Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots Free Agency: Best Moves, Missed Opportunities and What’s Next

Starting point is 00:00:00 The New England Patriots acted quickly in retaining several key internal free agents, but what was their best move? 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. Not only is Locked On Patriots a proud part of the Locked On

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Starting point is 00:01:06 I'm your host, Mike DeBate. I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. Reach out to me. Let me know what's on your mind on X at MDABATENFL. While you're out there showing some love to Locked on Patriots social media style, please be sure to follow our account there as well at lo underscore patriots and today's episode is brought to you by game time download the game time app create an account and use the code locked on for twenty dollars off your first purchase and pats fans as the first

Starting point is 00:01:39 wave of nfl free agency comes to a close the new eng England Patriots are now about to turn their attention to the second phase of roster building for the upcoming season. In total, the Pats have retained the services of 10 players from their 2023 roster. In addition to that, they placed the transition tag on Kyle Duggar, hopefully to sign him to a longer-term extension, and they've also brought in seven external free agents to join them. What was their best move? What moves did they leave on the table? And what's next for your New England Patriots? We'll be discussing that today.

Starting point is 00:02:11 So without further ado, let's welcome in my special guest today, head writer of Patriots football now, Dan Kelly. Patriots fans, my guest today here on Locked On Patriots has provided some of the best Patriots coverage throughout free agency and really throughout the offseason that you'll find anywhere in Patriots media. He is the head writer of Patriots football now. And most importantly, folks, he is also the president of the Kelly Kids Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization committed to making a positive impact in the lives of childhood cancer patients and their families.

Starting point is 00:02:44 He is Dan Kelly. Dan, thank you so much for joining me here today, and welcome to Lockdown Patriots. Thanks so much for having me, Mike. It's awesome to be here. Absolutely, and it's one that we've been waiting for for quite a while. And Dan, once again, the coverage that you've been providing for Patriots football now is incredible. Thank you so much for being here, not only today to enlighten us with your wisdom

Starting point is 00:03:05 and counsel, but also to help us break down what has been a dizzying few days here in New England. Really, it goes back to the weekend when all of the free agent frenzy started and Hunter Henry's news. And then of course, over the weekend, Mac Jones being traded, the Patriots locking up a good deal of their own talent, their own internal free agents. One of the best ways to build a solid house is to gain a solid foundation. Patriots making sure that foundation is still pretty stout and bringing in seven external free agents. So let's start there, Dan, from what you've seen from the Patriots so far, both in their moves to retain their talent, maybe clear out some dead

Starting point is 00:03:45 wood. I hate using that because we're talking about human beings, folks. I mean, you know, these guys that are being either released or traded away, they are human. And, you know, losing a job is never an easy thing. I don't care what walk of life you're in. It's never something to be celebrated, but necessary moves the Patriots had to make. And then, of course, the externals being brought in, the new faces here in Foxborough, what have been the moves that have stood out to you? And do you have a favorite among them? Yeah, I think it really all got started when they re-signed Hunter Henry. I think that was a huge priority for the Patriots, especially after Dalton Schultz had re-signed with the Texans

Starting point is 00:04:27 before hitting free agency. At that point, Hunter Henry would have been the number one tight end on the free agent market. And this draft does have some depth tight ends. It does not, aside from Brock Bowers, have anyone that's going to come in and be an upgrade over Hunter Henry. And in addition to that, Henry was one of the team captains last year. He was clearly one of the solutions, not one of the problems. So bringing him back, I think, set a huge tone for the fact that we're not just looking to cut ties with everyone from the past regime. We're looking to figure out who was worth keeping, who were the good apples and who was good value. So he got signed up for a three-year deal.

