Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots Begin Minicamp: Mac Jones, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Lawrence Guy and Mailbag Monday

Episode Date: June 13, 2023

The New England Patriots were back on the practice fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium on Monday, for Day 1 of the team’s three-day mandatory minicamp. Host Mike D’Abate discusses the release of running back James Robinson, defensive tackle Lawrence Guy’s holdout and Mac Jones’ performance at minicamp practice. Mike also welcomes Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy of E2G Sports to discuss the absence of JuJu Smith-Schuster, the emergence of New England’s young core on defense for #MailbagMonday.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/id1140512627Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFmwg3WbfxAU3tR5Ve?si=k196wH-yRqifUcQQz8SjIQStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-on-patriotsAnd follow host Mike D’Abate on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the New England Patriots and talking with fans.Twitter: @mdabateNFLSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!BirddogsGo to birddogs.com/lockedonnfl and when you enter promo code, LOCKEDONNFL, they’ll throw in a free custom birddogs Yeti-style tumbler with every order.FanDuelMake Every Moment More. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARSin Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG(CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat(CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who's in and who's out as the New England Patriots begin mandatory minicamp? 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. Welcome to the Lockdown Patriots podcast, a proud part of the lockdown podcast network your team every day subscribe or follow for free on youtube or wherever you listen to podcasts to get the latest episode as soon as it's available i am your host mike debate and i cover your new england patriots for patriots country of sports illustrated so reach out to me and let me know

what's on your mind on twitter at mdavaten. And while you're out there showing some love to the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. That's fans. Thank you for joining me here today. Today's episode brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook, official sportsbook partner of the NFL. Make every moment more.

Visit FanDuel.com slash slash locked on today to get started. And as always, a special shout out to all of you everydayers out there. Those of you who make Locked On Patriots possible each and every day, my unending appreciation. I am honored and humbled by your support. And Pats fans, today on the pod hour, good friend, the count of Murphy, Fisto himself, Thomas Murphy of E2GSports.com, going to drop by to help me open up the Locked On Patriots mailbag. It is hashtag mailbag Monday, and we've got some great ones for you today.

So stick around. Keep it here. You won't want to miss this one. But before Murph hops in here in just a moment, Patriots return to the practice fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium on Monday. That's right, folks. It's that time of year already. Mandatory minicamp beginning in New England. And there were no shortage of stories on this. Cloudy, muggy day in June. So here are some of my highlights from day one.

And we start with the roll call. Some high-profile members of the patriots not in attendance juju smith schuster taekwon thornton they continue to have their workload monitored because of their respective injury histories murph and i are going to talk a little bit more about juju and taekwon a little bit later in today's episode so keep that under your hat for a moment but kashon bute also not on the field offensive Offensive lineman Trent Brown and Michael Wainu were not present. Running back James Robinson, more on him in just a second, folks. And of course, defensive tackle Lawrence Guy not on the field. A little more on him in a

moment as well. Now, Trent Brown, a lot of people have been talking about the fact that he could be a cut candidate. I don't buy into that. According to Mark Daniels of MassLive, Brown just simply couldn't get a flight into New England from Texas. Massive hailstorms in the region. Unfortunately, Trent's arrival in New England is going to be delayed due to weather, not because of contract disputes. And apparently his absence is nothing to be concerned of for that reason. So Trent Brown will be here eventually, but James Robinson is going to be searching for a new football home, at least for the time being. Patriots releasing the veteran running back on Monday afternoon.

