Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Mike Vrabel to Pats Hall, Passing on Tight Ends in the 2023 NFL Draft

Episode Date: May 4, 2023

The New England Patriots may not have drafted a tight end in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, the Pats are about to bestow one of the franchise's highest honors on a popular part-time tight end. Host Mike D'Abate gives his thoughts on Mike Vrabel's election to the Patriots Hall of Fame before welcoming Clare 'ClazzyClare' Cooper of Pats Propaganda to discuss the Patriots passing on drafting a tight end in the 2023 NFL Draft.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!Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.FanDuelMake Every Moment More. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to ONE THOUSAND 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

Even though your New England Patriots did not select the tight end in the 2023 NFL Draft, one of the most famous part-time tight ends is about to receive the franchise's greatest honor. Stick around. You're about to be locked in to the Locked On Patriots podcast. You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your team, every day. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful. Thank you once again for making Lockdown Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Don't forget, Lockdown Patriots is 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. I'm your host, Mike debate, and I cover your new England Patriots for Patriots country of sports illustrated. So reach out to me and let me know what's on your mind on Twitter at MDA, BAT, E NFL. And while you're out there showing some love to the Twitter verse, please be sure to follow the lockdown Patriots account as well at L O

underscore Patriots. Pats fans, thank you all for joining me here on this midweek episode of Locked On Patriots. Special shout out, as always, to all of you Locked On Patriots everydayers, all of the loyalists here on Locked On. We appreciate you. It means the world to me that you keep inviting me back and inviting the show back to your daily Patriots routine. We hope that you're going to stay with us for a good long while. And Patriots fans, it is going to be an exciting midweek episode because if it's midweek,

that means a visit from the midweek monarch here on Locked On Patriots. The illustrious Claire Classey, Claire Cooper will join me in just a moment. And if Claire's here, you know we're going to be talking some tight endage. The New England Patriots did not select a tight end in this draft. A deep class. We all thought it was going to happen at least at some point. But as the rounds continued to tick away, the New England Patriots failed to secure the services of a bona fide tight end. They don't have a tight end under contract beyond 2023.

So what does this mean for the future of the position in New England? Well, who better than Claire to regale us with her wisdom and counsel? And she will do that when she joins me here in just a moment. But we're not only going to talk tight endage, folks. We're also going to talk about the future of this draft. Beyond Christian Gonzalez at number 17 in the first round, which pick do Claire and I believe have the chance to be the standout pick? Who's going to carry this team into that next realm, that next level, or maybe even that next

era here in New England? Claire and I are going to share all of that information, so keep it right here on Locked On Patriots when the Countess of Clash joins me here in just England. Claire and I are going to share all of that information, so keep it right here on Locked On Patriots when the Countess of Clash joins me here in just a moment. But first, folks, we're talking tight endage. You can't forget about maybe the most famous part-time tight end in Patriots history. I say part-time, tongue-in-cheek, folks. He is definitely one of the greatest linebackers in New England Patriots history. And starting this summer, you'll be able to call him a Patriots Hall of Famer.

The Pats announcing on Wednesday that former linebacker and current Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel will be honored as the 34th inductee into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Mike had been a seven-time finalist. He edged out former offensive lineman Logan Mankins and pro football Hall of Fame coach Mike had been a seven-time finalist. He edged out former offensive lineman Logan Mankins and pro football Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells in a fando to determine the 2023 inductee. And I know a lot of the social media activity going on. There's a little bit of a buzz about whether Parcells should have been inducted, whether Vrabel was the right choice. Look, I don't think anybody is denying that Vrabel is worthy of induction.

I haven't seen one person come forward and say this was the wrong pick. Maybe they're saying it was the wrong time, but Vrabel definitely deserves to be in the Patriots Hall of Fame. The case for Parcells is an interesting one and a conversation, quite honestly, for another day. We'll get its moment here on Locked On Patriots because I think there are arguments for it and I do think there are arguments against it as well. But for today, let's give Mike his just due because he deserves it. And I think anything

more than what's going on around right now is, I think, superfluous and maybe a little self-indulgent. Mike Vrabel deserves his moment right now. He is the inductee and to start talking about other candidacies or to start bringing up other media-driven agendas, I think is a disservice to what Mike Vrabel did as a member of the New England Patriots here. Robert Kraft issuing a classy statement as always, quote, it is my pleasure to announce Mike Vrabel as this year's selection to the Patriots Hall of Fame. Mike's leadership and versatility were principal to one of the most successful eras in franchise history, propelling the Pats to three Super Bowl titles in four years and establishing multiple NFL records for consecutive game win streaks.

