Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Delay in OTAs? All Eyes on Bill Belichick? Jalen Mills at Free Safety?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Is the most familiar face in Foxborough the one to watch closest during OTAs and minicamp? Talking Bill Belichick and much more, so 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. Welcome to the Lockdown Patriots podcast. We are a proud part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day.

Starting point is 00:00:55 Subscribe or follow for free on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts to get the latest episode as soon as it's available. I am your host, Mike DeBate, and I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated, so read out to me and let me know what's on your mind on Twitter at M-D-A-V-A-T-E NFL. While you're out there showing some love to the Twitterverse,

Starting point is 00:01:16 please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. Pats fans, thank you again for joining me here today. A special shout out as always to all of you Locked On everydayers out there. All of you loyalists that make

Starting point is 00:01:32 Locked On Patriots possible. My unending appreciation to you. Thank you so much for all of your patience and support while we upgrade our audio video capabilities and our studio here on Locked On Patriots. Stay locked in. Some exciting new developments coming around the pike very soon.

Starting point is 00:01:49 So definitely thank you for all of your support honored and humbled by it as always. And that's fans today on the pod. We are about to take our last anticipatory look at the 2023 new England Patriots. And we were planning on doing so before the media got its first look at the team on Thursday. But your New England Patriots have called an audible. After holding their first two organized training activities earlier this week, the team announced

Starting point is 00:02:18 on Wednesday that they have decided to cancel the third and final session for the week was originally scheduled for Thursday, May 25th. Now, members of the New England media, myself included, were set to take their first on-field look at the team. And that includes several new faces, both on the coaching staff as well as on the roster. And rescheduling of this type is slightly eye-opening especially because so early but it's far from being unprecedented nothing to start the conspiracy machine in churn you know it's going to but bottom line folks there really is not to see here at the end of the day Patriots coach Bill Belichick has canceled both off-season practices during voluntary OTAs and mandatory minicamp during several

Starting point is 00:03:06 of his years at the helm in New England. So obviously, after a productive week, Belichick felt that the team deserved the day off. That is his prerogative, and he's able to do it. Media access will resume on OTAs, and it'll be postponed until next Wednesday, May 31st. So that's when we will get our first look at the New England Patriots on the field. They'll have another session open to the media on June 8th. And then the Patriots are also going to provide team access for the entirety of their mandatory mini camp from June 12th through the 14th.

Starting point is 00:03:40 So Locked On Patriots is still going to keep you posted on the latest from Gillette Stadium. So stay locked in. Folks, when I tell you you're going to want to be a Locked On Patriots every day or to keep up as business picks up in Foxborough, definitely want to make sure to stay locked into Locked On Patriots. But today on the pod, we're going to take a look at some things that are likely to catch an eye or two when we do get our first look at the Patriots on the field. And starting today with the only man on that field with nearly 48 years of experience. That's right, folks. I'm talking about the HC of the NEP himself, Bill Belichick. And I think it goes without saying he's been one of the most successful at his position

Starting point is 00:04:25 in all of the collective sports landscape, especially while he's been at the Patriots helm. Six Super Bowl champion, just three-time AP coach of the year. Just some of the accolades that Belichick has collected during his time on the sidelines. But should he be in line for the lion's share of the blame if things go the wrong direction this season? A lot of people are talking about that right now. Should we be taking a closer look at Bill Belichick instead of saying, let's watch Mac Jones.

Starting point is 00:04:53 Let's watch Bill O'Brien. Let's watch the offensive line. Let's take a look at Christian Gonzalez. How does the defense look? All of that is very important. But should we be taking a closer look at Bill Belichick? Well, I've always been of the school that Belichick's prowess as an NFL head coach requires no embellishment.

Starting point is 00:05:11 His enshrinement in Canton, that became a mere formality a long time ago. But the sustained success that he's guided the Patriots with over the past two plus decades really remains his greatest mystique. Whether he's going to be praised as a defensive genius or playfully mocked as a diabolical manipulator, which I always get a kick out of every time it happens, Belichick has reached the top of the coaching plateau due to an unbridled work ethic and meticulous attention to detail. But in recent years, that mystique has taken a little bit of a hit.

