Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki Among Mac Jones Top 3 Pass-Catchers in 2023?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Is this new version of the Boston T.E. Party the one we've been wanting all along? 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. Welcome to the podcast. Subscribe or follow for free on YouTube or 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, and I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. So reach out to me and let me know what's on your mind on Twitter at MDABATENFL.

Starting point is 00:01:06 And while you're out there showing some love to the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. And Pats fans, thank you for joining me here today. A special shout out to all of you Locked On everydayers out there. Those of you who make Locked On Patriots possible, my unending appreciation to you. Honored, humbled by your support. As you can see, a bit of a new look and a new studio for Locked On Patriots. We're still working on the lighting a little bit, folks, but we will continue to try to bring you the best coverage we possibly can here on Locked

Starting point is 00:01:38 On Patriots. That is paramount and most important. But today on the pod and this weekend episode, we were going to be adding some class and pizzazz to the show. That's right. One of our very favorites here on Lockdown Patriots, the Countess of Class herself, Miss Claire Classic Claire Cooper is going to join me in just a moment. And what else would we be talking about? Yeah, folks, tight ended when 12 personnel featuring Mike Gusecki and Hunter Henry caused a lot of excitement

Starting point is 00:02:06 among Patriots media and fans when we got our first look at the New England Patriots on the field last Wednesday. Will this last? What does it mean for the rest of the Patriots offense? Claire and I are going to discuss that today. And in a segment that we are proud to bring back, we're going to have a little clairvoyance for you today. That's right. Claire looks into her Belichickian tea leaves, and she's going to read who will be the top three pass catchers for Mac Jones or whoever is the quarterback for New England when this team takes the field for the first time in 2023. Folks, an exciting show.

Starting point is 00:02:41 Definitely want to stick around for this one. It's always awesome when Claire hits the microphone here on Locked On Patriots, and I know you're going to love this show. So stay locked in. But first, folks, we knew it was inevitable. We knew the day was coming. Unfortunately, the retirement of Devin McCourty is now official. The team captain having his retirement officially processed by the NFL on Friday.

Starting point is 00:03:04 This is a move that everyone expected to take place after June 1st. That now allows the Patriots to split the dead salary cap charges on Devin's contract over 2023 and 2024. And of course, the tip of the cap, a nod to the gods to our good friend, Miguel Patskat-Benzon, the only source we need when it comes to Patriots salary cap information. He has informed all of us that the New England Patriots will now incur $3.5 million in dead money for 2023 while taking a hit of $6.2 million in 2024. This move, estimated according to Miguel, will provide the Patriots with about $225,000 in additional gap space. Safety Joshua Bledsoe now moves up into the top 51, and he's going to take McCourty's place on that list.

Starting point is 00:03:50 His $940,000 salary is going to replace Devin's $1.17 million on the top 51. So according to Miguel, the Patriots now have a little north of $13.3 million in available gap space. That was one of the transactions that the Patriots processed on Friday. The other involves yet another pair of brothers on this roster, a potential pair of brothers. Talked about the McCourty twins and Devin mostly, but there was also the chance that the Tavai brothers could be the next beloved pair of siblings to don Patriots uniforms in the same season. That still could happen, but it took a big hit on Friday because the New England Patriots released undrafted rookie free agent defensive lineman Justice Tavai. Now that name may sound familiar

Starting point is 00:04:36 to a lot of you. Yes, he is Jelani's little brother, and he had signed with the Patriots out of San Diego State as an undrafted free agent back on May 19. He finished his college career in 2022 at San Diego State after four seasons at Hawaii, one of them at El Camino College in 2017. Good size, 6'3", 290 pounds, played in 12 games and finished with 38 tackles, three and a half sacks. Tavai played in 25 games with 19 starts during his time in Hawaii and finished with 72 total tackles and four sacks. And as far as individual accolades go, he was named the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year last season.

