Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots Defensive Future: Key Coaching Changes; Senior Bowl Prospects on Defense

Starting point is 00:00:00 While the collective eyes of Patriots Nation continue to be on the offense, the New England Patriots defense will have a whole new look in 2025. 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 thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. I'm your host, Mike DeBate. I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country. Reach out to me, let me know what's on your mind on X at MDABATENFL.

Starting point is 00:00:46 You can also catch me where the skies are blue over on Blue Sky at MDABATENFL.BSKY.SOCIAL and if you're looking to show some social media love to Lockdown Patriots, please do so on our X account at LO underscore Patriots. That's fans, today's

Starting point is 00:01:01 episode is brought to you by our good friends over at PrizePix. Go to prizepix.com slash locked on NFL and use the code all lowercase locked on NFL to win $50 instantly when you play $5. Pats fans, the turnover in the coaches room continues as New England Patriots move on from not only one, but two key coaches in their defensive backfield. Yeah, that's right. I'm talking about the reported departures of cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino and safeties coach Brian Belichick.

Starting point is 00:01:33 Neither will be back in the Patriots' fold when the season begins in just a couple of months. That means, folks, for the first time since 1999, there will not be a member of the Belichick family involved in the day-to-day operations for your New England Patriots. And today on the pod, we're going to talk about the departure of Mike Pellegrino and Brian Belichick and the potential impact these departures will have on the team's players and its defense as a whole. We're also going to discuss the inevitable new look of the Patriots defense under new coordinator Terrell Jennings revisit Mobile, Alabama and talk about some of the defensive prospects on whom the Pats contingent should be keeping their sharp eye on. Sit tight, folks.

Starting point is 00:02:32 An exciting action-packed show for you today. And joining me here to break it all down is the only man that can provide the wisdom, the counsel, the reason we need to give these subjects the justice they so richly deserve. He is my good friend, my Patriots Paisan, Steve Balistrieri of patsfans.com and the Patriots 4th and 2 podcast. Thanks for popping in today, Paisan. We need your reason now today more than ever.

Starting point is 00:02:58 Always a pleasure, my friend, and thank you for having me on. Hello to all the locked on Patriots listeners out there. Absolutely. And, you know, anytime Steve pops up on the screen, folks, you know, you're going to be well informed. You know, you're going to get a level headed, well thought out, lucid opinion on what's going on in Pat's nation. And Steve, let's start with the coaching booth right now. I know a lot of Patriots fans have their eyes down on Mobile, Alabama. Dare not, folks.

Starting point is 00:03:26 We're going to talk a lot of defensive prospects for your New England Patriots, so sit tight. You're not going to want to miss a single second of that discussion coming up in just a little bit. But Tuesday morning, I think a lot of Patriots fans received the information they had been expecting, if we're all being honest. Brian Belichick no longer going to be the safeties coach here in New England.

Starting point is 00:03:47 The ties between the New England Patriots and the Belichick family now officially severed. Brian undoubtedly will be moving on to new options, whether or not that's down in Chapel Hill with his father Bill or whether or not there are other NFL options out there for him. Still a matter of conjecture. But the news that came a little bit later on that just on its heels on tuesday afternoon was the departure of longtime cornerbacks coach mike pellegrino now steve in a lot of ways mike vrabel coming in being a defensive-minded coach bringing in

Starting point is 00:04:19 terrell williams who has a much more aggressive style of defense, much more four-man front as opposed to the three-man front that the New England Patriots have loved to employ in this Belichickian-type regime. You sort of saw the handwriting on the walls with this. It looked like both of these guys may move on to greener pastures. But the more time went by and the less you heard about them either moving on or being considered by other franchises the hope was there that maybe one or both of these guys could stick around and lend some stability to that defensive backfield as a matter of fact our good friend our mutual friend andrew callahan of the boston herald reported that both pellegrino and belichick were open to staying in new england but they were preparing for the fact and the inevitable fact that Mike Vrabel was going

Starting point is 00:05:05 to go in a different direction. There's a lot of experience that the Patriots are now going to be without when it comes to both Pellegrino and Belichick. Start with Pellegrino. He's been here since 2015, coaching cornerbacks for the last six years. He's helped to cultivate and nurture some of the great corners that the Patriots have had here. Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson definitely has had a hand in the last couple of years in the progression of Christian Gonzalez. Belichick, of course, joining the team under his dad in 2016, started coaching the safeties in 2020. This is a guy who's coached Jabril Peppers.

