Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Locked On Patriots June 7, 2018 Subpart A - Edelman Did What?!?!

Episode Date: June 7, 2018

Per listener request, Mark Schofield has an emergency edition of Locked On Patriots, breaking down three angles to the potential Julian Edelman suspension.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Good afternoon, welcome into a special emergency edition of the Lockdown Patriots podcast. Mark Schofield racing back into the big chair to get with you on this afternoon as we do have some breaking news to get to. Before we talk about it all, a reminder to follow me on Twitter at Mark Schofield. You can follow along the work over at insidethepylon.com where I'm one of the lead writers. You can check out profootballweekly.com where I'm doing some X's and O's and quarterback scheme analysis type stuff over there. Bleacher Report NFL 1000 Project where I'm the quarterback scout and you can follow the video work youtube.com forward slash inside the pylon but you heard right some news breaking this afternoon I'm

going to take you if we will into the life of the big dog your man your host Mark Schofield I just finished wrapping a two-part podcast with my great friend Matthew Waldman. Matt has started a podcast of his own, the RSP Podcast. Wrapped a two-part episode with him, which will be out a little bit later over the summer, talking about quarterback and quarterback evaluation. So then what do I do? It's the summer after all. I get myself to the gym. That's right, your boy's trying to get back into playing shape or trying to lose the dad bod. One of the two. One of the two.

But of course, I'm still checking the phone, still checking the Twitter machine, still checking the video screens up above, and I see the news. Julian Edelman facing a four-game suspension for PED usage. That suspension is currently being appealed. And now I think to myself, that's some depressing news. I don't want to talk about that. But then the people speak out.

And when the people speak out, your host listens and your host delivers. That's right. Erica Prohl at Erica's Homes for you on Twitter. I've talked about her before. Realtor in the Ontario, Canada area, I believe. She asks, is there an emergency podcast because of the show. This is your show. I am just the caretaker of your daily New England Patriots podcast. And when the people ran out, when the people cry out for new podcasts, I deliver. So let that be a lesson to you all. Ask and you shall receive. I mean, you could probably at this point tweet me and ask to be on the show as a guest and I'd have you on. Because as I said, it's your show. So Erica, thank you as always for reaching out. You should all follow Erica. Thank you for asking for the emergency pod. Let's get into it. Julian Edelman facing a four-game suspension. And the way I see it, the way I see it is this. There's three ways to look at it.

One, looking at the four games, the first four games of the season and how it might impact those games. Two, looking at the overall state of the New England Patriots wide receiver room. And three, the soap opera that is as Foxborough turns. Let's start though with those first four games of the season.

Patriots opened their season with a tough one. You know, they start with the Houston Texans. Then they go at Jacksonville, at Detroit, then Miami at home. And looking at those games on paper right now, obviously it is just early June. But you've got a rematch against Houston, a team that took you basically to the last play of the game last year. You had to put up a ton of points to win that game. You go at Jacksonville to a team that obviously things

change from year to year, but this was the number one pass defense and historically good pass defense in the Jacksonville Jaguars. You go to Jacksonville for a 425 start, which you know is going to be the sort of game of the week type situation, AFC championship rematch. Then you go to Detroit, a team that might look a little bit different under their new head coach, familiar face in Matt Patricia, a team that can also score points in bunches. and then your first divisional game of the season hosting the Miami Dolphins. It's never good to lose one of your best players for any period of time, let alone a four-game stretch. But to lose Julian Edelman

for those four games, that's a tough way to start a season. this is a team that after all did get to the super bowl without julian edelman and this is a team that as we've seen time and time again the next man up philosophy they will have some guys to bring in but it's never good to lose a top player for any stretch of time now one thing to consider is it does give Edelman a little bit more time to sort of get into game shape. So there is that. And the fact of the matter is, look, Julian Edelman, as much as we all love him, he's a 32-year-old wide receiver. He's got nine years of NFL experience under him. He plays in sort of that slot type Z receiver type role for New England where there's a lot asked of him. A lot

of quick cuts, a lot of sudden violent moves and changes of direction. So there is some wear and tear. And I'm reminded of last year with Danny Amendola, how they sort of put him on somewhat of a pitch count so he was fresh and ready to go and deliver in the playoffs. In a way, while it hurts to lose Edelman, this might be beneficial for him sort of looking down the road to a potential playoff run, having him healthy, rested, ready to go, that might be beneficial. So there's one thing to it.

Also, let's consider the fact that this was a crowded wide receiver room to begin with. You look at the recent additions to the wide receiver room. You get Edelman back, now you're going to lose him for four games. Sure, Chris Hogan returns. You're starting to get Malcolm Mitchell back. He practiced today, which is a good sign.

Philip Dorsett returns. Kenny Britt, they bring him back into the fold. They add Cordell Patterson. They add Jordan Matthews. They draft Braxton Berrios in the sixth round. You know my feelings on him. Matthew Slater, Cody Hollister, they're still in the mix. This is a crowded, deep, wide receiver room.

