Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Mondays with Murph: Chandler Jones rumors and Training Camp Thoughts — 7/26/2021

Episode Date: July 26, 2021

The New England Patriots are set to open 2021 Training Camp on Wednesday, July 28, Host Mike D’Abate welcomes fan-favorite Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy of e2G Sports. The duo discuss Murph’s thoughts on what to watch for during training camp., on both offense and defense. They also place some perspective on the latest news surrounding the potential trades of Chandler Jones and Deshaun Watson.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. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful. You are now locked into the Lockdown Patriots podcast. It is a new week, Monday, July 26th, 2021, and we are less than 48 hours away from the start of 2021 New England Patriots training camp. Thank you all for joining me today and welcome to the Locked On Patriots Podcast, your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots.

And after listening to today's episode of the Locked On Patriots Podcast, check out my good friends and colleagues, NFL analyst Brian Peacock and former NFL scout Matt Williamson as they host Locked On's Peacock and Williamson every Monday through Friday. Brian and Matt give you the national perspective all around the NFL, covering the latest news and insight on every game, every team, and every move around the NFL. Get your picks, previews, and so much more every weekday with the Peacock and Williamson Podcast, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Training Camp Week here on Lockdown Patriots, Pats fans, and we've got a ton of camp coverage in store for you this week. My name is Mike DeBate, and I cover your New England Patriots for Patriot Maven of Sports

Illustrated. I am also your host of the Lockdown 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, comments and feedback are always welcomed. Very much appreciated. So share that feedback. Send it to the Internet by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATENFL.

And while you're out there doing some Monday meddling through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Pats fans, once again, training camp is nearly upon us. And there's a lot of anticipation, a lot of expectation, and maybe even some optimism on behalf of all of you when it comes to your 2021 incarnation of the New England Patriots. The team is expected to be better than the unit that failed to make the playoffs and finish 7-9 just one season ago in 2020.

But how are they going to get there? What are the storylines to watch on offense, and what are the storylines to watch on defense? Well, folks, that is the very topic we'll be discussing today here on Locked On Patriots. And because it's Monday, you know we're in for a little monster green wisdom and counsel from the only man that can provide it. That's right, folks. My good friend, the legend himself, Thomas Murphy, joins me here on the hot seat. And we'll be talking not only about what you will be watching for in training camp,

but what you should be watching for in training camp, both on the offensive side of the ball and the defensive side of the ball. Stephon Gilmore's contract situation, the Cam Newton-Mac Jones potential quarterback battle. Those will be the sexy stories to watch. But the action on the field is where it's at. How are the lines being deployed, both the offensive line and the defensive line? Who's getting the majority of snaps at outside linebacker? Who could potentially be the cornerback of the future? And will this offense be predicated on the run like it was one year ago,

or will the Patriots look to utilize their newest additions both at receiver and at tight end in more passing situations this year? Murph and I have our thoughts on the subject, and we'll be sharing those with you momentarily. In addition, a couple of high-profile players out there have reportedly requested trades, and these two players have been linked to the Patriots in the past, one of which because he wore a Patriots uniform in the past. I'm talking about quarterback Deshaun Watson of the Houston Texans and pass rusher and former Patriot Chandler Jones. Over the weekend and into Monday morning,

it was reported that both had indeed expressed a strong desire to move on from their current franchises. As for Watson, this is no surprise. His desire to depart Houston has pretty much been public knowledge since the offseason began. Of course, this has been a tumultuous season for Deshaun Watson. We know that it's lessened his trade value, but has it lessened it enough for the asking price to be so low

that the New England Patriots might actually be interested? Well, Murph and I will tackle that question and we'll also talk about the potential of Bill Belichick wanting to bring back Chandler Jones into the fold. Folks, I'm not going to spoil it for you, but let's just say if you've enjoyed seeing tweets on both of these subjects with the Bill Belichick walking meme from Detroit, you might not like what we have to say. But neither of us are omniscient. Well, maybe Murph a little more so than myself, but you get the point. Ultimately, it's going to be up to Bill Belichick, and Murph and I will tackle these subjects

in addition to providing yet another camp primer in anticipation of the Patriots' first practice of the 2021 season to be held at 915 Eastern on Wednesday morning, July 28th. Some monster training camp analysis on this hashtag, LockedOnMurMurfMonday when the LockedOn Patriots podcast continues. LockedOn listeners, get all the latest news, odds, and info for all of your sporting needs, including Major League Baseball, the NBA, NHL, all of your UFC MMA action, and of course the NFL, with the only place that has you covered and the only place we trust.

