Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Locked On Patriots - October 24, 2019: Barth on Browns, Bennett and Gordon

Episode Date: October 24, 2019

After the surprising placement of Josh Gordon on Injured Reserve, the New England Patriots added yet another storyline to their preparation for Sunday’s matchup with the Cleveland Browns. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Alex Barth of CLNS Media to discuss Josh Gordon’s Patriots tenure, Michael Bennett’s future in Foxboro and a preview of Pats-Browns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello to all you Foxborough faithful and welcome to your short prep week Thursday episode of Locked On Patriots, your daily home for news, notes, analysis, and the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. This episode is brought to you in part by Peloton. Peloton is offering a limited time offer. Get $100 off accessories when you purchase the Peloton bike and get a great cardio workout at home. Go to OnePeloton.com and use promo code

LOCKED, L-O-C-K-E-D to get started. I'm Mike DeBate and I am your host of Locked On Patriots, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-F-P-C and be sure to follow Locked On Patriots on Twitter at LO underscore Patriots.

Folks, only in New England could a team that is quarterbacked by one of the greatest football players to ever put on shoulder pads have a defense that is putting up historic numbers, be 7-0, facing a high-powered team on both sides of the ball like the Cleveland Browns who are coming into Foxborough on Sunday, and have that be a borderline afterthought when it comes to the news surrounding the team. But that's the normal here in Foxborough,

and joining me today on Locked on Patriots is Alex Barth of CLNS Media. And Alex is among the best and the brightest NFL analysts anywhere in the sports media world. His ability to blend objectivity, keep his finger on the pulse of the fan base is remarkable, and it's my honor to welcome him to Locked On Patriots today, so settle in, and I hope that you enjoy today's show. And Wednesday was an interesting day in Foxborough to say the least. Mohamed Sanu, Justin Bethel debuted at practice, looked pretty solid, which is great news.

Michael Bennett spoke to the media, didn't appear to be too happy, and we'll get to that with Alex in a little bit. Eric Tomlinson disappeared, then he reappeared actually on Thursday morning. Prestidigitation being performed in Foxborough, or are we just witnessing another In Bill We Trust moment? I know, folks, a lot to digest, and Alex and I will do our best to help you sort all this out and break it all down for you. But the top story of the day is Josh Gordon, and as was first

reported by Field Yates of ESPN on Wednesday, the Patriots have indeed placed Gordon on injured reserve. That move effectively ends Gordon's season with the Patriots. Now, Gordon had been playing through a left knee injury and then was knocked out of the team's October 10th win over the New York Giants when he was awkwardly bent backwards while chasing down a fumble. It was a great hustle, great attempt by Josh, but he did come up injured, was knocked out of the game, and then of course missed the Patriots 33-0 victory over the New York Jets on Monday. and he was at practice on Wednesday, and that sparked some optimism that his health might be improving. However, that was short-lived, and at approximately 4 p.m. on Wednesday, news broke that Gordon

would indeed be placed on IR, and it looks like his Patriots tenure has come to an end. Gordon's numbers this year were not prolific, but they were decent. Through six games, Gordon totaled 20 catches, 287 yards, one touchdown. And this move did catch some close to the situation and possibly even Gordon himself by surprise. ESPN's Mike Reese reported this yesterday that an Instagram post alerting the account's followers that Gordon had indeed been placed on injured reserve had a very interesting respondent. And that respondent was Gordon himself, who responded with just one word, interesting. So it And that respondent was Gordon himself, who responded with just one word, interesting. So it appears that maybe Gordon was not completely prepared for this.

I know, folks, there always has to be something lurking beneath the surface, but all will be revealed within the coming days, as it usually is. But as for Gordon, yes, his season with the Patriots is over. The IR designation does not allow him to return. The Patriots most likely are using those designation does not allow him to return. The Patriots most likely are using those two designations on Nakheel Harry, which they've already invoked, and it's widely expected that the other designation return will be for left tackle Isaiah Wynn. But Gordon might still suit up and play in the NFL in 2019. Well, how is that possible?