James had signed a two-year, $4 million contract with the Patriots featuring $150,000 in guaranteed money in March. That was after he wasn't tendered a contract offer by the New York Jets as a restricted free agent. Again, this is a little bit of a surprise, but James definitely had difficulty standing out during the Patriots offseason workout program. To me, this really speaks more to the performance displayed by Ty Montgomery, who continues to be one of the standouts for the Patriots on offense thus far. Pierre Strong, Kevin Harris, apparently showing enough to Bill Belichick right now that they have

what it takes to be able to back up Ramondre Stevenson in the lead role. So whether that roster spot that's now available because of James's release or the extra cap room is going to be allocated for another player, someone like deandre hopkins perhaps well jury's still out on that one stay tuned for that though folks that could get interesting so james robinson we hardly knew you tip of the cap wish you very well who knows maybe there's an opportunity where he finds his way back to foxborough but the most conspicuous absence of the day belonged to lawrence guy and shortly after guy was noticed as not being on the field, ESPN's Mike Reese was the first to report that he is indeed holding out for a new contract.

And Lawrence currently has two years remaining on his current deal. He's set to make $2 million with a $3.6 million cap hit in 2023. And you can understand why he may want a little bit more of a robust raise. He's been a valuable member of this team since signing with the Patriots. He's appeared in a combined 101 regular season playoff games for New England, despite missing three games with a shoulder injury last season. Still had 46 total tackles, two sacks, five quarterback hits. Not amazing statistics, but impressive enough when you consider that he's sharing that line with guys like Devon Godschow, Christian Barmore, Dietrich

Wise, Carl Davis. That is going to give you a little bit of competition. And of course, Lawrence did have his health issues last year. Bottom line, he's also been a very important presence off the field as well. And this is where Lawrence Guy, I think, really shines. He was voted to the Patriots All-2010s Decade Team, also named a team captain in 2020. He won the Ron Burton Community Service Award in 2021 and was also the Patriots nominee for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award last season. So a great guy, a pillar of the community. Lawrence truly is one of the great guys that you'll meet, but everybody has their price,

and apparently Lawrence is looking for a new contract here in New England. Now, because Guy is missing this time, don't forget, mandatory minicamp is mandatory, meaning that he has to be there or he's going to be subject to fines for missing the time on the field. The Patriots do have the right to refrain from enforcing that penalty. So keep a sharp eye on this one, folks. I would definitely not have guessed Lawrence Guy as a holdout, but he still brings a lot of value to this team.

The question is, how much value does he bring back? And I think you're going to find that out in the next coming days with the New England Patriots. So, bottom line, folks, a lot of interesting things off the field for the Pats, even before they took the field. But once they did, there was a lot to like about these New England Patriots. Mack Jones, once again, the top option at the quarterback position, completed 10 of 12 during 11-on-11 drills, and a perfect 21 of 21 during seven on sevens. Bailey Zappi, solid in the backup role, took reps with the second team offense, although he did get one series in 11 on 11s with the number ones,

10 of 13 during the 11 drills and nine of 12 during the sevens. Now, Jones had a solid day statistically. He looked very good throwing the ball, Did have a couple of interceptions, one by Adrian Phillips, the other by Kyle Duggar. In my opinion, those two interceptions came on plays that looked like they weren't meant to be completed, but don't want to take away from Adrian or from Kyle during good beads on the quarterback. That's what they should be doing, and you want to see that, especially at this time of year. Overall, I thought he looked pretty sharp, pretty comfortable in his throws, and Mack looks to at this time of year. Overall, I thought he looked pretty sharp, pretty comfortable in his throws.

And Mack looks to be settling into his own. Now, Mack's best throw of the day was on a deep crosser to tight end Hunter Henry. Hi, Claire. That was an impressive 25-yard completion. And no question about it, these two look like they are ready to work together and really kind of rekindle some of that prowess that we saw from them in 2021. Jalen Mills was all over Hunter in coverage, really played tight coverage, but again, Mack showing his ability to drop the ball into an area where only Henry can make the grab. When Mack is coached properly, this is what you see from him on the field, and I have a hunch that

you're going to continue to see it as these practices continues to wear on I think you'll see this bleed over into training camp and if that's the case then Mac Jones has probably drawn a bead on that starting position despite seeing limited action on day one though I didn't want to let the day go by without giving a much deserved tip of the cap to Trace McSorley. He collaborated on the longest play of the day, a 50-yard completion to Trey Nixon. Really a thing of beauty to behold, and Trace proving that he's got an arm to be able to do it. So good stuff when it comes to the Patriots.

