Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Mac Jones Expectations, 2023 Draft Class Prospectus, Matthew Judon

Episode Date: July 26, 2023

As the New England Patriots prepare for the start of 2023 training camp, host Mike D’Abate welcomes Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy to open the Locked On Patriots mailbag. The duo discuss the realistic expectations for Mac Jones’ performance, the 2023 Patriots rookie class helping to save Bill Belichick’s Draft reputation and and Matthew Judon potentially retiring as a Patriot. Find and follow Locked On Patriots on your favorite podcast platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-patriots-daily-podcast-on-the-new-england/id1140512627Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFmwg3WbfxAU3tR5Ve?si=k196wH-yRqifUcQQz8SjIQStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-on-patriotsAnd follow host Mike D’Abate on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the New England Patriots and talking with fans.Twitter: @mdabateNFLSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!BetterHelpThis episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. If you’re thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. Visit BetterHelp.com/Lockedon today to get 10% off your first month.eBay MotorsFor parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit. eBay Motors dot com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.LinkedInLinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNFL. Terms and conditions apply.FanDuelMake Every Moment More. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG(CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat(CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Thank you once again for making Lockdown Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. We are a proud part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. So subscribe or follow for free on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts to get the latest episode as soon as it's available. I am your host, Mike DeBate. or wherever you get your podcasts to get the latest episode as soon as it's available. I am your host, Mike DeBate.

I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. So reach out to me and let me know what's on your mind on Twitter at MDABATENFL. While you're out there showing some social media love, be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. This episode of Locked On Patriots is brought to you by eBay Motors. A championship team is about each player being a perfect fit, and it's the same thing with your vehicle. So for parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit.

eBayMotors.com, let's ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit, only available to U.S. customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. Patriots fans, thank you so much for joining me here today and making us your first listen each and every day. A special shout out to all of you locked on everydayers out there. Always honored and grateful for you. And, folks, today is Mailbag Tuesday here on the pod.

And as you can see, that means the monster, master of disaster, Thomas Murphy of E2G Sports is in the co-pilot seat. Thank you for coming to me in friendship and for joining me today, Don Murphy. Always a pleasure to be here, Michael. Telegraph Tuesday. It's Telegraph Tuesday. Telegraph Tuesday. I like that. Absolutely.

Telegraph Tuesday. It's Telegraph Tuesday. Telegraph Tuesday. I like that. Absolutely. Telegraph, Telex. We're showing our age here by listing all of these things that are now defunct, but still, it really is. It's always an honor to open up the mailbag. And who else can we open up the mailbag with? And the man with all of the knowledge, folks. And Murph, we're going to dive right into it because us media folks spoke with Bill Belichick this morning on Tuesday. He had some pretty good tidbits for everybody. Jack Jones will be on the field amidst his legal troubles.

It was good to hear that at least Jack is getting a chance to get out on the field, practice with his teammates. Lawrence Guy appears to have ended his holdout. He's in camp. We'll see what happens now. Here we did. And Murph did call that folks he did predict that that would happen i was actually on the fence about that i really thought he'd hold out a little into training but murph thought he'd be here from day one and lo and

behold folks it actually happened you bet on murph you go to the top you don't bet on murph you're never heard from again that's just the way it is. And Murph, of course, Bill Belichick dropping perhaps one of his best Belichickian pearls of wisdom I've heard in quite some time. And that's football players play football during football season. I love it. Bill's in mid-season form. We're all in mid-season form. And these Belichick pressers, they often cause more questions than answers. You and I both both know that and those answers are sometimes hard to come by but you know what not here folks today we're tackling the three hottest burning questions of training camp and they also happen to be the three most popular questions we had dropped into the mailbag this week so for all of you that submitted these questions the tip of the cap a nod to to the gods. You guys are phenomenal.

I feel bad throwing out names because so many people have the same questions. It really is true. And, you know, I think it's the time of year. It's training camp. Everybody is, the anticipation is so high right now. Laser focus. Exactly. And you know what?

