Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Christian Gonzalez, No Matter What? -- Locked On Ducks Crossover

Episode Date: May 5, 2023

The New England Patriots turned in arguably the biggest surprise of Day One of the NFL Draft when they selected Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez at No. 17. However, the Pats may have been eying highly-touted cornerback for nearly one year before he was drafted. Joining host Mike D'Abate is Spencer McLaughlin of Locked On Oregon Ducks to discuss Gonalez's prowess, as well as his potential with the Patriots.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.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

Christian Gonzalez is not only the player that the New England Patriots needed most in the 2023 NFL draft, it also looks like he's the one they wanted all along. 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 making Lockdown Patriots

a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage and also your first listen every day. Folks, we are a proud part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. So subscribe or follow for free on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts to ensure that you 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 reach out to

me and let me know what's on your mind on twitter at mdavatenfl 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, as always, I remain honored and humbled by your support here on Locked On. Thank you for joining me today. A special shout-out to all of you Locked On everydayers out there. Those of you who make Locked On Patriots possible, unending appreciation to all of you. Again, honored, humbled by your support.

And today on the pod, as you can probably figure out, we are going to be talking Christian Gonzalez, specifically what kind of fit he's going to be in Foxborough. Now, most of the fan base agrees that he is going to ignite the Patriots' defensive backfield, but some, either anonymously or narcissistically, want to stir the pot about Christian not being the type of tough tackler that the Patriots usually covet, meaning that New England in some way settled for Christian Gonzalez. Well, folks, today we're going to prove that not only did the Patriots not settle for Christian Gonzalez, but we're also going to prove that they had their eye on him for over a year before they even drafted him. And to add some tangible proof to this claim is my colleague Spencer McLaughlin,

host of Locked on Oregon Ducks here on the network in this special crossover episode. That's right, folks, breaking out the big guns to cross the streams today. Spencer's going to provide his firsthand wisdom and counsel on his days covering Gonzalez at Oregon. So sit tight. You do not want to miss this one. But when it comes to the NFL draft strategy, there are several teams which have the contentment,

the resolve to play the ball as it lies. And then there were your New England Patriots. Before Patriots Nation could even complete their collective groan at Bill Belichick trading down once again, the team was confident that they had found their man, and that was Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez. They had him in their line of sight. From the post-draft account provided by director of player personnel

matt grow however new england might have been eyeing christian for quite some time they were eyeing him for over a year before christian was even drafted and matt grow talked about this when we spoke with him after the draft late sat. Draft had just concluded, but Matt was very forthcoming about his feelings on Christian. And he said, we are excited to be able to add Christian Gonzalez to the team, a player we've certainly been on here for the last year. That's interesting, folks, considering that supposedly they settled for this guy. They've had him on their radar for quite some time. Tony Conkela, our West Coast National Scout, lives out in Boise,

knowing the Pac-12 really well, especially from Christian's time at Colorado, then moving with Coach Demetrius Martin to Colorado, to Oregon. Tony, Chris Caminiti, those guys were all in on Christian early. We spent a lot of time watching over the last year with the eye of him possibly coming out early. So New England knew and drew a bead on this kid, knowing the capabilities, the type of skill set he provided, and what he did well and what he doesn't do well. And that, to me, says a lot about why the New England Patriots were so excited and probably ran to the podium to pick this kid. There is a lot of vitriol that will be scoured from the bottom of the barrel when it comes to this type of reporting, when it comes to stirring the pot just for the sake of stirring

the pot. It's not all like that out there in Patriots media, folks. There's a lot of objective pieces. Really want to call out my friend and colleague Phil Perry of NBC of nbc sports boston he's got a great piece over at this objective lucid definitely check it out you're going to want to read this one but ultimately it essentially tells me that the new england patriots heading into the drafts opening round that christian they knew that christian was going to be at the consensus top 10 pick. His surprising dissent did create an opportunity for the Patriots to bolster their secondary

and even had a chance to maximize their draft capital. And they did both. They were scheduled to pick at 14, completed the trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers to acquire number 17, as well as an additional fourth round selection. You have some people whining out there. The going rate was third rounder. They settled. No, they didn't settle, folks. They knew what they wanted. They knew what they were going to get.