As far as the offensive line goes, we know this is Merv's favorite subject. Trent Brown, Michael Wainu, absent from practice. So that gave the opportunity for guys like Calvin Anderson, Bill Murray, Connor McDermott. They stepped up and took on more active roles in the first team offensive line at Calvin Pencildyn at left tackle, obviously Cole Strange going at the left position, David Andrews at center, Bill Murray doing the right guard, and of course, Connor McDermott at right tackle. So the Patriots weren't only making highlights on the offensive side of the ball, though, folks, the defense taking center stage, and this defensive backfield has a chance

to be special. They mostly used dime looks during Monday's session, and they really did it to, I think, significant success. Christian Gonzalez, Jack Jones, they were your options on the perimeter up front. They're aligned on the outside. Jonathan Jones moving back into the slot, really where I think he's most comfortable. He was occasionally spelled a little bit by Marcus Jones in the slot,

so really got a good rotation with Christian and the three Joneses. Almost sounds like an old 50s group there, but at the safety position, Patriots looking stout there as well. Rotation of Adrian Phillips, Jabril Peppers, and Kyle Duggar, with Jalen Mills playing a notable role as well. I mentioned before that both Kyle and Adrian had interceptions. They look good.

Patriots secondary, again, looking much improved from the unit we saw in 2022. And, of course, the defenders were active in attacking the pass. According to the tallies, Jack Jones, Christian Gonzalez, Marte Mapu, Josh Uche, Deitch Wise, Isaiah Bolden, all logging pass breakups, and Christian Barmore, making his presence felt, he had what would have been a sack on Mac Jones during team drills as well so when you look at the Patriots first day on the field yeah fun first day of action for the Pats and there are two to go so stay tuned stay locked in to Locked On Patriots all week long folks for continuing coverage of mandatory minicamp and we're not quite done today either

folks because Thomas Murphy of e2g sports gonna join me here in just a moment to open up the locked on patriots mailbag that's right it is mailbag monday and we're taking your questions in just a moment when this episode continues but first folks today's episode is brought to you by our good friends over at FanDuel Sportsbook. Make a fast break to FanDuel during the NBA playoffs because right now, new customers can get a no-sweat first bet up to $2,500. That's $2,500 back in bonus bets if your first bet doesn't win. There is no better place to bet all of the playoff action than America's number one sportsbook. So visit FanDuel.com slash LockedOn and get a no-sweat first bet up to $2,500. That's FanDuel.com slash LockedOn.

FanDuel, official sports betting partner of the NBA. Patriots fans, thank you once again for taking time out of your busy schedule to spend here on LockedOn Patriots fans thank you once again for taking time out of your busy schedule to spend here on locked on Patriots it is mini camp Monday it is mailbag Monday but most importantly it is hashtag locked on Murph Monday all three rolled into one what more can you ask for to kick off the week in style and I always am honored and humbled to welcome my good friend, the Count of Murphy, Fisto himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy of E2GSports.com. Thank you for coming to me in friendship today, Don Murphy. Always my pleasure, Michael. Always my pleasure.

And, you know, a shout out to Billy Batts, who was killed 23 years ago yesterday. I just got out. I just got out. You're doing this to me now. You're doing this to me now. I don't know who you're talking to, but I ain't shining shoes no more. Folks, we can go on with mob movies all day long.

It's Mailbag Monday. If you have a mob movie question, you definitely want to get that in there. Maybe Murph and I might address it here on Locked On Patriots, but bottom line, it is Mailbag Monday. And even though the Patriots are opening minicamp as we speak on the field of Gillette Stadium, the New England Patriots still have many questions surrounding this team. And that is what Murph and I are here to help you answer today. We're trying to give you our wisdom and counsel to help shed some light on some of the burning questions that you still have within Patriots Nation.

