Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots Free Agency Primer? New Mike Onwenu Deal? Free Agent Offensive Line Options

Starting point is 00:00:00 Kyle Duggar is transitionally tagged, but what does it mean for the future of Michael Wenu in a Patriots uniform? 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 Lockdown Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage and also your first listen each and every day. Not only is Locked On Patriots a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team, every day, but we are also free and available on all platforms, including YouTube.

Starting point is 00:00:58 So smash that subscribe button, download, subscribe to follow wherever you get your podcasts to ensure that you get the latest episode as soon as it's available. I'm your host, Mike Debate. I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. Reach out to me and let me know what's on your mind on X at MDABATENFL. While you're out there showing locked on Patriots some social media love, follow our account there as well at LO underscore Patriots. And Pats fans, 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 20 off your first purchase that's fans it's been an eventful few days here in new england kyle duggar is transitionally tagged meaning that the Patriots have the right of first refusal

Starting point is 00:01:45 if any contract offers come his way a big step in the right direction to keep a solid member of that defense that secondary in New England for the foreseeable future but what does it mean for the Patriots next most important free agent well he just happens to be a big round man named Michael Wainu and if we're talking our offensive line there is no one else in Patriots media that can lend the insight the wisdom the Council that's needed today more than our good friend a legend himself Thomas Murphy thank you for coming to me in friendship and especially lending your wisdom and Council that's so needed today oh happy to be here michael and

Starting point is 00:02:25 it's always always great to sit down and talk a little bit we should do it more often absolutely we should do it more often we do it twice a week you know what hey people absolutely folks still not enough it's still not enough and i will always say that um bottom line i know you saw the news earlier on this week as we all did about kyle duggar getting the transition tag this was a move i think a lot of people expected you and i talked about this earlier this week that we expected that kyle would probably be the one to get the tag rather than michael wainu a 13.86 million dollar commitment to kyle as opposed to tagging mike with the franchise tag which they would have need to have done,

Starting point is 00:03:05 that would have cost them approximately $20 million a year. So the Patriots definitely saving a little bit by doing that, but also it buys them time to negotiate a long-term deal with Kyle Duggar. But you and I both know that the biggest needs on this team right now are on the offensive side of the ball particularly the offensive line owenu is new england's most valued offensive lineman i think he may be the most valued pending free agent on this team right now 15 games in 2023 850 offensive snaps were taken 194 guard 656 at tackle versatility but more than versatility leadership and the ability to seal off the edge and protect the quarterback Murph I know we're excited about Kyle coming back to New England but in your estimation does this make it any more or less likely that Michael Wainu folds back into the

Starting point is 00:04:01 Foxborough fold in the next few days I think it it's more likely that they're closer to getting something done with Mike than they are with Kyle. Okay, that's what my feeling is. Often, the Patriots in the past would let a free agent go out and test the waters. It's happened many, many times before and come back and they've either matched or gone over i think that's what they're doing with mike um i think mike probably would have been a tad bit upset if he got hit with the franchise tag not that that money is is that you know debilitating or anything but you know there's definitely more guaranteed cash in a long-term contract than there is

Starting point is 00:04:46 in a franchise contract. So hopefully they're able to get something done. If you go by the numbers that are out there, I think Phil Perry last night or yesterday afternoon quoted a story on where you could get $20 million and then refuted that thinking that Mike is more around a $15 million a year player. And, and I think that's where it'll probably come in. If he goes out and tests free agency, even with the added cap space that a lot of folks have gotten, you know,

Starting point is 00:05:20 you still have to spend judiciously and $15 million for a right tackle is, is And $15 million for a right tackle is right on par, for a top right tackle is right on par for what I think Mike will get. And I think it's going to end up being, you know, a four-year, $60 million deal with, you know, a set of, you know, $35 million or so guaranteed. Yeah. To be totally honest with you, you wouldn't surprise me if those numbers were bumped up a little bit our good friend Miguel Benzon joined me here about three weeks ago and for the first time anywhere he outlined what a potential contract offer from

Starting point is 00:05:55 the Patriots to Michael Wayne who might look like and he projected between 16 17 even up to 18 he said he wouldn't be surprised I don't think the Patriots go that high at this point, but I could see a 16 to 17 annual per year value of that contract being given to Mike, because look, I mean, there's no question about it. This guy is someone that is so important to not only the security of an offensive line and a quarterback, but to the development of a young quarterback. And that seems to be the direction the Patriots are going into. If in fact they're serious about taking a quarterback at number three, you need a solid veteran offensive lineman that knows that. And a guy young enough to also remember what it's like to be a rookie in this modern day NFL.

