Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots 2023 Performance Evaluation: How Will Jerod Mayo Rebuild the Pats?

Starting point is 00:00:00 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. Not only is Lockdown Patriots a proud part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day, we are also free and available on all platforms. So make sure to smash that subscribe button on YouTube

Starting point is 00:00:45 or download and follow wherever you get your podcasts to ensure that you get the latest episode as soon as it's available. I'm your host, Mike DeBate. I cover your New England Patriots. For Patriots, country, a fan nation, please reach out to me. Let me know what's on your mind on X at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-N-F-L. While you're out there showing some social media love to LockedOn Patriots, follow our account there as well at L-O underscore Patriots.

Starting point is 00:01:11 And Pats fans, today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Make every moment more. Right now, new customers get $150 in bonus bets. Guaranteed when you place a $5 bet. Visit FanDuel.com locked on to get started the new england patriots have some serious problems to solve and they need serious people to solve them and one of the great things about welcoming in my guest today is that not only does he bring a level of wisdom and counsel here that always breaks the meter when he joins me?

Starting point is 00:01:45 He is also the voice of reason. We desperately need him, Patriots Nation, right now, especially when you're evaluating or appraising the New England Patriots for their 2023 performance heading into 2024. He is my good friend, my Patriots bison, columnist extraordinaire for Patsfans.com, along with being the co-host of another amazing podcast, Patriots 4th & 2, alongside our good friend Derek Havens. He is Steve Balistrieri. Steve, welcome back to the pod. Thank you for joining me today, my friend. Oh, always a pleasure, my friend.

Starting point is 00:02:18 You do such a great job here, and I'm always honored to be asked back on steve yesterday here on the pod i talked about getting back to business and if the new england patriots are getting back to business well they are definitely back in the boardroom evaluating everything performing an appraisal if you will of the new england patriots right now uh the 2023 performance wasn't exactly one to write home about and we're going to get into that in just a moment. But the Pats have approximately $69 million in estimated available cap space, according to our good friend Miguel Benzon, who joined us here last week. Folks, if you want financial pearls of wisdom, there is no finer man in the business to provide them.

Starting point is 00:03:01 Check out last week's episode. He'll be back sooner rather than later to provide a lot more clarity as we draw closer to the free agency period. But Steve, the Patriots right now are at a crossroads. They are heading into a season without Bill Belichick as their head coach for the first time in nearly a quarter century. There is an awful lot of re-evaluation. There's an awful lot of rebuilding thatevaluation. There's an awful lot of rebuilding

Starting point is 00:03:26 that needs to be done in all three phases, mostly on the offensive side of the board. We saw the output last year, Steve. It was not pretty. The Patriots will have a new offensive coordinator with Bill O'Brien now off to Ohio State. As we speak, they are purportedly interviewing candidates. Nick Cayley, a gentleman we know well, a former tight ends coach here with the New England Patriots. He's interviewing for the offensive coordinator position, as is his colleague with the Los Angeles Rams, Zach Robinson. And of course, we found out last night, Dan Pitcher, the quarterbacks coach for the Cincinnati Bengals, did a phenomenal job helping to bring along not only Joe Burrow, but also navigating them through that injury and the difficulties that they had there. Steve, when you look at what the Patriots are going to do, and they're going to obviously have a new offensive direction next year,

Starting point is 00:04:16 you can't really get to where you're going without knowing where you've been. And that means knowing the right people to keep in place. When you look at the offense from start to finish, we like to end on a high note. So let's start with the bad. Where are the areas that the Patriots absolutely need to tear down and rebuild heading into 2024? Well, I think it starts with the offensive line because, you know, we were talking about that all season long. You know, I think you could have an aaron rogers there behind center and with the the troubles of the offensive line you know he he would have struggled i mean i i think anyone would have because they just weren't good enough they weren't opening holes in the running game

Starting point is 00:05:01 um and they didn't pass for Tech nearly well enough. So I think everything starts with the offensive line. Next, you do need a quarterback. I think, you know, we've seen both of the quarterbacks struggle. I think Mac Jones' confidence is broken right now. Whether or not he can be, you know, I guess reinvigorated, either here or somewhere else, remains to be seen. And, you know, wide receiver, they just aren't good enough. You know, they can bring – and in all three of these,

Starting point is 00:05:42 they can bring back some guys. But they really need to go outside the organization, bring in new blood, bring in some playmakers at all three of those. And the fourth thing, they need a third down running back. Very good point. They need that pass catcher coming out of the backfield. And, of course, also in that list, they don't have any tight end sign for next year.

