Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Rookie Minicamp Recap, 2023 Schedule Prediction, Running Backs — Mailbag Monday

Episode Date: May 16, 2023

The New England Patriots got their first look at their 2023 rookie class over the weekend by hosting Rookie Minicamp at Gillette Stadium. However, how many wins will the newest Pats help the team earn in the upcoming season? Host Mike D’Abate welcomes Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy to predict the outcome 2023 season slate, as well as the fate of the Pats running backs on Mailbag Monday.Find and follow Locked On Patriots on your favorite podcast platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-patriots-daily-podcast-on-the-new-england/id1140512627Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFmwg3WbfxAU3tR5Ve?si=k196wH-yRqifUcQQz8SjIQStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-on-patriotsAnd follow host Mike D’Abate on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the New England Patriots and talking with fans.Twitter: @mdabateNFLSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.FanDuelMake Every Moment More. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG(CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat(CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The New England Patriots have had their orientation in Foxborough, but how many games will the newest Pats help them win in 2023? 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, and thank you once again for making Lockdown Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. 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 ensure that you get the latest episode as soon as it's available. I'm your host, Mike DeBate, and I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. So please reach out to me. Let me know what's on your mind on Twitter at MDABATENFL. And while you're out there showing some much-deserved love to the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at L underscore Patriots. Pats fans, today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook, official sportsbook partner of the NFL.

Make every moment more. Visit FanDuel.com slash Locked On today to get started. And Pats fans, thank you once again for joining me here today. Hope you all had a great weekend. Of course, a special shout out to all of you Locked On everydayers out there. You all make Locked On Patriots possible. Unending appreciation to you. Always honored and always humbled by your support.

And Pats fans, today on the pod, our good friend, that Count of Murphy, Fisto himself, Thomas Murphy of E2GSports.com, going to drop by here, help me open up the Locked On Patriots mailbag. And the most popular question that we got on hashtag Mailbag Monday pertains to the Pats 2023 schedule. A lot of you were wondering how many games can the Patriots win this season. Well, Murphy and I gave our thoughts on the schedule last week, but today on the pod, we're going to break down game by game and let you know exactly how we think this season is going to shake out.

Do we believe this is a potential playoff team? Are they even going to crack double digits with wins? Murph and I answered today, and we'd love to hear as well what you think. So please be sure to remember that Mondays may not be mock draft Monday anymore, but they're still interactive here on Locked On Patriots, and we're happy to interact with all of you. And we also fielded a question on the Patriots running game and what this cast of running backs may look like to help Mac Jones and company on offense. So keep it right here, folks.

Always a ton of fun when Murph drops by, and we are going to open up the Monday mailbag in just a moment but before we do so your New England Patriots 2023 rookie class has completed its orientation and the team's got the pictures to prove it several NFL teams throughout the pro football landscape hosted rookie mini camps over the weekend New England Patriots have always kind of played this one close to the vest, and they did so again this year, holding their rookie minicamp over the weekend at Gillette Stadium.

The sessions were closed to the media, as per usual, but the team's website has provided a first look at the newest Patriots first reps on the practice field. Folks, if you haven't had a chance to, check them out at Patriots.com. First-round quarterback Christian Gonzalez already looking good in a patriot shell on white to mario douglas all of these guys really looking like they're settling into life in foxborough but you might notice something about the pictures yeah they weren't that comfortable not just yet in keeping with the team's tradition they were provided with neither a jersey number

or a logo to adorn their helmet. As has been the case under coach Bill Belichick, each of those items is to be earned through their play on the field. So while everyone in New England is excited for this rookie class, Bill Belichick is still all about making you work for it, folks. And it's worked out pretty well for him for the past few years. But while most of the Pats fans' attention has been on the 2023 draftees, such as Gonzalez, of course, Keon White, Keishon Butte, a lot of these guys getting an awful lot of looks or attention from the fans.

