Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots Mailbag: Ezekiel Energy, Malik Mania, O-Line Concerns, Gesicki Injury

Starting point is 00:00:00 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. Welcome to the Lockdown Patriots podcast. We are a proud part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Subscribe or follow for free on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts to ensure that you're getting 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.

Starting point is 00:00:51 So reach out to me and let me know what's on your mind on the Bird app, on X, on Twitter, whatever you want to call it, at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-N-F-L. And while you're out there showing some love to the pod on the Twitterverse or the social media universe, at L-O underscore Patriots. And the big news of the day on monday took precedence but today is hashtag mailbag tuesday here on lockdown patriots and what more could you ask for not only did the man dedicate all weekend long to help me sift through the mailbag we already had provided some wisdom and counsel on monday he's back here again on Tuesday to do the exact same thing and

Starting point is 00:01:28 crush, absolutely decimate that wisdom and counsel meter. My good friend, that counter Murphy Fisto himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy of E2GSports.com. Thank you for joining me as always to interpret the Lockdown Patriots mailbag

Starting point is 00:01:44 on Murph. Oh, man, my pleasure, my pleasure. I'm always better on take two. Folks, I'm not even going to touch that one. We're going to jump right into the Monday mailbag because it is still the Monday mailbag, even though we are recording this on Tuesday. We've got some great thought-provoking questions for you.

Starting point is 00:02:02 Of course, folks, we all know the news of the day on Monday, Ezekiel Elliott signing a deal with the New England Patriots. One year with incentives could earn up to $6 million. And Murph, this one's been brewing for quite a while. Looked like it might not happen, but over the weekend, talks intensified, and the Patriots and Zeke were able to hammer this one out and get this done. Zeke's flying into Foxborough on Tuesday, going to iron out all the contract details, and then he's expected to hop a flight to Green Bay and join his teammates for joint practices on Wednesday.

Starting point is 00:02:35 Murph, we all know about the pedigree. We all know about the resume. Two-time rushing champion, three-time All-Pro, three-time Pro Bowler, proficient in a lot of different areas on the field but all of that goes out the window when you walk through the door and box for you work for bill belichick you work for bill o'brien what type of impact do you expect ezekiel elliott to have on this patriots team in your estimation what does he bring to the patriots i i wrote this morning what does uh ezekiel elliott bring to New England's office, to its sideline, to its locker room? Experience, depth, and a difference maker.

Starting point is 00:03:12 He steps in and completely changes this offense. He's going to without changing it at all. We said from the beginning of all of these rumors that Zeke would fit better here in new England than a lot of the other guys that were out there. Cooks is not going to fit in here. He he's a guy that demands too many touches. Ezekiel Elliott is coming in here knowing that he is the, the backup. He's the number two guy.

Starting point is 00:03:40 He's the guy that's going to come in here and spell Ramondre and give him drives off or give him series off to keep him fresh down the stretch, which we didn't see last year. Absolutely. And I think that's so well said. And again, what you are getting, folks, and I talked extensively about this on Monday's episode here on Locked on Patriots. You're getting a guy that is pretty proficient at being able to run the ball on early downs. I know he's not the same type of explosive runner he was a few years ago, but he can still get the job done, folks, as a compliment to Ramondre Stevenson. You are getting an above average, in my opinion, if not very good third down blocker.

Starting point is 00:04:20 This kid can definitely get in there, in the trenches, do what he needs to do. And that's something that the Patriots did not do very well last year in 2022 he upgrades that room and you're also getting someone with the veteran savvy the veteran leadership to come in and to mentor a lot of the younger players plus not a bad pass catcher either I mean I know a lot of Cowboys fans have gotten on him for not being that same threat in catching passes that he was a few years ago. I don't think that was a lack of prowess or a decline in skill, folks. I think that was more usage related than anything else. But you're getting someone that can come in and be a solid complement.

Starting point is 00:04:57 And I think the Patriots made a good move here. It's not going to move the needle so much to the point where that puts this offense over the top, but it definitely strengthens it without question. Yeah, without a doubt. He, he, he checks all the boxes that the Patriots really need with having a running back like Ramondre on the, on the team, not, not only, you know, understanding his role. All right. But this is also a guy that has, that averages 4.4 yards per carry for his career, 3.8 in 2022. That's not, that's not a far drop off. He can get you two yards for a first round for a first down. Uh, he rushed for 107 first downs last year in, uh, in 2021, since 2021, I'm sorry. And he can get you into the end zone, all right? Absolutely.