Starting point is 00:06:09 Very good point. So the laundry list is long for the Patriots. And they do, as you mentioned, they have a boatload of cash. Gerard Mayo made mention of it, you know, on the radio yesterday. I saw the quote that they're, you know, going to back up a Brinks truck and spend that money. And they really need to spend it wisely, you know, between free agency and the draft, and they need to make some splashes. And that's where you start, right? I mean, they have a lot of work to do.

Starting point is 00:06:55 So basically what we're saying is every position on offense needs an upgrade. Yeah, I mean, you look at what the Patriots are going to go into in 2024. I think there's one thing on offense that is certain, and that Ramondre Stevenson will continue to be your everyday number one running back. He'll be your top option at the position without any question. But beyond that, there are a ton of question marks. You mentioned the tight end position. They don't have a tight end other than LaMichael Pettway, who signed a two-year deal just before the end of the season under contract for next season. Hunter Henry, Mike Gusecki, Farrell Brown, all

Starting point is 00:07:25 headed for unrestricted free agency without any question about it. And that's a bad thing for the Patriots because I thought that was one of their more productive positions this season. And even they weren't perfect. You know, you look at what Hunter Henry did, 42 catches, 419 yards, six touchdowns that led the team. Unfortunately, missing the last three games of the season with a knee injury. He had been solid and healthy right through the duration of his contract, right up to that. Farrell Brown, I think, surprised some people. He has an ability to flash as a pass catcher. Very good blocker. If I'm the Patriots, I'm looking to see what I need to do to keep him in a Patriots uniform. Ezekiel Elliott is someone that I've been very vocal.

Starting point is 00:08:05 I'd love to see come back, but I think he's going to get a more lucrative deal elsewhere. The Patriots can work out a deal with him and he's willing to come back for 85 or 90 cents on the dollar. I think you do that in that situation, because I think he does provide you with a solid compliment to Ramond Ray's running style, the receivers Murph. And I talked a lot about the

Starting point is 00:08:26 receivers yesterday, folks. When we talked about potential targets in the draft, free agency, I think, is going to be rough. I would love to see Kendrick Bourne come back. He was one of their more productive guys this year. You know the team wants to build around PopDuck. Listen, keep that going. But when you look at Juju Smith-Schuster, when you look at Devontae Parker, there are financial hits that the Patriots would have to take in order to part ways with them. I don't necessarily see them doing that. So you're probably looking at a logjam of talent that you're going to have to extract from to see who's salvageable and who's not. Those are the positions right now where there's some work to do the positions right now

Starting point is 00:09:06 where there's a lot of work to do involve the offensive line and involve the quarterback position quarterback maybe more so than anything else steve i mean i don't think there's either a franchise quarterback or a serviceable 17 game starter on this roster right now which means the patriots have to go out either in free agency or through the number three pick in the draft to get the guy that's going to lead them this season. That's going to tell you a lot about what their offseason plans are. So that to me is probably a big priority. And then the offensive line, what are you going to do with the tackle positions? Trent Brown, is that relationship salvageable now that Bill Belichick is gone and Gerard Mayo is

Starting point is 00:09:45 here maybe Trent comes back on a reduced deal he had a pretty good season when he was healthy and when he was locked in and on the field and then you've got the other side what happens with Michael Ueno a lot of reports out there right now Steve are not optimistic about bringing back Michael Ueno I know that the Patriots would love to have him back, but it's going to have to be at a mutually agreed price. That could be a problematic situation as well. So, my friend, that's my evaluation. If you were grading the Patriots or appraising the Patriots, we'll stick with the letter grades because you are the professor here on Locked On Patriots. And I'm not going to take that title away from you.

Starting point is 00:10:22 What would you grade the Patriots offense? If you're handing an evaluation sheet to new head coach Gerard Mayo, how would you appraise this team? How would you grade them? Quarterbacks, D minus. Running back, B minus. I think they should bring back Ezekiel Elliott if they can come to an agreement. I thought he was really good this year.

