Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Bill O’Brien, Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe, Trace McSorley, NFL Draft: Quarterback Spotlight

Episode Date: April 19, 2023

New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien may be back for his second tour of duty with the franchise. However, he is not living in the past. Host Mike D’Abate welcomes Mark Schofield of SB Nation to discuss O’Brien’s potential impact on quarterbacks Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe and Trace McSorley. The duo also ponder whether the Pats may look to use early-round capital to select a quarterback in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.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!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.Ultimate Football GMTo download the game just visit Ultimate-GM.com or look it up on the app stores. Our listeners get a 100% free boost to their franchise when using the promo LOCKEDON (ALL CAPS) in the game store.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

Bill O'Brien may be remodeling the New England Patriots offense, but he's not exactly reinventing the wheel. Stick around. You're about to be locked in to the Locked On Patriots podcast. You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful, and 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'm your host, Mike DeBate, and I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. So please reach out to me. Let me know what's on your mind on Twitter at MDABATENFL. And 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. Pats fans, thank you so much for joining me here today on the pod,

especially all of you Locked On Patriots everydayers, those of you who take time out of your busy schedules to spend with us on Locked On Patriots each and every day. I say it always, and I mean it more each and every day. I appreciate you all so much. Most of all, I appreciate you sticking with the show based on the content. I continue to work on several technical and aesthetic upgrades, including better audio, video, a new backdrop. So continue to stay locked into Locked On Patriots for that.

But in the meantime, much love to all of you Locked On Patriots everydayers out there. And today on the pod, we have a very special treat for you. The host emeritus is in the house mark scofield of sb nation is here and if mark is dropping by the pod it's a pretty safe bet that we're going to be discussing some quarterbacks that means mac jones bailey zappy trace mcsorley and whether the patriots might throw caution to the wind and use early round draft capital on a quarterback yeah folks you're going to want to hear what mark has to say on that so stay locked in but first england patriots offensive coordinator bill o'brien may be back for his second tour of duty with the franchise but he is definitely not

living in the past on tuesday morning bill's first meeting with the media since being hired by the Pats back in January. And he's showing that typical candor, that direct nature, and really, I think, very, very clearly outlining his mindset, which we will employ to steer the New England Patriots ship back in the right direction. And it's definitely going to be a tough task, but he's up to the challenge, and he's basically wiping everything clean. He was very, very adamant about saying that everything is a clean slate. Everybody is moving forward. That means himself. That means all of the Patriots offensive players, especially quarterback Mac Jones, and we're going to get back into Mac in just a moment, but we all know that Bill is back here. He's previously served under Bill Belichick before, so the learning curve is not as steep as a new voice coming in

to this environment. Coached the quarterbacks from 2007 to 2011, called offensive plays, and won official season in 2011 as the Patriots offensive coordinator. Since that time, Bill has gone on to coach the Penn State Nittany Lions, the Houston Texans, and most recently the offensive coordinator at the University of Alabama under Nick Saban. Now, since his return became official, Bill revealed that he spent the majority of his time not only studying Patriots film, but also other pro and college-level offenses.

He's trying to incorporate new ideas. And that's what I meant today when I said he's not reinventing the wheel. Bill is definitely going to remodel this offense, show us some wrinkles, some new things we haven't seen before, but he's also not going to stray from the formula that's been so successful for both he and some of the Patriots players, especially Mac Jones. And a lot of people have called him, or I should say Bill O'Brien, the medicine man of the Patriots offense. But he's not the only one that's going to solve those scoring maladies, folks. He was quick to remind everyone today when he spoke with the media that offensive improvement is and will remain a team effort. And that's exactly how it should be. And I'm quoting Bill directly here. He says,

quote, we do our part as coaches. We evaluate players, we give our opinion, and we get back to our role on the staff. And that's important to remember that everyone that's on this staff has a role to play. They have a job to do and everyone working together is what's going to make it go. It's going to make it better. One person is not going to magically come in, wave a wand, and fix all of the problems that the Patriots had offensively last year. And let's face it, folks, this is a fractured offense. Under Matt Patricia's management, just did not go according to plan. You know, this was an offense that regressed, severely regressed in 2022.