Starting point is 00:06:39 There are a lot of solid tackles on the free agent market, folks. And we're going to talk about a few of them in just a moment. So stay locked in. You're not going to want to miss that but a lot of these tackles are a few years removed from being a rookie mike is not that far away from being a rookie he understands what it's like coming in in a post-covid nfl and trying to prove yourself i think that's a valuable part of this as well a young quarterback can see a lineman like this and know that he can grow with him for a few years and develop a solid relationship.

Starting point is 00:07:08 Anytime you hear quarterbacks, previous quarterbacks that have played here, Drew Bledsoe, Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cam Newton, they've always talked about the relationships that they've had with their offensive linemen. It is a key part of this, and this is why Murph hammers this point so much, folks. A solid foundation is the way to build a solid franchise. Right. And it starts on the lines. It starts in the trenches.

Starting point is 00:07:31 And the offensive line is definitely at the top of that list. It is. It's definitely at the top of that list. And the Patriots cannot go into this draft needing two starting tackles. I've said it before. If Anwayu leaves, there are no starting caliber tackles on this roster whatsoever. So I'm pretty confident that they're going to get something done, but there are a lot of teams out there that are going to be vying for his services. Mike's good

Starting point is 00:07:58 buddies out there in San Diego, the Chargers, I refuse to say LA. I do. You know, the Titans could be interested. And look out, you know, the Kansas City Chiefs have ducked into the Patriots cupboard before at the offensive line spot. And don't sleep on Kansas City coming in and scooping up Mike Unwee. Yeah, absolutely. And you look at the job that he did in 2023, folks, a lot of teams are going to be clamoring for his services. Probably one of the reasons why the Patriots neglected to use

Starting point is 00:08:33 the transition tag on Michael Wainu. That's a common question that I've been getting. But why don't they use the transition tag on a Wainu instead of using it on Duggar? The problem is, is that you're going to have a lot more suitors willing to match that offer on an offer sheet than you will with Kyle Duggar and I say that with every reverence I love it look at what's happened at the safety position over the last two days and the the talent that is out there I'm sorry I love Duggar but you know there are

Starting point is 00:09:02 are guys out there right now that are more talented than him that just got their walking papers cut and will probably be making less than what Kyle Duggar is under contract for now for next season. Exactly. I mean, most notably our neighbors to the north, Jordan Poyer looking for work right now. Simmons was released by the Denver Broncos. We'll see how long he remains on the unemployment line. My guess, Murph, it's not going to be that long, but

Starting point is 00:09:29 Ueno unquestionably is someone that will be coveted. 71.5 grade last year from pro football focus, but here are the two stats that jump out at me. Only allowing 23 quarterback disruptions, only allowed three sacks all season long considering the flux of that line and him having to play both guard and tackle at times sometimes both within the same game folks uh that says a lot about and bill fought really hard not to do that not to put him out at tackle and this is the reason why yeah it's because he wanted to get him signed at guard money long term okay that that That was the bottom line. This is what Bill does.

Starting point is 00:10:08 You see guys in the past that would go into free agent years, and their workload was shifted, or they weren't used at a certain position and moved somewhere else. They're listed on the roster at a different position. Well, that position was, you know, when it came to, uh, franchise tagging and, um, and, uh, contract extension talks, it was, well, you're a guard. You're not a right tackle. You're a guard. Okay. And, um, but, uh, that's that, believe me that that's one of the reasons that, that he fought so hard to find somebody else to play in that right tackle spot and not move Mike Unwayu out there.

Starting point is 00:10:48 Absolutely. And a very good point. And again, I think it comes back to the fact that Bill doing what he believed was best for the football team. If he was looking at what was best for his team bottom line financially and not worried about the product on the field, like we heard an awful lot last year that Bill cared nothing about wins and losses it would have never happened he would have not moved Michael Wayne who he would have kept the guard and kept him at a reasonable cost Bill obviously saw the fact that the line was breaking down severely needed a shot in the arm and history will prove that might moving Michael Wayne out to left moving Michael Wayne out to right tackle may have helped to keep this offense at least at a respectable level at times. I know it wasn't pretty all season long folks, but

Starting point is 00:11:30 believe me, if they didn't make that move, it would have been a lot worse. So hopefully cooler heads will prevail. I'd love to see both Kyle Duggar and Michael Wainu back in New England. I know you all would, whether or not it comes comes to fruition we'll find out in the coming days the league year murph set to begin at 4 p.m wednesday march 13th but of course that legal tampering period coming on monday the march 11th because murph as we all know there's no negotiations going on between now and then there's no contact the league integrity of the game murph league believes in it roger gets up there, talks about it all the time. Murph, we all know that the offensive line is going to be a focal point for the New England Patriots in rebuilding this roster this offseason.

