Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Meet the 2024 Undrafted Rookie Free Agent Class of 2024
Episode Date: May 4, 2024While the NFL Draft is now in the books, the process of building the 2024 New England Patriots roster continues. Before the Pats’ draft cards have had the chance to cool, the team now turns its atte...ntion towards undrafted free agency. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy as the duo break down Charles Turner, Jett Bush, Dell Pettus and the 2024 UDFA class. They also give their thoughts on the signing of veteran kicker Joey Slye. #nfl #nfldraft #patriots Find and follow Locked On Patriots on your favorite podcast platforms: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFm... Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-... And follow host Mike D’Abate on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the New England Patriots and talking with fans — @mdabateNFL Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Monopoly GO!Get in the game and join your friends. Click HERE to Download MONOPOLY GO! now free on The App Store or Google Pay. The mobile hit twist on classic MONOPOLY. eBay MotorsFor parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit at eBayMotos.com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. FanDuelFanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook. Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning GUARANTEED That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – with any winning FIVE DOLLAR BET! Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started. 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)
Transcript
Discussion (0)
No draft? No problem. Get ready to meet the New England Patriots undrafted rookie free agents.
You're about to be locked in to the Locked On Patriots podcast.
You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast.
Part of the Locked On Podcast Network.
Your team every day.
Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful.
And thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage.
Remember, Locked On Patriots is not only a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network.
Your team every day.
And we are free and available on all platforms, including YouTube. So smash
that subscribe button and download
and follow Locked on Patriots wherever
you get your podcasts to
ensure that you're getting the latest episode
as soon as it's available. I'm your
host, Mike DeBate, and I cover your New England
Patriots for Patriots Country.
So reach out to me and let me know what's on
your mind on X at MDAB
ATE NFL. And while you're out there showing some love to Locked on Patriots social media style, So reach out to me and let me know what's on your mind on X at MDABATENFL.
And while you're out there showing some love to Locked On Patriots social media style,
please follow our account there as well at LO underscore Patriots.
And Pats fans, today's episode is brought to you by Monopoly Go.
I admit it, I have a competitive side, and that side is a big fan of Monopoly Go,
the mobile hit twist on classic
monopoly so join your friends and download monopoly go now free on the app store or on google play
and pats fans while the nfl draft is now in the books the process of building the 2024 iteration
of your new england patriots still continues And even before those Patriots draft cards had the chance to get cold,
the team now turns its attention toward undrafted free agency.
And they did so in the hours following day three's wrap of the NFL draft.
Now, for the past two decades,
the Patriots have been a prime destination for undrafted rookies.
You can look up and down this roster, past and present,
and find undrafted gems that have really served this organization
well. Guys like David Andrews, Malcolm Butler, J.C.
Jackson, Jonathan Jones, Jacoby Myers,
Murph's favorite guy, Brandon Bolden. That's right, folks. They've
found success in a New England Patriots uniform.
And in that vein, who better to help us run down all of the Patriots 2024 undrafted free
agents to date than my good friend, the kind of Murphy Fisto himself, the legend.
Thomas Murphy is back today.
Welcome back to the Lockdown Patriots podcast.
And thank you for coming to me to lend
your wisdom and counsel in undrafted land, Dunmurph. See, you know, it goes way, way back.
You know, Bill has always been able to fill out his roster with these undrafted guys,
these diamonds in the rough. And this year, you know, I think the Wolf and company, you know, the Wolf and his pack
have done a pretty good job in trying to manipulate their way through this undrafted jungle
and maybe come up with a few of those diamonds that the Patriots have been able to pluck in the
past. There's just nobody as good as Brandon Bold bolden on this list though people no one absolutely we've often said here on these
airwaves folks superman wears brandon bolden pajamas because we know it and it's just the
fact that everyone has to deal with but do the new england patriots have that diamond in the rough
we're going to talk about that all throughout this pod today and when we conclude we're going to give you our opinion on who has the best chance to make the 53-man roster out of this group but
Murph the Patriots acted quickly signing 10 players they had 11 roster spots open at the time the
draft concluded we're going to get to that in just a moment as well folks a veteran coming in here
little competition for a position of need yeah stick, stick around. You're not going to want to miss that. However, the Patriots
undrafted rookie free agents, alphabetically listed by last name,
are as follows. Linebacker out of Texas, Jet Bush.
