Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots Free Agency: Mike Onwenu, Jacoby Brissett, Antonio Gibson, Sione Takitaki, etc.

Starting point is 00:00:00 A flurry of activity for your New England Patriots on day one of legal tampering. But the biggest news, literally and figuratively, is the Patriots are solidifying their offensive line. 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

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Starting point is 00:01:13 I am your host, Mike DeBate. I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. So reach out to me and let me know what's on your mind on X at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-N-F-L. While you're out there showing some social media love to Lockdown Patriots, please be sure to follow our account there as well at LO underscore Patriots. FanPats fans, today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Make every moment more. Right now, new customers get $150 in bonus bets with any winning $5 bet.

Starting point is 00:01:44 That's $150 if your bet wins. Visit Fanduel.com to get started. And Pats fans, what started out as a relatively slow day on the first day of legal tampering, the Wolf came out at night. The New England Patriots making a flurry of moves after the sun went down. And here today to break it all down with us is our resident voice of reason, my good friend, columnist extraordinaire at Patsfans.com, as well as being the host of another amazing Patriots podcast,

Starting point is 00:02:17 Patriots 4th and 2 alongside Derek Havens. My main man, Steve Balistrieri. Steve, thanks for joining me here today. Welcome back to Lockdown Patriots. Always a pleasure, man. I mean, it's not a football day unless we get to talk with one another at least, you know, for a minute or two. But I always appreciate the offer and I always look forward to talking with you.

Starting point is 00:02:40 Absolutely, my friend. And you know what? The feeling is definitely mutual. It's why we always have you back and it's why we always relish the opportunity to poach your wisdom and counsel a little bit. And we definitely need your reason here on Locked On Patriots today, because a lot of moves made by the New England Patriots, a lot of retention of internal talent, which I think is a smart way to begin the free agent process. So far, so good in terms of what Elliot Wolfe and the crew are doing over at One Patriots Place. But where can we begin? With the biggest news of the day for the New England Patriots. And I said that, folks, to open the show literally and figuratively. Michael Wainu returning to the New England Patriots on a reported three-year, $57 million deal.

Starting point is 00:03:24 That includes $38 million guaranteed. Nice payday for Mike. Compared to what we were seeing earlier in the day from some of these guard and tackle money being thrown around, looked like Mike was in line for maybe the triple digits here. So I think a very reasonable deal for the New England Patriots, but a smart one. This was great from start to finish.

Starting point is 00:03:45 It's great to have Michael Wainu back in the fold, bud. Oh, absolutely. Yeah, like you, I was watching some of the money that was being thrown around early to, you know, interior guys. And I was thinking to myself, wow, Wainu's going to be up there in the triple digits too. But they were able to convince him to come back and like you said i think that's a very reasonable deal for a guy that's as good and versatile as he is um you know we don't know their plans right now i mean they could be considering moving him back to guard or keeping him at right tackle i I mean, they also sign, you know, the kid from the Steelers

Starting point is 00:04:28 who has a ton of starting experience. So this is a good sign for the offensive line moving forward. They're upgrading their tackle position. You know, if nothing else, Okafor could, you know, he could be your swing tackle. But, you know, I like the moves that they're making. I thought bringing back Michael Wenyu, like you said, was a great move. We've been harping on that since the season ended,

Starting point is 00:04:55 that this should be, you know, their priority. And they're doing it. I mean, you know, the offense, they need a really good offensive line to do what they have to do. That was one of the weaknesses last year. So this is a very good start. And remember, it's only day one. Absolutely.

Starting point is 00:05:20 Yeah. I know a lot of people were, you know, hitting the panic button like we always see every year. You know, oh, they haven't upgraded anything. I beg to differ. Signing your priority guys is always a good move. And, you know, you can't sign, you know, 53 guys who are going to make $100 million. So, you know, you have to do what you have to do. And, you know, we're going to talk about it,

Starting point is 00:05:51 but signing a one year to me was the big one. And I think that was a great move on their part. And, you know, we'll see what today brings. I'm glad that you mentioned that. I guess I want to come back to that for a second in terms of signing your own players internally. And I kind of hinted at this coming into this segment saying that I think Elliot Wolfe and crew are doing the smart thing by prioritizing the guys internally in that building that

