Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, Caleb Williams at Combine, J.C. Jackson Released

Starting point is 00:00:00 Have the New England Patriots already shaken hands with their new franchise quarterback? Stick around, you're about to be locked into this combine weekend edition of 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 and also your first listen each and every day. Remember

Starting point is 00:00:49 Locked On Patriots is not only a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day, but we are also free and available on all platforms including YouTube. So smash that subscribe button and make sure to download and follow Locked On Patriots wherever you get your

Starting point is 00:01:06 podcasts to ensure that you get the latest episode as soon as it's available. I'm your host, Mike DeBate. 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 X at M-D-A-B-A-T-E NFL. While you're

Starting point is 00:01:22 out there showing some love to Locked On Patriots, please be sure to follow our account there as well at L-O underscore Patriots. And Pats fans, today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Make every moment more. Right now, new customers get

Starting point is 00:01:38 $150 in bonus bets with any winning $5 bet. That's $150 if your bet wins. Visit Fanduel.com to get started. And Pats fans, the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis is in full swing. Your New England Patriots are reportedly in the market for a new franchise quarterback. And over the course of the last couple of days, they have met with the top three guys on the board.

Starting point is 00:02:07 USC's Caleb Williams, UNC's Drake May, and of course, LSU's Jaden Daniels, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. And on Friday, all of these quarterbacks took to the podium to talk about their experiences meeting with the Patriots contingent. We're going to talk about that in just a moment. Well, fortunately for us folks today, we have our resident voice of reason.

Starting point is 00:02:30 It was so nice earlier this week, we decided to do it twice and close the week in style with my Patriots bison. My good friend who is a columnist extraordinaire and covers the Patriots for patsfans.com, as well as being the co-host of another amazing Patriots podcast, Patriots 4th and 2, alongside our good mutual friend, Derek Avins. He is Steve Balistrieri. Steve, thank you for joining me here today.

Starting point is 00:02:55 Welcome back to the Lockdown Patriots podcast. Oh, when you messaged me, I was like, ooh, twice in one week. I'm feeling pretty special. So yeah, I'm glad to do it, my friend. And as we've said countless times, there's never a dull day in Foxborough. No, there isn't. And Patriots have a little flair for the dramatic. And as we were getting set to close out our week, the New England Patriots did the same. And they did that with a move that, Steve, unfortunately, I think a lot of

Starting point is 00:03:25 us expected JC Jackson will no longer be a member of the New England Patriots the Pats announcing on Friday afternoon that they have released the veteran cornerback creating approximately 13.5 actually it's 13.46 million in cap space tip of the cap to our good friend, Miguel Benzon, who predicted that move two weeks ago here on Locked On Patriots. Before anybody else had it, we had it here on Locked On, and we always appreciate Miguel's wisdom and counsel. And Steve, again, he's never wrong. So that is why we call him the salary cap top gun. But bottom line, this move not only creates the available cap space,

Starting point is 00:04:04 but New England will not incur a dead money hit as a result of the move. Steve, we've covered J.C. Jackson's career from start to finish here in New England. Your reaction to this move, do the cost benefits outweigh what J.C. could have brought you on the field this year in 2024 for the bats? Yeah, again, I mean, we watched him come in as undrafted free agent and, you know, he left here after four, four years. I think it was that his first go around and, you know,

Starting point is 00:04:37 he got a huge contract. He went to the chargers. It did not work out well for him at all there. And, you know, and then this past year, you know, he wasn't being played. And he came back to New England. And I didn't really have high hopes for him because he had struggled so badly. You know, I keep wanting to say San Diego with the charges. So if you're asking, yes, I think, you know,

Starting point is 00:05:12 the cap space that they're going to save, I think it ultimately far outweighs what he would have brought this year to the field. You know, and, you know, there was issues of possible mental health problems with jc at the end of last year i mean now the patriots have a hundred point four million dollars in salary cap space i think you know they can find some players to fill some holes with this and it's sad for JC because you know we watched him excel so badly and then right after he left everything fell apart for him