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And we're excited about it, but you know what? We're a little more excited about who we have for our guests today. It's Monday. Who else would we be bringing in? It's time for some green wisdom and counsel. That's right, folks. He's here. He is ready to roll.

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 legendary Thomas Murphy, back for his weekly appearance here on Locked On Patriots. Thank you for coming to me in friendship. Thank you for joining me today, Don Murph. Always my pleasure, bud. Always my pleasure.

And it wouldn't be Monday if we didn't get together. And frankly, I've missed a bunch of appointments in the past when we didn't do this on Monday. Showed up at church and whatnot. The door's locked. What's going on? Yeah, it just disorients you. Now that everything is right within the world, everything is now back to normal. We're back to hashtag LockedOnMercMonday and just in time for training camp to start.

Bud, one of the best weeks of the year if you're a football fan. Everything's in front of you. We talked about this last week. You want to talk about preseason games, training camp practices, regular season games, roster cutouts. Everything that you anticipate in the season is all still in front of you at this point. So great stuff. And, you know, we got to start it off and we got to start the ball rolling right.

And don't worry, folks, we are going to talk a significant amount of camp today. But big news in the NFL breaking last night into this morning and players are starting to, I think, maybe flex their muscle of empowerment a little bit in the NFL. And we're seeing that throughout the league. Of course, the Aaron Rodgers situation is still continuing to play out in Green Bay. Now we're hearing Devontae Adams may want out. A lot of stuff going on there. But there are still a couple of persistent rumors out there that seem to be surrounding the Patriots. One is a rumor that's been surrounding them for a little while now, and I still don't

understand why, but we'll give it its just due. The other is a rumor that just recently crept up yesterday, and we'll talk a little bit about that in just a moment. But obviously, I'm talking about Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson deciding to report to Texans training camp. And now all of a sudden, the rumors are out again. And a lot of people think there's a lot of substance to these rumors. In fact, recently media members have gone on and said that a trade might end up being imminent for Deshaun and being traded away from Houston. Murph, you and I have talked quite a lot about our feelings

on Watson's arrival in Foxborough and how it is highly unlikely. But believe it or not, there are still some persistent rumors that exist out there. You can go onto social media, folks, and attach to the Deshaun Watson story. You'll see that Bill Belichick walking meme from Ford Field. I've gone on record several times, and so have you, that the Patriots just simply don't have strong enough bargaining chips.

They're not going to have the type of package that other teams are going to be able to put out there for Deshaun Watson, even with all of the negativity surrounding him right now and the uncertainty surrounding his status, which right now is still very precarious, folks. So even based on that, I still think there are teams out there that are going to offer more than what the Patriots have, and that's why I just don't see this happening. But again, there are still some persistent rumors. Murph, how do you assess the Watson market,

and is there any way that you believe Patriots Nation should be putting any stock into the Pats possibly prying Watson away from the Texans. With the with the the latter first. No, hell no. Just just stop people. Just stop. He's not coming here. That is not going to happen. The cost. Able to do on the field is going to be astronomical. We're talking upwards of four to five high draft picks, three number ones. There's no way that Bill does this, that he sells out the future of this team at his age for this young man, no matter what happens with all the incidents

that are surrounding him right now, the allegations from upwards of 20 different women. I can't see it happening. I can't see Bob Kraft signing off on this. His opinion would count in this situation. I just don't see it happening. You can go all the way back to draft night, all right, when I said this and I tweeted it out,

and people can go and get your interns to go find it, that the Philadelphia Eagles had set themselves up to make this trade. And I believe then and I believe now that we'll end up in Philadelphia. I do believe that he has played his last down for the Houston Texans. There have just been too many bridges burned and too many hurt feelings surrounding this entire situation with him down there. And he's going to move. It's more than likely going to be philly and no it is it is not going to be in new england yeah i completely agree with you first of all i agree with you on philly i think that's the most uh logical destination i think you're right philly has

set themselves up very well to be able to make this trade you were one of the first if not the first to be able to put that out there so i do want to give you a lot of credit on that, not simply because I just enjoy giving you credit, but simply because you deserve it. Thank you. Bottom line, I think you make a very interesting point about Robert Kraft not signing off on it. There's simply too many factors against this. So, folks, Cam Newton is coming in as the projected starter.

