Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots, Brandon Aiyuk Trade? The ‘Why,’ the ‘Why Not,’ and the Pats Receivers

Starting point is 00:00:00 San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Ayuk has requested a trade. The Patriots have the cap space to pull this off. They can do it. The better question might be, should they? Stick around, we'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 making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage

Starting point is 00:00:39 and also your first listen each and every day. Remember, Locked On Patriots is not only a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day, but we're also free and available on all platforms, including YouTube, so smash that subscribe button and download and follow Locked On Patriots wherever you're getting your podcasts to ensure you're getting the latest episode

Starting point is 00:01:00 as soon as it's available. I'm your host, Mike DeBate, and I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country. So reach out to me and let me know what's on your mind on X at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-N-F-L. While you're out there showing some love to Locked On Patriots social media style, please follow our account there as well at L-O underscore Patriots. And of course, Pats fans, today's episode is brought to you by fan duel. Make every moment more as the playoffs become a distant memory.

Starting point is 00:01:29 The sports stop sporting like we want them to, but this summer fan duel is hooking up all customers with a boost or a bonus daily. That's right. There's something for everyone every day, all summer long, visit fan duel.com to get started. And of course, Pat's fans, San Francisco 49ers wide

Starting point is 00:01:48 receiver Brandon Ayuk has officially requested a trade from the Niners. The two sides have been unable to reach an agreement on terms for a contract extension, and accordingly, Ayuk's now looking for a new start. Now, whether the Niners actually trade away Iyuk or not remains to be seen. They still hold the cards. But several teams in the NFL, as expected, are going to be knocking on their door. They're going to make an offer to try to put Brandon Iyuk in their uniform for 2024 and beyond. And guess who's one of the teams that's been mentioned among that group? That's right, folks.

Starting point is 00:02:24 Your New England Patriots. And it's causing a lot of excitement here in Foxborough. I definitely get it. Brandon's an exciting football player. Everybody would love to see him wearing Patriot blue, including those red throwbacks, too. Yeah, definitely a lot of excitement here. It's even causing some reasonable and unreasonable expectations among fans and media. So when Patriots Nation needs a dose of reason, what do we do?

Starting point is 00:02:49 We call our resident voice of reason. That's right. My good friend, my Patriots Paisan, columnist extraordinaire of Patsfans.com, as well as being the co-host of yet another amazing Patriots podcast that you need to add to your rotation, Patriots 4th and 2 alongside the great Derek Avins. He is Steve Balistrieri, my good buddy. Steve, thanks for joining me here today on Locked On Patriots, especially when we need that reason most of all.

Starting point is 00:03:16 Yeah, well, it's great to be here as always, Mike. You know, I love talking football with you, But I'll admit I was bit by the bug when I saw that yesterday because, like you mentioned at the outset there, I pictured the old Pat the Patriot uniform with the red jersey and the white helmet and Brandon Ryuk running down the field with the football in his hands. And, you know, I momentarily got caught up in all of that myself. How could you not?

Starting point is 00:03:48 I mean, Brandon is such an electric player. He's a versatile player. He can win from so many alignments. He's got the speed. He's got the ability to make contested catches. This kid is a number one wideout. And the 49ers know it. Brandon knows it.

Starting point is 00:04:02 And I think the other remaining 31 NFL teams besides the Niners know it. And the Patriots have the cap space to pull it off. And we're going to go into intricate detail, folks, into how the Patriots might be able to pull it off and why this might be an unlikely move. That's right. We're going to cover both sides here. Steve is the resident voice of reason. He's going to keep things even keel and on the level. but let's start off with how this all came to fruition and why Patriots fans are so excited yesterday NFL insider Justina Anderson tweeted out that the Patriots were among teams that have contacted the San Francisco 49ers inquiring about a potential trade for Brandon Ayoub this happened within the last couple of weeks so it's not necessarily an

