Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots OTAs First Look: Mac Jones, Tyquan Thornton, Matthew Slater and More

Starting point is 00:00:00 Mac Jones and Bill O'Brien already look like a match made in heaven. But what else stood out from our first look at the 2023 New England Patriots? 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.

Starting point is 00:00:51 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 listen to podcasts to get the latest episode as soon as it's available. I am your host, Mike debate, and I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots country of sports illustrated. So reach out to me and let me know what's on your mind on Twitter at MDAB ATE NFL.

Starting point is 00:01:14 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. That's fans. Thank you all again for joining me here today. A special shout out to all of you locked on everydayers out there, all of you locked on loyalists, those of you who make locked on Patriots possible. My unending appreciation to you.

Starting point is 00:01:38 I am always honored and always humbled by your support. Pats fans, at long last, we finally got our first look at the 2023 New England Patriots on the field on Wednesday. The Patriots returned from their sensationalized hiatus. I guess that's the most clean way for me to put it. And they got back on the field to provide our first on-field action of the season on the practice fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium. And there was plenty to take away from the day, from Bill Belichick to Mac Jones to Matthew Slater. We're going to delve into all of it today, so sit tight. Exciting show on tap for you, and let's get right into it. First and foremost, folks, there is no denying it. This is Bill O'Brien's offense. We wanted it.

Starting point is 00:02:28 We got it. And it was hard to miss O'Brien on the practice field on Wednesday. Not only could you easily pick out his voice, but it was clearly his show throughout the day, operated mainly by himself on the sidelines, handled sole possession of walkie-talkie duties, calling plays, and this is definitely a departure for the New England Patriots from last season. Bill Belichick was much more involved in the offense last year, intricately at times. Walkie-talkies right in Matt Patricia's ear. You didn't see any of that on Wednesday. Bill O'Brien has command over his players. It showed on the field and exhibit one of that was the play of Mac Jones, who does not look like he's ready to acquiesce to the request of his detractors. No, sir. Mac Jones looks like he is ready to declare himself QB1. And folks,

Starting point is 00:03:21 I know there's still a long way to go but Mac definitely looked sharp on Wednesday no question about it it was clear throughout the day that he operated as the team's top option at the position Bailey Zappi did get some work in behind him Trace McSorley handled quarterback three duties and tip of the cap nod to the gods to Mark Daniels of MassLive who tracked the stats as he always does and he does a tremendous job with it. He had the Patriots quarterback scored as follows, folks. In 11-on-11 drills, Mac Jones completed all 11 of his passes. Bailey Zaffy went 8-of-9 with an interception.

Starting point is 00:03:57 We'll get into who picked him off in just a minute, folks. And, of course, Trace McSorley going 3-of-5 with an interception. Now, the Patriots also participated in seven on seven drills. Mac Jones, all three of his passes completed. Three for three, perfect day for Mac Jones, 14 out of 14. Bailey Zappi going two for three and Trace McSorley going one for two. So for those of you wondering about Malik Cunningham, he was on the field. He was working with the receivers primarily on Wednesday.

Starting point is 00:04:27 He did get in a few practice reps at quarterback. That was as the day was wrapping up. I really wouldn't read too much into that, folks. Not in any drill sequences. If Malik's going to get a shot at quarterback in this team, it may be mostly in a practice squad setting. But there's still a lot of training camp, but there's still a lot of training camp and there's still a lot of OTA, a lot of mini camp.

Starting point is 00:04:48 So it's tough to say how this is going to shake out. But bottom line, folks, I think the New England Patriots right now are looking much better on offense than they did one year ago. We're going to talk a little bit more in depth about the offense, particularly about Mac Jones in just a moment. But another Patriot had a very big day on the field. bit more in depth about the offense particularly about Mac Jones in just a moment but another Patriot had a very big day on the field and while all of us fans out there continue to clamor for that game-breaking wide receiver I've got some good news for all of you listening right now

Starting point is 00:05:17 they may actually have one on their depth chart right now and that is Tyequann Thornton. The Patriots 2022 second rounder has been heralded as a potential deep threat due to his speed, but his rookie season was derailed after suffering a fractured clavicle in the preseason last year. After his activation from injured reserve, Taequann showed flashes of his potential, particularly I go back to week six of last year against the Cleveland Browns Thornton scored his first receiving and rushing touchdowns making him the first Patriots wide receiver since Deion Branch to score a receiving and rushing touchdown in the same game but Thornton ended up finishing his rookie season with a rather pedestrian 22 catches 247 yards