Folks, Vrabel was an integral part of this dynasty. There's no question about it. He came in in 2001 as a free agent, and I think you can make the argument this is one of the greatest free agent signings in Patriots history. He was not expected to come in and be the player that he was when he signed here out of Pittsburgh, but versatility is a word you hear a lot here on Locked On Patriots. It's a favorite of the New England Patriots. It's a favorite of mine. And he really defined the word versatility without any question. Started an inside-outside linebacker.

You saw him line up on offense in short yardage and goal line situations. The jumbo tight end, yeah, he played it very, very well. Caught eight regular season passes, two more in the playoffs. Every one of his 10 catches resulted in a touchdown that's a pretty good offensive record of course it helps a little bit having tom brady throwing you those packages as well but at the same time you got to make all the credit in the world for making the catches and knowing exactly how to line up you know one of the great guys that you'll come across here in Patriots lore and really one of the most outspoken.

I, for one, cannot wait to hear this induction speech, but there's no question about it. He is a valuable contributor to the Patriots on so many levels, offense, defense, and even in special teams. He was great in a lot of coverage units, finished his playing career as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, but when you think of Mike Grable on the field, you automatically think of him as a New England Patriot. Three times Pro Bowl champion without any question. He solidified

his position as one of the great Patriots of all time. He was a member of the Patriots 50th anniversary team. Sports Illustrated's all-decade team from 2000 to 2009. He was on that as well. 48 sacks as a Patriot, that's the seventh most in franchise history. So Mike is really, I think, one of the more deserving candidates that we've seen. All of the candidates that we cover here, Logan Mankin's deserving as well. Bill Parcells also deserving of an induction as well. But Mike really came across to the fan base this time around, and he was their choice. And I definitely respect it.

I wish Mike congratulations. On Thursday afternoon, the media is going to get a chance to speak with Mike. I can't wait to play my part in that as well. So keep a sharp eye out, folks. Definitely a lot more coming on that in Sports Illustrated, and we'll mention it again here on Locked On Patriots. But until then, a tip of the cap, a nod to the gods, to Mike Grable, who will be the 34th inductee into the Patriots Hall of Fame, joining former assistant coach, Patriots legend

in his own right, Dante Skarniecki. Don't forget, Dante was named as a class of 2023 contributor by Robert Kraft when the class announced its nomination committee in the annual meeting in April. And of course, the date and time for the Patriots 2023 Hall of Fame induction ceremony still to be determined. That's going to be announced at a later date. Safe bet on that one would either be during the month of August, sometime in the summer, or most likely at the end of September, which is usually when the Patriots hold these. But it could be any time. Keep it right here on Locked On Patriots, and we'll keep you informed as soon as more information is known.

But that being said, the New England Patriots have a season to play, and they have a roster to build, and they did a lot over last weekend to build that roster 12 new patriots drafted three undrafted rookie free agents in here what does it all mean for the patriots well not any one of those draftees was a tight end they did bring in a undrafted rookie free agent tight end but was it enough well we know it wasn't enough for my co-host today who's going to be joining me here in just a moment. Claire, classy Claire Cooper joins me to talk tight endage and what it means for the future

of the New England Patriots, especially this draft class when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, folks, today's episode brought to you by our good friends over at Built. And if you're like me and you're looking for a delicious snack but don't want all of the calories and all the sugar then folks you have got to try built you got to try this i don't know how they do it but they continually do it they make a phenomenally delicious product but all they do is keep the they allow it to maintain amazing macros folks it's amazing i get tongue-tied all the time they allow it to maintain amazing macros, folks.

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Patriots fans, thank you once again for making Lockdown Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots fans, thank you once again for making Lockdown Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage, especially all you everydayers out there, all you legions of Lockdown loyalists. I can't thank you enough. Each and every day you come back and you make Lockdown Patriots possible, and we do appreciate it each and every day.

And, of course, folks, don't forget, tomorrow here on the pod, Spencer McLaughlin, host of Locked On Oregon Ducks, is going to be breaking down the Christian Gonzalez pick. Spencer's covered him in Oregon, and you're going to want to catch this. Expert analysis. Don't miss it. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. But today, folks, it is the midweek point here on Lockdown Patriots.