Starting point is 00:05:15 I think that was huge for the Patriots. And then the other deals that retaining their own guys, Josh Uche came in at a very team-friendly deal. Kendrick Bourne coming back makes them a little less desperate in the wide receiver market. And Anthony Jennings, I was a huge fan of last year, very underrated player, and he came back on a three-year deal. So all of those were nice complimentary pieces to then Mike Unwinu getting

Starting point is 00:05:48 the big deal and bringing him back where you know he can play anywhere. I assume he's going to play right tackle. But bringing back Big Mike is a huge get for the Patriots. So in terms of their own free agents, I think they did an exceptional job. The only player that I was a little surprised to see leave was Mack Wilson. But then that same day they replaced him with talky talky from the Cleveland Browns, very similar player in terms of athleticism and a little better at

Starting point is 00:06:24 defending tight ends, which especially early in the season, the Patriots really struggled with last season. So overall, in terms of those moves, a lot to feel good about so far. Absolutely. I think you hit the nail right on the head with a lot of those. And look, obviously, Michael Wayne, who is going to be domino one, that even though it wasn't the first move to be made, it really set the tone i think for the patriots offseason it showed that they're willing to invest in this offensive

Starting point is 00:06:49 line make sure that not only familiarity and continuity are a huge part of how they build that line but also protecting what we assume now is going to be a young quarterback patriots still seem committed to going quarterback at number three and you're going to need that type of protection you're going to need that familiarity to make sure that he's comfortable Michael Wayne who is a big part of that he's not the only part of it but he's a big part of it so that is definitely a huge move as well and I'm so glad that you mentioned Josh Uche because a type of deal that you see someone like Josh sign where supposedly he left more money on the table now you and I both know that contracts are always um interestingly reported I guess is the best way for me to put it Dan a lot of times there's back end incentives on these deals and things that

Starting point is 00:07:38 either increase or decrease the value make it a little more palatable our good friend Miguel can go into much more detail on that folks and I guarantee you he will maybe even soon on these airwaves, so keep a sharp eye on that. But bottom line, to leave more years on the table said to me that Josh Uche is willing to bet on himself, bet on his talent, and show the world what he can truly do. I think last year was a year where he felt that maybe he didn't get the support that he needed, maybe wasn't put in the proper position to succeed. Being without Matthew Judon, I wrote for Sports Illustrated the other day that it was kind of like Robin being without his Batman.

Starting point is 00:08:16 I mean, those two were such a lethal pass-rush combo in 2022, and for him to digress a little bit really showed me that he feels he's got a lot more left on the table. I love this move for the Patriots in bringing him back because that skill set, when it's utilized at its best, he can play on the line. He can play in a 5-1 look. He can play in a 4-2 or 4-3. You see so much with Josh and how he's able to assimilate into the Patriots defensive schemes. If he's comfortable within the defensive system, this guy can be a very, very impactful player. And I think both Demarcus Covington and Gerard Mayo recognize that they realized that they wanted to keep him in the folds. A motivated ex-Wolverine is always a good one. I remember interviewing

Starting point is 00:09:02 Isaiah Hull, who hosts Locked On Wolverines right here on the Locked On Podcast Network when the Patriots drafted Josh. And he said, I think you just got yourself a steal. This kid is truly a pro-level pass rusher, and he's going to show it in very record time. Had a good rookie season. Injuries kind of derailed him for a little bit, but I think you saw him come into his own a couple of years ago. I think that Josh is on his way back this year. So good move there for the Pats. I agree. And I think, as you mentioned, Josh betting on himself there. In 2022, he had 10 and a half sacks with Matthew Judon lining up opposite him.

Starting point is 00:09:46 So if he had hit free agency a year ago, he would have gotten a monster deal. So he comes back. He has 3.5 sacks this year. Even though he played in almost every game, I think he played in 15 games, he was listed as questionable for a ton of games. And the Patriots' defensive philosophy shifted a little more, He was listed as questionable for a ton of games. And the Patriots' defensive philosophy shifted a little more where a guy like Jennings was more valuable than a guy like Uche in a lot of situations because he is not exclusively a pass rusher,

Starting point is 00:10:20 but that's where he shines. And the Patriots weren't getting teams into a lot of third and long situations. So it was huge for him to come back. But I also think I've got a lot of texts about, you know, why would he leave so much money on the table? And it goes back to what you say about him betting on himself. He can make up to $8 million on this contract for a one-year deal. He had $11 million supposedly guaranteed on a two-year deal.