Starting point is 00:05:38 He's coached Kyle Duggar. So both Pellegrino and Belichick are used to working with high-level talent. So when you look at this from an objective standpoint, how much of a loss is this for the New England Patriots? And were you surprised by the departure of both of these coaches? Yeah, I actually was. I had a feeling that, you know, both of them might return this season with Grable. Maybe it was just kind of wishful thinking because i i really wanted to see both of them back but um um both of them perform very well

Starting point is 00:06:16 i know that you know so many people are ate up with this nepotism crap that I see just like all over the internet. Right. You know, it's like the guy has been here nine years and you know, you look at the play of the safeties. Yeah. This year, this play of the safeties dropped off. Well, one Kyle Duggar was hurt all year long. And now we find out just today or yesterday, I can't remember, that his injury was much more severe than we thought.

Starting point is 00:06:58 And he required surgery, which has already been done, I believe. So you have him playing hurt all year. Now, in his favor, he didn't use it as an excuse. He still said that, you know, he lets the team down. But then you had Jabril Peppers, who missed a good chunk of the season with that court case of his, which he was just exonerated from. So, I mean, when your top two safeties are missing or hurt for all year long, I mean, that's going to have an effect on your play. And I thought the young guy stepped up pretty good.

Starting point is 00:07:35 So, you know, as far as the safeties was concerned, I thought Brian Belichick did a fine job. And as you said, Pellegrino, I mean, he's been so steady for so long again, you know, though they had one bad year there where everybody was injured. I mean, you know, they were playing, you know, third and fourth string guys out there and they still weren't completely embarrassed at times. So, you know, he's done a fantastic job. I guess Mike Vrabel just wanted to bring in his own people.

Starting point is 00:08:11 And that happens a lot of times. It's not saying anything against one of the coaches that was relieved here, but I kind of wanted to see both of them back. Yeah, I think in a lot of ways Patriots fans wanted to see both of them back. Yeah, I think in a lot of ways, Patriots fans wanted to see both of them back as well. Look, obviously, the severing of a tie to a Belichickian type regime here in New England is always going to bring about some sort of a feeling. But to me, this goes way beyond that. This is simply about the coach himself.

Starting point is 00:08:40 Brian Belichick, independent of who his dad is or who his brother is, is a very good safeties coach. And I think you hit the nail right on the head. If you're going to criticize the safeties for their regression this year, it's very disingenuous and really a disservice to the guys that are in that locker room to not mention the fact that your top safety was injured for the majority of the year and required surgery at the end of it and also that your secondary safety who some people think is even more of an important cog in that defensive backfield than Kyle Duggar is and that's Jabril Peppers was on the shelf for most of the year with legal problems for which he's now been exonerated so in that regard when it comes to Belichick being able to get players in position to make plays, yeah, I think he did a fairly good job when it came to that. If you don't have the players there that are making those reps each and every day,

Starting point is 00:09:34 and you continue to lack that continuity, yeah, you're never going to be able to move forward. And that's why the Patriots' safeties, I believe, regressed so far this year. It wasn't the coaching. It was more or less the personnel that they had out there on the field. Pellegrino surprised me a lot. You figure that you'd want someone that has been in that locker room before. You want someone that has had continuity before with this staff going back to the previous regime under Bill Belichick and even the single year under Gerard Mayo. Mike Pellegrino has a way of reaching out to these defensive backs, and they play hard for him. You know, we've mentioned guys like Stephon Gilmore and Jonathan Jones,