And who else do we welcome on the midweek than the midweek monarch here on Lockdown Patriots, the Empress of Tight Endage, the esteemed Countess of Clas, Claire, Clazzy Claire Cooper of That's Propaganda and a Claire Perspective of Patriots podcast. Welcome back to the pod, Countess. Oh, thank you. Happy to be thank you having me back as always as always absolutely we always love having you on claire and uh this week particularly we are really intrigued by what claire's opinion is going to be on patriots draft habits or their draft strategy because as our good friend billy zane would say the Countess was displeased. What to do? Claire Dalton-Kincaid,

Michael Mayer, Darnell Washington, Sam Laporta, Luke Musgrave, Tucker Craft, Luke Shoemaker, Josh Wiley, Brenton Strange,

Zach Koontz. They all have something in common. None of these players are New England Patriots. This surprised me. I'll be very honest with you. This was a very deep tight end class. The Patriots have no tight ends under contract for 2024. And you have to wonder what the strategy is here.

If the Patriots had zeroed in on guys and they just weren't available or if this is a part of just well yeah it's a nice to have but it's not an essential and we're going to do our due diligence elsewhere stealing your thunder as much as I already have what was your reaction to this I know as a fan I know you were devastated but as as an analyst as someone that looks at the disposition and the potency of what the Patriots could do with any one of the tight ends that I just mentioned, how big of a mistake do you think the Patriots made here by not dipping into this deep class? It's really hard to detach kind of the fan passion, the desire and the sort of the logic, especially now because it didn't feel like there was a logical reason. Now, on the record, I have already said this, I think on a clear perspective this morning,

that the guys that they got, I'm not against anybody. There aren't any players that I'm like, oh, he's not that great or whatever. I don't claim to know enough to really be able to judge anything anyway, just generally, but specifically in regards to these players. So it is difficult to sort of say, well, they could have not taken X, Y, Z, and they could have taken a tight end, or they shouldn't have taken so-and-so, and then they should have moved up, that kind of thing. I haven't got the skill set to really say that the experience to really say that but the one thing that is sort of concerning is the fact that it was such a deep class and not only that although

it wasn't the most immediate of needs it also wasn't not a need because as you alluded to hunter and joseki are running on one year contracts they're running contracted through 23 however yes of course they, they could be extended. That could be increased. We could even see that in this offseason before we even really, you know, get to the season. We could see an extension, for example, for Hunter. Now, I don't know.

I'm just speculating, folks. But to that end, that's still only extending sort of who you've already got, the skill set that you've already got. And don't forget these, you know, I hate to sound ageist because I'm not. And the NFL is this really interesting sport where we talk about 20-odd-year-olds, 26-year-olds as old. And things like this, 28-year-olds is old. And it's like, it's just crazy.

But when it comes to the skill position, things like that, the tight end, they put themselves through a lot. It's another reason why kind of like running backs for example you know you only get a running back through his first contract generally because they get so battered and bruised and broken and it's because they throw themselves into the sport and that that's kind of what makes them you know they're really good at their position and Hunter isn't already without injury that that we've seen as a patriot let alone prior to his time with the Patriots. So it's not like you've got the kind of young, new, ripe for the picking.

Now, yes, age doesn't necessarily matter. You can get injured regardless of your age. But you're looking at a stock that is older, that has already had injury, you know, that kind of thing so to not address the fact that you need just young fresh blood somebody that you know to build forward to to kind of go forward with the franchise or the future at that position that kind of thing they they really stilled at the tight end position with just remaining with Hunter Henry and Mike Gusecki and they also stilted um the kind of skill set in regards to as well because although i know that they've taken the undrafted or they've picked up the undrafted free agent of johnny lumpkin um out of louisiana he they haven't other than that they haven't really got the the the blockingness of a

tight end and what was in this draft class was well-rounded tight ends now yeah some of the ones that we would have been talking about like the josh wiley's that cunning yeah they're not super duper tight end ones starting you know pass catching superstars no we're talking the tight end two slash three where they've got a bit of pass catching ability they can kind of be utilized in the run play they can utilize in the pass play and they can block and that's kind of sort of mostly what they're missing now Gusecki is known for not really being a blocker Hunter a little bit of you know each but he isn't so much a blocker not only that that they they've kind of missed