Starting point is 00:06:15 you want to see come back to New England and help solidify this team and build around a solid core. Look, it's nice to go out and get the shiny new toys. Everybody loves free agency. You hear on social media all the time about people likening it to Christmas morning and saying, oh yeah, we're going to get up and yeah, we're going to have a Calvin Ridley under the tree, or we're going to have a Tyron Smith under the tree. And you know, things of that nature. It is, it's fun to speculate about your team signing big time free agents. And there is

Starting point is 00:06:43 a time and a place to overpay. And I think the New England Patriots may be at that point today, meaning Tuesday, Steve. We'll talk about that in just a moment as well. But I think to start off, to build a foundation, you need solid players to build around. And the Patriots have done that, whether it be bringing back Kendrick Bourne and Hunter Henry earlier on, tagging Kyle Duggar, trying to do what you can

Starting point is 00:07:05 to make sure he remains in Foxborough at least this season, if not beyond. And then Mike Uwainu to me was the fourth corner of that foundation that you really needed, that solid foundation. Uwainu is, without question, their top offensive lineman. And if you're going to build an offensive line, if you're going to build stability on a new offense, whether you're Alex Van Pelt or whether you're Scott Peters coaching the offensive line or whether you're Gerard Mayo in the head coach's seat, you need stability if you're going to try to rebuild what was last season, Steve, a massively broken offense. I don't think there's any way to sugarcoat it.

Starting point is 00:07:42 That offense was completely in shambles and needed to be rebuilt from the ground up. But you still had solid pieces upon which to build. That's what a Wayne who does. He gives you that stability. He gives you versatility. Out of his 850 offensive snaps last year, 194 at guard, 656 at tackle. He can play both positions. He's comfortable at both positions.

Starting point is 00:08:03 We'll see what the Patriots have in store. I think it's interesting that bring in Okofor and maybe looking for additional tackle or guard help. I think that's going to be interesting to see how they continue to build this line, but it's so important for the development of a young quarterback. And we've talked about this before. If the Patriots are serious about using the number three pick on a quarterback, and it looks like that's the direction they're moving in, then you need a solid offensive lineman to build that line that's going to protect that young quarterback. Michael Wainu is that guy. The Patriots recognized it, and they did the smart thing by keeping him in the fold. Oh yeah, absolutely. I

Starting point is 00:08:40 think it was a great move for them. I think it was necessary. They wanted to keep him. You know, you don't want to replace both tackles if you don't have to. And, you know, we kind of figured they were going to let Trent Brown go and not try to bring him back. And, you know, re-signing Wenyu, I think, is a really good move on their part. You know, he helped solidify things on that right side once he moved out to tackle. And, you know, once they get their pieces in place with a new offensive system, you know, we'll see where it brings them.

Starting point is 00:09:25 But I think, like you said, they're off to a very good start here, and it's just the start. We're not saying they're ready to go by no means. They need to upgrade, but at different positions as well. But like you also mentioned, you know, bringing back Hunter Henry, Kendrick Bourne. These were guys that were productive for you, even in the system that was broken, you know. And so you have to sign your own guys first.

Starting point is 00:09:57 Then you can worry about bringing in talent. And they still have plenty of money to do that. Yeah, absolutely. They still do have plenty of money to do that. Yeah, absolutely. They still do have plenty of money to do that, folks, and the New England Patriots will continue to be active, but the Patriots were not done. Oh, no, they were definitely just getting warmed up. Not only were they looking to retain their talent in-house, they were also looking to take a little trip back to the future and bring in a former Patriot that might be able to lend some stability to maybe the most broken position on this roster.

Starting point is 00:10:29 You can see on the side of the screen, folks, that I've labeled him Obi-Wan Jacoby. What do I mean by that? We're going to find out 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. Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked On Patriots. It is Tuesday. It is day two of the legal tampering period.

