Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots ‘Parting Ways’ with Bill Belichick? Malik Cunningham to Baltimore Ravens

Starting point is 00:00:00 Is it really the end of an era in New England? And if so, what type of impact is it going to have on Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs? 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 and also and hopefully your first listen each and every day.

Starting point is 00:00:50 Remember, Lockdown Patriots is free and available on all platforms, including YouTube, so smash that subscribe button, download, subscribe to, follow Lockdown Patriots wherever you get your podcasts to ensure that you get the latest episode as soon as it's available. I'm your host, Mike DeBate.

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Starting point is 00:01:35 bet. That's $150 if your team wins. Visit FanDuel.com slash LockedOn to get started. And folks, if it is the end of an era for your New England Patriots, it appears that someone forgot to tell head coach Bill Belichick because as rumors continue to pop up like bubbles in a case of club soda surrounding his future, Bill Belichick is business as usual and he's ready to lead his team onto the practice fields.

Starting point is 00:02:03 Did so on Wednesday. Will do so again on Thursday this is a very interesting story and it will continue to be throughout the remainder of the season and luckily for us here today we have someone that can lend some reason some wisdom some counsel that we desperately need here in Patriots Nation is my good friend columnist extraordinaire at patsfans.com the co-host of yet another amazing Patriots Nation. He's my good friend, columnist extraordinaire at patsfans.com, the co-host of yet another amazing Patriots podcast, Patriots 4th and 2, alongside the great Derek Havens. He is my Patriots bison, Steve Balistrieri. Welcome back to the pod,

Starting point is 00:02:36 bud. Thank you for joining me today. Hey, it's always a pleasure, my friend. And when it comes to the Patriots, there's never a dull moment. Basically, folks, what we're dealing with right now are rumors about whether or not Bill Belichick has, in fact, reached the end of his era here in New England. And Steve, what an era it is. 24 years, six Super Bowl titles, countless number of individual and team accolades. What he's done here in New England, I don't think will ever be equal again in any professional sport. But all things do come to an end. And the harsh reality is that the Patriots are a 3-10 football team right now. When you look at the rumors surrounding Bill Belichick and you look at the pros and cons of either bringing him back or moving on, what is

Starting point is 00:03:22 your reaction to all of this? How much truth do you put into the reports that are out there? And whether or not this may be the right move, the wrong move, or the only move that the New England Patriots have to make moving forward? Yeah, if it was coming from someone other than Tom Curran, I would be very suspect on this. But as you said, I mean, we've known Tom, you know, for several years, and he generally doesn't put anything out there that, you know, tends to be untrue. Now, if he does, you know, he'll tell you, I'm just spitballing here,

Starting point is 00:04:04 but I'm wondering if this, you know, he's very upfront about that. And sometimes that gets lost in the translation. But with this one, he just specifically, I can never say that word right. He specifically said, you know, he had sources that told him this. And I'm tempted to believe him on this one. You know, I look back at that game in Germany because he said that was the breaking point for the Crafts. And if you saw their body language up in the booth,

Starting point is 00:04:41 the owner's booth during that game, I mean, there was a huge level of frustration there. And, you know, do I want to see Bill the coach go? Absolutely not. Because, you know, he still has great game plans. A lot of their struggles this year was on the offensive side of the ball and dealt with execution rather than you know poor game planning or whatever but you know he does deserve a lot of

Starting point is 00:05:14 the the uh criticism he's getting because he put this team together so to quote a uh Quote a godfather quote there that I know you love. Sonny, this isn't personal. This is business. And your father would agree. So, you know, I think we could be seeing the end. Like I said, I don't think that the team has quit on them in any stretch of the imagination because you look, the defense is playing lights out every week, you know.

Starting point is 00:05:48 And, you know, they're one of the better defenses in the NFL this year, even with their top two players missing. So the team hasn't quit on them. So that's something to keep in mind. But the other thing is, you know, they are 3-10. So, you know, I think everything's on the table at this point. Yeah, I agree. I think everything is on the table at this point.

Starting point is 00:06:12 And look, folks, and I'm glad Steve made that distinction. The reports that are coming out are from sources that we've trusted for a number of years here in New England. I can definitely vouch for what Steve said. I've known Tom for a number of years. Steve's known him for a little bit longer than I have, but he is always someone that will report with integrity. If his sources are telling him something and he feels he can take it to the bank, he'll share it. If not, he's going to hold it back. I think in this situation, he is going off of intel he's got from his sources. But you heard Tom say yesterday, things could change, and things

Starting point is 00:06:44 are always subject to change folks nothing has been set in stone the crafts haven't made an official statement Belichick hasn't made an official statement and until that happens anything technically is possible and I'm glad that you mentioned about the team not quitting on him because we're going to talk about the impact this could have on the team primarily for this coming Sunday. But this has a little bit of a different feel than some of the rumors we've heard in the past. We've endured rumors about Bill Belichick for quite some time. Always frustrated. He doesn't want to be here anymore.