Doug Kite of A to Z Sports had an interesting report over the weekend indicating that undrafted rookie free agent Malik Cunningham may actually be a quarterback on this team. A lot of people were wondering whether or not Cunningham could possibly change positions, but according to Doug's report, he was used exclusively at quarterback during the Patriots three-day camp. Now, what does this mean? Well, it could mean a number of different things, folks. First of all, I think the Patriots want to see what Malik has as a quarterback, the position that he played for six seasons at Louisville. It's a position that he signed up to go to Louisville for. He had offers to be a city in Alabama, went to Louisville instead, and had a tremendous career there. And a lot of people feel that this may be his most natural fit he defines the word dual threat and i'll get back to that in a moment but a lot of

people are looking at cunningham's deal and they say well this ensures that he's going to be here don't forget just a few days ago miguel the pats cap benzon was here and said nothing that an undrafted rookie sign will ever provide a foregone conclusion as to whether or not this player is going to be in a Patriots uniform in the upcoming season. You still have to earn it. The New England Patriots are very, very serious about that, as is Bill Belichick, but it's a lot of investment. $200,000 in guarantees, $30,000 in signing bonus, $170,000 salary guarantee. In fact, that marks only the second time in team history that the Patriots have made such a financial

investment in an undrafted rookie. So when you look at the money that they've put out to Malik Cunningham, they knew they had to pony up in order to get him in the Foxborough fold. And I think it's because of the dual threat capabilities that i just mentioned during his six years with the program completed 692 passes 62.6 percent of his pass were completed folks 9,664 yards 70 touchdowns compared to just 29 interceptions want to know what he did on the ground? Equally as potent, maybe even more potent, actually. 3,184 yards, 50 touchdowns on 619 rushing attempts. But if that sounds impressive, there are drawbacks to playing Malik Cunningham at quarterback. His size has caused some people to question whether or not he will be an effective quarterback at this level.

He measures in at only 6,892 pounds. There's also questions surrounding his accuracy, and a lot of people feel that may have led to his fall out of the draft. It's also led some to believe that he may be best suited for a positional change, especially at the pro level. He was considered for safety, considered for wide receiver in the past i know malik has reportedly indicated that he'd be open to suggestion when it comes to switching positions but i think he's only going to do that provided it can facilitate his securing a roster spot in 2023 now new england i think is interested in adding him to the quarterback room at least for right now that's where they're looking at him. And whether it be as a backup to Mac Jones and Bailey Zappi, or whether it be on the practice squad, especially running the scout team, he can really act as some of the

more mobile quarterbacks Patriots are going to face throughout the season. Having a weapon like that, folks, is really a true ace in the hole when it comes to New England. But I think their aspirations for him are a little bit higher. Based on his skill set and what this kid can do, I want to see him on the football field. I know the practice squad is a good way to get experience and give yourself an opportunity to better yourself. But at the same time, when you have the type of skill set that Malik Cunningham has, I think we're all excited to see what this kid can do on the field. So keep a sharp eye on us.

It'll be interesting to see where he slots in. Mac Jones, I believe, will be the starter. I think Bailey Zappi is going to be someone that can compete. Ultimately, I do believe he'll be Mac's backup this year, at least to start the season. McSorley, you don't know where that could go. He's got the ability to make this roster. ButSorley, you don't know where that could go. He's got the ability to make this roster, but then again, he could be a practice squad body, and Cunningham could sneak his way onto this roster, so don't be a bit surprised to see him there. Bottom line,

the Patriots rookies and the veterans are next going to hit the practice fields organizationally on May 22nd, and that's when OTAs begin at Gillette Stadium. New England Patriots may feel one of the more formidable rookie classes this season. But will it be enough to translate to wins on the football field in 2023? Well, Pats fans, Murph is ready to join us. The mailbag is ready to be opened. And we are set to take your questions when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues.

But first, folks, today's episode is brought to you by our good friends over at FanDuel Sportsbook. Make a fast break to FanDuel during the NBA playoffs because by now, new customers get a no-sweat first bet up to $1,000. That's $1,000 back in bonus bets if your first bet doesn't win. Want to show your green team pride? Do it with FanDuel because there is no better place to bet all the playoff action than America's number one sports book. Visit FanDuel.com slash LockedOn and get a no-sweat first bet up to $1,000. That's FanDuel.com slash LockedOn. FanDuel, official sports betting partner of the NBA.

Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining me here today on LockedOnPatriots. All of you everydayers out there, my guest today needs no introduction. Mondays were created for this man here on LockedOnPatriots. It is hashtag LockedOnMurphMonday, and it is also the advent of hashtag MailbagMonday, which will continue to be your Monday episodes right through the regular season. Murph, we like this so much. We're just going to make this a regular thing. Before I do so, thank you so much for joining me today and coming to me in friendship, Don Murph.

