Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Stefon Diggs Trade, Kyle Dugger Transition Tag, Interest in J.J. McCarthy

Episode Date: April 5, 2024

While the New England Patriots may currently be in a holding pattern when it comes to roster moves, there is still never a dull moment in Foxboro. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com, as the duo discuss the impact of Stefon Diggs’ trade on the Pats, Kyle Dugger’s dissatisfaction with the transition tag and the Patriots potential interest in quarterback J.J. McCarthy. #NFL #Patriots #NFLDraft Find and follow Locked On Patriots on your favorite podcast platforms: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFm... Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-... And follow host Mike D’Abate on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the New England Patriots and talking with fans — @mdabateNFL Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! eBay MotorsFor parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit at eBayMotos.com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. RobinhoodRobinhood has the only IRA that gives you a 3% boost on every dollar you contribute when you subscribe to Robinhood Gold. Now through April 30th, Robinhood is even boosting every single dollar you transfer in from other retirement accounts with a 3% match. Available to U.S. customers in good standing. Robinhood Financial LLC (member SIPC), is a registered broker dealer. BetterHelpThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.  Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDON today to get 10% off your first month. GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. FanDuelNew customers, join today and you’ll get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS if your first bet of FIVE DOLLARS or more wins. Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started. 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)

Stefan Diggs being traded away from the Buffalo Bills will have an impact on the New England Patriots. The only question is, when? 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 Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage and also hopefully your first listen each and every day. Remember, Locked On Patriots is not only a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day, but we are also free and available on all platforms. So smash that YouTube subscribe button and make sure to download and follow wherever you get your podcasts to ensure that you get the latest episode as soon as it's available. I'm your host, Mike DeBate.

I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. So reach out to me and let me know what's on your mind on X at MDABATENFL. While you're out there showing social media, love to Lockdown Patriots. Please follow our account there as well at LO underscore Patriots. And Pats fans, today's episode is brought to you by GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use the code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. And Pats fans, as we say several times here on these airwaves, there is never a dull

moment in Foxborough. There are always matters to be discussed. Sometimes it directly affects your New England Patriots. Sometimes it has an indirect effect. But regardless of what type of effect it has, we always need a reasonable opinion on the subject. And folks, when we need that reason, we go to our resident voice of reason. Welcoming back one of our very favorites here on Locked On Patriots, columnist extraordinaire for Patsfans.com, as well as being the co-host of another amazing Patriots podcast, Patriots Fourth and Two, alongside Derek Abens. My Patriots pison is back, Steve Balistrieri.

Welcome back to the pod, buddy. Thank you so much for joining me. Oh, my pleasure, as always. You know, we always say there's never a dull moment, and there really isn't. Yeah, folks, we're going to talk about the big news of the day, the Buffalo Bills trading away star wide receiver Stephon Diggs, trading him to the Houston Texans. This one sent shockwaves throughout the NFL universe on Wednesday morning. A lot of people had reported that Diggs was unhappy in Buffalo. People predicted that this could happen, but until it actually happens, it's a surprise. And it definitely took people off guard on Wednesday morning.

When you first saw this trade, steve what was your reaction to it what are your thoughts on the subject in your opinion who won this deal well i you know my first reaction when i saw how the uh the bills were going to receive their compensation, I thought it showed that Buffalo was very happy to get rid of a headache in the locker room. Because not only are they not, you know, they're only getting a sixth rounder this year. They'll get a fifth and a second next year. But they also have to eat $31 million in dead cat money this year.

That told me that they were happy to be rid of Diggs. And you know what Diggs, he's kind of a, as Robert Kraft would say, a pain in the tush, you know, and he has a limited shelf life, right? You know, the first year or two, he's going to be great. And then, you know, he starts to wear on his teammates and the front office. I foresee, you know, a similar thing. Derek Havens and I spoke about this today on our own podcast that you mentioned. Thank you for that.

Yeah. You know, I see this working out heavily in favor of Houston this year. But down the road, you know, two or three years, that's probably when they'll, you know, move on from him as we've seen in the past. So, you know, to me it struck me as Buffalo's getting rid of a headache because for them to eat 31 million and basically get very little in return this year, that's how I took it.

