Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots 2022 Defensive Line: Answers, X-Factors and Hot Seats

Episode Date: July 17, 2022

If the New England Patriots are to return to their playoff winning ways, they need solid performance from their defense, and it starts on the defensive line. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com. The duo discuss whether defensive lineman Christian Barmore is this season’s defensive ‘X-factor,’ the ability of Davon Godchaux to be the answer in the middle of the d-line, and which linemen enter training camp on the Pats’ hot seat.Find and follow Locked On Patriots on your favorite podcast platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-patriots-daily-podcast-on-the-new-england/id1140512627 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFmwg3WbfxAU3tR5Ve?si=k196wH-yRqifUcQQz8SjIQStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-on-patriots And follow host Mike D’Abate on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the New England Patriots and talking with fans.On Twitter: @mdabateNFLSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!DaveDownload the Dave app from the App store right now for an Extra Cash account and get up to 500 dollars instantly. For terms and conditions go to dave.com/legal. Instant transfer fees apply. Banking provided by Evolve. Member FDIC.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.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!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

Is Christian Barmore going to be the X-Factor for the New England Patriots defense in 2022? This and much more on this Defensive Line Weekend Edition. Stick around. You're about to be locked in to the Locked On Patriots podcast. 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, and thank you once again for making Lockdown Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Welcome to this weekend episode of the pod. Of course, it's your daily podcast covering your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New

England Patriots, a proud part of the Lockdown Podcast Network. We are your team every day. And again, thank you for making Locked On Patriots your first listen every day. Don't forget, we are free and available on all podcast apps, including YouTube as well. So download, subscribe to, follow Locked On Patriots wherever you get your podcasts. Smash that subscribe button on YouTube. I am your host, Mike DeBate. I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated.

Feel free to reach out to me. Let me know what's on your mind on Twitter at MDABATENFL. While you're out there showing some love to that Twitterverse, follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Pats fans, offense may grab the headlines, but as we all know, defense wins championships. And if your New England Patriots want to return to that promised land, they need to start with strong play on the defensive side of the ball. And joining me today on the pod is someone who knows an awful lot about defense, serving,

and protecting. He is our resident voice of reason, my Patriots Paisan. Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com joins me today. Welcome, as always, to the pod, my friend. Well, thanks for having me, Mike. As always, it's a pleasure to talk football with you, even early on a Saturday morning. Absolutely. You know, I mean, it says no better way to do it. You know, you know that we're dedicated to our craft when we take time on a Saturday to bring our wisdom and counsel to the masses. And hopefully all of you walk away with a little more knowledge than you had before. And that's always our goal here on Lockdown Patriots.

But Steve, we'll start off with what I teased as we opened the show today. Christian Barmore, enjoying a stellar rookie season, arrived in New England, 38th overall selection in 2021, second round draft pick, 46 tackles in his rookie season, two passes defensed, one and a half sacks during his rookie campaign, gets a spot on PFWA's all-rookie team. Not a bad way to begin a career in Foxborough. I think Christian Barmore had a fairly decent rookie season. Had some knee problems at the end of the year, and that did slow his progress a little bit. But the expectations moving forward are pretty high for Christian Barmore as he moves toward 2022. I had asked if Barmore had the potential to be the Patriots X factor on defense. I say he does.

And as the great Don would say, I'll give you my reason. But not before being a good host, folks. I'm not going to give you my reasons just yet. I'm going to lay it on the doorstep of my Patriots by Zahn first. Steve, what are your thoughts on Christian Barmore and his potential performance in 2022? I think, you know, when you look at his body of work as a rookie, I thought he was very, very disruptive when he was on the field. And, you know, there was so many times when he was probably that close to, you know, hitting the quarterback or getting a sack. I think this year, I think their defensive philosophy is going to change just a little bit. And I think they're going to allow him to be even more disruptive.

