Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots Rookies Take Center Stage at OTAs: Christian Gonzalez, Marte Mapu and More

Starting point is 00:00:00 The New England Patriots 2023 draft class is proving that they could be one of the most productive in the NFL. 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 welcome to the Locked On Patriots podcast. We are a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Subscribe or follow for free on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts to get the latest episode as soon as it's available. I am your host, Mike DeBate, and I cover your New England Patriots

Starting point is 00:01:00 for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. So please reach out to me. Let me know what's on your mind on Twitter at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-N-F-L. 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-O underscore Patriots. And, folks, today's episode is brought to you by Bird Dogs. Go to birddogs.com slash Locked On NFL,

Starting point is 00:01:24 and when you enter promo code LockedOnNFL, they'll throw in a free custom Bird Dogs Yeti style tumbler with every order. Patriots fans, thank you for joining me here today on the pod and for making us your first listen every day. Much appreciated

Starting point is 00:01:40 while you showed some patience. Feeling a little under the weather this week, but back in action back on camera tomorrow. And of course, I want to give a special shout out to all of you Locked On Everydayers out there. You all make Locked On Patriots possible by spending time with us here each and every day on the pod. My unending gratitude to you.

Starting point is 00:01:58 Always honored, always humbled by your support. I appreciate you very much, and that is from the heart. And with the New England Patriots nearing the conclusion of organized team activities, I can't believe it, folks. We're already there. The 2023 rookie class, in my opinion, continues to stand out, making quite a first impression here in New England and making us believe that maybe the Patriots are onto something here with this crop

Starting point is 00:02:25 of rookies from the highly touted first rounder Christian Gonzalez making his presence felt at cornerback earlier this week to undrafted rookie wide receiver Ed Lee of the University of Rhode Island making the most of his reps the Patriots rookies have provided some of the top storylines to emerge from New England's offseason program. And with the media next scheduled to observe Patriots OTAs tomorrow on Friday, today I'm going to outline a trio of rookies that I'm going to be watching closely and on whom Patriots fans may want to keep continued watch. So we're obviously going to start with the man we all wanted to see on Tuesday. And folks, Christian Gonzalez can play.

Starting point is 00:03:09 And after missing last week's open OTA practice, Christian Gonzalez present and accounted for. And from the outset, it's clear that the Patriots are not going to ease him into the system this year. They are ready to make him contribute, and he can contribute. Snap one, day one expect christian gonzalez to be out there on the field he was aligned as a starter on the outside during team drills opposite jonathan jones a lot of people expect that could be the top two to start the season at least a little bit of a surprise here jaylen mills a lot of people are saying will play safety has played some safety so far in OTAs.

Starting point is 00:03:45 He was aligned in the slot. Second year defensive back Jack Jones seeing some work on the outside as well. So the Patriots clearly trying to get their number one options on the perimeter. But I don't think there's any question as to whether or not Christian Gonzalez will be the number one. If he's not day one, and I think that's a big if, folks. I think he has the chance to do it right off the bat, but even if he's not, by season's end, it's clear he's going to be the number one option. He was the star of the day on Tuesday, showcased his abilities as an athletic

Starting point is 00:04:15 cornerback, making an impressive one-armed interception during team drills. Folks, if you have not had a chance to check this out, it's on Patriots Twitter. It's on Patriots.com. Please go take a look at it. The athleticism tremendous on this kid. And it's turning the heads of his teammates, including Kyle Duggar, who the media spoke with on Tuesday after the OTA session. And Kyle had some interesting things to say of Christian. And I'm quoting directly, athletic, very athletic. And he was very, very emphatic when he said that it's pretty effortless the way he does everything, the way he moves in and out of breaks. He runs easy.

