Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots Initial 53-Man Roster Set, Bailey Zappe, Malik Cunningham, Nick Folk and More

Starting point is 00:00:00 The initial 53-man roster for your 2023 New England Patriots has been set, but the questions surrounding some pretty thin depth charts on offense are just beginning. Stick around. You're about to be locked into this roster-building episode of 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.

Starting point is 00:00:47 Welcome to the Lockdown Patriots Podcast. We are a proud part of the Patriots Podcast Network, your team every day. Subscribe or follow for free on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts to get the latest episode as soon as it's available. I am your host, Mike DeBate, and I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. So reach out to me and let me know what's on your mind on X, on Twitter, on the Bird app at M-D-A-D-A-T-E-N-F-L.

Starting point is 00:01:15 And while you're out there showing some well-deserved social media love to Lockdown Patriots, follow the account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. And folks, today's episode is brought to you by our good friends over at Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use the code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. And Pats fans, thank you for joining me here today. A special shout out as always to all of you Locked On Everydayers out there. Those of you who make Locked On Patriots possible each

Starting point is 00:01:52 and every day, my unending appreciation to you. I'm always honored. I'm always humbled by your support. And before we get started today, folks, I just want to offer my apologies for some of the audio quality difficulties we had on the pod here yesterday please rest assured that we are taking every measure to clean those up we will be better moving forward so thank you once again for hanging in there with locked on patriots but audio video troubles aside the patriots had a busy day and it's time to talk about it right here on locked on patriots because Because with the 2023 preseason now firmly in the past, your New England Patriots are turning their attention to the upcoming regular season. And on Tuesday, the Patriots officially made those evaluations we've been talking about.

Starting point is 00:02:39 Looking at positional battles, individual performances, and based on all of that, they set their initial 53-man roster for the upcoming 2023 season. And there were some size cuts, as there always are, but these were pretty big surprises, including a couple at the quarterback position. Bailey Zappi, Malik Cunningham on the cutting room floor. Yeah, if you could believe that, the jaws dropped all over New England on that one. And there were some expected reductions as well. The trade of kicker Nick Folk to the Tennessee Titans. And we're going to talk about both of those today. So stay locked in, folks, to hear about the quarterbacks and the kickers.

Starting point is 00:03:20 But first, it's time to meet the 2023 new england patriots and we're going to take an early look at their first potential depth chart here on locked on patriots where else are we going to start let's start with the quarterbacks and those of you viewing on youtube can see it right now and if it looks a little thin yeah you're right it is thin mac j, the only quarterback listed right now, he's the projected starter and, as we speak, the only reserve. And let's face it, Mack was always going to be the overwhelming favorite. I don't think anyone thought at this point in the season that Bailey Zappi had overtaken him for the starting job. But Zappi was still expected to serve as new england's backup option and malik cunningham was also in the mix potentially or so we thought for the third spot however both

Starting point is 00:04:13 struggled down the stretch and the patriots saw other areas on the roster that needed their attention and just like that mac jones is the only player on the depth chart now fear not folks one thing i can tell you is that the New England Patriots do have a backup plan. They're not going to go into week one with Mac Jones being the only quarterback on this depth chart. Patriots right now are hoping that both Bailey Zappi and Malik Cunningham, or at least one of them, makes it through waivers, and then they can re-sign them to the practice squad. Probably going to have a good amount of Patriots going on IR, so if that's indeed the case,

Starting point is 00:04:49 hoping that they're going to get one of these guys back on the active roster. Now, they run the risk of losing either one or both. The Patriots are obviously okay with that, and that does tell you something about this quarterback room, and we're going to talk more in depth about the quarterbacks in just a little bit we move on to the running backs right now and the running backs are also a little bit thin if you take a look at that depth chart remandre stevenson up at the top and of course ezekiel elliott being the top reserve now this is also not a surprise folks everyone expected remandre to be running back one and you expected ezekiel elliott to be running back two but the fact that the patriots are carrying only two