Starting point is 00:05:54 yeah it really and truly did I mean you look at the prowess that he had in his first tour of duty year Steve you alluded to this earlier four-year stint with the Patriots. It included a Super Bowl championship in Super Bowl 53, earning a nod as both a pro bowler and an all-pro. And in his return, he didn't exactly illuminate the stat sheet the way everybody hoped. 25 tackles, six passes defensed. That is essentially his final stat line for 2023. And that second tour of duty really was, I wrote earlier for Sports Illustrated, cloaked in struggle from the start. Placed on the

Starting point is 00:06:29 non-football illness in December. That ultimately ended his tenure once again here in New England. But the whole situation with Frankfurt, Germany and not going and traveling with the team overseas. His agent, Neil Schwartz, kind of confirming what everyone had kind of assumed is that this was

Starting point is 00:06:46 a mental health issue that he was working through we saw matthew slater and several of his teammates come out and express their concern uh for jc's health so in a lot of ways uh this move kind of resets i think everybody at this point the patriots get that extra 13.5 approximate bump in salary cap space. Now, Miguel Benzon is reporting, folks, that the Patriots have 100.3 million in available cap space going into the start of this new season, which begins on March 13th at 4 p.m. We all know that the unofficial, Steve, tampering period begins on Monday, March 11th, because there's no negotiations or any type of dealing before that point. It's a good thing they have those two days built in between.

Starting point is 00:07:32 I don't know what they did years ago when players just seemingly signed at 12.01 a.m. We used to have the beginning of the new year start with the time of day, with midnight. Yeah, fun times, folks, fun times indeed now the nfl has made it an actual event uh and it's covered all over and uh we'll be doing our due diligence that day steve and i will be heavily caffeinated and ready to cover the patriots moves at a moment's notice but um ultimately having covered jc the last few years here in new england when his game was on he was a joy to cover. He was a joy to watch. He was a ball hawking corner. He had a nose for the football. He dubbed himself

Starting point is 00:08:10 Mr. INT for a reason, folks. There are a lot of interceptions and a lot of plays that JC Jackson made on the football that made him an electrifying player to watch. I know Patriots fans were hoping for the best of both worlds this time around and maybe being able to pair him with someone like a Christian Gonzalez and have that ball hawking corner on one side and then the cold calculated shutdown corner on the opposite side and really making a tandem that would have been a lethal tandem, I think, in that cornerback, or at least on both sides of the perimeter. But Steve, when you look at the remaining cornerbacks that are on this roster, we've got obviously Gonzalez coming back, Sean Wade, Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones, Marco Wilson, Isaiah Bolden under contract at the position heading into 2024. Do you think that the Patriots are going to prioritize ball hawking ability or shutdown ability when they look for potential free agents or maybe a body in the NFL draft? Yeah, I think, you know, when you're looking at this, I think they're going to take the best corner they can get their hands on. I don't think it's going to be a particular skill set.

Starting point is 00:09:21 And that kind of falls into what Elliot Wolf's been saying, right? Instead of a role, they're looking for value. So I tend to think that they're going to try to find, in their opinion, the best cornerback that's available, and they'll try to sign him. And, you know, they have some talent there. Getting Gonzalez back will be, back will be obvious prime importance. But I still think they need another guy there. I know with the Joneses and getting both of them back this year, Gonzalez,

Starting point is 00:10:04 they're not in bad shape there, but I still think they need another corner, another boundary corner. And I'm sure they're going to try to either sign one or draft one, possibly both. I still think a wild card here is Isaiah Bolden. We never got an opportunity to really see him take the field last year because of the injury he sustained in preseason but this was a kid that was really wowing everyone in the preseason and in training camp with his ability to cover his ability to recognize the route and to stay with his target so I do look for him to make a move this year and maybe be someone that turns a few heads but I completely agree with you in addition to jonathan jones who played through some injuries this year he's getting to be the elder statesman in that cornerback room he's going