Starting point is 00:04:54 He just looks very light, very fluid. He's very easy to see. And that's quite a compliment coming from Kyle Duggar, who took to the Patriots playbook so quickly as a rookie, has emerged as one of their top options in the defensive backfield. But it's not just his current teammates that are turning their eyes toward Christian Gonzalez, folks. Patriots legends are taking note as well, including the recently retired Devin McCourty. And he appeared recently on Good Morning Football. He also weighed in on Christian, saying, quote,

Starting point is 00:05:26 I hate when people rank rookies over guys who have had success in the NFL. But I've talked to some of those guys and they're like, man, Gonzalez, he can play. And that's why I said that to open the show today. That really is the theme, I think, of what veterans who watch this kid, coaches, whomever might get a chance to be able to view Christian Gonzalez in his natural habitat on the football field, he just looks right at home. And he looks right at home in New England as well. And from his usage, New England appears to view Christian as an immediate contributor at cover corner. He has the ability to lock down his side of the field, never takes his eyes off of the quarterback. To me, it's going to be interesting to see whether he gets the chance to continue to

Starting point is 00:06:07 do that for the Patriots, not just on Friday, but even beyond in the next week's mandatory mini camp. That'll be telltale. He starts getting reps with the first team, considerable reps with the first team. And you know that Christian Gonzalez is going to have big things put on his shoulders right off the bat. And right now he is as advertised, folks, as the late, great Jack Buck would say, far better than I. Go crazy, folks, because Gonzo is worth the hype. But Christian wasn't the only defender that caught our attention earlier this week.

Starting point is 00:06:38 Another dynamic defender may be working his way into the Mets rotation on defense. I'm going to talk a little Marte Mapu when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, folks, Locked On listeners, some say that the key to a happy life is love, and others may say financial security. A lot of you have your own answer to that question. But if you're listening to this podcast today, I'm here to tell you that the real key to happiness comfortable pants that's right i said it or shorts as the summer is upon us after all that's right today's show is brought to you by our good friends over at bird dogs the most comfortable lower body wear you will ever have

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Starting point is 00:08:36 to join us here on LockedOn Patriots. And Pats fans, when the media spoke with Bill Belichick on Tuesday, and we had the opportunity to have a little Q&A session with Bill on Tuesday morning before the team took the field for the OTA session. The versatility of defensive rookie Marte Mapu came up, and I know a lot of you out there are excited about Marte. You want to see him on the field. People are calling him a linebacker. Some are calling him a defensive back. He's kind of that hybrid that the Patriots love to employ. And there's a lot to like about this kid. You got speed, strength, hit ability. I don't know if that's a word, folks, but I'm saying if this kid can hit, I guess that's the

Starting point is 00:09:13 best way for me to put it. But I think the versatility is really what intrigues everyone about Marte Mapu. And Bill Belichick seems pretty taken with the rookie so far. He chose to highlight his versatility as he threw some compliments his way. Now, when Bill was asked about the chances of Marday playing multiple positions for New England this season, he said, quote, hard to say. We'll have to see how it goes. That might change from week to week, dependent on our opponent. He's shown versatility and his skill set.

Starting point is 00:09:42 He's a smart kid, definitely understands defensive concepts and what they did and how they were doing it. So when we get a chance to work with him, we'll start to figure that out. And during New England's off-season workout session so far, Marte has demonstrated his versatility by doing just as Bill Belichick just said. He's lining up in various spots on the defensive side of the ball giving hit it giving it his all and really I think turning some heads doing it last week when we had an opportunity to view him on the field for the first time Marte played an off the ball role next to Jumont Bentley and this is a role that a lot of people have assumed he will take on

Starting point is 00:10:21 that's why when Raekwon McMillan went down, the first person that I thought of was Marte Mapu coming up and taking those reps because everyone is advertising him as a linebacker. And I think that is where he's at his best, but he's going to have some competition at the position. I think Matt Wilson will be able to compete with him there. Anthony Jennings may also throw his hat into the ring, trying to compete for some of those spots spots but Marte is really proving that he belongs in the conversation with those guys and that's also notable because on Tuesday he aligned primarily at the deep safety spot now that's important to know because that's the same position that was vacated by Devin McCourty when he retired considering the past few weeks the Patriots have tried guys like Jalen Mills,

Starting point is 00:11:06 Adrian Phillips, Jabril Peppers, even Kyle Duggar. They were all seeing time at the free safety spot. This is interesting, folks, because Marte's time at Sacramento State provides, I think, a solid blueprint for how he's going to be used in New England, and it might be in this role from time to time. He aligned as a linebacker, a cornerback, and even took some reps at nickel corner over his six-year college tenure. So if you see him in the defensive backfield aligning a corner, do not be surprised. Actually received a 77.2 grade in pass coverage from pro football focus and an 85.9 grade in run defense last season. So I want to talk about someone who's versatile and can do it all.