Starting point is 00:05:16 So good resume for Justice. Unfortunately, probably a numbers game for the New England Patriots. Don't rule out a possibility of him coming back as the Patriots roster thins out a bit, but some team may take a look at him and decide that he's worth a flyer. But the Patriots are trying to keep their options open on defense, and according to Doug Kyatt of HSE Sports, Carson Wells, a 24-year-old out of the University of Colorado, most recently with the XFL, was in town on Thursday for a workout with the New England Patriots. And pretty good career at Colorado. Good size, 6'3", 241 pounds, appeared in 41 games for Colorado, 17 and a half sacks, 154 tackles, one forced fumble,

Starting point is 00:05:59 and also intercepted three passes, including one of which he returned for a touchdown. So pretty solid numbers. But Wells, unfortunately, did not hear his name called during the 2022 NFL draft. Signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted rookie free agent, released after only one preseason game. And Wells didn't get immediately picked up by another team. He spent most of 2022 on the free agent market he did get another opportunity though in january and that's when the xfl came calling in the form of the st louis battle hawks just love that name by the way but making the move to middle linebacker now

Starting point is 00:06:38 well started to see some serious action up there 10 games during the 2023 season, started eight of them, three and a half sacks, as well as 45 tackles. We hope it's a situation where it can be a mutually beneficial relationship. Patriots get what they need. Carson gets his return to the NFL. However, the Patriots bringing him in for a tryout indicates that they're still looking for help at the off-ball linebacker position. And this is not a surprise, folks. Raekwon McMillan going down definitely shows that they're looking to at least enhance their depth. And I still think Marte Mapo is going to take the majority of those looks. Bottom line, this is not going to move the needle all that much, even if Carson is signed

Starting point is 00:07:19 to a deal here in New England. But you're looking for camp bodies at this time of year. And who knows? Sometimes camp bodies can do pretty big things, and if they do catch the eye of one of the Pats coaches, could mean a spot on the roster for him. So keep a sharp eye on Carson Wells in the coming days and weeks. But one thing we are going to be keeping our sharp eye on here on Locked on Patriots

Starting point is 00:07:39 is the Countess of Klaas herself, who will be joining me and hopping in here in just a moment to discuss tight endage, top three pass catchers, and much more when it comes to the New England Patriots offense. We're even going to get a glimpse at some clairvoyance. What more can you ask for when this weekend episode of the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues? Patriots fans, today's episode is brought to you by our good friends over at FanDuel Sportsbook. Make a fast break to FanDuel during the NBA playoffs because right now, new customers get a no-sweat first bet up to $1,000. That's $1,000 back in bonus bets if your first bet doesn't win. I know the NBA Finals might be leaving a little bit of a bad taste in your

Starting point is 00:08:24 mouth if you are a green teamer, but it is still an exciting time of year, and there's no better place to bet all of the playoff action than America's number one sportsbook. Visit Fanduel.com slash LockedOn and get a no-sweat first bet up to $1,000.

Starting point is 00:08:40 That's Fanduel.com slash LockedOn. Fanduel, official sportsbook betting partner of the NBA. Patriots fans, thank you once again for making LockedOn Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. And today on the program, folks, we usually close the week in style here on LockedOn Patriots. But if we're really going to close the week properly,

Starting point is 00:09:03 why not add a little clazz and pizzazz and that's exactly what we've done one of our favorites here on locked on patriots the illustrious claire clazy claire cooper joins me claire thank you so much for joining me from across the pond and thanks for adding a little clazz and pizzazz to our show today well you're more than welcome but i did actually wonder where you were going with that with we usually add class for the weekend, and I was like, okay, where's he going with this? I know he likes to tweak me, but seriously, is this, you're really going to put me down in my intro? I figured there might be some uneasiness, folks, but you know what? That's what we're going for here. We're on the weekend. There's no format. Yeah, absolutely. My job is to make Claire as uncomfortable as possible. No, I'm kidding, folks. That's all a joke. You know that. And bottom line, we are

Starting point is 00:09:50 always thrilled, always honored to have Claire here. Call him Mr. Extraordinaire from Pat's Propaganda. And of course, folks, if you are not subscribed to Claire Perspective, the Patriots podcast, what are you doing here in Patriots Nation? Definitely make sure to check out each and every episode.