Shut up. Shut up, man. You couldn't get rid of me if you tried. Here we go, folks. It's going to be a nice ride. Yeah, and they have tried. They have. They changed the locks. Murph is too savvy for that.

But no, man, let's get into it. Let's dive into it. We got a great show today. We absolutely do, Murph. And we open up the Lockdown Patriots mailbag. It's always a lot of fun, but you know what? We got a lot of duplicate questions, Murph. You know what? Our listeners are so savvy. They started sending in these questions before the mailbag was even open to the public they just keep sending them in so we left them at the doorstep you know it's kind of like when you've been on vacation for a while a mail slot in the door you can't quite open the door because the mail is blocking it think outside the box people because so far you know everybody's in the box and we did

mike's right we got a lot of the same questions and and um we can't take the time to to list everybody who had that same question that we're going to tackle today but the one we're going to that one of the questions we're going to tackle today is is one that got got the most uh requests absolutely and without further ado folks it is. The question on everybody's mind. What will the Patriots 2023 record be at the end of the regular season? 17 and 0. It is. Absolutely.

Is there any question, folks? It's just going to, you know, we've talked about a gauntlet. The Patriots are going to be the gauntlet running through everyone. Okay. We're going to go back to reality. No, all kidding aside no i keep that enthusiasm bud we want to keep that coming as our guest as our beloved guest here the don of locked on patriots i will extend the hospitality to you oh great one when you look at patriots schedule from top to bottom from the philadelphia eagles on sund, September 10th, right through the New York Jets, whenever that may be in January, early January.

How is this schedule shaking out? What does the Patriots record look like when all is said and done and the NFL is ready to head into the playoffs? I'm going to shock the hell out of all of you, man. You're going to end up 11-6. 11-6? Find me anybody else that's going to give you that number. This team is going to be 11 and six. They're going to shock the world in the first month and they're going to come out

three and one after this first month. And then once they get through that little gauntlet, they'll readjust and readjust. People are forgetting, you know, we have an actual offensive coordinator here this year. We have better pass catchers on this roster right now. The running back room is much stronger than it was a year ago, and it was strong a year ago. And I do. I think people aren't going to be able to look at this for a very long time. The Patriots relied on the arm and mind of Tom Brady. And then last year, the year before, that was not there. They've readjusted, taken a step back, brought in an actual offensive coordinator. The defense has gotten that much stronger, a defense that was

already one of the top defenses in the NFL. And it's better this year than it was last year. And I'm sorry, I'm not buying the fact that, uh, that, um, discount double choke is going to right all the wrongs that were there in New Jersey. Um, I am not buying the fact that, that, uh, the Buffaloills have gotten better this year. I'm not. They've regressed. That defense is not what it was two years ago. I'm not convinced that the offense is that much better with a rookie tight end that they're going to seriously be dependent on to keep that train rolling. And quite frankly, Miami, yeah, we got a book on you now. We know what's coming. All right. Last year, people didn't see what was coming. This year,

they're going to know what's coming and they're going to have a little bit of a harder time this season than they did last season. Yeah. glad you mentioned that with miami we talked about that right after the patriots uh you know had their battles with miami last year and we kind of likened it to a young pitcher in major league baseball that comes out takes everyone by storm electric stuff even the best hitters seem to be befuddled by this guy and then all of a sudden it all it takes is that one player that one great hitter to put his bat on his shoulder and just say okay now i got your timing and then you start to see a t off you know i'm not saying that miami's gonna fall apart in that no no no i think teams are going to be able to catch on a little bit easier this year and i think miami's going to have a difficulty

you know those formations those formations look a little bit a little bit more familiar. You know, well, they did this last year. We got some film to go back and study. Those are the things. I mean, like my son says, you can throw 96 miles an hour, but if it's flat and straight, it's going yard. So in that vein, Murph, when you look at this schedule, and folks, here it is right here. Here is the schedule from start to finish. Murph, what is your take on this schedule right now?