Starting point is 00:10:51 If Josh Uche has the year he thinks he's capable of and we think he's capable of, he's going to earn a good portion of that $8 million this year, and he's going to more than make up the difference with next year's contract. So it's a player-friendly deal, but also a very team-friendly deal, and I think it's a win-win. Absolutely. I agree with you. Kind of a Rod Tidwell-type deal, for those that remember Jerry Maguire. Betting on yourself, knowing what your worth is,

Starting point is 00:11:17 going out there and getting it, and maybe having a moment for himself this season that allows him to cash in. And hopefully it remains here in New England. Popular in the locker room. I know Matthew Judon has spoke about him glowingly several times. Would be nice to see Josh kind of come into his own and remain here in New England. But regardless, that pay cut talk definitely takes on a whole new meaning

Starting point is 00:11:39 when you take under account what Dan had to say on Josh's contract. So I agree with you in terms of some of the Pats' best moves so far. But Dan, the Patriots also had some opportunities where you might say either they swung and missed or maybe opportunities that they didn't pursue as richly as we believe they should have. The New England Patriots folks still have some deficiencies, most notably at wide receiver and maybe even a little bit along the offensive line. Did the Patriots do enough in free agency to bring in savvy

Starting point is 00:12:12 veterans, allowing them to be able to get some explosive potential playmakers in the 2024 NFL draft? Dan Kelly and I are going to talk about 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 00:13:50 LockedOn listeners, as you know, LockedOn has launched the first ever national sports 24-7 streaming channel, LockedOn Sports Today. Baseball fans, mark your calendars for March 20th at 7 p.m. Eastern for the best MLB season preview coming exclusively to Locked On Sports Today. On March 20th at 7 p.m. Eastern,

Starting point is 00:14:11 be the first to get local insight from the MLB local experts of the Locked On Podcast Network. Find it on March 20th at 7 p.m. Eastern on the Locked On Sports Today 24-7 streaming channel on YouTube or the free Amazon Fire TV channels app. Fats fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked On Patriots. And joining me is the head writer of Patriots football now, Dan Kelly. And Dan, in the previous segment, we talked about some of the best moves

Starting point is 00:14:41 the Patriots made, some of the positive steps forward that this team is taking toward rebuilding a roster and really a return to respectability. We've heard Elliot Wolfe use those terms and Gerard Mayo use those terms. And we know this team wants to make their efforts to get back into the playoff hunt. There are always what ifs. And after the pseudo first wave of free agency comes to a close, and we're assuming that that really kind of starts wrapping up Thursday today, maybe even into Friday and over the weekend, the flurry of activity that you're seeing from NFL teams is going to start to

Starting point is 00:15:17 wane a little bit. Obviously, the Patriots wanted an upgrade at wide receiver and unfortunately swung and missed on Calvin Ridley. Now, you can blame the Patriots if an upgrade at wide receiver and unfortunately swung and missed on Calvin Ridley. Now, you can blame the Patriots if you wish. You can take a pessimistic view on that. But when you take a look at the amount that Calvin Ridley signed for in Tennessee, it's hard to imagine that the Patriots offer was that much. Not willing to necessarily lay the blame at Elliott Wolfe and Gerard Mayo's footsteps for that. I think at that

Starting point is 00:15:45 point, Tennessee just came in and came in with an overwhelming offer. But when you look at missing Ridley now, is that a missed opportunity for the Patriots in your estimation, Dan? Do you think that now they go back to the drawing board, or is this kind of a blessing in disguise for the Pats who now can reset their priorities moving into the next wave of free agency and maybe even the draft. Right. Well, I think it's a little bit of both. In terms of Calvin Ridley, I think sometimes people take too hard of an approach like, you know, we didn't need him anyway or we didn't want him anyway. He would have been our number one receiver on the Patriots. So pretending that he's not a good player or a good receiver is, you know, that's just

