Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots Begin OTAs: Drake Maye, Jacoby Brissett, Matthew Judon on Mailbag Monday

Episode Date: May 21, 2024

The New England Patriots have begun the third and final phase of their offseason workout program as they head toward the 2024 NFL season. With 10 days of organized team activities (OTAs) scheduled through late May and early June at Gillette Stadium, coach Jerod Mayo and the Pats brain trust will be keeping a close watch on returning veterans, new faces and rookies as they take the first steps in filling their 53-man roster. Host Mike D’Abate welcomes Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy to discuss Drake Maye, Jacoby Brissett, Caedan Wallace, Chuks Okorafor and Matthew Judon on Mailbag Monday. #nfl #patriots  Find and follow Locked On Patriots on your favorite podcast platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFm...Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-...And follow host Mike D’Abate on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the New England Patriots and talking with fans — @mdabateNFL  Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Yahoo FinanceFor comprehensive financial news and analysis, visit the brand behind every great investor. Yahoofinance.com eBay MotorsFor parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit at eBayMotors.com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms Apply. FanDuelFanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook. Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning GUARANTEED That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – with any winning FIVE DOLLAR BET! Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started. 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)

OTAs will not reveal the entirety of the Patriots' offensive secrets, but there are items to keep a sharp eye on. Stick around, you're about to be locked into this mailbag episode of 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 Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage, and also, hopefully, your first listen each and every day.

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Today's episode is brought to you by fan duel. Make every moment more right now. New customers get $150 in bonus bets with any winning $5 bet. That's $150 with any winning $5 bet. Visit fanduel.com slash locked on to get started. And folks, OTAs are underway in Foxborough. The New England Patriots beginning their third and final phase of offseason workouts before starting mandatory minicamp one day early.

Patriots have adjusted that a little bit. They will be going on the 10th of June to the 12th. And here to break down today all of the action that we're going to see on the field, as he always does each and every Mailbag Monday, is my good friend, the kind of Murphy Fisto himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy, who has a special friend with him that you've seen cascading across your screen so far. Thank you for coming to me in friendship today.

Don Murph. Oh, happy to be here, Mike. Happy. Had to get, had to get the famous Seamus in there. Nice little gift that my daughter got me.

Absolutely. I love it. Your company at the, at the keyboards. Murph is in the house. Famous Seamus is in the house. And all of your great questions here to begin another epic episode of Mailbag Monday are right here. So Murph, let's kick it right off. Let's kick it off with a great question. Perhaps the question of the day and of the weekend, really. When it comes to OTAs, we know that secrets of the Patriots' inner workings

are not going to be revealed. You're not going to determine positional battles during this time. OTAs are really meant for more camaraderie, team building. You get to the point where you're deeper in now than you were a couple of weeks ago than phase one and phase two, but you're still not quite there yet. Folks, for those of you wondering what to expect during OTAs, voluntary sessions, these are still voluntary, so if players aren't showing up, no one's in breach of contract, no one's going to be released or fired or anything of that nature, they may be holding out for a little leverage or leverage, Murph,

I guess we should say. We're going to get to that in just a moment however you can't expect to see a little more on-field football than you've seen before still going to be a lot of in-person meetings still going to be a lot of classroom instruction that's a big part of this but a little more emphasis on on-field practice this time live contact drills are still prohibited so you're not going to see a whole lot of physical contact here, but you're going to see seven on seven periods, maybe some nine on sevens,

maybe some 11 on 11 drills. Those can be run. And you can see a little bit in those drills, Murph and Manny in Watertown, Massachusetts submits our first question here on mailbag Monday. And it's a beauty. This is a great one. And Manny wants to know, Murph,

with OTAs underway, will we start to see the dynamic between Drake, Jacoby, and the QBs start to develop? Murph, I know a lot of people out there are wondering what to expect from Drake May, what to expect from Jacoby Brissett. That picture that Drake took

with Tom Brady on Sunday got a lot of people excited. It's the past and the future. Worlds colliding. George Costanza would have loved this. But bottom line, I think anyone expecting Drake to come in now and have that GOAT wisdom and counsel and that GOAT greatness upon his shoulders

