Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Right Fit for Ezekiel Elliott? Demario Douglas Another Sixth-Round Steal?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Patriots fans, the pads are on and the running game is going in training camp, but will the Patriots be adding to that run game in the coming days and weeks? Stick around. You're about to be locked into Mailbag Monday here on 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 Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. And of course, your first listen every day.

Starting point is 00:00:53 Subscribe or follow for free on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts to get the latest episode as soon as it is available. Folks, it is Mailbag Monday here on Locked On Patriots. And all of you everydayers know that all of your phenomenal work is featured here each and every Monday. And if it's Mailbag Monday, that means it is also hashtag Locked on Murph Monday. And that means I am joined by my good friend, my cohort in crime, the green king of sting himself, Thomas Murphy of E2GSports.com. Thank you for coming to me in friendship and for joining me today, Don Murphy. Oh, always a pleasure, Michael.

Starting point is 00:01:28 Always a pleasure. It's not Monday if we don't get together. Absolutely. It just does not feel like Monday. And of course, all of our Lockdown Everydayers out there, they all wait for our wisdom and counsel each and every Monday here to break down your great questions. And once again, Murph, we got several questions from a lot of great listeners out there on the field on Monday. The Patriots put the pads on.

Starting point is 00:01:51 There was more contact, a few injury dust-ups out there that we'll keep our eye on over the course of the next couple of days. But one thing that stood out is that the running game now is a focal point of what we're going to see. With the pads on, Patriots want to see what these rushers can do but andre is always fantastic but he was also limited in practice on monday team that we saw a heavy dose of pierre strong real heavy dose of kevin harris i think you can make the argument that kevin harris was the feature guy out there on the field at least that was my takeaway from it and And even J.J. Taylor got a little bit of a runner as well. Rick and Shay Rabbit. Imagine that, bud. Imagine that.

Starting point is 00:02:29 He's back out there on the field. But Ty Montgomery is still sidelined, and the Patriots still have yet to bring in another body to replace James Robinson. Enter Ezekiel Elliott. And over the weekend, the Patriots hosting Zeke. A lot of people excited about this one. Was seen out to dinner with Mac Jones on Saturday night. But there are a lot of people out there that had this question this week. So, you know what, Murph, let's dive right into the mailbag and let's bring up our most popular question that we received this weekend.

Starting point is 00:02:57 And that is, what would Ezekiel Elliott bring to the New England Patriots? You have the floor first, my friend. Go ahead. You know, Zeke will bring a goal line presence. You can take a look at what he's done down there in Dallas the past couple of years. And you can nitpick about his yards per carry and this, that, and the other. But this is a man that just bounces off of other people. And because of his fantastic balance, does not go down. Never. He never goes down. It always takes a second or a his fantastic balance does not go down. Never. He

Starting point is 00:03:25 never goes. It always takes a second or a third hit to bring this man down. We talked about the Patriots struggles in the lower red zone, you know, inside the five, inside the three. He's going to be able to spell Ramon Dre and be able to pound that ball inside and get sixes. I like sixes. I don't like threes. I like sixes when you're inside the 10-yard line. So let's go get it. Also, you know, just as, you know, something that Zeke never really gets the credit for

Starting point is 00:04:00 outside of Dallas, because inside Dallas, you get the credit for everything. They'll pump the tires on anybody I don't know if I if I you know walk down the uh the stairs at the stadium they they're gonna chalk it up to um special abilities but no that's what they do down there but outside of Dallas he doesn't get a lot of dap out there for his um his blocking prowess you know a man that can pick up the blitz when you really, it's third and seven or third and six, and you know that that ball is going to come out of Mac Wilson's hands or whoever happens to be the quarterback. He can pick up a blitz and he can make a rusher pay for it, you know?