Starting point is 00:10:59 Of course, the New England Patriots, as with the other 31 NFL teams, will have to wait until Wednesday at 4 p.m., the official start of the league year on March 13th, to make all of the deals that they made on Monday official. But here today to break them all down and to tell you exactly what they mean for your New England Patriots is myself, joined by my good friend, a resident voice of reason here on Locked On Patriots, Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com. And Steve, in the previous segment, obviously, we sung the praises of Elliot Wolfe

Starting point is 00:11:31 and the Patriots brain trust for making the deal and bringing back Michael Wainu, making sure that he will be in the fold for the foreseeable future as the Patriots look to rebuild not just their offensive line, but their offense as a whole and now the Patriots need to move to another problematic position uh that the Patriots have had we've already seen them make moves to try to clear the air uh for lack of a better term I'll be uh diplomatic when I say that uh but Patriots trading mac jones over the weekend or deciding to trade mac jones over the weekend that will be official on wednesday as well folks

Starting point is 00:12:09 going to the jacksonville jaguars for a sixth round pick number 192 overall but you knew something else was coming you knew the patriots were not going to go into this season with bailey zappy and nathan rourke as quarterback one and quarterback two. You knew there had to be another move coming. We all expect a big move to come in the draft. Number three overall, Drake May, Jaden Daniels, maybe Caleb Williams, who knows, but one of those three guys is highly expected to be wearing Patriot blue by the time these teams go into training camp this year. That being said, the Patriots needed a veteran. They needed a

Starting point is 00:12:45 presence in that locker room that was going to help take the toxicity out of that quarterback room and put in a positive aura, put in a modicum of leadership. And not only that, but also someone that is capable of taking the ball and starting on any given Sunday. The Patriots got that, and they got that in an old friend in Jacoby Brissett. I playfully put on the side of the screen Obi-Wan Jacoby, and I think you know where I'm going with this, Steve, but we'll talk about Jacoby the player first before we talk about Jacoby the mentor. I still think this kid has a lot left in the tank. I always loved him from day one when he was here in New England. I thought he stepped in admirably in the place of an injured Jimmy Garoppolo,

Starting point is 00:13:30 and I thought he did a very good job. He's done pretty well no matter where he's been in the NFL. From an on-field perspective, how good a move was this for the New England Patriots? Oh, I think it was a great move. And, you know, and again, some of the fans were raising, I don't know, their hackles up over this move, and I don't get it. I mean, you know, we've been saying since the end of the season, they need to sign a veteran quarterback that can act as a bridge until the guy that they draft.

Starting point is 00:14:01 We're assuming it's going to be with the third pick in the draft. You know, if you sign a very good, you know, veteran presence, someone that can step in and play right away, or, you know, mentor the quarterback and or mentor the quarterback at the same time, the young guy coming in, that's the best way to do it. That way the rookie isn't being forced in before he's ready. And, you know, you and I talked about this. I mean, Jacoby Brissett checks all of those blocks. Not only is he a very good player, you know,

Starting point is 00:14:42 he can step in and start at any time, you know, but he's smart. He's a very good player. He can step in and start at any time. But he's smart. He's very smart. And he's not one of those ego-driven guys that is going to look down at the rookie and not help him in any way. By all stretches of everything we've heard, you know, Jacoby is that guy. And I think he gives them a very good chance of winning. You know, they're going to make additions to the weapons around him.

Starting point is 00:15:15 They're already starting to solidify their offensive line. So this is a very good move. Jacoby also played very well in Cleveland for Alex Van Pelt. So that's something to keep an eye on because those two have worked together. And obviously Van Pelt trusts him. And that's a big thing right there. You're bringing in a guy that you know. You're bringing in a guy that you trust.

Starting point is 00:15:43 And you know how he's going to react to, you know, anything that's thrown at him. I, like you, I always liked Jacoby when he was with the Patriots, and I think it's a great move bringing him back because, you know, again, he's familiar with the system they're probably going to run. I'm sure they'll tweak it to the personnel that they have. But, you know, I think this is a very, very good move. And you and I, we talked about this more than once this offseason. You need that veteran bridge guy. And, you know, I like the fact that the Patriots made it a one-year deal. Because now, you know,

Starting point is 00:16:27 we're going to keep you for this one year. If this kid that we're going to draft is ready, you know, this will give you the option of moving on. And if you want to start somewhere or at the end of the season, if you want to remain, you might be the backup, but, you know, that will be up to you and I think that probably played into this absolutely it truly did and you mentioned the one year that he played under Alex Van Pelt in Cleveland and look some of his best numbers came from that year career highs at that point in completion percentage 64 and passer rating in 88.9 so a very efficient quarterback for the type of offense that

