Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Eliot Wolf Bringing Pats Back to ‘Respectability?’ Draft QB at No. 3?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Elliot Wolfe of your New England Patriots speaks to the media. What does it mean for free agency and that number three pick overall in the upcoming draft? 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 and hopefully your first listen every day. Remember, Locked On Patriots is not only free and available on all platforms,

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Starting point is 00:01:42 if your bet wins. Visit FanDuel.com slash locked on to get started for the first time in nearly a decade a Patriots representative spoke with the media on one of the first few days of the combine in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium a lucky contestant was Elliot Wolfe still the director of scouting for your New England Patriots, but really gave off a very much de facto vibe of the general manager. A lot of those personnel decisions look like they're going to be run through Elliot's office. He talked about the draft. He talked about free agency. He talked about a new culture in New England and even changing the way that evaluations are made in all of those areas.

Starting point is 00:02:25 Here today to break it all down, because we need a reasonable, level-headed approach to what Elliot had to say, is our good friend, our resident voice of reason, my Patriots bison. Not only does he cover the New England Patriots gallantly, but also is a columnist extraordinaire for Patsfans.com, as well as being the co-host of another amazing Patriots podcast, Patriots 4th and 2. My good friend Steve Balistrieri is back with us. Steve, welcome back to Locked on Patriots. Whenever you stop by, there's always a lot to discuss, my friend.

Starting point is 00:02:58 Well, thanks for having me, Mike. And let's face it, as we've said countless times, there's never a dull day in foxborough so you know um today's uh interview are talking to the media with elliot wolf i mean that surely sets some tongues to wagon and uh you know i know we're going to talk about it but i thought it was really interesting uh one of the last things he said and we'll get to that absolutely elliott had a lot to say and not a lot of time to say it steve but he covered an awful lot of topics for obvious reasons probably the most popular of the topics he discussed today, was the number three overall pick in New England and what to do with the quarterback position.

Starting point is 00:03:47 Now, Elliott was very clear his job is going to be returning this team to what he called, quote-unquote, respectability. 4-13 is definitely not a respectable record, especially with what the Patriots are used to here in New England. Certainly not something that they want to see continue for a long period of time. Elliott did say, unsurprisingly, folks, that they're going to be meeting with Caleb Williams, Drake May, and Jaden Daniels this week. I don't think there's anybody that's surprised that they're doing that. They're going to do their due diligence. Most teams are probably going to meet with these guys, whether they're intent on drafting them at all. But the one thing that

Starting point is 00:04:25 opened my eyes, Steve, in terms of what Elliott had to say was how he views the quarterback position. He said, again, all options on the table when it comes to the possibility of Mac Jones returning, when it comes to the possibility of Bailey Zappi getting a shot. But he did go into some intricate detail on what he expects from a quarterback. And what they're looking for, essentially, folks, is someone who's going to not only be a player that can elevate their teammates on the field with a solid level of play, but someone that can elevate their teammates emotionally as well. Be a player that others want to play for. He mentioned body language he mentioned not throwing your hands up when something goes wrong determining who can handle being the quarterback of the New England Patriots sounded an awful lot like this team no matter who is going to be under center next year

Starting point is 00:05:16 really looks like there's going to be someone new I don't get the impression they're going to go with status quo, not from these comments. No, not at all. You know, I, I think, you know, when he said they wanted tough guys and as you said, they, they wanted, you know a player that can elevate their teammates. I think part of that, the body language part was probably just reading the tea leaves, right? A little bit of a message on Matt Jones.

Starting point is 00:05:53 But then, you know, he kind of I don't know, maybe it was just me, but when he was saying he wanted tough guys and they wanted you know, he was saying he wanted tough guys and they wanted uh you know there was something in there uh i can't remember the exact quote about emotional and uh you know i was wondering if that was a little bit of a shot at caleb williams who's you know probably the top

Starting point is 00:06:22 pick in the draft right uh because he's been emotional after his team lost a couple of times last year. So it's going to be interesting, you know, how everything plays out. But I'm sure their phones have been ringing. And, you know, at the Combine and before about teams, I mean, a lot of teams need quarterbacks this year. you know, at the Combine and before about teams. I mean, a lot of teams need quarterbacks this year, and I'm sure a lot of teams are willing to give up a lot to move into that number three spot. That's interesting because he did mention the number three spot