Starting point is 00:04:42 Oh, he absolutely can. No, no, no no no no cold read and he can do it on the other end too i mentioned on saturday when steve balistrieri was my guest here that he maintains amazing balance and a few of our listeners out there and the savvy ones out there that picked up on this kudos to you at tip of the cap i know your everydayers that are picking up on this that balance is so crucial when it comes to the success of a running back. And that's why Ezekiel Elliott was highly touted, maybe one of the more complete backs coming out of his class when he was coming out in the NFL draft.

Starting point is 00:05:16 And he maintained that all throughout his time in Dallas. He maintains that balance even after the first contact. He can take the hit and then keep on going. His feet are always moving. And that helps a running back continue into his stride because you're not stopping it. You're not losing momentum. But you're making defenders pay when they hit a bad angle. You're in balance to be able to shift and to be able to get the yardage that you need

Starting point is 00:05:40 or even shift direction if you need to. That's something he can do. And I'd really love to see what he can do here in New England. Some people are touting this move, Murph, as, oh, well, it's a consolation prize for losing out on Dalvin Cook, losing out on DeAndre Hopkins. The Cook comparison I can understand a little bit because of the position they play.

Starting point is 00:06:00 But, folks, Ezekiel Elliott is not being brought in for a visit here to lessen the blow of not signing DeAndre Hopkins, two completely different players, two completely different positions. And the thing to remember here is that Zeke is not being brought in to unseat Ramondre Stephenson. He's being brought in as a solid number two. Right. Which is, you know, the factor that nobody's talking about. Cooks comes in here and he wants 20, 25 carries a game. That's what he wants. That's what he's looking for along with that bag. Zeke will come in here and he will know that he is the number two man. He is there to spell Ramon Stevenson, not to unseat him, not to usurp him.

Starting point is 00:06:44 He will come in here and play his role I think he'll be grateful to play that role and grateful to play for the New England Patriots absolutely and you know bottom line all indications are that both sides really enjoyed the visit that Zeke enjoyed his time here Patriots players were on the field talking about how they would love to have him all the things are being said in the right position. Before we take our leave of this subject, Bud, I just wanted to get your thoughts on this because everything that I've heard from his workout with his folks, there was a workout that did indeed occur on Saturday.

Starting point is 00:07:18 The Patriots reportedly loved what they saw. You've seen a lot of the conditioning videos on youtube and all throughout social media about how zeke looks he's coming in here in shape i don't think zeke elliott is washed up but that's the narrative that's that's prevailing out there in some circles what do you say to that it is a and washed up is a is a relative term is ezekiel elliott what he was in, you know, when he was a rookie, when he was, you know, in 2018? No, he's not, you know, and that's what I think people are thinking of when they're looking at Ezekiel Elliott now and saying that he's washed up. I don't, I think he's anything but washed. I think he's just in a different place in his career. And I believe

Starting point is 00:08:06 that coming in here, knowing his role, uh, you will see anything but a washed up Ezekiel Elliott. Yeah. And I have, I've seen, I've seen the tapes, I've seen the workout stuff and, and granted that, um, you know, you're out there and you're editing and you're, you're putting out the clips that, that make you look the best. But when watching those clips that make him look the best, I still see an NFL caliber running back. Absolutely. He is not the same player that he was a few years ago, but he's not being brought in to be that player. He's being brought in to play a specific role, and I still think he can do it well. And Murph, I think you've articulated this extremely well when it comes to what Stevenson can do. The blocking prowess, folks, his ability to maintain balance

Starting point is 00:08:50 and his ability to be effective at the goal line is really what the Patriots need him for. You're not getting that type of player that's going to come in here and be explosive. That's true. But what you are getting is a player that can fill the role very well the new england patriots don't need ezekiel elliott from a talent perspective no i can tell you from watching pierre strong and kevin harris out on the field on monday these two guys are really going to push each other to be the future back tandem of this team and i think it's very well suited but one thing about running backs murph and you know as well as I they're subject to injury you need bodies at this position a couple years ago the Patriots found themselves in dire need of running backs when these guys were going down like crazy having someone like an Ezekiel Elliott gives you an opportunity to put a veteran out there that you know can do it