Starting point is 00:10:11 who has had so many great things to say about him. I don't believe either one of them will have any difficulty finding new work in the NFL. Their phones are going to be ringing very soon, and it wouldn't surprise me to see them land a job fairly quickly. But Mike Vrabel is moving to try to fill these positions these open positions on his staff and one hire which we expect which was reported on Wednesday morning is now former Buffalo Bills Nickelbacks coach and senior defensive assistant Scott Booker going to join Mike Vrabel's staff now obviously we know the Bills had a very successful season, went to the

Starting point is 00:10:45 AFC Championship game this year, unfortunately, came up short against the Kansas City Chiefs, but I think the appeal here, if I'm Mike Rabel, is hiring someone with whom you've worked in Tennessee. Hooker was on his staff from 2018 to 2023, two seasons as a defensive assistant before spending the next four as the safeties coach. He's worked with some pretty good safeties as well. Guys like Kenny Vaccaro, Armani Hooker, and Kevin Byard. So this guy definitely has experience with working with talented players and he's helped nurture these guys into pretty good NFL careers. When you look at the hiring of Scott Booker, is this to you an indication of the type of coach that Mike Vrabel is looking for in that secondary, or is this simply another familiar face, someone who he knows he can trust

Starting point is 00:11:29 to help move his agenda forward? I think it's a little bit of both, but yeah, I mean, you know, he has familiarity with Vrabel and the type of system they want to run, and I think it just makes a whole lot of sense to bring in your guy. Now, like we said sorry as I was to see Belichick go, I was very happy because I think this guy's a heck of a coach. And he's had experience elsewhere. He's been able to, like you said, build a pedigree with the guys he's worked with. And I think he's going to be, I know,

Starting point is 00:12:26 I think he's going to be really, really good. Yeah, exactly. And you always look at the testimonials of guys that have played for him, guys that have coached with him, all the highest marks, all the highest praise he's earning. And you love to see that for guys coming in because players are going to respond to these new coaches. And for better or for worse, folks, there are going to be a lot of players that were on this team last year that are going to be holdovers and will be on this team this year based on the contracts they've signed, based on their promise, and based on their potential in this system. A lot, I think, is going to be chalked up to maybe a bad year, maybe even a forgotten

Starting point is 00:13:02 year in New England last year. There's still a lot of talented players in this locker room that need to be motivated by coaches that can get them to play at their highest level. Someone like a Scott Booker coming in is a good move when you're losing two experienced coaches like Mike Pellegrino and like a Brian Belichick. So Mike Grable seems to be hitting all of the right buttons, Steve. But bottom line, the departure of both Mike Pellegrino and Brian Belichick ensure that there's going to be a much different look to this defense in 2025 than we've been used

Starting point is 00:13:33 to seeing the last few years. What type of on-field changes should Patriots fans expect? And what does it mean for the personnel that are currently still in the room? Steve and I are going to discuss that point in just a moment when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues, a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team, every day. This is a message from our sponsor, Intuit TurboTax. Taxes was waiting and wondering and worrying if you were going to get any money back,

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Starting point is 00:14:49 Real-time updates only in iOS mobile app. See guaranteed details at TurboTax.com slash guarantees. Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked on Patriots and joining me to break down all things Patriots defense, coaching staff, philosophical changes, and of course, potential new personnel is my good friend and Patriots by Zahn, a man who knows a thing or two about protection and defense, Steve Balistrieri. Steve, in the previous segment, we talked a lot about the potential changes for the Patriots defensive backfield with the departure of Mike Pellegrino and the departure of Brian Belichick. We talked about the arrival of Scott Booker and what it may mean for this team moving forward, but I think the biggest change that Patriots fans can expect is a change in on-field strategy. Terrell Williams comes in with the reputation of being a much more aggressive

Starting point is 00:15:45 coach, both with his approach to his players and his coaching style and to his strategy on the field. So a lot of Patriots fans are looking at that and saying, yep, they're going to be more aggressive against the run. They're going to be more aggressive in getting after the quarterback. But again, when it comes to breaking down defenses, you see things us mere mortals don't see. When you look at Terrell Williams, you look at his style, you look at what he's had to say so far since taking the job or officially being named to the job here in New England. What are you expecting to see as a change in the Patriots defense, especially when it comes to the defensive front? What type of new looks should Pats fans be expecting? Well, I think that, you know,

Starting point is 00:16:26 we'll see a lot more four-man fronts. They seem to prefer a 4-3 look, which, you know, with some of the players that they have, it would play to their strengths, I think. You know, when you go to a 4-3, your middle linebacker tends to be a little bit bigger than maybe a 3-4. And Juwan Bentley kind of fits that mold quite nicely. You know, he's a big guy that can move and he's a thumper. But I think you're going to see the defensive line, which to me last year, they seemed kind of static the way they lined up.