And Murph, we've got a couple of great ones here today. Let's dive right into it and start off with a question from a first-time submitter here on Locked On Patriots, Manolo C1862, and he's found on Twitter at MC1862. And his question is, will Juju Smith-Schuster be the slot receiver with Devontae Parker and Tyquan Thornton at wide out? Murph, this is a very interesting question considering the news of the day. Obviously, on Monday, reports out there that Juju Smith-Schuster is not participating in on-field drills that the Patriots will

participate in the first day in mandatory minicamp. And of course, we all know about the knee injury that he suffered in the AFC championship game last year. Still bounced back from it pretty nicely when it came to the Super Bowl. He was a key reason why the team walked away with the 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Seven passes caught, 53 yards. Murph, I know the Patriots want to err on the side of caution, but my question and my concern here is that the time that Juju continues to miss on the field is time that he's missing gaining that synergy with Matt Jones, gaining that synergy with Bill O'Brien.

If Manolo is correct here and Juju Smith-Schuster is going to be the slot receiver, maybe even your main option, how big of a deal is it that he's missing this time now heading into the game? It's humongous. It's like the Lord humongous. Okay. You've been sitting there resting up for, for, you know, four months now, five months now doing some rehabs uh how cautious can you be how many how many extra days do you need i'm not this is not thrilling me that he is not out here right now ot is that's fine i i understand you're not getting paid to come to work so don't come to work man it's optional um and uh but no this this does it gives me pause, I think in a lot of ways, New England is looking at this right now

and saying, okay, three-year, $25.5 million contract in the offseason, not breaking the bank for Juju, but you're paying him good money to come in here and to be that slot weapon that you know Bill O'Brien loves to employ, the guy that can get the ball and get yards after the catch. He's a yak machine, Murph. You know you love it. You crave it. You need it. He earned 141 yards above expectation last season.

By comparison, the Patriots just 33 yards after the catch as a total team. And Chujo eclipsed that and then some just himself. Ranked ninth in the league, an average of 5.8 yards after the catch per reception. So that's what they're bringing this kid in here to do.

But one of the big things about gaining yards after the catch and being a very good receiver at doing that is timing. And the New England offense has always been timing-based, whether you take the sample under Josh McDaniels. I'd even say you go back as far back as Charlie Weiss to say, oh, sure, this offense is definitely, you know, timing based under the Bill Belichick regime. And in that regard, even Bill O'Brien is first in here. It is very timing based. You have to have a very good synergy with your quarterback. It concerns me that he's not out there as well. I think this could be something to monitor. So Manolo, great question on Juju Smith-Schuster.

We'll continue to take a look at it. Maybe it ends up being nothing. I'm high on this kid's talent. I can't wait to see what he can do. And I think he can be excellent here in this system. We need to get him out there on the field. And if he is nursing a little bit of an injury right now, maybe the Patriots know something we don't. But you have to think that he's got to see the field sooner rather than later.

If this dips into training camp, that's when i think you really have a problem this is worth a sharp eye folks right now but i don't think it's worth a major concern unless it does go into training no i've just ticked off i've been waiting to see this man for forever i've wanted him here for quite some time i wanted him here before he went to Kansas City. You just have to wonder what's going on with that knee, that he's going to keep missing time here. I was honestly upset that they didn't get together over the winter during the offseason and start working together. You see that a lot around the NFL, and we didn't.

The other part of this question, yeah, Devonta Parker, as long as he can stay on the field. And my man, the Slim Reaper, Tyquan Thornton, will be the outside guys this year. And, of course, they've got a nice mix here. We're going to, you know, Kendrick Bourne is, of course, at the top of the depth chart right now. Smith-Schuster slides in behind him.