Starting point is 00:17:07 alex wants to run and i agree with you they will make some tweaks they will uh personalize it to the personnel that they bring in but someone who is as versatile and is battle tested as jacoby brissett is having played in miami having played now in washington played a couple of years in indianapolis i think the new england patriots did a very smart thing by bringing him in i think in having played in Miami, having played now in Washington, played a couple of years in Indianapolis. I think the New England Patriots did a very smart thing by bringing him in. I think in terms of a bridge quarterback and a spot starter or a potential starter right out the gate, if the Patriots want to use him in that fashion and give the youngster a chance to learn and to sit for a little bit. Steve, we weren't going to take our leave of this subject without me indulging my Obi-Wan

Starting point is 00:17:47 Jacoby a little bit over here. Everything that's being talked about, about Jacoby Brissett is his ability now to kind of play different types, to be able to facilitate whatever offense Alex Van Pelt wants to run. That's what he does on the field. But in the locker room, this guy has always had such an impeccable reputation, no matter where he's gone, whether it be here in New England. You heard Jimmy Garoppolo and Tom Brady talk about him glowingly in the early days when he was a rookie and learning the ropes here in the NFL. Then he goes to Indianapolis, Miami, Washington,

Starting point is 00:18:22 Cleveland, anywhere he's been, he's always made a positive impact in that locker room. For the Patriots quarterbacks last year, because of all the turmoil and all the tumult that you hear coming out of that room, how big of an influence from a leadership and a stability standpoint do you think Jacoby brissett brings to this locker room oh i think it's huge because you know i mentioned before he's he's a very smart level-headed guy um we know the the excuse me the quarterback room last year was not a well-oiled machine. You had two quarterbacks that did not like each other and pretty much made their feelings clear. They had little to

Starting point is 00:19:16 do or say to each other. When one guy's struggling, the second guy isn't helping him. The first guy gets sat down, and then the second guy starts to struggle. And, you know, the first guy isn't helping him. So take from it what you will, but that won't happen this year. Jacoby will make sure he's a veteran. He's, you know, by all accounts, he's a great guy in the locker room,

Starting point is 00:19:51 on the field. He's going to help whoever they end up keeping at quarterback or selecting as well. You know, he's going to help mold these guys and show the way of how they're supposed to, you know, conduct themselves on a day-to-day basis on the field as well as off the field. And so I'm looking forward to that as well. I think, you know, you'll see the quarterback play overall elevate

Starting point is 00:20:25 because of his presence there. I'm curious of how the new coaches are going to work out. Again, I wasn't in favor of getting rid of Bill Belichick, but now that they've made the decision, you have to embrace everything, embrace

Starting point is 00:20:44 the new coaches and see what they can do. They still have a very long way to go, but again, they're off to a good start. Absolutely. And again, what it comes down to folks is the ability to adapt. And I think Jacoby Brissett has proven that throughout his career, as we talked about many times, stepping in for Jimmy Garoppolo, who was injured, who was stepping in for a suspended Tom Brady. It's a situation where Jacoby probably did not expect to see much playing time that season, and he stepped in and did a pretty good job in the two games that he played, bridging his way back until Tom Brady was ready to return from suspension,

Starting point is 00:21:20 having to step in for a suddenly retired Andrew Luck in Indianapolis. Last year, we saw him step in for Sam Howell, who was struggling, and he was able to keep that team going and give them an opportunity and put them in the chance to win games. This is something that is so important to impart to a new quarterback, to a young quarterback. And if the Patriots are going to have a rookie signal caller on their roster this year you're going to need that guy over your shoulder that wise sage that's been there that's been battle tested that can point you in the right direction and is willing

Starting point is 00:21:54 to mentor you as a one-year deal that's exactly what this tells me this is going to be an opportunity to get a young quarterback ready jacoby is the perfect guy to do it whatever anakin skywalker that they're going to bring in at number three, Obi-Wan's going to be over his shoulder. Jacoby is going to be there directing traffic and telling him where to go, how to deal with certain adversity. That's important as well. So to me, this is a great signing start to finish.

Starting point is 00:22:20 Love this from the beginning. And I think Patriots fans will as well. But Steve, the Patriots were not done. They still were going to add some pieces. Patriots adding a couple of external free agents yesterday and also bringing back a promising

Starting point is 00:22:35 young but still projectional receiver. Steve and I are going to talk about the signings of Sione Takitaki, Antonio Gibson, and the re-signing of Jalen Rager when we continue on Locked On Patriots, a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp.