And they went out and got Christian Gonzalez. And they paid a price they felt was fair. Yes, in the process, they did take away a rumored target from the Jets. Number 15, Broderick Jones, was the guy they were going to take. Steelers sweep from, they get Broderick. I'm not going to lie. I do like it that Bill kind of stuck it to the Jets here, but I digress. According to Grow, the process played out as much by design as by happenstance.

And Matt said that over the weekend. He said, quote, there was a feeling that he still might be available, but we were trying to do our research, trying to stay ahead of things, had a pretty good inclination as to who Washington was going to take. And we know from previous experience, folks, Washington had really zeroed in on Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes. So we were able to quickly discuss which direction we wanted to go. Again, it's tough to say really this guy's going to be here, but it's nice when you've got a consensus on a player. Let me repeat that. These are Matt Crowe's words exactly, folks.

When you've got a consensus on a player. So from the coaching staff to the scouts, we're fairly unified grade-wise on Christian. That just sped the process along. And once again, folks, the Patriots seeing what we're all seeing, what I've been saying here on Locked On Patriots, what several of my colleagues throughout Patriots media have been saying, Christian Gonzalez has the chance to become the Patriots' most versatile and athletic performer at quarterback, really since the departure of Stephon Gilmore. Well-sized 6'2 200 pounds at the height

the length to match up against any of his opponents top wide receivers on the field gonzalez is arguably his best in man coverage but his ability to maintain eye contact with his quarterback gives him the opportunity to be potent in zone two took a liability of what he didn't do so well previously which is ball skills and really turn that into a positive and i think a strength of his game as well so his presence at the very least is going to strengthen the patriots depth chart but landing what a lot of people are calling the biggest steal in the draft is just another day at the office from matt grow and and company and they felt that way.

But still, folks, there are concerns about his fit within New England. Well, we're not going to rely on back channel winks and nods here. We're going to seek the opinion of someone who's covered Christian Gonzalez and someone whose expert opinion might actually help to keep the sludge stirrers at bay. Spencer McLaughlin of Locked On Ducks is going to join me here in just one moment when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, folks, today's episode is brought to you by our good friends over at FanDuel Sportsbook. Make a fast break to FanDuel during the NBA playoffs,

because right now, new customers can get a no-swe sweat first bet up to $1,000. That's $1,000 back in bonus bets if your first bet doesn't win. There's no better bet than playoff action at America's number one sports book. So all you green teamers out there, show your Celtic bride with FanDuel sports book. Visit FanDuel.com slash lockeded On and get a no-sweat first bet up to $1,000. That's Fanduel.com slash Locked On. Fanduel, official sportsbook partner of the NBA. Patriots fans, thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage

and hopefully your first listen every day. Don't forget that tomorrow here on the pod, the great and powerful wizard of Ben Zahn, the Pats cap himself, joins me, and Miguel is going to answer all of your questions surrounding the fiscal fitness of your New England Patriots. So stay locked in, Pats fans. You are not going to want to miss this one.

But today here on the pod, as the era of good feelings surrounding the New England Patriots first-round draft pick Christian Gonzalez continues, we're going to take a deeper dive into what made Christian one of the top cornerbacks in this draft class, arguably the best in this draft class. And for that type of analysis, you have to go to the best. And that's exactly what we did here today. My colleague here at the Lockdown Podcast Network, Spencer McLaughlin, host of Lockdown Ducks. Welcome to the pod, Spencer. Thank you so much for joining me here today.

Hey, happy to come on and always down to talk about pro ducks as they go into the NFL and excited to watch Gonzalez with Bill Belichick. I think it's going to be fun. Absolutely. It will be fun. And a lot of us up here in New England can't wait to see the fit that Christian provides here for us in New England. Again, Patriots fandom Spencer was mostly elated at the selection of Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez. I say most because you just some reason you can't please everybody and I'll get back to that one in just a moment folks but Christian was one of the most highly touted prospects at his position during this draft

cycle. A lot of people had him mocked or projected as a top 10 pick. Let's keep it positive out of the gate here just for the start. Before Christian was selected by the Pats, you had a bird's eye view for this kid all of 2022. You watched him develop into the type of player that we all believe he will be at a pro level. As you're getting ready for the NFL draft and based on your experiences and covering him what type of pro is Christian Gonzalez going to make in your estimation I think he's a guy who can be your number one cornerback right I think he definitely is a high level cover corner very instinctual got has all the physical traits I think that's what had him shooting up draft boards and a lot of mocks had him going into the top 10.