Starting point is 00:10:50 to be a valuable voice but they need someone to take the pressure off him on the perimeter and in the slot i think you'll see the patriots try to bring someone else in this year that may help and the wild card in all this is miles bryant right now who is also a free agent i think the patriots would love to have him back say what you will about Miles last year, but he was someone that was reliable and played both positions well. He played on the perimeter and he played in the slot. He's most naturally a creature of the slot, and I think that's where they'd like to keep him. But ultimately, if the Patriots are going to look to revamp that secondary this year,

Starting point is 00:11:24 you might even see Miles play some hybrid safety if he comes back with the loss of guys like Adrian Phillips in that backfield. Bottom line, Steve, I don't think that the release of JC Jackson was a huge surprise as we stated, but the Patriots now have some work to do in scouting potential replacements. But if earlier reports this week are to be believed, the New England Patriots are narrowing their attention, especially in the first round,

Starting point is 00:11:51 to drafting that new quarterback that we talked about earlier this week, Steve. It looks like the Patriots are going to go with a quarterback in the top three picks. Well, they're doing their due diligence and confirming they're in the market for one by interviewing Caleb Williams, Drake May, and Jaden Daniels at the NFL Scouting Combine. We know from sources that are reporting on the scene that the Patriots contingent was

Starting point is 00:12:15 fairly impressed with all three quarterbacks they interviewed. But what do the quarterbacks think of New England? Are they eager to join up and be a part of a rebuilding stint here with the Patriots? And are they eager to join this new regime and a new era here in Foxborough? We're going to talk about what these quarterbacks had to say and which one of them might be the best fit in New England when this episode of the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues. A proud part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Lockdown listeners, get buckets with your first bet on FanDuel, America's number one sportsbook, because right now, new customers get $150 in bonus bets with any winning $5 bet. That's $150 if your bet wins. Basketball season is in full swing and with fan duel you can make cheering on your favorite green team in the hub more enjoyable

Starting point is 00:13:12 more exciting and maybe even a little more profitable bet on all of your favorite nba players and teams with quick bets live same game parlays exclusive props and more just visit Fanduel.com slash Locked On and shoot your shot that's Fanduel.com slash Locked On Fanduel official sportsbook partner of the NBA Fanduel

Starting point is 00:13:37 Fanduel Fanduel Fanduel Fanduel Fanduel Fanduel Fanduel Fanduel

Starting point is 00:13:44 Fanduel Fanduel Fanduel Fanduel Fanduel Fanduel Fanduel Fanduel Fanduel Fanduel Fanduel Fanduel Fanduel Pats fans, thank you so much for joining us here today on Locked On Patriots, closing the week in style with our resident voice of reason. My Patriots by Zahn, Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com. And Steve, in the previous segment, obviously, we talked about the release of J.C. Jackson and what it means for the Patriots' cornerback room. But I don't think we're overstepping our bounds by saying that the Patriots' biggest need is at quarterback. We heard reports come out earlier this week from Elliott Wolfe and from multiple sources of reporters that are on the scene, boots on the ground in Indianapolis, that the Patriots are not only planning on using that number three pick on a quarterback, but they might be interested in bringing a veteran in to try to help the rookie along and also it means that Mac Jones is likely on his way out Steve we've talked about all of these scenarios before here on the pod but one thing that we haven't discussed yet is whether or not

Starting point is 00:14:37 the top three quarterbacks by consensus Caleb Williams of USC Drake May of North Carolina, and LSU's Jaden Daniels, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, would think about coming in and playing football here in New England. Patriots no longer have the appeal of playing with guys like Tom Brady, playing for someone like Bill Belichick, playing alongside franchise legends like Devin McCourty and Matthew Slater. These guys have all retired, moved on. They're no longer walking through that door, as Rick Pitino would say. Each of these three had the opportunity to meet with the Patriots contingent earlier this week. And by all accounts, those meetings went well.