Running back out of Oregon State, Deshaun Fenwick. Cornerback
out of Texas State, Caleb Ford-Dement. An offensive
tackle out of UTEP, Zuri Henry. Linebacker out of Texas State, Caleb Ford-Dement, an offensive tackle out of UTEP, Zuri Henry,
linebacker out of Georgia State, John Trey Hunter, a defensive end out of Arkansas, John Morgan III,
safety out of Troy, Del Pettis, center out of LSU, Charles Turner, cornerback out of Alabama State,
Mikey Victor, and a tight end out of Tennessee, Jacob Warren.
So, Murph, that's the laundry list of undrafted rookie free agents that the Patriots have brought in.
But when you take a look at this list, top to bottom, who stood out to you right away and why?
Del Pettis.
You know, he probably has, you know, I'm jumping ahead, but Del Pettis really jumped out. He's a fantastic playmaker in college, you know, six foot, 205 pounds.
He had 315 tackles, seven and a half sacks for a loss and 14 pass breakups during his collegiate career.
He's also quick to the ball.
He's got a couple of fumble recoveries.
He's even got a sack.
OK, and and he's he's got a couple of fumble recoveries he's even got a sack okay and um and
he's he's also versatile he plays special teams but he's even got himself a uh a blocked punt in
there absolutely i mean pettis is someone that i believe has an ability to help this team right
away and it's a position of need like you said 61 consecutive starts 315 tackles seven and a half for loss 14 pass breakups
two fumbles recovered an interception and a sack um this guy can play all over the alignment without
any question he can align up free he can play in the box and he can even play as a slot defender
and murph like you eloquently said potential to be a core special teamer. Over 4,000 combined snaps when it comes to what this can do.
That's a lot.
That's a lot of field time.
That's a lot of field time, even for guys that I'm not sure
how many seasons Dell played in college.
But the Patriots definitely went with the older guys.
They're sticking with the older guys, even with the undrafted free agents,
and bringing them in.
A lot of experience.
Absolutely, without any question.
And right off the bat, you're hitting on the defense,
and I think that is a smart move because I do think safety was a position
that the Patriots could have addressed during this draft.
Again, Steve Balistrieri came on here earlier this week,
made a good argument about the skill set of Marcellus Dial,
maybe potentially a move over to free safety. That could be something to watch during training camp, but
Pettis is a, he's a dedicated safety. He's coming in here as a safety. And again, someone that can
play all over the alignment. Patriots still love those guys and they always will continue to love
those guys as well. So bottom line, I agree with you. I love Pettis,
and I think he's going to be fun to watch. The guy that I'm looking forward to watching is the
running back out of Oregon State, Deshaun Fenwick. A lot of people may look at this guy as a potential
roster cut, maybe a practice squad guy that they could bring back, but I like the dual threat
capabilities that he brings. He began his career at carolina's played very well at oregon state
6-1 223 pounds he's adequately sized uh for a patriots running back 2049 yards 18 touchdowns
on 386 carries last season but the thing that i love about this kid and watching a little bit
more on him because admittedly before the draft they really didn't know much about fenwick studied him after the patriots signed him yeah runs with some power
i like that he's got some quickness he's got some explosiveness great vision very good field vision
yeah the film that you watch on him you can see how he's able to scan and see everything that's
going on on the field and the one thing that i really like about this kid is he's at his best when operating in zone blocking schemes.
We heard Ramondre Stevenson at the podium on Tuesday talk about the outside zone being heavily incorporated now by Alex Van Pelt.
I like about this kid is he can also catch the ball out of the backfield too.
Very good point.
All right.
So, you know, it's a – I got on the Patriots quite a bit in this in this draft that they didn't go after an early down back in a pass catching back.
And they might have found one right here.
We're already looking at Pettis. We're already looking at Fenwick.
One guy I wanted to get your opinion on because he kind of had as a superhero yourself, my friend, he kind of had a superhero type look.
At least the placard did when it was announced that he was signing with the Patriots as an undrafted rookie free agent.
And that's the linebacker out of Texas, Jet Bush.
Jet played 58 games for the Longhorns.
That's including an additional year of eligibility that he had.
Appeared in all 14 games last season.
Started five of them.
A lot of people say he's a little undersized to be a NFL linebacker at 6'2", 242 pounds.