Starting point is 00:16:36 not accurate. With that said, he made a ridiculous amount of money in free agency. And like you had mentioned earlier, you never know what the actual details of the contract are going to be. But it was reported $92 million over four years, $50 million guaranteed. So you have to assume the Patriots needed to trump that offer to sign him. So do you want to tie up $100 million with Calvin Ridley? I don't think that's money well spent personally. And I think if they're going to do something of that nature, I'd rather see them trade for a guy like Brandon Ayuk. I know T. Higgins has requested a trade and is on

Starting point is 00:17:19 the market. I actually think T. Higgins and Calvin Ridley are pretty comparable in terms of players, but Tee Higgins is a little younger. So I'm not disappointed in the Patriots in letting him go. They did re-sign Bourne. They have Demario Douglas signed. The other wide receivers under contract include Juju, who we still don't know what's going to happen with him if he's going to be back. Taequann Thornton, who they don't seem quite ready to give up on yet. You know, then you're looking at Keishon Booty, etc. So they do need to add a wide receiver, whether or not they add that through the draft, which I think is very deep class. And I think they could add a significant upgrade at number 34. But again, if you're talking about what I would do,

Starting point is 00:18:14 Brandon Ayuk from the 49ers would be my target at the moment. I think he is an underrated player because they have so many weapons in that offense. And I think he, for the combination of cost plus what it would take to get him, would be the best value as opposed to, and I think he's just a better football player than Calvin Ridley by my estimation. So I think in terms of the wide receiver market,

Starting point is 00:18:43 we're not done yet, but I don't dislike anything that they have done so far. I don't dislike passing on Ridley at that cost. Agreed. And I love that you mentioned Ayuk. Murph and I talked about Ayuk when he was coming out of Ohio State, and we talked about the opportunities of him maybe coming in here to New England in the draft. Obviously, the draft gods didn't smile on us the way we had hoped. But this is someone with all the tools to be a top flight receiver. And in the right system,

Starting point is 00:19:14 with the right quarterback, he could thrive. So that's a name to watch, Dan. I'm glad you mentioned that. And I think that's an astute observation. I do agree with you on Ridley. I think that there is an awful lot to still love about his game. And if he did sign, I think it would have been money well spent for the New England Patriots. But I don't believe it's a devastating death knell the way it's being portrayed in some circles of the media that, you know, once again, the Patriots brass let us down. No, there was a very competitive offer on the table, folks. The Patriots went as far as they could to do that. And Tennessee just came in as the dark horse swooped in

Starting point is 00:19:52 and they ultimately won the race for Calvin Ridley. So tip of the cap to them, tip of the cap to Calvin. He's going to be making some coin this year. But in terms of maybe missed opportunities elsewhere, Dan, you actually tweeted about one this morning, and I share your curiosity on this because this was one I was, $19 million guaranteed. Seems like a deal with the Patriots, cap space, and what they have available. They could have made it work. You tweeted a few great stats about him, and you also indicated that one of their external free agents that they brought in might actually bring maybe even some of

Starting point is 00:20:45 the same value kind of talk me off the ledge a little bit about here i'm going to let you pontificate on okorafor as well as jonah williams and the and the comparisons you made between the two well jonah williams is a guy that uh he wants to play left tackle uh which is a position in need for the Patriots. He did not have a great year last season. And out of all of the qualifying offensive tackles that played, I think it was 275 snaps I referenced that were graded by pro football focus, Williams was ranked in the bottom quarter, and about five spots ahead of him on the list was Okorafor, who the Patriots just signed.

Starting point is 00:21:34 I'm not suggesting Okorafor is a better player, but I do think he is a significantly better value. He signed for a $2 million signing bonus. Even if he makes the team, starts every game and makes the Pro Bowl, he'll be making half of what Jonah Williams will be making just for showing up. So Okorafor to me is a great value at that pick, at that pickup, I should say. And Calvin Anderson, who we never saw last year, for the most part, we saw him a little bit at the beginning of the season when he looked not ready to play