Starting point is 00:15:18 But what I thought was very interesting on Friday is they all took to the podium. They all spoke with members of the media and relayed their feedback on what the Patriots had to say and what their thoughts were based on what you've seen from these three quarterbacks on the field, what you heard from their responses in speaking with the media today, who among the big three do you believe is the best fit for new England? Well, I I've been saying since the fall

Starting point is 00:15:46 that I really like Drake May. And, you know, with the type of offense that Alex Van Pelt wants to run, I think he's the really best fit for that. But, you know, I think any of those three quarterbacks that end up, you know, one of the three end up here. I think the Patriots are going to be in really good hands, but I really liked Drake May. I've liked him since the fall, even though, you know, his supporting cast around him this past fall, you know, definitely took a dip and his numbers reflected that. I still think this kid is really impressive you know he's a big

Starting point is 00:16:27 kid he's like six four six five you know 220 230 pounds um he just has an absolute cannon for a for a arm but the one thing i like about him he's not so in love with his arm that he throws 100-mile-an-hour fastballs on every throw. He's shown he has that touch. And I've been on to him since the fall, and I really like his game. And his comment today, I really like that. I like when a quarterback is cocky, you know, not to the point of being obnoxious, but he just, you know, his comment today, you don't want a game plan against me. You want a game plan with me.

Starting point is 00:17:19 And I love that. I love that in a quarterback, you know, because they have to have that. They have to have that belief that, hey, I might throw a the quarterback you know because they have to have that they have to have that belief that hey i might throw a pick you know but i'm coming right back and i'm gonna make you eat that and i i always remember i was talking with steve nelson a former patriots great one day and i was talking to him about dan marino. And Steve told me they were playing the Dolphins once, and on the first series of the game, Marino threw an interception to Nelson, and Nelson said he was holding the ball like running off the field like,

Starting point is 00:18:00 hey, Dan, check this out. And Marino yelled across the field at him. The next series, I'm going to throw that three times on you as we move down the field and score. And Nelson was laughing, and he said – and he did. He threw that. They had like a long drive going down the field, and he threw that pass several times, the dolphins ended up scoring that's what i

Starting point is 00:18:26 like about you have to have that and a quarterback and um you know it's just uh you know i've been on may since you know the fall like i said but i like jayden daniels i don't think caleb williams will be around for the patriots to pick. So, you know, I'm talking between the two, but if you're telling me they end up with Jaden Daniels, I think they could do a lot worse, you know, because I love his running game. Absolutely. I would definitely agree with that. And we'll get to Daniels in just a second. So I want to pick your brain a little bit on his game and what you've observed in him. But I like what you said about May. May definitely has that inner Top Gun in him.

Starting point is 00:19:09 You can definitely see that. You know, you can see Tom Skerritt as Commander Mike Metcalf sitting up at the top of the Top Gun class going, that's pretty arrogant considering the company that you're in. But I like that in a pilot. You know, to me, that is the type of bravado

Starting point is 00:19:21 you need at that position. And Drake May certainly has that. Anybody questioning whether or not this kid's resume is worthy of the number three pick, 63% of his passes completed in 2023, 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns, nine interceptions. That's a very good ratio, and he also ran for nine touchdowns. So not only is Drake someone that can be a natural pocket passer and steve talked about it the arm strength is clearly there and then you look at the touch and the arc he puts

Starting point is 00:19:51 on the ball deadly accurate with his placement and he can extend plays with his legs so there is a lot to like about drake may i certainly understand that i definitely can relate to patriots fans excitement about seeing him in a Patriots uniform, but the most likely scenario, Steve, at least according to all the draft boards we're seeing right now is with Jaden Daniels ending up at number three. And when you talk about a Heisman trophy winner being your consolation prize, I don't necessarily know if you can call him a consolation prize. This guy clearly has the ability to be a top flight quarterback in

Starting point is 00:20:27 this league daniel's completed 72 of his passes in 2023 3812 yards 40 touchdowns to only four interceptions and 10 rushing touchdowns making him one of the top dual threat options in this class i also liked what jayden had to say when they asked him about New England, Steve, you know, he said right away, he says, it would be dope to go up there and to be the quarterback of the New England

Starting point is 00:20:52 Patriots. He did say Tom Brady, six Superbowls. That's a lot to live up to. I think he understands the gravity of that responsibility, but at the same time, I think he also feels like he could be the guy that could help this team succeed and get back on track. With what you've seen from Jaden Daniels, how much of a

Starting point is 00:21:11 good fit do you think he'd be here in New England? Oh, I think he, again, I think he'd be a really good fit. I mean, you know, there's some questions about his body size and, you know, whether or not he could stand up to running the ball as much as he did. But don't forget, he played in the SEC. The SEC, in my opinion, is the best conference in football. I know Michigan won the national championship there, and I get all that.