Starting point is 00:07:15 Back when Tom Brady was in his heyday, how many times was Bill Belichick rumored to be going back to the Giants? It seemed like every other year we heard that rumor in the offseason or right around Super Bowl time. It never materialized. But this feels a little bit different because, let's face it, not long ago, the concept of Bill Belichick and the Patriots parting ways for any other reason than his own retirement just seemed inconceivable.

Starting point is 00:07:39 Just the success that they've had for the last two decades, as I previously said, it's unprecedented. It's not something we're likely to see again. So do you walk away from that? Do you look at Bill Belichick and say, well, maybe he doesn't have the roster he needed this year. Maybe he took a shot at a quarterback like Mac Jones and didn't hit on it. But what if he hits on Caleb Williams?

Starting point is 00:08:01 What if he hits on Drake May? You know, what if he hits on Jaden Daniels? And all of a sudden you're looking at a quarterback that may be commensurate with the defense that he has on this team. And that turnaround could be a lot more accelerated with a seasoned coach like Bill Belichick at the helm. That's something to consider. The other thing to consider is the problems that the Patriots have had.

Starting point is 00:08:22 They're outside the playoff picture. Once again, they're at the cellar of both the division that the Patriots have had. They're outside the playoff picture once again. They're at the cellar of both the division and the conference. They failed to qualify for the playoffs three times since 2018's Super Bowl victory. That's not something that Patriots fans are going to really take to, and it's not something the Crafts are going to take to. You alluded to that, Steve, and I put that eloquently, and I give you the tip of the cap to that, my friend.

Starting point is 00:08:47 It's business, folks. It's not personal. It is strictly business. That's how the crafts are going to approach this. If they feel that Bill Belichick being back in New England is best for business, that's exactly what they're going to do. If they feel that it's time to move on, that's what they're going to do. Sentimentality is not going to play a role here as much as belichick fans and as much as belichick haters would love it to in opposite

Starting point is 00:09:10 directions yeah i think we're looking at a very cold business decision here and i think it harkens back to what uh pat mcafee said on saturday whether he meant it a certain way or what he didn't he was right about one thing the crafts face a very difficult time coming up in the next few weeks. I don't envy their position, Steve. No. And, you know, the caveat to all of this, because I know so many fans and some media members have been, you know, pushing this anti-Belichick narrative for quite some time, not just this year, you know,

Starting point is 00:09:46 going back to actually the last year they won the Super Bowl. So be careful what you wish for because you're going to get it. And, you know, I believe he can still coach at a very high level. I would love him to be back as a coach. I think he needs help with the GM duties. And, you know, somebody who has a better eye for offensive talent, I think, you know, because that's where they've struggled. They still draft really good defensive players.

Starting point is 00:10:24 They generally hit on all their offensive linemen but those skill position players they seem to miss on and so we'll see how that all plays out um you know i just think that uh you know with a couple of additions, either through the draft or free agency, this team could be right back in the hunt. Look how quickly Texas, the Texans, excuse me, turned it around. Very good. And who's running a show in Houston? Nick Casario. Who did he learn from? Bill Belichick. There are connections there that can be made. And what really I think is something that people are not talking about enough, and you hit on this on this Steve that defense has been a stalwart of this team all year long I can only imagine the disastrous turn this season would have taken if this Patriots defense not kept them

Starting point is 00:11:16 in games and allowed them to be in one score games and striking distance to win some of these that they've been on the opposite side of I think fans are very quick to put that aside because they're not seeing the touchdowns. They're not getting the chance to, you know, click the beer bottles on Sunday. But take a look at what this defense has done, especially the run defense. If you don't think that Bill Belichick's fingerprint is all over this defense, folks, I don't know what to tell you. I mean, yes, Gerard Mayo, guys like DeMarcus Covington, Steve Belichick, they're going to get a lot of credit for that front seven being as potent as it is, and they deserve a lot of the credit for it. But if you don't think Bill Belichick is still