My Seahawks took Devin Witherspoon instead out of Illinois, who also looks like a really, really good pro. But the reason that, that, that Gonzo was, was shooting up. And a lot of people had him going, you know, I thought he would go maybe sixth to the Detroit lions. I thought that would have made a lot of sense. And they opted to trade back and take a running back. And yeah, that's OK.

But Gonzo was a guy who ran really well at the combine. He looks the part. He's a very fluid athlete. I mean, he's certainly big enough to play corner in the NFL. He's got good size on the outside. I know Bill Belichick likes, you know, big physical corners and Gonzalez can be that. I don't know that he's the most physical in his coverage, but he is definitely prolific in the way that he plays his coverage assignments. And I think he's someone who does really well in

man and zone coverage. He had interceptions playing both a season ago, but when you watch him, you know, if you want to get really nerdy into X's and O's, if you watch him flip his hips and you watch him, you know, just be twitchy in that sense i think that's what really stands out about what makes him such a good cover corner and his instincts are just off the charts i mean a couple of the interceptions he had last year he was anticipating the throw before you know the the quarterback was and that's just the kind of player that he is i think the place where he can you know improve the most is consistently swatting the ball away when he's in position but there was rarely if ever a moment where he was really beat in coverage if you completed a pass against him your receiver had to make a heck of a play your quarterback had to make an on time on target throw

and it had to be very precise with the ball placement because gonzo just has a tendency to stay glued to wide receivers and i think that sets up for him to have a really good NFL career. Yeah well said precision is something obviously that is coveted by Bill Belichick as you know covering him from afar being a fan from afar or a hater from afar regardless of where you stand on Bill Belichick one thing that I think universally people will give him credit for is the precision in which the way he coaches, especially his defense and defensive backs is probably one in one A in terms of important positions that Belichick has always put his stamp on when it comes to his teams. The other obviously being linebacker, and we all know the regard in which he holds guys like Lawrence Taylor, but cover corners have been something

that have always been a staple in New England. And I think you hit the nail on the head in terms of his versatility, his precision. Those are things that drew Bill Belichick, I'm sure, to Christian Gonzalez, especially the fact that he can play in man coverage. He is tremendous in zone, probably at his best when it comes to being that cover corner, never taking his eyes off of the quarterback. That's something that will endear him, I believe, to this defensive set here in New England.

So great information, Spencer. And staying in that vein for just a second, you had the chance to cover him during his 2022 season, especially after his transfer from Colorado. What highlight stands out to you as your favorite Christian Gonzalez moment? I know it's probably on the spot. You can throw in a couple if you want.

If you can't choose one, I understand. Believe me, I've been in that position. And it's not easy to pick just one. But what would you say stands out as the moment where you looked at it and you went, yeah, this kid is really something special? I think the two-interception game he had against his former team in Colorado in in Boulder last season what was really a highlight for him of which he did indeed have several uh you know those were both if I remember correctly zone coverage assignments one he was uh you know in charge I think he was

he was assigned to a deep third in both of them and he ended up in a one-on-one situation with a receiver and just stayed with him, turned his hips, saw the deep back shoulder throw coming, leapt in front and picked it off. And it should have been a pick six. And the officials incorrectly called him out at like the one or two yard line.

Cause that's the pack 12 in a nutshell right there, make a play great play and then have the officials mess it up. But then the other one, he was, he was dropping way deep. He again, at a deep third on the other side of the field, this is a guy who you can move around to. He did not stay. one he was he was dropping way deep he again had a deep third on the other side of the field this

is a guy who you can move around to he did not stay he's not a Richard Sherman type who I of course know very well as a Seahawks fan who played on one side of the field Gonzo went toe-to-toe with the other team's best receivers wherever they went it did not matter slot right left inside outside he was shadowing the other team's best wideouts because he is that sort of corner. He's not restricted to playing in just one particular role. And that's why I think he can develop into a number one cornerback for the Pats if he continues to develop his game. I think the Colorado game was certainly a highlight for him. But the play that I love the most and I think is the most emblematicatic why gonzo is such a good corner is a third down against byu he i forget the receiver that he was going up against but it's

about third and five and he's one-on-one to the boundary and jaron hall who looks like an nfl style quarterback i don't remember if he got drafted but he's either certain yeah where do you go i forget uh to tell you the truth i'm actually not sure yeah but anyway you're not going up against some two-star quarterback who's you know doesn't have an arm or anything like that but hall identifies the one-on-one challenges gonzalez challenges him with a back shoulder fade and gonzo just reads the situation perfectly deflects the ball away i don't know if he ever made contact with the receiver, but he was blanketed on him the whole time.

