Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Monday Musings with Murph: Bolden, Drafting WRs and New England Patriots Free Agency - 3/22/2021

Episode Date: March 22, 2021

The New England Patriots have certainly been ‘uncharacteristically aggressive’ in their approach to free agency, thus far. However, have they spent too frivolously? Joining host Mike D’Abate is fan-favorite Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy, as they duo discuss the Pats’ grades in free agent pursuits. Murph also offers his insight on the future of Brandon Bolden in Foxboro. Lastly, the pair give their Monday Musings on the wide receiver prospects that the Pats may target in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus.Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. All of you Foxborough faithful, you are now locked in to the Locked On Patriots podcast. It is Monday, March 22nd, 2021, and it is time to muse the draft with a little hashtag LockedOnMurf here on your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. Locked on Patriots is presented today by Built Bar.

Go to BuiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKED15 to get 15% off your next order. Greetings and salutations, Patriots Nation, and thank you for once again joining me here today on Locked on Patriots, kicking off yet another week here in Foxborough. Hard to imagine that this week can be more exciting than last, but you never know. Expect the unexpected when it comes to your New England Patriots. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, your comments,

your feedback, always welcomed, very much encouraged. So share that feedback and send it to the internet by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there doing some Monday meandering through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Patriots fans, one week ago at this time, we were all wondering what the Patriots were going to do in free agency. 65 plus million dollars in available cap space, a lot of holes to fill on the roster.

Was Bill going to be aggressive? Was he going to take a passive approach? How would we feel one week from today? Well, Patriots Nation, whether you love the moves, whether you question the moves, one thing you have to give Bill credit for. He did what a large portion of the fan base and the media have been imploring him to do for years. He addressed a lot of needs on the roster, and he spent a great deal of money to do it. And make no mistake about it, Bill spent money this time around because he had the money to spend.

And now that we've had a comparatively quiet weekend as opposed to a whirlwind week last week to kind of catch our breath, take a look at the overall picture of the moves the Patriots made and really evaluate exactly how much they improved their team last week. Luckily for us, the first day that we're going to do that just happens to fall on a Monday. A hashtag locked on Murph Monday. And folks, you know our good friend the Green King of Sting is going to be chomping at the bit to give us his opinion on the Patriots free agent frenzy from just a week ago. Which moves were Murph's favorite? How much did the Pats really

improve their ball club heading into 2021? Did they spend too much? Well, Murph's going to provide his grade to build a GM, and we're also going to pick Murph's brain on a subject he knows very well. Patriots running back and 2020 opt-out Brandon Bolden put out a pretty blunt tweet over the course of the last 24 hours, and we're going to get Murph's opinion on what Brandon Bolden can bring to the table, assuming he is back in Foxborough in 2021. And based on the nature of Brandon's tone and what he said in the tweet, Brandon Bolden doesn't sound like a guy who's ready to hang up the cleats anytime soon. Last but certainly not least, it is Muse the draft here on Monday. After all, Murph and I don't make fun of the draft. We don't mock it.

We muse it. And today we're going to be talking about wide outs. Wide receivers. The Patriots weren't as active on the free agent market as a lot of people had hoped. In fact, one can make the argument that the two wide receivers they did acquire through free agency might be their most criticized moves. I, for one, like the additions of Nelson Aguilar and Kendrick Bourne. Even if you think they paid a little too much for them, each player definitely fills a need

the Patriots had on this wide receiving core. But no doubt about it, the Patriots are still looking for help at wide receiver, and if they choose to upgrade this area on their roster, it probably will be through the draft. Who do Murph and I have our sharp eyes on as we head toward 2021's draft at the end of April? Well, today we'll be talking top-end wide receiver draft prospects, and we'll also get Murph's thoughts on which player might be that diamond in the rough that the Patriots could find in the middle of late rounds. Folks, an action-packed agenda on the pod today.