These are all solid questions. And we're going to tackle even every one of them. So let's get right to it. The top question we received by Farmer,, big surprise here relates to the quarterbacks. Does it ever not relate to the quarterbacks? Murph, here it is. What can we expect from Mac Jones this season? And I will add a caveat to this. A lot of people put the word realistically in the question that they submitted. What could we realistically expect from Mac Jones this season? Murph, we've heard a lot about Mac feeling more comfortable with Bill O'Brien, putting in the work in the offseason, really taking more of a leadership role.

We know that there was a statistical dip last year. Some call it a regression. I don't think it was. I think it was just a bad fit. What say you? Where do you believe Mac Jones is going to be most improved this season and what can we expect from him in the upcoming year? Comfort under center. A lot of people are out there running down the fact that Mac Jones is going to, as it was

stated yesterday, only going to, as it was stated yesterday, only going to answer to one person. And they had issues with that. I don't, okay? Mac Jones had so many people in his ear last year. It was unreal. Everybody walking up and down the sidelines, whether at practice or during games, had a walkie-talkie in their hand, and they were telling Jones to do this, that, and the other.

This year, it's just Bill O'Brien. You're going to see a much more confident individual, a much more precise individual, and a much more dynamic individual this year than you did last year because, quite frankly, this is the offense that he was brought in here to run. Absolutely. 100% on the money as always. And look, the things that I was able to pick up in viewing him during mandatory minicamp and OTAs. The first thing that really stands out to everyone is that he's getting much more control at the line of scrimmage.

Like you just said, comfort under center. Patriots are more comfortable with him. He's more comfortable running this offense. And I think it has a lot to do with Bill O'brien the man wasn't allowed to audible last year people thank you thank you that's something that i think a lot of people forget is that mac had such little control over what he was doing under center last year with a lot of cooks screaming uh instructions at him but not a whole lot of cohesion to make that sauce quite come together. You know, Murph, we're Italian.

That's it. You always have to bring it back to the sauce. That's what it is. That's it. But, you know, if you had Clemenza directing traffic in there, a little bit of sugar, and that's my trick. That's all you need is Clemenza. You don't need Sonny.

You don't need anyone else. You don't need Fredo coming in there and saying, more basil. More basil. No, you don't. You just. Vinny, don't put too many onions in the sauce. There were too many onions in last year's sauce. Absolutely. Without any question, there definitely was. You never know. Mac may have to cook for 20 guys someday. I think he's going to have to do that this season in order to make this go.

Definitely. At least 11. Very, very good. Very good point there. I like that, Murph. See, Murph and I are already in season form, folks. You've got to love it. But one of the things that a lot of people were concerned with Mac Jones last year is holding onto the ball too much, not being able to get rid of it quickly enough.

When he did, bad decisions were often made. How much of a compliment does this offensive line have to be for him in order to find the comfort that we're talking about? Because it's one thing to scheme it up and game plan it. It's another thing to put it into practice. I think it has everything to do with the offensive line. Yeah. Last year, even things on the board didn't look right to Mac Jones and didn't look right to the offensive line.

This year, it's a more grounded, and I don't mean by running the ball, more grounded situation. Everybody is going to end up being on the same page. That's going to help the offensive line immensely, even with the question marks at the tackle position, although some of them seem to be being brushed away a little bit because Trent Brown is in camp and he looks fantastic. But after that, the playbook is going to be something that is more recognizable.

And that goes from the center on out. You're going to see a lot fewer penalties this year than you did last year. You're going to see a lot more fluidity to this offense than you are last year. And quite frankly, realistically, I'm expecting 4,000 yards and 28 to 30 touchdowns out of Mac Jones this season. I like it. I like the aggression. I like the confidence. I admire it.