Starting point is 00:12:14 We know they're going to dip into it in the 2024 NFL draft, but will they choose to bring some external free agents in? Whether they bring back Michael Waino or not, I think this team will explore some external options. And Murph and I are going to talk about who may be on the Patriots radar, because free agency is just around the corner. Who might

Starting point is 00:12:34 help to rebuild those lines and which big round men could Murph be gushing about poetically in 2024? We're going to discuss that when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. A proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team. Locked On listeners, passion, drive, and patience is what brings home that winning trophy. You know what? It's also what keeps your ride or die alive. Our good

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Starting point is 00:15:11 GameTime today. Last minute tickets, lowest price, guaranteed. Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked On Patriots and joining us here today for the second time this week, as he always does. It's so nice. We always want to do it twice. My good friend Thomas

Starting point is 00:15:29 Murphy. Murph, we already talked a little bit about Kyle Duggar's transition tag, what it means for Michael Wenu and whether or not he's going to be back in New England next season. We're both looking at the glass half full and we're saying that he will be back, that the Patriots are doing their due diligence and trying to work out a long-term deal with him i think they're

Starting point is 00:15:48 trying to do that with both uenu and with kyle duggar but you and i both know that the patriots would love to help beef up this line through the draft and through free agency folks it's no mystery murph would love to see the patriots walk away with number 76 of those Notre Dame fighting Irish. He'd love to see Joe Alt patrolling that edge for the New England Patriots offensive line for many years to come. We've talked a lot about other linemen that could possibly come in here, not just the tackle, but also with guard. But our friend and colleague, MassLive's Mark Daniels, over the weekend stated that the Patriots are going to be in the market for a starting caliber tackle in free agency. Now that's not to say that the guy coming in here is absolutely going to start, but a starting caliber, someone that can bring you

Starting point is 00:16:35 either a spot start or be the guy if he wins the job in training camp. And he mentioned a few names. Murph, before I go ahead and steal your thunder on this, because this is your subject of expertise, when you look at the free agent list from top to bottom, who jumps out at you as a potential Patriots target, and do you believe it's the right move to try to bring this gentleman or gentle men into the fold here in Foxborough? Well, of course, Tyron Smith jumps out at me. He's a consummate professional, one of the best in the business. The only problem is the fact that he's had a very difficult time staying on the field. You know, at his age, with the breakdown that he's had.

Starting point is 00:17:17 But I think that he could come in here and still be a fantastic piece. The guy that I really want, that not a lot of people are talking about um is a man that's that's played in cincinnati for quite a long time that's johan williams still only 26 years old uh he's coming off a country he asked for a trade last year actually and uh that didn't uh you know come to fruition But he came in and he got moved over to the right-hand side and he did a good job over there. I think while Williams doesn't have the ceiling, you know, didn't have the ceiling coming out of college that he did,

Starting point is 00:17:56 he did have a high floor as a pass blocker. That's only gotten better. You know, his pedigree speaks for itself. And I think he would do, you know his pedigree uh speaks for itself and i think he would do you know really well here in new england i like the addition of jonah williams and i think there might be a situation where he might be in the patriots crosshairs if in fact they do decide to go this route obviously tyron smith is going to be the guy that most people are watching for the reasons that you're set i mean this guy has essentially punched his ticket to canton i mean you know nothing is written in stone but he's been around

Starting point is 00:18:29 for a good long time he's been with the cowboys since 2011 number nine overall pick five all pro selections for tyron two of which were first team nods eight pro bowl selections and he was chosen as a member of the nfl's 2010s all decade team not just for the Cowboys folks that's the entire NFL pass protection run blocking this guy can do it all he can absolutely do it all Ross Tucker said a few years ago about Tyron Smith and I quote him verbatim if you went into a computer lab and tried to create the perfect prototypical tackle it would be him Smith does things to guys toys with them humbles them that you honestly shouldn't be able to do to people in the nfl and that's pretty high

Starting point is 00:19:10 praise coming from a guy like ross tucker but you mentioned this and i think this is the key right here and i wrote about this actually over the weekend for sports illustrated about smith coming in with his share of caveat emptor folks. Right. Recent seasons only suited up for 30 of a possible 67 regular season games, ankle injuries, hamstring injuries, back injuries. Of course, he had the avulsion fracture in his left knee in 2022, missed 13 games because of that. He played 13 games for the Cowboys in 2023. That was his highest total since 2019.