is probably going to be a little disappointed this time around. That's not to say there isn't anything to watch for. You see things us mere mortals don't see, Don Murph. What should Patriots fans realistically expect from Drake May, Jacoby Brissett, and the other quarterbacks, Joe Milton and Bailey Zappi? You don't want to forget them either. Just to get to the bonding aspect and see how they interact together. See if they understand their roles right now. Jacoby said a week ago that, you know, he's, he's here to play football. He's not here, you know, just to mentor, but I think, I think what you're going to see here is the OTAs are basically the grownups

inviting the kids to come sit at the table, you know, to come sit at the grown-ups table and see how they get along, see how they mesh together. You can say whatever you want beforehand, but you never really know how well you're going to get along with somebody until you're sitting down in the same room with them and, and basically getting into, getting, sitting down and getting to business before you've had that cup of coffee. So let's, let's see what's happening here. That's, that's what you can expect this week. I expect, you know, of course, Jacobi to be taking any first team reps that are going on and we'll see how well Drake and the other kids in the room

try to soak up the knowledge that the elders are spewing. Yeah, that's a very, very good point. And look, bottom line, Drake May selected with the number three overall pick. You don't make that type of pick without at least knowing that this guy is going to be your quarterback in short order. Now, whether that means weeks, whether that means months, whether that means a full season, that's still to be determined. And only Alex Van Pelt, Gerard Mayo, Jacoby Brissett, and Drake May really know when that time is going to come, but it will come. There's no question about it.

And Murph, you alluded to this last week I mean it really it's behoo of the Patriots to get him in there at some point this year when that is that's not going to be determined during OTA and I think that's an interesting point and a good point for you to make but the thing that I'm going to be watching and you said this very well is the budding relationship that he has especially with Jacoby Brissett because you look at guys like Joe Milton and Bailey Zappi, they're going to be competing for a spot on this roster. But I think we can all agree that the hierarchy of the Patriots quarterback room is Brissett and May as one and one A, so to speak. It's either Drake gets the ball right out of the bat or Jacoby is going to take the ball for a little while, run with it until Drake is ready.

So it's a different type of competition. Bailey and Milton are going to be doing everything they can to make their mark on this roster. In Bailey's case, he's going to be definitely making the argument and saying, hey, I've got some starts here. I've been capable of leading this team to victory. Don't forget, you need a veteran on this team in order to be able to spell some of the difficulties that rookies may have. Milton's going to be showing off that cannon of an arm and saying, you can't lay off the talent level that I have. You need to roster me because teams will be salivating to get me. Milton is basically fighting to stay on this roster and not get pushed to the practice squad.

Right. That's what he's doing. He's here to show people that he can throw the 15 yarder. Unlike, you know, our good friend, Alex Barth said, you need to throw 80 yards. He'll, he'll get it. And if you need to throw eight yards, he'll throw it 80 yards. He needs to show that, that he is more than just a home run hitter. Okay. Very good point.

You can't live on that. You really can't. Unless you're playing for Al Davis, you need to show more. Oh, yeah. So that's what he's doing. Zappy is trying to solidify his spot on the roster by just saying, I am not one of the old regime. Push me out the door because Bill Belichick brought me in here and you just

want a completely new, new set of pieces, puzzle pieces to play with. But no, it's going to come down to how these guys all interact, how they interact with, with UOC, Alex Van Pelt and, and how long they, how well they get along together. Are these guys here to help one another or are they just fighting for themselves? Absolutely. And a very good point. And I think that really speaks to the maturity level and the experience and the character of a guy like Jacoby Brissett, who so far has said all of the right things. He's here to compete. He wants everybody to know he's trying to get the starting

job here. But at the same time, I think he also understands his role and that even if it is temporarily granted to him, meaning the starting job right out of the gate, he's here to nurture and to bring along Drake May. And if that's your job and you know that going in and you still readily accept it, to me that says all you need to know about the character of one Jacoby Brissett. This guy is locked into making sure this team moves forward. You want to see that interaction. Is he working with Drake May?