Starting point is 00:10:05 A great new one dropping over the weekend as well. So after you've finished your perusing and viewing and listening of Locked On Patriots, definitely check that out. And Claire, today on the program, yeah, we're going to be talking one of your favorite subjects because it is part of the topic of the day here in New England. And that is the new look Patriots offense Patriots media had an opportunity to get their first look at the New England Patriots on the field when it comes to OTAs on Wednesday and big stories were Bill O'Brien

Starting point is 00:10:38 looking like he's very much involved very much in command of this offense. Mack Jones looking sharp, going 11 of 11 in 11 on 11 drills. Yeah, folks say that three times faster. 11 on 11 through 11 on 11 drills. Yeah, a lot of 11s going on there. And then three for three in seven on sevens. Mack looking sharp. But one of the big things that everyone is taking away from that

Starting point is 00:11:00 is the prolific nature of having two pass-catching tight ends on the field at the same time when mac jones stopped under center the ball was snapped to him both of these veteran tight ends taking off into the routes i'm talking hunter henry i'm talking mike gasecki claire the excitement around the new england patriots right now is that the 12-man personnel that we're going to see this year may be reminiscent of what Patriots fans knew and loved about Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Not going to be a like for like here, but these two guys can catch passes. They can be competent weapons in the open field. When you look at this, first of all, how excited does it make

Starting point is 00:11:40 the Countess of Clats? But but more importantly what do you believe this indicates for the Patriots offense heading into 2023 well as you can tell by my giggly nature my I can't sit still I'm so happy to talk about this you know this topic yeah I'm really excited I even I kind of said not long after they they signed Gusecki I was already excited to like see that guy in a Patriots uniform I was like let's get images of him in that tealy blue that, you know, a Finn's uniform out of our heads. I want to see him in Patriots blue. I want to see this. I want to see this. Cause I was really quite excited by the sort of the signing of him,

Starting point is 00:12:15 him being that bit more dynamic and him possibly being more of a better fit than, than Jono Smith really ended up being sort of thing. So yeah, Gusecki is that sort of a better fit than than janu smith really ended up being sort of thing so yeah giseki is that sort of a move to end a lot of people like to call him a bit of a glorified wide receiver but you know he's a big dude and the one thing that i think i'm pretty sure it was paul perillo on patriots unfiltered it i'm pretty sure it was one of them said how long he looks kind of out there when you see this guy on the field obviously you've seen him as a dolphin but to see him sort of in in your eye line on your practice field he's long and he and the one thing is when i've looked at sort of highlights and broke down what he can do he can use his length and i think that this is something that we haven't really had i'm not saying he's gronk because he

Starting point is 00:13:00 he's he is a different titan and gronk is kind of two different Titans morphed into one amazing package. But he can use his size the way that Gronk was very good at using his size. So I'm excited to see that. Now, that's not, you know, that's not a slight on Hunter Henry because he's not, you know, he's not a little guy either. So, you know, and, you know, he's quite apt at being a Titan. But I think with the blocking skills that Hunter, I read that he worked on his blocking skills back in 2022. He spent time on those fundamentals to sort of expand that skill set of his. Now, I'm not saying that he's going to be just used as a blocker.

Starting point is 00:13:36 He's not, as you said, the way that he lined up. It's much more of a pass-catching ability. But you've got two weapons now, and you've got the ability to disguise what your plays are going to be because you've got two very able tight ends. And I think that's key. If you've got them lined up and you know one guy isn't a pass catcher, you sort of know where they're going with the offense

Starting point is 00:13:57 and you know that you haven't got to be worried about that guy because he's the one at the line of scrimmage sort of thing. So I think what they've got in the two of them is interesting and you know it's it's kind of it's stuttering but it's better than what they had last year now I know that when they signed Jonu we were we were doing this we were having these discussions we were having the the 12 personnel discussions we were having the Hernandez Gronk sort sort of comparisons and stuff like this, or semi-comparisons, I suppose. And it just really wasn't very fruitful because, unfortunately,

Starting point is 00:14:32 Smith didn't quite fit in the system. I think what you've got in Gusecki is slightly different. And I think maybe the mentality and the background is slightly different. And there's those sort of tedious links, if you like, with the Penn State thing with Gusecki and O'Brien and stuff like that. So there's a lot of confidence around these two guys. And, you know, and so be. I think that it's going to work.