Starting point is 00:05:47 Deep in the red zone, all right? He has 22 touchdowns since 2021, all right? You find somebody else out there that has those numbers that isn't in every down back, and you've got yourself a fine there. You really do. The depth is just, it's gone from three uh three foot kiddie pool to a six foot grown-up you know you know maybe an eight foot put a diving board in only 11 lost

Starting point is 00:06:14 fumbles in a seven-year career in dallas very impressive none in the last two years none ball security is paramount when it comes to being a New England Patriots running back. The easiest way to ingratiate yourself into Bill Belichick's group graces is to protect the football and secure the football. Easiest way out of it is to cough the football up. He does that on a regular basis, meaning protect the football, folks. And Ezekiel Elliott is definitely at the top of the list. And you talk about red zone production. Where were the Patriots most efficient in their offense last year they showed signs of being able to move the football throughout the field they couldn't

Starting point is 00:06:50 close the deal in the red zone right they've got some red zone got closer it got to the point it got to the point last year where I wanted them to take shots at touchdowns from the 25 because inside the 20 it was just not happening inside the 10 it was just not happening and like i am still in the lane that bill wanted to go to war with the guys that were in this room already but with injuries to ty montgomery and now pierre strong his hand was forced and this deal needed to be made and it needed to be made now before they went out for the first set of joint practices. This was a good move. It was a smart move.

Starting point is 00:07:27 It's not a lot of cash and, and you know, let's roll. Absolutely. And I think that's exactly what the Patriots, Ezekiel Elliott and all his new Patriots teammates are saying right now. And folks, all the insight that Murph provided,

Starting point is 00:07:41 and then some can be found in his great column on E2GSports.com. Went up on Tuesday morning. Folks, check that out. If you do anything regarding the Ezekiel Elliott coverage for your New England Patriots today, read Murph's column. It is a true masterpiece as usual. So thank you for lending that wisdom and counsel here to Locked On Patriots, bud. And we transition Murph from Ezekiel energy to malik mania that's right it's running wild brother what you gonna do but um yeah that was bad folks i apologize but uh you know the

Starting point is 00:08:14 inner hulk hogan child comes out you gotta pay all kidding aside i really do not blame anyone at this point for being excited about malik cunningham i know you're excited about zeke elliott but you can be excited about malik cunningham to electric talent really impressing the coaches uh but what does it mean for his fellow quarterbacks well murph best thing that we can do is dive into the mailbag the lockdown patriots mailbag here on a tuesday and we got a great question regarding malik Cunningham. And I think one that we can have some fun with. And it comes from a first time submitter.

Starting point is 00:08:50 Boohoo on Twitter. Love the handle. By the way, I love the avatar as well. This is great. This is really, really great. He can be found on Twitter at Boohoo, B-O-O-W-H-5-0-5-2-7-9. And he wants to know who is in more trouble with the surprise of Malik Cunningham. Is it Mac Jones or is it Bailey Zappi?

Starting point is 00:09:16 Murph, what say you, my friend? Who's feeling a little bit more heat on the seat? Neither. Neither. Okay. Let's slow the roll here, people. Yes, it was fun to watch. He's he's a fun ballplayer. He was out there in the fourth quarter against guys that are going to be, you know, working at UPS in a couple of weeks. Now, that's not trying to take away from this kid's athleticism and his game.

Starting point is 00:09:40 There's a reason he was an undrafted free agent. Yes. Bill, you know, threw the Brinks truck at him an undrafted free agent. Yes, Bill, you know, threw the Brinks truck at him for undrafted free agents and he's, he's got plans for him. And we all saw the way that Bill looked at him on the sidelines. That is a great, great shot. I mean, you want to talk about a good still shot. That's going to be a meme for a long time.

Starting point is 00:10:03 It is. It's going to be a meme for a long time. It is. It's going to be a meme for a long time. Now, I'm going to look at this as, you know, I think Malik Cunningham is going to make this roster, okay? But before I had him off and going to the practice squad, and that could still happen, but he could make this roster. He really could, especially with the new rules, the new roster rules, where you can roster an emergency quarterback.