Well, while the Patriots placed Gordon on IR, they did so using quote-unquote a minor injured reserve designation. That means that the team has to release him upon his return to health. That would indicate that Gordon's injury is not season-threatening. And it also brings up the question of why wouldn't the Patriots just release him outright? Well, there's a reason for that, too. If the Patriots use the IR designation and choose to release Gordon after Tuesday's trade deadline, which is coming up on October 29th, he would be subject to sign with any team. The Patriots don't want Gordon going to a contending team, especially one that they may face down the line, and have him be able to come back and hurt them. Therefore, releasing him on October 30th or after that ensures that he will go through the waiver process, and we all know how that process works. A team with the fewest wins has

the first opportunity to put in a claim. It's really hard to imagine a situation where Gordon would make it through the waiver wire far enough for a contending team to be able to scoop him up and sign him for the remainder of the 2019 season. So we may not have seen the last of Josh Gordon on a football field in 2019, it just may be for a different team. But still, that doesn't answer the biggest question. If Josh Gordon is close to being healthy enough to return to action on a football field, why didn't the Patriots just hold on to him in the first place? Well, I'm about to welcome Alex Barth to the hot seat, and we will be discussing that and more in just a moment. But first, I have a question for you. Yes, you, listening out there.

Do your weekend plans involve watching football? What a ridiculous question. Of course they do. And you love watching your favorite team fight for victory. As a true football fan, you already know, just as sure as the seasons change, Tom Brady will keep the Patriots in the game. And we expect him to do that again on Sunday, folks. Every weekend, our favorite gridiron warriors put their skills to the test. So why aren't you doing the

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In New England, you'll be hard-pressed to find four people that do their job better than my guest today and his colleagues. Relax, folks. I'm not talking about the Patriots secondary, but this crew is nearly as prolific.

Alongside great journalists like Mike Petraglia, Sierra Goodwill, and Evan Lazar, who has been a guest here on Locked on Patriots as well, this man is among the best in the business, and I truly mean that, at blending professionalism with a bit of hometown flavor mixed in. You know him from his amazing audio, video, written work covering the New England Patriots for CLNS Media. It's my honor to be joined today by Alex Barth. Alex, well, I got to say, comparing us to the secondary, that's high praise, but I guess we need a nickname now. So I'd like to officially open the forum.

Get at me on Twitter. If anybody has any nicknames for the four of us, let them roll. I'm all in on that. Well, you know what? You guys do your job, and you do it well every single week, just like the Pat Secondary. So you know what? If we can get a nickname together for you guys, I'm all for it.

And just remember, folks, you heard it here first on Locked On. No, I'm all for it. And just remember, folks, you heard it here first on Locked On. No, I'm only kidding. But in any case, Alex, I opened the show today by saying that only in New England could a team be 7-0 with a defense that's solidifying their claim to being historically good. They're about to host a team with a lot of dynamic personalities coming in here in the Cleveland Brown. But that's like the fourth story on the media depth chart right now. And look, with due cause, I know there's a ton going on in Foxborough. But we'll start today, obviously, with the big news, and that is Josh Gordon. And I opened by telling our audience some of the logistics behind his release,

such as the minor injury designation, why they did it this way, and what that means for his release going forward. Now, this move surprised a lot of people, I think, especially when we saw Josh on the field even yesterday at practice. It looked like he was moving toward a return sooner rather than later, maybe not this week, but it looked like he was trying to be integrated back in. My question to you is, do you believe that this started to brew with the Patriots' acquisition of Mohamed Sanu,

or could the Pats' hand have been forced a little bit by maybe something they saw on the field yesterday or maybe something lurking behind the scenes? It has to be something behind the scenes because the team, they're saying they never cut Eric Tomlinson. They cut Eric Tomlinson. He didn't have a locker in the locker room yesterday. They released him, then Gordon goes on IR, and then all of a sudden they didn't cut him, they cut Eric Tomlinson. He didn't have a locker in the locker room yesterday. They released him, then Gordon

goes on IR, and then all of a sudden they didn't cut him, they didn't submit the transaction. This was something that developed that happened late in the day yesterday, and everybody wants to come up with their conspiracy theories, and you know, like you said, how negative can you possibly be about a 7-0 team?

The best thing that might happen for the Patriots right now is the Celtics coming back and laying an egg because now there's another outlet for all that negativity. But I wonder if it's as simple as, and there's cases of this that happen more than I think fans realize, Gordon has one opinion about his injury, the Patriots have another, and this is the common ground, right?

