. Those big, tall guys, they've really worked out for New England. Holden's listed on the Vanderbilt side at 6'7", 3'12". Again, he's a redshirt junior. So he has been in college for four years. He just didn't play football for four years. He started every game last year in 2013. Actually, he did play for four years.

My mistake, he was a senior last year. He started 37 straight games, too. So he is quite the player, and he definitely stays on the field a lot, which is something that you're looking for with any player, especially offensive linemen, is can you stay on the field? So I think Holden is a guy that New England will definitely have an eye on. There's a couple other guys I'm not going to get too deep into some of these names, but just keep an eye on. Adam Bisnawati out of Pittsburgh, 6'6", 304. He's got

good size. DraftNic has him listed as the 96th-ranked overall player, 8th-ranked overall at tackle, so he could be a 4th-round, possibly 5th-round selection depending on how other people see him. Chad Wheeler, 6'7", 306 out of USC. I personally like Wheeler as a player. I don't even care if I say it. I'm a USC fan, have been my whole entire life,

so I watch the Trojans on a regular basis, study the team. Wheeler is a player. Somebody's going to draft him and be happy with him. So I think the Patriots will definitely take a look at him. They haven't drafted a lot of Trojans in the past. For some odd reason, they just don't. It could be an issue with they look at the climate. It could be an issue with maybe the toughness.

I'm not really sure. But I think Wheeler's a guy that could definitely fit in with the Patriots. Another guy, David Sharp out of Florida, 6'6", 343. He's got great size. He's a little bit more of a project. They have him ranked as 11th tackle, 119th overall. Sharp is, like I said, 6'6", 243. He can't teach size. That's one thing he can't teach, and he's still a D1 athlete.

He played for Florida, Patriots like those Florida linemen too, so let's keep an eye on that. I think David Sharp is one that the Patriots might have interest in, especially if they stay where they're at, they don't make any trades, and they've got to look down in the lower ends of the draft, and I think Sharp's the guy that they could have their eyes on. I also wouldn't be surprised if Sharp is one of those guys that they don't even look at as a draftable player

and that they're hoping that he slips down out of the drafts completely. On that same subject, Connor McDermott out of UCLA is 6'8", 307. He's another guy that I know the Patriots will have their eyes on. He's a good player, smart player. But again, I don't know if they're going to look at him as a guy that's draftable. I think they may look at him as a guy that they could take as an undrafted free agent. And last but not least, we have Javarius Limon out of South Carolina State. He's a bit of a sleeper.

He's 6'7", 332, great size. He's one of those guys that he's going to end up on an NFL team. And he's not only going to end up on an NFL team, he's going to surprise teams, and he's going to end up being a decent player if he gets coached properly. Now, who's the team that could coach him properly? Well, lo and behold, Patriots,

because they have a great offensive line coach and a great score around him. So I think that Javarius Lehman could definitely be a guy that fits in here with New England. Again, his size is unteachable. He's 6'7", 332. But he is as raw as it gets. So if they are going to get him and they are going to draft him, that would be a major reach. So if you're going to see Javarius Lehman on the Patriots, expect to see him signed as an undrafted free agent. Alright, that's all we're going to give you today as far as the offensive linemen

because, to be honest, it's a crapshoot when it comes to those guys. So one of the things that I wanted to talk to you guys about, I've been kind of teasing it all on the show. Next Thursday and Friday, I will be recording this podcast live from Foxborough at the Patriots draft party. We have finally been approved, so we'll be down there at every game and every single possible press conference we can get to. But the one thing that we can give you guys is some great coverage during the draft.

Myself and Doug Moore, who does some writing for me for scout.com and also writes for Pat's Pulpit, which is a great website. Check them out. You get the chance. He's going to come down with me, and we're going to go and talk to some players and talk to some of the coaches and see who we can pick the brains of and see where the Patriots are thinking heading into the 2017 season. But definitely be sure to join us next week.

Next Thursday and next Friday, we're going to have shows recorded from Foxborough. So you'll get to hear all the craziness in the background and all that good stuff. And on Saturday, I won't be able to attend, but I will have Doug down there. So we'll have him do a little segment and we'll get that posted up for you guys too. So good times here at Locked On Patriots. We're really starting to grow. I know we haven't been doing as many shows as we did during the season,

but that's going to change. I've been so busy trying to get everything squared away as far as getting in the stadium and making sure I'm there to get you guys all that right information. Now that we're at that point, it's time to really take it off here. So I want to thank you guys all for joining

and supporting us. Thank you for joining this Tuesday edition of Locked On Patriots. Be sure to go to iTunes and subscribe to our show today, as in right now. Tell your friends about us. We're not going away. We're just going to keep getting better and we're going to keep growing. Here at Locked on Patriots, we're all

about getting Patriots fans the most info you need to be the most in the know Patriots fan. Be sure to join us tomorrow. We're going to provide you guys with any more up-to-the-minute news on the World Champs. Again, I'm your host host chris simino i want to thank you guys all for joining us tonight and be sure to join us again tomorrow have a great night patriots fans is democracy in danger or decline condoleezza rice william galston and carlos gutierrez and others take on this question in the fall edition of The Catalyst, a journal of ideas

from the Bush Institute. Surveys show Americans place less trust in institutions like the media and business. Others contend America has faced far more challenging periods and emerged strong. Leading policymakers, Bush Institute experts, and respected journalists take on this debate. Read about it at bushcenter.org slash catalyst.