So I think he's going to be a little bit more aggressive. I think the defense as a whole is going to be a little bit more aggressive, and I think he's primed for a huge year. Yeah, I think he's primed for a huge year, too, and look, for all of the national chatter, because I don't want to say, I don't want to lump Patriots fans into this. Pats fans are usually pretty savvy, and they've been pretty good about realizing what Christian did well last year what he didn't do so well things of that nature nationally a lot of people say he tailed off toward the end of the year but he was injured toward the end of the year he was hurting I don't want to say fully injured because he didn't miss extended time but he was hurting toward the end

of the year obvious passing situations were where he shined and I think he was at his best last year when Christian was drawing the attention of a lot of the opposing blockers on the offensive line that allowed a lot of the pass rush to be able to get out and get after the quarterback namely Matt Judon who very uh you know hilariously said a couple of times when we spoke to him post game and we spoke to him pre-games in a lot of situations he says i don't know why they're throwing two three guys on christian that you know time to time but keep doing it he says i hope they throw three or four at him because it allowed christian to be it allowed matt to be able to get breakthrough and be able to get after the quarterback and you saw some of

the numbers he was putting up on a record pace career high in sacks a lot of that was predicated on the fact that Christian was drawing attention away and was drawing the attention of the opposing team's blockers when unfortunately he got injured and his knee started to hurt he wasn't quite the focal point anymore then teams could dedicate resources specifically toward Matt Judon trying to slow him down that's why I think Christian has the potential to be the x-factor this year in the Patriots defense. Not so much because of the fact that he's just going to blow us away with his skill, which he has a tremendous amount of it. And I think that's something that will end up serving him well for a long career here in New England. But it's the

impact that he has on everyone else, namely the linebackers and even those hybrid safeties that love to come up and try to disrupt a little bit as well. We saw this last year against the Titans. At one point, Judon was able to get after Brian Tannehill because Christian was drawing the attention of almost four blockers at that point. And I remember that stuck in my head very, you know, very, very vividly. And giving the opportunity for defenses to be able to zero in on Matt Judon, you know, as opposed to what we saw against Tennessee, where Christian was drawing a lot of that attention away.

To me, I think that's why he was less effective down the stretch. He just simply didn't have the physical capability to do it. If he comes into camp this year, and by all accounts are, he looked good in minicamp. We'll see him in training camp in another week and a half. But that, to me, sets the tone for so many ways in both the run defense and the pass defense. And that's why I think he can be the X factor this year.

Do you think he's the X factor, or do you think he's just a factor in the Patriots defense? I think he's going to be the X factor. I thought last year that when they drafted him and we saw the early returns that they were getting off him, that he was going to be one of those cornerstone guys in the defense for years to come. And when you look at it, you can't put a premium

on those interior defensive linemen that can be disruptive. You know, the Patriots had some in the past. One of them is going into the Hall of Fame, Richard Seymour. Not comparing those two right now. It's a little early for that. But, you know, when you have that disruptor in the middle of the defensive line, it makes a huge, huge difference. And I think he has that in him.

And I think we're going to see more of it this year. Yeah, I do too. And it looks like we're in agreement that he's going to be the X factor on the Patriots defense this year. So we'll see. It starts in training camp. We'll start to see how this defense is going to look. But I'm excited for what Christian can bring to the table. And I think in a lot of ways,

a lot of Patriots fans are as well. But Steve, if Christian is the X factor, that doesn't mean he's the only factor. There are other players on this defensive line that have to step up if the Patriots are going to improve in areas where they've struggled, setting the edge, stuffing the run. One of those guys was a free agent acquisition last year, much like Matt Judon. We're talking about Devon Godchow. We're going to talk a little Godchow in just a minute and Stephen, my expectations for him in the 2022 season when this weekend episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, folks, level with me.

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And Steve, one of the most notable defensive difficulties that the Patriots have had really over the past few years, but it really has been, I think, very overt, especially over the past two years, has been finding consistency to effectively stop the run. 2021, Patriots ranked 22 in rushing yards allowed, 25th in opposing yards per carry. You can blame some of that on their irregularity with being able to set the edge, but success when stifling the run typically begins on the interior of the defensive line. And in an attempt to combat that, because the Patriots were struggling in 2020 as well, this is not just a new problem for 2021, they went out and they spent big on a player that was really considered to be an anchor

in that middle part of their defense. And that's Devon Godschow. Signed him to a two-year, $16 million deal in the 2021 offseason. When you look at Devon and you look at what he brought to the table last year, you know, played in all 17 games. He started 16 of them. So reliability is definitely there when it comes to this guy. No question about it. 32 solo tackles, 65 combined tackles, five quarterback hits, five pressures, one forced

