Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Biggest Roster Needs and Concerns — Post NFL Draft Edition

Episode Date: May 9, 2023

The New England Patriots have utilized both offseason free agency and the 2023 NFL Draft to make some notable improvements to their roster. However, the Pats still have some areas in need of additional upgrades. Host Mike D’Abate welcomes Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy of E2G Sports to discuss New England’s biggest roster concerns, while Mike provide his thoughts on tight end Mike Gesicki’s potential impact on the Pats passing game.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!BetterHelpThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp connects you with a licensed therapist who can take you on that journey of self-discovery from wherever you are.  Visit BetterHelp.com/lockedon today to get 10% off your first month.Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.FanDuelMake Every Moment More. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS in 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

could Mike Gusecki be the game changer in the New England Patriots passing game in 2023? It's not as crazy as it sounds. 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. Thank you once again for starting your week in style here on Locked On, Patriots. As your first listen, remember, we are a proud part of the Locked On 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. And, of course, a special shout-out to all of you Locked On everydayers, all of you loyalists, those of you who make Locked On Patriots possible,

unending appreciation to you, honored and humbled as always by your support. I'm your host, Mike DeBate, and I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. So reach out to me. Let me know what's on your mind on Twitter at MDAVATENFL. While you're out there showing some much deserved love to that Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the

Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. And of course, it is Monday. Might not be Mock Draft Monday any longer, folks, but the hashtag is still in effect. It is Locked On Murph Monday, and the Big Green Man is going to be joining me here in just a moment, because today here on the pod, we're going to be talking about the New England

Patriots' biggest needs still on this roster. The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books, as is the first wave of NFL free agency. So the New England Patriots now are starting that next phase of trying to build a roster getting these guys to play together on the field and get them into condition during the off season so that way when minicamp begins in june this team is ready to take that next step there are still some deficiencies on this roster and murph and i are going to be breaking those down for you today what we feel is the patriots biggest need on offense and on defense so stick around you are not going to want to miss this one but one position that the Patriots might be better suited at than some of the agenda driven

contrarians out there is the tight end position I clear I know we're talking a little bit of tight endage she's definitely excited but at the same time, folks, I think there's a lot to be excited about about this team, especially at this depth position. In fact, I think that one of their free agent acquisitions might have helped to make their passing game even better because Mike Gusecki has apparently had enough of working against a Bill Belichick-led defense. First meeting with the New England media since signing his one-year deal with the team back in March happened last week. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to be there. Several of my colleagues were, and Mike was very forthcoming, very jovial, and seemed to be very excited about playing in New England. Quoting Mike verbatim here, quote, definitely glad I don't have

to be facing those guys, meaning Patriots defense, anymore. And he said that with a big smile. But all kidding aside, Mike was very excited, I think very intrigued, by the prospect of him being able to come in and really add a dimension to this offense that the Patriots simply did not have in 2022. After spending his first five seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Gusecki, of course, signing here as an unrestricted free agent, a lot of people have likened it to a prove-it deal, meaning simply that he's coming in on one year. Is he going to be worth the investment for more years down the line?

Or is this a one-and-done situation where he goes and gets his bag of money elsewhere? Or the Patriots decide that, you know what? We're just not going to re-sign you it just wasn't a proper fit he made it very clear though that he far from settled when deciding to play in New England that seems to be a narrative that's out there that he had no other alternative New England was the only one that was going to offer him a contract I don't believe that at all uh he knew the history behind this team he knew what he was getting himself into he even said uh several times that he has a ton of respect for the way things are

run in New England the tradition the coaching staff the opportunity quote unquote he said several times I'm happy to be here and you want to hear that in a young tight end that's coming in that's going to be a big part of your offense in the upcoming year now on the surface Gusecki signing it really immediately upgrades their offense uh they're once again adding a dimension that they just did not have last season John O'Smith for all of his abilities just was simply one not used correctly here in New England and second maybe not the right logistical fit that a lot of people thought he would be. Gusecki is a much more gifted pass catcher.