Starting point is 00:10:45 And imagine how good he would have been if they had any kind of blocking for him. That's why I believe that, you know, Ramondre Stevenson with an improved offensive line this year is going to have a big season. Wide receivers, D. Tight ends, incomplete. And offensive line, D-. You know, so we're looking at a really important rebuild this year.

Starting point is 00:11:23 And they might not be able to get it all done, you know, in year one because the task is daunting. But, you know, I saw the reports that, you know, they're worried that a venue is going to be priced out of their range. You know, when I look at it, it was like, you might have to bite the bullet and pay him because your tackle position was so important and it didn't come through last year.

Starting point is 00:11:55 And, you know, they drafted a couple of rookie guards. And, you know, those guys should be better in year two. I expect, you know, M should be better in year two i i expect you know maffey and city south i i think they'll be better in year two they'll be more prepared you know for the rigors of the nfl and i wouldn't be surprised if jake andrews starts getting more play um david andrews is you know he's getting up there in years uh he's still solid. I'm not saying that he's bad, but, you know, it's just you have to spend the money this year. And if they have to bite the bullet with a when you,

Starting point is 00:12:35 and then draft or sign another free agent, you know, left tackle, then so be it. I mean, you have to protect the guy that's back there, and they didn't do a good enough job of that. Absolutely. If they're going to draft a quarterback or sign maybe a franchise guy like a Kirk Cousins, well, then with your third pick in the draft, then you might be able to go for Alt,

Starting point is 00:13:05 who's considered the best tackle in the draft, or Marvin Harrison. And all of a sudden, things aren't looking as bad, you know. It's all going to depend on how that goes. I know there's been reports that the Bears are going to draft a quarterback with Caleb Williams, number one. If they do indeed do that, then, you know, Justin Fields is available with the trade. Now that would drastically change how the offense would run. But, you know,

Starting point is 00:13:39 maybe they can pick up a guy like him in free agency and then draft a quarterback later to develop. There's so many variables. I mean, the offense is really in need of a complete retool. I'm glad that you mentioned what the Patriots might do and who they might target. Because to me, it brings it back full circle as to who they're going to bring in as their offensive coordinator right now Steve the three names that we mentioned to kick off the segment today and obviously Dan Pitcher who I think is a little bit of a long shot I think he ends up staying in Cincinnati just my gut reaction but Patriots are scheduled to have a zoom conference

Starting point is 00:14:20 with him folks so keep a sharp eye on that. But Nick Caley, definitely someone who spent time here in New England, knows the roster, knows a few of these guys on the team and their capabilities, but also has that knowledge of that McVay, pseudo-Shanahan-type offense where the outside zone becomes a little bit more of your bread and butter in terms of running. And then, of course, you've got Zach Robinson, who I know is the hot name right now that everybody's looking at. Zach is a very talented coach, and he's a very good, young, talented coach, folks.

Starting point is 00:14:52 An opportunity there for the Patriots. He may be one of the best names on that list. So keep a sharp eye on all of those because that's going to give you a lot of telltale that the Patriots may be looking to incorporate that new style West Coast zone that the Patriots tried a couple of years ago, just didn't have the right guys to teach it, and they didn't have the right personnel to run it. This year, I think Gerard Mayo has determined that if they're going to implement that, they're going to have both in place. So Steve, absolutely spot on when it comes to the offense. A lot of problems, folks. And again, the Patriots have

Starting point is 00:15:24 their work cut out for them. But on the opposite side of the ball folks and again the patriots have their work cut out for them but on the opposite side of the ball folks the patriots actually do have a pretty nice foundation built for themselves the patriots defense did some great things in 2023 how can they build on that who do they need to keep in foxborough in order to keep that going and who's going to be leading this defense this year steve and I are going to put our evaluation and our appraisal of the Patriots defense on the table when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues, a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Locked On listeners, the NFL regular season has wrapped up, but there is still time to

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Starting point is 00:16:45 Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked On Patriots, spending time with us here on your Tuesday, and it is Patriots Appraisal Day. That's right, great reports coming out and taking a look at the Patriots' three phases and finding out what needs to be fixed, what can be salvaged, so that way the Pats can move forward into a new era under the 15th head coach in franchise history gerard mayo and joining me today is the man with the wisdom the council and the level-headed reason to make these types of decisions my good friend and patriots paisan steve balistrieri steve we've been talking a lot about the offense and anybody that's been