Starting point is 00:10:30 Now, you may find Bailey Zappi as the emergency quarterback. You might, because Bill will want to use this kid for two or three plays. You know, you get down close in the red zone and who's the ball being snapped to? Is it being snapped to Mac Jones or is it being snapped to Cunningham? We don't know. And we don't, you know, let's see what happens. But no, in the end, Zappi may end up being the emergency guy. All right.

Starting point is 00:11:00 But if something happens to Mac one week where he is going to miss the rest of a game, I think Bill would be okay with Cunningham finishing that game out. But believe me, next week Zappi would be the quarterback if Mac was not able to come back in. And Malik would be the backup. That's just the way it is. He is who he is. He's a project. Let's see what happens.

Starting point is 00:11:24 And I think Bill, you know, sit there. Let's see what happens. And I think Bill, you know, sit there and he's looking at you. What can I use you for? Well, if he's taking a look at the resume that he compiled during his six years at Louisville, he's definitely intrigued by it. I can guarantee you that this kid has the pedigree and the background to be able to play a dual threat role here in the NFL. 692 completion, 62.6% of his passes as a Louisville Cardinal, 9,664 yards, 70 passing touchdowns. So there's no question about it. Malik Cunningham can thread the needle.

Starting point is 00:11:58 And we saw that. Exactly. And we saw that in that pass that he delivered to Trey Nixon. Most of the other wide receivers on this roster right now, I believe, probably would have had that in hand. And I say this with a lot of affection for Trey. That was a beautiful throw. Because as I said over the weekend, the kid works as hard as I've ever seen anyone work on a football field. But there comes a point in time where you have to start making these catches.

Starting point is 00:12:19 It can't continue. And that's something that is frustrating. But you can't put that one on the league. That should have been a touchdown pass. Right. you want to talk about his prowess on ground there's a solid resume there it may even be more impressive murph believe me uh 3184 yards on the ground 50 touchdowns on 619 rushing attempts so the patriots are clearly seeing the ability to do exactly what murph just said be it a decoy times, but also be someone that can not only run the ball, but pass the ball.

Starting point is 00:12:50 It gives you so many options and opens up this offense in ways that we haven't seen the Patriots offense opened up in quite some time. Also, and Murph cautioned you on this, and I will do the same. When you look at how Malik's been used on the field, especially the last couple of days in practice since Thursday night's game against the Texans, you're seeing more notable reps that he's taking, more significant.

Starting point is 00:13:15 We hear that word out there a lot. And I really want to give a tip of the cap to guys like Zach Cox of Nesson, Mike Kadlik of WEI, who really did a very good job of putting the word significant into context. Because the first thing you think of is, oh, wow, he's getting reps with the starting unit. He's going to unseat Mack. He's already unseated Zappi.

Starting point is 00:13:35 Folks, Murph is absolutely correct. It's not about that. Take a look at Malik's snapshot on Sunday, especially, which is when he was more heavily used. The personnel around him was the first team, and the timing of those reps being given to him was curious because he excelled and played very well against the Texans, but he only took five of those, didn't attempt to pass. Mack Jones took 20. Bailey Zappi took 18.

Starting point is 00:13:59 So it's important to keep these things in perspective, in context, but in no way does that diminish what Malik Cunningham did. Yes. Was it a third team defense that he was doing it against with Houston? True. But he was also doing it with the Patriots 13 offense. And I've said several times before Murph, and we keep saying it over and over again. If you're completing passes, making plays, and finding the end zone against NFL-caliber talent,

Starting point is 00:14:26 I don't care if it's top tier or bottom tier, you're still doing it against the best of the best in the world. And that's exactly what Malik Cunningham tried to do on his stage, compete against the competition that was in front of him. And in a lot of ways, he really made it look like poetry in motion. So that should speak highly of him. And again, that would have been a touchdown if Devonta Parker was running that route, if Kendrick Horne was running that route, if Keyshawn Butte was running that route. I think it would have been a touchdown. I'm not so sure if it would have been, you know, if Juju was there running for the corner.