It's his job to lose. Matt can come in and earn that job if he performs above Cam in every facet of the game Bill Belichick will not hesitate to hand the reins over but right now I think you're looking at uh you know Cam is option one uh maybe Mac at best option 1a probably option two and I think they're going to carry three quarterbacks this year I think Jared Stidham is option three I don't see them letting go of him he still has a year left on his rookie contract let's see what the kid can bring and who knows I mean you know you're always worried about injuries things of that nature if the Patriots do that they give themselves at least some

opportunity to be able to salvage something with a veteran rather than having to turn the keys to the kingdom over to a rookie who may not be ready. So we'll see what happens. But again, I agree with you. I just think the Watson rumors continue to persist out there. And I think really, I think a lot of cold water needs to be poured on these coals. I just don't simply see it happening.

And I hope you guys are feeling that hose that I just turned on you. Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. And I think you've hit the nail right on the head. As always, Murph, you always bring that knowledge just turned on you. It's, it's absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. And I think you've, you've hit the nail right on the head. As always, you always bring that knowledge. We love it. That's why we need it on Monday. You know, you give us, you give us that perspective, you know,

everybody's kind of like going in with that weekend malaise, but you gotta give, you gotta hit it hard and you gotta, they need something to talk about. Let me squelch it right now. You know, just get it out of the way right now. Yeah. Yep. The realism, bud, you bring the realism and i appreciate that um another circumstance that i think needs some realism is another potential patriots connection uh with demanding a trade so to speak or a possibility of seeing him walk back through the foxborough gates uh sunday's report that old friend chandler jones requesting a trade from the Arizona Cardinals. Jones has kind of taken on that mythical aura since his departure from New England.

Putting up gaudy stats, everybody knows that. Chandler's a talented player. I'm not going to sit here and say that he's not for any stretch of the imagination. He truly is. But this is yet another Bill the GM attack. Obviously, Chandler was traded away from New England for Jonathan Cooper and a second round pick. So you hear everyone. This is another bad move by Bill the GM. That's the narrative. Of course, no one considers the fact that the Pats actually took that 2016 second rounder that they got for Chandler.

Thank you. They spun that around to the New Orleans Saints for a third and a fourth rounder. Use those on Joe Tooney and Malcolm Mitchell. All right, I understand Malcolm had his difficulties. It breaks my heart to talk about this kid every single time when you talk about what might have been. Really, I love Malcolm to death. This trade gave you a Super Bowl. Right.

Okay, people? So please stop dragging. Yep. With Chandler Jones on this team and those two players, not fair. Absolutely. Without any question. And regardless, all right, I know Cooper never played it down in Foxborough. I understand that.

But the big win here was Joe Tooney. Fixture on the Patriots offensive line, obviously. Went for greener pastures. never played it down in Foxborough. I understand that. But the big win here was Joe Tooney fixture on the Patriots offensive line, obviously went for greener pastures and boy, that's a lot of green that he got in Kansas city. But he, but I mean, you talk about, you know, deserving it. And Joe really, I think, you know, the played to his potential and gave the Patriots everything they could have imagined. So that being that being said Murph this is another scenario I just don't see working in New England and again you're seeing the Bill Belichick meme attached to these reports about Chandler Jones wanting out bring him back he's got to come back I just don't

see it happening if you think with your head not with your fandom or your fan card, I think you'll see that case. But then again, I'm not omniscient. So Murph, in your infinite wisdom, please enlighten us on your thoughts on the Chandler Jones situation. Is there a chance he could find his way back to New England? There's a snowball's chance in hell that he finds his way back to New England. He's the only patriot that has ever blocked me on Twitter. So that lets him out right there.