And I hope you were right. And I think New England Patriots fans all over the globe, wherever you are anticipating this season from, we're all hoping that you're going to be right as well. And I do. I think that Mac Jones has in him to really put forth, I think, a strong performance this season for the reasons that we've mentioned. That protection that you're going to get along the offensive line is going to work hand in hand with the schemes that are going to allow him

to be in position to run the offense where he can run it. He's proficient at running that Alabama offense. That strong supporting cast of playmakers, and the Patriots still have a strong supporting cast, folks. I know DeAndre Hopkins was not signed, but you still have very good pass catchers that are capable of making plays for this man, and I think they're going to. Once you lead those pass catchers on the defense, that's where Matt can go to work, start ripping defenses apart, and then quickly delivering the ball, delivering it accurately, that's going to give the playmakers the space

they need to get the yak that Mer those yards after the catch but it's also going to keep him yeah big time absolutely and children was here and he's healthy yeah well absolutely jujus smith schuster kendrick born huge parts of this folks and even at the running back position and a guy like jalen heard that they just picked up not necessarily a great resume so far really a lot of injury questions but this kid is healthy i want to take a look at the tape on him at baylor very impressive could be a dark horse i'm not saying he will be murph but i'm looking forward to seeing what this kid has got starting on the practice fields tomorrow but um bottom line that's going to keep mac jones ahead

of the blitz it's going to keep him out of duress and in my opinion that's going to keep Mac Jones ahead of the Blitz. It's going to keep him out of duress. And in my opinion, that's going to keep his uniform much clearer. The talking heads are going to love this. Jalen Hurd, you could have had this and you bring in Jalen Hurd. We're going to hear it all afternoon for the next three weeks. Just wait until he makes an athletic grab during practice. And I guarantee you, myself and my colleagues will be salivating in two moments. But you know what, folks?

We don't know if that's going to happen. That's the beauty of training camp. We'll see what is in store. They had two spots, and they were filled. Yep, absolutely. They did. And Diego Fago, I think, is going to be a very good addition to this team as well. Navy guy.

You know Bill Belichick loves it. I can see this kid making the practice squad and maybe making some noise. I think he's in the right environment to do it. I liked these two signings yesterday, so maybe I'm in the minority or looking through things through Foxborough colored glasses, but we'll see. I'm not

looking for Jalen Hurd to light the fields in Foxborough on fire, but for glory. Oh, I'm not. You know, I mean, it's, you know, we'll take a shot. No, and I am 100% in agreement with you. I don't think he cracks the 53, man, Roswell.

But it wouldn't shock me to see either one of these guys on the practice squad and not cut loose outright because there is talent there, and I think there is talent to be cultivated, and maybe New England is the right spot for them to kick start what could be an nfl career either later this season or into next year so keep a sharp eye folks but what can we expect from mac jones this year you're going to see a more confident mac jones you're going to see accurate mac jones and you're going to see him add command and strength on nearly all of his throws. And I think if that's the case, you're going to see a much better product than you saw on the field last year.

4K. I think Murph and I are in agreement here. I think what we can expect to see from Mac Jones this season, a better Mac Jones than what you saw in 2022. Right. I'm not talking 45 touchdowns and 5,500 yards here people if 4,000 4,200 and 28 to 30 touchdowns cut down on the interceptions which you're going to see happen this year because people are actually going to know where they're supposed to be on every single play you're going to see mac jones hitting guys in stride you're going to see mac jones throwing guys open you're

going to see mac jones getting rid of the ball before the break. Watch it. It's going to happen. Murph, it's not all about Mac this year. It's not all on Mac's shoulders to keep this team afloat. New England Patriots are about to welcome their largest draft class in over a decade to the practice fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium for the start of training camp. A lot of people feel that Bill Belichick is a terrible drafter. We've even heard some people call him awful at it in the last 10 years or so, but this draft class has a chance to maybe redeem Bill Belichick's reputation a little bit. I actually think he did it a couple of years ago, bringing in Mack and Christian Farmore and even snagging guys like Kyle Duggar and, you know, Ramondre Stevenson. There have been some good moments here, but is this the draft class to help put that negative

argument in the rearview mirror? Well, Murph and I are going to discuss that in just a moment when this episode of the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues. Today's episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Sometimes in life, we're faced with tough choices and the path forward isn't always clear. We live in complex times and stressors are all around us each and every day. Whether you're dealing with decisions around career, relationships, or anything else, therapy helps you stay connected to what you really want while you navigate life so you can move forward with confidence and excitement.