Starting point is 00:05:46 Maybe some of the shine rubbed off on that. He sits atop the list as the oldest head coach in the NFL right now. Well, I should say he is side-by-side with Pete Carroll, both 71 years old. Pete's going to pass Bill numerically at 72 on September 15th when Pete celebrates his birthday, but Belichick still remains the longest tenured at his position. And we all remember last October moving past Chicago Bears head coach and pro football hall of famer George Alice into sole possession of second place among

Starting point is 00:06:16 all NFL coaches. He's continuing his pursuit of Don Shula. This is not a secret, folks. Bill Belichick wants that record. 347 total wins. He wants it, and he's trying to get it. Now, in order to get it, his New England Patriots have to win games, and that's why Belichick is as motivated as ever to get this team back to prominence and make sure that they're winning and winning on a regular basis. Don't forget, Bill's also tied with Shula for first all-time among all NFL head coaches, having led the Patriots to 19 playoff appearances. He wants that record too, folks, and he's trying to get it. So even though you can point to Shula's records, that pursuit of Shula's records by Bill Belichick as something that motivates him,

Starting point is 00:07:06 Bill is much more cognizant about the problem at hand. Yeah, those are nice to haves, and I know he wants those records, and I firmly believe that he's trying everything he can to get them. But again, it also brings into light the immediate need for wins, and that is what the Patriots have to do. Bill has to guide the bats back to their winning ways and he has to do it in short order in order to be able to reach his individual goals but most importantly the team goals and that hasn't been so easy the last couple of years. The Patriots were once again on the outside of the AFC playoff picture at the conclusion of 2022. They finished the season at 8-9.

Starting point is 00:07:46 They lost three of their final four games for the second consecutive season and with an unsuccessful installation of assistant coach Matt Patricia as the offensive play caller. It was that rumored tension that Bill supposedly had with Mac Jones. You can tell that Bill is eager to put in for the team. He gave as close of an endorsement to Mac Jones as you can get, saying he's the starter. When he was asked about it during draft time, I was on that Zoom conference. Definitely was an uncomfortable moment for a moment there, but Bill Belichick essentially

Starting point is 00:08:23 admitted that Mac is the guy he's got his eye on to lead this team at least at first out of the gate. He brought in Bill O'Brien, he brought in Adrian Clem to clean up the offensive mess from last year, and he gave Gerard Mayo a bit more oversight into the Pat's day-to-day operations. So he's clearly on board with the goal of significant improvement. And that's a goal that he shares with Robert Kraft, folks. As Kraft said during the annual meetings when he first took to the microphone and talked about what he expected from the Patriots this season, he said, quote, I still believe in Bill. I think Bill is exceptional at what he does,

Starting point is 00:08:57 and I've given him the freedom to make the choices and do the things that he needed to be done. His football intellect, his knowledge is unparalleled from what I've seen. Just when you talk to him, small things analytically he looks at, but in the end, this is a business. You either execute and win or you don't. That's where we're at. And I know some people are going to say that's a shot at Bill Belichick.

Starting point is 00:09:20 I don't think that's necessarily a shot at Bill Belichick. That's just Robert Kraft reminding everyone, including Bill Belichick, that yes, I signed the checks for a reason. I expect a quality product out on the field. And in New England, the definition of a quality product is a playoff team that's poised to make a big run. They're not going to win Super Bowls every year. Even Kraft knows that.

Starting point is 00:09:42 But at the same time, you expect teams to be competitive. And the last couple of seasons hasn't been so easy to come by. We know in the not-so-distant past that winning was almost a foregone conclusion for nearly 20 seasons under the Brady-Belichick regime. But since their victory in Super Bowl 53 to close out the 2018 season, the Wingman has failed to qualify for the playoffs twice. Two seasons that they did make the playoffs, they were quickly ousted in the wildcard round. That's not acceptable Patriots football. It's normal for the rest of the NFL, and maybe it should be a little more normalized there. Maybe the expectations would be a little bit more tempered,

Starting point is 00:10:23 but at the same time, that's fans expect a winning team. That's ownership expects a winning team. And as such, Bill Belichick and his players have to be a winning team. So with the start of the 2023 season fast approaching, Belichick is going to be on that field in OTAs, in minicamp, in training camp. And he's going to be building this roster. He's going to be coaching these guys up. He's aware that there's some added scrutiny that he's going to be subject to in the

Starting point is 00:10:51 coming months, but he's also taking the proper steps to ensure that his team is prepared for the task at hand with a sense of urgency, but you're not going to see Bill Belichick panic, and I think you're going to see that as the Pats take the field for OTAs, for minicamp, and for training camp. But there are going to be a few more eyes, including that of his boss, that are going to be a bit more razor focused on this season. And I think that's going to start this week, folks, and into next week as OTAs continue to progress. So Belichick on the hot seat? Not yet, but he's definitely under the microscope, and maybe a little bit more light is being shined on him than in years past.