It was one that showed significant promise in 2021 under Mac Jones, but all of a sudden you start to see the difficulties they have on the field, and the Patriots in 2022 finished 7th worst in total yards, 17th in the NFL in points per game. Neither of those statistics is going to get it done this year. Now, to be fair, New England's offense has little place to go but up, but we're looking for a bigger jump than that. And I'm here to tell you, I believe Bill O'Brien is serious about making that jump much bigger. Mack and Bill, I think, have the opportunity to be a very good pairing here in New England. These two did overlap when Mack was on his way to the NFL. Bill was on his

way to Tuscaloosa. Mack helped acclimate him to the Bama offensive system. And I think that's one of the reasons why Mack has been so complimentary about Bill O'Brien. He knows the type of guy that he is. He knows the type of guy that he is. He knows the type of offense he's been running, and this is where Mac is at his most comfortable. But again, Bill was very cautious to let people know that some of the reports out there indicating that Bill took this job solely to work with Mac Jones, not true. Threw a lot of cold water on that when he spoke with the media on Tuesday morning. I do think it was a selling point. I think he's excited to work with Mack, but it's not the only reason he's here.

Just like Bill's hiring alone is not going to automatically heal every offensive wound in New England. Bill O'Brien has to establish his voice. He's got to establish his command with this team. And even that experience that he has working with Mac it'll help lessen the time frame for both of them to land on the same page but Bill made it clear he's back with the New England Patriots for a lot of different reasons it's not just the identity of his expected starting quarterback which we believe will be Mac Jones. He said so very blatantly, quote, it wasn't about one person.

And he said that with a purpose, folks. So Bill O'Brien is very cautious to let people know he's here to run the New England Patriots offense, not just to work with Mac Jones. And that's something you want to hear from a coordinator. He's dialed into every aspect of this office, an awful lot of determination to make this job the best he possibly can and make the Patriots offense the best he possibly can and that's really the best outcome for us fans let's face it folks but Bill was also not someone that's going to tip his hand there's still New England within him folks and even though the right pieces seem to be in place

the responsibility to improve now rests on his shoulders. And he's not going to reveal any of his trade secrets. Anyone thinking that Bill was going to reveal his offensive plan probably hasn't been around the New England Patriots for the last couple of decades. He said, I think it would be crazy for me to stand up here and tell you what we're doing offensively. Some of those things are things we've done here. Other things are new. And again, it comes back to not reinventing the wheel, but remodeling the problems that you had in the previous season.

Bill's going to keep it close to the vest. And maybe, just maybe, that means that there's still a lot of New England Patriot left in him after all. Patriots fans, Bill O'Brien was not the only assistant to meet with the media on Tuesday and we're going to take a deeper dive into some of the most tantalizing topics raised from his assistants, as well as Matt Groh's media availability and what it means for the upcoming 2023 NFL draft. We're going to dive into that tomorrow here on Locked On Patriots when I'm joined, as I am each and every Wednesday,

by the Countess of Clas herself, Claire, Clasie Claire Cooper of Pat's Propaganda and FBC Patriots will join me here tomorrow. So make sure that you're subscribed to stay locked into the action. And in just a moment, folks, my good friend, the host emeritus here on Locked On Patriots, Mark Schofield, will be joining me. The best there is, the best there was, the best there ever will be. Yeah, I know, that's Brett the Hitman Hart, but not in this case, folks.

I'm talking about the quarterback whisperer himself. Mark Thompson here in just a moment when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook. Folks, grand slams, no hitters, double plays, they're back. And there's no better place to get in on the Major League Baseball action than FanDuel,

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Just go to FanDuel.com slash LockedOn to sign up. FanDuel, official sportsbook partner of Major. Patriots fans, thank you once again for making LockedOn Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. And if you haven't done so, please take a moment to sign up for the Locked On NFL Draft Buzz Newsletter. It can be found on LockedOnPodcast.com slash newsletters. Each week, you're going to get a top story from NFL draft expert Luke Inman, a top five ranking, and links to great draft content across the Locked On Podcast Network. Because after all, we are your team every day.