Starting point is 00:06:56 or was asked about it by our good mutual friend, Karen Garigian, formerly of the Boston Herald, now of MassLive, that said, would you be open to trading that number three pick? Elliott was very diplomatic. He says, any options around the table? We haven't heard anything specifically. He kind of put an end to that very quickly. You get the impression that they're not looking actively to move it, but they'll listen. And if the right deal comes along, I also got the impression that Elliott is not afraid to make that move and to do what he believes is best for the football team. But getting back to that level of tough guys that you were talking about, that notion of the tough guy, I think it's interesting that you bring Williams into that because the first thing I thought of is Mac Jones

Starting point is 00:07:38 and some of the difficulties he had last year. Not necessarily that Mac is not physically tough because I don't think anybody's questioning whether or not this kid can take a hit or whether or not he's willing to get in there and mix it up. He did it several times in Alabama. He's not someone that shies away from the contact. He'll try to take it and he'll do what he needs to do to help his team to win. I think what they're talking about more in Mack's case was mental toughness, but Caleb Williams is someone that is interesting and could resemble that remark we all know about some of the issues that he had last year like you said when the team lost in dealing with it walking off the field not necessarily being the best teammate or the most

Starting point is 00:08:16 supportive teammate these are really the only knocks on Caleb right now there's not a whole lot not to like about his game I think everybody pretty much looks at him as the consensus number one guy in that draft room right now when it comes to quarterbacks. Drake May and Jaden Daniels kind of battling it out for number two and number three right now. But at the same time, Elliot, at the same time, Wolf is outlining exactly what the Patriots are looking for. Not only someone who is capable of playing the game at a high level, but someone that can handle the additional pressures that come with being an NFL quarterback, especially in New England. For better or for worse, even though

Starting point is 00:08:54 there are two, three, four quarterbacks removed, you're going to be compared to number 12. There's just, it's inevitable. And that is going to happen. And plans continue to do it. It will continue to be done in the media. So you need someone that's going to happen and plans continue to do it it will continue to be done in the media so you need someone that's going to be able to forge their new identity where that is something that they can take pride in but also turn it into positive motivation that's a hard sell that's a very hard thing to do you have to have a definite layer of mental toughness to do it that i think is going to be the biggest obstacle, or I should say the biggest problem that the Patriots are going to have differentiating. Whoever wins that battle in their estimation and in their evaluation is going to come out on top in this.

Starting point is 00:09:34 Yeah, I totally agree with that. I mean, you know, and when you look at the quarterback class, I mean, he made mention that it's a very good quarterback class which makes you think that they're not above you know possibly trading back and again it's all reading the tea leaves here you kind of have to put things together and it was even harder when bill was around because bill said even less, as we all know. But I got the impression from him that they like a lot of quarterbacks, not just the top three. He did mention they were going to meet with the top three,

Starting point is 00:10:17 which I'm sure a lot of teams are going to do. Oh, yeah. But the door isn't closed on them trading back and maybe taking one of the others. And as he said, he quickly caveated it, though, and he said, you know, something to the effect, we're still very early in this. But I don't get the impression, as you said at the outset, that it's going to be Mac Jones or Bailey Zappi this year.

Starting point is 00:10:47 Yeah, I think just my own evaluation would probably say that Mac will be moved in some way, shape or form. I think they'd like to give Bailey the opportunity to compete for a backup job. I don't necessarily think that's set in stone either. If they're going to go with a very young quarterback, Alex Van Pelt may want his own type of backup, someone who knows his system, someone who's capable of playing in his system. If a lot of what Elliott said earlier seemed like a little bit of a shot at the current quarterback situation in New England, and Steve, I know we've talked, it kind of sounds like it did. I'm not saying it was, and I'm not trying to put words in Elliott Wolfe's mouth, but when you talk about body language and you talk about the right quarterback and trying to find the right quarterback for the

Starting point is 00:11:28 New England Patriots, it gives off the impression that you're not exactly happy with the status quo of what you have right now. But he did allude a little bit to maybe not doing the best job of putting Mack in a position to succeed. He did say this time around, we want to do right by the player. And if they're going to do right by the player, the Patriots have 86.9 million in salary cap space. Folks, we are going off of Miguel's number. I know NFLPA is lower than that right now, but don't forget what Miguel told us last week here on Locked On Patriots. An approximate addition of 10.7 million will be

Starting point is 00:12:04 added because of the guaranteed offsets and the incentives that have yet to be processed. So there's a lot there still that the Patriots can use. What better way to invest in the future of this team than bringing back two valued players? Does that mean bringing back offensive lineman Michael Wainu and safety Kyle Duggar? Well, we're going to discuss that 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.