But I agree with you. You know, this year moving in, Diggs will be on his best behavior, you know, and, you know, with a young team, with a young quarterback, now they have an established one they have a really potent offense brewing down there and i think it's going to be great for them you know well without question and i completely agree with you on buffalo's standpoint look when you surrender that type of capital, you're surrendering an all-pro caliber receiver in Stephon Diggs. And look, for all of the baggage that he carries off the field when it comes to the difficulties he's had with the members of that locker room,

this guy is still another level talent when he's locked in and loaded and ready to go. So you're giving up on Diggs. You're eating a lot of dead money to get rid of him. You're also giving the Houston Texans a sixth rounder in 2024 and a fifth rounder in 2025. Yeah, that tells me they were ready to wash their hands of Stefan Diggs. When you look at what the Houston Texans have done, though, you can't help but be impressed. And you know these guys are going all in. This is the final piece of the puzzle now for them to tell their fans, we've rebuilt. Now it's time to see if all of the pieces that we've put in place can

make this a contending team and a deeply contending team into the latter months of the winter in 2024 and into 2025. We'll start with what they had to surrender first. They've surrendered pick 23, that went to the Minnesota Vikings. They've surrendered a 2025 second rounder and pick number 232 in 2024 here's what they've gotten back they've gotten the 42nd overall pick this year they got Stefan Diggs and you did mention the 31 million in debt money that the Bills will be eating they are taking on 19 million dollars in salary when it comes to digs. They've got the number 188 pick and the number 189 pick this year. I think it's so underrated when teams have back-to-back picks. That is a very enviable position. I love when

teams are able to do that because they can stack a couple of guys that they've really wanted. And to me, that's a good move there for the Houston Texans and they also got a 2025 fifth rounder the moment I saw the breakdown of what the Texans got as opposed to what they had to give up yeah I thought a little godfather myself I thought of Saluzzo sitting there going you know I mean I think that's a great way to put it because what it is is it's an opportunity now for Nick Casario to put the team that he wants to put out there on the field and still maintain a good amount of draft flexibility great job by Nick here in terms of navigating his team's needs and being able to utilize that draft board to his advantage yeah um you know like you said it's a great move for them because they feel like they have the pieces in place now.

And, you know, it shows how fast the rebuild can go if you hit on everything that you're trying to do. And, you know, a couple of years ago, they were in the same boat the Patriots were. You know, they were at the bottom, you know, of the league. They didn't have an established quarterback, and they had a lot of holes to fill. Now all of a sudden, you know, this is a team that most people believe is going to contend this year. And maybe they might not go all the way, but they're going to contend.

I thought they were a good team last year. They surprised a lot of people, but they've gotten better this year, and we still haven't even done the draft yet. And I think you make a very interesting point. That, to me, is where now the New England Patriots come into the picture because, Steve, right now I think it's too early to determine how this is going to change the balance of power in the AFC East. We really don't know yet if Curtis Samuel can handle being the number one option in

Buffalo, if he can be effective enough for Buffalo to remain potent on offense. That team is very predicated on wide receivers getting open and getting open downfield for Josh Allen. No more Gabe Davis. He's gone. Stephon Diggs is gone. How do you replicate that? Is Samuel enough of a weapon to be able to do it? Only time's going to tell. I think the jury is still out on that, though, for everyone that's writing Buffalo's

epitaph and saying that they're going to be finishing in the bottom of the division. Yeah, folks, I think it's way too early to say that. I'm not ready to write Buffalo off in that regard just yet. But here's where I think this really impacts the Patriots now. And really maybe even into the future is now this lays the blueprint for Patriots fans that are going to be clamoring for a top wide receiver to go with your new top quarterback. We're in agreement that at number three, the Patriots are going to go quarterback. And folks, we get some interesting tidbits on that subject in just a moment. So stay locked in.