We'll start with the loss first. What out of this slate do you see the Patriots looking at and saying, okay, well, this is probably, you know, the Eagles are probably going to come in here and squeak a game out. That's also, you know, if you flipped it over, I could see that as a surprise win. I've got the beating the Texans. I've got the beating the Jets. And i got to beat in the jets and then the cowboys away at the cowboys um that's that's probably a loss all right that's that's what

i'm looking at there okay and i kind of agree with you um i'll give you my prediction i'll tell you exactly where i am i'm slightly less optimistic than Murph, but almost as optimistic as Murph. I have this team going 10 and seven. And I think that, you know, in a lot of ways, I think there is an optimism in both of us that you're not definitely not seeing at the national level. I mean, you may think that this team is completely gone, completely done. I've seen people say seven and nine. Yeah. And we'll never be heard from you. What planet are you living on?

Yeah. I think in a lot of ways, you've got to look at this team. You've got to look at what they did last year with questionable coaching, really not catching on and catching their stride until late. Disfrontal players all over the field. Absolutely. The frustration level was unbelievable last year. Some of the players, especially on the offensive side of the defensive side of the ball, everything went swimmingly. It was the offensive side of the ball that there were issues.

And, you know, I think those issues have been addressed. You know, the offensive line is deeper. Bill's not going to get caught with his pants down again at the offensive line with a right tackle that just doesn't want to be here. Left tackle that wants to play right side and yada, yada, yada. And that's just the way it is. But, no, I agree with you. Go right ahead. I'm sorry I stepped on you, Mike.

No, you didn't step on me at all. I think that was a great drop-in. And I, too, have the Patriots dropping the season opener. I know there's going to be a lot of hype. I know there's going to be a lot of emotion. Tom Brady in the building. Everyone's going to be excited lot of hype. I know there's going to be a lot of emotion. Tom Brady in the building. Everyone's going to be excited for that game, but this is an Eagles defense right now that I think is primed and ready. And I think they're more ready out of the gate than the Patriots are going

to be. But I think the Pats would have a better chance of beating this team in week eight than they are in week one. So well said. That could be a much different game if this were being played mid to late season. And you're going to see that in some of my predictions folks um call me a little bit of a homer call me a little crazy i have the patriots taking the dolphins and i have them taking the jets at the jets in week two and week three simultaneously and i also have them taking i also have them falling to the dallas cowboys right um i think that uh you know that offense and the way that defense is situated, that's a road game. If this were at Gillette, I think it might be a little bit different.

But they should have won. They should have won that game. And it didn't happen. But I see them dropping that one. And then after that, I'm really finding a hard time. You know, Buffalo is probably a loss at Buffalo. And, you know,

I'm a little confused right now. Is the first Bills game at home? No, the first Bills game is here in Gillette. That's coming up in October. And then they go and travel to Buffalo for New Year's Eve, Murph.

Right, New Year's Eve in Buffalo. I know, to have to spend New Year's Eve in Buffalo of all places. I mean, you know, being in a town that already makes you want to drink and it's on New Year's Eve. But no, I've got them taking the game at home and then going down and sweeping Miami forami for the year and this is really the turning point going down to miami and being able to take that game down there i i really think is going to be a uh a turning point for this team this team is really going to be believing in

themselves right then and there now the the the game at the the game that worries me the most is, and this is going to upset a lot of people, is the Giants game. You know, I really do. I worry about the Giants this year. You know, they've got a happy quarter. They've got weapons. They're defensive. And Brian Dayball is just a genius.

Tremendous. He really is. He's just a genius. Tremendous. He really is. He's just a genius. And his loss up there in Buffalo is going to be felt even more this year than it was last year. It really is. Because Dayball's encyclopedia is a lot bigger than the one that they have up there now. And he did not leave all of it there for the guys that were left behind. I think their offense up there is going to become a little bit more simplistic than it was under him. And like I said, got more film.

We know what you're going to do. We've faced you two, three times since Dayball has left now. And once you get a book on somebody, you get a book on them. Yeah, absolutely. And the, once you get a book on somebody, you get a book on them. Yeah, absolutely. And the giants game worries me too. And I actually do have the Patriots dropping that games. Thanksgiving weekend,

the giants can come in, they can win a finesse battle and they can also win a rock fight. And no matter how this game goes, I think Brian Dayball does a great job of being able to prepare his team. And let's not forget the members of that bill Belichick coaching tree, then to have some success, especially early on when they first face Bill. I'm not saying that's going to translate over, but it's something to consider.