That's probably because of what's going on with that knee. But, you know, Trey Nixon is still out there. And don't forget the kids, Keyshawn Boutte and, why am I at a complete loss, Demario Douglas. And, you know, it's going to be a nice mix this year, folks. It's going to be unpredictable. These receivers that the Patriots have under contract can play multiple positions at the receiver spot. And I expect to see a lot of switching in and out, different packages coming in. And don't forget, we've got a couple of tight ends here that can also kick outside whenever it happens to tickle Bill O'Brien's fancy.

Yeah, without question. I'm glad that you mentioned the tight ends because Mike Gusecki, I think, is as important of a cog in this offense this year as anyone being able to not only be spread out wide, mostly I think he'll see time in the slot but right this is also a guy that's a red zone machine and he can get contested catches he'll be a threat in that area i think that's going to bring out the best in hunter henry this year we've seen uh already on the field in the limited sample size we've had in observing practices that those two seem to be working very well together. And let's not forget the running backs either.

You've got Andre Stevenson, Ty Montgomery, Pierre Strong. These guys can all catch out of the backfield. All catch out of the backfield, and they can all slip into the slot too. Absolutely, they can. So the Patriots have a diverse group at wide receiver this year. Before we get to an interesting tidbit from Bill Belichick's comments this morning that I just want to pick your brain on, you mentioned the Slim Reaper. You mentioned Tyquan Thornton.

Mike Reese over the weekend reporting that he is dealing with a soft tissue-related injury. Patriots have been a little bit careful on him. This one to me is much more understandable considering his build, considering the time he missed last year on the field, and also considering that he's been very impressive during the start of organized team activities. No reason to keep him out there or possibly worsen an injury. At this point, I think this is more preventive than anything else. Are you concerned about the news you hear regarding Taekwon Tho? No, I'm really not. This isn't what he was dealing with last year during training camp. This is a soft tissue injury. Go over, sit there, and run the bike. This man knows the playbook.

There's plenty of time for him to get back on page with the coaching staff and, of course, with the quarterbacks. This doesn't bother me quite as much, not even close as much. And soft tissue injuries are always an eye-opener because you can never be 100% sure what the healing process is going to be, how the body is going to react to those. I think the Patriots are taking a very cautious approach. I'd be very surprised to see him out there for extended periods this coming week in mandatory mini camp. Maybe surprised to see him out there for extended periods this coming week in mandatory minicamp. Maybe you'll see him out there a little bit sporadically, but I think this is smart to keep his workload very well managed. And I think the Patriots are doing

the smart thing here. Get him ready for training camp. Even if you ease him back into training camp, you need him ready for preseason action. Get him ready for game action as well. And I agree with you and I agree with Manolo here. I think he will be the other guy on the opposite side of the perimeter. That leads me quite nicely into my final question for you, Murph. And I think the final part of what Manolo was getting at here, and that is the New England Patriots pursuit of DeAndre Hopkins. Bill Belichick took to the podium before the team took the field

at Foxborough on Monday. And he said, well, logistics are right now. The concern, we're not sure when he's going to make his visit, if he's going to make his visit, but we are talking to him. He did acknowledge that. So there is dialogue there, but all of a sudden the reports that he's definitely coming in, visiting Foxborough. When you look at these reports now, and then you take a look at what the Patriots have in Devontae Parker, back to the wall. Opening day, on the perimeter, you've got Juju Smith-Schuster in the slot. You've got Tyquan Thornton at the one side on the perimeter. Is it Devontae Parker or DeAndre Hopkins manning the other side?

It's Devontae Parker. It's Devontae Parker or DeAndre Hopkins manning the other side? It's Devontae Parker. It's Devontae Parker. Somebody is going to pay Junior more money than the Patriots are willing to pay him. So he's going to go somewhere that has a better on-paper chance of getting to the Super Bowl because nobody is thinking of the Patriots for whatever reason as a Super Bowl contender, even though they have one of the most vaunted defenses in the NFL. We'll get to that in a second. And no, I don't.