Is he pulling him over to the side and showing him what he did wrong if his feet are not planted the right way? If he's not following through on a throw? If he's letting the pressure get showing him what he did wrong if his feet are not planted the right way if he's not following through on a throw if he's letting the pressure get to him these are all things that young quarterbacks need to have nipped in the bud so to speak early on during training camp if it starts during OTAs you know that these guys are going to be working together as a cohesive unit something we did not see last year between Bailey Zappi and Mac Jones, the competition level simply too great. This year,

I think both of these guys understand their roles, and I think they're working toward a common goal. And that to me is going to be the difference between what you've seen in the quarterback room so far this year and now what you see here. And if you don't see that on the sidelines, if you're not hearing it from Mike or the other guys that are up there at OTAs, don't don't assume that it's not happening either. This could also happen during film study. This could also happen during group meetings. It could just be that that's that's generally Jacoby style, that he's going to let the coaches play things out here and then he's going to tutor while in the background after class right absolutely and very very good point and again to Murph's point earlier Bailey Zappi Joe Milton keep an eye on them as well you want to see that

competition brewing a little bit going to be interesting to see how that dynamic works the young highly touted very very strong arm of joe milton coming in and essentially trying to take the spot maybe of bailey zappy who's a veteran who's been here for a couple of years still very odd referring to bailey zappy as the elder statesman in that uh trio right now other than jacoby brissett but that is the life that we live here in new england and you know jacoby said it last week he says don't forget about bailey this is the life that we live here in New England. And, you know, Jacoby said it last week. He says, don't forget about Bailey. This is a guy that came in, won games. He's capable of competing as well. So everybody's going to be working on the same page. Having him back in

New England is a breath of fresh air. And how much will that breath of fresh air permeate to all of the rest of the quarterbacks on this roster? We're not really going to find out until training camp, folks, but OTAs is a great place to start. We're not really going to find out until training camp, folks, but OTAs is a great place to start. So talk about great place to start. Manny, what a great question to kick us off here on Mailbag Monday. And, folks, we are not done yet because we got a question, Murph, as we always do each and every week because they know you're going

to be manning the mailbag. They know you're going to be helping me drag that heavy mailbag into the garage so we can sift through all of our questions. We ain't skipping anybody because they're all great questions. It's true. You everydayers absolutely 100% impress us each and every week. And we couldn't do this show without you. And we appreciate all of your support and continue to keep these questions coming in because a couple of the questions that we're discussing today were actually sent in prior to Sunday.

So keep those sent in. It's not just the what have you done for me lately crowd. We're going deep into the week. I mean, deep, deep into the week, Murph. And we're going to be able to pull out some of the great questions that you have. But the question that we're going to tackle next, Murph, big smile on his face, big brown men. We're going to tackle next Murph big smile on his face big brown men we're going to talk the left

tackle position and what Murph would do if he were the coach of this Patriots offensive line will it be the rookie will it be the veteran or does Murph have something up his sleeve that none of us see coming just yet we're going to talk about all that and more when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Listen up, Boston sports fans. It's winner take all time in the NBA and the NHL. And FanDuel's giving you a shot to bring home a big win of your own. Do you have enough confidence in your fandom to make it work for you?

Well, if you're going to do so do it with fan duel because right now new customers get 150 in bonus bets with any winning five dollar bet that's 150 bucks to bet on spreads money lines player props and so much more visit fanduel.com locked on and make every playoff shot count. FanDuel, America's number one sportsbook. Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked on Patriots. It is Mailbag Monday. It is hashtag Locked on Murph Monday. And my main man, Thomas Murphy, is joining me to help sift through another robust mailbag. And it's OTA day in New England.