But bottom line, I think the Giants start to finish are going to be highly motivated for that game. So I think that could be a difficult one coming off the bye week. I have the Patriots rebounding with victories against the Chargers and the Steelers. Chargers game I think is going to be tough, and no matter what J.C. Jackson's going to say, I think Mac Jones is going to get the better of that matchup this time

around, judging by the fact that I think the Patriots are going to be very motivated by what J.C. had to say over the weekend. For those who don't know, J.C. said he wants to come in, show the Patriots they made a mistake by letting him go, and he's really eager to pick Mac Jones off. You made a mistake by letting him go. And he's really eager to pick Mac Jones off. You made a mistake by signing in San Diego, which was exactly the same money.

Okay. Because the money was the same. It was just the fact that San Diego front loaded it and the Patriots did not. And you took the money and ran. Okay. Cause you didn't believe in yourself. You didn't think you were going to make it through the entire contract. And we ended up getting caught and miss out on a bunch of cash so you know revenge is a dish

best served cold it's going to be cold in foxborough that day and the patriots are going to freaking end up taking it to you yeah and i think that really is one of the deciding factors is the weather and we're you know we're not sure justin herbert is a tremendous quarterback and we know he can play in just about anything, but the remainder of that team, I think is going to have difficulty matching that in the cold weather in Foxborough. So we'll see maybe a surprise here at Pittsburgh. I have the Patriots pulling this one off on Thursday night football short

rest. I just think that the Patriots are well suited to play this team and I think they get the best of Kenny Pickett and company there. I know Murph wants this one worse than any game on the schedule. Mark it down. Yeah, the Monday nighter, I have them drop into the champs. Not me. Look, this is a game they could definitely pull out.

I'm not saying they can't do it, folks. 24-17. I'm cutting the keys already. I hope Murph is right on this. I really, really hope he's right, and if he is, we'll play this back. And I will nod to the gods for my friend here for calling it first, because that is a gutsy prediction. But again, I think the Patriots can pull that out. But you want to talk about my gutsy prediction, Murph?

I'm going to say that the Patriots close the regular season with three straight victories. They go into Mile High. They beat the Broncos. They go into Orchard Park on New Year's Eve. And they ruin the plans of so many of our good friends up in western New York in Orchard Park. They're going to take that game against the Buffalo Bills. And then I think they handle their business against the New York Jets to close out the regular season. And maybe, just maybe, 10-7 might be enough to keep them on that fringe and maybe a playoff spot. And if this team gets into the playoffs, I've got a hunch they're going to be one of those teams that you don't want to play. See, I have a feeling that they're going to win Kansas City and then end up having a letdown and losing in Denver.

And then go up to Orchard Park and play the Bills and take that game there because, you know, thing or another, the Bills are actually not built to play in weather. They're not. It's a dome team playing in Orchard Park, New York. Okay. We've seen it time and it gets cold and you can't throw the ball the way you use, you can't catch the ball the way you normally do. I think the Patriots are going to go up there and whip them and they're going to take the Jets game. So I've got them winning the three out of their last four with Kansas City being one of those victories. And then unfortunately, a letdown in Denver, you know, Sean Payton is just, you know, another master coach.

And I think he's going to end up winning a close one against Bill's crew this year. Unfortunately, I think Denver is going to end up taking that game. Yeah, I mean, I think that there's arguments to be made all the way around. And look, a lot of people may be watching this right now and saying, these two guys are drinking the homemade Kool-Aid. They're definitely not going to win 10 or 11 games. This is a 7-win, 8-win team. Folks, the great part about this time of year is that everybody's right.

Everybody has an opinion, and everybody can be right. Now, will everybody be right at the end of the year no not so much that's when we got to begrudgingly give murph his due because it's probably going to be more right than anybody but we look forward to the regular season and continuing on in that but in that vein folks uh we definitely are curious to find out what your thoughts are on where the patriots are going to end up drop a comment in the note below on YouTube or definitely send us a line at LO underscore Patriots let us know what you believe the Patriots final regular season record will be you're going to reach out to us on Twitter folks tag the hashtag your team every day especially all of you everydayers out there you'll remember

that Murph and I definitely provided our thoughts on the schedule, rated the schedule, toughest matchups, things of that nature. Might want to go back and see that episode. Yeah, definitely. 11 wins. Yeah, without question. The toughest schedule. The NFL actually has them at the top.