I've said this from the beginning. He is not coming here. This is not happening. I've gone on record before that this is not the man that was still playing ball in Houston a few years ago. There have been others out there that have tweeted that he's a step and a half, maybe even two steps slower than he was before. Yes, Devonta Parker has injury history, but I don't think that they were going to add this man and subtract somebody else from this equation right now to uh to you know make a splash in the papers i think there is interest but only on the patriots terms and i think the patriots terms

are going to be different than what deandre is right for and probably rightfully so i mean this is a five-time all pro this is a five-time pro bowler this is a guy that's pretty much done everything on the field that you can possibly do except for win a super bowl and when you look at what he's trying to do now i think he's trying to chase a ring i think the patriots are more than one player away from that goal this year so in that regard it just it really i have difficulty reconciling that he's going to be here next year based on that alone i still think devonta part yeah i still think he's going to go where the most money is i'm sorry he's getting up there all right this is probably the last deal that he is going to sign in the nfl and i really do think that he's going to go where

the most money is and the most money is not here people yeah. Yeah, I think that, you know. Don't get me wrong. I agree with Mike. He wants a ring. He'd like to get a ring, you know, and if we're talking a couple hundred thousand dollars between going to Kansas City or going to Seattle or, you know, or the Jets or Buffalo, then, you know, that's one thing.

But he's a bottom line kind of guy and i think he's going to take the more the most money that that uh is out there and then see what happens um manolo thank you so much for the great question a very timely question and a very poignant question for the news of the day for the new england patriots heading into minicam a lot of eyes on the wide receivers we hope we're able to at least provide a little bit of headway on your question and question that I know is on a lot of Patriots fans' minds when it comes to the wide outs and the wide receivers. So thank you very much and a tip of the cap to you. But folks, we are not done yet. Murph and I are just getting started here on the mailbag. And our next question comes from a good old friend.

You can probably deduce who we're going to take the question from today. But believe it or not, folks, he didn't ask a question about wide receivers. Asked a great question about the Patriots defense. Murph and I are going to talk about who's going to step it up when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Fats fans, thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage, your first listen every day,

especially all of you everydayers out there. Cannot tell you how touched I am by your support. Thank you very much for continuing to make us a part of your day. And don't forget, tomorrow, it's all about minicamp right now, and we are going to continue to bring you all of the very latest from mandatory minicamp in Foxborough as day two kicks off on Tuesday. But today is Monday. The Patriots are on the practice field, and Murph and I are delving into the mailbag.

And a lot of you out there are going to keep tabs on the defense as well. Christian Gonzalez, one of the more exciting players out there for the Pats and the defensive secondary. But our good friend LJ sent us in a great question when it came to the Patriots defense and said, let's take a look at what he said, folks. He says, while the Patriots defense feasted on lesser competition last season, they struggled to contain the top offenses in 2022 what improvements can we expect for 2023 and of course if you want to reach out to lj he is game to debate you any single time any day show one on twitter one of the true very best yeah and and he

is he is phenomenal he tries dragging me in at 3 o'clock in the morning. Go to bed, LJ. Bed. Doing your job. That's it. You sleep when the season's over, right, Murph? That's it. Absolutely. And there is no offseason, so it's a double entendre.

Right. Bottom line, folks, this is a great question that LJ had. And, Murph, I'll put this to you first. Obviously, the defense highlighted by Christian Gonzalez on the secondary. Matthew Judon is obviously the alpha in the front seven, but there are players along this defense that we expect to see either step up or elevate their game to another level in 2023 to make sure this defense is still an elite one heading into the season. Who steps up and why? All you have to do is go back and look at this draft. Christian Gonzalez is the shutdown corner that this team needs.

I've said before that give him time and watch him shut down number twos while we bracket number ones. The more I see this kid, the more I fall in love with him. He had a fantastic little minicamp the other day. That is going to help this scenario immensely, especially as LJ was saying, in shutting down the better quarterback wide receiver tandems.