As we said earlier to kick off the show, OTA is beginning today on the practice fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium. And it's going to be the first of 10 sessions, four of which are going to be open to the media this year. So a bird's eye view into what the Patriots are going to be doing in OTA, available for the first time in quite a while. And Murph, in the previous segment, we talked quarterbacks. It's the question on everybody's mind. Who is going to be the starter? And I think we all agree that we're not going to figure that out in the next 10 days. We're not going to figure that out during mandatory minicamp either. But you can start to see the buddings of relationships. You can start to see where these guys are working, what they're working on, and what we can expect to see in the coming days and weeks

leading up to the preseason. The same can be said for the offensive line, and Murph has been very vocal about the Patriots' offensive line. He has feelings about where they've been, where they're heading, and what he might do differently. Well, our good friend Oliver, an everydayer for a long time here on Locked On Patriots, in your neck of the woods too, Murph. New London.

New London. Oliver joins us today submitting a great question, and he essentially wants to know whether we think, mostly Murph folks on this one, think the Pats will start the rookie, David Wallace, or Chuck Sikora for at left tackle. Murph, I'm going to throw a wrinkle into these plans too, and I'm going to ask you to consider whether there's an option we haven't considered yet here on Locked On Patriots. But in that vein, you're the offensive line coach. You've taken Scott Peters' role over here in New England.

What would you do when it comes to starting with the left tackle position and why I'm going to put a core four over there and pray pray that he can um can uh uh go back into the way back machine and remember when he actually played on the left side of of line. He's the veteran in the room. He's the guy with the highest floor, put it that way. I'm not sure he has the highest ceiling, but he has the highest floor. And I'm going to go with the pro that's out there right now. If for some reason, Wallace just you know, has, you know, somebody hits him in the top of the head and he starts thinking with the other side of his brain and it works out that way and he's the best option, then yeah, we'll go with it.

But I'm really hoping that that isn't the case. Yeah, I think right now, if we're being very honest and very objective about the entire battle that we're going to see for left tackle, which I believe is going to be one of the key storylines throughout all of training camp, who's going to win that battle? It's important because you've got quarterback pretty much figured out. You know that it's going to be either a savvy veteran or a young rookie that's impressing everyone to the point where he just forces his way onto the

field. Running back, I think you're pretty well set with Romandre Stevenson. They've got a solid amount of tight ends on this roster. The right side of the offensive line seems to be pretty well anchored, but it's going to be that left side, particularly that left tackle position. I think Chuck Sikorafort is the preamp leader in the clubhouse based on his experience, six seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, 77 appearances, started 59 of those games, folks, 3,938 snaps on offense and did play on the right for the majority of his career. However, you go back and take a look at the tape of him at Western Michigan, played an awful lot of left tackle there.

That I think is where he gets the edge right now because he's got the experience, especially if you're trying to utilize someone like Jacoby Brissett to mentor Drake May. You want to make sure that the offense is running as smoothly as possible. If Jacoby's running for his life on every snap, what do you think is going to happen to Drake when he gets in there? You're going to need to solidify that left side. And if you're going to do that, in my opinion, at least you need to do that with the veterans. So I agree with you on that. However, I'm going to play devil's advocate for a moment. What will Wallace have to do in order to earn his weight onto the field, in your opinion? He's going to have to drastically

improve his pass protection. Okay. I didn't think it was the greatest in college football last year, and that was on the right side. He's going to have to develop a left tackle mindset. And I'm not sure that he's going to be able to do that in one training camp. I really don't. And there are other, you know, you asked at the onset if there were other names that we should be watching and thinking about. You know, he's also going to have to, you know, unweigh you, Calvin Anderson, you know, Zuri Harry, undrafted free agent, Darian Lowe. And then there's Stuber and Tyrone Wheatley Jr. Okay, Wheatley Jr. and Stuber both had a hard time getting on the field at all last year. These guys are healthy now, and we can also expect them to throw themselves into the mix over on the left-hand side. Very, very good point. And, you know, to your point, and I think to

amplify it a little bit, look, folks, bottom line, there's no question about it. Caden Wallace has the athleticism to be able to make this switch. I don't think that's where Murph and I are making the argument here that the veteran is the better choice and probably will be the better choice throughout training camp. Scott Peters loves guys like this. He loves guys that are versatile, that can play multiple positions, that you can mold into tackles of the future.