Murph and I talking free agent grades, Brandon Bolden's future in Foxborough, and who the Patriots might be targeting in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft at the wide receiver position. All this plus the usual Monday hijinks with Murph when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, Locked On listeners, the football games might be over on the field, but the NBA, college basketball, March Madness, the NHL, the NFL equivalent of that hot stove, well, they're all in full swing. And when you want to put your prognostication skills to the test,

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Patriots fans, last week at this time was the calm before the storm. The legal tampering period was about to begin. All of us were wondering, what will the Patriots do? Well, they attacked free agency with a vengeance. And today here on the pod, we're going to continue to break down all of those moves. And it's Monday, so you know what that means. That's right, folks. It is that time again.

Your favorite and mine, my benefactor in this business, the only guest on this pod with his very own branded hashtag, the Count of Murphy Fisto himself, the legend of Murphy, is back for his weekly appearance here on the pod. Murph, thank you for coming to me in friendship. Thank you for joining me. Always my honor. Always my pleasure. Don Murph.

Thank you for having me back and back again. And as we say here, Locked On, it's okay to mock Murph. You just can't mock the draft. Let's get into it. That's right. You can mock Murph, but you cannot mock the draft. It is. It's hashtag Locked On Murph Monday.

We love it. We're going to talk free agent frenzy. We are going to muse the draft because, again, Murph and I do not mock the draft here. There was no mocking. We muse it here on Locked On Patriots, and we'll be talking about a potential position of need, the wide receiver spot, and we'll get to that in just a moment. But first, Bud,

it's been a slow week in Foxborough. Nothing really happening since the last time that we talked. I don't know. It's like it's crazy. It's just, you know, very boring, you know. The data take down the Lombardis and dust and things like that you know nothing going on always good yeah absolutely um pat's making the headlines in the nfl the last week or so uh for the first time in a long time uh that wallet that foxborough wallet got opened up and the patriots spent big on free agents as you can imagine

several fans and members of the media praising them for doing that but there's probably an equal amount that are on the other side of that that are criticizing them it's the bill spent too much crowd versus the cue the duck boats crowd and we know this this is pretty much every off season uh but every off season is usually bill spent too little and then you get now the crew that are basically you know raking them over the coals for spending too much you know me but i love the aristotle quote virtue lies in the middle and i like the moves that the pats made i like some more than i like others but i don't think they made a terrible move um i want to get your opinion on this though what do you say what grade would you you give Bill the GM on last week's deals?

And which of these moves were your favorite? I give Bill a straight B on the moves that he made over the last week. And for the people out there that are getting on his case, asking, you know, why is Bill spending so much? Why didn't bill spend this much money when tom was here well bill didn't have this much money to spend when tom was here that he has never gone into an off season with 68 million dollars in his pocket and this many holes to fill on a roster whether it was through attrition, retirement, guys moving on the year before and not having the money to spend last year during the offseason. He had to do it, and he did it, and he did it really, really well.

Completely agreed. And look, bottom line, I know a lot of people are getting on Bill Belichick for filling this roster with too many free agents. I've heard that. It's too many veterans. It's too many free agents. You need to get younger It's too many veterans. It's too many free agents. You need to get younger. You need guys in the draft to be able to groom into these positions.

Bill can't draft. That's why he's doing this. We're hearing that one a lot. Oh, Bill the GM is covering his mistakes. He's covering his tracks. Folks, think about this logically for a second. Maybe one of the reasons why Bill the GM, bill the drafter might not have had the success that a lot of the pundits and the fan base hope that he would have is because these draft picks

were put in a position to have to succeed at an early level like they hadn't been before bill simply didn't have the money to bring in a lot of free agents around him to nurture these guys to bring them along have them hold a clipboard, so to speak. I'm not talking about every individual player, but they need time to learn the system, learn their opportunity to be able to succeed. A lot of the Patriots' picks, especially at the wide receiver position, the tight end position, have not had that luxury.

They've been called upon to be wide receiver one, tight end one right away, and they didn't have the proper veteran presence to be able to mold them in around them. is excellent and even the best coaching can give you what you need but it doesn't quite give you everything that you need i don't think that's a point that's covered nearly enough so i agree with you i think that there's a lot of uh you know moves that can be made i think that you are very uh prudent in giving bill a straight b i'd probably lean a little toward giving him a b plus simply because i love that i love the fact that hunter henry is a new england patriot you have no idea how much joy that now folks no i'm kidding i've got adrian phillips

and hunter henry here they're following me to foxborough but i can't knock folks. I'm only joking. I really and truly am. But all kidding aside, I do think that the Pats made some wise moves, the tight end position. I like the moves that they made on defense. Is there a move that specifically stands out to you, but as your favorite move that the Pats made over the course of the last week or so? An absolute favorite move has got to be bringing David Andrews back. I know that some people may say that I'm copping out here, but the continuity, and you're hearing that word a lot lately, and I wonder why, probably because we've been using it here on the podcast for the past few weeks in talking about the offensive line.