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Starting point is 00:24:24 at 4 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, March 13th. Patriots fans, we've talked about the big signing of Michael Wainu. We've talked about the pretty big signing of Jacoby Brissett, but the Patriots were not done. They still added a few pieces on Monday that I think are going to be impressive pieces in the season ahead. And here to break it all down with me, of course, is my good friend, Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com. Steve, let's start with your area of expertise, because we've talked a lot about the offense.

Starting point is 00:24:55 Obviously, Jacoby Brissett and Michael Wainu being key pieces of the offense. But the Patriots also suffered a defensive loss on Monday. Linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. decided to take his talents to the desert and is signing a deal with the Arizona Cardinals. Patriots were not done in terms of adding to their defense. They weren't going to rest on their laurels that long. Last night, the Patriots, or it was announced that the Patriots were going to sign former Browns linebacker Sione Takitaki to a two-year, $6.5 million contract. Takitaki started seven games for Cleveland last season, 66 tackles, two sacks, and an interception. Steve, again, the type of sideline-to-sideline

Starting point is 00:25:39 speed that the Patriots wanted in Mack Wilson Sr. last year. I think they got some of that when they needed it most. I like this addition. I think Takitaki's going to be good here. What are your thoughts on this? Yeah, obviously they knew Mack Wilson wanted to move on and secure himself a little bit more cash and have a chance for a starting role elsewhere. And you don't fault the player for that.

Starting point is 00:26:07 I mean, you know, you take the money when you can. You never know how long your career is going to last. So, as you said, I tipped the cap to him. I thought he showed last year how good he can be. So, you know, I was hoping they were going to be able to bring him back. But, you know, and the other thing that came out last night was they announced that they're going to release Chris Borden, who was brought in as a special team by Bill Belichick. So I think the addition of Taki Taki is a really good one.

Starting point is 00:26:48 He showed when he did start last year that he can play defense. He's also a very good special teams guy. So you're replacing Mack Wilson and Chris Board with maybe one guy. You know, he's a guy that's going to contribute on defense as well as special teams. So I think it's a really solid move on the Patriots' part. And again, he's not going to be an all-pro on defense, but you need these solid depth guys. And especially, like you mentioned, that speed. That was something that Mack Wilson showed, you know, down the stretch last year. So, I think it's a really good move on their part.

Starting point is 00:27:37 You know, kind of an underrated good move. Because it's not going to move the radar a lot in national media type of exposure. But down the road, it'll pay dividends. Yeah, absolutely. And you knew the Patriots wanted to act quickly to try to fill that role. It was an important role last year. You saw the value of players like that, especially when a guy like Matt Judon goes down.

Starting point is 00:28:03 You want to make sure that you've got speed in that linebacker score. And Taki Taki definitely provides that. And he provides an explosiveness that I think is going to be very good, whether it's in a more reserve role or whether he has the chance to maybe make it a spot start on occasion as well. So good move there. New England Patriots also bolstering, I think, perhaps a bigger need than a lot of people were giving it credit for. But Steve, you and I talked several times here on these airwaves about the Patriots need for a third down pass catching back. They got that in running back Antonio Gibson from the Washington Commanders.

Starting point is 00:28:38 I really love this signing. This could be a very under the radar, great move for the New England Patriots. Multi-faceted skill set on this kid. This could be a very under-the-radar great move for the New England Patriots. Multifaceted skill set on this kid. 2,643 yards on 642 attempts with 22 touchdowns in his tenure in Washington. But here's where I think he's going to make the most impact with New England. 172 passes caught, 1,283 yards, and seven touchdowns. This is the kid right here that I believe is going to bring back the James White type of role here in New England.

Starting point is 00:29:11 That pass catching back that you can rely on in short-yarded situations, especially on third down. I really like this signing for the Pats. Oh, yeah. And, you know, that was the one thing you and I talked about all last season. The one thing they were missing, as well And, you know, that was the one thing you and I talked about all last season. The one thing they were missing, as well as, you know, more production from the wide receivers, was that third down roll, that James White, Shane Vereen, Danny Woodhead type third down back,

Starting point is 00:29:37 and Kevin Falk, you know. They've always kind of had that guy, and they didn't have that last year. And bringing in Gibson, I think, is a really, really good move on their part. I think he caught 48 or 49 passes last year. I think he will probably see his role expanded with the Patriots offense. And the one thing to remember about this guy is you can line him up in the backfield and shift him out. He's played wide receiver, too. And that kind of versatility goes a long way, you know, in those third down situations.