Starting point is 00:09:39 he's going to get your sixes he's going to get you first downs in this short situation. And it's going to take the beating off of Ramondre and him having to do that on every single series. Absolutely. Without question. So well said. And I'm glad that you didn't mention that. And Murph, that leads me quite nicely into the next topic that we're going to discuss here today. And that is camp standouts. They happen training camp regardless of what murph is always someone that kind of emerges from the shadows and really becomes the diamond in the rough or the camp darling so to speak we're seeing this right now in a player that you and i have discussed because of the performance he's putting out in training camp and that is wide receiver demario douglas um demario is all over the field,

Starting point is 00:10:26 including aligning with the starting lineup on numerous occasions. And he is really, really garnering an awful lot of attention from members of the media that just can't seem to get enough of watching them. I'll be honest. I'm one of them. I'm on the Demario train, and this is something that I think is going to be interesting for Patriots fans to watch.

Starting point is 00:10:44 But can he maintain it and can he be yet another sixth round steal for the New England Patriots in terms of draft capital? Murph and I are going to discuss that point next here on Lockdown Patriots, proud part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Lockdown listeners, today's episode is brought to you by our good friends over at FanDuel Sportsbook. Take your first swing at betting MLB on FanDuel and get 10 times your first bet amount in bonus bets up to $200.

Starting point is 00:11:16 That's right. Just bet $20 and you'll land $200 in bonus bets. Win or lose. That's $200 you can spend betting everything from the money line to the over under to who you think is going to hit the first home run all on an app that's safe secure and super easy to use plus when you win you can get paid instantly take it from your favorite team in fenway it is not over until the final pitch there is no better place to bet on MLB than FanDuel, America's number one sportsbook. So sign up today and visit FanDuel.com slash LockedOn

Starting point is 00:11:50 to get up to $200 in bonus bets. That's FanDuel.com slash LockedOn. FanDuel, official partner of Major League Baseball. Patriots fans, thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage and your first listen every day. And Murph, it is Mailbag Monday, and we continue to dive in to the mailbag. And Ezekiel Elliott was the most popular topic over the weekend for a lot of reasons. People are excited about the prospect of him coming in. Some fans are not so excited about it, but it's a hot topic. Everybody seems to have an opinion. I think really one of the most surprising aspects of the mailbag that we received this week

Starting point is 00:12:34 was the amount of questions we received on Demario Douglas. Now, Douglas is coming in as a sixth round pick. Not a whole lot of light shed on him when he was first drafted, but the more people saw from him, the more they watched his film from his time at Liberty, the more they saw his ability to incorporate himself into a Bill O'Brien offense as a diminutive, but fierce slot weapon. People started to fall in love with his game, performed well during OTAs, performed well during mini camp, just that small little snippet that we received.

Starting point is 00:13:11 But he's going to stand out in training camp so far, so much to the fact where Bill O'Brien is working with him as part of his A-team offense. Murph, when you look at Demario Douglas, you look at his history, you look at what he's doing in camp, is this another potential sixth round steal for the New England Patriots? Yeah, I do.

Starting point is 00:13:29 You know, both of us were kind of on the the the Keishon Butte train early on and and seeing his the film and the things that he was able to do at LSU in his his first year, his second year before he got injured and banged up. And I was wholeheartedly there. But what this young man has been able to do, running with the ones, has opened a lot of eyes. And, yeah, I do believe that he could be, you know, another one of those diamonds in the rough, you know,

Starting point is 00:13:58 a butler type of find here for the Patriots. And it usually happens on the other side of the ball. I'd really like to see it happen here because it hasn't happened in a while. Yeah, without any question. You talk about diamonds in the rough, and it's early to be able to do that. Yeah, it is. Patriots just finished their fifth team practice on Monday, and there's still a lot of football to go, folks.