You know, yes, they did feast on the lesser guys, but that's what you're supposed to do. Keon White is going to have a huge impact if you have never seen him getting off the line you're you're in for a treat and Marty Mapo is is just another guy that is going to come in here and have an impact right away especially in in forcing guys to get that ball out just a little bit quicker. Absolutely. I'm so glad that you mentioned Keon White and the versatility that he brings to the table and what he's able to do in that front seven. Obviously, he's a pass rusher.

This is what the Patriots brought him in for. But this is a guy that can play a number of different positions. I even said shortly after he was drafted drafted and a few of my colleagues out there in the media phil perry one evan lazar for another said that they wouldn't be surprised to see keon white drop back into coverage at times uh comments throughout the youtube verse didn't think that we were completely out of our element and completely gone when it came to that folks take a look at what they've done in otas he's dropped back into coverage more than a few times. We've seen him in a three-point stance.

So Keon White, I think, is someone that can really elevate this defense, and I think he can do it in shorter order than a lot of people gave him credit for. But you're right on Christian Gonzalez. It changes the complexity of that secondary. Now all of a sudden, Bill Belichick has his shutdown corner again, his lockdown corner, I should say, and his game of being able to take over the perimeter and be that presence is going to mean so much for teams that want to test the patriots deep it really really is huge and i think that's going to lead into the guy that i believe is going to take the biggest step this year and this is a guy that already took a big step last year and that's josh uche i really love what i heard from him all season long all off season all of

you heard is that uche has been putting in the time he's been putting in the effort um some of the cynics will say that it's for a contract year but bottom line folks whatever they let him get here motivate exactly i think is a good thing and i don't think it's necessarily a bet we're not talking about isaiah win here people yeah this is somebody that knows that there's cash on the line and he's gonna have to go and ball out yeah and don't forget this is a team last year that was third in the nfl in sacks with 54 josh had 11 and a half of them 27 total tackles hit the quarterback 14 times, two course fumbles, and his three sack performance that he had in week 14 earned him AFC defensive player

of the week. You can expect to see more than that. But what I love about Josh, and I think I've said this before here on Locked On Patriots, is the speed, the athleticism, and the system savvy that he's developed since he's walked through the door. He had all three of those traits kind of lurking below the surface when he came in as a member of the Michigan Wolverines and now coming into the pros with the Patriots. He's not only worked to cultivate those, but he's made those assets at the pro level. And that is not easy to do.

He can be a significant factor here either as an edge rusher he can play off the ball as well i think he'll be more of an edge rusher i think it'll be more of a pass rush threat as we saw last year but his skill set can allow him to play on the line when the patriots play 5-1 i've seen him do the 4-2 the 4-3 alignments and he can even move back if they run a more traditional 3-4 look. So this is a guy with versatility and ability. And now I guess he's, you know, taking seminars from Von Miller in the past position, you know, say what you will. I mean, you know, we have a lot of fun at the expense of Von here because he's played for some of our

biggest rivals, but one of the most fearsome defenders in the NFL. If he's taking notes on how to get off the line and beat that snap just by a millisecond, just by a little millisecond, and still not get a flag call, I'm all for it. But I've got one more name I want to throw out, Michael, if you don't mind. I'm expecting big things from Christian Barmore this year. I'm expecting a lot of help. I'm expecting a lot of growth in what is his junior season here in New England before we break out and we have to decide about contract extensions

or picking up options or anything of that matter. He's going to have a great year, and I'm predicting that he plays all 16 games. That's a great prediction. 17, sorry. That's okay. That's okay. That's okay. It's a common slip that us older football fans make all the time,

but bottom line, I think you're right on the money. Lucky I didn't say 14. Well, that's leaving a little before my time. No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I'm only joking. But no, all kidding aside, I think that that's something that Patriots fans definitely hope for. They want. Barmore, when he's on, has been tremendous. When he's been injured, he hasn't been. 2022 was a tough season

for him last year, but I think a lot of people have to remember that was due to injury. I see Barmore's name being dragged through the mud a lot more than it should. And that to me is a disservice. This is a man that got on the field when, when he really, you know, should have been on the sidelines or not in the lineup at all. He, he went out there, he, he gutted it out. He worried it out. And I think he's going to this year is going to have a much better time and go into it. With a purpose.