The continuity that bringing Andrews back is really something that would have hurt this team. I said last week that even with all of the fine signings that Bill made over the first day or two of free agency, that it really took a step back in losing two-fifths of this starting offensive line, which is, in my eyes, the best offensive line in at least the AFC. And bringing Andrews back really mitigated that. He did allow him to go out and see what was there. And from all, from everything that we're hearing, you know, our good friend,

Evan Lazar came out and said that Andrews came back here for less money than he was offered on the open market. But this is my, this is, that's my top move. And I'm biased. I'm a fat guy who hiked to football. So yeah, I'm a bit biased, you know. But after that, you know, it really does. I'm right with you. After that, Hunter Henry is my favorite addition that Bill made this week. Yeah, and look, first, I don't think you're copping out at all.

I think the Andrews signing may be the most impressive. It might end up being the most impactful for the Patriots when all is said and done. When you look at what he came back here for and the amount of money that he eventually inked himself to, this was a fantastic deal for the Patriots. I can't believe that somebody out there did not blow away David Andrews with some kind of offer that he would say, yeah, thank you for everything, Bill. I appreciate the rings. I'm going to go get paid.

He's not really getting a lot of cash. No, he's not. And that surprised me as well. And you hear about him going out, testing the waters, coming back because of his love for New England. That should tell you right there first of all it should put a huge wrench into the plans of those that love to say oh bill nobody wants to play for bill every free agent wants to get away from bill uh players that have played here know that it's tough to play for bill there are players out there that do like playing for bill pelichick

and they like being in new england so kudos to David Andrews for being able to come back. I love the move. I was so pleasantly surprised to see that. 10.45 on a Thursday night, just when you thought your day was done, they pull you back in. Bob Fossey and I talked about that on Friday, and it just seemed like an ever-ending news cycle for the Patriots last week. But this is definitely one that I was glad to stay up and be able to cover because it really was so impactful for the Pats. last week but this is definitely one that i was glad to stay up and be able to cover uh because

it really was so impactful for the pats now you get that offensive line that really is solidified at all the major spots the center position david is there if for any reason he has injuries or problems ted caris slots right in and he can play a decent center i would have been glad to see him go at the starting center position but granted i'm much happier to see david there it's much more of an upgrade but you also have players and teams that you know are able to utilize what they can do the patriots now have the luxury of adding isaiah win on the left side michael wayne slots in on the left side now on the right you're looking at a combination of trent brown and shaq mason that's mostly some people flip-flop and say that trent

may end up on the left or you know mike may go back to the right i don't know how the patriots are going to work that um i think mike is a natural guard and i think he's going to really show that this year him on the left side to me could be impressive but then you've got the depth pieces too you got justin heron you got cory cunningham yadni kajust who you know nobody's seen what you can really don't forget this is a kid this is a kid that had a very very high draft grade coming out on him with the problem that he was often injured and that really hurt his draft stock but in terms of talent and in terms of his ability to play on the offensive line he was very highly touted so this could be a fun year in foxborough for all of the patriots uh o-linemen and really a lot of their additions as well and don't forget harris can move around on the inside there too and that's just another um nice little moving piece

for bill to have during the year. Bill got caught with his pants down a couple of years ago at the offensive line spot, and he's never going to let that happen again. Absolutely. No, and it really did. And it caused significant problems for the Patriots all over the line. The fact that he has the depth and the ability to backfill is a position of strength for this team, and it will continue to be.

I do want to say how they'd like a little depth back on that line. Absolutely. Absolutely. It's true. It really, really is. And their locking up of Joe Tooney, I think, proves that they're looking for reliable linemen, and they got one of the best for Joe.