But take a look at the contract that this man has right now. He's making $20 million this year. No, it's not happening. The reason he was sent out was because he was going to make this kind of money. Bill knew it because everybody gets a sack in their, never mind, we're not going to go there. Everybody loves the things that Chandler Jones does, except for guys like me and Bill Belichick. He is a very specific kind of player, one that gets after the quarterback in a fantastic way. But I've got to tell you people, he is outside my top 10 edge defenders in this league right now. He is maybe outside my top 15 edge defenders in this league right now.

And that's not somebody that Bill is going to bring back and pay this kind of money to. He doesn't fit this system. This system is not set up for guys who are looking to pad their stats. Time and time again, Bill has sent these guys away, said thank you very much for what you've done. He's an unrestricted free agent next year, so I'm not sure what he's going to end up getting in trade talks, but it's going to be more than Bill is going to want to bring back. And he doesn't want him. He just doesn't. He doesn't want that style of player. And I don't see Chandler changing his style to fit in here. And so please, just once again, there's the hose. I've turned it on and respect what I'm saying. It's not happening. If it does, I will eat my

Gronk jersey. Well, I don't think you have to worry about that. I think you can probably put the salt shaker and the knife and fork away on that one because i don't see it happening either and for the reasons that you described i think that the logistical fit the on-field fit is something that bill belichick tried to see years and years ago when he was still here chandler just simply didn't fit the mold of a patriots edge rusher a patriots linebacker someone that could come in be that type of player that the patriots needed him to be and he's and he's more of a traditional edge not really a linebacker, someone that could come in, be that type of player that the Patriots needed him to be. And he's more of a traditional edge, not really a linebacker. He's going to play some hybrid, but we all know that's where he's at his best.

Look, to me, the two elements that are at play here when it comes to Chandler Jones and when it comes to whether or not the Patriots would even consider this is the fact that they would not only have to go out and trade for him, they'd also have to extend him. And that's something that I don't think Bill belichick is willing to do at this point our good friend the pats cap has we've talked about this several times off the air on the air uh and miguel put out a tweet yesterday basically saying that chandler's 2021 salary is 15.5 million dollars that's more than what the patriots have in available cap space right now. So there would have to be corresponding moves.

His cap is $20 million. Exactly. And if you want to extend him, some people say, oh, well, just extend him. That'll relieve some of the 2021 money. Even if they move some of that salary into a signing bonus, you're still pushing more money into future years, including as soon as 2022, which is when they would have to take an additional hit at that point. Henry McKenna of Patriots Wire said something similar earlier today on this matter. So this, to me, just really, I mean, is not a fit in any stretch of the imagination, whether it be logistically, whether it be financially.

The Patriots are not going to make this fit because simply they just don't need to and they don't want to make this fit so i know every time a player becomes available you get that walking meme or whatever or you know the other one that i seem to love with the guy standing at the hertz counter at logan airport you know it's just it's one of these things that patriots fans love to do and everybody wants to see their team get a prolific player, but they've been there with Chandler Jones. They've done that, and as great of a player as he is at being able to, like you said, accumulate statistics, get after the quarterback, it has to be the right fit in New England, and it just simply isn't the right fit in New England.

It isn't. You know, whether Bill's going 4-3, 3-4, or whatever, this man does not fit the scheme, and he does not make this team better. He doesn't. There are people on this team making a hell of a lot less money that can do what Chandler Jones does. It's just that they're accepting of their position. And it's not all about the statistics to them.

There are guys out there that just directed free agent and pay a pile of money and keep this scenario going, but this team was better without Chandler Jones than it was with him, even though they did win that Super Bowl day. It was great. That's it. Absolutely, no, that's it. No, absolutely.

And I agree with you. And, look, I mean, Chandler will continue a great NFL career. He's had one up until this point. He will continue to do that. All the talent in the world and a great scheme fit elsewhere. Just, unfortunately, folks, not in New England. So, you know, at this point, Bud, we just move on and we look forward to the future. And that's what we're going to talk about here in just a moment, folks.