So that's the Locked Onfl draft buzz newsletter don't delay do it today sign up locked on podcast.com slash newsletters that's fans today the topic of the day is quarterbacks and there is no one and i mean no one in the sports media universe that provides the detail the analysis and the insight at the quarterback position than my esteemed guest today. Wholeheartedly, sincerely, when I say that this man is the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. The host emeritus here at Locked On Patriots.

That's right, folks. Today, we're blessing the reins, welcoming back my predecessor, my mentor, and mostly my honor, my friend, Mark Schofield of SB Nation. Mark, thank you for joining me today. Welcome back home, buddy. Mike, it's great to be here. It is always great to be back with you. It's always great to get a chance to sort of catch up before and after shows and as well as dive in to the topics of the day. I am always, always honored to be back and always just amazed by the work that you've done and how you've taken the baton and just gone to places unimaginable for me

back when I was in the big chair. So it's great to be back and it's great to see you again. And I'm excited to talk a little ball with you. Absolutely. And I am as well. And believe me, that handoff of the baton, believe me, it was a perfect handoff. And it was a baton that was ready to work its magic. I'm just a little bit. Let's put it this way. Perfect handoff was literally the best I could do back when I was playing quarterback. That was the best thing that I could do was a perfect handoff. Don't let him fool you, folks. If I could do one thing well, it was that. Don't let him fool you, folks. We've seen the film. He's a little better than he lets on.

Self-deprecating humor. I think it's really a prerequisite of this job. I do it all the time. Blair gets upset with me, but you know what? It's one of those things that we'll just learn to live with, bud. Look, if everybody else is going to point fun at yourself, you might as well do it and just join along with the crowd.

Absolutely. That's it. Head it off at the pass, right, my friend? Stay ahead of the game. But in any case right, my friend? Stay ahead of the game. But in any case, we are trying to stay ahead of the game that, believe it or not, Mark, is actually not too far away from beginning. We're heading into an exciting part of the NFL season. Obviously, the NFL draft coming up. I'm going to talk a little NFL draft in just a minute, folks, but if the topic of the day is quarterbacks, Mark, all eyes are on Mac Jones. As phase one of the offseason workout program starts in Foxborough, everyone is expecting Bill O'Brien to come in here and rework this

quarterback room, work his magic, you know, whatever. We talk about the baton. It's really like waving the magic wand and fixing all the offensive problems that the Patriots had last year. We're hearing smatterings of reports that Bill is looking to tear everything down that the Patriots have done before and infuse a whole new group of offensive styles, plays, strategies that we haven't seen before. You know me, Mark. I always love to quote Aristotle and say virtue lies in the middle. I have no doubt that Bill's going to do some different things this year and things we haven't seen, but I don't think he's reinventing the wheel in terms of his bread and butter offense, which is something that Mac Jones is pretty well adept to leading.

He did so in Alabama. So when you hear reworking this offense, what immediately jumps into your head? How can we expect to see any type of progress between he and Mac Jones if Bill O'Brien has these types of new schemes kind of brewing in his head? Right. And I think really what you're going to see is an offense that in many ways will look similar to what we've seen the past couple of years from Alabama. I think you're going to see a shift in sort of offensive philosophy, generally speaking. What was the two-word phrase that you and I talked about a lot during last season? It seems like everybody sort of was wondering about. It was offensive identity.

What was this offense's identity a year ago? Was it the sort of Shanahan-esque outside zone wide zone that apparently they wanted to go towards, but then scrapped during training camp because it wasn't working? What was the thing that they would sort of hang their hat on, right? They didn't really ever find that, particularly in the passing game, I think. And I think what you're going to see from this offense, at least when we think about what Bill O'Brien might want to do, it's a move towards what we've seen him do at Alabama. Sort of the offense that in many ways Mac Jones taught him.

You know, when O'Brien was hired, it was, you're going to see a lot of play action. You're going to see a lot of RPOs, which are two components to the offense that many have been clamoring for over these past two years. I mean, we talked about, you know, during his season last year, perhaps one area where Jones showed some prowess and produced was on play action pass and plays, but yet they didn't use it.