You're not going to want to miss any part of Locked On Patriots today. Our resident voice of reason and I have a lot of pearls of wisdom to drop. But in your opinion, do you think that this move by the Bills to trade away digs could accelerate the Patriots need for having to get a wide receiver alongside a top flight quarterback or do you think they're better off playing the waiting game here and going into 2025 I think yeah you know and at this particular time I don't think they're in any rush to make any trades for established guys I know T Higgins is out there. I wouldn't be surprised that if Buffalo can work some magic with the cap, you know, they might go after a guy like T Higgins.

And that would be quite the turn of events. Wouldn't it? If he ended up with Josh Allen in Buffalo. So as well as Curtis Samuel. So, you know, it's something to keep an eye on. But I think if you're the Patriots, and, you know, we've seen this, sometimes the – and Derek and I talked about this as well, so we're rehashing a lot of the same stuff, which I love. Sometimes that big number one wide receiver

is the last piece of the puzzle. And so if you build this year, you get a quarterback, you get a left tackle, you draft a wide receiver. No one's saying they shouldn't draft one. It gives you time to develop that young guy. And then if you want to make a trade next year, now all of a sudden, you know, your wide receiver room's looking a lot better, isn't it?

So, and I don't think it's as bad as people are putting out this year. They're getting born back. You know, they made a couple of minor moves, but, you know, I have the feeling – I mean, it's all going to depend, I believe, on how the board plays out. I think they're going to take a quarterback like you at number three, and we'll get into that in a minute. Now, at 34, depending on how the board plays out,

if there's one of those really talented left tackles out there that they didn't believe was going to be there, that would be a really smart move by the same account. If one of these, I mean, and there's so many, if one of these top wide receivers somehow falls to the early in the second round, I wouldn't be against them drafting that person either. So I think, you know, with the Patriots, I think it's going to, I don't think the trade will affect them per se, but I think this had more to do with them just wanting to move on from Diggs, meaning Buffalo. But, you know, you never know. I mean, this could open the floodgates for other trades coming in.

So I think it's intriguing. But, you know, at the same time, you know, you have to kind of look at it through a microscope and pull back a little and say, okay, now does this affect, you know, not only the Patriots, AFC East, but everybody, you know, because Diggs is a premium talent. No one's, you know, saying he isn't, you know, but he does have his issues with like a lot of wide receivers do but he just went for

what i consider a pretty low price the bills brought in stefan digs in 2020 when josh allen was beginning to develop and beginning to really emerge into the type of quarterback he's become now in this league so it's not necessary to do that immediately, folks. You don't necessarily have to pair this young rookie quarterback with a top-level talent at wide receiver right off the bat immediately in his first year. You definitely want to be able to nurture this quarterback and give him top-level talent while he's still young, but it's not necessary to do it this year. I think Higgins may be the only option right now that the Patriots would push our chips on the table, go all in, try to bring this guy in, and maybe it can work out and work

out to their advantage. I think Diggs was a little bit more of a commodity when he was brought into Buffalo than Higgins is right now, potentially being brought into New England or anywhere, but he's the type of talent that would be worth it. But it got me looking ahead to the 2025 off season. And usually when these moves are made, it's usually by trade guys that are that vaunted, very seldom make it to free agency, unless there is some sort of contract negotiation breakdown, or it's something last minute where the team wasn't aware of the player's desire to move on and they end up signing for big money. Usually a team's going to try to recoup some value for a player that they've had under their control on a rookie deal. And in the 2025 off season, here's a list of guys, Steve, that are ready to enter contract years. DK Metcalf, Terry McLaurin, DJ Moore, Jalen Waddell, Garrett Wilson, Devontae Smith.

All of a sudden, if any of those guys are malcontents and they're looking to branch out and move on and they don't want to go back to the team that they're currently on, things could get really interesting for the Patriots down the line. So if this doesn't move the needle for the Pats this year, folks, keep a sharp eye on the 2025 offseason. Things could get really interesting in a hurry. If they haven't brought in a top-flight receiver already, there may be guys that might be able to come in here and help a young quarterback in short order.