Starting point is 00:11:53 pulling the defensive strings here, you haven't been paying attention the last two-plus decades here in New England. Don't be so quick to jettison what this defense has done without its top two players, Matthew Judon and Christian Gonzalez, and even Marcus Jones. I mean, you think about what he could have done this year in that secondary. It's been a rough year defensively for the Patriots, but they've come through it unscathed and really are playing at a historic level, especially that run defense. The offense has been abysmal, and that's been the biggest problem, but don't be so quick to dismiss the defensive prowess and get lost in the offensive rhetoric. Yeahysmal, and that's been the biggest problem. But don't be so quick to dismiss the defensive prowess

Starting point is 00:12:26 and get lost in the offensive rhetoric. Yeah, exactly. And, you know, I've seen even some media members say, is this the worst Patriots team in their history? And I have to chuckle at that because I've watched, and I'm sure you have as well, some of those teams. I remember, you know, the lean years in Fenway and Harvard Stadium in the early days of Gillette Stadium,

Starting point is 00:12:52 where they were just getting destroyed on the field. And the fact remains that in probably eight of their ten losses this year, it came down to one score games. And, you know, the defense held them in until the very end of the game. So this is not the worst Patriots team in history. It may be up there among the worst offensively, but by no means has this team been embarrassed, you know, week in and week out.

Starting point is 00:13:31 They're in every game, you know, with the exception of the Saints and the Cowboys game. Very true. That's such a good point to make. And I think that's one thing that a lot of Belichick's detractors will use as cannon fodder. They'll use that as ammunition. You're basing this on the past. You're essentially giving Belichick all the credit for what he did two decades ago. The guys that don't want Belichick back, that are going to hide behind a rhetoric of, I respect Bill Belichick, but what have you done for me lately? Take a look at that defense, folks, and take a look at what this team has done defensively this year. You'll know what

Starting point is 00:13:59 Bill Belichick has done for you lately. I agree with Steve. He needs some help when it comes to evaluating talent in the draft. At 71 years of age, I don't think Bill Belichick has done for you lately. I agree with Steve. He needs some help when it comes to evaluating talent in the draft. At 71 years of age, I don't think Bill Belichick is going to be too prideful to admit that. The question is what the crafts see as his role moving forward and what he sees his role moving forward. And if those two things do not coincide, there will be a parting of the ways in Foxborough. And again, I come back to what you said my friend be careful what you wish for i said this earlier this week if you're the crafts

Starting point is 00:14:30 you're sure that the time that bill belichick has here in new england needs to come to an end you better be absolutely sure that the guy coming in to replace him in that coach's room is the right guy is that guy already on staff? And could all that serve as a potential distraction as the Patriots get ready to host the defending Super Bowl champions on Sunday? Steve and I are going to talk about exactly what the Bill Belichick rumors could mean in the short term and what may mean in the near future. Stick around because we're going to talk about all that and more when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues, a proud part of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues.

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Starting point is 00:16:23 Subject to change. Terms apply. Cats fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked On Patriots. We're talking all things Bill Belichick, Kansas City Chiefs, getting you ready for Sunday's game against the defending Super Bowl champions. 1 p.m. kickoff at Gillette Stadium. As you can see, my good friend Steve Balistrieri, our Patriots bison here on Locked On Patriots, lending his wisdom and counsel to a subject that, quite frankly, needs more wisdom and counsel than maybe any subject we've discussed here since Tom Brady's departure.

Starting point is 00:16:58 But you and I both know that rumors of this type can have an adverse effect on teams on the field. We've seen rumors unravel the field. We've seen rumors unravel teams before. We've seen rumors break teams down. When it comes to the head coach and the future of the franchise, there are a lot of young players on this team that are looking to next year going, what are we going to do? Where are we going to go? Bill Belichick is not someone that is going to cater to what-s he's not going to feed into the media narrative and he's not going to give you sound bites that you're looking for i give a lot

Starting point is 00:17:32 of credit to andrew callahan of boston herald yesterday andrew asked the question and folks it needed to be asked for everyone getting on andrew about asking this question he did his job on wednesday morning and i give him credit for it he asked plainly bluntly do you have an understanding that robert craft will not ask you back for the next year bill's response yeah i'm getting ready for kansas city we all knew it was coming i don't think anybody expected him to answer it any other way than he did he was asked to follow up have you and robert craft discussed your coaching future here in new england belichick replied as you'd expect yeah i'm getting ready for