Starting point is 00:05:30 running backs indicates that they're counting on adding either jj taylor time montgomery or kevin harris all three of which were cut on tuesday and they're hoping to do that by the practice squad now we're hearing rumblings that jj taylor may be looking for a new start elsewhere and i hate to say this folks but it wouldn't surprise me he's been a mainstay here on the practice squad for quite some time maybe at this point going to another team might be just what jj taylor needs to spark his career i would love to see him back i hope the patriots re-sign him but if he doesn't he's given this area an awful lot, and I definitely wish him well. Kevin Harris, I do believe, will be back on the practice squad,

Starting point is 00:06:11 and Ty Montgomery was a little bit surprising to me. Coming off of the injured list, starting to practice with the team, it almost looked like the handwriting was on the walls, and I know that within the confines of Gillette Stadium Stadium there are a lot of people on that Patriots brass that really do admire Ty he could be another one that might come back via the practice squad but again keep a sharp eye on his former team down in New Orleans I know they still think very highly of Ty Montgomery down there so a lot to watch for with the running backs but again I expect the Patriots to add to this group, even if it means looking outside the organization.

Starting point is 00:06:49 And speaking of one thin depth chart to one that is kind of brimming at the seams, and rightfully so, is the offensive line. Yeah, there you can see, folks, 11 offensive line being carried by the Patriots. Trent Brown, the starting left tackle. Cole Strange at left guard. David Andrews at center. Trent Brown, the starting left tackle. Cole Strange at left guard. David Andrews at center. Michael Wainu at right guard. And Riley Rafe at right tackle. No big surprises here. Of course, keep a sharp eye out for Rafe. His injury status is still a wild card. That could potentially open up an additional roster spot. But as you can see,

Starting point is 00:07:23 the Patriots going with Berderian Lowe and Tyron Wheatley and quite honestly most of us expected both of these guys to make the roster you make the trades on Sunday highly unlikely that you're going to cut them loose this early Jake Andrews, City So, Antonio Mafi all making the team as rookies and the big surprise of the day Calvin Anderson coming off of the non-football injury slash illness list. And apparently Calvin was really going through it. We're going to talk a little bit more about him in the subsequent days here on Locked On Patriots.

Starting point is 00:07:53 But he is back in the fold. He's happy to be back here. And I know so many of us here in Patriots media and Patriots fandom, we're happy to see Calvin Anderson back. So good news for the Pats on that front. Unfortunately, Connor McDermott placed on injured reserve. He was placed on before the 53-man roster was set. So unfortunately, Connor's season in New England is done for 2023, but I would not rule out a return for him in 2024. We move on to the receivers group, and this group is also brimming at the seams, folks,

Starting point is 00:08:27 and for good reason. The projected starters, Devontae Parker, Juju Smith-Schuster, Kendrick Bourne are your top three guys, and then, of course, you see the reserves, Tyquan Thornton, Demario Douglas, and Keyshawn Boutte, and carrying six receivers may seem excessive, but the Patriots, in my opinion, are really going to benefit from having a diverse talent pool at this position. Douglas has performed well enough to warrant his roster spot. And even though Taekwon has his injury history, and that might warrant a placement on temporary injured reserve, after all, he wasn't at practice on Tuesday, so I would keep a sharp

Starting point is 00:09:03 eye out for that. But he still earns his place based as much on potential as on prowess. And finally, Keishon did it. Boutte's athleticism, his dynamic playmaking abilities make him worthy of selection as well. We've talked about this here on Locked On Patriots, and we've thought right from the beginning that Keishon Boutte had a place on this roster. It was great to see him make it. Demario Douglas earned his spot each and every day he took the field. Really excited to watch these rookies make no mistake about it, folks.