Starting point is 00:11:32 So based on that, folks, we are going to shift gears in just a moment, and we're going to take a look at some on-field action at the safety position and what it means for the Patriots' play on the field and also their leadership in the locker room when this episode of 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

Starting point is 00:11:59 because right now, new customers can get a no-sweat first bet up to $1,000. That's $1,000 back in bonus bets if your first bet doesn't win. Green teamers, it is not over yet, so show your Celtic pride with FanDuel, because there's no better place to bet all the playoff action than America's number one sportsbook. Visit FanDuel.com slash LockedOn and get a no-sweat first bet up to $1,000. That's Fanduel.com slash Locked On. Fanduel, official sportsbook betting partner of the NBA. Patriots fans, thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots your first listen every day. Again, we are a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Again, we are a proud part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every

Starting point is 00:12:46 day. And speaking of your team, your New England Patriots had to say farewell to one of the more beloved Patriots of the past couple of decades, and that was Devin McCourty, a true stalwart of the Patriots organization for more than 13 years. His retirement was bittersweet for all of us here in Pat's nation. I've gone on and on about how much I admire Devin, both professionally and personally. One of the greatest guys I've ever had the opportunity to cover. And I know all of you are going to miss Devin on the field as well. He's just that type of guy that when you're around him

Starting point is 00:13:20 or you're watching him play football, you can't help but smile. You can't help but feel energized. Well, we got some good news on Devin on Tuesday uh this according to a report from the New York Post that he will be joining NBC Sunday Night Football as a pre-game analyst this season as a matter of fact and he's going to join another former Patriot safety yeah those NBC they they love their former Patriots and of course I'm talking about Rodney Harrison. He currently serves as an analyst for the network's Football Night in America. So a patriotic flavor coming to NBC Sundays. And a lot of people had speculated that a successful future in broadcasting for DMACC was waiting for him on the other side of his playing days.

Starting point is 00:14:01 During the past week 10 by in November, Devin joined the CBS broadcast on both the other pregame show and the NFL Today. And most recently, he joined his brother Jason as a co-guest host for NFL Media's Good Morning Football. So the handwriting was on the wall. The tracks were clearly laid down for this. And Devin is going to be tremendous. We've seen him on quick slants before. He and his brother had the double coverage podcast he's a natural fit for this and you just you see it the insight the analysis but the charisma that Devin has clearly made him an attractive candidate to fill this position so congratulations to Devin a tip of the cap nod to the gods as I like to say we're all glad that we're still going to see him on NFL Sundays. But Devin's retirement did leave a major void in the Patriots secondary. And whether you want to focus

Starting point is 00:14:50 on him missing a step or not last year, especially toward the end of his career, that's your prerogative. I happen to think he was still one of the most important players on the field, not just in terms of what he offered logistically, but directing his teammates, calling on field plays, and the presence in that locker room. Devin's going to be missed. I don't think you recreate what he brought to that locker room, the camaraderie, the leadership, the captainship. That's going to take a little bit of time. Calling on field plays, I think it's a lot to expect from any player in that secondary right now. But when the Patriots take the field for OTA, for minicamp, for training camp especially, a lot of people are

Starting point is 00:15:34 speculating that the guy that will be slotted into the free safety position is Jalen Mills. And this comes directly from Jalen himself. Basically, if you want to get technical about where we glean this from, this happened during his brief yet confusing release from the team back in March. We all remember that, where we thought Jalen was moving on to a new club. And then just four days later, he was back in New England. He said that a big portion of the reason why he came back was assurances or at least indications from the team that he was going to get a chance to play a lot more safety. And I'll explain in just a moment why that was a good move for Jalen and why he was excited for that. But let's talk about the fact

Starting point is 00:16:16 that he was a pretty serviceable option as a starting quarterback on the right side of the Patriots defensive backfield last year. That is when he was on the field. Hamstring injury sidelined him for one game last season. And then, of course, the groin injury forced him to miss the final six games of the campaign. So a very difficult year injury-wise for Jalen Mills, but still able to log 31 tackles, five pass breakups, and intercept two passes. And in the process, he held opposing quarterbacks to completing only 27 of 45 for 333 yards when he was targeted. Not bad.