Starting point is 00:17:21 listening for the last couple of minutes knows that we're not too high on the offensive output from last year for the New England Patriots I think we have a lot of company in that regard I don't think there are too many people that are throwing bouquets at the Patriots offensive output in 2023 but if we're talking defense there definitely is a lot of salvageable content that the Patriots can look at with this defense and the job that they've done. I thought they performed surprisingly well under the circumstances. Even though this team finished 4-13, they still finished 7th in overall defense. They were one of the top five teams in run defense this year. And the Patriots want to try to keep some of that success

Starting point is 00:18:05 intact. Now, Gerard Mayo was a big part of that. He was acting, along with Stephen Belichick, as the de facto defensive coordinator, and his steady hand was really a guiding force. So the Patriots now have to replace that type of voice, that position, and we've heard a lot of names of guys that may come in either from internally within the organization or externally marcus covington obviously i think heads the list he would be my pick but again folks that's just my personal preference that's my opinion there are a lot of qualified names on this list christian parker uh you know possibly coming in from the broncos uh michael hodges is a guy I talked about yesterday here on the pod

Starting point is 00:18:46 from the New Orleans Saints. Obviously, Steven Belichick is still someone who has a possibility of taking an active role here. There's still a lot of names out there that could possibly come in and guide this ship, but they have to know where they've been to get to where they want to go. When you look at this defense, Steve, from top to bottom, obviously the front seven performed very well.

Starting point is 00:19:06 The secondary had its issues, but they, I think, salvaged a pretty good season considering the injuries and the upheaval they had there. How would you evaluate this defense? Who stood out to you, and where do you think the Patriots need to focus their efforts to improve most this offseason? Yeah, again, I mean, you look at the defense, and with the exception of really a couple of games, they were very, very good all season long.

Starting point is 00:19:36 So I think your defensive line, in fact, your front sevens, I think in great shape. Now, I would, you know, they have the young building blocks around some of these guys. And Christian Barmore, to me, is right at the top of the list, right? I think around midseason, the light was really coming on from him. He was getting healthy. And, you know, you saw that in his play. I think he has the ability to be a dominant kind of defensive lineman in the interior. And I like the pieces

Starting point is 00:20:16 on the front seven. They'll get, you know, arguably their best defensive player, Matthew Judon back, you know, and he's, you know, by far their best pass rusher. But, you know, some of the other young guys out there, right. I thought Mack Wilson, you know, after the injury set in, he played very well. Anthony Jennings, I thought was incredible as a run defender. You know, he was tied for the most run stops with Max Crosby. Tied for, I think, second or third, you know, with tackles for loss with Khalil Mack.

Starting point is 00:21:02 You're talking some really good company there. Absolutely. Tackles for loss with Khalil Mack. You're talking some really good company there. So I'm looking at the front seven and being in really, really good shape. Not that they can't add to it, but that can be done probably in free agency, pick up some role players. The secondary, obviously getting Christian Gonzalez back will be huge. I think with Jonathan Jones, Marcus will be coming back. They could use another cornerback that they can depend on because they had injuries and whatnot there.

Starting point is 00:21:38 Then you have to make the decision at safety. Are you going to bring back Kyle Duggar? Because with the ascension of Jabril Peppers, do they break the bank for Kyle Duggar? Although I love the player, but could that money be better spent on a free safety? That's a question that they'll have to ask. But overall, i think the uh defense is in really good shape because they'll get guys back and that's you know those will be

Starting point is 00:22:13 additions right right away to an already solid defense and that they the defense just needs tweaking in in my opinion i think some of the guys that you've mentioned that were standouts this season that really proved themselves a strong part of the defensive game plan moving forward for the Patriots, guys like Jelani Tavai, guys like Juwan Bentley, who continues to be a team captain, led all linebackers in tackles with 114 total. Tavai was right on his heels with 110. These are guys that are all over

Starting point is 00:22:45 the field and make plays when they need to. It's their job, but they do it well. Mack Wilson, I think, is someone that showed his abilities and what the Patriots traded for a couple of years ago when they traded him straight up for Chase Winovich. This is the type of kid with a sideline-to-sideline speed that they've been lacking, and if they can bring him back at an affordable clip, I definitely think it's worth the efforts to try to bring him back because I think he was just starting to play his best football heading into the home stretch of the season. So a lot of things to consider. Devon Godchild, Lawrence Guy, solid veterans. I do think they might try to rework those deals a little bit. Both of those guys carry an extraordinarily high cap hit