That is a really, really big contract. And, you know, well-deserved. You and I both know Joe, and we both know the type of dedication that he brings in the house, on the field. That's going to be a great addition. Without a doubt. I hope he gets every dime of it, because he's earned it. Good for him. It just burns your ass in Kansas City. It truly does. It really does. Have fun blocking for 17 seconds a snap.

That's why they paid him so much, because you've got to block longer. Absolutely. That's true. It really is. I do want to stay on the subject of roster building for just a moment, Murph, because you knew this was coming. Brandon Bolden.

You know, this is your specialty, bud. You are the BB Hulk smash whisperer. And we recently saw a tweet from Brandon himself saying that he's pretty upset about these retirement rumors that are swirling around. And I know that, you know, there's a lot of the what have you done for me lately crowd that is out there saying that all the opt-outs are not significant or all the Patriots don't have any need for any of them.

Who cares if they return any of them? I'm being respectful in the language that I choose to say that Brandon wasn't happy about the retirement rumors. Brandon was not. He was pretty blunt. And I don't blame him. You know, it sounds to me like a guy that isn't done without any question. I say this because, again, there's a lot of short-sighted hindsight floating around out there about these opt-outs and their ability to contribute to the team this season.

Sadly, I don't think Brandon's name, at least in my opinion, is mentioned nearly enough as an impact addition to this roster for 2021. Murph, in your infinite wisdom, tell us why, collectively, Patriots Nation might be underrating the impact of Brandon's return to the team this year. I mean, just in the sense of somebody who knows how things are done here, knows the work that needs to be put in. Having Brandon Bolden in a young, what is a young running back's room, which could be added to in the draft this year, is paramount. The fact that he is one of the best blocking running backs

that I have ever seen in my life. If you don't believe me, go ask Cliff Averill, and he won't be able to answer you because he doesn't remember the second half of the Super Bowl a few years ago because of Brandon Bolden. Also the fact that while we are out there searching and wondering whether or not James White is going to come back, Brandon Bolden is somebody who can catch the ball out of the backfield like nobody else on this roster right now. I'm sorry, J.J. Taylor. That's just a fact. Brandon Bolden brings

more to the table than people give him credit for, not to mention the fact that he is also one of the best special teamers that I have ever seen. He's somebody that brings it on every snap, whether it's lining up behind the quarterback, splitting him out, or playing special teams that I've known. This man is a worker. He comes to the job every day with his lunch pail. That lunch pail is always full, and at the end of the day, it is always empty because he leaves it

all out there on the field absolutely so well said and i'm glad that you mentioned his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield something i don't think brandon ever got quite the credit that he deserves no granted he was behind one of the best to ever do it in a patriots uniform and that's james white look nobody nobody in my opinion, or at least nobody holds James White in higher regard than I do. I absolutely love the guy. There may be guys that hold him in his high regard. You can go back to Shane Vereen, too. Shane was one of the best in the league at that time, too.

It's a numbers game. It is somebody who does something just a tad bit better. But, you know, Brandon is a guy that does everything really, really well. He does. He absolutely does. And in that regard, if the Patriots choose to utilize Brandon in that mold this year, I think it's a perfect opportunity for them to go out and draft a guy like you talked about last week or a couple of

weeks ago here and that's dimitri felton who's really i think rising up on a lot of draft boards patriots draft boards much more so than i've seen him within the last couple of weeks well we know i had him in the fourth round and now he's going in the second and some in some mock drafts it's driving me nuts it really really, really is. It really is. But if the Patriots are serious about wanting that next pass catching back, that next prowess back that's going to come in here and carry that load, Felton, to me, is a perfect guy.

Because let's face it, Murph, the Patriots are hesitant to play rookie running backs. They've done so in the past. Even with James White, he had the red shirt essentially his first year. So did a guy like Damian Harris. J.J. Taylor didn't see much time last year. They want to bring these guys along. That may necessitate a veteran option to carry that load. And if White does indeed move on from Foxborough, and again, folks, there's still a chance he comes back here. I'm not saying White is as good as gone. I've heard mixed things on James White. I hope he does come back, but if there's not an availability there,

Brandon Bolin could be that bridge type of running back that allows the Patriots to still play with prowess at that position, but also groom the guy for the future. So, this could have a number of impact on the Patriots, and I really, I for one, always

loved your insight on Brandon, and the first time I saw I really, I for one, always loved your insight on Brandon. And the first time I saw that tweet, I thought of you right away, and it looks like a lot of people did. You and so many others. Your Twitter was flooded, buddy. I saw it, and with due cause, because, I mean, let's face it, you are the All-Stars Whisperer. Oh, my God.