Like there were quarterbacks that played less than Mac Jones last year, like Taylor Heineke, for example, that had more play action pass and attempts. Now you could say, you know, it wasn't, you know, the percentage of plays was still the same from the year prior but you could have done that more I think and so I think you'll see more play action I think you'll see something in the RPO game which is what Evan Lazar and others have been sort of clamoring for because when he was at Alabama one of the things that Mac Jones did very well was run the RPO game but push the ball downfield off of the RPO looks. And certainly when you've got guys like Devonta Smith, it makes it easy to do that.

But I think you're going to see some of that. I think you're going to see some quick game concepts, West Coast concepts, even some air raid concepts, because Bill O'Brien over his time liked to sort of look to the air raid for inspiration, mesh and things like that. And so I think ultimately you're going to see an offense that is catered to what Matt Jones does. Well, I think that's the ultimate goal here,

right? Is to, if you are going to move into 2024 and beyond with Matt Jones, as your starting quarterback, you have to get the best version of Matt Jones this season in 2023. And so the offense, I think is going to be a system that sort of catered to what he does, what he does well, what he's done well, both in the NFL and while he was at Alabama. And I think we saw some of that as rookie season.

We did not see enough of that last year. And I think the job ultimately of a coach at all levels of football, but certainly in the NFL, is if you've got a young quarterback, you have to put him in an environment with the types of plays and schemes and offensive philosophy that he is most comfortable with. And for Matt Jones, that gets him back to sort of his Alabama roots. Yeah, well said. Absolutely well said.

And you want to maximize your quarterback's ability. And that's something that we've talked about a lot here in the recent weeks on locked on patreon it's something you and i have talked about really since mac came in he's at his best when he's leading his receivers under the defense giving them the opportunity to catch the ball in an accurate setting which means that mac puts it exactly where the receiver can get it and hopefully where only the receiver can get it easier said than done there but when you get competent pass catchers that are capable of creating yards after the catch or being a big target in the red zone that can open him up in a lot of ways and I think the Patriots editions of Juju Smith-Schuster and Mike Gusecki respectively complement that and I think that's something that Bill O'Brien

is going to use to his advantage two types of weapons that the Patriots did not necessarily have last year was a big red zone pass catching target that understands the value of being open in that area inside the 20 in Gusecki and someone that can get you yards after the catch with Juju Smith Schuster because let's not forget that Max's biggest problems last year where he struggled to maintain his presence in his pocket was because he found himself under duress when you have guys that can get the ball in a quick setting and make things happen afterwards it's going to put a little less pressure it's going to cause him not to open at the top of his drop in the wrong direction and then all of a sudden you see him making suspect decisions I think Bill O'Brien's influence right away, that's where you're going to see this.

Mark, moving on, not necessarily off of Mac Jones, but Bailey Zappi continues to get an awful lot of support throughout much of the fan base, and there's a lot to like with this kid. Ice water running through the veins is how I like to refer to him to him he came in didn't show much rattle he didn't show um much apprehension uh ran the offense effectively and look to have an easier time putting the ball in the end zone than mac jones which is why people are still clamoring for him to possibly take the reins can you see a scenario in a bill bryan offense where baileyappi might be better equipped to handle the duties of quarterback this year? Not necessarily Mac Jones.

I mean, it's certainly possible. I mean, look, when you look at Bailey Zappi and his strengths coming out of college and what he did well in basically the reasons why the Patriots drafted him in the first place, it was a lot of what you just talked about, right? It was a lot of, you know, accuracy, ball placement, you know, throws sort of underneath coverage, working against leverage, and leading receivers to that critical yardage after the catch.

I mean, he certainly fits the Patriots profile. It's what I wrote after they drafted him. Like, you know, his strengths is sort of, you know, the feel for leverage of the nearest defender, very adept at putting the football on the spot to lead receivers away from the closest threat, very adept at throwing sort of on time in rhythm. You know, you see plays that he had in college his final year against teams like

Indiana, against teams like Michigan State, where he's making those on timetime in-rhythm throws. You saw some of that as a rookie last year. And so everything we said about Bill O'Brien, what they expect this offense to look like and how we might cater it to Mac Jones, certainly fits as well with Bailey Zappi and the profile he's shown as a quarterback.