And I remember watching that play and getting fired up because that was the moment early in the season where I went, oh, this guy's a really, really good corner. That was a high-level play. And then that played out throughout the rest of the season. And Jaron Hall really didn't challenge him again after that instance because I think that was a throw that he expected to be able to make. He probably had made it before with,

with that particular wide receiver and Gonzo shut him down, didn't try and challenge him again. I think that's testament to what, what, what he's capable of is just being that guy who can really, really, he just was always glued to receivers. There were moments where,

you know, receivers caught balls against him, but Gonzo was never far behind. There was never an instance that I can remember in which he was one-on-one man coverage and a guy beat him for, you know, a 20-yard catch and run. Like, that just didn't happen. If you beat him, you're catching it and you're going down immediately. Yeah, without question.

And that's something, again, his ability to hang with any type of a defender. And I think that's great that you used a third down as an example of really what makes him a pro-level corner. That's such an important part of what they do here in New England. Devin McCourty, recent retiree of New England, obviously and arguably one of their best defensive backs in the last 10 years. Devin McCourty's not on the Patriots anymore? Dude, I'm so old. Holy crap. He is retired. Yeah, exactly. the last seven years. Devin McCourty's not on the Patriots anymore? Dude, I'm so old. He is retired. Yeah, exactly. Absolutely on a spot on NBC Sports Boston just a couple of days ago about what Christian Gonzalez brings to the table. And one of the things he mentioned and something

that I think you articulated perfectly is his ability to put what he calls a seatbelt on his opponent and someone where he's not going to let these guys get get loose or be able to cause difficulty as Devin likes to say you don't wear a seat belt you're not protected you're going to cause problems Christian Gonzalez is not going to allow that he's going to really keep these guys in his hip pocket and make sure that he sticks to them like glue and if he can do that and lock down his side of the field the way we all believe he can, it's going to be a fun season here. Dare I say he needs to stay locked on to his wide receivers? I love it.

I love it. This is why we go to the experts here on Locked On Patriots, all across the Locked On Podcast Network. Where are you going to find that dynamite drop? I need my boss to hear that joke, and I need immediate feedback on whether or not that was terrible or whether or not I'm fired because I don't know whether it was

great or whether or not I'm fired because I think there's no in between. Well, as someone who has told his share of terrible dad jokes here on Lockdown Patriots, my listeners I guarantee you probably loved it. I love it and we'll soundbite that and definitely send that over to the powers that be over on the Lockdown College channel. He knows that pretty well. Zach's a good friend of it. And we'll soundbite that and definitely send that over to the powers that be over on the Locked On

College channel. Yeah, I know Zach pretty well. Zach's a good friend of mine. So, you know, we'll definitely grease the wheels for you, Spencer. I'm only kidding. You don't need that. Your show is tremendous, folks. I know by checking out what you're checking out today here on Locked On Patriots that you're already a Locked On Ducks

fan. Check it out. I guarantee you it's one of the great listens on the college channel anywhere in a Locked On Ducks fan, check it out. I guarantee you it's one of the great listens on the college channel anywhere in the Locked On Podcast Network. And the good news is, folks, is we are just scratching the surface here on Locked On Patriots when we're talking about the Patriots' new Locked Down Corner because it's not all smiles, believe it or not. There are some sludge stirrers out there that are suggesting that this pick may not be worth the hype.

Yeah, folks, I mean, we'll get into that in just a moment because we're not relying on fabricated agendas. No third or fourth hand back challenge rumors. We are speaking with someone who actually covered Christian during his time at Oregon. And we're going to do more on the flip side of Gonzalez's profile when this episode of the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues. That's fans once again. Spencer McLaughlin, host of Lockdown Ducks, breaking the wisdom and council meter off the charts here on Lockdown Patriots, and we are talking all things Christian Gonzalez. And Spencer, earlier I said that Christian's selection by the Patriots at number 17 in the draft was praised by most. And I said most because some of the muckrakers out there are searching for scouts or anybody that will, you know, liken to a microphone right now that are trying to give some negativity for soundbite's sake.