Starting point is 00:04:42 old concept that the Patriots are now going to dust off and revisit. They've been keeping the lines of communication fresh with San Francisco, trying to see if something can be worked out. Now, there's no question about why the Patriots are interested in Brandon. We've already gone into that. From their standpoint, this would be a huge addition for the Patriots drake may a young quarterback wanting to develop a relationship with a top flight veteran receiver who better than brandon to be able to come in and be a versatile piece someone who could mentor guys like jalen polk and javon baker uh this has a lot of potential for the new england patriots without question, especially if Kendrick Bourne is going to be starting the season

Starting point is 00:05:26 on Pup. So everything is aligning for the New England Patriots to try to get him. Steve, from a logistical standpoint on the field, why should this be intriguing for the Patriots coaches, for the fans, for the media? What makes this guy such a great fit in this system well i i think you know in that alex van pelt system they're going to take some shots down the field because they like to use the running game and then you know bootleg out take a shot down the field that's where iu tends to make his bones, so to speak, right? Love it. Yeah, I mean, that's where he just, I mean, he's that type of guy that can transform

Starting point is 00:06:14 a game instantly, right? And they have these young wide receivers. And what better way to integrate these guys into the offense by having somebody who's had so much success in the NFL. And I looked at it. Like I said, I got pretty excited when I heard. I read the same thing you did.

Starting point is 00:06:38 Justina Anderson said they had reached out a few weeks ago. So that tells me that they have interest. It's not just a rumor, you know, oh, Brandon IU, you know, wants out of San Francisco and everyone always assumes, oh, the Patriots need to be in on this. But she said they, you know, made contact with them a few weeks ago. So it lets me have the impression, right, probably rightfully so, that they see the same things we do, you know,

Starting point is 00:07:11 how the offense could transform really quickly, which Drake may have such an established veteran there, and then working in some young kids. Money shouldn't be an issue. They're supposed to have upwards of like $100 million next year. So they have a ton this year still left over. I think it's easily doable. I think, you know, it would help an offense that struggled so badly

Starting point is 00:07:43 the last two years, especially last year. And I think he would fit in with AVP's offense. I just, you know, from a logistical standpoint, football-wise, you know, you could see all the possibilities and how they could move guys around, create, you know, mismatches out on the field. Plus, you have a couple of really good tight ends. So, you know, this could help that offense.

Starting point is 00:08:15 I mean, think about how many close games they lost last year, you know, one-score games. And now, all of a sudden, you know, your offense, they added a couple of young, you know, past catches. And, you know, we haven't seen them on the field yet. You know, we'll have to see how they work out. But there's optimism there. You added the number three quarterback taken, you know, in the draft. And now you add Brandon Ayuk. And there's the opportunity for legitimate excitement now.

Starting point is 00:08:48 Oh, without question. I mean, you want to talk about just the year that Brandon had last year, 75 catches, 1,342 yards, seven touchdowns played in 16 games. Durability, productivity right there. Stats don't lie. This guy can get the job job done and not only can he get the job done statistically but also he has been typically a wide receiver that can win from multiple alignments and he does fit well into this type of an offense the type of offense that loves to use play action run off of a strong running game take deep shots down the field Brandon can do it but he can win in the intermediate areas of the field as well. And the knock on Drake May right now is that he can't win those battles

Starting point is 00:09:29 intermediately. He's much better taking shots downfield than he is navigating and using his footwork to navigate all areas of the field. Someone like a Brandon Ayou can make that happen. So naturally, the Patriots are going to be interested in him from an on-field perspective. You also mentioned his contract. And to me, this is where the fit really starts to leap off the page.

Starting point is 00:09:51 Rumors are circulating right now that Brandon is looking for approximately about $28 million per year annually. Miguel Benzon joined us here last week on Locked On Patriots, and he anticipates that the Patriots could be up in that 100 million range in terms of cap space heading into 2025 so you know the Patriots are not going to have problems making this work financially this looks like a good deal all the way around and when that happens you can definitely start to see seedlings of excitement and I don't blame any Patriots fan that's excited about watching Brandon Ayoub catch passes from Drake May or even Jacoby Brissett here in New England next year. The Pats can also win a bidding war.