fumble. He had some impressive moments, but he was a non-factor in a lot of the other games. As I thought when they brought him in, he was going to be the guy that was going to assume that nose tackle position. But the team really continued to redefine his role throughout the season. And I think he found difficulty finding consistency in New England's defense because of that. When you look at Devin Godchild, when you look at what he brought to the table last year and the potential that he has this year, how big of it is it for him to have a big season,

both for him and also for the Patriots? I think this is a huge year for him, especially training camp, because he's carrying a cap hit of, I think it's 10 and a quarter million bucks. And I'd have to check with our resident salary cap guru, Miguel, on that. But I'm pretty sure that's close to what his cap hit is this year. And I think you're absolutely correct. You know, they thought he was going to be that two-gapping middle guy. And, you know, the Patriots defense has traditionally relied on that.

Big man in the middle. They might have one gaps on one side, but that big guy in the middle, excuse me, has always been that two gapper. And he didn't really do well at that last year. I think this is a big year for him. I'm wondering if, like I said, they're going to get away from that a little bit this year and go to more of a one-gap attacking style. And I say that because, you know, the linebackers this year, which you and I have talked about quite often on the show here in the past, they're smaller and lighter this year.

And I think, you know, that two-gapping style is more attuned to having those big thumpers in the middle. So I think if Godchow is, you know, allowed to one-gap and try to penetrate a little bit more in the running game, I think he'd be more effective. But I think if they go back to that two-gap style for him, I think he's going to struggle because he did last year as well. Yeah, I think that's a really, really good point on Devin Godchow. And I'm glad that you mentioned that because when Godchow, to me anyway, when he's at his best, I think it's playing more of the four technique, mixing in some five, maybe mixing in some three as well. I think in a lot of ways, what the Patriots are hoping is that he's going to be strong enough to take on the double team.

If the Patriots linebackers and the edge rushers keep giving the chance to get after the quarterback, make the opposing quarterback comfortable, that to me would allow the interior of the defensive line to really be able to focus on defending the opponent's running game. And to me, that starts with a guy like Godshall. Barmore is going to be able to assist in that. Lawrence guy is huge when it comes to the running game defense as well he's got to be someone that can be relied upon but to me i think god show needs to be that presence because we talked about this during draft time the patriots still didn't have that dedicated nose tackle were they going to run to the well and try to you know bring someone in that could fill that role sam roberts picked him up in

the in the later part of the uh of the draft he could possibly be a factor here but to me i think that's where devin's going to be at his best and trying to show what he can do showcases versatility and you mentioned if the patriots are going to go to a one gap maybe that is uh you know something that uh that factors into him as well so definitely interesting when it comes to the interior of the defensive line of course interior defensive line we can't really have that discussion without mentioning lawrence guy who mentioned him very briefly uh once again one of the anchors of that defense and really i think been one of the pleasant surprises uh for the patriots over the last few years since bringing him in as sort of a guy that was supposed to play a role

but not expected to be a major role. He's blossomed into something special. How important is Lawrence Guy to the interior of this defense? Oh, I think he's huge for this defensive line. And again, you talked about him. He's been one of the anchors. He's been very, very consistent. I thought he had a down year last year.

Maybe he was hampered by some injury that we didn't know about, but he didn't look like his normal, consistent self last year. So I think this is a big season for him as well. I think him and Godshaw, if they can return to form, I think the defensive line will be much, much better. But if they struggle, then, you know, it's going to be on some of the younger guys to pick up that slack. You mentioned Roberts, who's a small school stud. I also like a guy who was really highly thought of but was never healthy in college, and that's LeBron Ray from Alabama.

I'm curious to see if he can stay healthy, what he's capable of. He'll probably get some looks this summer. Absolutely. And LeBron Ray, again, coming in with that pedigree, that Nick Saban pedigree, that just, to me, I think is really something that gives him a little bit of an edge. I picked him last week when Claire and I discussed potential undrafted free agents, asked by our good friend, Miguel Benzon, the Pats cap, by the way, who also came through to let us know. Devon Godchow carrying a $10.25 million cap hit in 2022. So, yeah, definitely a hefty price tag for Devon Godchow. Thanks, Miguel.