Starting point is 00:09:34 They earned their way onto this team. And rounding out the offense right now is the tight end depth chart. And much to the dismay of our empress of tight endage claire clazy claire cooper the patriots are carrying right now only two tight ends don't panic claire i do expect this to change hunter henry mike gasecki not a surprise here they're going to fulfill the 12 personnel duties in bill o'brien's offense but don't forget that even though gusecki is no longer wearing the red non-contact jersey he's still going to be careful with that shoulder so because of that I think the Patriots are going to look to the practice squad to add depth here and the guys that I'm looking at right now could

Starting point is 00:10:16 be Matt Sokol he performed well during camp he may return on the scout team because of his blocking ability and his knowledge of the system Anthony Ferkser is another name to watch too. I like the fact that he can align at H-back and at fullback. It's not a necessity in a Bill O'Brien offense, but at the same time, if you can align that way and you can bring that prowess to the table, why not have it in-house? I'm looking at those two guys right now that could make their return via the practice squad. Flipping it over to defense and there's your first look at the Patriots defensive line in 2023 Dietrich Wise Jr. Lawrence

Starting point is 00:10:52 Guy Devon Godchild the projected starters Christian Barmore Keon White Daniel Wale and Sam Roberts the reserves and don't forget about Trey Flowers on PUP, folks. I definitely think the Patriots will bring him off at some point, but Trey is still rounding his way back into game shape. Keon White had an amazing preseason, and he's going to continue that dominance, in my opinion, into the regular season for him to be a big factor in the Patriots' run packages, and I think he even has a chance to make an impact on the edge and of course the guy that I'm happiest for on this list Sam Roberts making a strong push for a roster spot especially in the closing few weeks of camp and in preseason he earns the final spot on the depth chart so that's

Starting point is 00:11:36 defense already looking formidable and if that's not formidable enough for you folks let's take a look at the linebackers and yeah absolutely for those of you listening the projected starters matthew jude on juwan bentley on the inside jelani tavai also on the inside as well and then you've got josh uche playing the s role and as far as the reserves go anthony jennings making this team marty mapu mac wilson a little bit of a surprise at least it was to me and ch Chris Borden, mostly for his special teams acumen. But don't rule out the fact that this guy can play a few snaps for you with linebacker.

Starting point is 00:12:11 Of course, we all know Judon is going to supply the athleticism, the aggression. Once again, Boucher is also going to be a potent weapon, no question about it. I think the Patriots love what they saw from Wilson's sideline to sideline speed in this preseason. And I think that's why he gets the nod over a guy like Ronnie Perkins. I'd like to see Ronnie come back on the practice squad. And if the Patriots do have an injury, he can be a guy that can slide right in. We saw a lot of promise from him in the last couple of weeks of training camp.

Starting point is 00:12:40 So keep that on. So take that under advisement and keep a sharp eye on ronnie perkins but mapu here i think is the guy that everybody's going to want to watch we all want to see what this guy can do and i think he has the stuff to be a significant contributor given his versatility and his hard-hitting style of play so patriots front seven definitely looking like a group that you do not want to take with if you're an opposing offense but if you're going to test the Patriots deep the corners are going to make you pay for it and this is a great group folks Christian Gonzalez getting the start over on the right side Jonathan Jones

Starting point is 00:13:15 probably getting the start on the left if the Patriots utilize the slot in starting packages Miles Bryant is probably going to get that right off the bat. And even despite his recent legal troubles, Jack Jones is going to get significant playing time for this unit. Patriots plan to utilize him extensively on the outside. And then you've got Marcus Jones backing up Miles Bryant in the slot, maybe even taking a few snaps along the perimeter. They'll rotate a little bit. And of course, as you can see on injured reserve, Isaiah Bolden. Unfortunately, Isaiah's season was over before it began. He'll take the year to convalesce. And even though I was looking forward to seeing him out on the field this year,

Starting point is 00:13:56 this is probably the right move and the smart move. A lot of potential for this kid in the secondary, as well as his prowess on kick returns. Isaiah Bolden is going to be one to watch in 2024, folks. So we wish him well but the patriots cornerbacks are well positioned and we move on in the secondary to the safeties and this is about as good of a four-man safety group as you're going to find anywhere kyle duggar and jalen mills i have penciled in here but really i think you can rotate any one of these guys the only constant in this group i think is going to be kyle duggar but but I think you're going to see Mills get starts, Adrian get starts, and of course,