Because, Murph, the wisdom and the counsel that you lend here on Locked On Patriots, very wise, very considerate. I say it every week. You're a wise and considerate young man. There's much I can learn from you. And that wisdom and consideration is very much needed right here in New England, especially when it comes to talking reality, not the hypotheticals that we've talked about so far. In just a moment, folks, we will hear my good friend's thoughts on what to watch for when training camps opens this week, both on offense and on defense. Find out when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues.

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But training camp is set to open in mere hours. me here on the pod. It is hashtag Locked on Murph Monday. And, Bud, training camp is set to open in mere hours. Veterans reporting by tomorrow, July 27th. First practice set to open on Wednesday, July 28th. And there's a ton of storylines to follow. And let's start

on the defensive side of the ball, Bud, because the Stephon Gilmore contract situation, that's going to be the sexy story. We know that he's right now on the defensive side of the ball, bud, because the Stephon Gilmore contract situation, that's going to be the sexy story. We know that he's right now on the pup list. When's he going to come off? Is he going to come off? Is this just smoke and mirrors allowing him to negotiate a new

contract? All of this is out on the table. And there's smoke to the fire no matter what. There's fire to the smoke, or however you want to put that. You and I are all about the action on the field, though. But we really love the tangible examples of what to watch for on the field. And the Patriots have a lot of new faces on this defense. They've got some returning old beloved faces returning on this defense.

And really, I think a potentially new scheme in their defense this year, I think a return to the 3 their defense this year I think a return to the 3-4 set as opposed to maybe using a little more 4-3 than they did in 2020 I think you're going to see a defense that looks more like 2019 than the one they saw they showed you last year Murph when you look at this Patriots defense what are you watching for in training camp and what will that tell you about their outlook for 2021 well the first thing I'm going to be watching for is how they use Chase Winovich, what he's bringing to the table, what he's able to do. They went out and used draft capital at this position.

They went out and made moves at this position. Let's see what's going to happen with Chase. There was a lot of talk last year about his lack of playing time, and quite frankly, there's a lot of talk right now within inner circles that Chase could be the man on the move from this defense. Yeah, I think a lot of people are joining you in that regard. Look, I think Chase has the ability to come in and to be someone that could possibly take over on the edge. I think he's got the talent. I think he's got the expectation.

And I think in a lot of ways, I think someone like Chase Winovich can really come in and be that type of explosive player that the Patriots love, whether it's on the edge or whether in a traditional linebacker role. The one thing that I think he needs to get more consistent on, and I think this is why he consistently finds himself maybe in the Belichickian doghouse. We saw that a little bit last year. When it comes to funneling run plays into the middle, I think this is something that Chase has really struggled with. You go back, take a look at game film from last year uh it seems that when he's had difficulty uh really you know funneling those run plays into the middle of the defense uh that's when things start to go off the rails and that's when you've seen him come off the field so that should be

interesting obviously chase is one of those guys on pup right now as well so when he comes back onto the field how are the patriots employ deploying him how are they utilizing him how are they uh him how are they giving him the reps another thing that I'm going to be watching closely especially if it takes Stephon Gilmore a few days to get back on the field is how they're utilizing JC Jackson are they giving him cornerback one reps you know by default they're going to have that but how does he look in this regard once they put the pads on if it takes a while and stefan is not back on the field by the time the pads come back on is jc jackson out there being that ball hawk is he

covering guys like nelson agalor is he covering guys like kendrick bourne in the slot around the outside who is he going to be able to defend and how is he going to respond to that we saw jc struggle a little last year in that number one corners role. It's going to be interesting to see for me if he's grown and really, I think, kind of settled into his own skill. And if that's the case, it could make things a little interesting between the negotiations between Stephon and Patriots. That brings me to my next point. What is going to happen at that cornerback position? What are we going to see at that cornerback position?