Starting point is 00:22:13 professional football before he head back on to the IR, he has declared that he's fully ready to go and 2024 is a full go for him so the patriots regardless of you know whether or not people are in love with the players assuming that you have uh and we know starting at the right tackle the left tackle you now have uh okorafor potentially starting, Anderson, Vadarian Lowe, who had a really rough year last year, but he's back. Tyrone Wheatley Jr. is back. Andrew Stuber is back. And I think what Okorafor does more than anything is it enables you to draft an offensive tackle in this draft

Starting point is 00:23:00 that might not be NFL ready. And a guy like Patrick Paul from Houston or the Yeld offensive tackle, for example, a guy that might be available in the third round that you might need to develop for a year or two, but long-term could turn out to be a great answer. I think Okorafor, just like we're talking about Jacoby Brissett as a bridge quarterback, I think Okorafor could serve as a bridge tackle for you. And I don't think you need to spend Jonah Williams type money on a bridge tackle.

Starting point is 00:23:35 Yeah, that's a good point. And really, I think what the Patriots are doing is maybe setting themselves up to not necessarily have to take the all pro plug and play tackle in the draft i know murph's been very vocal about joe alt being the pick and wanting that to uh to happen in the first round um if the patriots are moving obviously uh in the direction of getting a quarterback at number three or if they shuffle the decks now and they decide hey you know what marvin harrison jr is an all-world talent we don't care we're going all in on MHJ I'm not saying they're going to do that folks but there is always a chance um that does preclude them from taking a tackle in that echelon that top 10 level so by getting someone like an Okorafor and bringing him in it does allow for a bridge and it doesn't necessarily

Starting point is 00:24:22 clog the position I think you're seeing that with the guard position and the move that they made last night in bringing in Nick Leverett. I mean, missed all but three games with an injury, but this was a key component of the offensive line under Tom Brady's Buccaneers just a couple of years ago. So these are guys that can come in and spell and make starts if you need to, just in case the starters aren't ready a la Cole Strange. We don't know if he's

Starting point is 00:24:45 going to be ready for training camp this season. We all live in hope, but there's never any guarantee until these guys get out on the field. So agreed. I think the Patriots right now, in terms of missed opportunities, folks, might be a little early to label missed opportunities on this front office. Let's play out the situation. Let's see what their next moves are going to be before we determine whether or not missing out on a Calvin Ridley or a Jonah Williams was an egregious mistake or simply just playing the board as it lies.

Starting point is 00:25:16 Excellent insight, Dan. And you know what, folks? We're not done yet because Dan Kelly is going to hop in his Patriots time machine and move a little forward into the future and tell us what moves may lie ahead. All of this and more when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast wraps up. A proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day.

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Starting point is 00:27:07 and we have been absorbing the wisdom and the counsel of Dan Kelly, the head writer of Patriots Football Now. Folks, if you haven't checked out Dan's great work that he's done all throughout free agency, really all throughout the offseason, please, by all means, I implore you to check that out today. You will not be disappointed. Some of the best in the business, and I do all means, I implore you to check that out today. You will not be disappointed. Some of the best in the business. And I do not hesitate when I say that.

Starting point is 00:27:29 And it's our honor to have him here today, hopefully many more times on these airwaves here on Locked On Patriots. And Dan, in the previous segments, we talked about the moves that the Patriots have made that have made waves, some of the best moves that they've made. We've talked about maybe potential missed opportunities, and you've actually tucked me off the ledge a little bit about some swings and misses the Patriots have taken and taking a long-term approach to being able to grade what they've done so far.

Starting point is 00:27:56 But bottom line, what they've done in the past is not going to matter unless it pays off in the future. And we know that the off season is still not over. The NFL draft is coming up in just over a month. And there's also still a lot of free agency left. There is a lot of roster building to be done. So with the Patriots now, with all of the moves that they've made and all of the roster holes that still exist on this team, what do you expect are some of the next moves that the New England Patriots can make in the coming days and weeks leading up to and maybe even through the NFL draft? Well, I think so far there have really been no big surprises from my perspective.