But he plays with a little bit more bulk to him than he appears.
If you want an opportunity, folks, to take a look at what Jet can do,
go back and take a look at texas victory over texas tech last season sack for nine yards that's a very
impressive stat right there but intercepted his first career pass and took it back 43 yards for a
pick six this kid has the ability there's no question about it there's flashes of talent there
how much work will he need with the patriots defensive brain trust to maybe be a player they have to take a strong look at at cut down time?
Not a ton.
I don't want to say a ton.
They'll move him around and see where he fits in.
I'm seeing a big, strong safety, a big, fast, strong safety. And so he could fit in there, allowing the Patriots
defensive coaches to once again manipulate and move people around. He can drop into coverage
pretty well. So that works to his advantage quite a bit. Absolutely. So well said. And folks,
again, the Patriots looking for versatile players that can play multiple positions.
You hear that an awful lot.
They've been doing it for two decades up here.
It's worked.
Sound familiar?
Regardless of what people will tell you, it has worked.
And I credit Elliott Wolfe and Gerard Mayo for continuing that initiative.
And they look like they're ready to continue doing that and keep signing guys that they
feel can be fits all over the roster and really at multiple positions.
Murph, before we take our leave of meeting the undrafted free agents, who else caught your sharp eye?
Who else on this list are you looking at as a potential Patriots diamond in the rough?
Well, without a doubt, the offensive lineman that they went out after, Charles Turner,
you know, he's somebody that can fit into this scheme, this outside zone blocking scheme.
He had, you know, a ton of injuries hit this offensive line,
and we definitely know that they need depth.
And I think Turner can fit into that really, really well.
He's not one of the older guys.
He's just 22 years old, but he's got that solid offensive lineman frame.
He's 6'4", weighs 303 pounds, wingspan of 83, 84 inches.
83 and a quarter.
83 and a quarter.
83 and a quarter.
That's impressive.
It is.
That's Condor-ish almost.
He's played center and both tackle positions while he was in college at while he was in college at lsu so again versatility and
and once again looking for somebody who can play on the left side yeah definitely very very good
point and again even though he's spent most of his time at center folks murph makes a good point
paris starts at left guard and then of course on the tackle position as well. He's done it at a big-time school.
This guy has provided protection for Jaden Daniels at LSU,
so definitely a good move for the New England Patriots to bring him in,
and you can never have too much firepower along the offensive line,
and I agree with you on that point.
Turner is someone I'll be watching closely as well.
Patriots fans, it's not all about the signees though.
Sometimes invitees can make some headlines as well. And the New England Patriots are not only
continuing the tradition of bringing in solid players as undrafted rookie free agents, but
they're also inviting players that can play all over the field and on multiple alignments, maybe
even on different units.
Yeah, we're going to talk about a special hybrid defender special teamer that could
catch some eyes during training camp in Foxborough this summer.
Murph and I are going to talk about that and much more when this episode of the Locked
On Patriots podcast continues, a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team
every day.
Listen up, Locked On listeners.
It's winner-take-all time in the NBA and NHL,
and FanDuel's giving you a shot to bring home a big win of your own.
Right now, new customers get $150 in bonus bets with any winning $5 bet.
That's $150 to bet on spreads, money lines, player props.
This weekend, it's do or die time for the Bruins at the Garden.
The Maple Leafs are underdogs by one and a half goals.
Looking at the money line for Maple Leafs Bruins,
Toronto is the underdog at plus 118,
and Boston is minus 143 playing at home.
So don't delay, do it today.
Visit Fanduel.com slash LockedOn and make every playoff shot count. Boston is minus 143 playing at home. So don't delay. Do it today.
Visit Fanduel.com slash Locked On and make every playoff shot count.
Fanduel, America's number one sportsbook.
Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked On Patriots.
And we are allowing you to meet the undrafted rookie free agent class of 2024 for your New England Patriots.
And joining me here to break it all down is my good friend, the legend himself, Thomas
Murphy.
Murph, in the previous segment, we went through the class, talked about who's caught our sharp
eye.
We'd love to hear from all of you folks.
Who did we miss?
Who are you watching closely?
And who do you want to hear more about here on Locked On Patriots?
And who are you going to be watching when the Pats take the field for training camp in late July?
However, Murph, we all know that there will also be players that will be invited to camp.