Starting point is 00:14:57 He's not quite as tall, but, you know, Tyquan Thornton would have made it, DeMario Douglas, you know. He's S.M douglas you know he's sm all you know but as you know as shakespeare would say murph though he be but little he is fierce and he is fierce on the field folks you're gonna see a little more demario yeah this week i had the good fortune of being a guest on lockdown packers with my good friend peter pokowski just a couple of days ago and i mentioned demario douglas is one name that packers fans are not aware of. They will be by the end of this game. Hopefully I'm right on that folks. And if you think I am drop me a comment in the line below saying I support the Mario, because I think you're going to see a little bit more of him this week than you did last week.

Starting point is 00:15:37 But there is a Cunningham effect and there is, you know, there, there is an effect and, and yes, I do believe it's the cure for zappy fever because, you know, that'll get pushed back down where it belongs in a suitcase somewhere and, you know, or in a glass case, you know, break only in the case of an emergency. Gotta love it, Murph. You got Malik mania. You got Ezekiel energy. You got zappy fever.

Starting point is 00:16:03 You know, you got all these things, you know, you've got all these things, you know, all you need is Christopher Walken to come in and need more cowbell. And I think we'll be all set. So folks always. And boo hoo. Thank you very much for the great question on Malik. Anytime Murph,

Starting point is 00:16:16 I can pontificate on some exciting Patriots. It's always a lot of fun. So tip of the cap and thank you for the great question. But Murph, I don't think we'd be doing our job here on Locked On Patriots Mailbag Monday or Mailbag Tuesday in this case without fielding a question from our good friend LJ. He always submits them. Folks, we feature him because he hits hard.

Starting point is 00:16:37 And because he does that, we need to make sure that we give the man his just due. And LJ's got a question about the offense in general. Yeah, he kind of skirts around the wide receivers, but he's actually more concerned about those big round men that you talk about so much. We're going to talk a little offensive line and LJ's concerns when this episode of the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues, a proud part of the Lock podcast network your team every day lockdown

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Starting point is 00:19:34 But today we are already wading pretty deep into the mailbag that you have all stocked so well this weekend, and we apologize for it being one day late but the zeke news folks just something that could not wait any longer but as always the count of murphy fisto is here with me to break down a robust mailbag and murph in the previous segment we talked about ezekiel elliott the big signing for the patriots we also talked about malik magic and the cunningham effect that he's having. But there is a lot of concern for the New England Patriots still in one main area,

Starting point is 00:20:13 and that is along the offensive line. A relatively difficult performance for them against the Texans on Thursday. And a lot of fans are concerned that this may be a harbinger of things to come. Now, there are two sides to that. You can argue the point that these are not the starters this is a vanilla offensive game plan and the patriots are not going to be showing their hand or you can make the argument that this is a concern because even though these are the backups that are playing they should be further along than that our guy lj shares that concern and he submits the second question here featured on today's mailbag episode and yeah an extensive one here from lj at show underscore one will the lack of offensive talent cost new england not only a playoff berth but a 500 record as well the ol

Starting point is 00:20:58 is horrible meaning jones will have no or limited time to throw to receivers who cannot get separation. Recipe for disaster, especially on obvious passing downs. And a hashtag mailbag Monday. Murph, you know as well as I, the offensive line is the catalyst for any good offense. How concerned are you? Do you share any of LJ's concerns right now? A modicum. A modicum of concern. All right.

Starting point is 00:21:23 Just a smidge. Just a little bit. Just a little bit. All right. LJ, I want to ask you a question. I'm going to turn it around on you. How many of these names did you hear last week? Trent Brown, Cole Strange, David Andrews, Mike Onweyu, Riley Reif. Okay. How often did you hear they, didn't, didn't hear the names because they're not out there. All right. Can we wait until this, this first unit gets out there? No, these guys that were out there on, on, on Thursday night, we're Friday night. We're, we're, you know, stop gaps. They're, they're the, the depth. They're, they're the guys that are going to come in and spell somebody, hopefully over if somebody uh goes down with an injury but all of these people are not going to go down with an injury at the same time so no i'm not worried about that and just to get back to the top of this is it going to cost the patriots a 500 the patriots are 12 and 5 team dude 12 and 5

