Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Ezekiel Elliott the Patriot? Matthew Judon Contract Talks, Training Camp Day 3

Episode Date: July 30, 2023

The New England Patriots may be turning their attention to another Pro Bowl-caliber running back to add another dimension to their offense. Host Mike D’Abate gives his thoughts on former Dallas Cowboys rusher Ezekiel Elliott and his potential fit with the Pats. Mike also welcomes Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com to discuss Matthew Judon and his desire for a pay upgrade, as well as training camp standout performers, thus far. Find and follow Locked On Patriots on your favorite podcast platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-patriots-daily-podcast-on-the-new-england/id1140512627Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFmwg3WbfxAU3tR5Ve?si=k196wH-yRqifUcQQz8SjIQStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-on-patriotsAnd follow host Mike D’Abate on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the New England Patriots and talking with fans.Twitter: @mdabateNFLSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!BetterHelpThis episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. If you’re thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. Visit BetterHelp.com/Lockedon today to get 10% off your first month.eBay MotorsFor parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit. eBay Motors dot com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.LinkedInLinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNFL. Terms and conditions apply.FanDuelMake Every Moment More. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG(CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat(CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The New England Patriots are turning their attention to another Pro Bowl running back to help add some prowess to their depth chart. And this one might make even more sense than Dalvin Cook. 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. 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 reach out to me and let me know what's on your mind on Twitter or X if you're so inclined at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-N-F-L.

And while you're out there showing some social media love to Lockdown Patriots, please follow the account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. And of course, Pats fans, I thank you for joining me here today and for making us your first listen each and every day. Special shout out, tip of the cap to to all of you Locked On Every Dayers out there. You Loyalists are truly amazing, and thank you for helping to make Locked On Patriots everything it is, and for motivating us to make it better each and every day. And here on this weekend edition, we're going to be breaking down the Pets performance on

day three of training camp. The hits and the misses from Friday on the field, as well as the goods from Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon, who got a little candid about his limited practice participation status and his desire for a new contract. We're also going to talk some standout performers, and helping us to break it all down is our resident voice of reason, Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com. Going to pop in here in just a moment, folks. So stay locked in.

But first, as we tease to open the show, the Pats are hosting a Pro Bowl running back for a free agent visit on Saturday. And at the time you're listening to this, who knows? His signing in New England might be a done deal. We're talking about former Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott. Of course, we all know Zeke's prowess from his time in Big D. He was the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. In seven seasons with the Cowboys, he wasn't only a three-time Pro Bowler,

but he was also a two-time All-Pro, led the league in rushing yards in 2016 with 1,631 yards that year and of course 2018 with 1,434 yards Dallas's financial obligation to Ezekiel Elliott really became a little bit more than they were willing to handle especially with the emergence of Tony Pollard so Dallas parted ways with Elliott in the offseason but he still has a lot left in the tank, folks. 876 yards and 12 touchdowns on 231 carries. He was a solid complement to Dallas's rushing attack, which once again was led by Tony Pollard last season. He also had 17 catches for 92 yards and no touchdowns there.

But with Dalvin Cook now being heavily linked to New York, and we're seeing it all. We've seen the headlines, New York state of mind. Dalvin looks like he really enjoyed his free agent visit and potentially playing alongside Aaron Rodgers. So the Patriots are turning their attention now to Elliott, who's not a bad consolation prize. In fact, folks, I think this may be a better fit in New England than Dalvin Cook would have been.

For starters, the Patriots could definitely use some help at running back. Ty Montgomery, who had two very good practices on Wednesday and Thursday, looks like he tweaked his ankle a little bit after a collision during team drills. Bill Belichick was asked about Ty yesterday, and he told everyone in attendance that Ty was now quote-unquote day-to-day. Pierre Strong has showed some definite flashes of prowess. He right now is getting a lot of work with the first team offense, but again, it's a second-year player and you want to bring

these guys along and put them in position to succeed. Kevin Harris, same thing. J.J. Taylor, he's the veteran on the roster right now, probably at best trying to play his way in, but if the Patriots do end up signing Zeke at some point over the weekend I think it's a great move for New England his 12 rushing touchdowns last season tied him with both Nick Chubb and Josh Jacobs for the most among running backs this is in limited carries folks Zeke was not the feature back for Dallas in 2022 Tony Pollard was so that should tell you what this kid has still in the tank he's reportedly coming in for this visit in excellent shape. Take a look at some of the social media videos out there.