What are we going to see from Jalen Mills? Joe Juan Williams, is he going to finally live up to his lofty draft status? I don't want to say too lofty, but, you know, and we've talked in the past about him playing safety and stuff. But how is that rotation going to shake out with Stephon not there on the field? And quite frankly, folks, I don't think he's going to be on the field for quite some time until they get something ironed out. He's come in and decided that he is not going to pay these fines, and he's going to be here, but he's not going to be here. Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, I mean, bottom line, it allows him

the opportunity to, you know, be here in camp, not have to worry about the fines. It takes the distraction out of it. So folks, this is not just beneficial for Stephon Gilmore. It's also beneficial for the Patriots as well, because it does prevent a lot of outside distraction. But you know those stories are still going to be there. I'm definitely keeping a sharp eye on the cornerback position because the Patriots have always prided themselves on having that strong cornerback room. And I think that's going to be the case again this year. And I think ultimately they would love to have both Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson in the fold this year at the very least but you have to wonder if these negotiations are a future choice between bringing back good old

reliable for maybe one two years three years at most or committing long term to a young corner who they've you know obviously put some faith in but it's also going to be interesting to see if he's going to be the guy moving forward or if they believe that maybe there's somebody better out there on the market or somebody in the system that might be able to take on that J.C. Jackson role. And, Bud, that leads me quite nicely into my final question for you today. And we've talked about the defense, so let's flip over and let's talk about the offense. And we knew that the offense from 2020 was in need of an upgrade. No question about it. They got that upgrade, in my estimation.

Obviously, bringing in the rookie quarterback in Mac Jones, big part of that, whether that's the impact in 2022 or this year or beyond, Mac definitely brought a lot of anticipation and a lot of expectation back to the role and maybe a little bit of optimism back to the quarterback position that the Patriots didn't have last year. Pair of new receivers, say what you will. I'm excited to watch Nelson Aguilar and Kendrick Bourne, see what these guys can do in this offense.

Prolific pair of new tight ends. I'm really excited to see what these guys can do, whether it be John O'Smith or Hunter Henry, some additional beef on that offensive line, not to mention a very strong running back core. So Murph, a lot of eyes are going to be on the offense this year in camp. We all know that the fan base, the media, they're going to be watching the quarterbacks closely, a little bit on the receivers, a little bit on the tight ends, but Murph, in your infinite wisdom, what should we be watching for on the Patriots offense this year in camp? And what should we expect to see that leads us to believe that this year will be better than the last on the offensive side of the ball? The buy-in of Trent Brown. He's no longer here.

He was the Trent Brown whisperer. And how this offensive line is going to come together, their rotation, how it's going to work out with the losses that they had and with the guys that are still there. Isaiah Wynn has had his injury problems in the past, how that's going to shake out. So early on, man, I am really going to be looking forward to watching this offensive line and how it gels together, how they work together, what Trent Brown is going to be able to do. That's one of the things that I'm going to be looking for early in camp.

And hopefully for a photo op or two with Yandy Kajust. Yeah, find out if he still exists. Yeah, does he still exist? Is he still out there? You know, is Bigfoot going to... I was so excited when they drafted him. He's going to be behind because of the injury issues, but I want to see actually what he's going to be able to do and if he can make this roster at the end.

Yeah, absolutely, because the talent is definitely there. I mean, I remember when he was brought in, you and I were going back and forth. I remember telling you as it happened that a friend of mine had just texted me that had followed Yodney's career pretty closely in college and said, boy, did you guys just get a steal? Yadni Kajou is going to be a beast in this league. Unfortunately, injury just has not allowed him to see the field. And you have to wonder if because of that, he's on the outside looking in because of all the reasons that you've mentioned. You're talking about an offensive line now that has Isaiah Wynn and Michael Wainu on the left side.

In the middle, you've got Mr. Stability. You've got David Andrews. On the right, you're talking Shaq Mason and Trent Brown. And I agree with you. Getting his buy-in, his ability to play on the right side as opposed to playing on the left side last time he was in New England is going to be huge. Trent's saying all the right things. Covered him in minicamp. He sounds extremely happy to be back here. But is that going to translate to what the Patriots need him to do on the field?