Starting point is 00:22:20 okay you heard it here first weeks ago and i'm reiterating it today the patriots are a 12 and 5 team and are going into the playoffs and look i think what fans are worried about is what we saw last year from this team um a lack of continuity along the offensive line uh cohesion just we had the moron twins here coaching this offensive line. What you doing, Merton? No, I'm just here, me and the Moron Twins. You know, no. Okay, they have an actual offensive coordinator this year and they have an actual offensive lineman

Starting point is 00:22:54 who's coaching the offensive line, who's done this for a decade. Okay, Adrian Clem has more respect for me. You know, the levels are here and here in the respect that I have for Adrian Clem as opposed to the two bozos that were running this show last year. Speaking of morons, bozos, it kind of gives me, you know, a nostalgic feel for the Three Stooges,oges, the Amalgamated Association of Morons, Local Season 7-8. Yeah, I think that – and, folks, I'm not. I'll keep it right there. This was a Monty Python sketch last year, okay?

Starting point is 00:23:39 Offensive linemen walking funny, okay? That's it. Okay, stop. Give it a break. Wait until these guys are all out there. They're all on the same page. They're working together in the way that an offensive line is supposed to. And last year that just didn't happen. All right. These guys had coaches telling them what to do, who have never played the position, who have no idea who gotten zero respect from anybody that put their hand in the dirt and snapped a football or was waiting for a football to be snapped. There was there was nothing. These guys knew nothing about what they were trying to do. and you completely see a 180-degree turn this year on everything you hear coming out of Foxborough in these workouts. And you're going to hear it in the joint practices.

Starting point is 00:24:32 It's night and day. Yeah, it absolutely is night and day. And I can tell you from personal experience, having watched what the Patriots are doing out there, there is a greater, a much greater amount of field awareness, a much greater amount of the types of plays that are being called. You're not seeing people out of position. You're not seeing players unsure of their role or what they're capable of doing or what they're supposed to be doing. These mistakes right now are mistakes that are being made by

Starting point is 00:25:00 players that are being asked to play a starting role, but are more suited to a reserve role. When you take a look at the lineup that was out there on Thursday night, you don't see any of the starters among them. Now, I know that a lot of people are saying that McDermott and Riley Rafe are going to compete for that right tackle position. You can work at it. You can work around it. You know, you've got four fifths.

Starting point is 00:25:23 You can work around that fifth one. You can work around that right tackle. All right. It's happened. I've played on teams where you had to do it. Okay. I've seen teams in the NFL that have had to do it. You can, you can compensate for one guy. All right. And the easiest guy to compensate for is that right tackle. Right. I'm sorry. I was a center. for center no you can't especially when murph is that center folks but good news for the new england patriots if you're wondering if these guys are going to start getting back on the field mike reese reporting over the weekend that he was hearing that the patriots are close to seeing guys like trent brown call strange get back on the field get back into the swing of things with practices brown is already wearing full pads so i think they're trying to ingratiate him back in right to the game plan strange we

Starting point is 00:26:09 expect to see back out there on the field he was a participant on monday not a full participant but still it was a step in the right direction for the new england patriots on his end but one thing that did kind of catch my eye about the way that the patriots are aligning the last couple of days riley ray is getting looks at the guard position right now, Murph. And I think this might be a reaction to Cody Russo being on the sidelines. I think the Patriots are trying to test the waters and see what they can put out there. We heard great things about, you know, just talking about Cody Russo, you know, early in camp, you know, these, there, there's more depth here. I would, would I like Bill to go out and get some's more depth here. I w would I like bill

Starting point is 00:26:45 to go out and get some more? Hell yes. I would be on the phone to Jamarco Jones every single day saying, please come here. I don't understand why he's not getting calls from anybody. Yeah. That is a big surprise. You would think that with the resume that he puts out there and the job that he did out in the Midwest, you would think that this would be at least a priority phone call for some teams, but at least an exploratory phone call for the New England Patriots. And this is a league-wide problem. This is not just here in New England. There's really a depth problem on the offensive line throughout the league,

Starting point is 00:27:19 and you're hearing this when you watch these other games. But what people don't get is these are guys that are filling gaps, that are in there for a game or for a series or a set of downs. These are not the guys that you depend on 24-7, you know, for 17 games. And granted, this offensive line is going to need more help than others because of its age. But, you know, there are moves that can be made. Go out there, man.