out on that that sort of skill set of putting that in as a te3 if you like they've also missed on the fact that they can bring in a young guy under Bill O'Brien develop him and then in a couple of years where maybe they don't renew on Hunter or you know Mike Gusecki retires or you know whatever that kind of thing they've already got somebody in place we're not going back to 2019 2020 when they had to ask Ben Watson to not retire and things like this the craziness that was that and I mean you guys all know that i love me some ryan is out and i still do i don't care but yeah they didn't have much when it came to to tight endage and to move away from this draft class to go forward with with literally nothing and i know a lot of people will say well they did pick up the undrafted free agent for me that kind

of i felt even worse when they picked him up than if than if they hadn't picked one up completely because it's like people can argue oh well they did take a tight end no but they didn't take what the skill set that was there what the depth of their what the quality that was there that they was right for the picking and I know there's arguments well if they as I said at the beginning if they'd have taken this person they wouldn't have taken this player that kind of thing but when you look at who was available around the sort of times the amount of draft capital they had the argument that you could make that they could have taken the kicker a little bit later now don't get me wrong folks

I like that they've taken a kicker I love that they've taken a punter, but that's for another day. It's just, you still look at, they've really stacked certain positions. Granted, they needed depth. It's that kind of push-pull of you never have enough when you really want the one you want kind of thing. They've added depth, but they didn't add this, and they added that, and they didn't add this. I mean, you look at, I think it's the Titans I heard a Titans fan um on one of the podcasts I've listened to that argue that they didn't add a wide receiver and that's one of

their biggest needs and I think as fans we're always going to want something that we didn't get we're never going to want every single thing that we wanted and yeah as I said looking at who they did take um I was quite happy it's just I am surprised I am a bit stunned that they didn't that they completely passed over the tight end class that that is this year simply because it's a class that we aren't going to see for a while at a position that you aren't going to see that we've had a run a very good wide receiver classes kind of year on year I know we're not in one that we weren't in one this year but there was a run on it and it is a position that you'll see you know with that there was depth at cornerback this year the tight end class because it's a particular position because it's sort of

one of the ones that it takes at least a year for them to kind of get integrated in integrated, sorry, that kind of thing. It's a difficult position because they're running an offense from not just the past, but also from the run perspective. So you've got guys that it's a little bit more specialized when it comes to that,

that, that role. And you, you, you're talking, you're also talking about size as well. I mean, we had running a running

back of five five who's who's now in the nfl potentially went to the to the cowboys and it's not really it doesn't work like that when it when it comes to tight ends you need to be a big guy you can't get away with being a little bit smaller as you maybe can at different other positions skowronski with his slightly i mean i argued, but he's slightly undersized arm length, so he's not a tackle. I mean, for me, it was a little bit crazy, but each to their own. So there are things that you can get away with at other positions. Now, granted, there's things that you can't. I'm not just saying that the tight end is it, but, for example,

the tight end, you really need the guy to be big if he's going to be blocking. He needs strength if he's going to be blocking. He also needs to be agile if he's going to be a pass catcher. So it isn't necessarily a position that you can easily get into because, you know, you can't change your size, that kind of thing. And you can't necessarily change your sort of stamina, although I know that there's training and working. So it's not a class that you can easily create depth in when it comes to getting you know through college and things like that there's there's things that you're going to struggle to work at to make yourself a really good tight end so to have a really deep

class I think was something that was really interesting and also I do I genuinely feel trying to go from it at it from a non-tight end enthusiast bias position and a logical NFL analytical position. I still do think when I look at it from that from that angle of what that what there was there in regards to skill set and depth and quality, what the Patriots could do with going forward um in you know their future going forward i do think that they whiffed on not taking a tight end for more reasons than just the fact that i clare cooper i'm a tight end enthusiast and i kind of wanted my sam laporta or my josh wiley or my michael mayer oh can you believe it i would have just completely exploded i would have self-combusted if they'd picked him but yeah putting that fan bit aside I still do think logically looking at everything it is something that they did miss out on um

hopefully the guys that they did take it it might not even matter they might make a successful offense going forward with um the likes of kind of the wide receivers in regard to Douglas and Boutin stuff like that so we might not really need that tight end but I don't kind of I don't personally see and I do think it is it is something that maybe that they missed out on when it was the 2023 draft and I think maybe it's something that in a few years we're going to see kind of we're going to reap the the lack of rewards from the fact that they didn't take one this year the fair point it really is a fair point and look bottom line the argument right now that a lot of people will make about not taking a tight end is that well the Patriots were not going to use a marquee tight end in this offense this

year anyway they've got Hunter Henry they've got Mike Isecki they're going to be their top one two combination sure that's not necessarily an argument either for or against because when you draft usually you're drafting for year two year three i know that irks some people when i say that but that's the way the patriots look at this um when you have an immediate need and a player can come in and fill that role he's going to do it but nine times out of ten if the patriots are taking someone even if it's early on in the draft, they're looking at potential for year two, year three, year four down the line. So I agree with you in that sense.