Starting point is 00:11:47 Marte Mapu may be the most versatile rookie the Patriots have on their roster right now. 510 snaps in the slot, 249 snaps in the box. He also locked 56 snaps back deep. So he's played the deep safety before and 49 snaps along the defensive line. So a little bit of a jack of all trades when it comes to Marte Mapu. And that's how I think you're going to continue to see him deployed throughout the Patriots offseason, whether it be the remaining practices that we have left on OTAs or whether it be during mandatory minicamp, even in the training camp.

Starting point is 00:12:20 I think the Patriots want to really spread his wings, see what he can do. And at that point, I think all bets are on the table when it comes to where he's going to align this season. My guess is he sees more time at off-ball linebacker than anywhere else. Again, drop a line in the comments below. What do you believe Marte Mapu is going to do for this team this season? I think we can all agree he's going to play a pretty notable role. The only question is, where do the Patriots believe he aligns best? So because of his versatility, because of his upside, that should keep him in the mix for a prominent role in the upcoming season. And I, for one, cannot wait to see what Marte Mapu can do for this defense.

Starting point is 00:13:00 Folks, Christian Gonzalez, Marte Mapu, a lot to be excited about on the Patriots defense, but it wasn't all defensive on Tuesday. Patriots also had a rookie lineman as an offensive lineman, really kind of provide some gravitas to the team in a point where they really desperately needed it. We're going to talk a little Antonio Mafi when we come back here on Locked On Patriots as we continue in just a moment and wrap the pod up by talking Murph's favorite subject offensive line.

Starting point is 00:13:30 Patriots fans, thank you for joining me here today on Locked On Patriots and of course, don't forget that tomorrow here on the pod, we're going to be breaking down the Patriots Friday OTA session and look ahead to Monday's mandatory minicamp storylines talking Mac Jones, Ramondre

Starting point is 00:13:45 Stevenson, Bill O'Brien, and much, much more. So stay locked in folks. You are not going to want to miss this. And as tempers flared along the Patriots offensive line on Tuesday, a rookie lineman provided some much needed gravitas, I said in the previous segment, for the team's protective unit. And by protective unit, of course, I mean the O-line. And for those that are not familiar with what I'm talking about, the Patriots engaged in a little bit of a temper-flaring skirmish on Tuesday. I've seen people refer to it as a fight and whatnot. I really don't think it's anything to be concerned about. In fact, I think it was more of a display of passion than anything else.

Starting point is 00:14:25 But it was between offensive lineman Cole Strange and linebacker Anthony Jennings. This escalated into a little bit of a back and forth. And of course, defensive linemen are going to protect their defenders. Offensive linemen are going to protect their fellow linemen. So Christian Barmore got into the act, delivered a swing over the top of the scrum of several players uh the punch didn't directly connect with anyone and David Andrews got in the way pretty quickly pulled them away from the pile they got into it a little bit back and forth and of course you know it was fun to watch for those of them that were in attendance but at the same time I don't believe this is anything to write home about. Dietrich Wise said after the skirmish that we have passionate players on our team.

Starting point is 00:15:09 These things happen. It's just something that happens during training camp, OTA, mini camp. You're trying to compete. And that's, I think, what it says mostly about the New England Patriots. But one thing that I think came away from the Patriots offensive line, and one of the things that we can look at with the line, is their depth this year as opposed to last year. We all know the woes that the Patriots went through coaching-wise on the offensive line

Starting point is 00:15:33 last year. Matt Patricia just simply in over his head, having way too much on his plate. Billy Yates, I think, doing the best job that he could to coach the players that they had in the locker room. I don't necessarily think they had the right fits in the position. The attitude was poor, and it was just a perfect storm of negativity for the Patriots on the offensive line last year. That's not going to happen in 2023, and one of the reasons why is because they have a few rookies on this team that I think can make a pretty big impact. Jake Andrews, City Sal, and the guy we're going to talk about

Starting point is 00:16:05 today to close the show, Antonio Mafi. And even though he was a fifth round pick for the Pats in April's draft, Mafi may be in the unique position of competing for a pretty notable roster spot without ordinarily requesting that type of scrutiny along with it. That always comes with early round picks. You want them to get on the field and contribute immediately and be the player that you envision them getting when the Patriots made that draft pick. Mafia's a fifth rounder, so he might have a little more leeway, folks, coming into season. I'm not saying a ton, but just a little bit more. And because of that, I think it may allow him to round into form maybe quicker than most people think. And make no mistake about it, folks, the Patriots clearly have high hopes