Starting point is 00:27:48 I said earlier, you know, sign Zeke Elliott. I'm telling you now, go out there and kick the tires on Jamarco Jones. Well, you know what? The Patriots may end up doing that, Murph. I mean, there are roster, you know, shuffling going on. Carson Wells, the linebacker from Cincinnati Bengals, XFL experience. He's coming into town. So the Patriots are going to be having like a little bit of a revolving door here when it

Starting point is 00:28:10 comes to talent at that level in this roster. And you never know, maybe someone might be on their way out and someone like DeMarco Jones. Justin Poe just got a, just got cleared to, to get back into activities. Now I say it's not somebody that I would go after, but Bill might. He's coming off an ACL tear. There are moves that are going to be made. There are other players that are going to fall by the wayside here who could come in. We could go all the way back to free agency and scream at Bill for not spending money on the top guys. He didn't.

Starting point is 00:28:42 He didn't think that anybody in the draft was really worthy of the pick. I mean, what's Bill going to do in the first round when a generational cornerback falls in your lap? Okay, are you going to take the tackle anyway? No, I can go out and sign a tackle next year. I could draft a tackle next year. I could find somebody in this draft that supposedly it just clicks clicks for them and they're going to go play on the right hand side. It's, it's, it's not a, not an exact science. You, you have to understand the situation that Bill is in from, you know, point A to point B to point C and point D when they get on the field.

Starting point is 00:29:23 Yeah, absolutely. And I think before we write the epitaph for this offensive line, folks, once again, remember that the starters have yet to play cohesively in a game setting altogether, and it may be quite some time for that. Bill kind of gave a very cryptic update about Michael Wainu saying that we're going to continue to evaluate him, but if he's not ready, he's going to remain on PUP. It is a possibility that could extend into the regular season folks i'm not saying it will but there is a possibility so the patriots need to be mindful of that right guard position but that's why they invested three

Starting point is 00:29:55 draft selections in 2023 they're looking to build a deep stable of versatile offensive line city so it's capable of playing guard i know they want to give them looks at tackle but if they have to kick him inside they'll do it the patriots are not above doing this um and a guy whose new nickname or at least the nickname that i saw on the social media universe somewhere and forgive me i don't have the person in front of me to credit on this i am not taking credit for it but um mafii Coast, meaning Antonio Amalfi. My family in Italy is from the Amalfi Coast, so I absolutely love this nickname. I really hope it sticks, but Antonio Amalfi is someone that could come in and play meaningful moments, meaningful minutes at the guard position if they need him to do that.

Starting point is 00:30:38 That's why you're seeing him get these looks in training camp. The Patriots have a deep stable. Give them the opportunity to gel on the field the way they're supposed to before we start saying this is a horrible offensive line and once you get the protection separation is going to come i know everybody talks about wide receiver separation as blowing by a defender that's part of it but it's not the main component the main component in getting separation folks is crisp route running and scheme. That's the most important part of it.

Starting point is 00:31:09 And that's something you will see much tighter this year because of Bill O'Brien's presence. You're not going to see guys running into each other on rub routes this season. It's not going to happen. No. It's not. And there's a lot of your separation there. You're not going to see guys turning out when and and there there's a lot of your separation there you know you're not going to see guys turning out when they're supposed to turn in you know there's some separation there

Starting point is 00:31:30 you know it's it there there's different ways to scheme up separation it's not all about speed it's about quickness it's about crisp running um crisp crisp route running blah blah blah mike just said it and i still couldn't repeat it. But that's it. You don't have to be that $17 million a year wide receiver to get open. Very well said. Very, very well said. So, LJ, excellent question, as always.

Starting point is 00:31:59 You gave him an opportunity to pontificate on a subject he loves very near and dear to his heart, which are offensive line, but also gave us a little opportunity to kind of maybe talk a subject he loves very near and dear to his heart which are offensive line but uh also gave us a little opportunity to kind of maybe talk you down a little bit on the wide receiver concerns bottom line folks it is still very early and the new england patriots still have a long ways to go before you know what this finished product is going to look like and based on that murph in that vein we're going to delve into what these New England Patriots are going to do to improve before the start of the season. There are two ways to take this question, personnel-wise and also scheme-wise. Murph and I are going to hit them both when this episode of the Locked on Patriots podcast continues.