Starting point is 00:17:11 I think he's going to mix in all different looks. Like you might see them go with a wide nine at times, depending on the situation and the opponent. And I think, you know, when you have a pass rusher and, you know, we still kind of think that Keon White's going to be that guy. Last year, notwithstanding, because of different things, right? But I think if they pair him with someone else that maybe they'll look for in the draft, maybe free agency or in the trade. You know, this front, especially that front seven, you know,

Starting point is 00:17:52 you're going to see a lot more pressure on the quarterback. And that was one of the things that was a killer for them last year. You know, they were right at the bottom of the league when it comes to, you know, getting pressure and getting after the quarterback and finishing, you know, getting those sacks. I think that it's going to change. I think, you know, when people talk about being more aggressive, that includes on in the running game as well. I think they're going to get away from the read and react for the most thing, the most part, excuse me.

Starting point is 00:18:22 And they're going to look for guys who are penetrators, Christian Barmore. With all the social media interaction with Jeffrey Simmons, wouldn't we all love to see the Patriots swing a trade for him? He can reunite with his coaches. It looks like he would love to play for Terrell again. Again, I think you make such an interesting point this is a team last year that really struggled to generate early down pressure

Starting point is 00:18:50 they ranked 31st in the league in trying to generate pressure on first and second down so automatically when you move to that four down type of defensive style that four man front yeah you're looking at putting early down pressure. You're looking at being much more aggressive. Do you worry at all though, that the style of play that Terrell Williams is bringing in, if it's not properly stocked? Yeah, that's a great point. I mean, you, I mean, the coaches can install the greatest system in the world. If you don't have the correct players to run it, then, you know,

Starting point is 00:19:24 it's ultimately going to fail right we've seen that time and again um you know I I think they're they're going to take a really hard look at this roster because you know we've heard rumors uh I know uh my cohost, Derek Havens, he's been talking to some people in the building, and they heard that up to 25 guys might not be here. That would make some wholesale changes. Of course, that would be on both sides of the ball, right? Right, exactly. sides of the ball right right exactly at the same time that's i mean you know when you hear stuff like that you kind of have to read the tea leaves because nobody knows yet but you know maybe that they're looking at hey you know we have eight or ten guys that we can build what we want around

Starting point is 00:20:20 obviously christian gonzalez will be one I think both of your safeties next year will be back because I think those guys would fit in any system that you want to run. Very good point. Christian Barmore right now is a question mark because of his health issues, which reappeared but I mean a guy like him you know we saw in 2023 what he's capable of now yes this year was kind of a lost year for him with the health stuff and then he came back and he was still trying to find his feet and then it reappeared so you know hopefully for his sake uh you know he's going to be be done with the blood clot issue, but we'll have to wait and see.

Starting point is 00:21:09 I think there's a lot of young guys that will fit what they want to do, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him cut loose a lot of people. Things are going to get very interesting on the defensive side of the ball, folks. Keep a sharp eye on that. But, Steve, before we take our leave of this subject, something that has been kind of festering in the back of my mind over the course of the last couple of weeks, since we found out that Terrell Williams will indeed be the defensive coordinator for this team. He's never been a primary defensive play caller.

Starting point is 00:21:40 Now, last year under Gerard Mayo, this was a source of contention for a lot of people that didn't believe Demarcus Covington may be ready to make that leap and be the primary play caller. Patriots ultimately gave him the opportunity to do so, and it didn't necessarily work out the way they hoped, if I'm putting it diplomatically. Williams has a great amount of coaching experience, done most of it on the field, seen most of it on the field seen most of it on the field but when you don't have that primary play calling ability it can call some of your ability to effectively govern into question do you feel that the patriots have maybe mitigated that by having someone like a mike drable who is veryversed in play calling, ready to go and ready to take that mantra on if he needs to?