There's no question about that. 62.4% of his passes were caught by him when he was in Miami. 18 of them went for touchdowns. Possesses the size, the speed to be effective as a receiver out of the slot or even out wide. And it's interesting that a lot of people are talking about him as a potential solution in the slot, because I think this is where he can be most effective. The Patriots might be best served if Gusecki is working in the middle of the field. That's the area that I think they're going to have the most difficulty adapting to this year without Jacoby Myers. Mac Jones relied very heavily on Jacoby in the middle of the field to get the yardage

that he needed and a sure-handed guy to make the catches. Jacoby's out in Las Vegas now. He's not coming back through that door. So even though Mike is not technically a receiver, he does have the at least somewhat speed and agility to kind of give you what Jacoby gave you. He's not going to equal that, but I think he can help to fill the void in the slot. And when you look at the current mold of the Patriots offense with two pass catching options, one at tight end exclusively, probably Hunter Henry there, and then Gasicki kind of playing

that hybrid, they can stay in 12th personnel with the one running back and the two tight ends. That's what Bill O'Brien loves to run, folks, so expect to see it, and I think that could be at the core of his offensive identity coming up this season. Gusecki fits that perfectly. Henry can be attached to the offense. Don't forget, he's going to be in the line as the prototypical wide tight end that he is and Gusecki can play on the slot and that gives you the option to take guys like Juju Smith-Schuster, Kendrick Bourne, Taequann Thornton, Devontae Parker, rotate them all on the outside. Juju's going to get some time on the slot as well without any question. Maybe even give Demario Douglas, the rookie, an opportunity to kind of slot in and get some reps there. Keyshawn Boutte could be a guy that could factor into this. Patriots have a number of

pass-catching options that, if they reach their potential, could really make this passing game a lot better than people are expecting. I'm not saying that they're going to rival some of the top pass-catching teams in the league, but I also don't think the doom and gloom that's surrounding them is necessarily all that warranted. Give these guys a chance to gel on the field, especially under a Bill O'Brien offense, and I think you're going to like what you see. But you can't forget Mike Gusecki's prowess in the red zone. That's where he's going to truly shine. Patriots tight ends only found the end zone 15 times over the past four seasons. Hunter Henry was responsible for nine of them in 2021. Of course, as we already said, Mike Isecki, 18 in that span. So he's beating everyone else on this roster.

That's have nowhere to go up. And Mike is actually aware of this as well. He wants to reestablish himself as one of the better red zone threats in this league. That's going to be made a little bit easier by playing for Bill O'Brien without any question about it. We talked to him a little bit about that last week, and he, again, was very complimentary about Bill. He said it's exciting to get into the meeting rooms, hear how things are going. He's excited to gel with him and get things going in the passing game and get this offense to work. So even though there is a change in strategy a little bit for the Patriots, Mike Isecki is coming in and saying all the right things and doing all the right things.

And one of those things that he's doing, folks, is forming a good bond with his quarterbacks. Mac Jones especially had some very complimentary things to say about Mac. As a matter of fact, he actually stayed with Mac when he was first here doing some of those, uh, some of those informal throwing sessions. And it was a great experience. You know, he said he's a very cool dude, cool personality, love the energy that he brings to the throwing sessions, great arm, accurate, all that stuff. Um, you can make the argument that he's being

paid to say this or that he's not, he is signed as a member of the Patriots, but he doesn't have to be forthcoming with these pieces of information. Uh, he wasn't asked specifically to praise Mac Jones. He was simply asked about his impressions of the offense and gave it based on what he felt was important parts and important pieces of information that needed to be known. So take that for what you will. Um, at the same time

he's building the relationship he's building the chemistry with these guys and even though they've only participated in a couple of throwing sessions to date mike sees potential in this offense and we talked about this with juju smith schuster last week these guys are seeing seedlings of a very good very well run offense in in New England and that is something that I think a lot of people are going to be ecstatic about especially after everything that happened last year under the Matt Patricia and Joe Judge regime that just did not work out I know everybody tried their best but that just was a failed experience so everyone moves on and now the Patriots are moving on as

well and mike kaseki is apparently happy to be catching passes from mac jones bailey zappy great for the guys to gain camaraderie and get work and they will continue to do that as the patriots open rookie mini camp at the end of the week might some of the veterans drop by just to lend their wisdom and counsel well that's a possibility but even though mike gasecki's addition is not going to solve all of their problems the addition of guys like juju gasecki shows that a new day is coming for the patriots offense in 2023 and their tight endage room might end up being the reason why hi claire bottom line folks we are looking forward to the season if you're a New England Patriots fan,

but what areas still concern you? Well, Murph and I are going to give our thoughts on that in just a moment when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, folks, today's episode brought to you by our good friends over at Built. If you're looking for a delicious snack but don't want all of the sugar and the calories, then you need the best tasting protein bar ever. And that is Built. Folks, you've got to try this. I don't know how they do it, but these bars taste like a candy bar while maintaining amazing macros. And what's even better is that they're healthy.