Bottom line, the only knock that I'm seeing on this pick right now is that some are questioning Christian's fit here in New England when it comes to tackling ability. Bill Belichick has a reputation of coveting corners that are, quote, tackle and force guys. This goes back to his Cleveland Browns days. This is something that Bill Belichick loves, physicality. And we've seen it in a lot of the corners that have come through here in his tenure. Ty Law, we've seen, you know, obviously Darrell Rivas for a cup of coffee here in New England. We've seen Brandon Browner come in and provide that type of bump in the backfield. Player you know very well as a Seahawks fan.

We even saw Stephon Gilmore mix it up a little bit. Even though Gilly was a much more of a lockdown corner, he could get in the trenches and tackle when he needed to. Some are critical of Christian as a tackler. How would you respond to that type of criticism, knowing what you know from covering him? He was one of the few guys I trusted to actually make an open field tackle a season ago, and I trusted him to do so consistently. PFF agrees, by the way, giving him a run defense grade of 75.8. I think that's about right now is he you know a

Richard Sherman Brandon Browner Legion of Boom hard hitter no that's not how I would describe him I think he's certainly stronger against the pass but if you go find some of the tackles that he made a season ago they they have that kind of wow factor a little bit where you go oh wow that was an explosive athlete making a play and there looked like there was no doubt that he was going to be able to make that tackle. So from what I saw, from what PFF saw, I think concerns about his tackling are wildly overblown. I'm actually surprised that that's something that people said, hey, this is a cause for concern or anything of that nature. I think quite the opposite I would again go back to if you want to point to his biggest area of growth there were moments a couple in the Georgia game

one against Washington uh and just and just there were probably a couple others as well where he is in great position and he just isn't able to swat the ball away or wrestle it away from a wide receiver. I think his physicality can take a step up, and I think his consistent display of ball skills can take a step up. But tackling-wise, I thought he was excellent. I mean, he was legitimately one of Oregon's most sure tacklers a year ago. He was not a big blitzer. They didn't do that with him very often because he was too valuable to take out of the secondary.

They did that with other DBs when they wanted to introduce that sort of package defensively. So I would not be super concerned about Christian Gonzalez's tackling ability. Is he going to meet Derrick Henry in the hole and stand him up? No, probably not. But this is an ankle tackling corner who's really, really good at it and is sure a tackler, as I saw, frankly, in the Pac-12 a season ago. So I would not be concerned about his ability to wrap guys up whatsoever. Yeah, great insight. And again, I think a big sigh of relief in a lot of Patriots fans that, again, sometimes you hear things back and forth and you hear the word AFC defensive coach or AFC scout

or things of that nature that lead you to believe that maybe there are certain circumstances where you've seen some deficiencies. For every type of negative report, you can always pick out positives as well, folks. So constantly remember that there are negatives and positive aspects to everybody's game, but I think you've articulated that well. And I'm glad you mentioned ball skills because to me, that's one of the most impressive things that I've seen about Christian. That was a knock on him when he was at Colorado. His ball skills weren't really up to par with some of the rest of the corners with

which he was being described. I think he turned that into a positive at Oregon. And from your description, it sounds like there's even probably another step up that could be taken at the pro level. And I think he definitely made that a strength of his as opposed to a deficiency. That's the type of player, folks, that you're getting here in New England. Someone that, I don't want to say hears the noise because we always try to encourage players, especially in New England, to ignore the noise.

But they understand some of the knocks that might be on them at a national level or even in their own professional game. They're going to do whatever they can to make sure that those are turned into strengths rather than weaknesses. And I think you've got one of those guys in New England right now. And Spencer, that leads me quite nicely into my final question for you today. And I always like to end on a high note here on Locked On Patriots. To my own detriment, sometimes my listeners are a little angry with me

for doing that, But I always try to do it because I think there is always positive silver lining to be extracted. This may be one, this may not be one. I'm going to give you the opportunity to really kind of dictate the end of the show here. But in your expert professional opinion, what should Patriots fans expect from Christian Gonzalez? As a player, I think you've articulated that if there's anything else you feel that we should know please drop it in there but also as a member of the Patriots Nation community is this a player that we're going to be able to embrace because already sounds like he's saying the right things happy to be here this looks like a great fit to me all the