Always appreciate you. You're the best buddy. But in any case, when it does come to someone like a LeBron Ray, that gives you a little bit of a heads up. And I think he may be the guy that could possibly be the continuer of the streak when it comes to the Patriots signing undrafted rookie free agents to man the 53-man roster. I think he's got a shot, but we'll see. That process once again begins when the rookies report this Tuesday on July 19th. Still can't believe it, Steve. We're

that close to training camp, and then the first practice is kicking off on the 27th, as all Patriots need to be present and accounted for by Tuesday the 26th. Steve, it's always an honor, always a blast to talk NFL football with you, to talk the New England Patriots defense with you. We're not done yet, folks, because several of the players, maybe some we've discussed, maybe some we haven't, might find themselves on the hot seat when it comes to roster cut down. That's what training camp is all about, proving your worth and convincing Bill Belichick that his team is better off with you on the 53-man roster. Who is on that hot seat? Steve and I answer that question when this weekend episode of the Lockdown Patriots podcast wraps up.

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Use the promo code LOCK15 and get 15% off your next order. That's the promo code LOCK15 at Built.com. Patriots fans, we are about to wrap things up here on this weekend edition of the Locked On Patriots podcast. Remember, Locked On Patriots free and available on all platforms. And finally, folks, we return to the five-day-a-week format starting on Monday with our man Murph breaking down all things leading you into training camp. But here today, my good friend, the Patriots

Paisan, the resident voice of reason, is taking time out of his busy schedule over the weekend to talk NFL football and New England Patriots football with us. Steve, as I said to open the show today, if the Patriots are to return to their winning playoff ways, they need a solid performance from their defense, and it starts in the front seven. We've talked about several key members of this defense. We've talked about Christian Barmore. We've talked about Devon Godshall, talked about Lawrence Guy, but they're not the only linemen that the Patriots have on this roster. And with so many spots open, some will be on the outside looking in. As we approach training camp, my friend, who on this Patriots front seven is most likely to remain on the hot seat

throughout training camp? Well, I think it starts with Henry Anderson. You know, I was very excited. In fact, I predicted the Patriots would go after him last year during free agency. I said that would be one of the first guys they go after. I thought he was a perfect fit. And then things really did not work out for him last year. That would be one of the first guys they go after. I thought he was a perfect fit. And then things really did not work out for him last year.

He had a lackluster training camp in preseason. We saw him playing late in preseason games, and then he ended up on IR. I actually thought he might be an early March release, but they held on to him. I think this is a they held on to him. I think this is a big training camp for him. I think he's definitely on the hot seat. I expect him to be playing a lot better than we saw from him last summer. But I also think it's a big one for Lawrence Guy, too. you know, as you said, he's a cornerstone and he was

kind of inconsistent to get pushed around a little bit last year. So I think those two guys, they really need to step up and then that will allow some of the younger guys to develop. Yeah. I'm glad that you mentioned Henry Anderson because he's a guy that I do have a lot of faith in and I really think can be someone that if he's on if he's on the money and he's right you know exactly where he needs to be this can be a game changer for the New England Patriots if he's able to play his game simply because of the way that he was able to elevate his style of play when he was with the the Jets became one of the better run stuffstuffers in the division. Was actually, according to NFL Next Generation stats,

next-gen stats, he was very highly rated when it came to being able to stop the run with anyone more than 500 snaps, I believe, in 2020. He was right at the top of the list, if not at the top of the list for a while, with run-stuffers in the league. So that really should show you what he's capable of. And I think a couple of years ago, he also showed his prowess and being able to get after the quarterback did restructure his contract.

So that makes it a little bit more palatable for the Patriots to keep him around. He's not making as much as, uh, as, as he would have normally if he had honored the, uh, the original terms of the deal. But Henry Anderson is someone that definitely has to play, has to step up. You mentioned Lawrence Guy, and I think that actually is something that Patriots players, I think, need to understand. There is going to be that constant desire, that constant need to be able to perform and perform at a high level. So if there's going to be any type of issue with some of these guys, that could show.