Starting point is 00:10:31 New England hasn't been in that position in quite some time. Typically, they've either shied away from getting into bidding wars or they just didn't have the available space to do it. It seems like both are in play right now. Elliott Wolfe is being very aggressive in trying to upgrade the pass-catching prowess on this team. Doesn't seem like he's shy about spending money. And in that regard, the Patriots now have some muscle behind that. So if you're excited about Brandon Ayoub coming to New England next year, folks, yeah, logistically, from a Patriots standpoint, all the boxes are checked.

Starting point is 00:11:03 This makes perfect sense. But in all things that are reasonable, there's a flip side to it as well. And unfortunately, in the next segment, Steve and I are going to take a walk over to the dark side. We're going to explore why it might be unlikely that Brandon Ayuk wears a Patriots uniform next year and why it might not even be the Patriots' fault. All that and more when we continue our Brandon Ayoub Trade Rumors discussion episode right here on the Locked On Patriots podcast, a proud part of the Locked On podcast network, your team, every day.

Starting point is 00:11:39 Locked On listeners, when you're hiring for your small business, you want to find quality professionals that are right for the role. That's why you have to check out LinkedIn Jobs. LinkedIn Jobs has the tools to help find the right professionals for your team to help you do it faster. Here's the best part, folks. They help you do it for free because LinkedIn isn't just a job board. LinkedIn helps you hire professionals you can't find anywhere else, even those who aren't actively searching for a new job but might be open to the perfect role. In a given month, over 70% of LinkedIn users don't visit other leading job sites. So if you're not looking on LinkedIn, you're looking in the wrong place. And on LinkedIn, 86% of small businesses get a qualified candidate within 24 hours.

Starting point is 00:12:25 Hire professionals like a professional on LinkedIn. Post your job for free at linkedin.com slash locked on NFL. That's linkedin.com slash locked on NFL to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. Patriots fans, thank you for joining me here today on Locked on Patriots. We are talking all things Brandon IU trade rumors. And

Starting point is 00:12:51 of course, if there are rumors out there, you know your New England Patriots are connected to them. Are they exciting? Absolutely. Are they realistic? Well, that's why we brought our resident voice of reason here to talk to us today. My good friend Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com. And Steve, in the previous segment, we talked about all the reasons why it is great to be excited about these rumors.

Starting point is 00:13:14 Why the Patriots are legitimately contenders to land his services, whether it be financial, whether it be on field. The Patriots are in perfect position to make this happen. But you and I both know that this is not a perfect world, especially here in New England and in Foxborough. Anything and everything is subject to change. Now, according to Josina Anderson yesterday, the New England Patriots have at least inquired about acquiring IU from the San Francisco 49ers.

Starting point is 00:13:39 But what I didn't mention from Josina's report is that it tails off by saying the Niners told the New England Patriots that they were uninterested in trading Iuke's services over to the Pats. Basically, they're uninterested in moving him at all. This is a guy they want to keep. And he's a player whose value is recognized by that team. So, Steve, if you have a team that's unwilling to move a trade piece, it kind of pours a lot of cold water all over the trade fire. However, we also know that this is a league full of posturing, full of games, full of jockeying for position. So when you look at this from a logistical standpoint, Steve, other than the Niners indifference in not being willing to trade Brandon Iuke. What else could potentially derail Brandon being traded to the New England Patriots or really anywhere for that matter?

Starting point is 00:14:31 Well, you know, I still, I know Iuke, you know, he played that leverage card, right? Saying, all right, we're not getting anywhere i want to be traded that doesn't mean they're not going to come to an agreement before training camp is halfway done right i mean we've seen this before and that's that's the ultimate leverage card okay the the niners are probably locking in what they say this is our our, you know, last best offer, which we know is never the truth, but you know,

Starting point is 00:15:09 all teams play that. Right. And they have to know they're, they're right there in the mix. I mean, they went to the Superbowl last year. They have a tremendous football team. Do they really want to lose Brandon Ayuk?

Starting point is 00:15:28 I know that, you know, they're in cap space purgatory right now. That, you know, they can't afford to keep all their players. All teams run into that. But at the same time, they're still right in the middle of that window where they're going to compete for another Super Bowl appearance. So can they make it work for at least one more year and then let him walk next year? If they make it to the promised land again, that's a possibility.