And maybe a minor caveat to all of that is Carmen Brasillo going to be handling the coaching duties alone this year, handle them in tandem with Cole Popovich. Obviously, he's not coming back. So this is going to be an interesting year for the offensive line. I still think this is maybe the strength of the offense. I know a lot of people point to the running backs, but I think there is the potential for this to be a real elite top five unit in the NFL. And if all these things come together and the Patriots have the type of depth that everyone hopes for, I think it's going to be an interesting and fun year

for the New England Patriots on the offensive line. And that's going to open up things for the offensive skill positions. It's going to open up things for the wide receivers to get more time, run their correct routes. That 12 personnel that they're going to be able to run when it comes to the tight end set, it's going to open up things and play action. Josh McDaniels, I've

said it before, must be giddy with the thought of being able to run some of that play action out of the 12 men that the Patriots can run this year. And it is. It's going to be a lot of fun. And that running back core is strong. And folks, you heard it here first. No, you didn't hear it here first.

You heard it from this man first. But I will go ahead and I will stand for it. Brandon Bolden is going to be a part of this running back core this year. I'm telling you. And you add him into the mix. Ramondre Stevenson, I expect to be a contributor, maybe not a major contributor in his rookie season, but I think he's going to show you something.

And you know what? Don't count out Sonny Michel yet, folks. If he makes this roster, he's going to be highly motivated to show other teams in the league that he can get the job done. And sometimes that motivation gives you all that you need. And, of course, the man at the top, Damian Harris, will continue to do that as well. Murph, you continue to lend the wisdom and counsel like no other.

You are familia here. You are the dawn of Locked On Patriots. And, folks, you should already be following this man. But for any of our new listeners, please follow my good friend, the account of Murphy Fisto himself on Twitter, at TeamMurph207. Once again, the outstanding content that he continues to put out each and every day, multiple times a day for E2G Sports. Always point, click, learn material. They have a ton of great writers over at that site and content producers. Make sure to check it all out if you're a fan of all the major sports and then some. These guys do it and they do it with class and they do it with style. And of course, never miss an episode of one patriot's place with of course my good friend here our great mutual friend steve balistrieri and how can we forget the

countess of clads herself miss claire cooper but thank you so much again for appearing today honored and humbled as always by your presence always my pleasure but always my pleasure we love this time of year um only the draft gets me up more than camp opening. And it's going to be a fun season, people. Strap in. It's going to be a throwback to some teams of past, and you are not going to want to miss this. I cannot wait to see what Bill has in store.

I cannot wait to see what Josh is going to do with this group of people. And they're going to open some serious eyes and make some noise in the AFC East and maybe put a quick end to the run of those up there who like their wings. Absolutely. You know, who knows? Maybe we will have a little bit of back and forth in Buffalo this year. I think that would

be a fitting way to spend the waning days of the season and into the dead of winter. We definitely love that. But all optimism and all eyes are on the Patriots opening training camp this week. Next week, Bud, Monday, we'll have you right back in the hot seat talking all things Patriots and we'll have you right back in the hot seat talking all things

Patriots, and we'll have some camp evaluations, folks. But in the meantime, my friend, stay safe and stay well, and we look forward to talking with you again here on hashtag LockedOnMurfMonday here on LockedOnPatriots. Thanks again, buddy. No, always my pleasure, bud, and you couldn't lock me out of

this joint if you tried. We wouldn't even dare try, believe me. The door is always open for you, my friend. Just like that, Patriots fans, one down, but a whole mess to go. A full week, and folks, I mean a full week of training camp coverage coming at you. So don't forget that Locked On Patriots has you covered for all the latest news notes and analysis you need from Foxborough. However, betting

on the NFL does not have to be a guessing game if you listen to the new Locked On Bets podcast hosted by your boy Q and handicapping expert Lee Sterling. Get daily picks, blowout specials, wrong team favorite picks, and Lee Sterling's lock of the day. Follow the Locked On

Bets podcast brought to you by BetOnline.ag, wherever you get your podcasts. And of course, for all of your Pats training camp coverage, do not miss a single second of the action here on Locked on Patriots. So don't forget to download, subscribe to, and follow us on platforms such as the Odyssey app, Spotify, 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, I thank you so much for listening and for continuing to make Locked on Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until tomorrow, Foxborough faithful, stay safe, stay well, be the change you wish to see in the world.

Have a great day, everyone.