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Starting point is 00:14:53 playing a prominent role in crafting the team's roster in 2024 and beyond. At least from what he had to say earlier to the media at the NFL Combine, Elliot looks like the guy making the decisions. And here today to help us break it Elliott looks like the guy making the decisions. And here today to help us break it down is the guy who knows the answers, our resident voice of reason, my good friend Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com. Steve, in the previous segment, we talked a lot about Elliott's comments on the quarterback position, what it means for Mac Jones and Bailey Zappi,

Starting point is 00:15:21 also what it means for that number three pick. And it's looking likely that the Patriots are going to be doing all the due diligence they possibly can on selecting a quarterback at number three, although they reserve the right to change their mind. And folks don't be shocked if they do change their mind. But one thing that I think Elliot was very clear on was the fact that this team is going to show uncharacteristic aggression. They're going to be very proactive in pursuing upgrades to this team. They understand that a 4-13 finish is not acceptable to team ownership. It's not acceptable to the fan base. And really, it's not acceptable to the legacy of the New England Patriots.

Starting point is 00:16:01 So they know that they're going to have to invest in getting players here that's going to help them rebound and get back into playoff contention sooner rather than later. This is the right year to do it for the New England Patriots. Not only do they have high level draft capital with the number three pick and then subsequent pick seven picks overall in the NFL draft, they stand to inherit about $86.9 million in salary cap space. So the New England Patriots can go out and spend lavishly if they want. Some of that is going to be on external free agents, but a lot of Patriots fans eyes right now are on two guys, Michael Ueno and Kyle Duggar. Elliot Wolfe was very matter-of-fact when he said,

Starting point is 00:16:45 we want to keep Mike and we want to keep Kyle. I don't think Patriots fans are going to be upset by that, but you and I both know that it's a little more complicated than just saying, we want these guys, we're going to go out and sign them. Let's start with Duggar for a second, because I think that may be the more simple solution of the two. Obviously, one of the Patriots' most valued defenders without question. But when you look at what the Patriots may have to do to bring him back

Starting point is 00:17:11 here, Kyle is on the older side, going to be 28 this season coming up. So that's a little bit old to go into your first foray of pursuing a free agent deal. He may be looking to maximize his contract value right off the bat. If the Patriots decide they're going to franchise him, $17.1 million is the franchise tag for a safety. You're the GM. You're going out, you're looking at all options for Kyle Duggar. What do you think is the most prudent? Where would you go if you were Patriots GM? What do you think is the most likely scenario for Kyle Duggar this year? Well, you know, when I look at it, you look how versatile he is, you know, the different things he can do, the different things he has done, you know, I think he's really, really

Starting point is 00:17:59 valuable to the Patriots defense. And he's one of those cornerstone guys. I mean, there should be nothing keeping him from being one of your key defensive players for the next five to six years. So, you know, he's one of the guys I look to when, you know, when we talked about, even though he's not quote-unquote young, but he's a younger player in terms of some of the veterans that they've had and lost in recent years. But I really like Duggar.

Starting point is 00:18:38 I think they're going to try everything to keep him. And I think the best way to do that is to work out something prior to free agency starting, because you don't know if somebody really likes him and it's going to throw a boatload of cash at him. And like you said, this is probably his time to cash in. But if you throw him something that he feels that's,

Starting point is 00:19:03 you know, his worth and, you know, you you you pitch him on the idea look you're already a key cog in this defense you know everybody you know everything you know how the defense works then you may be able to sell them on that and our mutual friend dev Devin Cavins, heard last week through the grapevine with somebody he knows that it's in the works. Whether or not it comes to fruition, nobody knows. But apparently, they've been hard at work at that. I'm going to flip the script now, Steve, and we're going to go to the offensive side of the ball, and we're going to talk about Michael Wainu. You and I have both declared him several times here on this show. Most of our colleagues in the media would agree that he's