Trusting yourself to make decisions that align with your values is like anything else. The more you practice it, the easier it gets. If you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It's entirely online, designed to be convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist and switch therapists at any time for no additional charge. Let therapy be your map with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com slash LockedOn today to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp, H-E-L-P dot com slash Locked On.

Patriots fans, thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots your first listen every day. Remember, we are a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And Murph, we are into the Tuesday mailbag here on Locked On Patriots. Delayed it one day, but you know what? It was definitely worth it. And so many letters. I said this yesterday here on Locked On Patriots. Delayed it one day, but you know what? It was definitely worth it. And so many letters. I said this yesterday here on the pod. Newman couldn't deliver it all at the same time.

He needed an extra truck, Murph. He needed Kramer. He's not delivering any fresh fish. He's going straight for the mail. And that's exactly. And as Murph says, Newman eloquently said, Murph, when you control the mail, you you control information and that's what we're trying to do here today control the information we already talked a little bit

about what we can expect from Mac Jones but I know you as well as I are so excited to watch what this 2023 draft class can do Christian Gonzalez at the top of the heap but so deep in terms of the talent on this group whether it be Ke Keyon White, whether it be Marte Mapu, whether it be Chad Ryland, Bryce Berenger, right down to Isaiah Bolden. This is a draft class that I think could be one of the better complete draft classes that the Patriots have had in quite some time. I hope this doesn't end up on freezing cold takes someday, but I'm willing to put myself out there. When you look at this draft class and when you look at the question that was submitted overwhelmingly, almost,

eclipsing the Mac Jones question this week, will the Patriots 2023 rookie class redeem Bill Belichick's draft reputation? Because you know it's taken some hits over the years, Murph. Flores, yours, what do you say? It's been pretty beat up. It's a little tarnished and I'm with you though. I thought the polish started a couple of years ago but we're looking at three difference makers in the top 100 picks that Bill went out and grabbed. I'm sorry we could we could get into the lack of capital that was given to the offensive side of the ball. But when you have a chance to grab three playmakers in the first three rounds of the draft that could turn out to be all pro-type individuals, pro-bowl type, let me rephrase that, pro-bowl type individuals, you have to grab them because those guys weren't there at pick 76.

All right. And Bill did it. Bill did it. This is a fantastic draft. We are looking at, like I said, three playmakers at the top, a steady backup to understudy to Andrews in the fourth. He rolled the dice in the fourth round with Ryland. But we're looking at three, four, five, six, maybe seven or eight

players taken in this draft that will be on this roster. So how can you say that this will not bolster his uh his gm profile yeah you know it's it's really difficult to grab diamonds in the rough when you're picking at the bottom of every single round in the draft which is what bill did for 20 years here and brought you to eight super bowls and you won six very good point no disrespect to tommy no very good point i mean you know it's one thing to you know cultivate the relationships that you have on the field and be able to take the talent that you put in the room and be able to make it work on the field a lot of that is on the players but a lot of that begins in the drafting room in

the coach's room and bill belichick has done that as well as anyone, folks. And don't let the naysayers fool you. Henry McKenna of Fox Sports had a great tweet out there earlier this week. Sure, you all have seen it about Bill the GM and Bill the coach and how the argument trashing Bill the GM is really a futile argument. Henry was right on the money with that. I agreed with it 100%, and I know Murph did as well. But at the same time, I like what you said about three players in the top 100 picks of the New England Patriots that really have a chance to be difference makers on this roster. And I think

they can all be difference makers this year. We've talked about how Christian Gonzalez may come in. He's one of my choices, top three choices for defensive MVP of this team this year. That's how much of a difference I think he can make. But you've got Keon White coming in who can play the defensive end. He can be your edge guy. He can even drop back into coverage. He's going to put his hand in the dirt. You're going to see a lot of versatility on this kid and a very high motor. And also Marte Mapo. Can't wait to watch him start to hit guys out there and start to really show what he can do in his versatility. Because this is someone already with a borderline PhD in the encyclopedia of Bill Tanaka, as my good friend likes to put it. Very smart. But you also have three offensive linemen on this draft class, Murph, that I think have the chance to be starters on this team someday.