Starting point is 00:32:42 Patriots fans, thank you once again for taking time out of your busy schedule to join us here on mailbag tuesday hashtag lock on murph tuesday that's right usually monday's a reserve for the man but cq elliott news had to take precedence but we are always honored and grateful to have the legendary thomas murphy of e2g sports here to help us wade through the mailbag and murph some great questions so far. And this question actually is, I think, a two-parter. I don't know if the gentleman that asked the question intended it to be a two-parter, but that's kind of how we're taking it here.

Starting point is 00:33:13 And a great one from a very big fan of the show, a great supporter of the show. And we've seen his questions pop up here from time to time during Locked On Patriots run where we've been doing Mailbag Monday. Our guy, Luke Treffery, and he can be found on Twitter at T-R-E-F-R-Y-L-U-K-E. And he is asking, how or where do you expect the Patriots to improve before the start of the season? From our conversations offline, we agree thatke's question can be interpreted in a couple of different ways based on the latest injury news coming out of foxborough i think we can

Starting point is 00:33:53 start with personnel and of course we're all talking about the injury to tight end mike for those of us that are unaware um ian rapaport of the NFL Network reporting on Tuesday morning that Mike suffered a mild dislocated shoulder during a one-on-one tackling drill with linebacker Jelani Tavai during Monday's training camp practice. Now, he landed awkwardly on the arm, immediately left the session with the assistance of the team. Not terrible, but not great either. The Patriots expect him to be out for the remainder of the preseason, and they're hoping that he'll be back in time for the regular season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 10th. So Murph, in that vein, this is an area that the Patriots wanted to improve coming into training camp, coming into the preseason. With Mike Kosecki on the shelf, how do you expect

Starting point is 00:34:45 them to weather the storm in the next couple of weeks when it comes to the tight end position? Because it is so valuable to a Bill O'Brien offense. Scotty Washington, one of my favorite people. All right. I don't think Scotty Washington has gotten a fair shake around here or just about anywhere. This is a guy who I believe can come in and do the types of things that Gusecki does. He's tall enough to go out and split out way wide. He can come inside and run a seam route that you haven't seen in quite some time here,

Starting point is 00:35:18 like we were hoping Gusecki could do. If Gusecki's going to be sidelined for a while, look to Scotty Washington. Guaranteed. And I'm so glad that you mentioned Scotty's name because if you want to talk like for like comparison and you want to talk about similar skill set Scotty brings you a lot of the things that Mike brings you on the football field kind of similarly sized um Mike's got about an inch on Scotty but Scotty is 65 247 but he's got the build of an athletic pass catcher, has the speed to align it wide out. He's not known for his blocking abilities, just like Mike Gusecki is not either. But I think that type of dynamic skill set is what's going to catch the eye of the Patriots coaching staff.

Starting point is 00:35:58 He's going to do it with his agility. And again, I come back to it. This kid is a hard worker. You see him constantly grinding to get better out there on the projected 53-man. Does he get an extra look here, or do you really think this is about Scottie's opportunity to shine here in Mike Zapp? No, I think Ferguson gets a look.

Starting point is 00:36:34 Bill's not going to turn a blind eye to anything. I just think that, you know, man for man, skill set for skill set, that Washington is my guy. I might be, you know, a little laser-focused on him as opposed to some of the other guys. But if there was somebody on this team that I felt was going to come in here and be a true blocking tight end, then maybe. But I think they need the playmaker, and I think Scotty Washington's it. He was actually somebody um, you know,

Starting point is 00:37:05 somebody that I had penciled in as the number two guy before, uh, before Gusecki was signed. Yeah. And Washington, I think has an opportunity and let's not forget the veteran. That's so the loop to be totally honest with you. Murph has actually been the most impressive reserve tight end out there on the field for the Patriots during training camp and during the preseason. He's using the knowledge of the system to really build upon what he set forth the last couple of years. Despite being mostly a practice squatter, folks, there have been moments where he's been called up to the big squatting game situations. He's made a handful of impressive plays in the passing game during training camp and he's using the

Starting point is 00:37:45 blocking ability to his advantage as well in select packages so if the Patriots are more serious about maybe rostering a blocker knowing that Kosecki is on his way back maybe they give Sokol an extra look but I think this injury to Mike Kosecki almost forces their hand now to seriously consider having to carry three tight ends on the opening day roster. Whereas just a couple of days ago, I was more convinced that they could make it with two. I think they have to go with three now. Right. And, you know, it'll completely change my outlook.