Not necessarily signed, but they will be invited to rookie mini camp to allow them the opportunity to catch on and maybe earn an invite to the big club to training camp to be
signed to that 90-man roster and allow them to continue their aspirations to make an NFL roster
Murph we know that for two plus decades here in New England the Patriots have loved employing
versatile players players that can play all over the field, multiple positions, but not only that,
but players that can play on multiple units. We've seen guys like Troy Brown play offense and
defense. Julian Edelman has done it. Mike Vrabel has lined up as an eligible tight end and caught
so many passes from Tom Brady. Rob Gronkowski's done it. That's pretty elite company when you consider the names
that we just mentioned. But one name that has caught the sharp eye of Patriots fans, and for
good reason, is Devin Adams, a hybrid defensive tackle slash punter out of Peru State. That's
right, folks. Hybrid defensive tackle slash punter. You don't hear those two positions combine that often, but Devin does it.
6'2", 286 pounds.
He's a threat on special teams, a threat on defense.
Murph, this is not a usual pairing, but it has a Belichickian feel to it.
And again, as I said in the previous segment, I credit Gerard Mayo for having the insight
to look at somebody like this and Elliott Wolfe as well and saying, you know what?
He's going to make a great camp invite.
When you heard about Devin Adams being brought in and invited, what were your first thoughts?
And what are you looking forward to seeing?
Hell yes, round people.
That was my first thought.
Big ups for the round people. I immediately tried to go find as much film as I can on this kid.
And I was highly impressed.
You know, not only playing a decent defensive tackle,
but punting the ball the way he did.
Ray Guy, this guy isn't, okay?
You know, this is not a svelte individual.
He's a large man that kicks the football a very long way.
So let's see.
Yeah, but, yeah, as somebody that you're going to enjoy seeing, you know,
throughout the summer when these guys start coming in for rookie camp
and whatnot, yeah, I'm going to definitely be keeping a sharp eye out.
I'm not sure he's going to make the squad, you know, in any way, shape, or form.
But no, it was a fun pick, and it was somebody that I'm looking forward to seeing more of
because there just wasn't a lot of film.
But no, I think you make a great point.
And look, I also think you make a great point about Devin's ability to make the 53-man roster. We have to be realistic here,
folks. But on the defensive side of the ball, 156 total tackles, 20 and a half sacks throughout his
collegiate career. So this kid can get after it on the defensive side of the ball. If he's able
to show the Patriots' brass something, they're not going to hesitate to bring this kid in because
of the fact that he does have the ability to kick a ball a long way.
And you're absolutely right.
I mean, he's not going to unseat Bryce Beringer anytime soon.
But you also look for the versatility and just the ability to do multiple things on the field.
You never know with injury, folks, when you're going to need somebody.
And even to stick him on the practice squad and be able to call him up if there's a couple of injuries there, you know, it helps. You know, I always tell kids, the kids that
I coach, the more gloves you have in your bag, the better chance you have of playing for me.
The first, if a coach asks you a question, what position do you play? You say, what position do
you need? And try to teach them that way.
And this kid's got a couple of very different gloves in his bag. He's got a catcher's mitt and a center fielder's mitt at the same time. Absolutely. And leave it to the Patriots to find
a guy that not only is a defensive tackle, but also a punter. I'm just looking forward to seeing
what he's capable of when the team starts to work out on the field. But there was a method to my madness in bringing up Devin Adams today.
What it shows is that the Patriots are still placing a premium on special teams,
even though Bill Belichick is no longer here.
And people say, OK, well, they're not signing core special teamers anymore
or dedicated special teamers.
It doesn't mean that they're going to neglect this side of the ball.
And the Patriots did not neglect this side of the ball a lot of people felt that a kicker
should have been brought in via the draft or via undrafted free agency to really kind of push chad
rylan football god smiled on the patriots on thursday morning joey sly veteran kicker played
for a number of years since 2019 he's played with the giants the panthers the
texans had a cup of coffee with the san francisco 49ers but the last few years he's really come into
his own with the washington commanders uh signed with the jaguars earlier this season they caught
him to try to make some room on the roster but this kid could be interesting. 121 field goals made out of 147, an 82.3% field goal percentage.
Hit his longest field goal of his career last year with Washington at 61 yards,
and he's got 298 total touchbacks.
So this guy can pick for power as well.