Jake Andrews, I think center in waiting for whenever David decides that he's going to hang his cleats up. We hope it's not for a while folks, but Jake is the guy I think they want to be able to do that. Really great at being able to restrain his interior lineman from the side of the power run and the outside zone he did a very good job of that in college i'd love to see this kid paired alongside cole strange a little bit this year just to see what that new unit is going to look like and then you've got a dynamic duo in my opinion of city so and at tony o'mafi that can really be a solid guard tandem or i think they're going to kick city outside and I think he's going to be a tackle.

Yeah, there's a real good shot of that. There is. There's a real good shot of that, that he could end up the swing tackle out of this draft. We're really not sure how he's going to fit in yet, but, I mean, worse comes to worse, you've got a really good guard. Yeah, without question. Absolutely.

A lot of people think that bill belichick may have gambled a little bit going with a new punter and a new kicker in the same season two rookies um i think these guys are accomplished i don't have a problem with it what was your opinion of this do you think the patriots got more than they can chew here no no not at all man i i don't have an issue with this kickers kick kick. You know, it's what they do. You can either get it done or you can't. And you find out really quickly whether or not you can or can't. This isn't really something that, you know, you watch a lot of guys, a job that you watch a lot of guys grow into. Okay. They don't have a rough first couple

of seasons and then all of a sudden it clicks for them. We're going to know really, really quickly whether these guys can get it done, and there are kickers out there if they can't, and Bill can move on. You can talk about maybe drafting one a bit too early, but I don't have an issue with it. I don't have an issue with it at all, taking him in the fourth round. Absolutely, and don't forget, folks, Nick Folk is still on this roster. Everybody's assuming that he's completely gone. If for whatever reason, Chad Ryland is not able to step up to the challenge, Nick Folk is a pretty good consolation prize. He's done a great job. We've seen him out last. Kickers like, obviously, Justin Rohrwasser, that was a complete

and utter disaster uh but we also just fell off the rails right there at the beginning after all that the tattoo stuff and he just could not get his head back and that's the thing with kickers guys you know once you get in their head you know that's why they keep calling time out absolutely that's why people time out thing and the great ones the great ones do have ice water Running through the veins and they're impervious to that We had a few great ones here Throughout our 10 years here in New England

We've been very very spoiled With some of the great kickers in Patriots history Hopefully Chad Ryland Can continue on in that regard But Falk is someone that can withstand Even withstood the onslaught of quinn nordine so i think that's something that really should be written down and remembered for the new england patriots barringer is a guy i can't wait to see he ranks first in big 10 history

and career hunting average with 46 yards that's a big time conference that's a big time statistic and i really can't wait to watch this kid start booming them into the Foxborough air. So keep a sharp eye on those guys. I have to agree with you. I think these two are going to be just fine. And he did it in weather, you know, which is nothing to sneeze at. You know, it really isn't. No, it isn't. It really isn't. And to do it in the state of Michigan, not an easy place to be able to do it, especially Lansing folks. Some of those winters and some of those uh wind storms up there uh are unforgiving uh and this kid proved that he can do it last but not least before we take our leave of this rookie draft class um you

always talk about diamonds in the rough you got three guys on this roster that could be either practice squad additions or maybe sneak their way on. Demario Douglas at the wide receiver position. Amir Speed at the corner. And Isaiah Bolden at the corner. If any one of these three makes it onto the roster, which one is it and why? You know what I'm going to say. Why do you think I asked the question?