Starting point is 00:06:02 two touchdowns of course he also ran three, 16 yards gained on the ground, and one touchdown. But bottom line, Thornton showed the initiative to gain greater synergy with his quarterbacks, and you could see it on the field on Wednesday. He's taking first-team reps, he put on a little bit of weight, and he's also doing his best to get on the same page with everyone throwing him the football. He's running his routes a lot better. And because of that, he seems primed for a significant step forward in 2023. If he participates in a notable amount of drills with the first team from this point

Starting point is 00:06:38 on, well, then Bill O'Brien may be signaling a significant increase in his workload for the upcoming season. And if Wednesday afternoon was any indication, I think we could be headed in that direction, Ryan may be signaling a significant increase in his workload for the upcoming season. And if Wednesday afternoon was any indication, I think we could be headed in that direction, folks. Thornton totally showed that he's an explosive player throughout the day. He hauled in a handful of passes from Matt Jones. This was a positive step for the second-year player. And I really hope that Taequann's able to put it together because he looks electric on the field. You can clearly see that the Patriots offense

Starting point is 00:07:09 is capable of big things with him playing at a top level. I would love to see it. And I know you all will too. So keep a sharp eye on Taekwon Thornton, as I like to say. Another guy to keep an eye on is a coach, folks. Not necessarily just a player. And yeah, I already talked a little bit about Bill O'Brien, but the guy I'm mentioning now is Joe Judge.

Starting point is 00:07:30 And I know it's not the most popular subject here on Lockdown Patriots, but before the Patriots took the field, Bill Belichick was asked about Joe Judge, primarily about the OTA fiasco. Belichick took accountability for it. He said, it was my fault. It stops here. He wasn't about to delve into the sea of controversy, despite the best efforts of a lot of people in the room to get him to do it.

Starting point is 00:07:55 Got to give Bill credit. He stood his ground and said, nope, we're moving on. That's in the past. But what he didn't say was in the past was Joe Judge being the coach on this team and once we saw the product on the field we understood why Belichick was very pointed when he was asked about Joe Judge and he said quote Joe is great smart guy has a lot of experience he'll do whatever we need him to do and he can do a lot so he will. And yeah, folks, it looks like he is going to do a lot, even though there was an offseason coaching shuffle, uncertainty surrounding his role with the team this year, but he was

Starting point is 00:08:33 extremely involved, very hands-on with the special teams unit on Wednesday. You could hear him very vocal, really drilling the Patriots on kicking drills mostly. And he also appears to be working hand inin-hand with Cam Atchard, the special teams coordinator. So if any of you were wondering what Joe Judge's role is going to be this year, if Wednesday was any indication, he's going to be heavily involved in the special teams. And that's a good news. That's a good thing for the New England Patriots.

Starting point is 00:09:03 That's a good news, folks. No, I'm kidding. That is a good thing for the New England Patriots. That's a good news, folks. No, I'm kidding aside. That is a good thing for the Pats because that's exactly where you want Joe Judge. That's his specialty. That's where he's comfortable, and the New England Patriots can use his health. There's no question about it. Special teams abysmal last year. Patriots want to reverse that trend. Another trend that they'd like to reverse is losing some traction when it comes to their secondary. And we all knew that there was going to be a period of transition the minute Devin McCourty announced his retirement. But Patriots may have a player

Starting point is 00:09:35 willing to step up and take that mantra. Now, I don't necessarily think this gentleman is going to be the like-for-like replacement because I don't even know if he's going to play as much free safety as Devin did, but it looks like Jalen Mills is settling into his role as safety quite nicely, and I think it's going to provide stability and system continuity to this team in the coming weeks leading into the 2023 season. Don't forget, this is where Jalen was at his best in Philadelphia with the Eagles. When he signed the big contract to come here to New England, it was primarily because of the job he did as a safety. As a member of the Eagles in 2020, 74 combined tackles, one and a half sacks, an interception, mostly aligning at the box for the free safety. So if Mills continues to see the majority of his time working with the safeties,

Starting point is 00:10:27 and he did on Wednesday, that's with Kyle Duggar, Adrian Phillips, Jabril Peppers, and Joshua Bledsoe, he's definitely tipping his hand that he is going to be in line for this positional switch. I think it's a good move for the Pats. We'll see if Jalen takes more of the snaps at free safety, or if the Patriots decide to platoon that and give him some time along with Adrian Phillips. I think Kyle, Jabril, and Joshua are going to be more of your box safeties, so it's going to be interesting to