way around yeah he's very Patriots in that he's very quiet. He's not noisy. He's not Kayvon Thibodeau. He's not going to come in and disrupt your locker room. Always had a reputation of being a tireless worker, wanting to get better, coachable, good guy, and just going to show up, do his job, do it at a high level, and then work to improve in any way that he can. I think he's somebody who Patriots fans should, you know, I'm not obviously as familiar with the roster, but capable and should be a day one starter. Yeah, I would think so at the very least is his nickel corner, but probably as an

outside corner where I think he thrives the most. Like I said earlier, he can move around a little bit. He can shadow another team's top receiver. He did that at Oregon this past year, and I believe did so at Colorado the season prior. But I think that's what Patriot fans should be expecting. He's a guy who's going to come in, who's going to show up, work hard, get the job done, and be a really solid, productive player. In terms of could he be an all-pro, could he be a pro bowler or that sort of stuff? I think that's too soon to tell. And frankly, you know, I'm not an NFL scout, so I don't know what, you know, leads to that coming out of college. But what I do know is what I saw from an Oregon, which is a guy who was our clear number one player, was consistent all season long. He was not good in spurts.

He didn't have off games. He didn't have, you know, horrible moments that you just kind of overlook. He was just a steady, consistent, productive presence on Oregon's defense. And I see no covered the New England Patriots for a number of years now, there is a sign hanging outside the entrance to their locker room. It's been there for years. It actually ended up being a popular slogan. There are T-shirts, there are hats, all different kinds of banners, things of that nature. No, folks, I'm not talking about 28 to 3. That's a different conversation for another day. It says, do your job. And it sounds like to me that Christian Gonzalez is a guy that does his job.

If he does that, he's going to make Bill Belichick smile a little more than he's known for. I guarantee you Belichick smiles more than people give him credit for, but I got a feeling that Christian Gonzalez is going to elicit a few more smiles from Bill Belichick this year. And rightfully so we're excited. I think Patriots fans, you should be excited about Christian Gonzalez in Oregon.

And we are very grateful here at Patriots Nation to Spencer McLaughlin for taking time out of your busy schedule, my friend, for joining me here today on the pod. Before I let you go, please let everyone know

where they can catch you, all the pertinent details they need to subscribe, follow, and just absorb all the wisdom and counsel they can from you over at Locked on Ducks. Yeah, well, it was great all the wisdom and counsel they can from you over at Locked on Ducks. Yeah, well, it was great to come on with you, Mike.

I'm at Smalls underscore 55 on Twitter. If you ever want to drop me a note, DMs and mentions are wide open. I host Locked on Ducks Monday through Friday on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. I also host Locked on Pac-12, which has a lot of fascinating components to it at this point in time, Monday through Friday, YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. And you can always ask me a question over there as well. But Mike, great to be on with you and always happy to come on and talk about a future duck. Absolutely. And we're always happy to have you.

Always happy to have you here. And now that we've got that Oregon Pipeline connection, I'm going to have some Adrian Clem questions for you coming up. There's a lot that we can talk about here. This is the beginning. You stole our guy. Oregon fans might be mad at me for coming on this show because you stole our guy. Hey, he was ours first.

We drafted. The New England Patriots drafted Adrian Clem. No, I'm kidding, folks. You know what? Forever a Duck, forever a Patriot. Print the t-shirts. Put it up there. Crossover, be damned.

We're definitely, we're uniting here on Locked On Patriots and Locked On Ducks. That's the way I see it. All kidding aside, I do appreciate you coming on, Bud, and we look forward to having you back here very soon on Locked On Patriots. In the meantime, folks, thank you all for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage and your first listen every day. Remember, we are your team every day, as is Spencer over on Locked On Ducks and Locked On Pac-12, so be sure to check out both of those as well.

Don't miss Miguel Benzon, the great and powerful Wizard of Benzon, for all your fiscal fitness for the New England Patriots right here on Locked On Patriots to close your week in style. In the meantime, please continue to stay safe and stay well. Be the change you wish to see in the world. On behalf of Spencer McLaughlin, my colleague here at Locked On, I'm Mike DeBate. Have a great day, everyone, and we'll see you tomorrow on Locked On Patriots.