Starting point is 00:16:02 I mean, you know, at the same time, I don't know if Iuke wants to come here I heard rumors about a week or two ago that he really wanted to go to Pittsburgh now we know the Steelers don't have that kind of cap space, but would they be willing to make it for a guy like Iyuk? I think so, you know, because they lack depth at wide receiver as well, and adding Iyuk to that offense would greatly help them as well. So I think that's the main reason. I mean, you know, you look at the big picture. I think IU has still a very good chance of staying there.

Starting point is 00:16:56 I know there was rumors they can't pay Debo, they can't pay IU, you know, both of them at the same time. But I think there's a good chance that at least for this year, they might be able to make it work. Yeah, and you think that's got to be San Francisco's top priority is trying to make this work. Again, this is an asset. This is a priority. This is a commodity. And this is a player that is one of your best offensive players. And when you're dealing with a young quarterback in Brock Purdy that is listed and viewed as one of the top players at his position in this league because of the success he's had, you want to maintain that. Keeping Brandon Ayuk in the fold is the way to do that.

Starting point is 00:17:35 So I agree with you. The Niners are going to do everything they can to make sure that he stays. And they can play that leverage card. They can tell him that if you play under this contract this year, play out the fifth year, we're going to have Debo Samuel's contract coming off. We're going to clear that space. You and Brock can be taken care of. You're the future of this franchise. If Brandon buys into that, the San Francisco 49ers have their problem solved. So that to me is going to be the biggest impediment for the New England Patriots or any team trying to trade for him. It's the fact that the Niners have leverage to be able to bargain Brandon Ayuk and appeal to his good nature. If that doesn't work, rumors are abound right now that the 49ers are going to be looking for a first round type return, which means a first round draft pick if that happens i think we're both being realistic here and saying that

Starting point is 00:18:27 the patriots have a better chance of picking in the top 10 in the draft than making the playoffs just the way things are constituted right now and the type of season most analysts believe the patriots are going to have now look they could surprise some people there are there is talent on this team i don't want to make it seem like this season is DOA before it even kind of hanging their hat on being a draft and develop team. If they're confident in their ability to draft and develop, do they use that top 10 capital to get a surefire wide receiver? Maybe they do. Maybe they don't. Don't forget this team may also have a need at tackle. If the experiment with Caden Wallace and Chuck Sikora does not work out, they may have that need as well so that draft

Starting point is 00:19:25 capital is so valuable you have to ask yourself if you're the New England Patriots is it worth it I you know that's the other thing is they're not really ready I mean Brendan Ayuk for some teams will be that last little piece right well actually it'd be a great big piece, but you know what I'm saying. But he would be that last cog, right, that puts you over the top. It puts you in Super Bowl contention. Patriots aren't going to be there this year. We think they're going to be better.

Starting point is 00:19:59 Some people, you know, some of the national writers are saying they're going to have the number one pick next year. I don't believe that. But at the same time, like you said, I think you've hit it perfectly. They have a better chance of getting another top 10 pick than they do of making the playoffs. That's not to say they couldn't surprise people and be close to a 500 team. I think last year, if they had Jacoby Brissett on the roster last year, I think they would have been close to a 500 team.

Starting point is 00:20:34 But would they be willing to part with that first-round draft pick? That will be the ultimate test, right? And if you're the 49ers you're looking at new england's draft pick as opposed to some other teams and saying this one might be a little higher of course by giving iuk to the patriots that draft capital might go down a little bit because he might be the difference between winning and losing a couple of games at least right oh no question but at the same time they have to like you know looking at the big picture look the patriots in some uh you know writers opinion

Starting point is 00:21:20 they're going to be picking number one obviously they won't be picking number one if Ayuk goes there, but it still might be a good draft pick for them. So, you know, getting that first-round pick from New England might hold some sway with them. But the other thing is just, you know, they're not really there yet. I mean, you want to improve your offense, and the fact that they reached out to the 49ers, I think, is a sign that, hey, you know, we can be better a lot quicker.