Starting point is 00:28:40 They have not signed any big money free agents. They retained all of the players I expected them to, with the exception of Mack Wilson, who they replaced pretty quickly. The one thing that I do think in terms of in-house business they need to take care of still is getting Kyle Duggar signed. I think there's a perception that Kyle Duggar's already locked up because they did designate him with the transition tag. Transition tag, for those that don't know, basically allows teams to turn an unrestricted free agent

Starting point is 00:29:22 into a restricted free agent. So if he gets a contract offer elsewhere, the Patriots are able to match it. If they don't match it, they don't get any compensatory draft out of it. But players don't like receiving tags. They like being locked up long-term. Transition tag especially hurts his market because no team's going to offer him serious money knowing that the Patriots are just going to match it anyway. So if they plan on keeping Kyle Duggar a big part of this team moving forward,

Starting point is 00:29:59 which I believe they do, they would be wise to get him locked up to a long-term extension sooner rather than later. Him and Jabril Peppers played almost every snap last year on the Patriots defense at safety. They haven't added to that position at all. They've actually lost Jalen Mills and Adrian Phillips. I think they're hoping Marte Mapu is able to take up at least those guys snaps. I wouldn't be counting on him to be taking up the slack for the loss of a Kyle Duggar though. So I think getting Duggar taken care of is the one last piece of in-house business that they

Starting point is 00:30:38 need to worry about. And then again, sticking with the in-house, as opposed to trying to sign any of these big money free agents, the Patriots really need to work on signing some of their own players to extensions. Because even though they have a lot of available money now, and our mutual pal Miguel Benzana is able to speak to this a little better than either of us, I'm sure. Oh, I'm sure. Oh, I'm sure. Extending some of those guys due to hit the market next year, adding a year to them, maybe pushing the money forward to this season with the signing bonus so that they have a little more money available again next year. You're talking about players like Matthew Judon, Jabril Peppers,

Starting point is 00:31:23 who I just mentioned. Uche is a guy that's going to hit the market. They're not going to rework him now, obviously. But I think all in all, the Patriots have over 30 guys set to hit the market next year already. So getting some of those guys, Christian Barmore, a guy that you know is going to be a centerpiece of your defense for years to come. Jelani Tabai, who had a great year last season. I would work on getting those guys extended. Ramondre Stevenson, if you believe that he's going to be here long term,

Starting point is 00:31:57 he's set to hit the market next year as well. So there's always some work to do. And I think the Patriots would be wise to begin that at home, get some of these players that are coming back happy, under contract, secure, let them know that they're part of the long-term plan with the team and get things taken care of that way. That way you push a little money forward now, have a little more money available a year from now

Starting point is 00:32:23 when maybe you're a little closer to being a contender. Yeah, absolutely. I am in 100% agreement with you. And locking up a lot of your own homegrown talent, which is what the Patriots have predominantly done, folks, when it comes to this offseason. I know some are portraying it as getting the band back together that only won four games last year. I don't see it that way. And I don't, it sounds like we're like-minded on that because when you bring in and retain your own talent, it shows that you're willing to reward from within. When they see guys like, obviously, Hunter Henry, Kendrick Bourne, staying around, Josh Uche getting another deal here in New England. When you start seeing the types of extensions that you just mentioned, maybe a Jabril Peppers, definitely a Christian Barmore.

Starting point is 00:33:09 That's a guy you really want to lock up. If the off season goes and comes and goes, and you do not hear about a Barmore extension, that to me would be a letdown. It would be a disappointment considering the amount of space they have and the wherewithal to get that done. It sets a message folks. It sets a message folks it sets a message

Starting point is 00:33:25 that if you're going to come in here and play hard and give it everything you've got we're going to make sure that you have the peace of mind and the security to not have to go to free agency to chase quote unquote that bag you can get it right here in new england um i don't necessarily know if that's been the case uh for the last few years here in Foxborough. So that may be a little bit of a change and a little bit of a pivot from the way they've been doing things. You talk about Elliott Wolfe putting his stamp on this team. Saw the Packers do that for a number of years. Maybe the Patriots are going to start to adapt that as well.