You'll see them. He definitely looks like he's ready to contribute day one on the practice field, if, again, he's signed by New England. But I love this guy's game. The more I watch it, the more I really enjoy it. He's got a powerful running style but he also has great balance especially after first contact he can take a hit and remain on his feet and speaking of his feet he always keeps them going he doesn't stop his stride and that's going to help a running back

make defenders pay especially when they might not be taking the best angles for a tackle he's a very good backfield blocker and he has excellent ball security. This is a guy that does not cough up the football often, and Bill Belichick loves that. As a matter of fact, according to NFL insider Ed Werder, apparently Bill Belichick placed the call to Dallas VP of Operation Stephen Jones and really picked his brain on Ezekiel Elliott. He must have liked what he heard because he chose to bring him in for a visit so these are all factors working in favor of this working out very good on the ground pretty adept with catching the ball out of the backfield a very good backfield blocker and someone that can help tremendously in pass protection and i'll admit i was a little late to hop on the zeke elliott to new england

train but this move makes a lot of sense for the patriots, and it has the makings of a solid signing if the price is right. So again, folks, if you're watching this, Zeke Elliott may be here in New England already, or he might have taken his visit and now is mulling his options. Either way, New England was definitely smart to bring him in. And at the very least, it shows that New England is making the commitment to improving their offense and finding that improvement however they possibly can. And judging by what we've seen the last three days out on the practice fields, Patriots offense could use their help. They're clearly still trying to find their footing. And day three on the practice fields on Friday clearly showed that

the two previous practices focused almost solely on both deep and shallow red zone drills. The Pats incorporated a few more run concepts into that session, but the team's still showing that red zone drills. The Pats incorporated a few more run concepts into that session, but the team is still showing that red zone efficiency is priority one, and they executed a number of drills, especially in tight space in the high area of the red zone. And let's not forget, before we all start panicking about the offense struggling, this is a tough area for the Patriots receivers, especially the speedsters like Tyquan Thornton and even to a lesser degree, Kendrick Bourne. It's tough for them to get separation in this environment. Not exactly

a big area to go into your stride, especially if you're a quick wide out. But that being said, these guys are getting their opportunities to make grabs at the catch point. They're missing them and that needs to change. So the New England Patriots will continue to work on that. Mack Jones struggled a little bit. Not his best day, but not a terrible day either. Three for five during seven-on-seven drills, completed five of 10 passes in 11-on-11s. He continues to test his ability to throw into tight coverage, and on Friday, he was throwing in the direction of veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones, who's having a great camp so far. Jonathan got the better of Mack on more than one occasion, but Mack was still able to complete some of his passes.

Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones also made life difficult for Mack on Friday. They all had big days, and I know it's early, folks, but this secondary lineup, especially at the cornerback position with Christian and the Joneses, looks to be the Patriots' strongest lineup. So keep a sharp eye out to see if New England is able to carry that over. But despite the incompletions, Max mechanics are looking to be much improved from last season. He's throwing the ball better. He looks like he's got more confidence. Unfortunately, once again, the perimeter receivers have struggled to separate from their defenders and they're missing opportunities to make the catch at the point. But when he finds his targets, he's completing solid passes, even in tight coverage.

He had quite a few of them on Friday. Mack is really developing a great synergy once again with Hunter Henry, Juju Smith-Schuster, Devontae Parker. Those guys have been his favorite targets so far. So keep a sharp eye to see if that continues throughout the week or if mac tries to incorporate guys like mike gasecki who's surprisingly been absent from a lot of these reports simply because he hasn't been targeted all that often also kendrick bourne taekwon thornton look to see if they get more

play starting on sunday's practice and bailey, folks, for all of you wondering out there, Zappi connected on four of 11 passes on 11-on-11s, two of six and seven on sevens. Once again, Bailey was working mostly with the second team defense, but his best pass of the day should have been a completion. It was a shame this one didn't get a connection to rookie wide receiver Keishon Butte. He was unable to complete the catch. Overall, a solid day for Bailey. Not the best, but clearly not the worst either.