Apparently he's been telling people that he believes he's close to ready to go. There was a report yesterday from his camp that he ran 22 miles an hour on the treadmill. Maybe the Patriots didn't see it that way. Maybe they thought that there wasn't a great chance that he could factor in again this year, and so they were going to put him on IR. He believes he can still play. He isn in a contract year, so they do him the service of saying, all right, you know what, you think you can play? Sure, go ahead, we'll release you, see if you can find somebody else to grab you. But where Sanu comes in, and I think Nikhil Harry is a part of this as well, is when Gordon got hurt against the Giants,

and that wasn't the injury that ultimately is relating to this IR move. They're saying it was a bone bruise on his knee, but we saw that injury against the Giants, right? That looked scary. Oh, yeah. I thought right there he was going on IR, and then he didn't, and you're like, oh, maybe there's hope.

Maybe it's one of those ones that looks uglier than it is. And I wonder if last week they thought, okay, he's not in great shape, 50% chance he gets back, but we need to hold on to that chance. And now that they've seen Nikhil Harry out at practice and seen how he looks and they've brought in Mohamed Sanu, maybe now all of a sudden it's, well, we don't need to take that chance. We have better ways to use that roster spot. Now we can afford to shut him down for the season

and ultimately cut ties with him. And to me, this is really just a big, big vote of confidence from the Patriots for Mohamed Sanu and how fast he can get acclimated for Nikhil Harry and how quickly he can pick up the NFL game. And I think for Jacoby Myers as well, and just, you know, validation of everything he's done so far and the opportunities he's been given. I don't think there's anything malicious. I think that Gordon was playing hurt. He'd fallen down the depth chart. There's a disagreement about what he can do for the rest of 2019, and they went their separate ways. I said this yesterday. I wouldn't be floored if as a free agent in 2020, Josh Gordon's back in New England. I really wouldn't be. I don't think

this is bad blood or anything like that. I think it's a simple disagreement, Josh Gordon's back in New England. I really wouldn't be. I don't think this is bad blood or anything like that. I think it's a simple disagreement, and it's unfortunate because Gordon's been a great story in New England. He's been a fan favorite, but it's a business. As any player will tell you, this is a business, and you're seeing a business decision here by the New England Patriots. Absolutely, and two points that I really, really appreciate you making. One, about the maliciousness of what happened here

and about any type of bad blood. And I think that's great insight on your part, and I thank you for that because there are rumblings throughout Patriots Nation, and you see it, I see it, we see it all the time on Twitter, especially in that, but all areas of social media, that there's got to be something going on here and there's some sort of negativity that happens.

It's good to know that, and obviously, I mean, you know, I'm not putting you on the spot and saying that, oh, Alex Bartz said that there's nothing going on there, so there isn't. But it probably is not, and I agree with you. I think there is a very good chance that we may see him back here in 2020 as a free agent. That's one thing that I think kind of flew under the radar with the news, the shocking news that he was going to be put on IR and eventually released.

That's something to keep an eye on. The other point that I think that you make, I'm sorry, go ahead. No, please go ahead. I just want to add really quickly to that as well. Everybody wants to use the term relapse here. If he had relapsed, he wouldn't be talking about going to other teams. You can wipe that one right off the table. Very good point. Very, very good point. And that was actually, you stole my thunder on a follow-up question that I was going to ask,

but you said it perfectly. And you know what? In a way, I think it worked out perfectly because we put it to rest and I appreciate you saying that. And again, the other point that I wanted to just go back to for a second, Alex, was when you had mentioned a vote of confidence for guys like Nikhil Harry, a guy like Mohamed Sanu, and also a guy like Jacoby Myers, these three right now have shown a lot. Now, obviously, Sanu is the new face in the locker room. The Patriots look like they targeted him. There is the Rutgers connection.

There's the Shiano connection, which obviously ties with the Patriots, but still very close relationship there with Bill Belichick, you have to think. Sanu coming in here does fit the mold of what they were looking for in a receiver, but I think this especially is a big vote of confidence, like you said, for Harry and for Myers. Myers coming in shown a lot of signs. I think he showed growth in every game that he's played since they've activated him and kept him on the wide receiver rotation. And with a guy like Harry, obviously they invested a first-round pick in him. They have high hopes for him. They're going to let the kid play.

They're going to want to see what he can do. And it does bode well for what they've seen in practice so far. Alex, I'm going to switch gears here for a second, and I just wanted to talk very briefly about Michael Bennett, and obviously we all know the one-week suspension and the issues that have happened there. He spoke to the media yesterday for a few minutes, and from his tone and his comments, it looks like there's still some hard feelings there, and that difference of opinion, maybe it's lessened a little bit, but it hasn't vanished.