And so I could certainly see a scenario where Zappi has success in this offense now whether that results in him taking over I think is a different question now I understand look like you said the support for Zappi the excitement about Zappi you know in towns and in cities and in NFL areas where the starting quarterback has some questions sometimes the backup quarterback is the most popular person in town and this is also a storyline we've seen before new england with a somewhat unheralded backup quarterback taken over i mean it's it's a nice little storyline the patriots fans would certainly

love to see play out again if it has the kind of success and leads to the kind of acclimates and on-field success that we saw the last time this happened in New England about roughly 20 years ago. And so is Bailey Zappi Tom Brady 2.0? I don't know. Certainly not willing to go far on that kind of limb. But there are things that he does well, and there were reasons why Zappi was a pick for them. I mean, there was a lot of surprise when they drafted him. I immediately wrote that day that, no, no, no, this makes a lot of sense because he fits their profile of a quarterback to begin with, and he fits with their

common MO of even when they had Tom Brady under center draft and a quarterback, you know, every two or three years or so, because you should constantly be looking to upgrade at that position. And so, you know, I understand the excitement about Zappi, generally speaking, I understand why he fits their profile. You can see it in college. You can see it on film last year as well. And this is a critical year, obviously, for Matt Jones because it's year three. And the Patriots have shown historically that they are not unafraid to make what could be controversial decisions regarding the quarterback position, regarding other positions, regarding moving on from somebody that was drafted in the early

rounds for somebody that was drafted in the later rounds so if Jones struggles does that open the door to Zappi yes could Zappi have success in this system absolutely but I think Jones is still going to get that first shot to see what he can do yeah 100% agreed and obviously that's going to be probably the most prominent question that Bill O'Brien will be asked when we in the media meet with him on Tuesday morning and ask him essentially, what was it that drew him back to New England? something that he wanted to do. Ultimately, he's going to have to work with the best quarterback that's going to give him the chance to win. Will it be Mac Jones? I agree with you. I think he gets the first shot. But you have to think that with Bill Belichick now turning 71

and Robert Kraft saying we need to get back to the playoffs, that that leash is going to be a little bit shorter maybe than it was just one year ago. So interesting stuff, Mark. Already broke the Wisdom Council meter off. And we haven't even gotten to the Patriots' recent quarterback signing yet. I'm going to ask Mark a little bit about Trace McSorley. Is this merely just a roster fill, or can he be an effective weapon in certain situations? Mark and I are going to talk about that.

And don't worry, folks. I do have one draft question up my sleeve for the excellence of execution. And we're going to tackle that subject when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, thank you once again for taking time out of your busy schedule to join me here on Locked On Patriots, a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And tomorrow here on the pod definitely want to stay tuned for this we're going to be breaking down the coaching staff's first meet with the media that includes adrian clem bill o'brien all the coaches meeting with the media we're going to

discuss that along with matt gross pre-draft availability and who else but the countess of class herself claire classy claire cooper will be joining in here for all the fun back in the midweek hot seat tomorrow. So subscribe, follow. You don't want to miss a second of that action. But, folks, the wisdom and counsel meter today can't even measure the levels that Mark Schofield brings. Total clinic on the quarterback position already, talking all things Mac Jones, Bailey Zaffy.

How do you top that well you ask a question about the patriots third stringer right now that they recently brought in former arizona cardinal trace mcsorley comes in here to new england mark and it raised an eyebrow or two uh i don't think it should be shocking considering that brian hoyer is no longer the third man in that quarterback room the patri Patriots typically carry three, especially during offseason workouts, OTA, especially in training camp. But this one may be a little bit more intriguing, maybe because of the athleticism, skill set, a little bit of a departure from the way the Patriots usually do things. Did this raise your eyebrow? And what could we realistically expect from Trace McSorley this year in the quarterback position?