Starting point is 00:19:49 probably your number one free agent priority. Kyle Duggar could be a 1A or a 2 or however you want to put that, but Wainu really is at the top of the list. When you look at his prowess on the offensive line, his ability to play guard if they wanted to kick him back inside or if they want to keep him at offensive tackle, this guy is so important to the development of a new quarterback. And it goes back to what Elliot Wolfe, and we talked about earlier, what Elliot Wolfe had to say in wanting to do what's best for the player. Well, if you're bringing in a new quarterback, what's best for the player is making sure that they have an offensive tackle

Starting point is 00:20:28 that they can count on to be able to seal the edge. I know left tackle right now is probably a little bit more of a priority because of the departure of Trent Brown, but if you lose Michael Wainu and you lose those two bookends, that decimates your offensive line in ways that will be very difficult

Starting point is 00:20:44 for the Patriots to replicate, whether it's through the draft or whether it's through free agency this year. So whether you're going to use that number three pick on a future franchise quarterback, a savvy veteran, a stopgap, or maintain the status quo, Uenu's presence has to play a major role in that. Steve, when you look at Michael Uenu and you look at what has transpired when it comes to him, we know there is some pessimism out there in the media as to whether or not he's going to be able to find his way back to Foxborough. Recently, he parted ways with his management team and his representation. Mike is representing himself now in these negotiations. What does that tell you about his potential future here?

Starting point is 00:21:28 Do you see he and the Patriots coming to a happy medium here? That's a great question, and it's going to be the number one question into free agency, right? Is the fact that he's representing himself a good or a bad thing for the Patriots. I'm not sure. I mean, you have to look at it. Obviously, he's differed from his agent on what he feels he's worth and what he wants to do.

Starting point is 00:22:03 So that's why he parted ways with it. But I felt a little more optimism with Wolf's words today because he did say, you know, that that's a huge priority for them bringing him back. Now, you know, you mentioned the $86.9 million. If the Patriots part ways with J.C. Jackson, they'll be over $100.4 million worth of cash. So the money is not going to be an issue unless he prices himself way in the stratosphere. But they're going to have money to do a bunch of things in free agency. And that's what I know. Everyone's, you know, hyper about the combine, which I am as well. And the draft. But free agency is going to really drive the train on how they're going to go. So with $100 million in cash,

Starting point is 00:23:09 they have the ability to be big-time players this March. And I know Wolf comes from that Packer philosophy where they build and play young guys through the draft, which I think is outstanding. I think there should have been more of that, but I don't want to criticize Bill too much because what he did worked for 20 years. I mean, there's no doubt about it.

Starting point is 00:23:38 So it's hard to find a lot of fault with the success Bill had, but at times there was young guys that, you know, we wanted to see more of. So I like that. But getting back, I got off on a tangent here, but getting back to Awenu, I feel a lot more optimistic now that he may remain in New England. I just have that feeling now. And hopefully they can make it work again before free agency starts. And, you know, because a lot of people believe,

Starting point is 00:24:13 and they're probably right in saying so, that he'll be the most sought after offensive lineman. Yeah, without question. I mean, mean this guy definitely you want to talk about resume i mean his resume certainly um is deserving of the status of being this most sought after free agent on that offensive line last year appeared in 15 games 850 offensive snaps were taken 194 at guard 656 at tackle pro football focus graded him a 71.5 only credited him with allowing 23 quarterback disruptions only let up three sacks and that's something that for a tackle is very important you want to make sure that you're protecting a quarterback that's why he's so important to what elliot wolf described earlier as doing what's best for the player, putting the player in

Starting point is 00:25:05 the proper position to be able to succeed. If they didn't do that with Mac Jones last year, they want to make sure that they're doing it with their new quarterback, whether it's a young rookie, their future face of the franchise, or whether it's a stopgap or someone coming in, a veteran that's going to play for a little bit, or if they're going to go status quo, it definitely is hinging on whether or not Michael Wayne who comes back and solidifies that offensive line. Now you mentioned the finances. Yeah. Finances are probably not going to be a problem no matter where the Patriots want to take