Starting point is 00:34:00 But I completely agree with you that really the next form of business is trying to get some of your internal free agents extended and make sure they don't hit free agency. I couldn't agree with you more. I think the one thing, and I've also been accused of being a Belichick apologist at times, I think partially because my reviews of the dynasty that I've done for the website. But one thing that is a fact, whether you like it, I like it, or anyone else likes it that have been around, but Jonathan Jones, who has been around and is still in that locker room, has even alluded to the fact that players are just different now. It's a different mentality of players coming into the league we don't think the same way that those great old patriots teams

Starting point is 00:34:52 thought where you know and you can go back to the teddy bruski willie mcginnis guys but also even up to guys that recently retired devin mccordy matth Slater, where they want a chance to win. They want to be paid fair. That doesn't mean maximizing every dollar, but they want to be paid fair and they want to be comfortable. They're older guys that are raising families that have been here for a while. And, you know, I know Kirk Cousins just took a little heat for moving because his wife supposedly wanted him to. As a happily married man, I can tell you,

Starting point is 00:35:30 Kirk Cousins did the wise thing by doing what his wife maybe encouraged him to do by checking out Atlanta. I do think there's a certain segment of the fan base that doesn't want to accept the fact that things have changed a little bit. But they have, like I say, if Jonathan Jones vouches for that, then that's enough to convince me. And this new way of doing business has got to change with it a little bit, which is just showing a little more love, a little more appreciation, trying to lock guys up maybe before they hit free agency. Because as we've seen, the best way to retain your own free agents is to not let them hit

Starting point is 00:36:14 free agency. So I was happy they did that with Hunter this year, with Kendrick Bourne this year, and hopefully they can take care of that maybe before the last hour this time around. Yeah, absolutely. You know what? Big Mike and Big Christian would be a great bookend in terms of keeping your own in-house, especially guys that you've drafted and you've cultivated. Would be nice to see both Uenu and Christian Barmore stick around on long-term deals here in New England. Dan, what can I say? The insight, the wisdom, the counsel, second to none. Folks, definitely check out all of the great work that Dan Kelly is doing at Patriots Football

Starting point is 00:36:52 now. Before I let you go today, my friend, please let everyone know where they can reach out to you on social media, interact with you, and any parting words of wisdom you'd like to leave our adoring public here on Locked On Patriots. Thanks so much for having me, first of all, Mike. It's been a long time listener of the pod. And so being a guest on is outstanding. I'll make sure to rub that in Murph's face when I interact with him online that I'm gunning for his spot. But the best place to find me online on socials is on Twitter,

Starting point is 00:37:27 which is Dan Kelly, that's K-E-L-L-E-Y, 66, and that's on Twitter. All my work is on Patriots football now. And I think the key for all Patriots fans out there for sure is to just have a little patience with the process. Let's see, you know, we're in the middle of March now. Let's see how things look five months from now and even two months from now after the draft is concluded and see where we stand. I think there is a lot to be excited about. It's not Super Bowl aspirations like we once had, but there's still a lot to feel good about with this team,

Starting point is 00:38:14 and I'm looking forward to seeing where they're headed moving forward. Absolutely, and very well said. And, folks, once again, please check out Dan on Twitter at D-A-N-K-E-L-L-E-Y-6-6. You can check out all of his great work there. And of course, folks, if you do have the opportunity, I highly encourage you to check out the work that Dan does for the Kelly Kids Foundation. It truly is remarkable. Once again, that is a nonprofit organization committed to making a positive impact in the lives of childhood cancer patients, their families, support groups. So definitely check that out when you get a chance as well.

Starting point is 00:38:49 But Dan, thank you for joining me here today. We look forward to having you back on Locked On Patriots much sooner rather than later. Had a funny feeling these won't be the last time we see you here on these airwaves and many more to come. And folks, thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedule to join us here on Locked on Patriots and make us a part of your daily Patriots coverage. On behalf of Dan Kelly of Patriots Football Now,

Starting point is 00:39:12 I'm 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, and we'll see you back here again tomorrow on Locked on Patriots.

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots Free Agency: Best Moves, Missed Opportunities and What’s Next

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