Starting point is 00:14:25 There's still a lot of padded practices. There's still preseason games and eventual roster cutdowns. So the bars continue to be raised each and every day out on the practice field. But I will say this, DeMario was still running with the ones on Monday, even threw a couple of nice blocks in there. This kid is fearless. And he's got what i like to call the double a's which really i think are imperative traits to have for an effective slot receiver in

Starting point is 00:14:53 a bill bryan offense really any slot receiver but especially under bryan agility athleticism this kid's got them both he might be only 5'8 180 pounds but right solid this kid is not going to go down on first contact. He's going to mix it up with you a little bit. He is, but, you know, it's easy to look great when you're out there in shells or just helmets and T-shirts and everything, and the speed is out there. You know, let's see what the kid does this week with the full pads on. Okay?

Starting point is 00:15:22 True. Just a little bit of caution here, folks. Just a little bit of caution here, folks. Just a little bit of caution. It's a completely different animal when everybody is geared up. Very good point. And I'm glad that you mentioned that because it is early. And if you can hear the excitement in my voice, when you see him on the field, it is infectious.

Starting point is 00:15:38 You really get a great feeling by watching the Mario Douglas play because he looks like an underdog and he plays like one and he's playing at a higher level than any of us had anticipated going into camp. Say for a few of you out there that have been dropping his name into the comments and all of you everydayers out there, tip of the cap, you're definitely good at being, identifying talent. But here's where I think he can really excel, even with the pads on, even with the contact that he's going to get. He can anticipate how defenders are going to attack him. That's one thing that short players,

Starting point is 00:16:10 and believe me, I know this from personal experience, have to do. You can't rely on physical imposition. You have to learn how your defender is going to attack you and then react to it. That's where I see a lot of Demario Douglas andlas and guys like les welker julian edelman i'm not comparing them folks but these are players that were diminutive players as well that had to use their intelligence and their football savvy to be effective i see a lot of that in demario on the field right now he's got the skill to be able to evade tacklers especially when he has the ball in his hands in the open field and in open space and we really saw that on sunday that's where demario douglas really popped off of the page and you saw just about every beat writer write an article or at

Starting point is 00:16:54 least have him be part a prominent part of their post-practice notebook on sunday because of that reason great acceleration phenomenal speed and that i think he can use for hit to his advantage especially when he identifies when teams might be playing him in soft coverage and murph coaches are prone to that they're going to fall into that you may look at the mario douglas at 5 8 180 pounds and say that we can afford to play him in soft coverage let him beat us mario douglas may have the skill set to be able to beat these guys he might he might be actually pounds and say that we can afford to play him in soft coverage. Let him beat us. Mario Douglas may have the skill set to be able to beat these guys. He might be actually be able to do that. And I've held his smallness, his SM allness against him, but it might play to his advantage. You know,

Starting point is 00:17:39 he's definitely not a Malcolm Mitchell out there. And we're all hoping that that kind of talent comes to the top. You know, we miss Malcolm, miss Malcolm so much. You know, another one of those guys whose body betrayed him. And I was glad he got a Super Bowl out of it. And he was a huge part of that win. But if this kid can carve out a role, it could be really a lot of fun for folks to actually get a taste of. He could end up being that guy down in the red zone, you know, I don't want to say an Edelman type, but an Amendola type. You know, one of those guys that you keep over there encased in glass and you only break at the opportune moments to put them out there.

Starting point is 00:18:27 Bill has been known for finding five, six, eight plays to be able to get any player involved in and help the Patriots win ballgames. And this kid could end up being one of those guys. Yeah, without any question. And again, this is one of the reasons why the two of us were very content with what the Patriots had in the wide receiver cupboard and one of the reasons why we didn't feel that when they lost out quote-unquote on the services of DeAndre Hopkins that this team was doomed because there is a great deal of talent at a lot of different areas on this

Starting point is 00:19:02 wide receiver core maybe not the top level talent that's going to make the ESPN highlight reel, but at the same time, you've got guys like Parker and that can play the exposition. You've got versatile guys like Kendrick Bourne that can get in and out and play multiple positions. Ta'Juan Thornton to be the stretcher of the field that you need him to be. Juju Smith- schuster in the slot and then you've got rookies like to mario douglas and i'm still convinced that if he can put it together on the field kashon booty can be a steal as well because i do think that he has the talent level to be an effective receiver at the pro level to me it's going to be all about buy-in but