Starting point is 00:14:56 The style's going to be better than what we've seen. And also, if you want to sort of look more in depth about the tight endage, I've just got to throw this plug out there because I did, I had to get down and dirty and look at all the titanage on the roster and i did a um an article for pats propaganda when they signed first go because i think he that's something else that's significant is the patriots have got blockers in their midst now that maybe they didn't really have for quite a while and i know that we're talking about the two weapons and how they can complement each other but you've also got how they're checking the boxes when it comes to the Patriots with the

Starting point is 00:15:27 blocking tight ends in regards to the sort of H-backy sort of aspect of Anthony Fertzger because of his slightly 6'2 he isn't one of the the using his size situation as we're talking about with like Gusecki and Hunter he's more of the sort of H-back type tight end and I think that's something that he's missing is maybe they're not going back to the fullback days but they're going back to this versatile blocking-esque H-back-esque tight end and maybe that's what Fertzger will be and also he's got he's got the um I mean the experience in in the NFL that they you know to make sure that they've got that in there when it comes to the tight end hub but Johnny Lumpkin as well

Starting point is 00:16:09 big dude from what I understand, rather large significant when it comes to human being good blocker I talked on my show with Evan Lazar that hopefully we recorded earlier before we recorded this so hopefully you guys will be able to listen to it after you've listened to this

Starting point is 00:16:24 we discussed Johnny Lumpkin in regards to how huge he is and how he Hopefully we recorded earlier before we recorded this. So hopefully you guys will be able to listen to it after you've listened to this. We discussed Johnny Lumpkin in regards to how huge he is and how he can, he just looks like a tackle, the way that you look at him. And I'm very interested in what his wingspan is actually. I haven't looked it up, but I want to go and look it up. But because of the whole Skowronski thing, when they discussed his arm length, I'd be interested now to see what the arm length of Lumpkin is, if they put those down, because he's just a tight end. So they're not only looking at those two tight end set weapons, pass catching tight ends that are really going to make a significant difference when it comes to that.

Starting point is 00:16:58 They're also looking at the sort of the back end of it, if you like when it comes to the H back and the blocking and keeping the significance that's necessary so I think when it comes to tight endage on the field it isn't just going to be Gusecki and Hunter that was that significant I think it's the fact that they've realized what they need and what they want out of a tight end and they've sort of ticked all the boxes to get what they need from that and I'm just really excited to see all of it I mean very excited to see Gusecki and very excited to see how him and Hunter can complement each other and and really confuse bemuse and overcome defenses shall we say but that the blocking isn't going to be as such of a worry as it as it was in previous days and stuff like that so it's just I'm, it's just excitement all around

Starting point is 00:17:45 when it comes to tight ending. How can it not be? Folks, when you want to talk about adding class and pizzazz, you start using words like confuse and bemuse. It's definitely bringing the class level up here on Locked On Patriots. So I thank you for that, Countess. But I think you make so many interesting points. First off, I love how you've incorporated Anthony Ferkser, Scotty Washington, Matt Sokol,

Starting point is 00:18:08 Johnny Lumpkin, all of these tight ends that the Patriots are utilizing right now. This is not just a two-person Boston TE party this year. The Pats are going to utilize 12 personnel, but you need at least three, maybe even four competent tight ends on this roster, or at least practice squad bodies that you can elevate in order to make sure that it's always running at its proper level. We talked about Ferkser a lot last week. Murph and I did here on Locked On Patriots. And folks, if you haven't had a chance to check out Claire's great article on tight endage on Pets Propaganda,

Starting point is 00:18:40 check it out. It's out there. Highly recommended. Great stuff. You're going to be even more informed about tight endage digit what more can you ask for so great piece there but ferkser does fill that blocking h back fullback type role he did it at harvard we saw him do it coach tim murphy loved deploying him in that regard i'll use check cameron bray two of his best students when it comes to the h backback fullback role at Harvard was Tim Murphy.

Starting point is 00:19:07 And he puts Anthony Ferkser in that category. So that's pretty high praise for a young man of his caliber. But what Gusecki's addition to me, and we've talked a lot about Gusecki being that dynamic tight end receiving type threat, the guy that can play out wide. He can play out of the slot really really well and he can be that red zone threat is i think it elevates hunter henry's game to another level as well hunter is at his best when he uses the intermediate area of the field folks primarily against teams that have some difficulty defending it and there are going to be a few of those on the patriots schedule this year so this is an area a soft area where the Patriots can get Henry can be successful when he finds that

Starting point is 00:19:49 space down in soft zone so if a defense is playing that they're going to give him the opportunity to do it and he can utilize the flat combinations to his advantage that's when teams are going to attempt to neutralize that they're going to try to take away the slot and that may be maybe game planning as you've said several times here on the show before claire game planning for mike gasecki the teams are actually going to look at him as being someone they feel they have to stop before even a snap is taken they're looking at him as someone that they have to slow down in order to neutralize mac jones that's where Hunter Henry can find the room to operate, maybe even utilize his ability for catch and run. We haven't seen him do that a whole lot here in New England,

Starting point is 00:20:30 but he can do it in short yardage. He did it in Los Angeles. I'd love to see him be able to do it here. And when the ball's not headed his way, that's when I think you're going to see Hunter take that next step as a blocker. He's already stepped up his blocking game on the edge. He can seal his blocks very well. I think he's doing that better now as a blocker. He's already stepped up his blocking game on the edge. He can seal his blocks very well. I think he's doing that better now than he has before.