Starting point is 00:14:29 Jabril Peppers. This is a very good unit, folks. They can definitely get the job done. Kyle is going to be your standout at the strong safety position. Jalen, I think, is going to play a little bit of free, but he can play up toward the line of scrimmage. Phillips is going to be your hybrid linebacker safety. He's going to play that star role, and Peppers, I think, is going to play a little bit of free, but he can play up toward the line of scrimmage. Phillips is going to be your hybrid linebacker safety. He's going to play that star role, and Peppers, I think, is going to be your backfield enforcer. So anything you need done, this group can get it done, and then some. And let's not forget the special team specialists, because kicker Chad Ryland is about to take the boot in New England, meaning that leg that's going to be in

Starting point is 00:15:05 charge of kicking the field goals in Foxborough yeah it belongs to the rookie and a rookie won the punter battle as well as Bryce Beringer gets ready to be the Patriots punter in 2023 as for the blocking coverage team you got three solid specialists here in Matthew Slater Brendan Schooler and rookie Amir Speed I'm really looking forward to seeing what Amir can do on the coverage teams, and there also might be a situation where he takes a little bit of pressure off of Marcus Jones in the return game as well. Cody Davis remains on PUP, so keep an eye on him to see when he might be eligible to come off.

Starting point is 00:15:39 I know the Patriots absolutely love this guy, and he brings an awful lot of acumen and knowledge to special teams coverage so Patriots fans the initial 53-man roster has been set you've now met your 2023 New England Patriots but as I said just a few moments ago the team is down to only one quarterback and what does that all mean moving forward? And really, the question on everybody's mind is, what did we get here? Well, I'm going to delve into that subject and a little bit more in just a moment when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues, a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team, every day.

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Starting point is 00:17:23 fans, thank you once again for joining me here today on Locked On Patriots as we break down your New England Patriots initial 53-man roster. And folks, as we said in the previous segment, some of the Patriots depth charts are busting at the seams and some are very thin. And unfortunately, the Patriots are at their thinnest in the most high-profile position in all of professional sports. That's right, folks. The quarterback position is down to one. Mack Jones is your starter,

Starting point is 00:17:54 and there's no one else left in the cupboard. Zappy Hour, officially over in Foxborough. Malik Magic, also officially over in Foxborough, at least for the time being and of course i'm talking about the shocker on tuesday just before the nfl's 53-man roster deadline your new england patriots cutting both their backup quarterbacks bailey zappy and malik cunningham and this comes just a day after cutting their only other reserve on the roster and that's trace mcsorley and the general consensus was that's Trace McSorley. And the general consensus was that after

Starting point is 00:18:25 cutting Trace McSorley, which a lot of us had predicted would happen, the Patriots would keep Zappi and maybe even keep Cunningham. But obviously, that wasn't the case. Now, the release of Cunningham was surprising. We all saw that he had dual threat capabilities. He could play quarterback. He could play wide receiver. He dazzled everyone in New England's preseason opener against the Houston Texans. But after that initial burst of Malik magic ran through the region or through the fan base, I should say, because we have a lot of Patriots fans that aren't in New England. And I know a lot of you listen from all over the globe, all over the country. I appreciate each and every one of you for taking the time to do that.