This was a very deep tight end class. They had numerous options on the table. They wanted to go for a pass catcher. They had a lot of guys that could do it. This draft was full of guys that are capable of being top flight receiving tight ends in this league. Michael Mayer is one of the best in the class. There's no question about it. He's excellent at being able to do that.

Dalton Kincaid, people are already calling him the next Travis Kelsey, which I think is a little premature. Let the guy catch a couple of passes from Josh Allen first before we start anointing him with the moniker of a future Hall of Famer. That's kind of ridiculous. But at the same time, there were also great blockers. We talked about Shoemaker. We talked about total package tight ends, guys like Tucker Crabb, Zach Kuntz that could have come in and made a difference on this team. So, yes, on paper, on the surface, the Patriots made a mistake in not dipping into this class.

But one thing that we kind of gleaned out of speaking with Matt Groh on Saturday afternoon is that the New England Patriots were in on tight ends, but you got the feeling that it was in the mid rounds, maybe even into day three where these guys started evaporating off the board. And then all of a sudden, New England found itself playing catch up. If that's where they were looking to target, then that tells me that Hunter Henry is a prime candidate for a contract extension. sudden, New England found itself playing catch up. If that's where they were looking to target, then that tells me that Hunter Henry is a prime candidate for a contract extension this year.

And I think you definitely hit on this. Miguel's going to be here later in the week, folks. That'll be a question we're going to ask him. As a matter of fact, I know if he's listening to this, he's already toiling away getting together for us. But in any case uh that tells me that he is a prime candidate for an extension which means the patriots may be looking to retain his services all goes well with kiseki he may be back for another year or two so if this happens the way the patriots had hoped they've got their two top guys now you're looking at the maybe the next level and bringing in a third tight end because bill o'Brien loves to run 12. You need more than two tight ends on the roster to effectively run it, keep it going smooth.

A lot of pressure on guys like Matt Sokol, Scotty Washington, and Lemkin now coming in as an undrafted rookie free agent. So maybe the Patriots have that in mind, or maybe they're just looking to bring Ryan Izzo back through the doors to satisfy the countess, folks. that's what we're here for we put the campaign in place and you never know what might happen no i can't get through that no it's not gonna happen claire i apologize that's so cruel that's it was a little cruel it was it was a little bit that was a little cruel that was cool i was i was really close to getting really excited because I was going to say,

oh, maybe they're just looking at next year and they're going to pick up the really, really top tight end from Georgia, I believe, Brock Bowers. Maybe they're going to consolidate all their picks. Well, they had Darnell Washington this year, and I know Murph was not happy. He was not taken, but there were medical issues. We did talk about those on Monday's show, folks. There are a lot of different reasons why you don't dip into that well,

but ultimately I think the Patriots drew a bead on some players that maybe weren't available and they weren't going to deviate their plan and turn it on its ear uh to accommodate a position that maybe they feel they're a little better positioned at than most people think Claire we love talking tight endage with you but the NFL draft was not all about tight ends it definitely wasn't all about tight ends in New England it was about Christian Gonzalez coming here to be the cornerback of the future for New England. But as much as we all love the Gretchen Gonzalez pick, the other picks in the draft, well, the fan base is up and down on all of them.

In just a moment, the Countess of Clas and I are going to tell you which player, drafted on day two or day three, is going to have the biggest impact on the Patriots, not just this season, but even beyond. We're going to talk more about the Patriotsots 2023 draft class with the Countess of Clas herself when this episode of the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues. That's fans. Thank you once again for taking time out of your busy schedule to spend it with Lockdown Patriots, spending it with yours truly.