If you want to find a silver lining on this entire story right now, it's this. When's the trade deadline? You might face a situation where somebody steps up during those four weeks. They can showcase somebody and then make a move at the deadline when Edelman comes back. It's just something to think about. We've seen more and more player-involved trades in the National Football League over the past couple of seasons because of sort of the new roster construction rules and the CBA. A lot of general managers are starting to look at acquiring players, not just draft picks via trade. If there's a silver lining, maybe it's a chance to get a guy like Malcolm Mitchell, get him some more snaps, get him some more reps, showcase him a bit, and then get something in

return for him when Edelman comes back. It's just something to think about. Unfortunately, there's that third aspect to this. We're going to get to that in a second. That's ahead. The soap opera aspect to the Edelman suspension. That's coming up with me, Mark Schofield, and an emergency edition of Locked On Patriots. Mark Schofield back with you now on this emergency edition of the Locked On Patriots podcast. And as I alluded to, there's a third element to this Julian Edelman story, the sort of soap opera element. And if you don't,

what I'm about to talk about, I would invite you to just do a Google search, whether Google News or just straight up Google for Edelman TB12, because that's right. This has shown new light

and new scrutiny on Alex Guerrero, Tom Brady's trainer. We all heard the TB12 method and all of that smoke and discussion and fire last fall. Well, now it's back. Google News search for Edelman TB12. What's it bring up? Julian Edelman gets suspended for PEDs and Twitter's got TB12 jokes. That's Sports Illustrated. Julian Edelman called TB12 trainer Alex Guerrero Mr. Miyagi in April, the big lead. Julian Edelman reportedly spending less time at TB12 center, WEEI.com.

Will Julian Edelman's PED suspension put further scrutiny on trainer Alex Guerrero? CBS Boston. Julian Edelman's reported four-game PED ban latest off-season drama. That's the Twin Falls Times news. I don't even know what the Twin Falls Times is. MagicValley.com? I've never even heard of this. I guess it's in Idaho. Idaho. This is now, again, putting more of a spotlight on all of the drama that we dealt with last November. And so, welcome to June, friends. I guess the bigger point is, of course,

it's going to kick up all this dust and dirt and it's going to cause people to relitigate all of these issues. Julian Edelman, if the suspension is upheld, he's clearly made a mistake. And we'll probably learn more. We'll probably get a statement from Edelman at some point. We'll probably have to address the press at some point about this. And he's going to have to, if the suspension is upheld, he has the right right to appeal he's going through that process right now and if the suspension is upheld he'll have to answer for what he did why he did it and we'll move on from there but because it happens in june it allows all this stuff to get kicked up again. It gives the news cycle something to talk about. Just when you thought we were past the Brady drama, the Gronkowski drama,

now we're going to get some Edelman drama. And of course, it's allowed everybody under the sun to bring up the Cheatriots, the Patriots are cheaters, all of that stuff.

Which, as Patriots fans, as the bulk of you are, know that that's going to get kicked up anytime the Patriots do something, anytime the Patriots fans, as the bulk of you are, know that that's going to get kicked up anytime the Patriots do something, anytime the Patriots are accused of doing something. And I've also seen people sort of react in, oh, this is witch hunt.

Goodell's out to get the team. Not sure he's going to do that over a drug test. Not sure they're going to, like, forge a drug test. Edelman, again, he's entitled to his appeal. We'll see the final determination. But if it's upheld, he screwed up. And he'll have to answer for that. And the team will have to respond for it, both on the field and off. I think the team is talented enough to get through losing Julian Edelman for four games. This is a team that, again, made it to a Super Bowl without him.

Yes, they lost Brandon Cooks from that wide receiver room, but as we talked about, this is a talented and deep wide receiver room. There's even a silver lining that they might be able to showcase somebody and then make a move. So, long story short,

the sky's not falling. It stinks when you see a player that, you know, you root for, you cheer for, go through something like this, make a mistake like this. Again, provided the suspension is upheld, it's never a good thing to see. But the

Patriots, as they've done so many times before, they have the talent to imply, to overcome a situation like this using that next man of philosophy. I think, maybe I'm wrong. I don't know. If I'm wrong, you can hit me up on Twitter at Mark Schofield. Heck, you can ask to be on the next episode. And as I'm trying to demonstrate here, I respond to my loyal listeners. I love and adore you guys. You guys ask for something. I'm going to do everything I can to make it happen.

That will do it. Okay. Now, seriously, unless something else happens, now I'm done for the week. Three-day weekend for me here at the Locked On Patriots podcast. Kind of. I'll still be working. Eh. Wherever you are, whatever you're going to do this weekend,

have a fantastic, fantastic, fantastic weekend. Do me a favor, if you will, leave some reviews over at iTunes or Stitcher or Podknife or wherever, however you listen to this podcast. Leave some reviews. I would really, truly, truly, truly appreciate it. Until next time,

have a wonderful weekend and keep it locked right here to me, Mark Schofield, and Locked on Peaches.