Wallace may have the ability to do it, and I think they saw something in him that leads them to believe he can be a left tackle of the future. However, like we said, it's an important role on this team. Maybe the most vital role the Patriots have to figure out between now and opening day is who's going to be protecting Drake's blind side or who's going to be protecting Jacoby Brissett on the left side if in fact he gets the start it's an important part of what the Patriots need to do without any question and that role is going to play a key role in the development of a young quarterback or the nurturing of a veteran

quarterback who's trying to develop a young quarterback there's a dynamic there to both of those and the left tackle plays an intricate role in both so yeah i think it better have gotten this right absolutely guys there when they were picking uh jalen poke in the second round that were legitimate left tackles that they could have brought in here and i'm not putting down jalen poke i'm not saying that he's he's not worthy of a second round pick people I'm just saying that you know with what they did after work after that that point in time you know grabbing uh Baker there in round four that filled that also filled that role um I just think that they could have done better in the second round in thinking about um the 2024 season

and what they were going to do with this rookie quarterback. Yeah, absolutely. Very, very good point. And look, bottom line, they're going to have to figure that out sooner rather than later. Again, OTA doesn't really lend itself to determining the front runner for positional battles, especially for offensive linemen, folks, because it's so predicated on physical contact to effectively showcase their talents. You're really not going to see until even a little bit deeper into training camp when these guys put the pads on and they start hitting each other when you're going to see who's going to really pop in that line and take that major step forward in order to try to secure the starting job.

But footwork, hand placement, these are the things that you're going to start to see in OTA intensify a little during minicamp, and then you're really going to start to see them come alive in training camp. So things to watch for, things to keep an eye on. But again, Oliver, excellent question. And anytime that you can ask questions about those big round men up front, Murph loves it, and he loves to showcase some wisdom and counsel. And bottom line, he's the best in the business at it, folks.

That's why we always include those. And Murph, thank you for answering that question eloquently and completely for our good friend Oliver. But folks, we are not done yet because it's not all about the on-field action at OTA. Sometimes the loudest action can happen behind the scenes. Yeah, I'm talking in the boardroom, I'm talking in the finance room, and I'm talking something that the New England Patriots have done a little bit more of this offseason, keeping their core guys around.

Is there still someone on this roster that deserves a raise before the first snap is taken? Murph and I are going to wrap up this Mailbag Monday episode in just a moment with that very point when we continue here on the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Listen up, Locked On listeners. The NFL schedule is out. You want to get tickets to watch your favorite team in Foxborough and their home opener in September

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That's L-O-C-K-E-D-O-N-N-F-L for $20 off. Download GameTime today. Last minute tickets, lowest price, guaranteed. Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on Mailbag Monday. It is hashtag LockedOnMurfMonday, and we are having a blast here breaking down all of your great questions. And joining me, as always, is my good friend, the legend himself, the Green King of Sting, the Monster Master of Disaster, legendary Thomas Murphy.

Already talking quarterbacks, already talking offensive line, two of Murph's very favorite subjects. But we're going to talk about another one of Murph's favorite subjects. That's right, giving hard workers raises. Murph loves to talk about that, and especially when it comes to guys on the gridiron and Patriots players that deserve a little bit of a bump. And Murph, over the weekend, our good friend Mike Reese of ESPN, the best in the business as far as I'm concerned, reported that the Patriots and Elliott Wolfe may be giving serious consideration

to giving a bump in pay to Matthew Judon. Now, in 2021, Matthew joined the New England Patriots by way of the Baltimore Ravens free agency. Four-year deal, $54.5 million contract. He's entering the final year of that contract this year. Last season, he agreed to restructure it a little bit, but at the same time, he's on the books right now for $6.5 million. Now, we know that Matthew Judon is worth a lot more when it comes to what you're seeing on the open market and also when it comes to what he brings to the table here in New England each and every time he puts on a uniform.