Starting point is 00:19:39 at the same time you look at what the patriots have top to bottom here and all of a sudden they're not looking so bad and even trey nixon is out there catching passes look at what the Patriots have top to bottom here, and all of a sudden they're not looking so bad. And even Trey Nixon is out there catching passes. I think the Patriots pass catchers might be a little better than they're getting national credit for out there. And Douglas is a big reason why. He really is. He's a huge reason why. And like I said, so often people scratch their heads when they're looking at the way that Bill puts together a roster.

Starting point is 00:20:06 Okay. Bill puts together a roster so it can be as versatile as it possibly can be. So that he can go in from one week to another with a completely different game plan as to, you know, how he's going to attack a defense's weakest link. All right. One week, it's going to be a ground and pound game. One week it's going to be, yes, the slot receivers are going to, are going to be in, in demand on each and every down. And in one week it's going to be something completely different. And I'm going to get the wheel routes that I missed so damn much. So, but no, that's, that's what it is. What can I, what can I get for you? What can I use you for?

Starting point is 00:20:46 Just to go back a little bit in time. What can I use you for? If I can use you for four plays, and those four plays are going to end up getting me six points, yes. That's when you see people like Douglas. That's when you see guys like Ezekiel Elliott contributing on not maybe in every week on the stat sheet, but every other week. You'll see it. Absolutely. And very well said.

Starting point is 00:21:12 And again, these are the types of players that help the New England Patriots to be a team that is always dangerous. That is always a team that you have to be careful of and publication for which i write sports illustrated feels that they are right now number 12 and ranked in possible super bowl contenders and that raised a lot of eyebrows a lot of people were surprised that the patriots were that high but bill belichick always gives this team a puncher's chance regardless of what people think of his gm skills or whatnot on field. He knows how to push the right buttons. And with the proper coaching staff in place and guys like Bill O'Brien and Adrian Glenn writing the wrongs that we saw last year out there. And we are already

Starting point is 00:21:56 seeing that. We are already seeing that. You are not seeing the false starts. You are not seeing the offensive line completely stepping on each other's feet out there. Everybody knows where they're supposed to be. Everybody's off on the snap and not two seconds before it. It's a beautiful thing. One of the big things that I am really enjoying during camp Murph is watching this Patriots secondary come together. Christian Gonzalez is an absolute joy to watch, but it's deeper than just Christian. Jonathan Jones is stepping up big time.

Starting point is 00:22:31 Marcus Jones is looking pretty good. Although he had a little bit of a rough day on Sunday, but you get the impression that even guys like Miles Bryant and Jack Jones are ready to take it to the next step. And Jalen Mills and Adrian Phillips are definitely trying to fill that void left behind by even our boy bolden absolutely isaiah bolden is in there and folks murph told you right from the beginning don't bet against the bolden that against the bolden don't be a bit surprised if he cracks this 53 man roster folks but in all seriousness the new england patriots secondary is going to have to be pretty

Starting point is 00:23:06 good to be able to withstand the onslaught of some of these top level offenses that they're going to be seeing in 2023. Several of you had the question, Murph and I are going to tackle that question and more. Is this Patriots defense capable of shutting down top teams, something the Patriots struggled with last year. How are they equipped to be able to deal with it this year? Murph and I will discuss that point when we continue right here on Locked on Patriots, a proud part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team, every day.

Starting point is 00:23:35 Patriots fans, thank you once again for taking time out of your busy schedule to join us here on hashtag Locked on Murph Monday, Mailbag Monday, and Pad Monday. It's a real special day here at Patriots Nation, folks. The trifecta. Gotta love it. Absolutely gotta love it. And who better to join me here on this momentous Monday?