Starting point is 00:18:13 kansas city that's what i'm doing and you knew at that moment you weren't going to get anything additionally out of bill belichick so what's bill belichick? He's getting his team ready for Kansas City. But Steve, two things jump out at me on this. One, if there are reports that you might be playing for a lame duck coach, and you're either a free agent-to-be trying to showcase your talents and trying to maybe audition for another team in 2024, or if you're a rookie or a young player here under contract for a while, and you're not sure the guy pulling the strings right now is going to be the same guy next year, it can affect your motivation. And the other thing that jumps out at me is that everyone's heir apparent,

Starting point is 00:18:55 according to all the reports that we've read, Gerard Mayo is on that field with Bill Belichick watching this team right now, maybe ready to put his own stamp on it. So my question to you, my friend, is what does this do for the Patriots in the interim, starting with this Sunday's game? Do you think these rumors could have an impact on the action we see on the field? Oh, I think so. You know, it could backfire on them. I mean, Belichick went through that when the owners in Cleveland, you know, said they were moving the team the next year. And you remember that because the year before, the Browns had turned the corner. They turned into a really good football team and beat the Patriots under Belichick.

Starting point is 00:19:43 You know, that year in the playoffs where he beat Bill Parcells. And then the next year, you know, they started off okay, and then the team announced it was moving, and, you know, the roof caved in. And they ended up going 5-11, and, you know, Belichick was fired after the team moved, which was a big mistake by Baltimore. So he's lived through that, and he knows what that can do.

Starting point is 00:20:12 I have the feeling that he learned from that, and there's a lot of players that absolutely believe in him, especially on the defense. I think they're going to play even harder for him this week. Yeah, I would agree with that. This doesn't seem like the type of team that buys into the outside noise. We've seen the posters on the wall in the locker room in Gillette Stadium, Steve, in that Patriots home locker room.

Starting point is 00:20:41 We've been in there. Ignore the noise is a big part of what this team has always done, whether it be Spygate, whether it be Deflate, whether it be the Brady rumors, whether it be the Belichick rumors, whether it be, you know, craft scandals and things of that nature. This team always finds a way to rise above the national narrative because the national narrative surrounding the Patriots always seems to involve things other than football. It's always the extracurricular things that happen around this team. You can't really attack what this team does on the field. This is the first year where the Patriots have shown futility at a position more often than not. And I say position, really, it actually is a phase, folks, more than anything.

Starting point is 00:21:20 It's really been a futile offensive effort. It's been a very difficult year offensively for the Patriots, and maybe you can start to attack them there. But if you're Bill Belichick, the job that you need to do and the job that you want to do is to keep this team intact, even with everything circulating and swarming around it. If he can do that and keep this team focused and maybe even eke out a win or two in these last four games, that's going to say an awful lot about the type of coach he is and he still can be, especially if he's already got his destination picked out for next year or he's auditioning for his destination for next year. I think things could get really interesting over the course of the next couple of weeks here in New England. And I think it starts with the defending champions coming down. I mean, if they can pull an upset over the Chiefs this week, who right now aren't playing great football, let's call it what it is. And that would go a long way in helping his cause.

Starting point is 00:22:22 Yeah, I mean, it really will. Chris Clark, a host of Locked On Chiefs, joined me yesterday here for our crossover episode on Locked On Patriots. And we talked about a lot of the same things that are plaguing the New England Patriots or have been all year long are actually plaguing the defending champions, folks.

Starting point is 00:22:38 You heard Chris mention penalties, turnovers, self-inflicted problems. These are all things that the Patriots are doing. If the Pats can find a way to bring this all together, then they actually have a puncher's chance to be competitive in this game. Who knows? Maybe these Bill Belichick rumors become the new Jake Taylor motivating factor, Steve. The movie we both love to quote endlessly.

Starting point is 00:23:05 Obviously, they can't win the whole bleeping thing, but if they find a way to beat the defending champions, that might be the Patriots Superbowl of 2023. And then all of a sudden the national narrative starts to change a little bit. My friend, doesn't it? Yeah, absolutely. You know, it will. Yeah, that's true.

Starting point is 00:23:25 Absolutely. Well, Steve, it will. Yeah, that's true. Absolutely. Well, Steve, it will be an interesting game on the field on Sunday, and we've already started to get you a little bit prepped for it. If you haven't checked out yesterday's crossover episode, definitely be sure to check that out. And don't miss tomorrow's episode where our man Murph comes back to bookend the week like he has been doing to turn those monster keys to victory.