Do I have to say it, people? Isaiah Bolden. He's a Bolden. Never count out a Bolden. Okay, yeah, you can go back and take a look at my roster projections, and Bolden did not make it. He might need a little bit of seasoning. But, yeah, no, if there's a surprise on here, it's Isaiah Bolden,

because a Bolden will go out there and prove you wrong just to prove you wrong. Yeah, his ability to return kicks especially folks is something i think the patriots are going to really love but he can play the cornerback position as well and even though jack jones is going to be out there to start camp and maybe who knows finish it if there is any disciplinary action to be taken and the patriots have to remove him from the field for whatever reason they're going to need an additional body at corner if the patriots do need to fill an unexpected roster hole at cornerback i think isaiah has the opportunity to do it that being said folks amir speed will be on this team's practice a lot of people do at least and i love

this kid and i i think his best chance of seeing the field may come as a special teamer as well something that he did very very well at michigan state so good part of this i know murph it's tough for him to give michigan state guys a lot credit i am as well i'm an ann arbor guy you know it's it's very difficult but we'll see we'll see what happens and demario douglas has been one of the more impressive performers thus far we'll see if it continues into training camp sometimes these guys flash a little bit, and then when the competition level starts ramping up, you start to see them come back down to earth. Everybody looks good running against air, catching balls against air. Let's see what happens now when you can get a stiff arm at the line of scrimmage.

Yeah, absolutely. But this kid is a solid prospect in the slot. Blazing speed. Again, he's going to be a lot of fun to watch, and I think fans are going to enjoy watching him. But keep in mind, folks, that the Patriots coaches are looking for a very particular set of skills, a la

Liam Neeson and Taken. They're going to want to see what this kid can do in an NFL setting. It might not translate to everything you see that's aesthetically pleasing. Keep that in mind for all positions. But excellent question. Thank you all. a tip of the cap and a nod to the gods to all of you that made this a part of your mailbag submission because

we are all about the rookies and the patriots and trying to see who's going to push this team over the edge but one player murph that is almost universally beloved here in patriots nation is our man Matthew Judon. He was down in my neck of the woods over the weekend taking a glass-blowing class of all things. How about that? From what I heard, we have similar interests. Absolutely.

And he actually showed a lot of prowess, and he showed, I think, a talent for this, a knack alike for it. He even lit one of the braziers at the water fire. He's becoming a resident here in Rhode Island, and I know a lot of Rhode Islanders are loving this. Get the man some Dells. Introduce him to coffee milk. Definitely. He's going to go down to the

Onlyville and get two all the way, the hot wieners. When you're blowing glass, some frozen lemonade is a really nice treat. It really is. Absolutely. Some autocrat coffee milk, and like I said, the two all the way from the only little New York system. But that being said, is this enough to make Matthew Judon a Patriot for life? Well, he dropped his hints on that. And I think Patriots fans are going to be very, very happy to hear what Matthew had

to say about his feelings for the New England region. Murph and I are going to tackle that question to wrap everything up here on this Mailbag Tuesday episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast, a proud part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. Patriots fans, the Count of Murphy, Fisto himself, the Green King of Sting, Thomas Murphy of E2G Sports, always lending the wisdom and counsel the way only he can.

And it's always an honor to open up the mailbag here on Locked On Patriots. Normally Mailbag Monday, it's Mailbag Tuesday here, but it works out just as well because it's the day before training camp. People are heading up to camp, they're listening to us right now, and they're trying to absorb as much wisdom and counsel Here from Locked On Patriots as possible Folks, don't forget Tomorrow, boots on the ground coverage Here on Locked On Patriots We're going to bring you the very latest from day one

Who stood out? Who's popping? Who disappointed? It might be a little early, but we're still going to talk about it So keep it right here on Locked On Patriots But Murph, as much as there's questions surrounding this team right now, what we can expect from Mac Jones, what the rookies are going to look like, what the new additions like Juju Smith-Schuster and Mike Kosecki are going to do. Talked about that a little bit here yesterday with Claire.