Are we seeing the final days of Bennett in a Patriots uniform? I think if it were up to him, yes, but it's not up to him, unless he retires and walks away from a bunch of money. It's not up to him, and I think the Patriots want to hold on to him. It sounds weird, but my line of thinking is basically this. If they thought he was going to be a problem and they were done with him, they wouldn't have suspended him. They wouldn't have traded him or cut him.

I think that they hoped the suspension would be, for lack of a better term, kind of a come-to-Jesus moment for him and he would figure it out. Maybe it was and he's just kind of ticked off at the media for putting this whole storyline around him. Maybe kind of ticked off at the media for putting this whole storyline around him. Maybe he is ticked off at the Patriots. I don't know. But if they didn't want him here, he wouldn't be here. It's that simple.

And he's going to have to do something drastic, maybe he will, to get his way out of New England. But, you know, it kind of goes against the logic, but I do believe that Michael Bennett is here to stay because I think Bill Belichick believes there's a point down the road where they're going to need him. And they're going to need to use a 4-3 front, and they're going to need a guy who fits his

skill set. So is that necessarily the way I'd go with it? No, but I haven't won six Super Bowls. So I don't think we've seen the last of him because why suspend him and bring him back? If they knew they the last of him because why suspend him and bring him back?

If they knew they were done with him, why suspend him and bring him back? Maybe they think they can trade him, but if he's still here at the deadline, he's here. And then you revisit the offseason, maybe they move him in the offseason, he still has one more year left on that contract, but they didn't suspend him just to bring him back and cut him. That's not how Bill Belichick works. Yeah, very, very good point.

And I'm glad you mentioned 4-3 as opposed to 3-4, because that really is the quote-unquote field difference, I guess, or the difference of opinion on the field logistically from an X's and O's standpoint where this all seemed to start. Bennett was brought in. They were going to employ much more of a 4-3 look, it looked like. And then the emergence of a guy like Jamie Collins and even Danny Shelton at the nose tackle position, I think really changed what the Patriots were going to do.

And we've seen them go much more 3-4, and his snap count has diminished as a result of that. That doesn't mean that the Patriots may not decide to go to a 4-3 down the road, especially when they play some of the teams closer to the playoffs and deep into the regular season. So that's an interesting point about Bennett, because I know a lot of people looked at what happened with Bennett yesterday as being, oh, well, this is his way of shooting out of town. His days are numbered. He's gone. I like the insight that you brought to the table, and I think you make a great point. If they wanted to cut ties with him, they would have done it. They wouldn't have just let him go on a one-week sabbatical,

I guess is the best way you can put it, and then bring him back. Yep, go ahead. And I think the other thing, just to put it in context, it actually reminds me a lot of what happened with Demarius Thomas, right? And that whole story we talked about last week. A huge part of the reason Ben was available in Philly is that he was upset with his playing time. He wanted to play more, and the Eagles weren't going to give that to him.

And it's very possible that Bill Belichick traded for him and told him he was going to play, and he was going to be a key part of this defense and all of that. And like it happened with Thomas, right? Bill Belichick told us, circumstances changed changed and that's the way it goes. He wasn't trying to lie. He wasn't trying to deceive the player, but that's what happened. And like you mentioned, the emergence of all of these guys, Jamie Collins, Danny Shelton, I'd add Chase Winovich to that list as well. This is the NFL. This is the business. Circumstances changed and we saw Damaris Thomas clearly didn't take it well talking about his stint in New England being a waste of time, even though, and we saw Demaryius Thomas clearly didn't take it well,

talking about his stint in New England being a waste of time, even though it might have saved his NFL career. Michael Bennett maybe feels the same way, that Belichick lied to him. He doesn't have the role he was told he would have when the Patriots traded for him in the spring, but that's just the way football goes, and it creates a difficult situation. Yeah, it definitely does, and I agree again. we've heard Bill Belichick say how many times we're going to do what's best for the football team. And that's probably exactly what happened. And it's hard to argue with that type of philosophy

because right now the defense is putting up historic numbers and they look as formidable as any unit I've seen in quite some time, not just in the league this year, but quite some time. They're doing an amazing job. And that does lead me into my next point, and that is, Alex, believe it or not, there's actually a game to be played on Sunday. It's hard to believe, but there is. That's right.