When I look at this, I do think that they see something in Sly,
and I think that they believe that he can be a
good camp body at the very least. But what this also tells me is Chad Ryland needs to shape up
or he's going to be shipping out very soon. That's it. They're, they're looking okay, Chad,
you know, the Chad is hanging, hanging Chad. Um, they're, they're, they're out there. They're
looking, they're beating the bushes and they might not have grabbed somebody in the draft this year in the fourth round.
But, you know, they definitely are open to the possibility of Chad not being here, not hanging around.
Absolutely.
I see what you did there, and I love it.
Absolutely.
Yep.
No hanging Chads here in New England, folks.
You're going to compete, and you're going to compete for your job.
If you're not able to compete and win that competition, you will be out.
And I think that's the mentality that they've had up here for a while.
Gerard Mayo continuing it, and I believe that's going to be the way it's going to go.
There's no loyalty.
There's no loyalty.
None of these guys are wolf draft picks.
He's going to have no problem cutting anybody.
And with the amount of cap space that they still have,
don't forget that, folks.
The amount of cap space that they still have,
they can cut anyone and take the hit.
They really can.
This is not going to be one of those seasons where,
oh, yeah, but his dead cap hit is $7 million.
Okay.
Absolutely.
That's true.
I got it in the bank.
No problem.
I think that's true with all positions.
But again, I think it definitely brings things full circle.
And bringing in someone and inviting someone like a Devin Adams, it does trigger that.
It triggers that thought that the Patriots are very serious
about making improvements on special teams.
This is a unit that struggled now two years running.
One of the big reasons why last year was because of an unreliable kicker.
They had one in 2022, and Nick Folk, you can make the argument
that Folk may have been their most reliable offensive player all season long.
He parlayed that into a nice contract with the Tennessee Titans
last season but Ryland only made 16 of 25 field goals last year that's 64 percent folks his field
goal percentage was the lowest in the league among qualified kickers so that's got to change and it's
got to change in a hurry we heard all about this kid's big leg we heard all about his ability to
kick in the clutch kick through the elements you going to have to see it this year.
And I think Joey Sly's presence in New England definitely shows that the Patriots are serious.
Personally, I think he will shape up.
I think last year was a bit much for him.
I think he had a case of the shanks.
And we, you know, we will be seeing him in a Patriots uniform this year. I think the competition is good,
and it's going to point the way into the direction he's going to need to go.
But I think he's going to end up going there.
Yeah, I hope so.
He was always very contrite and very humbled last year when we spoke with him.
Obviously, you know, the performance had something to do with it. Oh, sure.
Not a lot of players will give you that type of honesty
and that type of contrition when you speak to them.
Chad was a class act last year,
and I sincerely hope that he does get on the right path
because I do think there's talent there.
But at the very least, you have to produce,
and the Patriots are proving that one day after another,
whether it be free agency, the draft,
they want to get guys in here that they know can help them build back
and build back into something, rebuild this team into respectability,
and then hopefully from that level get back into contention.
Not going to happen overnight, but that's the Patriots' plan.
And to round things out, folks, your undrafted rookie free agents
may help the Patriots do that.
As Murph and I talked about earlier in this pod,
a lot of guys have done that for the New England Patriots.
Guys like Brandon Bolden, Jacoby Myers.
The laundry list goes on and on of Patriots players
that have made significant contributions.
But to do that, you need to make the 53-man roster.
Who among the list of undrafted rookie free agents
has the best chance to do it?
Murph and I are going to answer that question in just a moment when this episode of the
Locked On Patriots podcast wraps up right here on the Locked On Podcast Network, your
team every day.
All right, game off.
We got to pause here to talk more about Monopoly Go.
I know what you're saying.
Flag on the play.
Mike, you already talked about that.
But there is just so much good stuff in this game.
In Monopoly Go, you can team up with friends for time tournaments
where you work together to build up each other's boards.
The more you win together, the more awesome prizes you unlock.
And there's so much to get.
You can get unique stickers that you can trade with a friend to complete albums for big prizes.
You get cool new playing pieces to travel the boards with.
And, the best part, hilarious emojis for taunting all of your friends when you smash their buildings or you heist their vaults.
Plus, Monopoly Go feels new and exciting every day, with constantly changing tournaments and challenges.
A ton include their own unique mini-games like Digging for Treasure or a Robot Pachinko Machine.