Starting point is 00:23:55 You know, this Monday just keeps getting names, doesn't it, Murph? Then my good friend, the Count of Murphy Fisto himself, a legendary Thomas Murphy of E2GSports.com. One of the standouts so far of this defense has been the play of secondary. And again, Murph has made the point several times, folks. The pads just came on on Monday. There's a lot of football still to come, and we're about to find out how good this secondary can really be. But we're all hopeful that this secondary is going to be very good because you

Starting point is 00:24:25 get some top level offenses that the Patriots are going to be facing in 2023 that are really going to challenge the metal of this team's defense. Christian Gonzalez stand out so far, no question about it. His cornerbacks look solid. They look better than they were a year ago. And the safety position looks surprisingly intact, even with the loss of Devin McCoy so I say to you in the vein of our good friend LJ show underscore one who keeps asking the question as to whether or not Patriots are equipped to be able to be better than they were last year against the NFL's top teams I happen to think that one of the big keys is the secondary, but what say you Murph, is this secondary or the Patriots defense really in total

Starting point is 00:25:10 capable of stopping the NFL's top offenses in 2023? Yes, without a doubt. I think this defense is better than it was last year. It's younger, it's stronger, it's faster. It's the bionic defense. Um, it's, uh, even, even with the loss of Devin McCourty back there, I think there's enough veteran presence that things are going to hold together on the defensive side of the ball really, really well. I also think, you know, not to bring it home to mama, we were talking earlier about the offensive snafus, the false starts, the wrong alignments, things that

Starting point is 00:25:48 pushed the Patriots back and kept this defense, you know, having to work a little bit harder, you know, having to shore up a little bit shorter fields. So don't discount how much this offense, you know, is going to help the defense this year as opposed to, you know, making going to help the defense this year, as opposed to, you know, making life harder for everybody that was involved. Yeah, I do. I think that this defense is more versatile than it was last year. I think there are a lot of defensive backs on this team right now that are going to be able to play multiple positions, and that's going to really frustrate even the better quarterbacks in the NFL last year

Starting point is 00:26:25 this year yeah absolutely very very well said look one of the great things about watching this Patriots secondary in a limited sample size that we've had so far in training camp is the versatility guys lining up at multiple positions right being able to handle the load we started off seeing a rotation of Christian Gonzalez at the perimeter, Jonathan Jones being the second perimeter corner, and then Miles Bryant coming in and playing perimeter corner as well. All of a sudden, Marcus Jones gets thrust into the perimeter corner. John Jones drops back into the slot. Then we're looking at Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones, and Jonathan Jones interchanging at the perimeter. Jack Jones getting some run with the starters.

Starting point is 00:27:07 And then, of course, Miles Bryant and Marcus Jones splitting time in the slot. So all these corners. And Isaiah Bolden. Thank you very much. How dare I forget a Bolden? A lot of people forget. If things don't go well with Jack and he ends up on the sidelines, people are asking, who's going to be that third boundary cornerback?

Starting point is 00:27:26 And Isaiah Bolden could fit that role. Yes, he could. He absolutely could. And he's got the pro-level pedigree folks to be able to do it. He may be the New England Patriots' final pick of the 2023 NFL draft, but there's nothing irrelevant about his game. I've said this several times here on Lockdown Patriots. We've seen free agents come in here, rookie free agents come in here and do it.

Starting point is 00:27:50 Yeah, absolutely. And I want to talk about blazing speed. This kid has got it. He's excellent as a kick returner. You want to take some of the pressure off of Marcus returning punts, and Marcus is still, I believe, the best in the business of doing that at this moment. Isaiah Bolden could be a really, really good complement to him in special teams.