Starting point is 00:21:53 You know, this rebuild, because I think the defense, and you agree with me, the defense is going to be just fine this year. Oh, yeah. It was good last year, and now they're getting back Matthew Judon and Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones. So it's going to be good. And this could help that offense that struggled so badly last year. I mean, you got Drake May, Jalen Polk, Javon Baker,

Starting point is 00:22:22 and now you add Brandon Ayuk in there, it's going to look a lot better. So I don't know. Something tells me that, yeah, they definitely kicked the tires on it. But I don't know. As much as I'd like to see it happen, I'm not sure it's going to. Right now, Steve, we can't agree on one thing. 100% ironclad.

Starting point is 00:22:50 At the time we're recording this podcast, Brandon Ayuk is still a member of the San Francisco 49ers. He hasn't gone anywhere yet. That means he hasn't gone to New England. If the season began today, the New England Patriots have a lot of bodies at the wide receiver position, only a few slots open to make the 53-man roster. If there's no IUK, is there no problem in New England? Steve and I are going to discuss that matter as we wrap up today's discussion right here on the Locked On Patriots podcast, a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Listen up, Locked On listeners.

Starting point is 00:23:29 I know you love sports. I love sports. As a matter of fact, I love them so much that I never want them to stop. But with the playoffs now firmly behind us, we get fewer games. And the sports just aren't sporting like we want them to. but FanDuel lets me keep the sports going whenever I want all I have to do is open the app and dream up bets anytime I'm in the mood and this summer FanDuel is hooking up all customers with a boost or a bonus daily yeah that's right folks there's something for everyone every day all summer long so head over to Fanduel.com and start making the most out of your summer.

Starting point is 00:24:07 That's Fanduel.com. Fanduel, official sports betting partner of Major League Baseball. Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked On Patriots and for making us your first listen each and every day especially all of you everydayers out there a special tip of the cap from the bottom

Starting point is 00:24:30 of our hearts we always appreciate your support of Locked On Patriots and now that you've made us your first listen please go ahead and make your second listen Locked On NFL all the league stories brought to you by all of the local experts that you can only

Starting point is 00:24:46 find right here on the Locked On Podcast Network. Folks, we employ the best in the business for a reason, and Locked On NFL will show you that not just your New England Patriots are covered here on the Locked On Podcast Network, but all 32 NFL teams, including draft, scouting, anything

Starting point is 00:25:02 you want to know about the NFL, we've got it right here on the network. And that being said, I want to give a special shout-out to my friends, my colleagues, Brian Peacock and Eric Crocker over at Locked On 49ers. That's right, we're talking an awful lot of Brandon Ayuk today. You want more Ayuk talk? Well, they're the resident experts because that's what we do here on the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day.

Starting point is 00:25:27 And folks, today here on Locked On Patriots, we are getting a dose of much needed reason from our resident voice of reason, my good friend Steve Malastrieri of Patsfans.com. Steve, we've talked a lot about a potential trade for your New England Patriots to secure the services of Brandon Ayoub. We've given you the reasons why it could happen. Then we've given you the reasons why it might not happen. But bottom line, what we're dealing with right now is the reality that Brandon Iyuk is still a member of the San Francisco 49ers. And if that doesn't change, or the Niners ship him elsewhere to, I don't know, the Washington Commanders. You mentioned the Pittsburgh Steelers. Those are the other teams right now that are potentially in on Brandon's services.

Starting point is 00:26:11 That would leave the New England Patriots with a great deal of volume at the position right now, but maybe not a whole lot of depth. When you look at this roster right now, when you look at this positional group, Steve, if Brandon Ayuk is not part of the solution, do the Patriots still have a problem on their hands when it comes to fielding a viable pass catching core? Well, I think a lot will depend on Bourne's health, obviously. You know, he was off to a very good start last year and before he was injured. You know, he was off to a very good start last year and before he was injured. You know, he brings that element to the team where he's a very positive type person.

Starting point is 00:26:54 I like Bourne. I actually did a – on Sunday, I posted my first 53-man roster projection, and I did have them keeping six. And my six were Bourne, Douglas, Polk, Baker, Osborne, and Boutte. And, you know, I had them either trading Juju Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton, Jalen Rager, Baker, Wallace, and Jackson more cut. And I look at it this way. You know what?