I think Lawrence Guy is definitely up to the challenge, and I think he will. Byron Cowart, to me, is someone else that I think has a little bit to prove as well. We're starting to get down to the nitty gritty. It's been a few years now since he joined the Patriots in 2019, really yet to build an extensive resume. Injury has had an awful lot to do with it. I really still like this kid's length. I like the upper body strength. I like the fact that he can stack blockers when he's playing his game, but he needs to see the field. And if he doesn't, I think there's going to be problems for him down the line. And, you know, Daniel McQuale, I think, you know, you know, people look at Daniel now and he was starting to really like become maybe

that hidden gem that the Patriots might've thought that they found. He's going to start the year suspended. That's going to be, I think, a difficult situation for him. So, you know, I think that there's, you know, some, you know, issues now that, that the Patriots may have to look at and see what's going to happen there. But to me, those are the guys that I'm keeping my eye on. Anyone in particular that you think could be a surprise cut for the New England Patriots, Steve? I don't see them, as much as we talked about Godchow struggling a little bit last year.

I don't see him being cut. I know some people were talking about his cap hit, but they really don't have another guy right now that could step into that role. So I don't really see that. I don't really see that. I don't know. I mean, I think they're going to run with who they have, at least to start the season, because I thought they were going to address the defensive line more in the offseason, especially in the draft. And, you know, they really didn't until late in the process.

So I don't see any big surprise cuts coming. Yeah, I don't see any big surprise cuts coming. Yeah, I don't see any big surprise cuts coming either, especially on this side of the ball. You want to try to keep as many of your stout defensive linemen in-house as possible. And the guys that come in and don't perform relatively well are probably not going to be the Godchows or the Barmores or the Lawrence guys. Those are the big names that you see. And, of course, we're forgetting the edge guys as well. I mean, you got to include, you know, you got to include Dietrich Wise Jr. He plays a little bit more of

an edge rush than rather than a traditional defensive lineman. But, you know, these guys are secure in their spots. You mentioned Anderson. I do think he is somewhat on the hot seat. I am choosing to be optimistic there. I say he makes it, and I think he could be a difference maker for the Patriots this year. But guys like Coward, guys like Akwale that we've talked about several times, the rookie Sam Roberts, does he get relegated to the practice squad? Is he a red-shirt? I mean, there's all different kinds of things that can happen for the defensive line this year, but ultimately, New England Patriots are going to have their fair share of decisions to make, but hopefully today we've enlightened everyone a little bit on Barmore, on Godchow,

and a forgotten part of the Patriots' defense to some, but not New England Patriots fans, because they place a premium on the lines just like we do. Games are won in the trenches, and they're won in the trenches of the offensive line and the defensive line. And we're going to continue to break down all of the Patriots positions here on Locked On Patriots this week coming up. But in the meantime, my friend, please, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart for joining me here on Locked On Patriots.

Before I let you go, please let everyone know where they can find you, your great work, and what you have coming up in this pre-camp, pre-week, pre-camp. Not sure if that's the right word. The week before training camp. Coming up, Steve,

for Patsfans.com and, of course, the two great podcasts that you co-host. You can find me on Twitter at SteveB7SFG. I'm also on, you know, the other major social media sites under Steve Balistrieri. You know, this is our, you know, last real week of, you know, that kind of that dead space. There's not really a ton of things going on before training camp starts, but, you know, I'll be looking at a couple of things. I'm actually doing a little bit of a dive on the Nikhil Harry trade this week

because I think there was a lot of misconceptions about what was going on there. And, you know, I think it's a good move for everybody involved. So, yeah, I think so too. We talked a little bit earlier this week with Kyrie Thompson about Nikhil and, you know,

for better or for worse, for what it's worth, Nikhil is now a Chicago bear and the Patriots. And he, I think we're smart to, to break when, when they did. And we'll see what happens down the line,

but bottom line folks, please check out all of the great work that Steve does each and every time. Point, click, learn enrichment material, as I say. Buddy, what can I say? Thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule joining me today, but most of all, I thank you all, folks, for taking time out of your

busy schedules to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Now that we've concluded our show here, check out our good friends at Locked On NFL. Make them your second listen every day. All the big stories of the NFL covered by all of our great Locked On NFL hosts, free and available on all platforms. Until next time, folks, continue to stay safe, stay well, be the change you wish to see in

the world. On behalf of my good friend, Steve Balistrieri, I'm Mike DeBate. Have a great weekend, everyone.