Starting point is 00:22:28 Or is this a potential concern if the Patriots don't address that at a level maybe even lower than Terrell Williams right now, bringing in some play calling experience assistants that could help him out? Well, I think, you know, it's always a concern when you're dealing with someone doing something for the first time. However, you know, it's always a concern when you're dealing with someone doing something for the first time. However, you know, you have a head coach that worked with him in the past and gave him the title of assistant head coach, which means he has utmost confidence in this guy. And, you know, we know Vrabel's a hands-on guy. Right.

Starting point is 00:23:02 He gets involved in practice. You know, he has a teaching point. He wants to get across. He'll jump right in the fray and take on blockers. And, you know, we've seen him do that. He did it in Tennessee without any pads. He's telling guys to go full bore. You know, he's that kind of guy.

Starting point is 00:23:34 And so with him being there, I think that, as you said, it's greatly mitigated because Frabel is going to be there for him. These two guys are very close. They've worked together in the past. I don't think that's going to be an issue with them because, you know, he's right there and, you know, we kind of expect him to be more involved with the defense until Terrell Williams, you know, finds his feet as a coordinator. I think that was one of the reasons why he hired Josh McDaniel as the offensive coordinator, because Josh has been doing this, what, this will be what year 15 as an offensive

Starting point is 00:24:05 coordinator or head coach so you know we know that Josh can run the offense that and I think Vrabel saw that as like hey look you know we're starting from scratch here with the team that really needs to be rebuilt if I don't have to spend much time with the offense and let Josh run things, I'm not saying he's going to be completely absent from there because we know he won't be, but it's not going to be such a pressing issue that he can work a lot more with the defense. And I think the defense is going to turn around really quickly under not only Vrabel but Terrell Williams yeah very good point and again a lot of people will tell you and Steve if we're being very brutally honest I'm one of them Patriots defense doesn't really have no other place to go but up at this point you know they

Starting point is 00:24:58 regressed to a very difficult unit to watch last year at times especially along the defensive line and that's where Terrell Williams is along the defensive line. And that's where Terrell Williams is at his best. And I think that's where he's going to nurture a lot of this team back to where they need to be. He kind of injects some nastiness back into that defensive line. That defensive line was pushed around way too much last year, ranked near the bottom of the league in run defense and dead last in sacks. That's unacceptable. Mike Vrabel's not going to be happy about it. Terrell Williams is not going to be happy about it. The players on the field are not going to be happy about it. All of them coming together will give Patriots fans a lot more

Starting point is 00:25:33 fun to watch in 2025. But Steve, it's not just going to be about the guys that are in the room right now or the potential free agents that are going to be brought in. Patriots are going to need to restock a lot of this defense through the draft, and they're already keeping their sharp eye on some very interesting prospects at this year's Senior Bowl, currently going on in Mobile, Alabama. In just a moment, Steve Balistrieri and I are going to talk about those who are catching our sharp eye when it comes to their performance on the field so far in Mobile, when this episode of the locked on Patriots podcast wraps up right here on

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Starting point is 00:27:11 $20 off. Download GameTime today. What time is it? GameTime. Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on this defensive-centric episode of Locked On Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on this defensive-centric episode of Locked On Patriots. Joining me to break it all down is our resident defensive expert, our resident voice of reason, the only man with the wisdom and counsel capable of giving you the information you need today.