And once again, the Patriots heavily favored against the Cleveland Browns. Baker Mayfield has thrown 11 interceptions this year, and the Pats defense has intercepted opposing quarterbacks 18 times. So that's a recipe for a pretty hard day for the young quarterback in Cleveland. Now, one of the keys to that, to me, has been the Patriots attacking their opponent's offensive line. That's allowed the linebackers to get free to rush the passer and apply pressure. When teams try to adjust, the Patriots show the blitz,

but then they drop seven in the coverage and they prevent the quarterback from having anywhere to throw. We saw them do this Monday night against Sam Darnold, and I think that really, really threw him off. I led to the whole ghost comment, which, you know, I mean, if you want to throw those in there, that's fine, but I'm not going to put you on the spot to ask your opinion on that. My question to you here is, should we expect to see the Patriots' defense

employ that type of strategy again? Because it looks like they've been doing this week after week, and teams just don't seem to have an answer for it. Yeah, I think that's their best strategy. Patriots, what they want to do in this game is have Baker Mayfield running around for his life, because that's when he's going to make mistakes. And this thing could get real ugly real quick if the Patriots

have their way with Baker. The Browns' offensive line is not good. It's probably on par with the Jets, which is not a good thing. It might be worse. Sam Darnold is probably a smarter quarterback than Baker Mayfield at this point in their careers. He probably is.

The Ghost comment, again, that was, you know, as an objective observer, that was hilarious. And that's the smarter guy. That's the smarter guy. So let's see what the Patriots can do to Baker on Sunday. And, again, it could get real rough real quick. On the other side of the ball is probably where the Browns have a chance to maybe make this game close.

But start the Patriots' defensive fantasy, I guess is what I'm saying. The Patriots are going to send the house. They're going to be sending different guys from different directions. Don't be surprised if maybe they blitz some corners, maybe blitz some safeties, and they're going to have Baker's head spinning, I think, in this one. And we'll see where Freddie Kitchens can come up with. But a lot of what they've done is downfield concepts. They haven't been that much of a dink and dunk team, and that's kind of what I'm surprised teams haven't done more against the Patriots, is quick slants, quick outs, screens, that sort of thing.

They seem to be trying to attack the Patriots in the intermediate and deep parts of the field, and you just don't have time to do that against this Patriots defense. You don't. You need to scheme receivers open, and you need to get the ball out of the quarterback's hand quick, and I just don't think the Browns are the team that's going to figure that out. Now, the Ravens in a week, maybe, but I don't think the Browns are the team that figures that out.

Yeah, I agree, and I do think the Ravens definitely, that one is absolutely circled on everyone's calendar when it comes to the Patriots. A lot of people are considering that their first, quote-unquote, test of the season. I think that's a little harsh. I think the Patriots have been doing a good job. Yeah.

Go ahead. I think the Browns is a good – I'm trying to think of the word here. It ramps up well. The Browns may be the best team they've played outside of Buffalo. So it's not like they're going from nothing to the Ravens, who are a good team. This is a good kind of intermediate test for them. And you've got to remember, too, kind of what's at stake here for the Browns.

This game is their season. They were supposed to contend with the Patriots for the AFC. They're supposed to be this wagon, all this talent. And here they are. They're 2-4. Baker's throwing more interceptions than any quarterback in football. And you look at the dynamic in that locker room that has to be hanging from a very thin string right now. Odell had a chance to go to the Patriots.

They were interested. He ends up in Cleveland. So you imagine this game has some added meaning to him. The Patriots were reportedly very interested in Baker Mayfield during his draft. You figure this game has some added importance to him. If the locker room is as fragile as we think it could be from the outside, and Kitchens is kind of the, you know, Kitchens kind of takes a step back, this could be it for the Browns. If they lose this game ugly, that thing could implode.

So, this is a, that's probably what they have going for them the most, is they really have to win this game, or this whole Browns dynasty, we were force-fed all summer, is going to evaporate eight weeks in. Yeah, great point. It really is. This is their season. You hit the nail right on the head. And, again, there is a lot of motivation.

And any time you heard Freddie Kitchen say it yesterday, we're not playing a normal team. We're paying the New England Patriots. They're anticipating everything and anything. So it's a situation where they know the gravity of how important this win is and how many eyes are going to be on them this coming Sunday when they do come up to Foxborough. Staying on the offensive side of the ball for just a minute,

and my last question before I let you go, my friend, and you had mentioned the Cleveland Browns possibly being able to attack the Patriots offense a little bit, and maybe that's where they would get things going. We heard so much about the Cleveland defense early on, and they have some playmakers in this defense, in the secondary, up front, definitely Miles Garrett, Denzel Ward, some of the names that we know very well. What type of strategy could they employ to help contain this Patriots offense that would help to keep them in the game on Sunday and maybe even force some turnovers for Tom Brady and company? I don't even know that it's necessarily a whole X's and O's strategy.