And there's always new timed events that help you win big, like massive multipliers for everything you win or rent frenzies. There's always something fun to discover in Monopoly Go, so get off the bench and go download it now free on the google play
or the app store game on patriots fans thank you once again for joining us here today and meeting
the undrafted rookie free agent class of 2024 for your new england patriots joining me here to break
it all down is my good friend expert extraordinaireinaire, Thomas Murphy. And Murph, in the
previous segments, we've talked about interesting invites for the Patriots, what it means for their
philosophy. And we've given you a rundown, folks, of all of the undrafted rookie free agents. Told
you who's catching our sharp eye. But one hand of cards we have yet to reveal is which undrafted
rookie free agent on this Patriots roster has the chance to start a
new streak. Patriots had a 19-year streak of undrafted rookie free agents making this roster.
That was snapped in 2023, but you know what? Records are made to be broken and it's time to
start a new streak. So if the Patriots are going to do so, who among the 10 players that we listed
earlier in this podcast have the best chance to
do it? Don Murphy. Well, you know, at the, at the top of the show, we, I talked about Del Portis.
I think he's got an excellent chance to make this, uh, the squad on defense. They, they kind of
ignored, uh, the defensive position during the draft. And I think he's going to have a, a, a,
a good shot, you know, uh, Jacob Warren,
uh, out of, uh, the tight end out of Tennessee, you know, somebody to, to throw oranges back and
forth with our, our sixth round quarterback, uh, during, during camp, he's got a chance to do it.
Um, you know, Austin Henry, Austin Henry, uh, Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, you know, is really the depth chart here.
He's probably got a nice shot at making the squad.
And the LSU kid, I think, is going to make people really step up.
Charles Turner is going to make people really step up and take notice. But yeah, I'm going to go right back to the top of the show and say that Del Pettis has
the best chance to make this Patriots team.
I am in complete agreement with you.
Big surprise there, folks.
But for the reasons that Murph said, look, it's a need for the Patriots right now to
get a safety that can play all over the field.
Someone that you can try to mold into either a center fielder,
a free safety, a box safety, someone that can take on multiple tasks.
And again, this is a Patriots MO.
This is the type of guy they love to employ.
They love guys that are versatile and that can play all over the formation.
Pettis is that, and I think he will get a strong look from the Patriots brass.
We mentioned Turner earlier. He may be a one-and-one A. I think he's got a strong look from the Patriots brass. We mentioned Turner earlier.
He may be a one-in-one A.
I think he's got a great shot to make this squad.
He could end up displacing someone like an Andrew Stuber on this 53-man roster.
Coming in with the amount of time that he spent at LSU, well-sized, 6'4", 303 pounds.
I keep coming back to that 83-and-a-quarter-inch wingspan.
You're not going to bypass him on a block folks. There's no question about it. Um, and you know, once again, I think that
versatility of being able to play all over the formation, if he needs to could end up earning
him a second look. And I'm so glad that you mentioned Jacob Warren, because you look at
the Patriots tight end room right now, Hunter Henry's obviously making this roster. So
is Austin Hooper. I don't think there's a question that either one of these guys are making the
roster unless Hooper comes in here and just completely disappoints during training camp.
I think the chances of that are slim to absolute none, but there's always a shot.
The draft of Jaheim Bell, and I think that that is a sign that he's going to be coming in
and playing that wide tight end, but they still lack a true blocking presence in this tight end room it's a lot to
carry four tight ends on a 53 man roster that's the only thing that gives me hesitation here but
I will say this Jacob Warren does blend the ability of pass catching and blocking skill maybe better than anyone on this depth
chart right now 53 passes caught 607 yards eight touchdowns throughout his career at Tennessee 54
games with the program situational pass catcher could be a niche but I think he's going to be
a blocker at the pro level especially in line if the Patriots need that they really have to give
this kid a second
look because he can do it at a high level yeah i agree i agree that's a fantastic point that there
isn't there isn't that type of tight end on this squad right now and he's somebody that that could
come in and fill in and when you go jumbo a little less than jumbo but you know yeah yeah a little
less than that but well sized six six 251 Yeah, a little less than that, but well-sized. 6'6", 251.
So that's definitely a good amount of bulk there for that role.
And who knows?
Maybe he could be a hybrid lineman.