Oh, my God. Mark, what are you hearing, Mark? I'm like, believe me, I won't be the first to know, but I'll be in the top five. And Brandon Bolden has decided to step down. Sooner or later, like I said, somebody else will have said it first, but I will be in that inner circle, and I'll find out before many people. Well, we're holding you to that, bud, and you are our BB Hulk smash insider as well as the whisperer. So I appreciate you indulging me and answering that question because only we're the good answer to that question. And you do it proud.

And only you could answer that question the way I needed it answered. But we love talking free agency. It's fun. It's interesting. But it's only part of our show today because in just a moment, folks, Murph and I are going to muse the draft. It's Mock Draft Monday here, and we don't mock the draft.

We muse it. And today in Murph's crosshairs, the wide receiver position. Bill Belichick's Achilles heel in the draft. Will Bill finally find that wide out? Well, maybe he will if he listens to Murph. Hear my good friend's thoughts on the subject when the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues.

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And second to none is our Locked On NFL Draft podcast, which is your daily draft news and mock draft podcast. Follow Locked On NFL Draft and Draft Dudes on the Radio.com app or wherever you get your podcasts. Pats fans, Thomas Murphy joins me here on the pod today. The return of hashtag Lock locked on Murph Monday. And buddy, with all the moves that the Patriots made last week, the most criticized of those moves by some, not all of us,

but some would probably be at the wide receiver position. The Patriots adding Nelson Aguilar and Kendrick Bourne. Two decent additions. Some were expecting bigger names. some were not happy with the money that was spent on these guys most of all agalor i see a lot of vitriol being thrown bills way with the contract that he signed nelson but it's two needs that the patriots had agalor fills the need for that vertical threat and born kind of fills the need for a shorthanded option that can play either in the slot or can line up on the outside as well.

And then, of course, the vitriol continues to be thrown into Keel Harry. A lot of the fan base just want to see him banished from football altogether. Murph, I know, I don't understand a lot of the hate that's thrown at this kid. I understand frustration, but the downright hatred, it's a mystery to me too as well. I know the production hasn't been there, but the talent is. And for everybody that wants to hop on him, there have been circumstances. But that's my two cents on the subject. But if the Patriots don't add more help at the wide receiver position, it's probable that they'll look to the draft to do so.

And there are some pretty good prospects out there. If you are Bill Belichick, putting on your GM hat for a moment, is there a wide receiver in this draft that first might be available at 15 and second would be worth that draft capital considering some of the other needs for the Pats at this time. Is there a guy that can change the complexity of a wide receiver class in this room that the Pats might realistically have a shot at? Realistically have a shot at, yes, while everybody else is fighting for the next roll of the dice at the quarterback position. Yeah, I do think there's a realistic shot that one of the guys from Alabama slide down that far, and I think Bill would be insane not to grab it.

They talk about the fact that Bill is not great at drafting the wide receiver. Look where he's drafted it. Take out and kill Harry, please. Just leave that to the side because it's an unfinished product. A guy who's been here for two years, been injured, had one quarterback that basically ignored him and another quarterback that was unable to get him the ball where he needed it and outright did not see him on a lot of occasions.