Starting point is 00:19:45 So there is a little bit of reason to maybe feel optimistic, but the Patriots have to be careful here. Comes down to the money. If he comes in at, you know, I don't want to say a team-friendly, because our days of people coming in at team-friendly numbers are over. Right. You know, they're over. We've talked at length, length you know over the years about

Starting point is 00:20:06 two types of free agents the kind that uh that want to get paid and the kind that want to win titles well you've got to you've got to pay people to come here now and um and but if his number is decent just think about this man we we talk about quarterback mentors okay think about this man. We talk about quarterback mentors. Okay, think about this man mentoring the next generation of offensive linemen here. This is a guy that takes a lot of pride in his work. Even if he's not out there, you can't say that when he is out there, he's ever coasting or just mailing it in because he's made money, because he's got the contract. But, you know, bringing him in to mentor a couple of young drafted offensive linemen,

Starting point is 00:20:54 I think would be perfect and money well spent. Yeah, it would be money well spent. And look, Smith is one of the guys that Mark mentioned by name in his piece and said he's a name to watch. So folks keep a sharp eye on Tyron Smith over the course of the next couple of days things could get interesting for the Patriots you mentioned Williams earlier and I just wanted to clarify a few things Murph did mention that Williams did request a trade yes folks the Bengals signed Orlando Brown Jr. last year and that made Williams I guess feel a little expendable yeah eventually he did rescind that

Starting point is 00:21:25 trade offer and did move over to the right side and he did a pretty good job um you know there's not a situation where this guy is going to be easily bypassed on a pass block he was graded at 63.2 last year a pro football focus a negative run block grade percentage of 12.6 and a true pass block grade of 60.9 so this guy can get the job done um and he's someone that i think can handle the rigors and the health requirements that the patriots are going to need right position but we are not done breaking all of this down yet because as we've said several times here on lockdown patriots keep submitting your mock drafts during the week because you never know

Starting point is 00:22:05 when one's going to be relevant to the news of the day and one of our very favorite everydayers submitted a mock draft this week that is pretty relevant considering some of the news that's going around with all of the other nfl teams that didn't necessarily do such a good job managing the cap uh they don't have a pat's cap. They don't have a Bill Belichick brain trust to make sure that teams spend to the cap but don't exceed and definitely try to manage it year after year after year. You're seeing a lot of that in the NFL right now, and it could mean a windfall for the New England Patriots. What do we mean? Who could be on his way in? Stick around, folks. We're about to discuss

Starting point is 00:22:45 that and more when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast wraps up right here on the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Did you know that even if you have a 401k for retirement, you can still have an IRA? Robinhood has the only IRA that gives you a 3% boost on every dollar you contribute when you subscribe to Robinhood Gold. But get this, now through April 30th, Robinhood is even boosting every single dollar you transfer in from other retirement accounts with a 3% match. That's right, no cap on the three percent match robin hood gold gets you the most for your retirement thanks to their ira with a three percent match this offer is good through april 30th get started at robinhood.com boost subscription fees apply and now for some legal

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Starting point is 00:24:09 Robinhood Financial LLC member SIPC is a registered broker-dealer. Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked on Patriots, and we are discussing the news of the day from Foxborough, and who better to help us wade through all of the talk regarding Kyle Duggar, offensive

Starting point is 00:24:29 lineman, and a subject that's very near and dear to our hearts in just a moment, my good friend, the legend himself, the kind of Murphy Fisto, Thomas Murphy. Don Murph, we have discussed Kyle Duggar. We have discussed Michael Wainu. We have discussed free agent options for the Patriots at offensive tackle. But you know what we haven't done yet to close out the week in style here on Locked On Patriots? Throw in another mock draft. We had such a lot of, we had such fun earlier this week doing them folks. And we keep telling you submit them throughout the week because you never know when one's going to be relevant and sure enough one of our very favorite