Starting point is 00:25:36 this with all of that cap space available, they can afford to keep him on the roster. But our good friend, Miguel Benzon joined me here last week on Locked On Patriots, and he talked about some of the potential contracts that some of these guys could sign. He has him estimated between a $17 million and $18 million annual range, which I think is reasonable considering what he's probably going to get on the open market. If the Patriots franchise him, it's $20.9 million for 2024, $3 million additionally on top of what it would take to franchise Kyle Duggar. That's why if they're going to go the tag route, and I'm not saying they are, folks, but if they do, I think it's more likely they use it on Duggar rather than Uenu. But ultimately, Patriots are going to have to weigh a lot of options when it comes to how much they're willing to go to bring mike back

Starting point is 00:26:25 and what mike's intentions are because the wild card in all this that we alluded to earlier steve is that he did part ways with his representation we don't know what that means elliot wolf didn't sound too concerned about it when they asked him about it earlier uh on in this press conference he says it doesn't impact us mike is a core player. It's no secret we want to keep him. It would just add another wrinkle in negotiations. And sometimes those wrinkles can be significant. Sometimes they can be smoothed out very quickly. It just depends on how much both sides are willing to give. And I think the fact that they view him as a cornerstone is good news for whoever wants to see Michael Wayne back in a Patriots uniform. So once again, Steve, there's always something going on in Foxborough.

Starting point is 00:27:12 There is never a dull moment. And believe it or not, folks, even after all we've discussed, we're still not done yet because there's a change in the wind. Or maybe I should say a change in the draft coming when it comes to Foxborough. During most of the Bill Belichick regime up here in New England, the Patriots ran off of a role-based evaluation system, meaning that you knew your role, you did your job, and it worked well for 24 years. I don't think there's anybody that will argue with that, but the New England Patriots are going to switch it up a little bit. They're going to go with a little bit more of a value-based scheme. And that really harkens back to what Elliot Wolfe may be good at and what he has a lot

Starting point is 00:27:52 of experience evaluating. Yeah, we're going to talk about how that's going to work and how the Packer way may infiltrate the Patriot way sooner rather than later. All this and more when we return here on Locked On Patriots, a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Locked On listeners, passion, drive, and patience is what brings home that winning trophy. You know what? It's also what keeps your ride or die alive.

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Starting point is 00:29:21 Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked on Patriots. Evaluating the comments made by Patriots fans thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked On Patriots evaluating the comments made by Patriots director of scouting and de facto general manager I know folks it's not official yet but it feels like it's getting more official Elliot Wolfe speaking to the media from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Here today to break it all down for us and lend that thicket of reason that we need here in Locked On Patriots, that we need in New England Patriots land so desperately is my good friend, my Patriots bison and the resident voice of reason here on Locked On Patriots,

Starting point is 00:30:00 Steve Balistrieri. Steve, we've talked the draft. We've talked the quarterbacks and Elliott Wolfe's insight as to how that's going to go. We've talked free agency, the top two free agents internally for the New England Patriots, Kyle Duggar, Michael Wainu. But it's not all about practicality on the field. There are going to be changes behind the scenes. Elliott Wolfe has stated very clearly that he wants to bring this team back to respectability. And one way to do that is to mold this team in your image. He said, the buck is

Starting point is 00:30:32 going to stop with me. Those aren't his exact words, folks. His exact words were, eventually someone is going to have to make that pick. That someone will be myself. Those were Elliot's exact words. So we know who's calling the shots now in this draft room. He also is going to play a major role in the recruiting of internal and external free agents. But one of the things that I think stood out from his conference on Tuesday was what I'm calling a change in the draft or a change in the wind, if you will. Bottom line, what the Patriots seem like they're going to do under Elliott Wolfe is pivot from what the Patriots have done in the past, a role-based type grading evaluation system when it comes to the NFL draft. This is what your role is. We're bringing in a player to do your job. It worked so well under Bill Belichick for two decades, nine trips to the Super Bowl and six championships,

Starting point is 00:31:25 Steve, that's a hard resume to top. But if there is one guy out there that had a philosophy that really is perhaps the gold standard of draft philosophies in the modern NFL, it's Elliott's father, Ron Wolf. What he was able to do with the Green Bay Packers, essentially using a value-based system, not necessarily a role-based system, but valuation depending on how the board is going to stack out. Elliott actually gave some examples of this on Tuesday, saying it makes it a lot easier for scouts to rate guys and put them in a stack of this guy's the best, this guy's the worst, and everything in between falling into place. Rather than sort of more nuanced approaches, I just think it accounts value better,