Starting point is 00:23:49 You know he's going to be charged up, and you're not going to want to miss that in the meantime my friend thank you so much for joining me today please let everyone know where they can find you where they can reach out to you and what we can look forward to and great coverage from Steve Balistrieri as usual yeah I mean this week it's all I mean we're on to Kansas City right I mean, this week it's all, I mean, we're on to Kansas City, right? I mean, we'll be, you know, watching that like everyone else. I think it's going to be fascinating to see how this game plays out. And anytime, my friend, you know, you can find me on Pats Fans down here, you know, down below, at SteveB7SFG on Twitter. I'll be your Tom Hayden anytime, my friend. Absolutely.

Starting point is 00:24:27 And if I ever need help, who's a better consigliere than Steve Balistrieri? I cannot ask for a better one. And don't forget, folks, stay tuned. We're not quite done yet because we're still crossing the streams here on Locked On Patriots. My good friend and colleague, Kevin Ostreicher, host of Locked On Ravens, going to be popping in here in just a moment. We're going to talk about Malik Cunningham, the Baltimore Raven,

Starting point is 00:24:50 and what it means, potentially, short-term and long-term, for your New England Patriots. Stick around. The Lockdown Patriots podcast will be back in just a moment. A proud part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team, every day. Lockdown listeners, football season is here,

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Starting point is 00:26:55 Here with me is Mike DeBate of Locked On Patriots. We had a roster move come down mid-December, one that I don't think a lot of people were anticipating, both on the Ravens side of things or the Patriots side of things. Mike, you have Malik Cunningham getting signed from the Patriots practice squad to the Ravens. Can you kind of take me through this whole situation and kind of, I guess, how shocking it was that Cunningham now is no longer a member of the Patriots and finds his way to Baltimore? Yeah, you know, I mean, this whole situation unraveled fairly slowly, but quickly at the same time, Kevin. And I know that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but it

Starting point is 00:27:28 really was the reality for Patriots fans. Look, Malik came into training camp this summer, someone who had a little bit of mystery and mystique. And I think that's something that Patriots fans really looked forward to seeing what this kid could do on the field. His debut was about as good as you could possibly get. He comes in in the closing moments of the Houston Texans preseason game, engineers a 75-yard scoring drive, rushes five times for 34 yards, completes three of four passes. You can make the argument that he should have had a touchdown pass.

Starting point is 00:27:58 The ball should have been caught. It was a real great pass. And then rushes the ball in for a touchdown. So everyone came down with Malik magic, Malik mania, Malik fever was gripping Patriots nation. But as you continued into training camp, deeper into the preseason, you started to see a little bit of regression that you normally see with rookies. And I think what the Patriots did was try to make him more of a gadget player, maybe make him a little bit more of a dual threat of a hybrid, trying him out at receiver as well

Starting point is 00:28:32 as trying him out at quarterback. I think he might have been better served completely taking the snaps at quarterback, maybe getting a gadget play here and there as being aligned as a receiver because of his athleticism. But I think it did him a disservice in terms of being able to learn the progressions learn the reads and be able to make the throws from a receiver standpoint from what I've heard and from what I saw on the field this summer and the limited stuff we've seen in practice from Malik is he knew how to run the routes he was able to identify the assignments fairly well. So the Ravens are getting a player that has a very good understanding of a playbook in advance. And knowing his similarities to Lamar Jackson, his hand and glove fit with Todd Munkin and the way you guys run that offense in Baltimore, it's a great place for Malik to showcase what he can do.

Starting point is 00:29:19 It's a very good signing for the Baltimore Ravens. And I think this is a quarterback move for them. I don't think they have very many plans. Maybe they use them. They had the Heisman package, like back in 2019, when they had Lamar, Robert Griffin III, and Mark Ingram, and they used Robert Griffin III, and they moved them all around the field. So maybe we see kind of the Louisville package this time around this season.

Starting point is 00:29:40 But you look bigger picture for the Ravens, and I think the reason the Ravens make this move is because Tyler Huntley is coming up on free agency after the season, but you look bigger picture for the Ravens. And I think the reason the Ravens make this move is because Tyler Huntley is coming up on free agency after the season. And there is some conversation about, you know, he probably deserves to have at least a shot of starting somewhere. And that's obviously not going to be the Ravens as long as Lamar Jackson is there. So if a team goes and gives them a two year, $10 million contract, two years, 15 million with the way the Ravens have free agency coming up this off season with breakouts from Justin Matabike and Patrick Queen and Gino Stone and