Starting point is 00:21:43 But, I mean, there's so many really good teams in the SEC. For him to go 40-4, and that's just ridiculous. And, you know, running for 1,100 yards, 10 touchdowns, I mean, he's electric. Again, if you're telling me the Patriots are going to trap Jaden Daniels I don't have a problem with that either I think that would be a really good move But he has the ability to make a lot out of nothing The only question is sometimes they said

Starting point is 00:22:24 In LSU, some of his games, he was more apt to tuck and run, which they won't want him to do that as often in the NFL. But that comes with coaching, you know, because he could get away with it in college football. And his coaches were here to, you know, will be there to tell him, look, you know, let your options play out to, you know, we'll be there to tell him, look, you know, let the, let your options play out and, you know, go through your progressions. And then if nothing's

Starting point is 00:22:51 there, you know, try to do something with your feet or just throw it away. Excellent point. And Daniel Jeremiah, who is one of the premier draft analysts in the country, of course, last week, he was able to hold his annual pre-combined conference call, and I was fortunate enough to be on that call. And he mentioned about the Patriots' penchant to go for a quarterback. And he believed at that time, at least on that call, that that was the Patriots' best move, to go for the quarterback. Steve, we have a very good mutual friend that would argue to the contrary, and he'd argue with the both of us right now here um i still understand the need for drafting an offensive lineman high up and i still think that if the patriots were not going to go quarterback at three the move to make is to trade

Starting point is 00:23:35 down and to get that cornerstone uh offensive lineman to build around but it seems like the direction they're heading in right now is to go at quarterback, is to go quarterback at number three. And Daniel Jeremiah actually believes that Jaden Daniels is the best in his class, meaning that there could be some shuffling between now and the end of April. I know a lot of people believe that the Chicago Bears are nearly sold 100% on Caleb Williams, but I don't necessarily think that may be the slam dunk everybody thinks it is anymore. If Caleb slips potentially to number three, now the Patriots definitely have a little bit of a conundrum on their hands because this guy was someone that put up a hell of a resume last year too. I understand he had his struggles against Utah last year. We all saw

Starting point is 00:24:21 that game and against Notre Dame. Those were not Caleb Williams' finest moments. But at the end of the day, completed 69% of his passes, 3,633 yards, 30 touchdowns to only five interceptions, and 11 rushing touchdowns. This kid is an elite playmaking prospect. And apparently, he had some nice things to say about meeting with New England. He liked the intimate style of the way they conducted it. He said it wasn't overwhelming. Didn't have the room as packed as heavily as some of the other contingents.

Starting point is 00:24:52 Got a chance to get to know him, pick his brain a little bit. If Williams ends up being the guy, what should the Patriots expect from him? Oh, I think he's a guy that should, you know, he has all the tools. He should be a very, very good, if not great NFL quarterback. You know, there, there's certain things about him that I think, you know, he needs to work on, but he's still young. You know, he's, he's still, he's still very young. So those are, I think, his maturity level and his mental toughness would be something that needs to be addressed. But all the skills are there.

Starting point is 00:25:40 Everything that you want in a quarterback, physically and mentally, they're all right there. And, you know, his ability to run an offense I think is top notch. So I think, like I said, any of these three guys that come to New England, I think you're going to be happy with because I think all three of these guys are destined for really good things in the NFL. Yeah, well said. And to echo what Elliott Wolfe said earlier this week, folks, he's looking for someone that can handle the duties on the field,

Starting point is 00:26:13 handle the pressures of being able to quarterback a team with such a rich history. He wants someone that can handle being the quarterback of the New England Patriots. From what I heard from these three gentlemen today, Steve, I think the Patriots would be in good hands with any one of these three prospects. Of course, folks, you all have your favorites. Drop us a note in the comments section below on YouTube. We'd love to hear who you believe of the big three should be the Patriots' choice. If they could pick carte blanche and have their pick of any one of them,