Starting point is 00:32:16 and it also makes it easier for the scouts in the fall and in the spring to determine where guys are drafted. Steve, you and I have had a front row seat for the Patriots rating system for the Patriots draft evaluation under Bill Belichick for the better part of two decades now. When you hear Elliott Wolfe make comments like this, what does it signify to you first off? And what do you expect from this new value-based draft system starting this year and into the future? Yeah, I think it's going to be a lot different um because before and you know when we would do our uh draft prospects we were using a template that you know we had found that the patriots used and that is how will this guy fit into the current system who will he replace and how does he fit in in year two and three and now that's going to change and i think because of that as we mentioned earlier that this means that they're going to rely a lot more on younger players to play significant roles right away. And I think it's great for the development of the player.

Starting point is 00:33:27 And it's, it puts a lot more on the coaching staff because you have to have the confidence that your coaches are going to put all of these young players in the right position. And so it's going to be a lot different. I'm kind of excited to see how it all works out. The Packers have been known for building through the draft. We've seen it for years.

Starting point is 00:33:55 Just this year, this past year, they played so many first and second year guys, and they were pretty successful all season long. So, you know, let's see how it works out for the Pats. But, you know, I would love to see a template of how the Packers scouts drafted players, you know, and how they went around, you know, their evaluations with that because that's something that around, you know, their evaluations with that, because that's something that will, I think, drive the train from here on in. I think it's interesting that you say that,

Starting point is 00:34:33 because over the weekend, Mike Reese of ESPN, who we respect as one of the best in the business, unquestionably, Steve, published a piece that highlighted a little bit about how Elliot Wolfe's role has evolved throughout the years, and how he took a lot of what his father did in Green Bay and put it into practicality in the stops that he's made along the way, most notably the Cleveland Browns, and then coming here to New England. Andrew Brandt, who was the vice president of the Packers from 1999 to 2008, said that he remembers when Greg Jennings was about to be drafted by the green bay packers and elliot was very adamant that green that jennings needed to be the guy he was he was this guy that he had zeroed in on jennings as someone that could come in and be a solid

Starting point is 00:35:21 contributor and they were really hoping that he wasn't going to be taken, but they were pretty well set that if he was still there in the second round, then they were going to bring him in. Believe it or not, Brandt actually needed to be sold on it. He wasn't sold on it initially, but then when Elliot Wolfe showed him the tape, pointed out the body control, the hands, the strength, he believed that those types of skills were going to translate into the NFL and that he could be a solid addition no matter who was throwing him the ball. So in terms of evaluation, like you said, in seeing the evaluation sheet, I think that provides a

Starting point is 00:35:54 pretty good example as to how Elliott Wolfe zeroed in on a guy with the talent that he saw and then said, okay, we have to find a way to make this work and did do that. He ended up being there with the 52nd pick. Believe it or not, he was there with the 52nd pick because the Patriots had traded with Green Bay to move up to number 36 and they selected Chad Jackson with that pick, folks. So yeah, not one of our finer moments, but definitely one where the Packers kind of got the leg up on the New England Patriots competition. And I think this really just goes back to everything that we've been hearing about Elliot Wolfe's pedigree, about the way his father, Ron, did things. We're hearing terminology now about the Packer way. And bottom line, folks, I know some people are going to put interpersonal relationships

Starting point is 00:36:39 and open communication and dialogue and things of that nature in there. I don't put too much stock into things of that nature in there. I don't put too much stock into all of that because I think it really goes more about what's done on the field, what decisions are made in the boardroom to bring in the personnel, and then the way that personnel performs on the field. But yet anything else that stood out to you from what Elliot had to say to the media that really kind of raised your eyebrow or caught your sharp eye? Well, again, you just mentioned it a few moments ago. You know, Wolf said, you know,

Starting point is 00:37:13 there's going to be one person making that decision at the end of, you know, the process, whatever, however he worded it. And that person is me. So he's making all the noise of being a general manager. Now, we don't know if he'll be let go after the draft is over. We've seen that before. But I have the feeling that, I mean, we're looking at the Patriots GM right now.