I mean, yeah, it raised, you know, an eyebrow when I saw that. I mean, I think they would like to have four for training camp, you know, and so it wouldn't surprise me to see another addition to the quarterback position, whether it's for free agency or the draft, because, you know, you're working on so much and you want to get reps for you know not just the quarterbacks but for receivers in the passing game running backs in the run game and so you know the more quarterbacks you have on hand the more you can actually do during a practice session and so you know having four quarterbacks I think shouldn't surprise anybody at least during training camp now

McSorley's an interesting addition because you know you you mentioned the athleticism it's certainly something that stood out you know both of his days at Penn State you know you you mentioned the athleticism it's certainly something that stood out you know both of his days at Penn State you know his time with some other teams the start that he had against Arizona where he went up against Tom Brady and you know almost pulled out a win for an Arizona team that was struggling it has the third overall pick in the draft against Tom Brady and a Buccaneers team that did you know yes they made the playoffs I know they did it you know with a not the best record in the world let's put it that way but you know, yes, they made the playoffs. I know they did it, you know, with not the best record in the world, let's put it that way, but, you know, pushed that team to the brink.

And I thought that that was a performance, and I think he did some nice things in that game. You know, you do see the athleticism, the ability to be a factor in the run game, which, you know, in this sort of too high world we're living in. We're recording this a day after Jalen Hurts became the highest paid player in NFL history. Right. And a lot of what Hurts did to earn that contract,

he did from the pocket as a passer, as I wrote for SB Nation on Monday, but you can't ignore what he also does as an athlete, as a runner and what he means to that offense in a run game. When we're seeing this too high safety world we're living in, when you can change, you know, a light box into a plus two plus three in the box as an offense

with the quarterback's run threat, that's a huge advantage for an offense. And perhaps the Patriots are going to look to get something out of that to see if, you know, they can put something together with McSorley, with an athletic quarterback. And so that's going to be something to keep an eye on. I also know the work that Trace McSorley does with Tony Rossiopi, his private quarterback's coach. I've known Tony for years.

Tony's doing work, you know, this season with some quarterbacks. He was Kenny Pickett's and still is Kenny Pickett's private quarterback coach. So you see the work that McSorley puts in on pro-style concepts, pro-style offenses, reads, progressions, and things like that. Tony really stresses footwork in the work that he does with McSorley and all the quarterbacks that he coaches. And so you see that as well. And so you can see a world where some of what we've talked about

with Jones and Zappi, the quick decision-making, quick throws, quick reads, you see some of that in McSorley as well. And so if we're going to see this sort of Alabama-esque offense with some of the collegiate-style influences, let's say, that's an offense that McSorley can run as well. And so I think you put this together. It's certainly worth a flyer for a quarterback as we get into OTAs and mini camp and eventually training camp.

There are things that McSorley can do well, very competitively tough quarterback had a chance to talk to him personally at his senior bowl. And, you know, this is certainly a player that believes that he could be the best quarterback on a team even given the fact he you know his sort of draft position and you know where he ended up you know coming off the board you know and the fact that he's bounced around from a couple of different teams certainly competitively tough kid so i'm excited to see how they use them and excited to see you know what they can do with them as we get into OTAs and training camp.

Yeah, absolutely. I think main camp is going to be very fun to watch, to watch how the reps are divvied up, to watch how these guys are put in there, who's working with the first team, who's working with the second team. You know we're going to be breaking it all down, and there's going to be thousands of stories each day on who got one more rep and who made one more pass.

It's going to be exciting, and it's going to be exciting and it's going to be definitely interesting times in new england in the spring leading into the summer but but i wouldn't be doing my job if i didn't ask one question about the upcoming nfl draft and mark what surprises me is that there are still a lot of our colleagues in the media reputable colleagues more reputable than myself we're pretty much on your level maybe a little bit less than your level because i do hold you in the highest regard my bud but regardless um there are some that have floated the idea that the new england patriots may be in the quarterback market before a lot of people are expecting and when i say before a lot of people are expecting they And when I say before a lot of people are expecting, they're talking maybe first, second, maybe third round

in terms of bringing in a quarterback of the future. It sounds to me like we're on the same page thinking Mac Jones is going to get the ball first, get every opportunity. If there is a struggle or if there is really just a regression that he can't seem to get himself out of, Bailey Zappappy gets the nod trace mcsorley is here to ensure that there is uh you know someone on the roster that can always be the backup number two or you know whatever number three mostly but can you envision

a scenario where the new england patriots make a big time splash at quarterback this year and if they do what does it say about confidence level that they have in the room right now? You know, one of my favorite things, Mike, about the Combine, you know, there are a lot of things I love. Of course, shrimp cocktail is at the top of that list. Oh, yes, I know most of them. When you go to the Combine and you see what teams beat reporters are in front of what podiums during media sessions, right?