Absolutely with a purpose. And don't forget, the more he's on the field, Murph, the better the New England Patriots are able to operate. We saw in 2021 in his rookie season when he's taking on two offensive linemen, how much that freed up Matthew Judon to get after the quarterback, pin his ears back, and be able to rush that. If you're looking at guys like Judon and even Uche taking a step up this year and really getting after, even someone like Dietrich Weiss when he's out there, if Barmore is clogging two offensive linemen and taking on a double team,

that's huge for the New England Patriots. So just his presence out there and doing what he does is going to help this team. Excellent drop-in, excellent selection. So, yeah, to answer your question, LJ, we do believe that the Patriots will continue to be a top-flight defense, and we do believe it's going to be a top-five bomb this year. Yeah, and we do believe that it's going to come from guys on the inside that are going to step up.

A few rookies, a few veterans, but that's the Bill Belichick way. Everybody steps up and does his job. The Joneses are all going to make up. A few rookies, a few veterans, but that's the Bill Belichick way. Everybody steps up and does his job. The Joneses are all going to make a leap this year. They'll be back playing in positions that are a little bit better for them, a little more familiar for them. That sophomore season out of Jack-Jack and why am I at a complete loss Jonathan and Marcus you know is is just you know it's going to be brilliant it is you guys are really going to if you if you eat up defensive football you're really going to enjoy this 2023 incarnation of the New England Patriots

they will be on the field Monday Tuesday tuesday and wednesday at least that's the schedule right now folks always keep a sharp eye out for changes because the patriots are noted to do that at times as all nfl teams are but mandatory minicamp is always fun you get your first glimpse of what these guys may look like in training camp the perfect appetizer to an entree coming in late july and that is going to be a lot of fun. But I will say, LJ, another great question. Thank you so much for asking the question about the defense this time. I kid, my friend. No, great question, and we do appreciate all of your support.

So for everyone that took time out of your busy schedule this week, Murph thanks you, I thank you, and I thank you, my friend, for taking time out of your busy schedule to spend here on Locked On Patriots. Before I let you go, please let everyone know where they can reach you, where they can absorb your great wisdom and counsel all week long. The great pen, the great voice of Thomas Murray. Well, of course, you can catch me over there at E2GSports.com. I've got a nice little Red Sox piece up about the young pitching staff and how they're coming into form right now.

Yeah, and that even includes Whitlock. He's only 27. I got T-shirts older than Whitlock. And, of course, on Wednesday, One Patriots Place returns with the original cast of characters. Steve Balistrieri is going to be stopping in this week. He had some time, and he wanted to share a few opinions. And I know you folks aren't going to want to miss that. Absolutely.

You're not going to want to miss that. And keep an ear out for that name. You might just be hearing that name as well on Locked On Patriots this week. And I, for one, cannot wait for it. But definitely check out One Patriots Place with Murph, Claire, and Steve. It's going to be great having the crew back together again. And of course, keep it right here on Locked On Patriots, Claire, and Steve. It's going to be great having the crew back together again. And of course, keep it right here on Locked On Patriots, folks, all week long.

A full week of minicamp coverage here for the Patriots. And we will continue to bring you the very latest coming from the practice fields from Foxborough. But in the meantime, please continue to stay safe and stay well and be the change that you wish to see in the world. On behalf of the great Thomas Murphy of E2G Sports, my name is Mike DeBate. Have a great day, everyone, and we'll see you tomorrow right here on Locked On Patriots. Bar more, not bar less. Bar more.