Good, sure. One thing that's, thank you very much, my friend. One thing that I think is a constant for all Patriots fans is that Matthew Judon is going to continue to be their most fearsome defender. He's also laying down some strong roots in the area. As we teased coming into this segment, Matthew was a fixture in the state of Rhode Island and in Providence, down in my neck of the woods over the weekend, taking a glassblowing class, of course, lighting

the braziers at the Waterfire Celebration. He's really enjoying his time in New England, and you can see that even on social media, being the quote-unquote pseudo-GM for the New England Patriots. It's almost like he's having a lot of fun playing here in New England. Imagine that.

I was told no one has fun. No one had fun here? No one. No one has fun here in New England. It's terrible. was told no one has fun. No one had fun here. No one, no one has fun here in New England. It's terrible. Um, but Matthew's making his own fun and he's doing a great job of it. Whether that translates into long-term success on the field, it's still a matter of conjecture. He's already had some, but a lot of people are hoping that Matthew Judon is a Patriot for life. Well, Judon talked to our good friend, our mutual friend, Boston WBZ's Dan Roche, and had some interesting comments saying that he loves for the Patriots and hopes to retire with the organization. Looking into your Belichickian crystal ball here,

is Matthew Judon primed to be a Patriot for life? Yes, without a doubt. This is a huge victory in Bill Belichick's free agent GM signing book. It's one that he really hit on. And more times than not, you hear about the stories of the misses that happened. You don't hear about the stories of the misses that happened. You know, you don't hear about the victories. Judon is a victory, and I believe that they're going to get an extension done. He's got at least three more seasons in him after his contract runs out that I think he's still going to be at the top of the pyramid, still doing what he's able to do. And with some of the moves that Bill has made as recently as this draft,

work's going to get a little bit easier for him. You might not see the double teams that you have in the past because you're simply not going to be able to. You know, Marty Mapo is going to garner a lot of interest by the time Game three rolls around. You know, Keon White is going to be a man that you are going to have to know is on the other side. And life is going to get a little bit easier over there for our friend Matthew. And I do.

I think the Patriots are going to bring him in, sit him down in the office. And, you know, Robert Kraft loves this kid. He absolutely loves this kid. He's you know, we, we've heard before about Bob's Bob crafts, second, third sons, you know, on, on this roster, this kid is one of them. He's, he's somebody that, that crafts the, the entire craft family loves. He's fantastic for the franchise. He's out there and, you know, doing not only the dirty work on the field,

he's doing it off the field. He talks up New England like nobody else I have ever known here. And so, you know, yeah, let's get it done. I believe this is going to happen. Yeah, I believe it's going to happen too. And look, if you want to go purely on the field, Matthew Judon just keeps getting better and better in a Patriots uniform, albeit a two-year sample size.

But take a look at what he did in his first season here. 60 tackles, one fumble recovery, 12 and a half sacks. The 12 and a half sacks was a career high. And he did that with a pseudo healthy christian barmore taking up double teams from the offensive linemen that allowed matthew to be able to break free and get after the quarterback last season he didn't so much have a healthy christian barmore he was on the shelf a lot more than he was in year one matthew eclipsed his career high and set a new career high with 15 and a half sacks. He also had two forced fumbles.

He recovered one of them, again, logging 60 total tackles. So this is a guy that is adaptable to whatever circumstance he has. But Murph, you nailed it. You hit the nail right on the head. There are so many options now that are going to command additional resources to be able to contain that Matthew is going to be left alone or one-on-one and he can win those battles without any questions so he's looking at this Patriots defense saying hey you know what this is good logistically for me I may like playing here I may like playing for Bill Belichick I love the fans but at the same time

on the field this is a good move for me and I think the Patriots are going to be motivated to get this done, too, because let's not forget that there is $18.1 million of pressure that his contract is taking up on the Patriots' salary cap right now. I know the Pats would love to alleviate that a little bit. So you mentioned Robert Kraft's like for him, Bill Belichick's desire to maybe alleviate some of the financial responsibilities. And Matthew Judon loving playing here. Yeah, to me, this is a perfect storm for a very positive outcome for all parties involved. I think Matthew Judon stays here for a while, and that's great no matter how you slice it. That's it. It really is.