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And it may not be Mock Draft Monday anymore, folks, but that does not mean that the hashtag LockedOnMurfMonday has gone away. It is never going away. It is always going to be here because Mondays belong to this man right here. My good friend, the Count of Murphy, Fisto himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy, opens the week in style, as he always does here on LockedOnPatriots. Thank you for coming to me in friendship,

and thank you for joining me today, Don Murphy. Oh, fantastic. I'm a little bummed out. A little bummed out, man. We had to vault up the mock draft Mondays and it's always so much fun. But folks, Mike's got something really good in store for you. He announced on Friday that we're going to start doing mailbag Mondays with Murph. That's going to be a blast, man. I can't wait till we get into that. But today, today we got something else on the schedule.

We definitely do. And yeah, keep a sharp eye out, folks, for Mailbag Mondays. The first call, who knows, it might even be this week. So be sure to stay locked into Locked On Patriots. Give us a follow on the Bird app at LO underscore Patriots. And you know, Murph and I are going to be promoting it. So follow MDABATE NFL, follow Team Murph 207, and we'll be sure to give you the very latest when it comes to locked on Patriots. But you know, Murph, the first wave, the major wave of free agency is now in the books. The 2023 NFL draft is now in the books.

The Patriots have even added a handful of undrafted rookie free agents. Many camps still a little bit a ways away, but OTAs are right on the horizon. The New England Patriots roster is going to start to take shape, and we're going to start to get an idea of what this team actually looks like. A lot of upgrades have been made, some changes that will be made throughout the season, some some good maybe some not so good yeah I don't mean to be a negative person today but we figured what we do is take a look at what the Patriots biggest needs are in this roster right now and Murph you and I both have been very vocal about positions of need before for the New England Patriots so let's start on the

defensive side of the ball because you know championships. Got to build a strong defense. Pat's defense was among the tops in the league in several major categories last season. Didn't have a whole lot of reinventing of the wheel that was going to be needed in New England in order to get this team on track. And they didn't. They essentially ran back the same crew that they had last year even guys that i did not expect them to resign like mac wilson um you know rayquan mcmillan i did expect guys like daniel aquale to find their way back into the fold um obviously jelani tavai was given an extension earlier on in the season these players that fit the bill belichick mold made some additions also through the draft martin mapu coming in now probably a hybrid linebacker

there. Keon White definitely is going to factor in. But as we all know, Murph, the biggest upgrade to the defense is Christian Gonzalez pick at number 17. He definitely is going to revolutionize that cornerback room. You know as well as I, though, that Bill Belichick never feels he's dealing from a position of strength. He's always going to look at the roster and see where improvement is needed. When you put on your Belichickian crystal ball goggles, my friend, what are you seeing in this team? What area of this team still concerns you a little bit, a little bit, and where do you think they need to go from here to maybe add another body or two just to make sure that they're as strong as they need to be for 2023?

The Patriots still need a center fielder here, a proven center fielder at safety. I know that there are a lot of moves that could be made, a lot of interchangeable pieces, but replacing a ballplayer of Devinordy's um stature back there is is not going to be a one-man job and while uh bill has a lot of moving pieces a lot of those chess pieces that everybody's waiting to see what he does does with uh i think another person back there, a good quality veteran to bring. Because this is still kind of a young group. There's some vets back there.

But bringing in somebody else that is strictly a center fielder could be a real boom to this Patriots defense that was just so lights out last year. I think what they've done up front has been really cool. A little bit outside of the box from the way that we were thinking that they were going to attack this draft. But they got another guy that could play on the edge. They've got a guy, they brought a guy in that, that could possibly play both linebacker and safety, but it's, it's the free safety that we need. You know, we got the lockdown cornerback, cornerback, they brought back Jones. Now let's go take care of a safety. Let's see who's out there. Yeah. I'm so glad that you mentioned that because that is definitely near the top of my list. It's not at the top of my list, folks. I'm going to give you my thoughts in just a moment, but let's stay on the safety position for just a second because I think you make a very interesting

point. Devin McCourty is not someone that you're going to replace overnight. As a matter of fact, it may take two or three years before you start to really see what the free safety position is going to look like long-term for the Patriots. If they found their guy or if this is a work in progress and they're going to continue to search to find someone that can be the type of traffic director and the type of leader that Devin McCourty was back there. Not an easy task. I'm just going to say it. I mean, I don't think you're going to find anybody with that total package ability that Devin had, but someone that can come in and play the free safety position. When you look at the Patriots' safety depth chart right now, that depth chart is definitely talented.