Starting point is 00:26:41 who would you select? And do you believe that there is such a thing as a consolation prize? Folks, I think right now it's definitely up for grabs, and all of the New England Patriots contingent right now will continue to do their due diligence because, Steve, the Patriots do have other draft picks, and they have other needs, and it's not just about finding your starting quarterback. In just a moment, I'm going to put my good friend, my Patriots

Starting point is 00:27:07 Paisan on the hot seat, and we're going to find out who Steve's combine picks of the weekend are going to be. Who's catching his sharp eye? You'll find out when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast wraps up right here on the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. Locked On listeners, what's the first thing you'd do if you had an extra hour in your day? Maybe go for a run or take a nap, read a book,

Starting point is 00:27:38 or maybe spend some extra time with family and friends. A lot of us spend our lives wishing we had more time, but the question is, time for what? If time was unlimited, how would you use it? The best way to squeeze that special thing into your schedule is to know what's important to you and make it a priority. Therapy can help you find what matters to you so you can do more of it. It's helpful for learning positive coping skills and how to set boundaries. Therapy can also empower you to be the best version of yourself. If you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It's entirely online, designed to be convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule.

Starting point is 00:28:18 Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist and switch therapists at any time for no additional charge learn to make time for what makes you happy with better help visit betterhelp.com locked on today to get 10 off your first month that's better help h-e-l-p.com locked on patriots fans thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked on Patriots and for spending part of your day, part of your week here on Locked on Patriots, making us a daily and weekly part of your New England Patriots coverage. We always appreciate all the contributions of all of you everydayers.

Starting point is 00:29:01 And don't forget, Monday is still Mock Draft Monday. So make sure to get your selections in so that Murph and I can break those down here for you on Monday on Locked On Patriots. But in the meantime, it's time to close the week in style. And we've been leading up to that here

Starting point is 00:29:18 every step of the way. My good friend, Steve Balistrieri, my Patriots bison, is kind enough to join me here for the second time this week Steve it's been a blast it's been a great week we can't wait to have you on again next week and talk more draft strategy whatever the Patriots are up to and breaking news we're going to do that as well but I wanted to give you an opportunity to shine a little bit here my friend

Starting point is 00:29:40 because you're a student of the draft and I know you're going to have your sharp eye focused on some of the talent that has either already worked out or will be working out over the course of thursday through monday we'll start with the offensive side of the ball because we're talking quarterbacks obviously if the patriots are going to bring in a new signal caller you want to make sure that he's got some weapons around him to be able to utilize. And you can't just do it in free agency. You're going to need some young talent in the draft. Offensively, who's going to have your sharp eye as they take the Lucas Oil Stadium field to work out for the Patriots scouting division? Well, you know, usually I'm a defensive guy, as you know. I love defensive plays, but I think they're going to –

Starting point is 00:30:25 Oh, we're going to get to them in a minute. Yeah, but I think they're going to go pretty heavy offensively this year. Yeah, I do too. And I know everyone's looking at wide receivers, and I think there's plenty of really good wide receivers that will be out there into the third, maybe even the fourth round that you can find guys that you'll be able to, you know, utilize right away. And I think the Patriots really suffered last year without that third down back,

Starting point is 00:30:59 you know, as a pass catching role. I know Ramondre and Ezekiel Elliott are both good pass catchers in their own right. But I think when, you know, you're putting such an onus on them running the football that you need that third down change of pace, that James White kind of guy. And I think they really missed that last year. I think that was part of the offense that they really missed that last year. I think that was part of the offense that they really missed. I'm going to be watching running backs

Starting point is 00:31:27 for pass-catching ability, but I'll tell you the guy I'm really intrigued by, and I posed this question to Derek Havens on our podcast, and I said, most people think it's going to be quarterback and either tackle or wide

Starting point is 00:31:49 receiver in the second round. I said, what would you think if the Patriots in the second round took Jatavion Sanders, the tight end. And I was just like, because this guy has big play ability written all over him. And I just love his game. And, you know, in Alex Van Pelt's system in Cleveland,