I don't think there's any way he plays on that $6.5 million this season. So he's a prime candidate for a raise, probably a prime candidate for a contract renegotiation, maybe an extension. There's going to be something done with his contract. But Elliot Wolfe, from the time that he's taken the reins here, and now it's official, he is the executive vice president of player personnel, has done, I think, a very good job of trying to get your core guys locked up. Like Kyle Duggar, Michael Wenu, Christian Barmore now locked up long term for this team. These guys are the ones that you want to see here in New England for the foreseeable future. Matthew Judon resembles that remark.

And our good friend, Lisette from Barnstable, Massachusetts, over on the Cape, asks a very, very good question. Because as much as everyone is focusing on Judon getting an extension right now, there's also a running back that looks fantastic that we talk about all the time, and that is Ramondre Stevenson. Murph, in your estimation, if you're Elliott Wolfe, and this is the question that Lizette would like answered, who should the Pats extend next?

Should it be Ramondre or should it be judon uh it's without a doubt uh matthew judon okay what matthew brings not only to the field when he's healthy um but to uh into the locker room the excitement that he brings on social media he does he's the face of the franchise he really is you guys may want all want it to be drake may um but it's not uh he's the one that's out there throwing himself out there he brings this team together both in the locker room and on the field and yeah i think a uh a redo of this year's contract and extending him for another two years would be the smart thing to do now with the Patriots. Having said that with the Patriots salary cap situation right now,

do both, do both. Very good point. All right. I'm just going to lay that out there. I'm sorry. Let's say, yes, I want you to, I'm done first because I want to make sure that this man finishes his career here in new England, but I'd also like to see to see Ramondre also finish his career out here. The thing is, you know, at the running back position, they break down so easy. So that's something to think about in the back. And that's where these OTAs come in. These guys are both going to come in, show that they're fully healthy and deserving of that kind of consideration. And I think Elliott Wolfe is going to be keeping a sharp eye on both of these guys during these OTAs.

As Mike said earlier, Judon has not really been a participant. You know, the OTAs stand for organized team activities. I like to call them optional team activities because, yes, you aren't, you know, you're not being paid to be here. And I don't show up to work unless somebody's paying me, Mike. And other than that, you know, the check's clear, people. So I keep coming to that and the fact that he's family. But it's the fact that, you know, they're going to see how healthy these guys are, how well they're moving, or how far off they are from being at 100%.

Yeah, without any question. Very, very good point. And look, you know, you look at what these guys individually bring to the table. Ramondre Stevenson is one of the better dual threat backs in this league when he's healthy. And I will stand by that. You don't necessarily need to take my word for it, folks. Take a look at the statistics. Last season, 619 yards, four touchdowns, averaging four yards per attempt.

He was a good contributor in the passing game as well. 38 passes caught, 238 yards. That was a very difficult offense to succeed in, and Ramondre Stevenson was one of the lone bright spots where the Patriots were trying to make things happen. Now, I know he suffered the injury at the end of the year, the high ankle sprain that kept him out. That is always something to consider, especially with running backs.

Murph made a great point. Running backs do tend to break down, so you have to be mindful of that. But his ability to blend a power running style with a finesse running style and to be able to catch the ball out of the backfield is a rare skill. And especially when you're breaking in a new quarterback, you want continuity at the other positions to make sure that he's able to grow with a good young team for a number of years. If Drake develops a very strong relationship with Ramondre, that's a big reason to extend Ramondre Stevenson.

You want your quarterback happy and comfortable with the weapons around him. And I think he can be a dynamic choice in that regard because Alex Van Pelt loves to use the run to set up play action. And if those two guys are on the same page, that could be a very good combination sooner in that regard because Alex Van Pelt loves to use the run to set up play action. And if those two guys are on the same page, that could be a very good combination sooner rather than later. Who else loves Jack? Yeah, exactly.