Starting point is 00:10:55 see how the time is divvied up between Jalen and Adrian, but good move for the Pats to move Jalen Mills to safety. He looks very comfortable and right at home. So your New England Patriots off to a big start on Wednesday and a lot to like, but there were a couple of primary players that we want to highlight, and I will do so in just a minute when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, folks, if you're like me and you want to make a healthier snack choice, but you don't want to compromise on taste, then I've got just the thing for you. Our sponsor today, good people over at Built. Built Bars, Built Puffs. Folks, they're healthy. They taste amazing. Seriously, they taste

Starting point is 00:11:38 so amazing. You're not going to think they're good for you, but believe me when I tell you, they are amazing and they are good for you. I don't know how Bilt does it, but these bars taste like a candy bar while managing and maintaining amazing macros. And what's even better is that they are healthy. Only 130 calories and 4 grams of sugar with a whopping 17 grams of protein. And now you don't need to wait to get a box. We've been talking for years about going to Bilt.com and getting your favorite flavors. Folks, you don't need to wait to get a box. We've been talking for years about going to Built.com and getting your favorite flavors. Folks, you can still do that. All your favorites are available there. But now you can walk into a Walmart, walk right up to the pharmacy section,

Starting point is 00:12:16 grab yourself a four-bar box of Built Bars. Great flavors like cookies and cream, double chocolate, coconut puff. Or if you're close to a Sam's Club, that's even better. You can run in, you can grab and get a 13-bar box with some of the hit flavors like Brownie Batter Puff and Churro Puff. Folks, don't delay. Do it today, and you can thank me later. Either Built.com for all of your favorites, Walmart, Sam's Club, Built. You gotta try this. Pats fans, thank you for spending part of your day here on Locked On Patriots.

Starting point is 00:12:54 We are a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And we're talking OTAs here on the pod, specifically our first look at your New England Patriots in 2023. And Mac Jones, definitely hoping that his third NFL season carries a lot more charm than crisis this time around. In other words, folks, I know he'd love to reverse a disappointing showing in 2022. And we all know that Mac entered the 2022 season on the heels of an impressive rookie campaign.

Starting point is 00:13:23 We've been over his statistics so far. We saw how well he can play on the field when he's got a good supporting cast and the confidence to make his throws. But Mack just struggled to rekindle that success in his second year. He was sidelined for three games in October due to the ankle injury. That had an impact and it had an effect, but there was so much discomfort while playing in the system last year under Matt Patricia. He ultimately finished the season with 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and the Patriots limped to an 8-9 record for the second time in three seasons.

Starting point is 00:13:59 New England failed to qualify for the playoffs. So needless to say, it was a difficult time for the former 2021 first rounder, but that's a fact that Jones is not ignorant of. He definitely hit it head on and he acknowledged it when he spoke with reporters following Wednesday's ODA session. And he said, quote, I think some of the learning experiences that I had last year really helped. There's a lot of things that I can do better as a person and as a player. There are things I can build upon, but it's really about this year. We have new faces in the room. It's all about earning the respect of everybody every day.

Starting point is 00:14:36 And folks, you've got to respect that. You have to understand that Mac is definitely growing, not just as a player, but as a leader. And to me, those remarks indicate that he's approaching this season with a renewed fervor. He's ready to right the wrongs that happened on the field last year. He's not only excited to work with Bill O'Brien, and we all know the history between those two, but he's also, and now once again operating within a system that is expected to accentuate his abilities. Mack definitely acknowledged this, and there's no question about it. He spoke to it, saying, quote, it's been really good. It's been normal.