I'm just worried about Olivier Vernon and more so Myles Garrett going up against Marshall Newhouse because he hasn't quite given them the level of production that you'd hope for. Look, you sign a left tackle off the street once the season starts, he's given you kind of what you expect from that. But he hasn't exactly been pretty on Tom Brady's blind side. Myles Garrett has been an absolute animal this year, one of the few bright spots

for the Cleveland Browns. He's gotten after the quarterback as well as anybody in the league. So if they can unleash him and maybe unleash Vernon on that blind side too to change up some looks and get after Brady and the offense sputters and suddenly you're looking at a game that's 6-3,

10-6, 10-7 going into halftime, all of a sudden, okay, you have my attention. You're hanging around here with the New England Patriots, and maybe that's just the boost the Browns need, the confidence boost they need to get the most out of all this talent. But I would think the Patriots are going to want to put an extra tight end on that side. I think it's a big game for the running backs to block in this one.

So I'm looking at a lot for James White. I think Eric Tomlinson sticking around is actually huge. I know he missed a wham block against the Jets last week, but besides that, I thought he looked good. The guy is a good blocker. So if the Patriots are going to leave Newhouse one-on-one on that outside with Miles Garrett, it's going to be a problem. If the Patriots counter it with extra blockers, that should help them out.

But that's the one spot I'm looking at. It's basically – it's Miles Garrett's duty to keep the Browns in this game. And that's asking too much of one player, and that's sort of what the Browns' problem has been all year. It's a big-picture problem. They're asking too much from certain guys, and they're not getting the full team effort. But if the Patriots can neutralize Miles Garrett,

which easier said than done, they should cruise to this one. They should cruise. He's the one guy, and then I'll add Vernon in there too, maybe. But whoever's rushing on that blind side, that's the only spot where the Browns can maybe even this game out. Yeah, and the Patriots definitely, their M.O. going forward, usually we say this about them on the defensive side of the ball, but they utilize what their team, what the opponents do well,

and then they take it away from them. And that's, again, that's exactly what they're going to have to do with Myles Garrett, who, again, I agree with you, has been an absolute beast this year. So we shall see, and it'll be an interesting and probably a fun one to watch. I'm sure in Foxborough on Sunday night, Alex, I can't thank you enough for taking time out of your busy schedule for joining me today here on locked on Patriots for the benefit of our listeners. Alex,

to me is one of the best Twitter follows anywhere in the universe, not just for his Patriots coverage, but just for his comments and just everything that he brings to the table. So I highly recommend that. Alex, where can our listeners find not only you on social media, but also the great work that you do each and every day? I really appreciate that, Mike. Follow me at RealAlexBarth, B-A-R-T-H.

That's my Twitter. I do some Instagram stuff, too, some sort of behind-the-scenes, what it's like to cover the Patriots. And then at Patriots, C-L-N-S on Twitter and clnsmedia.com. That's where you can find all the work from myself, Traggs, Evan, Sierra. And, again, it's just too many names to say. We need a nickname. Please tweet them at me.

I am more than open to it. Let me hear them. Absolutely. And definitely help Alex out. This is a phenomenal crew. And from personal experience, I can tell you, you cannot find four nicer, better people anywhere. We've had Evan on the show here.

Alex, it's my pleasure to have you on today. Tell Trax and Sierra I'll be in touch. We've got to get the CLNS crew here on Locked On to lend all of your wisdom and counsel eventually. But again, thank you so much for today and have a great week and enjoy the game on Sunday. We'll be looking forward to your coverage. All right. Thank you very much. Thank you, Alex.

And as for me, I will be back tomorrow to bring you the latest Pats news, notes and analysis and to offer my preview and prediction for Sunday's matchup with the Cleveland Browns. As always, please join me each and every day on the Locked On Patriots podcast on the Locked On Podcast Network. Listen and subscribe via your preferred podcast provider. Once again, I'm Mike DeBate, and on behalf of Locked On Patriots, I thank Alex Barth for his appearance today, but most of all, I thank you all so much for listening. Have a great day, everyone.