Kyle Duggar, Jalen Mills, Adrian Phillips, Jabril Peppers, all four talented players. I think any team in the National Football League would love to employ any one of those four. Wherever they fall on the depth chart, you definitely would love to have guys with that type of skill set in the room when you're ready to have those meetings in the defensive backfield something that again just does not sit right when it comes to the New England Patriots is their lack of a true free safety in that backfield everyone is assuming that Jalen Mills is going to be able to step in and play that role.

Jalen, I think, is a little bit more of a thumper than people realize. He's someone that can play the safety position. He did it very well in Philadelphia, and I think this is a great positional move for him. I love Jalen's game. This is in no way a knock to Jalen Mills, but at the same time, exactly. That's the point.'s where's the next man up who's my next man up i got a name you got a name mike yeah uh for the next man up for that one well i'll let you go ahead and take this because you're the guest i really like john i got out of that one i really like uh john johnson in this in this spot you know uh he of the Cleveland Browns, he signed a four-year, $40 million contract with him three years ago, and they've decided to go the draft route and to bring in somebody else, save themselves a little money. But I think that he's somebody that could go back, come in here on a

one-year deal, maybe a one-year plus an option deal. We'll see what happens there and really solidify that back end. He'll bring that veteran leadership to the room and veteran knowledge to Gerard Mayo and his defense. Yeah, very good point. And I like that addition. And I definitely think that it's something that will intrigue the New England Patriots. Don't forget, there is another wave still to come here, folks. Miguel was very eloquent in how he outlined exactly what the Patriots need to do financially, not only to maintain operational costs, but also be aggressive in adding another body or two if they feel this roster needs an upgrade to compete with what everybody's saying is just

the stacked AFC and the Patriots are essentially being left by the roadside. But I wouldn't be so quick to count this roster out, folks. Not just yet. Let's see how they look on the field and let's see what they do when it comes to putting a team together. And let's get a few training camp practices. Let's get a couple of on the field, and let's see what they do when it comes to putting a team together. And let's get a few training camp practices. Let's get a couple of preseason games even in before we start to write the epitaph for the New England Patriots in 2023. Murph, atop my list of needs or concerns for the New England Patriots, I still say, and this is going to surprise some people,

but I still say is the interior of the defensive line, only because I'm not sure what their plans are for Lawrence Guy. We know that the contract situation presents itself in an area where New England may look to shed some salary, try to recoup some cap room. Maybe it's coming to the point where Lawrence is ending his time in New England. Do they cut bait? Do they try to put him on the trade market? cap room maybe it's coming to the point where Lawrence is ending his time in New England uh do they cut bait do they try to put him on the trade market are they going to commit to him in the middle part of that um interior of the defensive line because if that's indeed the case then I think you're looking at Keon White coming in here and being a type of run stopper that I think you're going to see him be in the first maybe one, two seasons before he settles into his spot on the edge.

Because I still think he's such a raw talent at that position. It's going to be tough to anoint him as a five tech right out of the gate. There's been a lot of confusion here on Lockdown Patriots. A lot of people thought that I had projected him to come in and be a five tech player the moment he steps on the field in Foxborough. That's not the case, folks. I do not think he will be. I never did. I think he end up, folks. I do not think he will be. I never did.

I think he end up, that's where I believe he will end up. I think he has the tools to be a five tech player. I think he will be in shorter order than a lot of people are saying, but not going to happen this year. So if that's the case and Lawrence Guy's future in Foxborough is on the rocks right now, where does that leave guys like Sam Roberts, Daniel Laquale, Carl Davis is still a member of this team as well. How do you fill those different types of positions? Do the Patriots want a more permanent solution? Do they go

in-house? I don't think they add another body by free agency, but the reason why this area is a concern is because I think all of the in-house options they have right now are not solidified beyond Devon Godchow and Christian Barmore, who I think is the most stable member of all of those guys that I just mentioned. What are your thoughts on the interior of the offensive line? Am I panicking a little too much? I like the people that are there, but no, no, we're on the same page. It can't hurt to add another body into the mix.

Let's see what's happening through camps. Who gets caught? Who doesn't? Who's not working out with their new defensive coordinators? You just never know what's going to happen. And like you said, there are a few guys out there right now. I mean, Shelby Harris is still out there. Michael Brockers is still out there.