And of course, how could you not enjoy a midweek part of Locked On Patriots without the wisdom and the counsel of our great friend, the illustrious Claire Klaas and Claire Cooper, columnist extraordinaire of Pat's Propaganda, and also the host of her very own Patriots podcast, The Claire Perspective. Folks, check it out wherever you get your podcasts. And Claire, we talked a lot lot tight endage in the previous segment

and i know you were excited and i know you're still upset with me about that ryan iso comment we will leave that for another day um yeah you're not there about that you think the countess is pleased to now to do all right i have to stop doing that that's getting annoying um yeah we are retiring that folks that'll be done uh not the not the mean not the mean that's still gonna happen on twitter but i won't do the impression any longer uh but claire in any case uh the new england patriots choosing 12 players for the first time since 2010 by the way that 2010 draft just happened to include rob gronkowski in there you know i'm saying, we bring it all back to tight end.

The hits just keep on coming. They just keep on coming. It does. It's all full circle. But the Patriots came away with a draft haul. And no matter how you slice it, there's going to be a lot of new faces doing a lot of familiar things in New England. You're talking specialists, kicker, punter, cornerback.

You're talking offensive line defensive line a lot of things that the patriots did i think a fairly good job of upgrading their roster but the most important question on everybody's mind is who's going to make the impact who are we going to see make an impact not just this year but years down the line picks that could have a potential impact on the face of the franchise even. I'm not asking you to necessarily wear your Belichickian crystal ball hat in that regard, but when you look into the tea leaves, oh great, Sage, we haven't done that in a while either. We've got to bring back some clairvoyance.

I'm going to spontaneously ask you to pull up on some clairvoyance right now who do you see in this 2023 draft class as uh emerging as maybe a potential star on this team even or a big contributor i should say well obviously it all depends on if they work out if they are kind of what we think they are if you know if they're as successful as we anticipate they may be if they slot into the team as well as they could do you know it's it's all ifs buts candy and nuts isn't it and it's we're miles away from Christmas but for me I think yeah I was interested in most actually once I looked at it a lot most of the signings because the whole thing about how one of the guards might end up playing tackle how they've got another Andrews at centre because they've got a bit of a

type when it comes to it which I really really love anyway I mean yeah the the edge guy uh Keon White I've just I've heard the most amazing things about him ever since you know him being drafted so there's a lot that I didn't know that maybe a lot of people didn't know about the who they've drafted when it comes to kind of like super duperness, if you like. But I think for me, and people are going to laugh because I know, but kickers and punters are people too, folks. And they are really important. And I think seeing what we saw last season

with the whole Jake Bailey injured, the whole Pallardi situation, you know, Nick Falk having to do kickoff duties and it not being a great success because it isn't his niche that kind of thing to bring in the kicker and a punter i think is is key now i know there's a lot about in regards to how they moved up for the kicker and he wasn't the top kicker and if you're going to move up for a kicker you should have took moody i get all that and i kind of just want to push that to one side and just look at them on the on the face of they've added um you know a kicker and a punter and i think you know i like it i like the punter the punter is kind of i was a jake bailey fan i'm i'm a bit

of a punter fan as well i seem to have a bit of a thing for punters as well. We're not sure why. We don't question these things if we can help it because we don't always want to know the answer. It's all part of the clairvoyance. It's all part of those vibes. Yeah. Okay. I was a big Jake Bailey fan.

And I was kind of sad to see the decline of him as I think everybody probably was because obviously it was unfortunate. But I was kind of sad to see him go. It was a shame. But I'm really glad that they picked up a punter. And this guy, I just, people are making kind of fun of how, you know, how he looks with these glasses and his moustache and his little polo shirt.

I just think it's awesome. I absolutely love it. I kind of love this Bryce Barringer or Barringer guy. Six foot three punter. I just love it. I think that if he works out, this is quality because the one thing in regards to punting is getting it in the right place. If this big leg of his can also have some decent accuracy,

then I think this is somebody that's sneakily going to sort of set you up for years to come. And I know a lot of people don't necessarily put much onus in kicking and punters. And I know it's not the most exciting and not the most sparkling sparkling I totally get it but has somebody that's kind of grown through the sport and and learned more and researched more and just watched it more and more and more there's I think I appreciate all aspects of the game because to me everything is really important because although