So the growing pains continue for the offense. But the defense looks solid, Patriots fans. And one of the Pats' best defenders got his biggest look at the field on Friday. Of course, I'm talking about Matthew Judon. Repeatedly making it clear, folks, that he's happy to be a patriot. However, when it comes to money matters, Matthew Judon understandably keeping things close to the vest. That's right. We're talking contracts. And those contract rumors surrounding Matthew Judon come on the heels of a report from Boston Sports Journal's Mike Giardi,

suggesting that his limited participation in training camp practice so far may be linked to his desire for a new contract. Well, as you can imagine, Judon was not in a divulgatory mood. In fact, he told reporters bluntly, but with a smile, I'm definitely not going to talk contract with y'all. Y'all are snitches. And of course, we all know Matthew was kidding. But what does it all mean? Well, in just a moment, Steve Balistrieri of Batsfans.com is going to join me here to lend some weekend wisdom and counsel on Judon, the training camp standouts, and so much more

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only exclusions apply Patriots fans. Thank you once again for taking time out of your busy schedule, out of your weekend to join us here on Locked On Patriots as we continue to break down Patriots training camp. And one of the big stories coming out of Patriots training camp is the potential contractual future

of linebacker Matthew Judon. Spoke with the media yesterday and a lot to say. And here today to help us sort through all of the details is our resident voice of reason exactly when we need them most my patriots by zon columnist extraordinaire of batsfans.com steve balistrieri is here today steve thank you for joining me welcome back to locked on patriots oh uh thanks for having me it's always a wonderful football day when we can get to talk

together. So, you know, the Patriots are back on the field and the offseason is over. So, you know, times are getting better. Absolutely. They are getting better. And all of the hoopla with Matthew Judon started when it came to his practice participation. He was there all three days. First couple of days, he was limited in practice. And we heard him say earlier in the week, I love being a Patriot. I want to retire here. All of a sudden, you start hearing rumblings coming through the media pipeline that, well, you know, Matthew might be holding in. He might be trying to angle for a new contract. matthew was not having any part of

that yesterday when we spoke with him and the media his son was in attendance with all of the media scrum which was a real heartwarming scene to see but as i wrote yesterday for sports illustrated and i know you'll appreciate this but matthew judon channeled his inner sunny corleone yesterday he was not about to talk business at the table he He did not want to discuss his contract. Yet, when the name Trey Hendrickson came up, he did indulge a little bit further. Steve, without question, he is one of the most valued members of this roster. You can definitely make the argument that he has outplayed the remainder of his contract and definitely deserves a little bit of a bump in pay. Based on what you're seeing, based on what you heard, how likely is it something gets done between the team? And what are your thoughts on the whole situation thus far?

Well, I think you hit the nail on the head. He's outplayed his contract thus far. I think he's one of the most valuable, if not the most valuable player on the defense. He's been on the team for two years and has 28 sacks. I think that speaks for itself. And, you know, in his first year, I remember the Patriots, we reworked his deal to give them a little cap space. I don't see why, you know, when it benefited them, they could do it. Why they would hold back now when it, you know, would benefit Judon a little bit.

So I think that he's well-deserving of a deal, you know, an extension. And obviously I think they would want to keep him around with some of the younger players they have now on the defense. So, you know, therefore I think it's beneficial for them to keep him here. He's still playing at extremely high level. So I think it would be a win-win on both sides. And I loved his comment. You know, y'all like snitches.

Absolutely. And yeah, y'all like snitches. Absolutely. And yeah, you know what? I think that definitely was the soundbite of the day. No question about it. It was definitely the most tweeted out comment of the day from his presser. But, you know, it brings up an interesting point and you did make the argument.

And I think the argument really is self-made that he has outplayed his contract. And Trey Hendrickson was someone he was asked about, linebacker of the Cincinnati Bengals. Similar situation, two years remaining on his deal, 22 sacks in two seasons. You already said that Matthew Judon has eclipsed that and by a pretty good margin as well.