But, yeah, I think Devonta Smith would be fantastic here. I think Jalen Waddell would be an amazing addition to this Patriots team at the 15 spot. And then after that, there's a real drop-off in my estimation. There are guys that are out there that would fit in well here, but I'm not sure it'll be at 15. This draft is not as deep as a lot of people are saying it is, in my opinion, at the wide receiver position, simply because we didn't get to see these guys enough last year. But there

are some guys that had some good junior years, some good sophomore years that would fit in here. Terrence Marshall out of LSU, he's over there on the other side. I like him a lot. He's huge, and he's got a fantastic wingspan. He pulls in a lot of balls. Tutu Atwell out of Louisville, I like him a lot. He reminds me of Chase Claypool. I really enjoy watching him play. And then we're

getting down to, you know, the Rashad Batemans and the Rondell. Let me step back there. Rondell Moore, the kid out of Purdue. He's a short inside guy that could do well with the different quarterbacks. See, that's the thing. We're not sure what offense is going to take the field this year. We're not quite sure what Bill's thinking, where the replacements are going to come from. But Moore could definitely fill a bill in the slot, but that's, again, later in the draft. And after that, man, it's really one of those drafts where you're waiting

until the third or the fourth round to get value out of these guys. And again, this is why in the past people have gotten on Bill because he is drafting guys in the third round, in the fourth round, in the third round, in the fourth round, in the fifth round. It's a long time in between Bill taking somebody up high in the draft at this position, and it just seems like everybody is piling on that. But if you're going to go wide receiver in this draft, do it early or do it late.

Good point, and I'm glad that you mentioned do it early or do it late. Good point. And I'm glad that you mentioned do it early or do it late. You mentioned Terrence Marshall, and he's kind of like the forgotten guy, I think, in LSU because you line up alongside of Jamar Chase, who's right now you can say that he, Waddle, are probably the one-two punch combination that everybody's looking at for wide receivers coming out of this class. He also had to share time with Justin Jefferson,

and we saw what jefferson did last year um evan lazar will go off for weeks on end about how great a route runner and how perfect of a wide receiver justin jefferson would have been here he wanted it i wanted it it just unfortunately it didn't come you know down the other pike but i think that a guy like marshall really came in and took advantage of his shot. He didn't have Chase. He didn't have someone like Jefferson that needed to sort of bog his talents down. He took full advantage of it in 2020 and averaged more than 100 receiving yards per game, double-digit touchdown receptions for the second straight season. He's got versatility.

That's what I really love about this kid he's not restricted to a scheme and i think that is something that should be so endearing toward a patriots prospect or an ideal patriots wide receiver is someone that has the physicality the hands the ball skills the size uh running after the catch he can route he can run routes very well. You know, there's really, I think, just exactly. There's so much to like about this kid. And you know how much I loved Debo last year. I wanted him here.

I was really ticked off when Bill didn't take him. And the other thing with Terrence is the fact, with Mr. Marshall, is the fact that he didn't get a lot of help from his quarterback or his offensive line last year down in LSU. I've been watching a lot of help from his quarterback or his offensive line last year down in LSU. I've been watching a lot of tape. And they just could not give him what he needed in a way that he would have shined much more. Terrence Marshall is the guy that we need to look at as Patriots followers if Bill trades back in the first round. This is a guy that could go 28th, 29th, or high in the second round.

So if Bill trades back, this could be the man. Yeah, absolutely. And you know what? I'd be pretty good with it simply because, again, versatility and the ability to play in a numerous amount of schemes. He's not locked into whatever the Patriots need to do at the position. He can fill a lot of holes. So if they do want to go out and get one more free agent at the wide receiver position that fills a certain role, he doesn't have to be role-specific, and he can kind of be molded into whatever the Patriots need him to be.

I'm so glad you mentioned him. And that leads me quite nicely into my final question for you today, Bud, because we're going to look at the best of the rest at this position. And, you know, I love asking you this question because as Paul Vitti would say, you, you, you're very, very good. You, you got a gift, my friend. You do see things us mere mortals do not see. Murph, in your your infinite wisdom we need that murph diamond in the rough today who's catching your sharp eye at the wide receiver position either in the middle part of the rounds maybe late in the draft who do you think would make an amazing patriot as a wide receiver uh sage charot the the wake forest kid i really like him i like his size

i like his ability um he's got a good 40 time. Not one of the best ones in the draft. It's like 4.5, 4.6, right there on that edge, but there's just something about him that I really liked. He looked really good at the Senior Bowl this year. I love his hands. He makes catches that a lot of other people wouldn't. He has fantastic body control. That's my hidden gem right there. Great, great. I love it.