Starting point is 00:23:25 for the output that they provide. So the Patriots may try to restructure a little bit. The biggest springboard that the Patriots are going to get from this season heading into 2024 is the return of Christian Gonzalez. Changes the entire complexity of that defensive backfield. You've got your lockdown guy. Now it's a situation where people like Jonathan Jones and, like you said, Marcus Jones coming back. I would love to bring back Miles Bryan. I know a lot of people groan when I say that. But, folks, he has been one of the most solid contributors in that defensive

Starting point is 00:23:56 backfield, especially last year. Go back and take a look at some of the film on some of the games. Yeah, there are moments when he gets beat. There are moments where he does look like he's out of his element. But if you give him a solid supporting cast, this kid can make plays. So I would look for him to be back there. And again, I agree with you. Biggest question, Kyle Duggar.

Starting point is 00:24:17 Do the Patriots look at him as a cornerstone? I look at him as a cornerstone. I mentioned that yesterday. But I do see the argument in moving on, especially if you feel that Peppers and maybe Marte Mapu can handle the load in that defensive backfield. So Patriots ultimately folks are in good shape on defense and whoever is going to inherit this defense as defensive coordinator is definitely getting the gem of the three units on the New England Patriots roster right now.

Starting point is 00:24:45 Steve, once again, Professor, evaluate this group of Patriots defenders, top to bottom, by position. What are your grades for this team on the sheet you're handing to Gerard Mayo? Well, you know, starting with the defensive line, I give them a solid B. I think they're with a bullet. I think they're going to get better because, as I mentioned, I think Christian Farmore is at that point where he's going to become a dominant player. Linebackers, I give them a B+.

Starting point is 00:25:19 I like this linebacker group. You mentioned I omitted Bentley and Tabai because, you know, they're not going anywhere. They're already on the team. But, you know, they get Matthew Judon back. And I love what I've seen out of Jennings and Mack Wilson. And I really believe Mapu is more of a linebacker than a safety, but he's one of those movable pieces that you can move around.

Starting point is 00:25:49 And, you know, with his speed and sideline to sideline, you know, on passing downs, you get guys like him and Mac Wilson in there. And, you know, all of a sudden now you have a ton of speed on the field. And I think they should utilize him more next year. And the secondary, I give him a B- right now. We'll see how everyone comes back if they're healthy. But I think, you know, with Christian Gonzalez back there, that liable to be moved up into the A range with just a little tweaking.

Starting point is 00:26:24 Ultimately, I agree with you, Steve. This defense is in good shape. But, you know, we always like to end on a high note, my friend. It is not possible today. We are going to end on special teams. And this was always the highest note of the Patriots. You can make the argument that special teams may have been the best of the Patriots units in the early and mid days of the Belichick Brady dynasty. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. But I got news for you. The

Starting point is 00:26:52 Patriots are well aware of this folks, and they're going to take every step available to them to make sure that this unit returns to prominence. Starts with a new coach at the top, probably. Who are the key members of this team? And what does it mean for the guys coming back? Steve's going to provide his analysis and his appraisal of the Patriots' third phase when this episode of the Locked On Patriots Podcast wraps up right here on the Locked On Podcast Network, your team, every day. Locked On listeners, this year, pro football's big game is in fabulous Las Vegas. And just imagine what you could do with an extra $100 in Vegas.

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Starting point is 00:29:16 guaranteed. Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining me here today on Locked On Patriots, breaking down the New England Patriots roster, appraising from top to bottom all three phases. And when you need appraisals, you need grades, and you need a level head to do it, you go to the best there is. My good friend, my Patriots pison, Steve Balistrieri of batsfans.com,

Starting point is 00:29:39 lending the wisdom and counsel and the grades for the Patriots offense, the Patriots defense. And Steve, now we have the unenviable task of grading the Patriots special teams. I mentioned coming in that we couldn't end on a high note today like we like to, because we have to discuss the special teams. I will say there were a couple of spots here and there where this special teams was not quite the abysmal mess that a lot of people are making it out to be. I do give a slight hat tip to Brendan Schooler, who was named as an NFLPA All-Pro. You don't get named that, folks, just by, you know, it's not a light process that goes into being named as such.