So you have to think that what Cincinnati did with him, tacking on two years to his deal with an additional 21 million with 5 million in a raise this season is not something that's beyond the Patriots' realm. They can afford it. They can do it. By all accounts, there is a lot of mutual respect and mutual like on both sides. I don't think an argument can be made here against doing this if you're the Patriots. Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported on Friday evening

that the two sides haven't been able to come to an agreement yet, that there are contract discussions going on, but he was very careful to say that Matthew Judon was very truthful in why he's not been on the field as much for the last couple of days. This is about fitness, folks. It's not about finance. There's a situation where he's trying to get ready for padded practices. The training staff, the coaching staff, all in full agreement. We know that padded practices can be very grueling. And we know that especially with the heat that we've been experiencing in New England right now, that it's not exactly pleasant to start putting on more gear and really amping up the physical part of your

workout unless you're absolutely ready for it. Matthew Judon coming in and saying that he wants to be fully ready for the pads. Is there any cause of concern in you when you hear something like that about conditioning? Because this is a guy that's always predicated himself on being ready, being optimally prepared for any situation. Is there anything physically right now about his easing back into the Patriots workout session that may give you pause going forward? Not really. I think the last couple of years we saw where he kind of wore down

in the second half of the season. So I think they're just limiting his reps on the field, and they're trying to keep him fresh for the season. I mean, as Bill put the first couple of days, anyway, it's just a continuation of O.T. Hayes in minicamp with no pads on. So, you know, what better way to save some wear and tear on him is to just have him working out down below with some of the trainers and just working on his conditioning. That's all. Yeah, I think that's a very good point. And look, Bill Belichick was asked about this before

practice. Bill was very matter of fact. He just completely answered the question the same way. We have different players at different stages of participation he was asked again about his health and he said the same thing right over again and then he quit that you know injury reports are not required during training camps so bill is actually giving us more information than he needed to give but um i know some won't see it that way but technically he's right um but i think you're absolutely correct. When you have a player that is as important to this defense as Matthew Judon, this guy does everything the right way. And you want to reward that. And that, I think, is the reason why maybe he is angling for a little bit of a raise and well-deserved. And I think the Patriots would be smart to entertain this idea in the short term

rather than the long term. Get this guy locked up because he is a vital part of what you want to do, especially when you're predicating your team more on defense than on offense. And, folks, we're going to get to that in just a moment. But just to wrap up our discussion on Judon, it was fun to see him put Asante Samuel in his place a little bit yesterday. Asante keeps tweeting out. It's just that he's really – I i mean i don't know asante personally there's got to be an axe to grind there uh and a really really big one uh but matthew judon wasn't

having it he says bill belichick is still his guy uh what makes matthew judon bill belichick's guy in your opinion i i think that you know um the reason that Judon came here was Bill Belichick. I think we all know that. Right. And because Belichick is a defensive guy and Judon's a defensive guy. And, you know, I always thought Judon was a very good player when he was with the Ravens. But he's obviously notched it up quite a bit playing for the Patriots. So I think that, you know, he, he respects that and he's going to protect his head

coach because that's just the kind of guy he is. I think he'd protect any of his teammates the same way. And that's who he is. And he's always uh he's always good for a good quote he's very funny i love the uh picture mike reese pointed out where his son was trying to get him attention and he uh he asked him a question during the media scrum i thought that was cool very respectfully by the way yes yeah but uh you know i i I really love Judon's comments when he was asked about his hoodie. He gave a lot of credit for, he said he stole that from Terrell's son. Yeah, Terrell's son. A guy who he has tremendous respect for.

And he said, I'm not going to use exact exact words but he owes a lot of his game to terrell sucks he's learned so much from that's just the kind of guy he is so i think that's why he's so tight with bill and i think bill really likes him too yeah i think there definitely is a synergy between these two guys bill has a knack of being able to identify defenders that will fit perfectly into his system he certainly did it with matthew judon there have been some misses in the past and i won't you know go down the list uh you know right now but matthew judon has been one of the better signings that the patriots have had free agency wise in quite some time and again this is just this makes so much sense for both sides. Just get this

done, Patriots. This really is something that I think the fan base will embrace, but it keeps you, it makes you better on the field. It gives you the opportunity to utilize Judon in the best possible way, not just as a fearsome pass rush, but also someone that can act as a facilitator for your other players. We've seen him do it with guys like Christian Barmore and Josh Uche. He's able to facilitate their ability to do their job, whether it's to block or to get open, simply by commanding the attention of the opposing offensive lines and the opposing offensive skill position players that are in there to block.