I know a lot of people it's like like, oh, special teams, special teams, and some teams don't even rate kind of special teams. Looking at when the Patriots have had a deficit in certain areas, it all makes a massive difference. And that ultimately ends up with a not successful season because we've seen it ourselves, even to the unexciting thing of not having depth at the offensive line. I mean, look how that impacted. And I know people are like oh offensive line depth wow everything is key and i

think if you're a fan of the sport you you do really see that i know we all have our little favorites obviously mine is tight ends um my friend chitters chad the chitters he's a massive linebacker fan and i'm starting to really get on board with that as well, and that's the thing, I'm getting on board with all the positions, and having enthusiasm for all the positions, because I just love the sport, and I imagine that most kind of like NFL fans out there are pretty similar really, you just love this sport, and just have passion for this sport, but yeah, kind of dialing it back now, because I'm just getting so enthusiastic aren't I, but yeah, I think looking at sort of all of the ones that they've taken the the ones for me that feel like as long as they work out could maybe have the most significant impact long term long stretch not

just short-term sparkly wow kind of factor is is the kicker and punter and yeah I am quite excited that we've got a new punter and and I like the look of him. And I think he's a bit, maybe he's a bit sneaky sexy and stuff like this. So I'm really looking forward to seeing Barringer as a Patriot and what he could do. And I'm just hoping, fingers crossed, that he does do really well so that I don't get loads of flack. Well, I for one, you're not going to catch flack on this end. I for one am very glad that you chose either the punter or the kicker. Because these picks, I shouldn't say the punter or the kicker because these picks, I shouldn't say the punter.

I think a lot of people are on board with Bryce Barringer and they should be. This kid does have a tremendous leg, averaging 49 yards per punt. I mean, you get that type of power. You get that type of, like you said, accuracy. If he can hone that in, in the pros, you're looking at a guy that can have this position for a number of years. That's a big, big void filled on this roster kicker was more of a need than people are letting on there is no one that has more respect

and i've said this three days now in a row than nick for nick folk than i do i loved covering him up here he is truly one of the great guys you'll ever meet in this business not only that but he's a very very good kicker i mean he did a tremendous job up here uh really for a few games he carried the patriots load in terms of offensive point production so no one is downing nick fulke but at 38 years old and knowing that the distance is not going to get any better it's only going to regress sure patriots knew they had to dip into this market and with jake moody already off the board i think they felt that they needed to trade up and try to get this guy now was it the right

move yeah you're going to get a lot of analysts that are going to you know beat their shoe against the against the desk and you know get them on their high horse and tell you no it's never a good idea and all that i mean there are arguments for and against it i'm not going to sit here and chastise anybody for their opinion but in my opinion i think that the patriots zeroed in on kicking talent in this draft when moody came off the board they said we have to secure rylan we can't take any chances that he's going to go elsewhere let's go get him and let's do it so i applaud you uh for saying that it was the punter uh and mentioning the kid with Chad Ryland, because I think the Patriots got two good players here, folks. I don't care where they're drafted. I don't care where they're taken.

If they work out and they are key contributors here for a number of years, most people are not going to worry about where these guys were taken in the draft. Only the Patriots brass and only in that war room are they going to worry about how they can make the finances work? That's where you bring our guy, Miguel, and he'll make it all work for you folks. So Miguel's got all of this planned. He's got all of it taken care of. And that's it.

Anything more to add on your players before I tell you who I think my hidden gem in this draft may be. And one of the bigger contributors. No, I should probably stop now before i get really too excited about a kicker and a punter i think we should move it along what do you think folks think we should get claire more excited or you think you want to hear me well the poll on the bottom is not even needed we know the answer to this question we love the giggles no i'm kidding

i'm only kidding claire um i'm about to raise the ire of our mutual friend here because he doesn't see this the way I do. But Marte Mapu is a guy that I cannot wait to watch in a Patriots uniform. And even though some people will tell you, especially some people that took the airwaves here with me on Monday afternoon, believe that this might have been a superfluous pick. This is the prototypical Patriots pick.

This really is, I think, the pick of the Patriots draft for me, other than Christian Gonzalez. This kid's going to play linebacker. I know a lot of people are listing him as a cornerback, as a safety. Our good mutual friend Pat Lane keeps pointing this out every single day on Twitter, and I applaud him for it. They listed him as a linebacker in the draft guide that is that should tell you something about where they plan on playing this kid but he's going to line up all over the formation he can do it uh he's lined up

at linebacker he's lined up at corner we've seen him play nickel in addition to being listed as a safety pass coverage run defense this kid's good in both folks pro football focus graded as a safety. Pass coverage, run defense, this kid's good in both, folks. Pro Football Focus graded him a 77.2 in pass coverage and an 85.9 in run defense last season. If you want to shore up defense against the run and you want to have a linebacker that can make those plays, and the Patriots did have difficulty with linebackers against the run last year. They were stout up front, but they needed some help in the middle part of that defense.