Dominick and Sue do not do that to me. Okay. Linval Joseph, you know, of the, you know, I think he's 104 years old right now, or I could be exaggerating a little bit. Christian Covington is out there. So there are options, and there are more that are going to come up. But, no, I'm right there with you. When you're dealing with the size and strength of the human beings that are slamming each other time after time, snap after snap at these positions on both sides of the ball.

You need depth there. So no, no, you're not jumping the gun. You're not a nervous Nelly, bud. No, well, thank you. I appreciate that. And, you know, bottom line, I think it's definitely smart of the New England Patriots to look at positions of strength and still say, you know what? There may be an opportunity to upgrade.

And maybe that is the case with the defensive, with the interior of the defensive line. Like I said, my uneasiness with this positional grouping is more to do with the future of guys that are in this line. You know, Godchow obviously has the extension. We think he's going to be a part of this interior for a good long time. Far more, I think it's almost a foregone conclusion. They're still very high on this kid, and they should be. But beyond that, where are you going here for additional depth or additional stability? I should say Roberts, Aquale, Davis, those are good role players, but I don't think any of them are long-term solutions.

And Guy is really the wild card here. You know, what are they going to do with him this year? Is he still going to be a patriot throughout the entire season my gut tells me yes but there's always a chance that the patriots do something surprising so that's fans put your feelings in the comments below let us know what you think the patriots biggest need is on defense have they already addressed it is the defense pretty well intact or are there still areas you feel the patriots could use one or two additional bodies or at least some additional clarity as to exactly what their plans are for the 2023 season but you know murph it's always fun to talk about defense

but offense is what puts butts in the seats and that's exactly what we're going to do here to close the show today on locked on patriots what the Patriots' biggest offensive depravity right now? Where do they need to go in order to ensure that Mac Jones has all the weapons he needs to succeed? Or is that where they need to start? Murph and I are going to talk about that in just a moment when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Pats fans, thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage.

Don't forget tomorrow here on Locked On Patriots, we're going to be discussing our rookies once again. Rookie draft picks, health concerns, all of that. We're going to be discussing that right here on Locked On Patriots. Make sure to stay locked into Locked On patriots for all of the latest and to ensure that you get your episode as soon as it's available but today we are talking about potential patriots deficiencies what areas of the roster are still a concern now that the 2023 nfl draft is in the books and to do, we've got the legend himself,

the count of Murphy Fisto. Thomas Murphy of E2G Sports joins me here today. And Murph, we talked a lot about the defense in the first segment. You mentioned free safety, probably the biggest glaring omission on this roster right now. I talked a little bit about my uneasiness

regarding the interior of the defensive line, but we've arrived at the time that I think a lot of people have been waiting for, and that is offensive deficiencies. This is a team that did not finish well offensively in 2022. They've made a lot of upgrades to their coaching staff. I think that's a big part of it. Some will make the argument that they have not made sufficient upgrades to their offense in order to be competitive in the AFC. I think they have, but I still think there's areas that are in need of improvement. When you look at this team first, Bud, what is

your biggest need for improvement on the Patriots roster? What area of the offense still concerns you most? The offensive line, specifically offensive tackle. And we talked about putting butts in seats. What puts butts in seats more than a right tackle? I know you all guys. I love it. You guys all wanted me to come out and say third down back or slot receiver or something to that.

No, I'm happy. I'm happy there. I'm not thrilled with the fact that, you know, they didn't take somebody that I really, we're not going to go back. But no, it's offensive tackle. Okay. And if I hear Isaiah Wynn's name one more time,

I think I'm going to scream. You know, Mr. Wonderful has not gotten his bag of cash and is still out there. And if one more person DMs me and says, Murph, why don't they just bring back Wynn? I am. I'm going to jump off a bridge. Please. We don't want that, folks. We do not want that.

So keep Murph out of the DMs. Do not mention Isaiah Wynn any longer because my knees would just fall apart here on Lockdown Patriots. You know, to say nothing of the fact that I would miss the man. It's, you know, the bigger impact would be, you know, the here on Lockdown Patriots. To say nothing of the fact that I would miss the man, the bigger impact would be the loss to Lockdown Patriots. But bottom line, folks, all kidding aside, I happen to agree with you. I think that this team right now, in terms of a true offensive tackle, is not very well equipped in terms of the future, especially. I mean, O'Reilly, Rafe, Calvin Anderson are going to come in.

They're going to get their chance, I think, to compete. Right now, if you asked me today to make a decision, I would probably say Riley Rafe gets to start out of anybody that they have on this roster. But that's not to say that Connor McDermott's not going to get his opportunities. I think Sidney Sauer's going to get his opportunities to start there. We've heard a lot about the fact that the Patriots view him as a potential tackle. That makes some sense to me, especially the way that he plays. I think they could go that direction.