Starting point is 00:30:16 He's a core special teamer. I think the Patriots clearly have a winner when it comes to him. They're going to need that because after 16 seasons, it's looking like Matthew Slater will be riding off into the sunset. And boy, is that a significant void, both in on-field prowess and in team leadership. A little tough for me to talk about Matthew not being with this team. So we'll save that discussion for when and if it actually happens. But if Matthew is moving on, Steve, this is a team right now that ranked 28th in overall DVOA when it came to special teams. That's a slight improvement from 32nd that they ranked in 2022. Cam Atchard, probably looking elsewhere, this New England Patriots team

Starting point is 00:30:59 is looking already to bring in new special teams blood. We've seen the list of candidates that are coming in to interview. Marquise Williams coming in from the Atlanta Falcons. Jeremy Springer coming in from the Los Angeles Rams. And then over the weekend, we heard about former New York Giants special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughy coming in and possibly taking over the reins of this special teams unit. Steve, is it a matter of not having the right pieces in place, or is this a matter of these pieces just needing to perform better? If it's the latter, how do you evaluate their performance in 2023? How did the Patriots special teams get to this point?

Starting point is 00:31:40 You know, that's a great question because, you know, I think they have the players. I just don't think the coaching was there because how many times have we seen them make the same mistakes, false starts on kicks or punts or, you know, field goal attempts, whatever. These were the same mistakes. I think it goes back to the coaching. Bill is very loyal to his people, sometimes maybe to a fault. I think they really need one of those three guys that you mentioned. I think they just need new blood in the coaching staff because Cam just wasn't getting it done.

Starting point is 00:32:31 Right. You know, every year that he was the coordinator, you know, their special teams went way down. And, you know, I was hoping that with Joe Judge coming back to help him out last year that we were going to see an uptick, you know, in special teams. It barely registered.

Starting point is 00:32:53 They went from 32nd to only 28th. But, you know, you look at guys. You have Slater, Schooler, you know, really solid. Phillips, really, you know, solid phillips really uh you know uh cory davis um you know i with um you know um marcus coming back to return kicks i think you know um jalen rager showed he has ability in that. So the pieces are all there. No one spent as much money or time in practice working with the special teams than the Patriots did. I just think they need a change at the top with their leadership.

Starting point is 00:33:49 I thought they were absolutely horrible last year. Now some of that, you know, we had a rookie kicker, you know, on the slate this year and he struggled mightily. I, I just think, you know you know, they, they need to give them the offseason and say, look, you're still the guy, but we're going to bring in competition. So now it's up to you. And they'll probably bring in a veteran or undrafted guy,

Starting point is 00:34:18 and they'll have a kicking competition there. But I just think really, you know, the pieces are there. So I just think it all comes down to the top guy. And I like the fact that they're bringing in new blood for the coaching, you know, interviews. And I think that really needs to be done. Yeah, I absolutely believe it needs to be done. The Patriots need a change and they need a change quickly in the coach's room. It surprised me this year that this unit continued to regress or show moderate improvement at times from the unit that you saw in 2022 as opposed to 2023. But you're right, Steve, we saw the same things consistently over and over again. Egregious penalties,

Starting point is 00:35:02 missed opportunities, missed tackles. Even Brendan Schooler, who was named as a PFWA All-Pro, missed tackles at times. Started a rookie punter and a rookie kicker at the same time, an unusual distinction for the New England Patriots. Now, Bryce Beringer looks solid. He looks like definitely a punter that you can build around. There were moments this year where he did look like a rookie, but for the most part, this kid showed distance, he showed accuracy, and I think working consistently to get better, you've got to keep her there in Bryce Beringer,

Starting point is 00:35:35 and I'm very impressed by what I saw. Chad Ryland, I'm willing to give him a benefit of the doubt after a shaky rookie season. I think he's going to shake some of that off, but that 56-yarder that he hit in Denver to win the game was not exactly an easy kick, folks. That is not a chip shot. He did it in clutch conditions, and I'm hearing a lot about that kick, that it wasn't a playoff game or it wasn't a real high-pack pressure situation. For Chad Ryland, I assure you, folks, it was. This was probably the biggest kick that he had ever kicked to date at that point, and he made it.