Starting point is 00:19:03 But after Malik got his initial burst of fame, unfortunately, we didn't see much from him, either at quarterback or at wide receiver that really warranted a roster spot. He kind of fizzled down the stretch a little bit, and he didn't make any positive plays at receiver or quarterback in last week's finale against the Tennessee Titans. Ultimately, he completed three of six passes for 19 yards, caught one pass, which ended up going for a one-yard loss, and he did carry the ball six times for 39 yards. And I don't want to forget, he also had a 21-yard kickoff return. And even though we all wanted to see Malik Mania kind of extend beyond just the preseason, Patriots didn't

Starting point is 00:19:42 quite see it that way, at least initially. And I'll come back to that in just a moment. But to me, the real shocker of the afternoon was the release of Bailey Zappi. You think back to a year ago at this time when Bailey was essentially the third option on the roster behind Brian Hoyer and Mac Jones as the starter, just a couple of months later, he almost ended up in the starting role for good. And again,

Starting point is 00:20:02 folks, I know that's going to rub some people the wrong way but a lot of people were talking about it he comes in when mac jones is out with an injured ankle wins his first two starts and all of a sudden you started hearing quarterback controversy popping up on pretty much every airwave and on every computer screen phone screen wherever you happen to consume your patriots coverage, people were talking about Zappi versus Mack. For lack of a better term, he demonstrated poise within the Patriots system. Again, leads the team to a 2-0 record, finished the season completing 65 of 92 passes for 781 yards,

Starting point is 00:20:37 five touchdowns, three interceptions. Not bad in a limited sample size, but Zappi had an ugly summer. There's no way to sugarcoat this, folks. Fumbled three times in the loss to the Titans, and I'm sure that had a lot to do with the Patriots' decision today. I know the Patriots don't make decisions in a vacuum, typically, but when you cough up a football three times as a quarterback, you're not endearing yourself to Bill Belichick,

Starting point is 00:21:04 and you're certainly not endearing yourself to Bill Belichick and you're certainly not endearing yourself to Bill O'Brien now that's not to say that Zappi can't succeed at this system we did see the 42 yard touchdown pass to Keyshawn Butte that was a nice pass that was a great catch by Keyshawn and who knows maybe that's enough to sneak him through waivers and get him back through the practice squad if in, Bailey Zappi does move on, he'll move on having gone 30 of 51 in this offseason or preseason, completing 58.8% of his passes for 253 yards and one touchdown. But once again, folks, you always keep coming back to those three fumbles.

Starting point is 00:21:42 Now he's been waived, and that unfortunately means that the New England Patriots are looking for more help at the quarterback position so given these transactions the pressing question now is who's going to be Jones's backup who's going to back up Mack when the season begins well conventional wisdom will tell you it's either going to be Malik Cunningham or Bailey Zappi or maybe both because they both sneak through waivers and make it onto the practice squad. Maybe one of them gets elevated for good and signed to the 53-man roster. But if that doesn't happen, and folks, I can tell you there is a chance it doesn't, then the Patriots are going to be wading through the veteran quarterbacks available right now. And there were a few that were released on Tuesday. Guys like Will Greer of the Cowboys and Colt McCoy of the Cardinals,

Starting point is 00:22:25 those are the two names that keep popping up. But even if Zappi does return to the Patriots, how is his release going to change the dynamic between he and a team that is clearly willing to take the risk to live without him? That can have an effect on a quarterback's psyche. No matter how good you are, no matter how well you fit into the system if you feel like there was even a part of you that wasn't wanted up here might be difficult for zappy to incorporate himself back into this fold so these are all things to watch out for bailey's got to be willing to come back the patriots will have to want to sign him back i think the patriots desires they're not sure what bailey's thinking right now To be honest with you, I wouldn't blame him no matter what decision he made.

Starting point is 00:23:08 And obviously Malik Cunningham is a wild card in all of this. We've talked about Baltimore's potential interest. Do they put in a waiver claim on him? Or does he make it through waivers? If he does, I think the Patriots will run to re-sign him because I think they'd love to have him back in Foxborough. To me, I think it was more a numbers crunch than anything else that pushed him off this roster.

Starting point is 00:23:28 And if the situation allows, I think the Patriots would love to see Malik Cunningham back in a Pats uniform sooner rather than later. So as the saying goes, folks, stay tuned to the quarterback drama that always seems to surround this team. But that drama doesn't end there because the Patriots played a game of hello, goodbye when it comes to their kicking game today, trading former incumbent kicker Nick Folk and solidifying Chad Ryland as the man for the job.