So great stuff from Matthew Judon. And bottom line, if you're the Patriots, why wouldn't you want to alleviate a little bit of that $18.1 million of pressure that contract is putting on the salary cap? And extension would help that a little bit. So definitely the Patriots have a little extra motivation to get this done. And bottom line, we all love having him here in New England, whether it be the fan base, the media, or the team, Matthew Judon's a keeper, and the

Patriots need to do that and get him locked up long term. Steve, obviously, Matthew Judon's been standing out for a different reason, but there have been players that have been standing up for their performance on the field. In just a moment, folks, Steve Balistrieri and I are going to talk about some of those players that have acted as standouts so far in the Patriots' three days' worth of training camp practice. Will they continue it into next week and beyond? Steve and I will answer that very question and more when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues.

Patriots fans, thank you once again for taking time out of your busy schedule, out of your weekend to join us here on Locked On Patriots. My good friend, the Patriots Paizan himself, Steve Balistrieri, joins me today. We're talking Matthew Judon. We're talking camp standouts. Definitely breaking down each and

every aspect of the Patriots three days of training camp with a particular focus on day three, of course, folks. But don't forget, Monday here on Locked on Patriots. That's our back on the field. And we're back with Monday Mailbag. That's right. Hashtag Mailbag Monday is back in effect.

The green man, Thomas Murphy, is going to join me here. And we're going to take all of your camp questions, Patriots questions, mob movie questions, anything that's on your mind, send them in. We can't wait to feature them right here on Locked On Patriots. After all, it is your team every day. And Steve, in the previous segment, we talked a lot about Matthew Judon, and he stands out no matter where he goes. Just his electric presence, the job that he does on the field.

But there are a lot of players that are commanding attention for their play on the field and we've been witness to a few of them this week obviously christian gonzalez a lot of eyes on him patriots looking at some of their new acquisitions guys like judas schuster mike gasecki a lot of stuff going on in patriots land when you look at the reports coming in from training camp all the different aspects of the way the Patriots are going in offense and defense. Who stands out to you and why? Well, I think you have to start off with Juju Smith-Schuster because he didn't practice during the spring.

They were taking a, you know, a cautious approach with him because he had some issues with his knee after last season. He seems like a full go right now. And, you know, there was a lot of noise about him and Mac Jones not getting work together during the offseason. I know the Patriots came under criticism for that. But then he kind of put those issues to rest. He said him and Mack worked a lot in the offseason,

not in the Patriots facility but elsewhere. So they were working on routes and timing and stuff like that. And he looked pretty good, especially Thursday. Caught a couple of touchdown passes from Mack. I think he's showing everything as advertised when he came in. So to me, that's a really good sign. The other thing I was very impressed with, and we heard his name in the spring offensively,

is the rookie to Mario Douglas and I've been saying the Patriots really miss that small quick you know uh slot guy you know like a Wes Welker Julian Edelman Troy Brown they've always had that kind of guy and we know juju's gonna work a lot in the slot, but at the same time, having a guy like him is, I think, money in the bank. He might not show much this year, but I think, you know, he has that, even though he's really small, he has that it factor that when he gets the ball in his hands, he can make stuff happen. So I was really excited to see that.

Defensively, you already mentioned Christian Gonzalez. You know, again, he's gotten beaten a few times, but you expect that out of a rookie corner. But from all reports, he has that quiet confidence, and he has short-term memory, so he's right back out there. Those are all the qualities you look for, plus his size, speed, athleticism. I mean, that guy, as Derek Haven said on our podcast the other day, when he flips his hips, it's like butter. It's true. It really is something to watch. And I'm glad that you mentioned Juju Smith-Schuster because a lot of people were very much anticipating watching him in practice

because he hadn't taken any organized practice reps in OTAs and in minicamp. Everybody wanted to see how's he going to come back from the injury. By all accounts and by Juju's own account, he's definitely healthy. He's looking fluid he's looking crisp showing no signs of the knee injury that kept him on the shelf that's huge that's big right off the bat but the synergy that he's able to develop with mac jones early i think that's something that's really encouraging to watch for patriots fans let off positional drills on thursday you had mentioned that earlier uh catching a pair of would-be touchdown

passes, and that was the day that I really enjoyed watching Juju most because he matched up with Christian Gonzalez for the better part of the day. These are two players that are very good at what they do, and they were getting the better of each other on various occasions. Christian got in there and batted down a pass, broke it up. Then you get Juju in there going up over Christian to make the touchdown catch. They're pushing each other. And that's something that I think Patriots fans are going to enjoy watching during training camp is two players that are very talented and know what they need to do to endear themselves to their new team, trying to make those moves to get that synergy together and make sure that each side is ready