Starting point is 00:16:50 for this kid. Don't forget, Michael Wainu is on the sidelines right now with an ankle injury. They have a number of linemen that could take the snaps, the first team snaps, with the guard position, especially a right guard. Very important position for the New England Patriots. Mafi got those on Tuesday, and I think he did a phenomenal job. I think he did a great job coming in as that swing option, capable of playing both interior positions, but the Patriots seem to be very impressed with this kid and what he can do, the size and the ability that he has

Starting point is 00:17:21 to be able to hold up against opposing blockers. And it surprises you a little bit because you take a look at Moffey's resume. You say he wasn't invited to the NFL scouting combine, but you also look at the athleticism that he possesses. It's clearly visible on his game film, and that's where the Patriots really watch this kid jump off the page. He plays with very good balance. That's going to help him at the pro level

Starting point is 00:17:45 offensive linemen can either sink or swim based on poor balance or the type of balance that they're going to display as a pro mafia does it and he does it very well and i think in a lot of ways that's going to help him earn that swing position and maybe even get a spot start or two. It would not surprise me to see this kid get some notable reps this year at the guard position or even at the tackle. Don't forget, the Pats got a very up-close and personal view of Antonio Mafi during February's East-West Shrine Bowl. A lot of the Pats coaches in that coaching room were very impressed by Antonio Mafi. They loved his poise, They loved his athleticism,

Starting point is 00:18:25 and they loved the ability of his size and his speed to be able to hold up. If he can maybe just take off a little bit of excess weight to make sure that he's properly balanced at all times, I think you're looking at a lineman that can be very effective. And let's face it, folks, Michael Wayne was entering the contract season. We all want him back, and I'm one of the ones that's hoping that he signs an extension here in New England, and we don't have to worry about life without Michael Wayne, but the Patriots always need a contingency plan, and Antonio Moffey might be it. He's got the size, the athleticism to be able to play the guard position here for a number of years to come. Might not be a bad bookend with Cole Strange if Uenu decides to seek greener pastures elsewhere

Starting point is 00:19:07 in the NFL in the offseason. So right now, folks, that's the New England Patriots. That's where they stack up. Those are the guys I'm watching pretty closely. But who are you keeping your eyes on? I know Friday there's going to be a lot of eyes on the field to see what the Patriots rookie wide receivers look like. Keyshawn Boutin, Demario Douglas, these guys have really looked good so far.

Starting point is 00:19:31 And I think it's going to be interesting to see, especially if the Patriots continue to rest their starters during OTA. Who gets the opportunity to really make this club? We talked on Monday, Murph and I did, with your great questions for Mailbag Monday about what the Patriots will value. Do they value youth over veteran leadership? Do they want to go in a different direction as opposed to staying with status quo? It's tough to say, and I think there's arguments, valid arguments for both. I think the more we see of these rookies on the field, it's going to determine whether or not the Patriots are willing to go the rookie route and go with some youth, some needed youth in that wide receiver room. So keep a sharp eye on the practice fields.

Starting point is 00:20:12 As for tomorrow here on the Locked On Patriots podcast, don't forget, we are going to be breaking down the OTA session and taking an early look at the Patriots mandatory minicamp, which right now is scheduled Monday through Wednesday at Gillette Stadium, June 12th through the 14th. Folks, unfortunately not open to the public at this time, but the media will be there. We're going to bring you boots on the ground coverage of all of the action that you'll see

Starting point is 00:20:36 on the field, so make sure to stay locked in to Locked On Patriots, especially next week, folks. Full week here on Locked On, and you will not want to miss it. So on behalf of all of us here on Locked On Patriots, I thank you all once again for taking time out of your busy schedule to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage.

Starting point is 00:20:56 A special shout out as always to all of you everydayers out there, but we just as much appreciate all of you new listeners, all of you casual listeners, anyone who's taking time out of their day to listen to Locked On Patriots. We appreciate you. So until tomorrow, Foxborough faithful, stay safe, stay well, and be the change that you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.

Starting point is 00:21:22 And we'll see you back here again tomorrow on Locked On Patriots.

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots Rookies Take Center Stage at OTAs: Christian Gonzalez, Marte Mapu and More

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