Starting point is 00:27:35 That's my good friend Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com and the Patriots 4th and 2 podcast. Steve, we've talked about the departures of a couple of beloved coaches here in New England, Mike Pellegrino, Brian Belichick, the arrival of Scott Booker coming in and being a potential new voice in that defensive backfield. The previous segment, we talked a lot about the new look of this Patriots defense in 2025 and what we can expect under coordinator Terrell Williams, but all eyes in Patriots Nation right now are on the draft. And the draft begins in Mobile. And a strong Patriots contingent is down there scouting a lot of potential new New England

Starting point is 00:28:15 Patriots that could be drafted when the Patriots are on the clock in late April. Steve, I know this is a great time of year for all of us. We love watching college prospects blossom into the types of pros we think they're capable of being most of all we want to find out who might be a good fit here in foxborough so on the defensive side of the ball is there anyone right now that's standing out to you that may look pretty pretty pretty good in a New England Patriots uniform. Well, you know, since, you know, you and I didn't have the opportunity to go down there this year, you know, I've been relying on some of the people that I admire and trust the most.

Starting point is 00:28:58 And the one guy, Evan Lazar, mentioned yesterday, you know, he's an edge guy, which we just talked about. They need they need to, you know, take an edge guy fairly early in the process. Right. I don't know if this guy would be around for them. I think he's going to go in the first round. You can't go wrong with a guy named shamar if you're a criminal minds fan excuse me so uh you know from texas a m um you know i i think this guy is gonna be really really good in the nfl um you know as as Evan was saying, he made it look too easy at times going against some of the, you know, the top tackles down there in Mobile.

Starting point is 00:29:54 So, you know, that's one guy that I really like. The other guy from Michigan as well, Josiah Stewart, another edge guy, played at Michigan. He might be more of a tweener, like a sub-package dedicated pass rusher because he's not the bulkiest guy, and I don't know how he'd hold up in the running game. But if you're going to a 4-3, that might not be as big a deal as maybe in a 3-4. So I know everyone wants Abdul Carter, but, you know, he's not down there in Mobile. So we kind of have to, you know, judge on the guys that are there right now that, you know,

Starting point is 00:30:44 we're able to see some tape on and read up on some of the guys that are there right now that you know we're able to see some tape on and read up on some of the people that are there who see them all through the practice so those are the two guys that stood out the most there was a couple of guys in the secondary as well absolutely and we'll get to the guys in the secondary in just a moment because i definitely want to get to that end of the defense, but I'm so glad that you mentioned Shamar Stewart. My two of my colleagues who had the ability to join the contingent down in mobile this year,

Starting point is 00:31:14 Tony Wiggins who hosts locked on Jaguars and Lauren Cox who hosts locked on bears were absolutely floored by Shamar Stewart's size, speed, elite athleticism. This kid brings it all together. And to do that in what was a very talented trio of defenders with Texas A&M this year, really to be the standout in that group tells me that this guy's definitely doing something right. If he continues to wow people the way he wowed them on Tuesday and Wednesday, you may be looking at a first half of the first round talent.

Starting point is 00:31:47 Jamar Stewart could be a name that is very prominent on Patriots draft boards leading into this, folks. And his stock is only going to continue to rise. If we're looking at edge rushers, Steve, and you mentioned the edge and getting a little nastiness back into that edge, a guy that keeps popping up on my screen as well and i've been scouting him very closely throughout the past couple of weeks i know it's an fbs guy but i still believe that there is a major contribution that can be made by this man at a pro level and that's mike green mike led the fbs last year 17 sacks this past season last two years he's been at marshall he did transfer over from virginia but this guy thrives

Starting point is 00:32:26 on one-on-one competition and those that were in mobile on wednesday uh said that green absolutely dominated his one-on-one competitions and most of that went against josh connerly jr of oregon who right now is listed as one of the top tackles out there on most draft boards. As a matter of fact, our good mutual friend Thomas Murphy and I talked about Connerly a lot in terms of being one of the more elite prospects at the tackle position in this draft in 2025. So you can see Mike Green's draft stock rising as we speak. He's a name to keep a sharp eye on. Folks would love to see him potentially work out for the Patriots and see what Patriots coaches may be thinking of him as the week goes on. We'll have more to share on Green, but he could be someone to watch for this defense as well.