And last week they were rated number three. So you look at how that narrative is progressing. And the Patriots have a really rough road here. If they can pull out and get to double-digit wins, dare I say, Murph, this might be one of the better coaching jobs Bill Belichick has ever done. And I think he still has enough left in him at 71 years of age. If you watch the episode over the weekend and my interview with Jamie Collins, that guy knows him as well as anyone.

Four different stints here in New England. Anybody who can talk about Bill Belichick in the way that Collins did over the weekend after being sent off to freaking, you know, Siberia. Well, let's be fair. And then coming back being, well, come on, come on back. Yeah, we like you enough. Come on back. But yeah, in all actuality, folks.

Yeah. I mean, you heard the glowing way in which he spoke about him. And who knows? Maybe we'll be seeing Coach Collins on the sidelines pretty soon. If you haven't seen it yet, folks, definitely check that out. That was a nice little nugget that Jamie dropped only here on Locked On Patriots. So definitely thank you for your patronage on that one. But Murph, we are not done yet.

We spent a lot of time on the schedule. But you know what? It's the hot topic of the day. But we did get another great question from a great listener of ours that got us thinking a little bit more about a subject we actually talked about a little bit here last week, and that's the Patriots running game. Everybody is falling all over themselves to try to figure out what the Patriots are going to do in the passing game.

But is this running game capable of carrying the load if Mac Jones and company sputters? Murph and I are going to tell you that in just a moment, and who might be the odd man out when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here on Locked On Patriots. Don't forget, we are a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day, and because it's your team every day, all of you everydayers out there, we are a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And because it's your team every day, all of you everydayers out there, we appreciate

all of your support. And you have the front row seat for all things discussed here on Locked On Patriots. So thank you. We appreciate you very much. And here today is the legendary Connor Murphy, Fisto himself, Thomas Murphy of E2G Sports, joining us to open up the Monday mailbag here on Locked On Patriots. And Murph, in the previous segment, we talked a lot about some of the various questions that we've gotten regarding the Patriots' regular season,

how this is going to shake out, what we believe is going to be the Patriots' final record. But one of those questions that was dropped in the bin, I think, really got us thinking a little bit more about the Patriots offense. Obviously the offensive line, I think is the key to all of this. If they get improved play there, all of a sudden it elevates everyone else's game. Mac Jones got maybe more effective weapons for his style this year and definitely a more effective coach for his style this year. So you're already looking at an inherent upgrade there. But one of the areas that a lot of Patriots fans are not sure about is the running game from Andre Stevenson, top of the heap. He stays there. I don't think

there's any question about that, but you lose Damian Harris, you bring in James Robinson. Patriots did not draft a running back. They did not sign an undrafted rookie free agent running back. They're running it back withrafted rookie free agent running back. They're running it back with what they got. And what they've got is Pierre Strong, Kevin Harris, Ty Montgomery, and JJ Taylor. When you look at this running back core, I guess the first thing we'll do is bring up the question brought to us by our good friend Patriots Endzone at PatriotsEZ on Twitter. And with the addition of James Robinson, will Pierre Strong, J.J. Taylor, or Kevin Harris be the odd man out?

Murph, as the guest today, I'm going to give you the option to take this first. What do you believe is going to happen with the Patriots running back room? Which of these gentlemen might be on the outside looking in? Or is it a gentleman not mentioned here in Time Montgomery? You know, this might sound a bit funny, but this might not depend on the running back room at all.

Okay? All of these guys could be back. It depends on how many tight ends that Bill is going to carry, whether or not all of these, you know, what the depth chart is going to look like at wide receiver. We know Kendrick Bourne and Juju Smith-Schuster are going to be there. Is Trey Nixon going to be there? You know, is Keyshawn Boutte going to make this team this year?

Because he's somebody that you can use in a lot of different ways. You know, so it might come down to that. It might not just be, know that who who are the uh the top five running backs here but i've i've really got to think that you know uh our old friend ricochet rabbit jj taylor will end up being the odd man out here yeah i hate to say it um and because i love jj and you know i think the patriots have someone that can do that and actually can do it quite effectively on the wide receivers room right now. And that's Demario Douglas, who the more we look at him, the more we see from him.