Starting point is 00:16:51 That's pretty good when you consider what he's on the field to do. And even despite those numbers, Mills is very much heavily rumored to undergo this positional switch to safety. And the Patriots clearly have a need. We've talked about that before in light of Devin's retirement. But I think putting Jalen in this position at free safety is going to provide both stability and system continuity for 2023. After all, when Jalen was at his most productive, it was as a safety.

Starting point is 00:17:23 He returns to that role that gave him his best statistical output in his career in 2020 with the Philadelphia Eagles counted for 74 combined tackles one and a half sacks and an interception while aligning mostly at the box but also a little bit of free safety as well Kyle Duggar is the guy in box. I don't think he's going to unseat him. I know Murph joined me earlier this week and talked about how he believes Kyle may be groomed eventually for the free safety position. I don't think Murph is wrong. I think he's going to be groomed, but I don't think it's going to happen this season. And because of that, I can see Jalen taking on that role initially because it's something I think he's a little more comfortable with right now. That means that Jalen's going to have to spend his time alongside Kyle Duggar at the box

Starting point is 00:18:09 and then in sub duty with Adrian Phillips, Jabril Peppers, Joshua Bledsoe, maybe even Marte Mapu might get a little look back there as well. Although I think he's going to mostly be a linebacker for this team, that positional switch, I think, could end up benefiting Jalen Mills. So if that's indeed the case, the Green Goblin takes his talent to the safety position, and it wouldn't be the first time a Patriots cornerback ended up being a pretty good safety. After all, Devin McCourty did it. Why not Jalen Mills, right, folks? Yeah, I probably just put a whole lot of pressure on Jalen Mills's back that he did not need right now but bottom line I think Jalen's up for it I think you're

Starting point is 00:18:50 going to see a good season from the Green Goblin in 2023. Pats fans it's not all about the logistics on the field in OTAs we all love the aesthetics as well and nothing is more exciting this time of year than finding out the New Jersey numbers of the Pats veterans. I know it's not pressing to the performance of the team, but let's face it, we do have the insight on who's wearing what, and we will discuss that when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast concludes. Patriots fans, thank you for investing part of your day here on Lockdown Patriots especially the dedication of all of you everydayers out there and the action on the field maybe paused a little bit for the Pats in terms of OTAs but tomorrow here on the pod back by popular demand

Starting point is 00:19:39 that's right the illustrious countess of Clas herself, Claire Clasie, Claire Cooper of Pats Propaganda and a Claire Perspective podcast will be providing our top four. In fact, in honor of Claire, we're going to call it our Fab Four offensive players for the Pats heading into the 2023 season. Claire's picked two offensive players. I've picked two. And we're going to give you our Fab Four in terms of who we believe is going to be most vital to the Patriots' offensive players. I've picked two, and we're going to give you our Fab Four in terms of who we believe is going to be most vital to the Patriots' offensive success. The quarterbacks get too much credit as it is. We're going to refrain from having Mac Jones, Bailey Zappi, Trace McSorley. Maybe Malik Cunningham could find his way in there. He said he's hoping for a potential positional switch, so he may be the exception to the rule, folks, but

Starting point is 00:20:25 going to have to tune in tomorrow to find out what our thoughts are on that. But as your Patriots move further into organized team activities, or OTAs as we like to call them, a significant focus is going to continue to be placed on the newest members of the team. And accordingly, the Patriots announced on Wednesday the number of assignments for their 2023 free agent acquisitions, as well as a few holdovers, making a switch from last season and getting a little bit of a new identity, so to speak. In that vein, we're going to take a look at some of the most notable jersey number assignments for the 2023 Patriots, just a reminder as to why it's going to be exciting to watch these players on the field. So courtesy of our good friends over at Patriots.com, here is the complete list of new Patriots. And you

Starting point is 00:21:13 can see right here, as a little graphic that they got going there, Patriots definitely excited about these new players. And we'll start at the top of the list. Number three, running back James Robinson. And Robinson is causing a lot of excitement for the Pats as you take a look at what he did as a rookie. Became the fourth undrafted player in NFL history in 2020 to rush for 1,000 yards in his rookie season. He actually rushed for 1079, along with earning the record for most scrimmage yards of any rookie free agent in NFL