Starting point is 00:15:17 He's done a really good job controlling the room. I feel like everyone's on the same page. And, of course, Mack's talking about Bill O'Brien here. He went on to say that O'Brien has essentially been charged with the duty of repairing what had been a fractured offense under Matt Patricia. And although Mac didn't name names specifically and wanted to keep himself above that, I think in a lot of ways, he did acknowledge that this offense, including himself, needed some repair. And Bill O'Brien seems to be providing that. The Patriots' offense last year really doesn't have any place to go but

Starting point is 00:15:51 up this year when you take a look at what they did in 2022. Seventh worst in total yards while scoring, 17th in the NFL when it came to points per game, yeah, those numbers definitely have to rise. And I think they will under Bill O'Brien. I think it's safe to say. But really, I think what Mack was more poignant, and I think where he was more pointed, was his comments regarding Bill O'Brien's unifying effect on the offense. That, to me, is the bigger takeaway here, folks. Because at times last season, we saw it. The disconnect between the players and the coaching staff was so bad that you had Mac hurling expletives out on the sidelines, really in the direction of his coaches. I know Max never confirmed that, and I know players have never confirmed that, but there

Starting point is 00:16:39 really was a lot of frustration. And you could tell just in his voice voice you could see it on the face of matt patricia bill pelichick there was just a lot of turmoil going on in the patriots sidelines last year but with that with bill o'brien now establishing his control over the offense the patriots ship already seems to be sailing in the right direction and the reason for that is you've got bill o'bBrien navigating and you've got Mac Jones at the helm. And even though the Patriots have yet to take any meaningful snaps in 2023, that drive to improve has already caught the eye of pretty much everybody that's seen him. It caught the eye

Starting point is 00:17:18 of the reporters on hand taking in the practice on Wednesday. It's caught the eye of his teammates who have constantly praised his work ethic and say that Mac's coming in a changed guy. It's caught the eye of his teammates who have constantly praised his work ethic and say that Mac's coming in a changed guy. He's ready to lead. He's ready to take this team to the next level. But the other person that it caught the eye of was Bill Belichick. And even though Belichick is not going above and beyond to provide the type of verbal assurances that I know we all want in the media, and I know a lot of the fans want them too. That's not Bill Belichick style. He's not going to do that, but he is going to drop certain hints that allow you to know that Mac is his guy. And he did that on Wednesday,

Starting point is 00:17:57 saying, quote, I think Mac works hard every day. He puts in a lot of work in the weight room, in the classroom. His work ethic is really good. That hasn't changed. That's about as glowing of a praise as you're going to get from Bill Belichick as an active player under his thumb right now. The minute you leave New England or the minute you retire, Bill Belichick will gush glowingly about you. But while you're under his spell, he's not going to swell the head too much. And that's exactly what's going on with Mac Jones right now. And I think the Patriots, based on everything we've seen, folks, are pretty content to roll the dice, take their chances at the quarterback position this season

Starting point is 00:18:35 with Mac as the starter and Bailey Zappi backing him up. Trace McSorley, Malik Cunningham, maybe they'll factor in as third quarterbacks on this roster. Bailey may still get a chance to compete for the starting position I'll use happy fans out there I don't want you to get nervous or say that oh it's over after one day it's not but it's looking like that's what the Patriots plan is and if something changes it they'll adapt if not then we're probably looking at status quo so with this regard and with regard to Mac his ability to maintain his spot is ultimately going to be judged by his performance on the field but that desire to use last season struggles and use it as motivation I think is what's going to set him apart from his competition in the process it's going to raise the collective eyebrows of his doubters and maybe even give people a whole lot to talk about this year.

Starting point is 00:19:26 And Mack sounds locked in as anybody to doing just that. And one of his best quotes that we took from the podium on Wednesday is as follows. And he says, quote, really great people are formed through ups and downs. I'm starting fresh, just like everybody else is. I'm going to run my own race and look at the end and see where I'm at. Well, Macron, lack of a better term, no one can ask any more of you than that. Good luck to you, my friend. And that is the New England Patriots signal caller for right now.

Starting point is 00:20:00 Anyway, folks, that's the quarterback position. But another Patriots captain made some headlines for a different reason. He actually went on the attack. Surprisingly, Matthew Slater had an awful lot to say about the NFL, and not all of it was flattering. As a matter of fact, most of it wasn't. We'll discuss what had Matthew Slater so steamed when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast wraps up.

Starting point is 00:20:32 Pats fans, thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots your first listen every day. And tomorrow here on the pod, a triumvirate of hosts of Untold Patriot Stories. The Untold Patriot Stories podcast is hosted by my friends Bob Heilberg, Scott Prusak, and Dave Usher, and they're all going to be joining me right here to discuss the 2023 Patriots present and their potential from a historical perspective. It's going to be a very fun show, folks. You don't want to miss this, so subscribe, follow wherever you get

Starting point is 00:20:58 your podcasts to make sure that you do not miss a single second of the action. And folks, we close today by talking about one of my favorite subjects here on Locked On Patriots, beloved team captain Matthew Slater, one of the most respected players both on and off the field. I believe he's the standard that his teammates set, really that they hold themselves accountable to.