Starting point is 00:20:49 So this could be an opportunity for the Patriots to really utilize their full spectrum of tight endage and especially the skill sets that each of these guys brings to the table. Exactly. And what you mentioned there about Gusecki, sort of drawing coverage, if you like, is what you sort of alluded to.

Starting point is 00:21:06 As I mentioned at the beginning, he's contested catch ability using his length sort of thing. It's going to be another benefit of he's still drawing coverage, but he's able to make the catches in that coverage kind of thing. So it just increases the levels when it comes to the sort of weapon that he could be really exactly no i think that's perfectly said and it does it gives a defense a choice which do we want to take our chances with do we want to give hunter the opportunity to catch and run and make things happen in the intermediate areas of the field especially knowing how good hunter is at running routes or do we focus our efforts on trying to shut him down and you leave gaseki wide open in the slot or you leave him

Starting point is 00:21:51 with the ability one-on-one to go up and make those contested catches players that they're going to be putting on a tight end could be a mismatch and that's something that the patriots could look to exploit in this coming year i'm'm excited about tight-ended. You know the Countess of Clas is off the charts excited about tight-ended. And we're excited because it's the weekend and we are flushing the format here on Locked On Patriots. But we are not done yet because we are about to resurrect a segment we haven't brought out here in quite a while. I've missed it.

Starting point is 00:22:22 You've missed it. That's right. We've got a little clairvoyance coming at you in just a while. I've missed it. You've missed it. That's right. A little clairvoyance coming at you in just a moment. Claire's going to look into her Belichickian crystal ball and determine who might be Mac Jones's favorite targets in 2023. We tackle that subject when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. That's fans. Thank you once again for taking time out of your weekend to spend here on Locked On Patriots podcast continues. That's fans. Thank you once again for taking time out of your weekend to spend here on

Starting point is 00:22:47 locked on Patriots. We are a proud part of the locked on podcast network, your team every day. And if you are joining us on the weekend, you are defining the term every day or folks again, I continue to be so heartfeltly honored and humbled by your support for locked on Patriots. And don't forget Monday.

Starting point is 00:23:05 We're coming back at you. Hashtag a locked on Murph Monday, but most importantly, hashtag mailbag Monday, get your questions in. We submit and take questions right up until Sunday evening to give you the opportunity to get your burning Patriots questions answered. OTAs observations,

Starting point is 00:23:23 Mac Jones, Bill Belichick, Joe judge, whatever's on your mind. We want to know what you're thinking so drop us a line in the comments section below on youtube just make sure to put hashtag mailbag monday in there so we know it's a submitted question and also you can reach out on twitter at lo underscore patriots or you can send me a direct line at mdabatenfl or of course at teamerc207 as well for the count of Murphy Fisto. But today, Pats fans, we are closing the week with a style unique to my guests today.

Starting point is 00:23:53 The illustrious Claire Clasic, Claire Cooper of A Claire Perspective and Pats Propaganda has already regaled us with her wisdom and counsel on a subject very near and dear to your heart, Countess, and that is tight endage. But now I'm going to ask you to pull further upon that unique gift. And believe me, you do got a gift, my friend. You, you, you're a very good you when it comes to tight endage. But we're going to ask you to expand upon that just a little bit. That's right, everyone. The return of our very own famous sage and soothsayer. Watch her. I'm going to make her blush now, folks. The all-knowing, all-seeing, all-omniscient Countess of Clas. That's right. It is time for clairvoyance. And folks, the tea leaves that Claire is about to read, they've been hermetically sealed.