Starting point is 00:21:46 history with 1,414. That's right, an undrafted rookie, folks. Patriots love those, you know, as well as I do. But the ACL injury in 2021 derailed his progress, and it eventually led to his trade away from the Jacksonville Jaguars to the New York Jets in October, and he just couldn't find the traction with New York that he needed last year. So Robinson is going to recapture some of that rookie magic in New England, wearing a single-digit jersey for the first time in his pro career. Maybe three is the charm. So we'll see, folks, but James Robinson definitely going to be getting some looks by the media and fans alike as they progress through their offseason workout program into training camp. The next notable player on my list is number five, safety Jabril

Starting point is 00:22:31 Peppers. And Jabril did not exactly illuminate the stat sheet as much as he would have liked in 2022, but he played well enough to earn a return to New England on a two-year contract that he signed with the team in March. Now, Jabril logged 60 total total tackles two of which went for loss and he did have a fumble recovery and always seemed to find himself in the right place at the right time to help the patriots make a big play i say it a lot on here folks all your everydayers out there have heard me say this phrase several times that's not by happenstance. It's by design. And he's once again going to be donning the number five, which he actually did during his time as a Michigan Wolverine.

Starting point is 00:23:15 War number three here last year for the New England Patriots. So maybe he can recapture a little bit of that Michigan magic and bring it on the field with him this year. So Jabril Peppers making the switch to number five. This one may be the most anticipated jersey switch or new jersey number assigned and that is the number seven with wide receiver juju smith schuster and i'm not saying that juju is the most electrifying signing that the patriots made this year all right maybe i am he brings a little flash with him no matter where he goes the expectation is that he's going to come in and enhance the team's ability to gain notable yards after the catch.

Starting point is 00:23:51 And this kid can do it, folks. Earned 141 yards above expectation last season while averaging 5.8 yards after the catch per reception. Want to give a little perspective to that the Patriots organization last year their receiving core as a whole gained just 33 yards after the catch in 2022 so Juju's got a lot on his plate but he's going to be up for the challenge I know and even though he's worn number 19 during his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers and then wore number nine at USC that was his old collegiate number wore it again last year, earning a Super Bowl victory with the Kansas City Chiefs. He's going to wear number seven in New England. So maybe seven is a lucky number for Juju. We'll see when the season begins.

Starting point is 00:24:36 Chris Board is the next player that I have on my list of notables, and he's going to be wearing number 45. And you all know him as the player that Bill Belichick referred to as the best special teams player we'll play against. By the way, folks, he was right. Board joined the Pats on a two-year deal during the offseason, and he's been the definition of a special team stalwart. Since his rookie season in 2018, logging 1,721 snaps, played all over the field in various coverage units with special teams.

Starting point is 00:25:07 He's also a pretty capable reserve linebacker. Don't discount seeing him in specialized packages. Had 115 tackles, two and a half sacks, three forced fumbles in four years with the Baltimore Ravens, and then, of course, last season with the Detroit Lions. He's worn number 49 for the length of his pro career to date, but Ford is going to make the switch this year and he goes to 45. So maybe that switch will bring him a new beginning and maybe some added responsibility here in New England as well. The next couple of players on my list are offensive tackles, and we'll start with the big guy himself, Riley Reif at number 74. And 6'6", 3'13", Reif is definitely possessing the size,

Starting point is 00:25:50 and he has the ability to provide adequate protection in both the passing and in the run games. But if you want to know why Riley Reif is here, and I've said this in subsequent previous podcasts, his versatility is the reason why the Patriots like this guy. He's not a franchise savior, but he will come in and provide solid play at either right or left tackle if you need to. He's played right tackle. He's played left tackle during his stops with the Lions, the Minnesota Vikings, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Chicago Bears.

Starting point is 00:26:23 And this is something that he's just capable of doing. And I believe that the Patriots will get a good return on investment in that $5 million contract with $4.15 million guaranteed that they sign with him in the offseason. So normally he's the number 71 guy, but that's occupied and taken by Michael Wainu. Riley's not going to rock the boat he's not going to ask Mike for his number so he was very content to ride with number 74 and I think it's going to be a good fit for him so that moving on or that being said number 76 goes to offensive tackle Calvin Anderson and as we said earlier uh last week in the pod, Anderson is arriving for his second tour of duty with the Pats

Starting point is 00:27:06 with a little chip on his shoulder. Don't forget, he began his career here as an undrafted free agent in 2019. And after his release from New England and a brief stint with the New York Jets during training camp, Anderson was released again. And he came back with the Denver Broncos, seeing 41 games, making 12 starts over the next four seasons. And Gallaudet's best season came as a Bronco in 2022.