Starting point is 00:25:05 everydayers jason sullivan who you can find on twitter at sully687 he andrew carraway and lj live for this time of year and yeah they are they're on the mount rushmore of lockdown every day without question um jason submitted a very interesting mock draft i think very poignant for a lot of the stories that are going around right now but one of which could a very interesting mock draft. I think very poignant for a lot of the stories that are going around right now. But one of which could be very interesting, Murph, because our good mutual friend, Benjamin Albright, who covers the Denver Broncos out in Mile High, did advise that for Broncos fans, there are more gut punches coming. And of course, we're all referring to the simmons release yep sean payton is putting his stamp on this team and it means a lot of denver broncos mainstays are soon going to be looking for work or they might soon be on the trade block well guy the patriots fans have wanted for quite some time his wide receiver jerry judy in his infinite wisdom jason was able to

Starting point is 00:26:01 swing a deal to get judy in new New England and without further ado let's take a look folks this mock draft annex that Jason submitted and as you can see at the bottom of this list here folks scroll right down to the bottom folks the Patriots have acquired wide receiver Jerry Judy for the number 68 picked and wide receiver Taequann Thornton. Murph, before we get into the actual grade of this draft, let's grade this trade. What were your thoughts on this when you saw it? This is an A-plus trade. Oh, my God.

Starting point is 00:26:37 Oh, my God. And you all know how I feel about Taequann Thornton. You guys all know that I am a slim reaper apologist. You know, I have never gotten on a guy for being hurt or injured or have a lack season and see what he's able to do when, you know, the Patriots have a line in front of a quarterback that will allow him to get out into the pattern and do what he does best. That hasn't happened here. But if this happens, man, I will do cartwheels up and down Route 1 for a week. This is fantastic i i would absolutely be thrilled if this happened yeah i mean a lot of people may look at this and say there's no way that denver is pulling this up

Starting point is 00:27:33 that they're not going to take on thornton who is at best a project right now folks and again i've been very complimentary about taekwondo too i mean he's one of the fastest players i've ever seen hit a football field right but taekwon thornton has the ability to be a solid perimeter receiver he needs to put on a little bulk he needs to stay healthy if you look at what jerry judy did in 2023 maybe this isn't as much of a reach as people may think it is if you're going just purely on statistics 54 catches 758 yards the average 14 yards per reception, two touchdowns. I think he's one of the best separating wide receivers in the league. I really do. When he's locked in and he's healthy and he's playing his game, this kid has the ability to separate. Do you think that

Starting point is 00:28:17 it possibly could make him more palatable for a deal like this? Or do you think that this is probably a little bit low ball considering what Denver would accept in return? It's a little low ball. Okay. I think the Patriots might have to throw in something else, another third round pick next year or a second round pick in this upcoming draft. It's, you know, which would give me pause because I like this draft

Starting point is 00:28:44 and I definitely like the talent in the top 100 in this draft. But, you know, to bring Judy in here, I would roll the dice. I really would. Yeah, I think it's worth the effort. And you get someone who is battle tested, who is NFL tested, and now maybe with the right coaching staff and the right motivation in place for him to reach his full potential you could get the jerry judy that everybody thought was coming out you

Starting point is 00:29:12 know in 2020 when this kid was uh was made available from alabama i think there is an opportunity here for him to really kind of come into his own and who knows maybe it is with the new england patriots but there isn't only one trade in this draft folks as you can see on the screen he brings one in at number 61 the price starting guard cole strange murph this is interesting i know strange has not necessarily lived up to his reputation or his expectation of being a first round pick in 2022 just yet however when you look at what the patriots are doing this offseason right this is the offense at least in theory that he was brought in to protect that gap zone west coast hybrid right and to me i think the trade this soon on him

Starting point is 00:29:59 might be a difficult thing for the patriots to do i'm not necessarily embracing this move just yet what are your thoughts on this yeah i know i'm right there with you um you know i thought strange played uh really really well considering that the fact that he missed all of camp all of camp you people should see my face right now and how difficult it is to uh to get back into football shape after missing all of camp. And he played really well when he was in shape and when he was out there. Again, you know, the kid was injured. You know, out there in L.A., you can laugh about taking Cole Strange where he was, but he played really well in his rookie season.