Starting point is 00:24:40 They've been kept in an ancient ceramic tea kettle on the shelf at Lockdown Headquarters. They've been there since noontime on Monday. No one but the illustrious Cloutis of Clads herself can decipher the contents of these tea leaves, and that's why she is here today. Claire, the topic is Patriots offense. The subject is quarterback Mac Jones or, okay, play devil's advocate or Bailey Zappi or Trace McSorley or Malik Cunningham, whomever is throwing passes. The code to be deciphered, Countess. These three players will catch the most passes from Patriots quarterbacks in 2023.

Starting point is 00:25:22 What say the tea leaves? What say you? Oh, great, Sage. Well, never mind the tea leaves what say you oh great sage well never mind the tea leaves my number one has got to be mike gasecki and i actually have several reasons for this one obviously i'm super excited as we alluded to in the the first part of this episode i'm psyched to see what this guy has got and i'm very excited to see him matching up with my other favourite Hunter Henry but I also if you're a listener of a Claire perspective and you caught the off-season bonus episode with my lovely assistant Chudders and we had I got pushed into I have to say a sandwich prop bet on who I think he's going to be the most uh catch the most passes uh on the

Starting point is 00:26:02 offense yeah uh was Mike Gusecki said i really have to go with him else i'd probably be called out by several of my listeners but yeah i'm still going with that he's my number one it is any pass catching it isn't necessarily the scorer of touchdowns overall because i do have a sneaky suspicion that they're going to rely quite heavily on the run game so i think it's going to be a bit of a kind of um situation that's going to get spread around I think I think that's one thing that we're going to see this season actually to sort of expand this is is that he's going to spread the ball around I don't think he's just going to have his one go-to because I think there's several individuals now on this

Starting point is 00:26:39 roster that are experienced they've been in the NFL and they've been in um the you know they've been in the industry on the field sort of thing so that they've got that skill set that that they that bill o'brien is going to be able to utilize and that is the likes of giseki and hunter henry and judy smith-huster you know these guys aren't you know brand new they're not rookies and you've got the likes of romandre stevenson when it comes to the running game and you've got the possible breakout of um taekwon thorn sorry i could totally blank on his first name there so yeah there's i think there's a lot there so i think there's going to be a bit of sharing out so i don't necessarily think that there's going to be a one top guy that's scoring all the touchdowns and then there's a big drop in between so with

Starting point is 00:27:28 regard to the top three dude it's so early in the season that this is such a shot in the dark even the tea leaves can't predict this it's just the tea leaves are far too weak because it is too early in the season as we have only seen one OTA in all fairness but I'm going to give it a shot anyway Gusecki is my number one as I said many reasons I think we're looking at a situation with a wide receiver being the number two and at the minute it's a toss-up between is this the breakout year for Taekwon Thunton or is this the the utilization of the veteran in regards to Juju Smith-Huster because I know there's, I don't want to say love there, like affection there, like respect there in between Matt Jones and Juju because we've heard that in the press conferences and stuff like that.

Starting point is 00:28:13 So I'm sort of hoping, thinking, believing, putting my trust beliefs in that there's going to be a good dynamic, hopefully, that works itself out there. So I think Juju Smith-Huster is definitely going to be up there. Now, as we record this on Friday, there has not been a signing of deandre hopkins and if there were to be a signing of deandre hopkins to the patriots this list is going out the window because it's going to be completely different when it comes to that so it is a bit of a stage of yeah the tea leaves a week it's very early to say but i think you're looking at if i've got a guess

Starting point is 00:28:47 now it's gosicki i want to say juju but i also want to say hunt henry i knew this was going to happen you gave me three and i want to give you four this is this is this is me this is what chudders gives me grief of sitting on the part of my plan and john rook actually john rook he's epic at getting me off the fence he's he's a master at getting me off the fence usually because he just says get off the fence Claire so and I have to obey obviously it's John Rook how can you not so yeah I really want four but you only gave me three so I'm going to try and control myself I'm going Mike Gusecki Hunter Henry Jujutsu Mishita there's my three I got off the fence ch. I got off the fence, Chidders.