I am in full agreement with you that I don't think they move Michael Wainu over to tackle, especially with an injury contract here. I think that's the biggest evidence right there. That was problem one last year with the flip-flopping around. That completely threw a monkey wrench into everything. This year, I really don't think that Bill wants to weaken two spots. Finding a better right guard on this planet is would be a really difficult situation. OK, I would really love to see him tied up for another three years here in New England.

But no, I'm not borrowing from Peter to pay Paul here. Yeah, exactly. And you'd be taking away one of the highest graded linemen on this team when it comes to pro football focus. But also I think they're most complete linemen right now. And I think he's settled into a spot that Shaq Mason held here for a number of years. Right guard is a very important position, folks. I know tackles get the glamour because they're sealing the edges. They're protecting the quarterback. But if you don't have solid play in the interior at the guard positions,

you're going to fall apart and you're going to fall apart quick. One of the reasons why Joe Tooney was so beloved here at left guard is because of the way he played that position. I think Michael Wayne, who on the right side, is equally as valuable. And I think it's only going to make Cole Strange an even better left guard this season coming up. Murph, let's stay on the offensive line for a moment because there are rumblings out there we've heard them uh social media mostly not a whole lot of evidence to back this up but uh supposedly afc representatives will be kind representatives i think is the word we

should use. It wouldn't be gentlemanly of me to use other words to describe it. Are questioning what the future of David Andrews is going to be on this team, especially with Jake Andrews being selected. You've got Cody Russo on this team. You've got guys like Chasen Hines, Andrew Stuber, that could possibly come in and play a little bit of center. James Ferentz can do it.

A lot of people are wondering what this means. Your gut reaction to this, because from what I'm hearing, there's not a whole lot of base to any question about what David Andrews is going to do, especially this year. I don't think there should be. No, David Andrews is going to come and he's going to ball out. What Bill did in the draft was just make sure that he had a suitable backup for David if he went down. If he, if by for some reason was short a center, he wasn't going to be calling on somebody that couldn't step up when the next man up came up. He's not moving a guard over to play center.

He wants somebody that has squatted in the mud, had his hand on a ball, can look across the line and make the calls that a center has to make, and I think he addressed that in the draft. Yeah, he did, especially with Jake Andrews. And how do you like that? You think I'm good with my alliteration. Bill loves continuity, folks. Found a guy with the same last name. You don't even have to change anything.

The jersey can be swapped. Well, no, you can't do that. The numbers, I understand. Now we've got to put a first initial on jerseys. That is true. Yep. Absolutely. Yeah, it's true. Well, you got enough Joneses on the team. You might as well start packing the offense with Andrews.

But bottom line. They got all these extra letters just to throw there, you know, for the Joneses last year. And you've got to buy 24 of them, people. You can't get them in a set of 12. You can't. No, you can't. Absolutely. You got to buy them a set of 24.

Yep. You buy the jerseys. You got to buy the numbers. It's like hot dogs and hot dog buns. They're a little off, but you've got to buy the bigger You got to buy them instead of 24. Yep. You buy the jerseys. You got to buy the numbers. It's like hot dogs and hot dog buns. They're a little off, but you've got to buy the bigger package in order to satisfy the full amount. It's not a sandwich. Okay.

By law, I have to, I have to bring this up. If somebody mentions hot dogs, it's not a sandwich. If I come to your house and you offer me a sandwich and I say, sure. And you bring me a hot dog. Thank you very much, folks. Good night. We appreciate all of your support here on Locked On Patriots. No, I'm only kidding.

I am only, only kidding. But look, bottom line, you're absolutely right when it comes to the center position. I don't believe Andrews is going anywhere. I don't believe either Andrews is going anywhere. Jake is definitely the future. They're going to groom him for this. David is not getting any younger. He's had his health issues in the past.