Starting point is 00:27:33 He played on 47% of their offensive snaps, most of which came at left tackle. And pro football focus has credited him with giving up only two sacks on the year, as well as 15 additional quarterback pressures. He's going to wear number 76. That was most recently vacated by former Pats offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn. I know you all out there are hoping that they have better luck this time with Calvin Anderson than they did assigning that to Isaiah. But at the same time, Calvin's coming in hoping to give everything he can to this organization. So Calvin Anderson gets the nod at number 76, and rounding out my list of

Starting point is 00:28:12 notables is number 88 himself, Mike Gusecki at the tight end position, and we all know the prowess that he's bringing to the Patriots offense. After spending his first five seasons with the rival Miami Dolphins. Gusecki signing with New England as an unrestricted free agent on a one-year deal. He's a gifted pass catcher, folks. That's what he does. Hauled in 62.4% of the passes thrown his way, 18 of which went for touchdowns during his five-year tenure with the Finns. He's got the size and the speed to be an effective pass catcher at tight end, maybe even a receiver on the perimeter or in the slot. This guy can do a lot of work. I think he's going to do his best work in the red zone. He wore number 86 in his first season with Miami, but

Starting point is 00:28:56 he made the switch to number 88, and that's what he's going to wear here, his customary number 88 in New England this season. So there are your New England Patriots, new free agents and new veteran numbers that have been assigned. Now, if you'll notice, conspicuous from their absence from that list were New England's rookies, and they're going to keep with team tradition as they always do. The Pats rookie class gives, or I should say, receives their numbers prior to the first preseason game on average. And I think that's when they'll get it again this time around.

Starting point is 00:29:30 But until then, the Patriots did temporarily assign the following numbers in the 50s and 60s to the rookies based on draft status. And we start with number 50, Christian Gonzalez. He'll wear that number. Number 51 goes to defensive end Keon White number 52 goes to linebacker hybrid Marte Mapu number 53 going to Jake Andrews who incidentally signed his rookie deal on Wednesday so he's officially in the Foxborough fold number 54 going to offensive lineman City South. Number 55 going to his potential battery

Starting point is 00:30:06 mate Antonio Moppe. He'll get number 55. Number 58 goes to wide receiver Kayshaun Boutte. Keep an eye on that one, folks. Definitely excited about what Kayshaun can provide, and the more we're hearing about him, the more we're hearing how motivated he is. It would be a great move for the New England Patriots. But specialists getting number 59, punter Bryce Barringer. Number 60 goes to wide receiver Mario Douglas. Number 61 going to cornerback Amir Speed. Number 62, kicker Chad Ryland gets the nod here. And you're going to wonder why this was done out of order a little bit.

Starting point is 00:30:43 Chad was a fourth-round draft selection, but patriots choosing to saddle him with number 62 again folks can't read too much into the tea leaves here these are not permanent numbers they're going to be reassigned so i wouldn't read anything too into it number 64 goes to quarterback malik cunningham the first of the unrestricted free agents or drafted free agents on this list. Number 65 going to tight end Johnny Lumpkin. Number 66 going to Jordan Heilig at the linebacker position and then rounding out the mix. Number 67 going to defensive lineman Justice Avive, brother of Jelani and someone that's

Starting point is 00:31:22 hoping to keep the undrafted rookie free agent streak alive and get a notch on this roster so there are your rookies there are your newest draft class numbers and of course the veterans and free agents are now assigned and in the Foxborough fold so Pats fans thank you for riding along on today's pod, but don't forget, the action here on the field may have to wait a little bit, but tomorrow we're still moving forward. Claire Cooper joins me here to break down our Patriots Fab Four on offense. In the meantime, we thank you all for continuing to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage,

Starting point is 00:32:01 your first listen, and hopefully you can become an everydayer on this pod. In the meantime, please, folks, continue to stay safe, stay well, 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: Delay in OTAs? All Eyes on Bill Belichick? Jalen Mills at Free Safety?

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