Starting point is 00:29:26 I got off the fence, John Rook, and I did a three. There we go. And I think in a lot of ways, I think you're going to have a lot of company in that regard. Because when you look at the two tight end sets, and we just, from one day of being able to view what this team is capable of doing, it was exciting to see that back on the field for the New England Patriots it's been a long time since the Patriots have been able to run those types of efficient productive tight end sets that we know a lot of fans wanted when Jonu Smith came in and for whatever reason they just weren't able to get on the same page there looks to be a synergy

Starting point is 00:30:01 already not just between Gusecki and Mack and Hunter and Mack, but also between Hunter and Gusecki, understanding each other's roles and pushing each other to be better at what they're individually good at. And I think that's something that Gronk and Hernandez did very well. And that's something that I think you'll see on the field this year, especially with Bill O'Brien, knowing how to utilize these guys and their best suits they know exactly what to do but I think going with Juju in this situation as the wide receiver is the smart move because he is the veteran in the room when you look at it um Kendrick Bourne I think is going to be reborn in a lot of ways I think you're going to see him be a productive

Starting point is 00:30:41 member of this offense but I also think it's going to be more situationally than anything else Tyquan Thornton looked excellent he looked very good on the field on Wednesday and I know a lot of people are excited about him I'm excited to see what he can do this electric speed tremendous athleticism and he looks like he's put on a little bit of bulk and that's something that will help him in terms of being a little bit more durable. But I also caution people to remember that he's a sophomore for all intents and purposes. He missed a lot of time in 2022. It's going to take him a little bit to get acclimated to the field and learn his strengths, his weaknesses, what he can take and keep moving forward. And that, I think, is what's going to be

Starting point is 00:31:25 an issue with uh taekwon maybe a little bit earlier juju comes in he knows who he is he's been to the puppet show he's seen the strings he's got the super bowl ring he's capable of carrying this load i think he does become the most targeted pass catcher for mac maybe not necessarily most touchdowns but i think he will be the guy that catches the most passes pass catcher for Mac maybe not necessarily most touchdowns but I think he will be the guy that catches the most passes because of his ability to gain yards after the catch yeah I think that just with the you know with the bringing in of Bill O'Brien with it feeling like Mac Jones has really got to rebuild himself this year because of having last year as as what it was it just sort of feels like particularly if he

Starting point is 00:32:06 makes a really good connection with Juju that he's going to want to I don't want to say fall back on but for want of a better phrase fall back on those veterans and feel like he can maybe trust them better now that's not a slant on Thornton at all I'm not saying that he's not trustworthy nothing like that at all it's just just because this season is so important when it comes to Matt Jones, you know, I believe as a fan, a lot of people have thrown around the, it's a prove it year.

Starting point is 00:32:34 And I just think because of that, as you said, at least at the start of the season, as everything is clicking together, Mackie's going to rely on those slightly more veteran guys. And that's kind of why I went with Hunter as well, really, because he's got such a good connection with Hunter Henry.

Starting point is 00:32:51 And I know that going for two tight ends, he's, you know, he's pushing it a bit. I just think it's going to be sort of a bit more of a safety blanket when it comes to Gusecki, Hunter and Juju. And that's why maybe starting off the season, particularly Juju, will be utilised more by Mac. It may be that as the season progresses and as the bonds progress and as Thornton finds his feet, for want of a better word,

Starting point is 00:33:18 he may then be utilised more. But obviously you've got timing, so you're going to have less targets by then. I think overall, when you look at the season as a whole, it just feels like this is, as it's the prove-it year, as we've said for Matt Jones, I think he's going to feel the need of the safety of those sorts of guys when it comes to Gusecki, Hunter and Juju. That's sort of what coloured my answer more so. It's not a slight against Zonton. You know, it brought out what you said in regards to that needs that time to still to still develop because he's a sophomore and I

Starting point is 00:33:49 think that's what it if you were talking about a particular point in the season it might be that come the end of the season Thornton is like number one target wide receiver one or something because he's grown so well I just think when we're looking over the season as a whole if you're trying to you know tea leaves of the season as a whole I think it's going to be more the veterans this season to help Mac prove that he is what he is kind of thing. Absolutely. 100% agree. And well said.

Starting point is 00:34:14 And let's face it. Let's remember that Taequann Thornton is primarily a deep threat. He's someone that's going to stretch the field. He's someone that's going to get open, create separation from his defender. Not every pass that Mac Jones throws is going to get open create separation from his defender not every pass that mac jones throws is going to connect for big yardage he's not going to be taking quite as many of those shots you're going to see a lot more in the intermediate areas of the field and that's why i think juju and maybe even kendrick bourne may leapfrog guys like taekwon in terms of receptions