Starting point is 00:27:36 This was before the Boutte news. I was like, Jalen Rager offers a lot in the return game, but he's got limited, you know, as a wide receiver. Right. Well, Boutte, you know, we've seen little flashes of him, but at the end of minicamp, he flashed real hard. And I think, you know, now that this albatross is lifted off his back,

Starting point is 00:28:00 you know, we can see what he can bring to the table. I do think it's going to take a while for this group to gel. I don't think they're going to come out of the gates and be, you know, being able to blow people away. You know, I don't see that happening. Maybe for the entire season, but I think they're going to be a lot better than they were a year ago but it's going to take some time especially you know you got some young guys Douglas is only in year two you have two rookies in Polk and Baker Osborne's just coming over you

Starting point is 00:28:39 know so there's not a lot of um you know established veterans here other than really osborne and born you know and so i think it's going to take a little while is it going to be no problem without iuke i i don't think i'd go that far with it but i do think they're going to be better but uh bottom line with smith schuster i mean he his cap hit is $12 million. And right now, at this point in his career, I don't see him as being better than any of the six guys I have above him. Agreed. And I think that's one of the reasons why you will see,

Starting point is 00:29:19 or at least hear, about the Patriots doing their due diligence to try to find a trade partner for him, because it's much more palatable for the Patriots to trade him. There's much more of a cap benefit to trade Juju as opposed to just releasing him. But I agree with you. I think it's going to be very difficult for Juju to earn a roster spot. Not impossible because he can show flashes of being a very solid contributor in an Alex Van Pelt offense, if he comes in and has an amazing camp, yeah, the Patriots are probably going to weigh those back and forth. And they'll say, hey, you know what?

Starting point is 00:29:50 We're probably better off keeping this guy on staff because of the veteran presence he brings. Kendrick Bourne is a wild card right now. We might be able to look at him as someone who could start the season on pop. If that's the case, that opens up another spot for a guy to come in and be able to make the 53-man roster. Mario Douglas is arguably your best receiver right now. He'll get the top spot. He's a roster lock. Jalen Polk, Javon Baker, judging on their draft position, they're roster locks as well. KJ Osborne, I think, should be considered a lock. This is a guy that

Starting point is 00:30:21 has an awful lot of potential. didn't get a chance to show it as much in minnesota but again i want to go back to my good friend luke braun host of locked on vikings podcast who i spoke with very shortly after the patriots acquired kj and he says you're getting a guy that not a lot of people know about we know about him up here in minnesota we love him but that could be more of a household name if he's given the opportunity to flex his muscles. So I like that addition. And this is a group that can grow with a young quarterback.

Starting point is 00:30:51 The question is, you need someone, a solid veteran that can come in and bring it all together. Yeah, it'd be nice if it was Brandon Ayuk, but if the Patriots do have to utilize guys like Kendrick Bourne or maybe a Juju Smith-Schuster if they keep him around. That's probably what we're looking for. I think it's either Ayuk or Bust when it comes to significant upgrades to this unit. I don't see them going elsewhere to find another receiver at this point.

Starting point is 00:31:16 No, not this year. You know, like you say, I'm usually the voice of reason, but I'm going to go out on a little bit of a limb here because I think by the end of the season, I think Jalen Polk's going to be the number one receiver on this team if they don't land Brandon Ayuk. That's interesting because, again, our good friend Miguel Benzon joined us here a few days ago on Locked On Patriots,

Starting point is 00:31:42 and he had a bone to pick with a good friend of ours, a mutual friend of ours, and one Thomas Murphy, who said that he didn't believe Polk was going to be a wide receiver one at any point in his career. That's interesting because a lot of people are joining you on that bandwagon, Steve, right now, that Jalen Polk has the ability to be a number one wide out, not just because of the on-field prowess and the skill set that he brings to

Starting point is 00:32:08 the table, but the attitude and the leadership ability and the fact that he's able to inspire players and really get players to play to their maximum. We saw him do it at Washington. It would be really interesting if that happened here in new England and really help to elevate Drake May in the process. This is something that originally I'll be honest with you, I was opposed to, but I am starting to come around on it a little bit now because of what I'm seeing.