I love David Andrews. He's not going to play forever, folks. So I think you're looking at the next couple of years of him trying to prepare Jake to have that baton handed off. And in the meantime, you will see him in situational football. And if David does go down you do have a solid guy to come in to be able to uh shoulder the load for a rent might be gone yeah for rents might be gone or like the squatter you know we've got we've got it we've got a lot of freaking we've got a lot of guards and now we've got a dedicated center so you may see names

like forensk on that's a possibility uh yannick adjust is someone that i've been trying to yeah i'm up here for a number of years i think that situation may have reached its pinnacle i think the patriots brought some of these guys back in the initial wave of free agency in case the draft board didn't fall the way they wanted it to it did and i think the patriots got the offensive line help they're looking for adding guys like like Rafe, like Anderson, City Sal, of course, in the draft. And, you know, we're forgetting Antonio Mafi. He's going to be something that is going to be very much a part of this as well. Right. Now, there's somebody that we're talking about, you know, while we're talking about a right tackle that I'm not sure I could go in and take snaps.

I'm not sure how much how much tackle he played in college. Do you know, Mike? Sparingly, his experience is much more in the interior. If he's going to play tackle, he's got to shed a little bit of weight. And I, you know, and here I am like, you know, that's that's really not very it's kind of disingenuous coming from someone that looks like you don't get paid to be at the same time. That's true. That is true. But at the same time, in order for him to man that position, especially on the right

side, you're going to need to shed a little bit. He's going to have to get a little bit more athletic. That could be a possibility. The Patriots may work with him. He may come into camp leaner, meaner, and ready to roll because he does have the athleticism folks. Look at some of the tape on Mafi. That's why Murph and I were so enamored with this kid.

Right. When everyone was sending in mock drafts and Mafi kept showing up on them, we kept applauding that decision and really liking it because of the athleticism we kept seeing from him at this position. So that could be interesting as well. I do think he's more of a situational rotational guard maybe with their eye on the future if elaine who does indeed decide that he's going to find greener pastures uh elsewhere and by green i mean yeah i mean that large bag

that's waiting for him somewhere um and well deserved he's he's had a tremendous uh tenure here in new england and we hope it's going to be the patriots that are going to give that to him but i don't know they're stacking the line pretty well we hope it's going to be the Patriots that are going to give that to him. But I don't know. They're stacking the line pretty well here. It's not looking – We could have fixed all this with Cody Mosh. You know, if they grabbed Mosh where I wanted, I had a better draft than Bill.

And Bill had a good draft. Yeah, you did. Yeah, you did. They were all there. They were all there right where I wanted them picked. They were all there. Exactly. And you had the chance. The chance all there. They were all there, right where I wanted them picked. They were all there. And you had the chance.

The chance was there. Everything was there. Murph is still in mourning over Darnell Washington, folks. But you know what? Bottom line, that leads me quite nicely into my final question for you. Because again, we wouldn't be doing our jobs here on Locked On Patriots unless we addressed the skill positions. Murph, wide receiver, third down back, tight end. Which one of these do the Patriots still need to address to give Matt Jones adequate weapons heading into 2023?

You know, I'm really not sure. Probably a third down back, you know, if you really wanted one. I am not in love with James Robinson. I like him, but I'm not in love with, let's see what Pierre Strong can do this summer in camp. Maybe he can step up into it, but I had that guy too, didn't I? I had that guy too. And he ended up going on, you know, he ended up getting, you know, almost being Mr. Irrelevant, but he's going to go play with his dad. And that's, that's my man Deuce Vaughn. I would have loved to have seen him here but yeah it's third down back it's that guy that we have always been so um uh able to count on

over the past 15 years 20 years of this franchise um you know and and, and he, he, he was Mr. White all over again, just a little bit tinier. And I couldn't, you know, I didn't ask for it for a lot for Christmas bill. I didn't, I would have been happy with just, just that the one kid, just the, the, the one little toy that came with the bat, all the batteries included. And that was deuce Vaughn, but it's, it's, yeah, it's, it's the third down back. We'll see how that shakes out. I would have been a little happier, a little more stable back there with at least two guys that could come in on third down

and give Stevenson that blow that we all know that he needs because he is a three down back. You know, if you can give them a down off here and there, maybe we'll, we'll sort this stuff out. And he's back in there a third down and gives people a little more pause as to what's going to happen. And I can see that too. Um, but no, that guy that you can depend on, uh, on third down to go and move the chains and get you that eight yards when you're pinned back there. Folks stay tuned in in holiday time where Murph will give his rendition of All I Want for Christmas is Deuce. That's going to be available on all streaming platforms. No, I'm kidding, folks.