Starting point is 00:28:09 And Murph, I got a little special teams stat to share with you to close up the show today that I know you're really going to enjoy. But still, when you talk about this secondary, that type of versatility is paramount. And Murph, once again, you always always do you hit the nail right on the head Jack Jones presence on this team folks this year is not guaranteed no we simply don't know how this is all going to shake out so if the Patriots have to prepare for life without Jack on the perimeter it's nice to know that Christian is going to be your alpha corner I don't think there's any question about that he's established himself he's ready to roll. But Jonathan can definitely play that role. Marcus can come in and play it for you a

Starting point is 00:28:49 little bit. And then if Jonathan is the second perimeter corner, that gives you Miles Bryan and Marcus Jones to interchange in the slot with maybe Bolden waiting in the wing. So Patriots secondary looking very good at the cornerback position. The safety position has been a surprise and a pleasant surprise for me, especially because we hold Devin McCourty in very high regard. All of us do. We are not worthy. Yeah, Murph and I especially, but Devin is one of those special players that we were so blessed to be able to

Starting point is 00:29:18 watch all of these years. It really is fun to see that Jabril Peppers when he told us this in the offseason that maybe this team can even be more dangerous without Devin because of the uncertainty of who's going to fill his role each and every day is really coming true in training camp Jalen Mills has stepped into that role and played well Adrian Phillips has stepped into that role and played well you're even seeing Marte Mapu play some box safety. Kyle Duggar has been effective in that role. Jabril Peppers is continuing to look like he's going to be the enforcer back there in that backfield.

Starting point is 00:29:54 So much versatility for the Patriots. Those unicorns on defense, they're earning their keep each and every day out there, and it's leading to big things for the Patriots' defense. They've looked very good so far. They really have it it's been kind of brilliant and a lot of people have brought up the the lack of separation and the lack of catches that are happening with uh this wide receiver group just take a look at the defenders that they're going up against folks all right this seems to always be skipped over all right they are going up against one of the best secondaries in the NFL right now. I don't care what you say about what happened last year. You cannot completely, you know, Bill Belichick coined the phrase stats are for losers. And there's a reason because there are situations that happen and there are turnovers that have short fields, this, that, and the other thing. This is an opportunistic defense that is going to put, put numbers up on the board, on the scoreboard and keep guys, keep the opponents off it.

Starting point is 00:30:54 Absolutely. Without any question. And very, very well said. And in that vein, LJ, especially, cause I know you keep asking the question, but at show underscore one, give them some love on Twitter or X or wherever it's called now, Murph. LJ, I know you're watching. So yes,

Starting point is 00:31:09 we do believe that the Patriots will be able to handle those top level offenses much better because of the reasons that we've outlined here. That secondary is more aggressive. They've got their lockdown guy back and the safety position has so much versatility. It's going to be very difficult for even the top level offenses to plan does that mean they're going to shut down everybody they play absolutely not the league doesn't work that way there are some very talented players and

Starting point is 00:31:35 offenses and offensive coordinators out there that will score against the Patriots but you're not going to see it as much as last year and I think they're going to rise to the occasion much more than they did against the top level talent than they did in 2022. So tip of the cap and nod to the gods, but to all of our everydayers, all of our first timers, all of our casual listeners that submitted questions this weekend, you are truly amazing.

Starting point is 00:31:58 We're honored and humbled by your support and really amazed by the level of detail and the level of understanding that you all have of Patriots ins and outs and intricacies of what makes a great team. You're a phenomenal fan base. You're phenomenal listeners here on Lockdown Patriots, honored and humbled as always by your presence. Thank you. Thank you all.

Starting point is 00:32:20 Absolutely. And Murph, what could be a better way to end this program today than with a little surprise for you bud because you're always always here you're always ready to take the hand off and your wisdom and counsel is paramount here on Lockdown Patriots so I'm going to dazzle you with a little

Starting point is 00:32:38 punter hang time stats I know you love them bud I know you love them and I cannot take credit for documenting these because resident tracker alex barth of 98 my hero is phenomenal at this he is the guru when it comes to this stuff so alice thank you for these stats but murph at the risk of sounding a little over the ZZ Top, as I wrote for Sports Illustrated on Monday, Bryce Barringer has a leg, and he knows how to use it, folks. Take a look at these hang times, or just take a listen to these hang times, folks.