Exactly. And you've got to be able to love that. It's the way this offense is going to run, and it's the way it's going to run effectively. But I absolutely agree with you when you say that Judon needs to be the first of those two to be extended because not only are you getting that energetic locker room leader that social media face of the franchise like you talked about and you're right when you look at the placards for the new england patriots who is the face that you see now it's matthew judan that number nine jersey with the red sleeves, he's the one that's being marketed as this franchise's new marquee player. You can't put Bill Belichick

on that placard anymore. You can't put Tom Brady. Those guys are not here any longer. It's Judon, and that's the guy you want in the locker room. But to me, the most important aspect is the impact he has on guys like Christian Barmore, on Joshua Uche. We've seen that the last couple of years. When Barmore is taking the double team and he's drawing guys, opposing offensive linemen, Matthew is able to get one-on-one alone with guys that are trying to block, and he's one of the guys that's sitting around him, and he can't keep up. Then you look on the other side, and you look at what happened

to Uche last year without Judon in the lineup, severely limited his ability to get open and to get after the passer. He's not only a guy that can do it himself, he facilitates for so many different players on this team. That really is the value of Matthew Judon and why I believe he's a necessity

for this team moving forward. Elliott, get him on the phone, get this done, and then we can get back to business on the field. Just don't expect it to happen over the next week or two. Oh, yeah. No, this is going to take a while. That's not going to happen, Lissette. This is coming down to how well he looks physically

and whether the Patriots think that he's going to last throughout the year with both of these guys. Like I said earlier, I don't think Ramondre played a game after December, after the Chargers game. I think he left after that. He got injured after that game. So we'll see how both of these guys look during OTAs, during minicamp, and then something might get done before the season. Absolutely. And bottom line, the things that he, that Wolf was confident about, the players that he was confident about, he's gotten done. He just needs to get confident about these guys going forward. Yeah, without question. Very good point. And there's no better time than the present when these guys are in the building and ready to go.

You get an opportunity to get some one-on-one time with them, and all of a sudden you can start ironing out some of these little details. So Murph is 100% right. It's going to be about their progress on the field, how they look, what's going on moving forward, what type of health you can expect from these guys in the upcoming season? Once they have a handle on that, you'll start to see negotiations ramp up a little bit, and that's going to be a lot of fun to watch. But, Lissette, excellent question.

Definitely, I think Murph and I are in agreement. We want both these guys here long-term, but you're asking us which one is the priority. Probably Judon by a nose right now. And, Murph, what can we say? Our everydayers once again have set the standard extremely high. Excellent questions. Three of the top burning questions for the New England Patriots as they enter OTAs.

But folks, we are not done breaking them down yet. Keep your questions coming in because we all know that Murph always stops by here a little more than just once a week. And we'll continue to bring all of your great questions to the forefront right here on Locked On Patriots. Since our inception here on the Locked On Podcast Network, we try to be the very best in terms of interactive podcasts to bring all of you, the listeners, into the studios with us.

And you guys are phenomenal. We can't thank you enough for your support. And you always ask your support and you always ask poignant and relevant questions. What more can we ask for Murph? What more can I ask for than the wisdom and counsel of this guy here on the opposite side of the screen that joins me each and every Monday multiple times per week and helps make this show exactly what it is. Murph, I couldn't do the job without you my friend. Thank you so much for dropping by today. Before I let you go, please let everyone know where they can find you and all of your great work in the coming week from the desk of Thomas Murph.

Yeah, you can follow me on Zitter at TeamMurph207. You can read me over at DieHardBostonSportsFans where I should be getting into some of these position battles that we've talked about and a few more. There's some good competition there at cornerback. What, what top three are going to be there and who's filling in behind them. There's a kicker battle happening that,

you know, we're not, we didn't get to talk about today. And again, just keep those questions coming in guys. We might come back and do another episode later this week. Absolutely. And folks,

we are always keeping the mailbag open. So keep those questions flowing in each and every day. And of course, stay locked into Locked On Patriots all week long. More expert analysis coming on the Patriots draft picks, schedule breakdowns, OTA breakdowns, all of that and so much more. So stay locked in, download, subscribe and follow. You're not going to want to miss a single second of the action. But in the meantime, a tip of the cap and a nod to the gods to all of our submitters today to manny to oliver

and to lizette for great questions and most of all thank you for making locked on patriots a daily part of your new england patriots coverage on behalf of my good friend thomas murphy 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. Have a great day, everyone, and we'll see you back here again tomorrow on Lot on Patriots. Bye, Seamus.