I think you make an interesting point, but I will counter that point by saying, do you think that Ty Montgomery can step up into that role? A lot of people forget he's still on this roster. Obviously, an injury-rid uh 2022 prevented him from ever seeing the field but yeah patriots had high hopes for this kid is this someone who can carry that load he i i'm not sure how much of a load he can carry coming off the injury plague season that he had last year uh it it's a nice thought and i would like it to work out. I'm just a little more of a, uh, um, you're down to three eggs. Let's see if we, let's pick up another dozen while we're at the, while we're at the store, just in case, you know, somebody decides to make an omelet before you make

cookies that night. Yeah, very true. Very, very true when it comes to that. And Montgomery, you know, he's always interesting to, you know, to talk about. I think that especially, you know, with the time that he had with the Ravens, the time that he had with the Saints especially, I know a lot of people had some high hopes for this kid because he really looked like he was coming into his own during camp last year and then suffering the injury and not being able to see uh you know the season it's uh it's it's going

to be interesting to see how he comes back and what he's got left in the tank if he doesn't and he's not able to carry the load uh then i agree with you and that third down back could be something to come back and bite them folks i know i'm happy with i am yeah i was i was happy i was happy with the with the draft picks they made, the dice rolls, and I was more than happy going into this draft. As you saw in my mock draft, I didn't pick a wide receiver. I didn't pick a pass catcher. I grabbed a tight end, but other than that,

I didn't get that slot guy that everybody wanted. I'm happy with this group. I think if the offensive line can give Mac the time that he needs, that these guys can give you the 32 points a game that you're all searching for. Absolutely, and I agree with you. I think that I was satisfied with what they did at wide receiver. I'm a little higher on Keishon Butte than some. Some are very high on him.

Some are really high on him. You know, you're really, really high on him. I think he has a first-round talent. He very well could when we see him on the field. So far, things are falling into line. He's the first rookie to sign his draft deal. Those are the

signs that you want to look for. If he's serious about rehabilitating his image and really being able to come back from a tough injury, then i think kayshawn buddha has the opportunity to do so and a tight end i think that the patriots have their two guys this year i think hunter henry is a an extension candidate um i think you may see him in new england for the long term i think out of the two he and johnny smith hunter is the guy they

want to zero in on his second has a good season of a sudden, you may see him come back. And don't sleep on Scotty Washington. I think he may be a very sneaky possibility to get that third tight end role. I know everybody's assuming that it's going to go to Matt Sokol. I think the Patriots steal out in Scotty. I think there's a lot of athleticism, blocking ability. This kid has it. And I think he could be someone that could make this roster in a pinch. So, folks, tell us where we went wrong or where we went right.

What are your offensive concerns? Where do the Patriots need to make a slight upgrade in order to make sure that they remain in contention in what is going to be a very difficult division and a very difficult conference overall? Murph and I love to have our fun at the expense of some other teams, but this is a stacked conference this year. Have your fun at our expense. We don't mind. Just don't talk about our mothers. That's right. Other than that, we're fine. But in all actuality, folks,

we appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to spend with us here on Locked on Patriots today. Bud, what can I say? It may not have been Mock Draft Monday, but it's still a blast here on Locked on Patriots today. Bud, what can I say? It may not have been Mock Draft Monday, but it's still a blast here on Locked On Murph Monday. And don't forget, watch for the hashtag Mailbag Monday because we will be instituting that very shortly

to get your thoughts, your questions, your concerns answered all right here on Locked On Patriots. But before I let you go, my friend, the floor is yours. Please let everyone know where they can find you, what you have coming out this week from the great pen, the great voice of Thomas Murphy, as always. Well, One Patriot's Place has taken the week off.

We got this week off. We're going to sit back and reboot. But, of course, you can find all my writing over at e2gsports.com. I got a nice little piece up there on kenley jansen that dropped yesterday uh thank you all for checking that out already 2 000 hits in a single day not too not too shabby not too good on you people good on you people and uh uh other than that you know i i might be back here later on during the week who knows oh there's a very distinct possibility that could happen folks we know you love your

and if you do keep a sharp eye out on that feed that's why it's so important that you download subscribe to follow locked on patriots wherever you get your podcast especially on youtube so you do not miss an episode and of course a definite big shout out and much love to all of you everydayers out there you continue to make locked on patriots what it is and you love to all of you everydayers out there. You continue to make Locked On Patriots what it is, and you continue to give us inspiration to make it everything it could be and it should be. And we will continue to work in terms of giving you the best quality content that we possibly can here on Locked On Patriots.

And in the meantime, thank you for your loyalty. On behalf of my good friend, the Count of Murphy, Fisto himself, I'm Mike DeBate. Stay safe. Stay well. Be the change that you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone, and we'll see you again here tomorrow on Locked On Patriots. It's not a sandwich. It's not.

Nope.