Starting point is 00:32:18 the tight end was a very focal point to that. And this is a guy I want to see more of him. And, you know, I know some people wrote into our show that thought I was insane for taking a tight end in the second round. I don't know. I think this kid is really worth a look. So I want to see more of him. You're a guru when it comes to anything related to gridiron

Starting point is 00:32:47 you are no no i don't want to i don't want to hear that you definitely are someone that is well respected offense defense special teams folks steve knows all about it but your expertise your extra area of expertise is in the area of protection and what better way to talk about that than the preventive protection of the defense? Steve, Thursday and Friday, the big workout days for the defenders, but we still have some in the defensive backfield that are coming over the weekend. Who's catching your sharp eye? Who would look good in Patriot Blue in your estimation?

Starting point is 00:33:20 Well, and I'm going to go to an edge guy, which you know I love edge players. And it's probably a name that a lot of fans aren't really overly familiar with. And what better place than go to linebacker you, Penn State, Adiza Isaac. 6'4", about 245. He has the makings of a really good edge rusher. I think he still needs some development. He's going to be in that

Starting point is 00:33:51 mid-round range. I think with the team they have in place right now, this would allow him to ease into the lineup. You still have Matthew Judon, you have Tavai, you have other, you know, Mack Wilson really came on, Anthony Jennings. But you bring a guy like Isaac in as a situational pass rusher in his rookie season,

Starting point is 00:34:19 I think he can really develop. And he's a guy I'm interested in. And, you know, Penn State's always been known for their linebackers and edge guys. And I think this guy is kind of like one of those, he's not getting a lot of headlines, but I really like what I've seen from him. And if you're taking a flyer on him and say fourth or fifth round, I think that's a really good spot for him. Steve, what can I say? It's always an honor, always a privilege for you to join me.

Starting point is 00:34:54 And thank you for not only lending your combine picks of the weekend, but most importantly for lending your wisdom and counsel on all things related to Patriots lore, including the release of JC Jackson and the interview of the big three quarterbacks. Before I let you go today, my friend, please let everyone know where they can reach out to you and what they can expect coming from the great Penn, the great voice of Steve Balistrieri in the coming week. Oh, well, you can follow me on Twitter at SteveB7SFG, right down below if you're watching this on a podcast. And I write for Patsfans.com.

Starting point is 00:35:26 I'm putting together a bunch of notes for my Sunday football column. We're going to be talking about, obviously, the Combine. I mean, the Under Armour Olympics, you know. There's always some guys that will rise or fall, depending on how they do here. But I think the interviews and the medicals are the most important. You know, you have the game tape. You see what these guys can do in uniform.

Starting point is 00:35:54 And now, you know, yeah, you put them through the paces, but you really, I think the two most important things are, you know, the medicals, the interviews, and interviews and of course their game tape absolutely folks it's always important to gather a robust portfolio on your favorite prospect make sure the medicals are there make sure the testing is there make sure the measurements are there and also take a look at what these guys can do on the field in testing it's going to make for a much easier night on draft night when you've got a robust portfolio in front of you. And one thing about this new regime, Steve,

Starting point is 00:36:29 is we probably are going to have a lot more visibility to what the Patriots are looking to do, maybe more than we have in years past. So it's going to be a lot of fun, this experience, this draft season for the New England Patriots. And we'll continue to bring you the very latest right here on Locked On Patriots, starting with Monday's Mock Draft Monday episode. Make sure to get those in because Murph and I can't wait to showcase your great work,

Starting point is 00:36:55 especially all of you everydayers out there. A huge tip of the cap to all of you that continue to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. In the meantime, I encourage you all to stay safe and to stay well and to be the change you wish to see in the world. On behalf of my good friend Steve Balistrieri, I'm Mike DeBate telling you to have a great weekend. Enjoy the combine. Enjoy all the action.

Starting point is 00:37:20 And we'll see you back here again on Monday on Locked on Patriots.

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, Caleb Williams at Combine, J.C. Jackson Released

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