This kid does it, and I think he's going to do it very well. He had 510 snaps in the slot, 249 in the box last year, and 49 snaps along the defensive line. I think that increases this year, and I think Mapu is someone that's going to come in and have an immediate impact. I think you're going to see him down the line. And it's potential insurance if they don't re-sign Kyle Duggar. And that will hurt deeply. I love Kyle. But you know as well as I do, Claire, this is a business.

And Kyle has positioned himself well for a pretty major payday. If New England is serious about how they value this position, they'll do what they have to do to keep Kyle Duggar in a Patriots uniform my gut tells me they do it this time because I think they like him that much but if they don't they've got someone that can come in and kind of play that role a little bit as well so I love Mare Mappo I thought this was a great pick for them and next to Christian Gonzalez probably my favorite pick in the draft nice see for me short term maybe not so much kind of the punters and kickers as I said for me it's more of a go in the distance kind of thing it might not be that you know the first three games we really see a massive

impact like we might in regards to like your guy but yeah I can't help but being excited like I said I'm a bit of a punter girl now so that's great though and folks did we mention your favorite maybe we completely ignored it that's what this is all about the great thing about draft time now post-draft is that no one is wrong in their assessment there's no sample size there's no ability to measure a practice against the game any opinion is valid and that's what we love about it and you guys are phenomenal listeners and we love to hear your opinion so drop one in the comment section below let us know what your thoughts are on the 2023 draft class and also let us know your thoughts

on tight endage did the patriots do enough to keep themselves competitive in this area are they going to look back at this amazingly stacked 2023 class and say, you could have had one of them and we chose to go elsewhere. Folks, it's always an honor. It is always my privilege to be joined by the Countess of Clads herself. We love when she stops by here each and every Wednesday. Folks, next Wednesday, we'll see if Claire is once again speaking to me after the Ryan Izzo comment. But in any case, Claire, the floor is yours. Please let everyone know where they can reach out to you, where they can find your great work, and what we can expect from the great voice, the great men of Claire Classey, Claire Cooper. Thanks ever so much, Mike.

And, yeah, we'll talk about the Izzo thing later. But, yeah, you can find me, as usual, patspropaganda.com. I did a day one recap, and Tom a day sort of two there's around two three recaps so kind of go over there if you want to catch anything up in regards to that and there will be some more content coming so just keep your eyes out on that obviously as we're going through the off season we're trying to kind of ebbs and flows so we'll bring you stuff but yeah a clear perspective will be out very soon hopefully fingers crossed um i recorded the the next episode this morning the draft a math episode so you had the pre-draft episode with my lovely assistant chudders who

actually came on as a co-host so i hope you listened to and enjoyed that brought to you by forprescovers.com but next you shall have the draft a math where we discuss kind of like what mike and i have already talked about today but much more and much different and i get in the the opinions of nick fitzy Stevens of WEI. So I hope that you were, I hope that you're downloading, subscribing, et cetera, et cetera, to a clear perspective. And if you're not, then why not?

That kind of thing. But yeah, hopefully that will be out shortly. So you can check that out on all those places that you'd like to download your podcast and just kind of check out Twitter. Because when I do some work, it kind of tends to go out on there so that's sort of where you'll get the the key from that you'll see what i've done but yeah claire perspective is out soon so do look out for that folks every single week whenever she puts pen to paper voice the microphone

you want to check this out this new listen coming up with nick was among the best in the business of what he does is going to be a great listen, as a Claire perspective always is. So download, subscribe to follow wherever you get your podcasts. And of course, while you're at it, if you haven't done so yet, please make sure to subscribe to Locked On Patriots

or download, subscribe to follow wherever you get your podcasts. Don't forget, folks, here on Locked On Patriots, tomorrow on Thursday, Spencer McLaughlin, host of Locked On Oregon is going to be breaking down all things Christian Gonzalez if you're as excited about this draft pick as I am you are

not going to want to miss this so be sure to smash that subscribe button so you stay in on the action on behalf of the illustrious Claire Clazzi Claire Cooper on my debate continue to stay safe stay well, be the change you wish to see

in the world. Once again, a shout out to all of you everydayers for making Locked On Patriots your team every day. Have a great day, everyone, and we'll see you tomorrow right here on Locked On Patriots.