Starting point is 00:37:44 I think that, you know, the way he's been talking, the way he's been building the people around him, this is going to be his type of organization. So I'm looking forward to it. You know, count me as one of the guys that didn't want to see Bill leave, but they made the decision to move on, so let's embrace it and see where it takes us. I'm excited for the prospects about this because I think they're building important piece to remember, folks, is that the new regime coming in and their promises to be great and to change things and to upgrade doesn't necessarily mean that you're degrading or that you're lessening the impact of the great thing that you had here for 24 years in New England. It was the best of the situations.

Starting point is 00:38:40 Steve, you and I are both watching the dynasty right now. We're both reliving the glory days, and we're seeing a lot of the Patriots' celebrations, some of which are a little conspicuous by their absence, but we're going to talk more about the dynasty later this week, folks. But I digress. It's always fun to think about the great times that you had here in New England, but all good things do come to an end, and it was time to move on. It was time for the Patriots to make the move, to do what they've done now it is the Mayo regime it is the Elliott Wolfe regime it's a new dawn and a new

Starting point is 00:39:11 day in Foxborough and that new dawn and new day can be exciting and it sounds like things are going to be moving very quickly and it sounds like things are going to be moving very aggressively and those are two things that I think Patriots fans will appreciate. Whether or not the X's and O's moves that the Patriots make in the front office will work right away or will take a little while to come to fruition is still a matter of conjecture. But the fact that the Patriots are willing to go all in to fix this in a shorter order than a longer order, I think tells the fans something. It tells them that we value you. We know you haven't been grilled with the level of service up to this point for the last couple of years, and we're going to try to get a winning team back out on the field for you, and you have to respect that.

Starting point is 00:39:54 Whether you agree with the decisions or not, moving forward now, the Patriots have competent people in place to make those decisions. Let's see, like you said, how it all works out, and hopefully we can enjoy the ride. Steve, what can I say? Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to join us here today on Locked On Patriots. Before I let you go, my friend, please let everyone know where they can reach out to you, what you have cooking in the balustrade kitchen

Starting point is 00:40:19 between now and next week when we have you back here on Locked On Patriots, and any parting words of wisdom from our resident voice of reason? Well, you can find me on Twitter at SteveB7SFG, just at the bottom of the screen here. I write for PatsFans.com, and we'll be writing about the combine this weekend. I mean, that's what's coming up.

Starting point is 00:40:50 You know, we'll be watching the combine and posting some stuff right through the weekend. And then we'll start doing our draft prospects. You know, that's a big one that's coming up. Derek and I will touch on that a little bit tomorrow when we do our regular Patriots 4th and and two podcast that you mentioned at the outset. So, you know, it's an exciting time. I still hope they take a quarterback at three. But honestly, if they ended up with any of those three guys at the top, I think you have a really, really good chance of hitting on it. Yeah. As you go into this process a little bit more, and as you take a look at what the Patriots

Starting point is 00:41:32 are going to do, and you hear more about the new philosophy and the new way that the Patriots are going to be doing business, it's very difficult to argue against going with a quarterback in that top three pick. Definitely not sleeping on jayden daniels i've really liked what i've seen i know he's slipping on a lot of draft boards folks but i do like the dual threat capabilities and it could add a level of excitement that maybe we haven't had in new england here in quite some time drake may's arm continues to be something that i love to watch i love to watch this kid extend plays with his legs and his ability to thread the needle and put the ball where it needs to go and who knows i think consensus really right now

Starting point is 00:42:10 says that caleb williams is probably going to go number one but that's the beauty of the nfl draft anything and everything can happen if bo callahan slipped in the draft steve you know anything is possible so we're going to do what's best for the football team and you know what we're going to do what's best for the football team. And you know what? We're going to have some pancakes along with it. But bottom line, buddy, I appreciate you. I had to drop that one and you knew I did. It's been a little while since we dropped some draft day words of wisdom here. On behalf of my good friend, Steve Balistrieri, my Patriots Paisan, I am Mike Debate reminding you all to stay safe and to stay well and to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone,

Starting point is 00:42:50 and we'll see you back here again tomorrow on Locked on Patriots.

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