Of course, we all know that, you know, rookie minicamp happened over the weekend. Patriots do not open that to the public. We were not invited. Yeah, we weren't invited. Murph and I weren't invited. That's unfortunately the case. But, hey, you know what? The way I look at it, nobody was invited to that. invited yeah we weren't invited Murph and I weren't invited that's uh unfortunately uh yeah case but uh hey you know what the way I look at it nobody was invited to that so you know what Murph and I aren't going to warrant an invitation and nobody's going not kidding just kidding folks

but no all kidding aside um some of the first looks that you see with DeMario and the way coaches are talking about him the way things are shaping up. It really is, I think, a remarkable option for the Pats to be able to utilize what JJ gave you at the wide receiver position. Now, that leaves Harris, that leaves Strong, and that leaves Ty Montgomery. In my roster assessment just a couple of days ago here on Locked On Patriots, I projected that Kevin Harris was going to be the odd man out. And it did, you know, meet with some reaction from the fan base. A lot of people figured that I might be selling Ty Montgomery a little bit

too much, you know, and a little too soon, considering the injuries and everything that he's had. Bill didn't bring him in here and give him this much guaranteed money to cut him loose. That's not going to happen. The other equation you have to look at is who is going to be able to be slipped onto the practice squad out of this group. And J.J. Taylor is the guy that will not get a lot of look out there. Not a lot of people are going to try to steal him as opposed to the other guys here.

I don't think Pierre Strong would make it to the practice squad. I don't think Kevin Harris would make it to the practice squad. They would end up being Miami Dolphins or Jets or anybody else that the Patriots might be facing later on in the year. Miami is definitely compiling quite the list of ex-pats down there, whether you see Jake Bailey, Isaiah Wynn now down there. They've got quite a few on that roster. Bring your playbook. Come on down. It will be interesting to see what happens um of the two of

strong and of harris i would say the patriots would go with strong if it came down to those two ultimately i did put kevin harris on the cutting room floor in my way too early 53 man roster projection folks and again it is very early we haven't seen these guys out on the field yet now my takes may change instantly when i get into Gillette and see what these guys actually have in the tank and what they're willing to do. But I agree. I think that by exposing one or both of those rookies that looked pretty good last year in the limited game, the limited action that they participated in, I think they gave a lot of teams a little bit of pause to maybe give a second look at these guys if they're available. So that may be difficult without any question. The second part of Patriots end zone's question, and I don't necessarily know if this is part of his question,

but if you don't mind, I'm going to steal a little from my friend, James Robinson. Let's talk about him for a little bit. He is added into this mix. Obviously, I don't think the Patriots brought him in to cut him immediately, but we've seen Bill do these things. Right. I've actually seen Robinson on the cutting room floor in some roster projections made by fans and analysts alike. It's definitely possible. What are your thoughts on James Robinson?

Does he automatically slide into the Damian Harris role, or are they going to have to adjust things a little bit in Foxborough based on what he does and based on what Damian did when he was here? No, I think the Patriots are going to be able to adjust their play calls a lot more with James Robinson in here as opposed to him adjusting to them. You can do a lot more with James Robinson. You can, you can, the dependability is, is right about at the same level. All right. What Robinson was able to do in his first two years here in the league was, was pretty astounding.

If he is sound, if he is healthy, then this Patriots offense is going to be much more dynamic than it was last year. Yeah, without question. And you mentioned his first couple of years. last year yeah without question um and you mentioned his first couple years too yeah and you mentioned the first couple years in the league just take a look what he did with uh with jacksonville in 2020 fourth undrafted player in nfl history to rush for a thousand yards in his rookie season he rushed for 1079 so i want to talk about being able to give the vertical game on the ground an option he's definitely someone that can

do it it's not just a situational receiver out of the backfield this kid can run the ball if he's healthy uh the record for the most scrimmage yards of any rookie free agent in nfl history with 1414 yards so right he can clearly move the ball when he's healthy um even before the premature end of last season when he suffered the acl tear still had 767 rushing yards eight touchdowns through 14 games so you're still looking at a guy that can make things happen and if he's able to recapture some of that rookie magic that he had and hang on to the ball that's the big key and thank you so much can he hang on to the ball that's the big key and thank you so much kenny hang on to the ball that's it all right this was this was an issue early for him in his career or has been an issue four fumbles