Starting point is 00:30:16 Because now, you know, he lines up in the backfield. And when you shift him out, he may be covered by a linebacker which is a mismatch for him and you know i think he'll be uh he'll be a really good valued addition you know with the offense yeah also folks do not sleep on this capability this kid has the ability to return kicks as well very adept at this since, he's returned 35 kicks for 826 yards and averaging 23.6 yards per return. Patriots relied on a committee last season after Marcus Jones went out.

Starting point is 00:30:56 One of the guys they relied on was Jalen Rager, who I'm going to ask you about in just a moment to close things up here. But don't be a bit surprised during training camp to see Gibson back there returning kicks. It's something that I know he can do. He's got the breakaway speed to do it. The question is whether or not the Patriots want to put that kind of wear and tear on

Starting point is 00:31:13 him. If they're serious about this guy being your everyday third down back, that's sometimes a lot to put on you. So be wary of that because the Patriots are bringing back Jalen Rager on a one-year deal. And that could get interesting. There could be a little competition, but he could give you a little bit of a boost in the kick return game. So a lot that you can use Antonio Gibson for.

Starting point is 00:31:37 Great signing. But Steve, that does lead me quite nicely into my last question for you today. Obviously, Jalen Rager caught everyone's eye in week 17 when he returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills. Clearly, a lot of breakaway speed. This kid ran the 40 in 4.47 back in 2020 when he was a blue chipper coming out of college. It hasn't panned out the way everyone hoped, but there's a lot of untapped potential here. Do you think the Patriots see something in this kid, or is this simply a way of keeping a talented player in the fold for now until they see what he really has in training camp?

Starting point is 00:32:15 That's a great question, Mike. You know, when I look at Rager, like you said, I see a lot of unrealized potential. He made a couple of catches down the stretch. If he can contribute as a wide receiver as well as a return guy, I think that's a huge bonus. And now they're going to give him his shot this year to show that he belongs. We saw that electric kick return against the bills and like you said when he hit he hit i think it was about the 25 or 30 yard line he kicked it into

Starting point is 00:32:54 that extra gear and he looked like he was shot out of a cannon so you know those are the kind of things that you love to see with your special teams unit. I think he's going to be returning kicks a lot. And if he can contribute anything as a wide receiver, all the more power. There's going to be times when you want to flood the field with wide receivers and you know if you have a guy with speed like he does that's able to run routes and catch the football then uh you know he may get uh an extension before the year's over so i think this is a good prove it year for him and uh. Again, you already have this guy on the roster. You've seen what he can do.

Starting point is 00:33:50 He did figure in on a few passes near the end of the year down the stretch. I think he's a good depth signing. I'm not going to sit here and tell you he's, again, a deal break coming out where he's going to be an all-pro or anything, but you need these depth guys. You need returners, something they haven't had,

Starting point is 00:34:19 especially with Marcus Jones being hurt last year, who was a very good returner in his rookie season. Having someone like Jalen Rager in this fold is not a bad thing, folks. There is a lot of, like Steve said, untapped potential. There are times where we've seen him make catches in the open field, made a phenomenal catch in the season finale against the Jets. Unfortunately, the Patriots couldn't capitalize on that, but this kid has shown the ability to be a contributor at receiver. And again, the speed is undeniable, especially in

Starting point is 00:34:51 kick returns. So if that's the niche that this guy is going to carve out here in New England, could do a lot worse than to find someone like a Jalen Rager being a little bit further down your wide receiver depth chart, not necessarily a bad thing for the Patriots. So a lot to go, a lot to still happen here in New England. But Steve, thank you very much for joining us here today and for breaking down all the ins and outs, the ups and downs of the Patriots moves on day one. Folks, definitely Steve will be back to help analyze all the moves that the Patriots have made from today to tomorrow to right through the end of the week, the next time he joins us

Starting point is 00:35:26 here on Locked On Patriots, we always look forward to having my good friend here on the pod, but in the meantime, we thank all of you for taking time out of your busy schedules to join us here on Locked On Patriots and make us a part of your daily Patriots coverage. On behalf of my good friend Steve

Starting point is 00:35:42 Balistrieri, 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 all you everydayers back here tomorrow on Locked on Patriots.

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots Free Agency: Mike Onwenu, Jacoby Brissett, Antonio Gibson, Sione Takitaki, etc.

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