Starting point is 00:30:43 And I think that this would be something that I would hesitate about. I really would. But it goes down to what the Patriots think of the moves that Bill Belichick did last year that everybody was trashing. Will Antonio Mafi make that leap? Okay. Is Sidney Sow a cornerstone at the guard position? Bill addressed a lot of the interior of the line last year.

Starting point is 00:31:17 And if they feel good about this, I don't feel as good about Antonio Moffey as I did going into the draft after seeing him last season. But maybe, you know, a new voice on the offensive line, you know, as a, as an offensive line coach can,

Starting point is 00:31:38 can fix what, what was broken. And this move could, could end up working out for the Patriots Patriots but but I'm not in love with this this trade here yeah exactly especially when you take a look at what Sully did and let's bring his draft back up folks now that we've talked about the trades we'll talk about the draft hall here obviously going Jaden Daniels at number three quarterback Jatabian Sanders we've talked about him you address that number 61 pick that

Starting point is 00:32:06 you acquired for Cole Strange in Patrick Paul one of the better linemen prospects in this draft you walk away with him you're doing something right but you've traded away your guard and where do you go now for guard help are you ready like Murph said for the City So and Antonio Mafi show because Paul really is a natural tackle I know he can play guard but do you really want to kick him inside and try to move him around he's got the genetic makeup he's got the size the speed and the strength to be a solid tackle I think that's where he aligns best that to me is where the strange trade worries me it's not so much getting that number 61 pick if you invest that in an interior

Starting point is 00:32:46 line and that can come in and play the position at a high level then yeah you maybe helped yourself here but at the same time if you haven't you're letting go of a guy that with a tremendous upside that's about to come into his own with the type of scheme he's designed to play right are you going to are you going to spend the money at those at at an inside uh and an inside move for a guard at this point when you already have the one on the roster that you know fits perfectly into a lot of what you want to do next year murph before we take our leave of this draft here obviously we've talked a lot about the guys at the top and the trades. Starting with pick number 104, Cam Hart, cornerback out of Notre Dame.

Starting point is 00:33:33 Hooper Beebe, the guard coming out of Kansas State. Not going to be there at 136. Yeah. He climbed too much at the combine. You're going to be lucky if you got him at 104. Absolutely. Yeah, I think at this point. But you draft the board they give you, and that's a great pick there.

Starting point is 00:33:53 Yeah, if he's working this board, and this is the board that's out there to pick up Cooper at number 136 is really good. This is a guy that could come in and challenge and be your guard of the future. So I like this move. Anthony Gould of Oregon State at the wide receiver position coming in at number 182 in round six. And then bringing up the rear here, Jared Wiley, who I think had a very good combine. I look for him to raise higher than this.

Starting point is 00:34:16 I think round seven, 229. I think this kid goes before round seven. I've liked him from the start. And I've been all in on Jared Wiley really since before the senior bowl uh I'd like to see him getting his just doing it's grading time my friend when you look at Jason Sullivan's draft you look at the trades you look at the hall he got overall what are we giving Jason Sullivan Professor Murph this week it's an A- draft it's an A- draft simply because I don't like the Cole Strange move. I like Cole, but you addressed it later on in the draft. If you were able to get Beebe, he also would fit into this mold and to what Van Pelt wants to do or could want to do. And there's always the free agent market so a solid a minus draft yeah i would say that as

Starting point is 00:35:07 well um i really i share your uh your assessment of that big surprise folks i know but i do for the same reasons um i'm a little leery on the strange uh you know trade simply because i'm not sure if you've got the cast in the cupboard right now to be able to sustain it and there's no guarantee that you're going to be able to bring in a guard this year that's going to give you what Cole Strange can give you in that type of offense that he's designed to block for. I said it three times. I'm going to continue to say that because I think it deserves the point of being hammered home.

Starting point is 00:35:39 You haven't seen the full potential of Cole Strange yet, and I don't think it's fair to adequately grade him until you've seen him operate in the system he's designed to block into so bottom line folks always make sure to keep your mock drafts coming in and keep them coming in over the weekend because I know it's free agent day on Monday but Murph and I are still going to squeeze in a mock draft for you because the more signings happen the more it becomes clear what positions of need the Patriots are leaving to target in the 2024 NFL draft so get those mock drafts in but don't forget we are also going to be breaking down all the free agent moves right here

Starting point is 00:36:16 on Locked On Patriots on Monday in the meantime I'm Mike DeBate and on behalf of my good friend Thomas Murphy I remind 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.

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