for optimal level play. So Juju's a guy I'm watching on the offensive side of the ball. I also thought Ty Montgomery had a very good week right up until Friday. Looked like he tweaked his ankle a little bit during a collision on Thursday. Bill Belichick listing him as day-to-day. Steve, I'll ask, Ty Montgomery seems to have all of the tools that the Patriots are looking for, except availability and except health. Does this concern you at all? Is this kind of like a broken record here, or do you still have faith that Ty can rebound and make this a strong camp? Well, you know, it's never a question, like you said, of ability. He has that in spades. It's availability.

He got lost last year in the first game of the year. That's why I think second-year player Pierre Strong is going to make a big push for that third down, change of back addition to the offense. Change of pace back, I should say. Because he has blistering speed, as we all know. And Bill talked about him and Kevin Harris after practice. Was it yesterday? I think it was yesterday where he said that they were very far ahead

of where they were at this point last year. And I really think Strong is going to end up being that guy. Now, you know, if Ty comes back and he's healthy, we all know what he can do. So, but if he's out any length of time, I think it's really going to hurt. Yeah, it is going to hurt. Yeah, I believe so too. I think you're right on the money because again, and we've talked similarly about Raekwon McMillan and the linebacker position.

And albeit maybe two different types of scenarios, two different types of players, but all the tools necessary to succeed just can't seem to stay healthy and on the field. Eventually, it is going to catch up with you. I really hope, Ty, it's just day-to-day, that it's just a tweak, and that there's nothing serious here. We haven't heard much about the injury yet. I know a lot of my colleagues and I are trying to find out more, but right now, it just seems to be day-to-day. So hopefully, that's all it is. To finish up our conversation, Bud, before I let you go, we've mentioned christian gonzalez we've mentioned juju smith schuster a couple of guys i want to give some love to as well on the defensive side of the ball jonathan jones marcus jones particularly thursday and friday excellent days for them they're looking

like uh you know strong candidates to really make noise in the Patriots secondary this year. But are there any players whose names you haven't heard as much as you'd like to, players that you want to see a little bit more from in the coming week? Yeah, Mike Kosicki had a very good spring. And through the first couple of days of training camp, he's been very, very quiet. And, you know, especially with the red zone work, I would have liked to seen him be a much more frequent target.

I know that Mac Jones trusts Hunter Henry. They've played together for a couple of years now. He seems to be his favorite target right now. But I'm looking for that to change it a little bit at least split more down the middle when it comes to the tight ends i know a lot of people were kind of um i'm not gonna say upset but concerned that uh kendrick bourne and Tyquan Thornton, you know, have been pretty much shut out during the first couple of days of practice. And I just finished writing about this for my Sunday column for Pats fans. I'm not concerned about that because, you know, those guys, they make their living between the 20s.

You know, they're speed guys. They're not so much red zone guys. That's why you have guys like a sickie, Devante Parker, Hunter Henry. They're not really red zone guys. And especially with, you know, none of the bells and whistles, no motion, no, you know, you know what I'm saying? Right now they're in the basic part of the installation of the offense so i'm not really concerned about them now if it continues

through training camp and you know once the pads come on then yeah obviously it will be a bigger concern but right now you know in the red zone where everything favors the defense, I'm not concerned about that. Yeah, very good point. The Patriots are exclusively almost working on red zone work right now. We saw a few more run concepts introduced on Friday with shells on. Patriots have practiced only in, you know, shorts and T-shirts basically for the last couple of days. So amping up a little bit but not by much i'm careful not to say that these drills aren't grueling but at the same time they're not padded

practices so things to remember there i thought you made an excellent point about guys like taekwon thornton and kendrick bourne who are being railed a little bit uh right now in the coverage that's coming from camp saying these guys have to step up. They have to create separation. The concept of creating separation is something interesting, folks, and I just wanted to talk about this for just a moment, Steve. When you create separation in the red zone, it's not about beating your target to the area sprinting past. That's a tight area in order to create separation. What the separation argument is in the red zone, folks, is trying to make the catch at the point of attack. That's done through shifting this, not through pure speed. So when you hear guys like Tyquan Thornton and Kendrick Bourne not being a part of that type of offense,