near three fumbles in the next that's and it was it you know we all know how important that is to um to bill be able to to hang hang onto that football. I mean, you know, three receiving touchdowns, that's fine, but you've three fumbles that, that wipes out the three receiving touchdowns in the mind of bill Belichick. Yeah. Yeah. And some, you know, you go back to his days at Illinois state and whatnot, the explosiveness was already there, but reliability is what keeps you on the field with bill Belichick. And if he becomes reliable and he can be reliable this season, you're absolutely right. This team absolutely is much more explosive and much more versatile than they

were just a year ago, but he's not predictable. You knew what was happening last year, dependent on who was in the backfield. Yeah, you really did. You saw what was coming. dependent on who was in the backfield. Yeah, absolutely. You really did. You saw what was coming. Now, a lot of that was Matt Patricia, but a lot of that was personnel. This personnel is a lot more diverse than it was last year.

Yes, it absolutely is. Not just in the running back position. Yeah, and again, that ingenuity that Bill O'Brien is going to bring to the table is definitely going to help. Murphph i think you articulated that perfectly you know when you looked at this backfield nine times out of ten you see remandre stevenson back out there because of all the injury history and the problems that damian harris had in 2022 it made it very easy to predict what the patriots were going to do on the ground and remandre still had a very good season based on all that.

You knew it was coming and it still was difficult to stop the kid. You just want to be careful. Imagine the same numbers with a third fewer snaps. Yeah. You know, it could happen. It really could happen. If this kid is well rested at the end of the year, the way he should be and going into the playoffs,

we could run rough shot. Yeah, absolutely. And we hope that that will indeed be the case for the new England Patriots because the ground game is definitely as important if not equally important to the Patriots offense as the passing game will be but again Murph it all starts with the offensive line and folks if offensive line is still your biggest question if it's the passing game it or what your question is whether it's offensive side of the the offensive line. And folks, if offensive line is still your biggest question, if it's the passing game, no matter what your question is, whether it's offensive side of the ball or defensive side of the ball,

please keep them coming in because Murph and I will be here each and every Monday with Mailbag Monday on Locked On Patriots. You proved during draft season that this is one of the most savvy, one of the most intricately detailed, and really, I think, one of the most informed fan detailed, and really, I think, one of the most informed fan bases

anywhere in the NFL, and you can continue that right here on Locked On Patriots, so we thank all of you for all of your support. But what can I say? You close the week in style, we open the week in style, you're always always there for the handoff. Before I let you go, my friend, please let everyone

know in the Locked On Patriots universe what we can expect from the great Penn, the great voice of Thomas Murphy in the coming week ahead. Well, unfortunately, the article that I wanted to put out this morning about the gone-off-a-weekend of baseball that we witnessed at Fenway was preempted because Ryan Brezier is no longer my problem. Okay?

He's been DFA'd. You go check that out over there at etgsports.com. I'd really appreciate that. Tomorrow, One Patriot's Place is going to welcome in Alex Barth. It's going to be a one-on-one conversation between me and Alex for 60 minutes, and that's always a good time. It would have been a much better time if Claire wasn't feeling so under the weather. Please get better soon. Get better. Life is not the same without

you. Yeah, we do. We miss the countess here on Locked On Patriots, but the triumphant return is not as far away as you think, folks. But bottom line, anytime Murph puts pen to paper, voice to microphone, you want to check it out. You're a better sports fan. You're entertained. How much better can it get than Murph and Barth on a You want to check it out. You're a better sports fan. You're entertained.

How much better can it get than Murph and Barth on a Tuesday? Definitely check that out. And don't forget to check out Locked On Patriots each and every day, Monday through Friday. We're always here for you. So please make sure to download, subscribe to, follow Locked On Patriots wherever you get your podcasts, and especially on YouTube. On behalf of my good friend, the Count of Murphy, Fisto himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy, I want to thank each and every one of you for taking time out of your busy schedules

today to spend with Locked on Patriots. Until tomorrow, Foxborough faithful, stay safe, stay well, be the change that you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone. And we'll see you right again here tomorrow on Locked on Patriots.