I absolutely love it. Very intelligent as well, Sage Sherrod. A lot of people don't realize, valedictorian of his class in high school, actually committed to Harvard before changing his his class in high school actually committed to harvard before changing his mind to focus on football and committed to wake forest but uh you know the business program he actually thought that the business program at wake was actually superior to the one that he was going to go into at harvard so the fact that he was able to meld that in and also go into a power five conference and play football was a win-win for him. But look, this kid can flat-out play on the field.

He can. Shoulder injury history there, it did force him to miss some games in 2019, opted out of the 2020 season. But I like this kid because he's physical, got great, great ball skills. He really, I think, contested catches. This is a kid that can win those battles. And I know we proclaimed Nikhil Harry to be the contested catch guru, and it never quite worked out here in New England the way we had hoped. It still might. We're still not saying that.

I know Nikhil is on the block. He's not a foregone conclusion to be traded, although it's looking like a 50-50 chance right now. So if for any reason Nikhil is jettisoned and you need that contested catch ability, that guy that can play the X role but can also play that big slot receiver, Surratt could be a real asset here in New England without any question. Big-bodied, listed at 6'3", 215. He's got some weight, some size. Really, I think an ideal target for anyone that is looking to be able to create leverage,

whether it be Cam Newton or whatever quarterback is throwing on the ball this year. I think it's going to be an interesting sell. So I'm glad you mentioned Surat because he's someone that I've been watching the last few weeks as well. And I think he could be that diamond in the rough. So Murph is hardly ever wrong, folks. We're definitely going to keep our sharp eye. And that's why we always request the great man's wisdom and counsel. He lends it like no other, buddy.

That's why your family here at Locked On Patriots. Folks, you should already be following this man. But for any of our new listeners, and we have quite a few this week, and we really appreciate all of you taking the time to share part of your week with Locked On Patriots, please follow my good friend, the Count of Murphy Fisto on Twitter, at TeamMurph207.

Murph's insight, his monster keys, anything he puts pen to paper on is always point, click, learn, enrichment material, proudly found on DieHardBostonsportsfans.com. Never miss an episode of One Patriots Place, which, with the exception of Locked On Patriots, is my favorite listen. No, just kidding, folks.

I am their biggest fan. And believe me, when you combine the wit and wisdom of Murph, Steve Balistrieri, and you can't forget our good friend, the Countess of Clas herself, Claire Cooper. It's always must listen. Thanks again, my good man. Honored and humbled as always by your presence.

Always my pleasure. Always my joy to come here on Monday and lead off a great lineup that you've put together here on Locked on Patriots. It is humbling to be asked back here week after week and now year after year. And just remind Steve later when he joins you this week that I left the South Carolina wide receiver out there for him to pump up. And you know what? He's joining us tomorrow, and that may be a good part to pick up our conversation.

And all kidding aside, my friend, I know I say that a lot, folks. It was pointed out to me on a review recently, and I do love it. I am working on it, but the review was very glowing. And whoever did leave that, I really sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart for the kind words. But I'm humbled by the company that I keep. And, you know, the guests that I have here on Locked On Patriots are always gracious. They're always informative.

It helps me to put out the best quality show that I possibly can. I really want to thank you. I want to thank Steve for being my regulars each and every week. You guys are amazing, and you always have been, you always will be to me. It's my honor to share the microphone with you each and every week.

That being said, bud, we're going to do this all again on Monday. If you will be back, I would definitely love the opportunity to talk ball with you again. In the meantime, stay safe and well and have a great week, my friend. Thanks again for lending your wisdom and counsel to Locked On Patriots. You too, bud. Go Pats. And so, Patriots Nation, we have kicked off the week in style

here with a little Locked on Murph Monday. Of course, Murph's Insight, always welcomed here on Locked on Patriots, but fear not, because we're only scratching the surface when it comes to your weekly Patriots coverage. So, to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, download and subscribe to the Locked on Patriots

podcast on platforms such as Spotify, the Radio.com app, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Just make sure that you are staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank my good friend Thomas Murphy for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's pod. But most of all, and most importantly,

I thank all of you, each and every one of you for listening today and for taking the time to make locked on Patriots, a daily part of your new England Patriots coverage until tomorrow, Foxborough faithful, stay safe, stay well, always be the change you wish to see in the world.

Have a great day, everyone.