Starting point is 00:38:14 I had, you know, 10 offensive linemen making it on my first one, and one of those guys might have to go. Yeah, absolutely. Might be just one more, one more, you know, strict special teamer that is not going to be on this roster. Yeah. Unfortunately, there were only so many slots available folks. So let us know what your thoughts are when it comes to Gusecki's injury. And obviously that is an area where the Patriots will need to at least adjust, if not improve heading into the final stages of the preseason. But Murph,

Starting point is 00:38:46 before we wrap up today, Luke's question also dealt with, I think, logistical improvement as well. What areas are the Patriots deficient in right now from a skill set where they need to enhance? Where do you see the Patriots looking to make these improvements on the field, starting with the joint practice sessions they're going to have with the Packers this week. Continuity. All right. We're going to, I believe that we're going to see, you know,

Starting point is 00:39:13 less procedural penalties. We're going to see less false starts. We're going to see less, you know, what are you doing lined up there? Okay. That's not going to happen. That's the improvement that I think that this team is going to happen. Uh, that that's the, that's the improvement that, that I think that this team is going to make between now and the end of camp. And then of course, you know, possibly going out and, and, you know, signing to Marco Jones.

Starting point is 00:39:37 Murph is not going to rest until we pack the roster with Joneses. We want all the Joneses here. I don't care if I'm in fight. Luke, thank you for a great thought-provoking and dual-level question that maybe it wasn't intended, maybe it wasn't, but it was a brilliant one. And keep the good work coming up. And folks, thank you all for taking time out to submit a question for Mailbag Monday. There were quite a few of them we didn't get a chance to get to.

Starting point is 00:40:03 Folks, we will at some point during the preseason do a bonus mailbag episode to take all of the ones that nearly made the cut here on Locked On Patriots. But what can I say? You're always there for the handoff, even when there's a slight delay. They tried to ice the kicker yesterday here on Locked On Patriots, but he still drilled it through the uprights and with a lot of room to spare. You're truly a remarkable man, my friend. I knocked it off the right side, but it went through.

Starting point is 00:40:29 That's all right. It still counts, right? And again, I am honored to know you. I'm more honored to be your friend, but we're all honored to absorb the wisdom and counsel. So in that vein, please let all of our listeners know where they can find you, where they can absorb all the great work that you're going to be putting out for E2G Sports this week. Dunmer. Yeah, I got some Red Sox stuff going up.

Starting point is 00:40:48 Of course, I wrote an Ezekiel Elliott piece this morning, well, late last night. Please go check that out at E2GSports.com. And you can find me on the XBird app over there at TMurph207. Absolutely, folks. And again, whenever this man puts pen to paper, voice to microphone, appointment listening, appointment viewing, and appointment reading, you'll be a smarter Patriots fan, a better one, and you'll be entertained in the process. What more can you ask for?

Starting point is 00:41:16 And folks, what more can we ask for than all of the great support that you provide to Locked On Patriots each and every day? All of you Locked On everydayers, as always, hold a special place in my heart. I can't thank you enough for all of your support, but we appreciate our casual listeners. We appreciate our first-timers, anyone who takes time out to make Locked On Patriots a part of their Patriots coverage.

Starting point is 00:41:37 Thank you. We hope you like what you hear and see, and we hope you keep coming back. In the meantime, stay safe and to stay well well and to be the change that you wish to see in the world. On behalf of the founder, Murphy Fisto himself, Thomas Murphy of E2G Sports, I'm Mike DeBate. Have a great day, everyone, and we'll see you back here again tomorrow on Locked on Patriots. It's your Marco Jones. Sign it.

Starting point is 00:42:02 Not that Jones, the other Jones. We need more Joneses.

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots Mailbag: Ezekiel Energy, Malik Mania, O-Line Concerns, Gesicki Injury

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