Starting point is 00:34:41 because they're going to be more comfortable passes to complete and bottom line who better than the two tight ends to be able to catch some of these and that's where bill o'brien is at his best that type of offense where you can find you know lead the receiver under the defense get the ball quickly accurately on time and make sure that you give your pass catcher, whether it's a tight end, whether it's a wide receiver, or whether it's a third down back. Ty Montgomery looked awesome on the field as well on Wednesday. So look for him to be someone to keep an eye on

Starting point is 00:35:14 as training camp and minicamp progresses. If he gets that third down back roll out of the backfield, it's going to only enhance their ability to get yards after the catch because the plays are designed to maximize that. And that's what Bill O'Brien is very good at. And also folks, it's what Mac Jones is very good at as well. Take a look at the tape that he put from Alabama and you'll see,

Starting point is 00:35:36 this is the type of offense that he loves to run, that he's very good at running. And now he's got an offensive coordinator that's going to cater to his strengths rather than take them away. As we saw last with matt patricia and joe judge so awesome stuff claire always accurate always spot on and always a lot of fun folks you can't ask for better than that the countess has delivered the tea leaves have been read and now it is time to uh darken the belichickian crystal ball until the next time that Claire brings out the Claire Voyance here. And we're going to be bringing this segment back a lot

Starting point is 00:36:09 simply because I just love to feel comfortable. But at the same time, folks, it's also a lot of fun. So Claire, what can I say? Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule for joining me here today, lending wisdom and counsel that only you can lend. You're truly an expert on this subject. I'm honored and humbled that you take time to spend with us here on Locked

Starting point is 00:36:29 On Patriots and enlighten us on it. So before I let you go, please let everyone know, all our everydayers out there on Locked On Patriots, where they can find you, where they can find your great work, and what you have coming down the pike from the great pen, the great voice of Claire Klaas and Claire Cooper. Oh, thanks Mike. It's always so much fun when I get to come on the airwaves with you anyway.

Starting point is 00:36:48 But yeah, as Mike already alluded to, a new episode of a Claire perspective of Patriots podcast brought to you by thoughtpresscoverage.com will be dropping shortly. I recorded it this morning, my time before, no, this morning, your time, this afternoon, my time before I came on here. So yeah, please look out for that it's a slightly extended version because i was very lucky to get evan lazar to join me and so many questions so we went a little bit long folks so i apologize it is more of a 45 minute

Starting point is 00:37:15 than a 35 minute so you know but evan how can you not want to listen to evan and pats propaganda.com yes mike also mentioned i think i also mentioned my tight endage article is out there when they signed Anthony Fertzger. I did do a deep dive onto who is on the Patriots at the moment when it comes to tight endage. So I do hope you'll go over to patspropaganda.com and check that out as it's still there. Also still available. You can still get your tight endage and I like tight ends and I cannot like T-shirts. They are still available over at patspropaganda.com so please you know if you like tight ends do go over there and purchase one whilst you can we're in the background at the moment looking at producing something new for Pats Propaganda when it comes to uh the season so fingers crossed that we're you know that's why

Starting point is 00:38:00 there's not a lot out there in content um at the moment because we're trying to work behind the scenes myself and Tom, the great Tom Schumacher. So yeah, please just keep an eye out on patspropaganda.com and yeah, download, subscribe, everything to a Claire perspective of Patriots podcast from full press

Starting point is 00:38:17 coverage as that will be soon. So please go and look for that. Absolutely. All you everydayers out there, folks, I say it over and over again, you know it, and it

Starting point is 00:38:25 becomes more true by the day whenever Claire puts pen to paper voice the microphone it's appointment listening appointment viewing appointment reading and you will be more informed and more entertained and you can't ask for more than that so anything she does I highly recommend and folks we all thank you from the bottom of our hearts for continuing to make Locked On Patriots a daily, a weekly, a weekend part of your Patriots coverage. And I, for one, cannot thank all of you everydayers, all of your first-time listeners, and all of you Kazimner Whistlers for always making Locked On Patriots a part of your Patriots coverage. So on behalf of the illustrious Claire, classy Claire Cooper, I'm Mike debate, reminding you to stay safe and say,

Starting point is 00:39:07 well, and be the change that you wish to see in the world. Don't forget folks, get your questions in for hashtag mailbag Monday on locked on Patriots folks. We can't wait to break down your questions with the count of Murphy Fisto himself, Thomas Murphy on Monday until then have a great weekend, everyone, and we'll see you on Monday right here on Locked on Patriots.

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