Starting point is 00:23:54 What does it mean for the start of a new era in Foxborough? Well, we're going to discuss 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. Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining me here today on Locked On Patriots, breaking down the Patriots' initial 53-man roster for 2023.

Starting point is 00:24:19 Don't forget that tomorrow here on Locked On Patriots, author and journalist Dave Archibald is going to join me to discuss his new project called The Inches We Need. It's a new book that will be available on paperback and on Amazon on Friday, September 1st. Folks, I've already had the privilege of reading some of the excerpts. The first chapter available right now at theinchesweneed.com. Folks, check it out.

Starting point is 00:24:45 You are going to love it. It's one of the best analytical takes on football I've had the privilege of reading in quite some time, so I highly recommend it. And check out tomorrow's show here on Locked On Patriots so you can hear what Dave has to say about this work, and we're even going to talk some Patriots as well. Well, they raised those eyebrows once again and caught the attention of the NFL universe on Tuesday when they traded veteran Nick Folk to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a seventh round selection in 2025. So the Nick Folk era is over in New England and the Chad Ryland era is about to begin.

Starting point is 00:25:18 And what this tells me, and I'm sure it tells you the same thing, the Patriots are content to test the full value of their draft investment by opting for Ryland's younger, stronger leg over Fulke's veteran reliability. And the rookie seems ready. Don't forget, he's only 23, but he comes with tremendous upside. Talked to the media on Tuesday, telling everyone in the room he's up to the challenge, but he's also cognizant of the pressure he's inheriting. For starters, this is the earliest that the Patriots have drafted a specialist in their team history. And even though he has some company in Bryce Barringer, and here's another little fun fact, folks, the Patriots become the first NFL team since 2000 to select both a kicker and a punter in the same draft.

Starting point is 00:25:59 And now those guys are going to be starting simultaneously. So, again, a lot on the shoulders of Chad Ryland. Ryland's ability to kick in the clutch, perform well in inclement weather, and handle kickoffs all factored into this selection. So much so that they were not only willing to trade up to secure his services earlier this year at the draft, but they were also willing to let a guy like Nick Fulk walk out the door in order to do it. And just in case any of you were forgetting how good a collegiate kicker Chad Ryland was, let's take a look at his resume together, folks. Even though he transferred to Maryland prior to the 2022 season, Ryland is still the career leader

Starting point is 00:26:35 in points scored at Eastern Michigan with 309. His lone season at Maryland, he connected on 82.6% of his field goals, including a perfect nine of nine from under 40 yards. He also became the first kicker in program history with two 50-yard field goal makes against the Michigan Wolverines in September. He hit a 53-yarder and a 52-yarder, the 53-yarder being the fourth longest in program history. Ryland also made 39 of his 40 extra point attempts. For all people screaming right now that this is in college and it's not in the pros, look, Chad Ryland will be the first to admit that. He has several times. He'll stipulate that kicking on an NFL field is inherently more pressure-packed, and it's more difficult than doing so on the collegiate stage. But he's got

Starting point is 00:27:22 a very calm demeanor. He's got a very confident approach and that's worked pretty well to date. And I don't think that's going to change. I found myself thinking a lot today about an interview that Chad Ryland did with the draft network in April before the Patriots took him. And he exuded that confidence in this interview. And one of the quotes that I pulled from there, and that I really thought was interesting was way of describing his approach. And he said, said quote my swing is exactly the same whether it's an extra point or a 55 yard field goal taking my line I like to take an aggressive line and swing my swing with confidence it's gotten me to this point and I trust it and you can hear that confidence in him

Starting point is 00:28:00 you still hear it folks even though he sputtered a little bit during training camp, Chad Ryland is still very confident that when the game is on the line, he can get the job done. And that, to me, is going to be something that I think will endear him to all of Patriots Nation. So Chad Ryland being installed as the new kicker, as the starting kicker for this team, seems like a good thing all the way around. Well, unfortunately, one negative side effect of it was that it brought an end to the tenure of Nick Falk here in New England. And this was a tough one, folks. I know we all love Nick for all of the great work that he did up here in New England.