For example, Matty Glab, who does great work covering the Buffalo Bills, I've been on shows with her before. We talk a lot at the Combine and elsewhere. She was in front of every interior offensive lineman's podium, right? Because the Bills, as many expect, might address interior offensive line, perhaps with their pick of 27. So it really caught my eye mike when i woke up early along with everybody else to get in front of bryce young's podium the

friday morning of the combine and standing next to me is evan lazar and mike salt from patriots.com and i lean into evan's ear and i say look evan is there something i need to know about he's like no no no no i'm just i'm gonna try to ask him a question about bill o'brien and evan yelled every single chance he got a question about Bill O'Brien to Bryce Jones direction. But Bryce had so many questions. He never called on him. So I thought,

okay, that makes sense. But then I was at CJ Stroud's podium and I look around at this, even more Patriots beat writers around there. It's same thing with Anthony Richardson. And so I'm not saying, but I just thought it was very curious. If you saw all these Patriots beat writers, people a lot more plugged in than me,

checking out what the quarterbacks had to say because there were receivers, there were tight ends, there were other position groups they could have been at, but they were in front of the quarterbacks. Now, do I think they do a move early in the draft, first round, early second? I still don't think so because I think the idea is they're going to see if they can get the best Mac Jones they can this year, but I'm not a hundred percent sure on that. I can't guarantee that they won't.

And the fact that you had people much more plugged into me, taking the time out of their day, and there's a lot going on in Indianapolis and there are a lot of other position groups. You can talk to positions that they might address like wide receiver at 14 they're taking the time to listen to quarterbacks i think there's a non-zero chance i still think it's in the single digits at best and i do think that in all likelihood they're going to you know draft you know offensive lineman you know wide receiver you know another position of need at 14 or do the bell check sort of trade

down because they didn't like the value and then draft an unheralded interior offensive lineman from a smaller school or something like that, as they've done so many times in the past. But if the quarterback that they like, like an Anthony Richardson or a Will Levis or somebody that they like is staring them at 14, I still think it's much more likely they go in a different direction. It's probably more likely that a team comes up, like say Minnesota from 23 to 14 to draft that quarterback. But there's a non-zero chance.

Yeah, I agree with you. There's a non-zero chance. And what always leads me to believe that there's a non-zero chance, folks, we hop in the Belichickian time machine all the time. We go back in time. Mark, you know the quote I'm probably about to use here. We all know Tom's age and contract situation. That led to Jimmy Garoppolo and narratives that still haven't settled down yet. So if you think Bill Belichick is not averse to making a move that may raise the eyebrow

of many a Patriots fan, he'll do it. Yeah, there definitely is a non-zero chance that it happens, Jim. And it's sort of the extension of what else he said at the time, which was, you know, you'd rather be a year early than a year late, right, when you're trying to get the next quarterback in the draft. Let's say, and I think it's reasonable to say, they're not convinced about Mac Jones. There's been so much written and said that I don't know what to believe

about the relationship between Bill Belichick and Mac Jones. There's been so much written and said that I don't know what to believe about the relationship between Bill Belichick and Mac Jones. But if there's doubt, you come back to that quote too, right? It's better to be a year early than a year late. Because if Jones does struggle this year and they really have to get a quarterback next year, well, there are already some teams that might have a better chance of getting that quarterback. Teams that might be picking first overall.

A team like Chicago. Let's say Justin Fields doesn't come together. They'll have their first plus Carolina's first. They could go move up. We might see some other teams make a similar trade, but they've got multiple first-round picks. If we're here this time next year and Matt Jones has struggled and Bailey Zappi didn't pick up the fumbled baton and he didn't answer the answer the bell and trace would totally struggled and they desperately need to get to the top of the draft to get a quarterback that's that

year too late scenario and so yeah i mean i i most of my being most of my mind tells me that they're going to go in a different direction you know receiver or another position or maybe corner has been a position that people have looked at a lot mock drafts but there is that non-zero chance there is belichick's history there's a quote you highlighted we all know tom's agent contract status and the quote i brought up which is rather be a year earlier than a year late on it right it could happen and on that note folks anything and everything is possible in foxborough and And what's always a given, though, is that this man is going to break the wisdom and counsel meter when he joins us here on Lockdown Patriots. Mark, whenever you come back home, the room is lighter and it's more knowledgeable.