Starting point is 00:36:07 So give him the benefit of the doubt to see what happens next season. He deserves one more season to see what we've got there. The Patriots special teams unit has some work to do without any question, and I think it starts with fundamentals. I think it starts with these guys being properly coached, properly prepared, and being in the right place at the right time. If it wasn't for Brendan Schooler's heads-up block against the Miami Dolphins, which was the highlight of the special teams unit for the year, yeah, I think my grade might be a failure on this unit for 2024. I think that may help

Starting point is 00:36:38 keep their head above water just slightly. But, Professor, what would you say for this special teams unit? How would you grade them out? D minus. Another D minus. And, you know, we're not used to saying things like that. It's true. In terms of Patriot positional groups. It feels weird, yeah. But it is what it is.

Starting point is 00:36:58 And they earned that. So, you know, one thing to keep in mind about Chad Ryland, and I'm not comparing him with the player I'm going to mention, Adam Vinatieri's, excuse me, rookie season, he struggled mightily too. And we all know how that turned out. Now, I'm not saying that Chad Ryland's going to be Adam Vinatieri. Okay. So, you know, put the torches

Starting point is 00:37:26 and pitchforks away folks, but you know, it's sometimes with a rookie, they, they go through that phase and, you know, we'll see if he can get his confidence going. And, you know, I think he'll, he'll face competition in training camp, as he should. But I'm not going to close the door on him just quite yet. You know, before we write his epitaph here in New England, let's give the kid another full year under a new regime, hopefully under a coaching staff that's able to resurrect what this team does well. And then we'll see where we are in terms of the kicking kicking situation so good drop in on Vinatieri there as well because we all know that worked out pretty well doesn't he

Starting point is 00:38:11 has to again this time folks but don't always judge a book by its initial cover some guys need a little more time to round into form well you know who doesn't need time to round into form our professor here he has provided the grade sheet The appraisal is in. The evaluation has been complete. And now Gerard Mayo can get to business in Foxborough. Steve, thank you for helping the Patriots get there. Thank you for choosing our platform here to be able to lend your wisdom and counsel. Bud, what can I say? I thank you for always taking time out and joining me here. It's an honor and a privilege to talk football with you. Before I let you go, bud, please let everyone know where they can interact with you, reach out to you,

Starting point is 00:38:49 and what you got cooking in the Balistrieri kitchen there from your great pen and great voice. Well, the kitchen is going to be busy because we have a lot of food on the agenda. But in the writing format, I write for past fans.com. As you mentioned, I'm on Twitter at Steve B's seven S of G also Facebook. So,

Starting point is 00:39:14 you know, Derek heavens and I will be recording a podcast tomorrow. We're going to be talking about much, much of the same things you and I just discussed, you know, and, and now Gillette stadium is, you know, no longer the, you know, stomping grounds of Bill and Tom Brady.

Starting point is 00:39:32 It's now Gerard Mayo's area, which I call Area 51. I love it. Steve was one of the first to label Gillette Stadium Area 51 when Gerard Mayo was playing, folks. For those of you that don't know, for the benefit of those new Patriots fans or listeners here that may not be Patriots fans, Gerard wore number 51 as a linebacker for the New England Patriots. And Area 51 was where running backs went to disappear.

Starting point is 00:39:58 You never saw them again when Gerard Mayo was out there because he had a way of being able to stuff the run and even get after a quarterback at time and make those types of things alien to your opposite team so much like area 51 where things go to disappear yeah now you can thank him for that I think that's an excellent excellent moniker and folks I'm really surprised that did not take off as much as it should have in my opinion uh one of the best play on words I've heard in quite some time. Tip of the cap, my friend. You deserve that. And that is great.

Starting point is 00:40:28 I love it. I always loved it right from the moment I read it. And I still do to this day. So on that note, folks, we are not going to Area 51 here on Locked On Patriots. We are staying right here. So I encourage you to stay locked in to Locked On Patriots. And on behalf of my good friend, Steve Balistrieri, I'm Mike DeBate, reminding you all to stay safe and to stay well and to be the change you wish to see in the world.

Starting point is 00:40:51 We'll see you back here again tomorrow on Locked on Patriots.

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