Starting point is 00:32:33 And that's why Jalen Polk is going to be a player I'm going to be watching very closely, right from the outset of training camp. You want to see how these guys are coming in, especially the youngsters, the rookies, how they're coming out from their first pro training camp. Do they still have that hunger they had in rookie minicamp and in mandatory minicamp? If they do, it says a lot about their character. I expect that from Javon Baker. I definitely expect it, maybe even more from Jalen Polk.

Starting point is 00:32:58 So great drop in, and I like it. We're going to continue to cultivate that and see what's what here in New England. Yeah, I just really like this guy. When he was coming out in the draft, Derek and I, on our podcast, were talking about him. I was like, he's not great at any one thing, but he's very good at everything. That usually translates into success. And that's why I'm really high on this kid. And I'm anxious to see what he can do on the field once training camp starts. Definitely. And there's no question about it.

Starting point is 00:33:35 It's always a situation where New England right now, and I think any team, is always looking for ways to maximize their potential. And training camp is really the very brief seedling of what needs to happen when you go and you make that jump to the next level. Always, always interesting and always a lot of fun when it comes to the New England Patriots and when it comes to their ability to feel a solid unit this year. And whether Brandon Ayuk is a member of this New England Patriots team or not, whether you believe it's probable, possible, impossible, Pats have got some work to do on offense. So don't lose hope, folks, because there is still a lot of talent on this team.

Starting point is 00:34:17 It's going to be an interesting offensive year under Alex Van Pelt and Gerard Mayo here for the first time in New England in quite some time. Steve, what can I say? It's always an honor and a privilege when you join me on the microphone, when you lend your wisdom, counsel, and reason, especially the reason today, because we needed it more than ever. Before I let you go, Bud, please let everyone know where they can reach out to you, interact with you, and what you got marinating in La Cucina balustrari between now and next week when we have you back here for week one of patriots training well speaking of cucina balustrari

Starting point is 00:34:52 if you look over my shoulder um there's an apron hanging there from sicily so uh one one of my relatives went over to visit love it they know i do all the cooking here, so they brought me an apron. But it's so nice. It's all colorful. Can't really see it from here, but it's got all the Sicilian stuff on there. Every time I look at it, I just get hungry. But you can follow me on Twitter at SteveB7SFG. I write for Patsfans.com.

Starting point is 00:35:25 Derek Havens and I do a podcast called Patriots 4th and 2. You mentioned that, and thank you for the plug. Oh, of course. We, you know, we had a talk the other night. You know, we were on the air late on Sunday night. So, you know, we did it, or Monday night, I believe it was. We did a quick podcast and we're going to be talking about Brandon Ayuk coming up because I think that's going to be a big storyline across the NFL,

Starting point is 00:36:00 whether or not the Niners can figure out a way to keep him or he's going to move. And that is going to be big news. I mean, he's that kind of a talent. I would love to see New England grab him. I don't know if it's going to happen. But, you know, wouldn't that be fun to watch at training camp? Absolutely. It would be a blast to watch in training camp.

Starting point is 00:36:23 And, folks, we will continue to move you forward as the Patriots get ready to open training camp on Wednesday, July 24th, 11 a.m. Lockdown Patriots once again able to provide boots on the ground coverage. And we can't wait to begin the coverage of the 2024 season. A new beginning, a new era is about to begin in earnest in Foxborough. Once the pads go on, Steve, that's when we know that it's real football ready to come back. You can almost reach out and touch the start of the regular

Starting point is 00:36:52 season. And again, a tip of the cap and a big thanks to all of you everydayers out there who continue to make Lockdown Patriots possible. In the meantime, I want to thank my good friend Steve Balistrieri for joining me here today and remind you all to stay safe and to stay well and to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone, and we'll see you back here again tomorrow on Locked on Patriots.

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots, Brandon Aiyuk Trade? The ‘Why,’ the ‘Why Not,’ and the Pats Receivers

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.