Starting point is 00:21:21 This is the guy that you want to be if you're an NFL player that's who you aspire to be like great on the field hall of fame talent class act anywhere else just a great guy one of my favorite players all time is Matthew Slater and even though got 15 years in about to start year number 16 pretty soon Matthew is still passionate about this game. And he's been a special team stalwart for the Patriots for years and clearly not a fan of the league's recent rule changes regarding kickoffs. Folks are a little surprised to hear Matthew so candid and really so pointed in his comments toward the NFL. But when he was asked about the changes to the kickoff rule, which we'll get into in just a second, Matthew was very animated. Let's say that. I'm going to

Starting point is 00:22:13 quote him verbatim right here. He says, quote, I do have a bias about this, right? I'm just not convinced that our league is always going to do what's in the best interest of our players. We don't always act as if player health and player safety is paramount. Now, the new rule and the aftermath of it and what he's talking about is effective immediately, and it's going to give the receiving team the ball at its own 25-yard line with a fair catch of a kickoff anywhere behind that yard line. So in short, folks, it becomes the equivalent of the kickoff having gone through the end zone. That's a new rule that was adopted by the NFL last month. And now all of a sudden the Patriots and the rest of the NFL now are going to have to adapt to it for at least one year.

Starting point is 00:23:02 It's going to be reevaluated at year's end. And the NFL is hoping that this is going to reduce the risk of injuries, especially concussions on kickoffs, which are typically one of the most dangerous parts of the game. That's all admirable, and no one is questioning the NFL's desire to eliminate or at least drastically reduce head injuries. It's something that's important, and it needs to happen happen but Slater's comments imply that he believes the change nearly reassigns the risk it doesn't reduce the risk and I think Matthew makes an interesting point here and I'll go on to quote in verbatim I'm not just convinced that our league is always going to do what's in the best interest of our players I don't believe that this is truly in the name of

Starting point is 00:23:45 player health and player safety. They haven't changed the techniques. There's still going to be collisions that occur if the ball is not fair caught. And it's true. If you're not going to change the techniques and the way hits happen, even if you try to reduce them, the hits are still going to occur and things can still happen. So the NFL may be band-aiding the problem, but they're not completely solving it. And that's something that I think a lot of people need to be very cognizant of. And it's not just Matthew Slater that's against this rule or that really has a problem with this rule. It drew the ire of a couple of head coaches in this league. Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell, even Bill Belichick was asked about it. He didn't really come out and

Starting point is 00:24:30 condemn the rule, but basically gave the impression that he agreed with Andy Reid and Dan Campbell on this. It's a little bit of a interesting way for the league to try to come up with a situation that's going to help in terms of concussions. So bottom line, we'll see if it ends up working, if the league ends up liking this, or if they go in a different direction. But even though Matthew Slater was less than pleased with the NFL's new special teams mandate, Matthew looked happy to be back on the practice fields with the Patriots on Wednesday. He even commented that being coached by Joe Judge again was like riding a bike. Basically, you never forget and it comes right back to you. But in the final analysis here, folks, the Patriots captain is among the team's most stabilizing veteran presences. As such, he takes

Starting point is 00:25:21 great pride in his role as a mentor for so many of the team's younger players, not only leading them on the field, but also offering his wisdom and advice away from it. And as the 2023 Patriots continue to prepare for the upcoming season, Matthew Slater's voice is going to be an important one, folks. His skill set, his leadership, most of all his honesty, is going to play a major role in the type of season that we all as fans here expect in New England. Sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same. The captain has the command and you know that everyone in that locker room is going to be listening to him. Patriots fans, thank you so much for joining me here today on this OTA recap episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast. Don't forget to join me here again tomorrow as the triumvirate of hosts from the Untold Patriot Stories podcast,

Starting point is 00:26:14 Bob Heidelberg, Scott Prusak, Dave Usher join me right here on the pod to discuss the 2023 New England Patriots. In the meantime, folks, thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedule to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots. In the meantime, folks, thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedule to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until tomorrow, Foxborough faithful, stay safe, stay well, be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone, and we'll see you again right here tomorrow on Locked on Patriots.

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots OTAs First Look: Mac Jones, Tyquan Thornton, Matthew Slater and More

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.