I mean, the Patriots will look to maximize skill set however they possibly can.
And you look at guys that are very good at zone concept blocking.
Jacob Warren did that at Tennessee.
Alex Van Pelt must have seen something
in this guy to bring him in so i'm looking at him and you know smart to look at guys like jet bush
who have maybe a little bit more light on them than some of the other undrafted free agents that
have been brought in he could be a hybrid safety he could be someone that comes in and plays the
large safety role at 6 22", 242 pounds.
Definitely got the thumping ability to do it, and he can open up the field with that 43-yard pick
six that he returned against Texas Tech. Shows that he's got the ability to navigate it as well.
Yeah, if you're going to have one pick, that's the pick you should have.
Definitely, absolutely, and your cross-state rival, I mean, you know, who else, you know,
who better to do it?
That's going to get a lot of play in the state of Texas. I know it did. You got a funny feeling.
It's going to be watched quite a few times up here in New England as we hear that name throughout
training camp. But Murph, before we take our leave of this subject, is there anyone else on this list
of undrafted rookie free agents that has caught your sharp eye that we haven't had a chance to
address yet? Someone who Patriots fans might be smart to keep an eye on in the coming days and weeks leading up to training camp.
Yeah, John Morgan, you know, defensive end out of out of Arkansas, somebody that you should definitely watch.
And I know that that Gerard Mayo will be watching last year.
The Patriots got a lot of pressure on the quarterback, but didn't get to him all the time. I think some depth there at defensive end could be something that this young man could fill out.
Absolutely.
And once again, folks, Morgan is someone that the Patriots will be keeping their eye on,
and I know fans will as well.
Spent his first five collegiate seasons at Pittsburgh, transferred to Arkansas for his sixth and finals 89 tackles 27 for a loss 16
sacks four force fumbles three pass breakups 6-1 252 pounds yeah those Arkansas defenders have a
tendency to do well up here in New England I'm thinking of guys like Dietrich Wise Jr. uh who
has had a great career up here in New England. I'm not necessarily comparing John to that, but another defensive end, who knows?
You know, the Patriots definitely saw something
in him to bring him in.
We'll see if that translates to success on the field
and most importantly, on the roster.
Folks, those are your undrafted rookie free agents
for your New England Patriots heading into 2024.
Did we cover your favorites?
Did we miss
anyone? Drop us a note in the comments section below. We'd love to hear what you have to say,
but most importantly, I want to take a moment to thank my good friend for lending his wisdom
and counsel the way only he can. Murph, thanks so much for dropping by today to help me sort
through his list of undrafted rookie free agents, and I know you've got something to remind our
adoring public for when it
comes to Monday's show here on Locked On Patriots,
but also want to give you an opportunity to let everyone out there in
Pat's Nation know what you've got cooking in Murph's kitchen from the
great pen, the great voice of Thomas Murphy from now until the weekend is
over.
So you can follow me on Zitter at Team Murph 207.
No other shows that I'm doing this week.
I completely blocked this week out for Mike and his needs.
And other than that, you know, I've got a little Red Sox thing in the hopper
that you could probably catch over at DieHardBostonSportsFans.com.
Absolutely, folks.
Definitely take a look.
I always say the man is second to none when it comes to Pats coverage,
but he is truly top of the heap when it comes to Pats coverage, but he is truly top of the heap
when it comes to Sox coverage. Some of the
best in the business. You will not be disappointed.
Check it out. Absorb it.
You'll be smarter. You'll be entertained.
I don't need goal scorers that don't
score goals, and I don't need cleanup hitters
that don't clean up. Absolutely,
folks. So well
said. How am I going to top that? I can't top
it. I'm not even going to try.
Folks, definitely make sure to get your questions in because Mailbag Monday is back this Monday on Locked On Patriots.
And we're looking forward to it.
We always appreciate all of your great insight, all of your great questions.
So keep those rolling in right here on Locked On Patriots so Murph and I can address them this coming Monday, May 6th. But in the
meantime, I thank my good friend
Thomas Murphy for dropping by today
and I thank you, most importantly,
for taking time out of your busy schedules
to make us a part of your daily
Patriots coverage. On behalf
of my good friend Murph,
I'm Mike DeBate, reminding you all to stay
safe and to stay well and to be the
change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone everyone and we'll see you back here again on Locked on Patriots.