Steve is absolutely right. They're not red zone guys. They're not going to be the focus. You would love to see these guys step up a little bit and make the occasional catch. They have been targeted. There have been some drops. There have been some easy opportunities for them to score that they haven't taken advantage of. They have to shore that up, but I'm with you, Steve. If they're going to continue on in red zone work on Sunday and even into the early part of next week, you want to see Gusecki get more involved. It's good to see Hunter Henry getting involved. He looks like the Hunter Henry of old of two years ago. Really looks poised to have a big year. And if you're listening to this, folks, and you hear a nice little applause,

it's coming from West Midlands in the UK. Claire is excited to see Hunter Henry doing well. And I know she wants to see Gusecki doing well. But bottom line, the Patriots are definitely going to go heavy 12 personnel. They're already showing and tipping their hand a little bit, and I think it's going to work to their advantage. So, Steve, it's always an honor, always a pleasure to break down training camp. The only regret that I have this week, Bud,

is that you're not up here to share it with us. I wish you were, but at the same time, we definitely always appreciate your wisdom and counsel, and you keep a sharp eye on things the way only you can. Before I let you go today, my friend, please let everyone know where they can find you, all of your great work, and what we can expect in the coming week from the great Penn, the great voice of Steve Ballester. Yes.

Thank you. Once again, thank you for having me as always. Anytime. You can find me on Twitter at SteveB7SFG. I write for PatsFans.com. My Sunday column is almost complete. I was just finishing it up this morning before we got on the air here. So I'll be talking about the first couple of days of training camp. What else, right? Absolutely. And again, I got into that, you know, the whole thing. And, you know, it is a concern that those guys aren't heavily involved.

But at the same time, you have to look at it from the big picture. They're not doing any kind of, you know, misdirection or, you know, putting guys in motion to get them free. So and without the running game being able to, you know, offset some of that, the defense always has the advantage there. So, you know, we'll be watching that closely, obviously, and some other things. And I can't wait to see what the key on white can do. And once the pads come on, I want to see more Christian Gonzalez, obviously. And, you know, I think he's going to be really, really good. And I think the offense is going to be much, much better.

Hunter Henry made a really good point. They're not beating themselves so far. Guys aren't lining up in the wrong position. Guys aren't taking pre-snap penalties. You know, Bill O'Brien has already succeeded in that aspect where the guys are lining up right. They know the play. They know the snap count.

It sounds silly, stupid, but I think that's a big point. That's a huge point, And it really kind of puts in sharp contrast exactly what the Patriots are going through last year at this time, as opposed to what they're going through this year at this time, light years above where they were last year, folks. Steve hit the nail on the head. Last year, you had players that were taking pre-snap penalties they weren't lining up correctly the snap count was almost non-existent these are things that need to be in place early in training camp in order to work on fundamentals now the patriots need to work on fundamentals

and that's something that i have news for you all 32 teams are doing at this time of year not one team is stepping on the field and saying, yep, we're ready to go out and compete. Hand us the Lombardi right now because no one's touching us. It doesn't work that way. Nowhere. It didn't work that way up here for two-plus decades when the Patriots were dominating the standings. They had to put in the work each and every year. And Bill Belichick will tell you, go back and take a listen to some of his interviews in years past.

He'll tell you that some of the best teams with the best results started off really fundamentally unsound, and they had to really build themselves into the team that they became. So don't let some of the early struggles fool you. It is very, very early, but we're seeing a lot of encouraging signs. We're seeing a better Mac Jones out there. We're seeing a better Hunter Henry out there. We're seeing a better, I think, cohesive unit offensively, and the defense looks all ready to be in season form. So, Steve, what can I say? I appreciate you taking time out today and joining me here today on this weekend episode of Locked On Patriots. You know we're going to have Steve back here next week, so definitely stay tuned for that. And don't forget, folks, get those questions in for Mailbag Monday here on Locked on Patriots. Make sure to use the hashtag Mailbag Monday either in the YouTube comments or on social media to have your work featured here on Locked on Patriots. But in the meantime, on behalf of my good friend Steve Balistrieri, I'm Mike DeBate reminding you to stay safe and stay well and be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great weekend, everyone, and we'll see you back again here on Monday on Locked on Patriots.