That's just a fact and the way it is. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, my friend, for always coming by and gracing us with your presence. The Toto poster is still on the wall, folks. You can't see it. We're doing some redecorating and we're doing some remodeling here uh when it comes to but i keep it in front of me so that way it always inspires me whenever i try to get this right in your honor and i still am trying uh each and every day uh since the moment that uh that i took over for you uh just um well over three years ago my friend really it's really has's been man there have been some eye

opening moments the past couple of weeks about how old i'm getting i mean seeing antonio gates jr catching a touchdown pass for michigan state in their spring game you know that was certainly one but three years yeah wow it really has congratulations man on the anniversary yeah thank you actually in aug, it'll be four. So, you know, it really is just time flies when you're having fun. And I'm so blessed to have this job and to be able to work for such a great organization. But I would not be where I am without any question. You're in Times Square, buddy.

You're in Times Square now. Did you check that out? Yeah, locked on MLB, locked on NFL draft. We're all over the place, Superbowl, everything, you know, really it's,

it's a testament to David and the, and the, the vision that he had with this network and building it up into, I think the great, greatest podcast network in, you know, broadcasting, but again,

I'm biased, but the foundation that was laid for me here, it's something that I can never be grateful enough for my friends. So thank you for coming back and, uh, you know, helping us out today and lending just amazing information on quarterbacks. Like you always do before I let you go, my friend, please let everyone know where they can find you, where they can reach out to you. Then what we can expect great draft coverage folks.

You know, you can expect that, but specifically what we can expect in the coming week from the great voice, the great pen of Mark Schofield. Well, Michael, again, always an honor to be here. I can't say enough good things about you. I'm just so, so excited to see what you've done. And congratulations on the upcoming four years, man. That's tremendous. As for me, obviously a lot of draft coverage.

We're recording the show on Tuesday. You're going to have a piece later from me today on why it's all the tea leaves say it's Bryce Young at one and what that might mean for Houston at two. We've started a new series called Football Court over at SB Nation where I literally put that lawyer hat back on. We argue sides of cases and we have a jury or a judge to sort of decide who made the best argument. We're going to do one on if Bryce Young is to pick up one, should he be? And we did one recently on what the Panthers should do on one as well. So you can check that out. And, look, you all know I do the NFL stuff and the football stuff.

But when this draft is over, I am full into F1 season, friends. We are building out a new F1 hub over at SB Nation. We're doing a lot of coverage of Formula One. We're going to get a ton of races now over the next couple of weeks. I'll build into the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix at the end of November. And so you can look for the new F1 hub at SB Nation coming in the next couple of days. Absolutely. And, folks, there are a few that I will say this about, and I can say it about Mark unequivocally.

If there is a situation where you see his this about and I can say it about Mark unequivocally if there is a situation where you see his name attached to anything consume it whether it's reading whether it's podcasting whatever the topic whatever the subject you know you're going to get expert insight and you know you're going to get top of the line coverage so I without hesitation endorse anything the man does and I do appreciate it but uh but we'd love to have you back here post-draft maybe do a little little retrospective on what the Patriots did as we move closer into the workout phases of what the Patriots will be doing in 2023.

But in the meantime, I thank you very much for joining me here today on Locked On Patriots. And folks, we thank all of you for taking time out of your schedule to join us here on Locked On Patriots. All of you everydayers out there, those that take time out of your schedule to join us here on Locked On Patriots. All of you everydayers out there, those that take time out of your schedule to join us here on Locked On Patriots,

from the bottom of my heart, I can't thank you enough. So on behalf of my good friend Mark Schofield, I'm Mike DeBate reminding you to continuously stay safe and stay well. Be the change you wish to see in the world. Don't forget to join us here tomorrow on Locked On Patriots where Claire Cooper and I will break down the assistant coaches

and Matt Groves' media availability. Until then, have a great day, everyone.