You always say dance with the ones that brung you, and he's somebody that brings it on every single down. Watch this year, people. Watch how many flags are thrown in his direction this year because one person is trying to stop him. It's going to be a hold fest over there. Yeah, absolutely. It it really really will be and as the new england pay gets take the field folks matthew judon realizes that as much fun as he has away from the field and even on it that it's all business when you're practicing when you're a member of this team and especially in the leadership role that i believe he'll take on this year do not be a bit surprised to see matthew judon among the captains on this team this year oh yeah yet but I think he will be because of everyone looking up to him

and he said it he told Dan Roach after saying forever I want to be here I don't want to leave that's not my intention he was very quick to pivot to the type of focus and dedication he's ready to give in training camp saying when you come out there just know that you're there you're not mentally on vacation anymore you're on the field you're aware you're conscious of what's being asked of you and what's needed to be done you go out there and you do it that's a captain that's a guy that's going to command a lot of respect from his teammates and that's a guy that's locked to command a lot of respect from his teammates and that's a guy that's locked in and he's going to lead by example this year so patriots wherever you are right now

whatever you're doing get this done all sides want it to happen most of all the fans want it to happen and Murph and I want it to happen because we can keep doing pods about Matthew Judon and he definitely gives us an awful lot of material but what what can I say? It's going to be a great amount of fun to head into the 2023 season, knowing that I've got you as my co-pilot here on Locked On Patriots. But all through training camp, Mailbag Monday will continue. And you know Murph's going to pop up from time to time at various other days of the week because we just don't like being without him that long here on Locked On Patriots. But what can I say?

Thank you for your wisdom, your counsel. Before I let you go, what can our adoring public here on Locked On Patriots expect from the great pen and the great voice of Thomas Murphy heading into this week? Well, One Patriots Place is a duo tomorrow. You can come check us out over there at etogsports.com on that YouTube channel. It's just Claire and I, and we're going to come in and do a little entertaining for you. As for the writing side, I'm kind of taking the week off.

I am. I'm getting ready for the upcoming trade deadline that's about to hit us in about eight days, and so I'll have something out about that. But other than that, I'm kind of taking the, unless something tickles my fancy and I hear something that goes out, I'm trying. See, once you dip your toe into the Patriot pool, you don't want to come back out. And I've still got a lot of baseball to write about.

Absolutely. There is a lot of baseball to be played and pay attention to everything this man does regarding Red Sox coverage, because you won't find any finer coverage anywhere in New England or anywhere in Major League Baseball. Murph, we often don't get an opportunity to do a whole lot of cross-promotion here on Locked On Patriots or cross-New England sports promotion. But I think we'd be remiss if we didn't sign off today by not giving a tip of the cap and a nod to the gods the great patrice bergeron called it a career your boston bruins with a stanley cup just one of the finest gentlemen i think in professional sports he truly gathered himself here with class with dignity with respect and he played the game on the ice the way you want to see every athlete take their field or their platform for battle each and every day with a determination and with a optimal skill level that just really separates him from his peers.

He is a Boston sports legend. He will forever remain as such. Patrice, thank you for everything you give Bruins Nation. And congratulations to Jalen Brown of the Boston Celtics for signing a max deal. He's going to be here for quite a while so check out nba history yeah who would have thought who would have thought you know what brad's building a dynasty up there in uh in boston and hopefully things will shake out that way on the court next year for the seas so check out locked on celtics check out locked on bruins for all the very latest on that. Check out Locked On Red Sox as well for all the latest coverage.

But, of course, check this man out for everything he does. And don't forget to stay locked into Locked On Patriots by subscribing, following, or downloading wherever you get your podcasts. On behalf of the great, and I don't hesitate when I say that, the great Thomas Murphy of E2GSports.com. I'm Mike DeBate reminding you to stay safe and stay well and to be the change you wish to see in the world. Happy training camp, everyone.

It all begins again. We'll see you tomorrow here on Locked on Patriots. Rename the cell key now. Rename it.