Starting point is 00:28:35 One of the team's most dependable point scorers, spending four seasons with the Patriots, appearing in 57 games and connecting on 89.3% of his field goals. And of course, folks, for his efforts, he was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week by the NFL four times as a Patriot. And even though he had a handful of uncharacteristic sputters down the stretch, that had a lot of fans wondering whether the Patriots were going to be in search for a new kicker via the draft. And when they selected Chad, especially doing so in the fourth round,

Starting point is 00:29:05 I think a lot of Patriots fans believed that they had already set their standard for the upcoming season. But credit to Nick Folk, he didn't give up. He came into camp, played well, and really competed. And his steady showing during both camp practices and in the preseason, along with some of Ryland's struggles with accuracy,

Starting point is 00:29:25 made it a surprisingly tight positional battle. And again, Ryland realizes this. He knows that filling Nick Folk's shoes is not going to be easy. But if he performs to his capability, a lot of armchair GMs throughout Patriots fandom right now are going to be forced to reevaluate their stance on his selection. And you know what? Nobody knows this better than Chad Ryland, folks.

Starting point is 00:29:45 He's eager to prove the naysayers wrong, saying, quote, at the end of the day, there's a lot of work to be done. I know that ahead of time coming in, and I can't wait to get started. Well, folks, that day has come. The Chad Ryland era for the Patriots kicking game has begun. But as for Nick Folk, I can just say from personal experience that it has been a joy covering him. He has been a true professional in every sense of the word. And as for his legacy here in New England, it's going to undoubtedly and rightfully be written with accomplishment, accuracy, and above all, appreciation. When you're given the dubious task of succeeding team legends like Adam Vinatieri and Steven Gostowski, it is not easy, folks.

Starting point is 00:30:25 But Nick Folk did it, and he did it admirably. And it seemed like each time he stepped up to attempt a field goal, he exuded a kind of quiet trustworthiness in the clutch. And I think that's what earned him the nickname Big Kick Nick. And we all enjoyed tweeting that out. Each and every game day, Nick would connect on a field goal. I love to tweet out, Nick is good. I'm definitely going to miss that. But his moving on to the Tennessee Titans is very good. He's closer to his family at this point, and I think it's going to be a great fit for him in Music City. And he proved it. He's still capable of being a team's primary kicker. He can even be a top-level talent within the NFL. And even though New England has opted for the younger, stronger leg again, folks, and as much as

Starting point is 00:31:06 I do like Nick Folk, folks, the Patriots made the right decision here. His impact on the organization, even though it was brief, in my humble opinion, is forever going to be one of class, honor, and dependability. And that's exactly how it should be. So Nick, congratulations, best of luck to you, and we usher in the Chad Ryland era as the New England Patriots 53-a-man roster has officially been set. At least the initial one, folks, because here tomorrow on Lockdown Patriots, we're going to sift through all the residual transactions. Who's been signed to the practice squad? Are the Patriots in the trade market? Are they in the free agent market? You know that this initial 53-man roster

Starting point is 00:31:46 is going to go through a lot of changes prior to the Patriots' season opener on September 10th against the Philadelphia Eagles. So stay locked into Locked On Patriots for the very latest as we continue to bring you up to speed. In the meantime, I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for taking time out of your busy schedule to join me here today on Locked On Patriots. And whether you're a Locked On everydayer, a casual listener, or a first-time listener, we hope that you will continue to stay locked into Locked On Patriots for your daily Patriots coverage.

Starting point is 00:32:16 I am your host, Mike DeBate, reminding you to stay safe and to stay well and to be the change that you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone, and we'll see you again here tomorrow on Locked on Patriots.

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