Starting point is 00:33:16 A plethora of aesthetically pleasing punts on Monday. 5.02, 5.09, 5.21. And here's the home run hit, 5.31. Hang times for Bryce Barringer. Murph, the Patriots have their punter. We're going to miss Jake Bailey, but Bryce Barringer is going to make us really happy in the short term. He's great.

Starting point is 00:33:43 This kid is everything. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. You know you know barth my my main man is out there and he's clocking this for me and he knows i go all the way back man i've loved punters since ray guy and reggie robey and you know the guys that really boomed and changed the trajectory of a game. Flip the field. You know, I love my flip the field key. And I cut it. It's in my weeklies. You know, there are certain keys that I plan out for each and every game, who to expose and who to exploit. But flip the field is always right there.

Starting point is 00:34:19 And this is the guy that does it, the punter. Yeah. Okay. It really is. And to be able to do this, this kid has got a leg that was just, you know, built in a laboratory. We talked about the, the, the bionic team last, you know, a few minutes ago, this kid's got a bionic leg.

Starting point is 00:34:37 I love this pick. I can't wait to see him in uniform. And it's going to be a lot of fun watching him bury guys at the five yard line and at three yard line i hate these new rules people i hate these new rules kickers count another sixth rounder i mean yeah i don't think you can call beringer a steal because when you come out of college and you hold the michigan state record for yards per punt at 49 while also ranking first in big 10 history with a career punting average of 46 yards i loved it you have an impressive resume yeah you have an impressive resume how i feel about michigan state

Starting point is 00:35:10 yeah murph is not a spartan fan yeah he's ann arbor all the way this is definitely someone who's living up to his resume and then some uh bryce barringer i think he was the practice player of the day on monday folks and a lot of my colleagues seem to agree with that as well. So bottom line folks, we thank you for all of the support that you provide here to Locked On Patriots for your awesome questions. But most of all, for you making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Tomorrow, coverage continues here of training camp.

Starting point is 00:35:42 We'll break down all the action on day six. In the meantime, I once again want to thank my good friend, the Count of Murphy, Fisto himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy, for helping me wade through an extensive Lockdown Patriots mailbag. Murph, before I let you go, bud, please have at it. Let everyone know where they can interact with you and what you got cooking this week in Murph's kitchen. Well, of course, you can follow me on the X app, the bird app, you know,

Starting point is 00:36:08 thank you very much. Uh, at teamwork 207, you'll find all my stuff there. I've got a nice little piece on Alex or do go and why the, why a chime bloom should not trade him right now at the deadline. No, no, no, don't do it. And of course I have some, uh, some more, uh, Red Sox news up all week long. Taking a week off from one Patriots place while I'm decompressing and reconfiguring how we're going to go forward there. And, of course, you know, just one more little note out to LJ.

Starting point is 00:36:41 The Pats are going to sweep the Tua this year. They're going to sweep Tua. You heard it here first, folks. 2-0 versus Tua. Murph said it. But you heard it here first, folks. Keep remembering that. I know all in Patriots Nation are hoping that you're right, and the Dolphins fans that hate listening to Locked On Patriots

Starting point is 00:37:00 are probably going to have a few words for Murph in the comments section. But folks, you know what? Good, bad, or indifferent indifferent we appreciate all of your feedback if you're invested in trying to help make Lockdown Patriots a better show we thank you for all of that support and we definitely strive to give you the best possible content we can

Starting point is 00:37:16 so if you're liking what you hear but you think it could be a little bit better don't hesitate to let us know and if you love what you hear there's nothing more that Murph and I appreciate more so thank you for all of your support. On behalf of my good friend, the Count of Murphy, Fisto himself, the Green King of Sting, the

Starting point is 00:37:32 Monster Master of Disaster. We'll see you next week here on Locked On Patriots for Mailbag Monday, but I'll be back here again tomorrow. Stay safe, stay well, and be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone. Thank you for listening once again to Locked On Patriots. Bill Murray rules.

Starting point is 00:37:49 Bill Murray rules. Cinderella story.

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Right Fit for Ezekiel Elliott? Demario Douglas Another Sixth-Round Steal?

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