Starting point is 00:30:10 Genevieve and Klein and Cobb Van Noor. They have a lot of guys to resign and some of those guys are likely going to walk. So can they afford to pay 5 million, seven and a half million, 10 million annually do a backup? That's a conversation that again, maybe Tyler Huntley looks at his career and goes, well, I know I'm not going to start here. It's been great, but I'm going to go look for another opportunity where I know that I can showcase my talents. You get Malik Cunningham in early to the system. You get them acclimated to the players, the coaches, and you have them as a full off season workout player in Baltimore, as opposed to him not knowing where he's going to go, what he wants at At this point, I think Malik Cunningham has a real shot of being Baltimore's

Starting point is 00:30:49 quarterback to come 2024. But a big question for me, and I think a lot of other Ravens fans, Mike, is we know the quarterback situation in new England has not been wonderful this year, putting it pretty lightly. Mac Jones clearly is not the answer. Bailey Zappi, I know you want a better long-term answer there. What's the reason behind the Patriots? I know he was on the roster, got cut back to the practice squad. What's the reason for him not getting a shot with the Patriots and them kind of moving in the Mack Jones, Bailey Zappi direction for the entirety of the year? To be honest, Kevin, I think it's a really good question. Offense has been scarce. It's been very difficult for the Patriots to put points on the

Starting point is 00:31:26 board we're seeing kind of conflicting reports going on about oh well he didn't fit into Bill O'Brien's system I don't think that's a not valid argument Bill O'Brien ran an offensive system with Deshaun Watson under center in Houston for a good long while so it's not that he can't handle mobile quarterbacks or quarterbacks like Malik. I think, again, the fact that they tried to work him out and work him into a receiver position primarily as opposed to a quarterback may have hurt his ability to be able to learn the Patriots offensive playbook. Because whether you're talking the Josh McDaniels days or you're talking Bill O'Brien, it's a complex system to be able to learn. have to run the correct routes you have to pass on correct routes you have to be able to find the zones things like that really can be difficult in a patriots offense so maybe malik did not pick up what they were looking for in terms of

Starting point is 00:32:16 him being out there this year again if they had maybe worked them out a little bit well you know more on that prior to that we might be having a different conversation or we might not be having a conversation today. Malik may still be a member of the New England Patriots, but Baltimore identified something in him. And I think you're onto something about him being a potential contributor to the future here. Again, someone I would keep a close eye on if I'm a Ravens fan. Yeah, I wouldn't expect, again, a lot this season. And maybe this is a situation where he can come in a very low pressure environment for him in terms of what he's asked to do. And he can pick up the system, learn it. And I do think it will help.

Starting point is 00:32:53 I'm curious, Mike, about what you saw from him. You mentioned the preseason, the flashes he showed there. During his time in New England, what were some of the strengths and weaknesses that you saw from Malik? And what do you think his potential could possibly be at the NFL level when it's all said and done here? Well, again, his strengths obviously begin and end with his athleticism. This is a kid that is going to wow a lot of Ravens scouts, a lot of Ravens players, definitely the coaching staff, speed, agility, all of that is going to leap right off the page with Malik Cunningham. But the thing that impressed me the most was this kid's work ethic, his desire to improve.

Starting point is 00:33:26 That's what's going to make him a valuable part of this Ravens offense. You heard all of Malik's teammates come to his praise, saying that not only are they going to miss him, but you're going a place where you can really shine. Go show what you can do. He's shown that ability in practice over and over and over again. And again, he's going to a spot I think in Baltimore where he can learn like you said this year get a good feeling for this Baltimore offense he's got to be extremely excited about learning and playing with a guy like Lamar Jackson

Starting point is 00:33:56 and he's got a good coach in John Harbaugh great infrastructure here in Baltimore a good spot for him to shine and I believe believe he will. Yeah, he was very grateful for his time in New England, obviously put out there his desire to be a coach, but also said he's excited to be a Raven. And we will see Malik Cunningham, the newest member of the Baltimore Ravens. And Mike, I appreciate your insight. I hope I gave you some on the Baltimore side as well.

Starting point is 00:34:19 An unconventional crossover here for us, but you're one of my favorites on the network. I'm glad we were able to convene again. We've done this with Matthew Judod and with Nelson Aguilar. Seems like there's a little connection between these two teams. Absolutely. Between Beantown and Charm City, there's always a lot of crossover there. But again, it's always a lot of mutual respect there too.

Starting point is 00:34:38 And Ravens have a great team this year. Certainly wish them well.

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots ‘Parting Ways’ with Bill Belichick? Malik Cunningham to Baltimore Ravens

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