Starting point is 00:33:17 And getting back to what we talked about in the previous segment, I think he would be a great fit in the Terrell Williams defense. Yes. And, you know, it's funny you mention him because Daniel Jeremiah was talking about him as well. And, you know, when Daniel says that, it's kind of like when Mike Reese talks around the Patriots, your ear automatically kind of turns a little bit and you pay attention to what you're listening to definitely daniel jeremiah is the nfl drafts version of ef hutton and steve i know you get that reference i dated myself with that reference anybody that does get that reference drop us a note in the comment section in youtube but bottom line i agree i think that when you look at the

Starting point is 00:34:03 type of players that the Patriots are scouting, these guys definitely go to the top, and they're definitely raising the sharp eye of a lot of Pats fans, and they should be. You mentioned a few guys that you're watching in the secondary. I don't want to step on your toes, my friend. Let us know who Pats fans should be watching in the defensive backfield this week. Yeah, there's one cornerback and one safety.

Starting point is 00:34:26 Now, I don't know that the Patriots are really in the market for safety because I think if they bring back their two guys, and a lot of that will depend on Duggar's surgery, how quick he's done with that. But, you know, I also look at a guy like Tal Pettis who they brought in, and I thought he played really well this year so the safety i'm not so sure but the guy i was watching him and some of the the tape that was on twitter and that was the maryland uh kid dante dante trader and i was watching him in coverage

Starting point is 00:35:01 and he was doing a great job on tight ends and in running backs. And I'm like, this kid can play. You know, you always want to see. We know most safeties can lay the lumber. I mean, that's a given in today's game. You know, guys can thump. But, you know, one of the things is, you know, you need those coverage safeties.

Starting point is 00:35:27 And I thought he's been playing really well. The other guy, a cornerback from UCF, Mack McWilliams. Again, you know, he looks very sticky, you know. He can mirror incredibly well from what I saw. he's, he looks very sticky, you know, he, he, he can mirror incredibly well from what I saw, you know, he had an interception was either yesterday or today where I thought he ran the better route than the receiver did. Right. So he just jumped, jumped the route, easy pick.

Starting point is 00:36:03 I like both of those guys. And, you know, he had good size. He's over – he's 6'1 or 6'2, and I think he's about 190, 195 pounds. So I'd have to double-check that. But, you know, that's the size and, you know, build you want for another outside corner, which they need. Absolutely. They truly do need another outside corner.

Starting point is 00:36:31 Give help to Christian Gonzalez. And we've been talking about that for quite some time. Even if you're thinking about bringing back Jonathan Jones and having him as an option here in New England, you definitely need some size, some speed, and some youth on the opposite side, and pairing Christian with a corner, that type of promise really could get Patriots fans very excited for that new look secondary in New England. Steve, what can I say? It's always an honor and always a privilege when you join me here on the microphone. Thank you so much for lending your wisdom, your counsel, and your reason when it comes to the departure of beloved Patriots

Starting point is 00:37:07 coaches, the arrival of new coaches, the type of style that this defense is going to employ, and most of all, your insight when it comes to potential new Patriots. And folks, we're going to continue to break down the action in Mobile all week long, so keep it locked in to Locked On Patriots.

Starting point is 00:37:24 But in the meantime, my friend, I want to give you a major tip of the cap and a big thank you for all of your contributions here to Locked On Patriots. Before I let you go, please let everyone know where they can reach out to you, interact with you, and what you've got marinating in La Cucina Balistrieri between now and next week when we welcome you back, buddy. Well, thanks for having me, as always. You can follow me on Twitter at SteveB7SFG. I write for PatsFans.com.

Starting point is 00:37:50 Derek Havens and I do the Patriots 4th and 2 podcast. Anytime you want to reach out to Steve, interact with him. You're always going to be well-informed, folks. And you can't ask for anything more than that. His Sunday column continues to be a must-read, one of the very few top-of-the-line must-reads that still exist in sports media. This man provides one of them each and every week, and I will always say that.

Starting point is 00:38:13 It's not Sunday until I read Steve Bellistrieri's column. So thank you, my friend, for everything you do for Locked On Patriots. Folks, thank all of you, each and every one of you, all of you everydayers out there, for continuing to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Hopefully your first listen each and every day. On behalf of Steve Balistrieri, I'm Mike DeBate, reminding all of you to stay safe, to stay well, 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.

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