So always keep a sharp eye, folks. But bottom line, Stephon Diggs is on the move, and that is a good thing for defenses all throughout the AFC, most importantly for your New England Patriots. They've had their difficulty defending against Stephon Diggs, especially in the secondary. But that secondary in New England may look a little thinner than originally expected. Yeah, Stephon Diggs may not be the only one who's unhappy with his current surroundings. The fields in Foxborough may not all be only one who's unhappy with his current surroundings.

The fields in Foxborough may not all be green over there at one Patriots place. Kyle Duggar is not exactly happy about being transitionally tagged. And Steve and I are going to talk about what that means for the Patriots. And if there is a situation where Kyle is playing his football elsewhere, who might come in to be able to quell the storm. All that and more when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues, a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Did you know that even if you have a 401k for retirement, you can still have an IRA Robinhood has the only IRA that gives you a three percent boost on every dollar you contribute when you subscribe to Robinhood Gold but get this

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Robinhood IRA available to U.S. customers in good standing. Robinhood Financial LLC member SIPC is a registered broker dealer. Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked on Patriots. And with us here to break down all the midweek news and notes from Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked On Patriots. And with us here to break down all the midweek news and notes from Patriots Nation is our good friend, our resident voice of reason, and my Patriots paisan, Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com. Steve, over the weekend, we heard that Kyle Duggar remains dissatisfied with the Patriots' decision to place the transition tag on him. As a result, he's yet to sign that tag, and now it's starting to look like a true possibility that Kyle may not want to return to Foxborough in 2024. Steve, this is troubling news for New England Patriots fans on a number of fronts. First off, this guy's been a mainstay in the Patriots' defensive backfield

since they drafted him with a number 37 overall pick in 2020. He was a huge part of what the Patriots did at safety last year alongside Jabril Peppers. They were one of the best tandems in the league last year. If you take him off that unit, it automatically weakens it, and it's going to be very tough for the Patriots to fill that void. When you heard these reports, what was your first reaction to Kyle's dissatisfaction in New England? And what impact do you think it could have this year on the Patriots? Well, the first reaction was, I hope they don't get forced into a corner to trade him.

Because we don't want to see him leave. You know, they already lost Jayla mills um who signed elsewhere they also lost adrian phillips who they let go so you your depth has taken a hit already now if you you know if you're losing a guy like duggar um it puts you in a bind, you know. I'm hoping they can still work out a deal with him. And a lot of these guys don't like the one-year tag. Yeah, they make a bunch of money, but they can also get hurt in that one year, and it doesn't protect them long-term.

And, you know, he feels like he's worthy of a long-term deal, which I think most of us are in agreement that he is. And I love the fact that him and Peppers with that one-two punch in the secondary last year, the cupboard isn't entirely bare. I'll say that. They signed Jalen Hawkins, who I think is a decent player. They still have Joshua Bledsoe, who because of the depth they've had at safety,

has never really had a chance to shine. But he's a good player. I've been in his camp all along. But at the same time, I think they need to make every effort to re-sign Duggar because, you know, you don't want to put a bunch of unknowns at the back end of that defense, especially coming off a year where they were really, really good. You know, they still need some help at cornerback as well,

but they are getting back, you know, Christian Gonzalez. But that secondary will be a much, much better unit if Duggar is on the team. Oh, without question. And once again, that football acumen that he brings to the table separates him from his peers it has since the moment he's walked through the doors here in foxborough you've heard bill belichick you've heard guys like brian belichick mike pellegrino talk about how much of an impact his understanding of a playbook from day one since he became a patriot has impacted that secondary he's a guy that knows where everybody

needs to be on the field. He'll dictate where people need to be. He can direct traffic in that secondary, very similar to how Devin McCourty did it back in the days when he was a team captain here in New England. Now, I'm not necessarily comparing Kyle to Devin just yet. First of all, different styles and a different level of play. But when you look at the type of player he's emerging into, it's someone that would be a true hit to this secondary. He led all defensive backs last season, 109 total tackles, seven pass breakups, two interceptions, and one and a half sacks. So you combine that with that football acumen, that high football IQ,

it's not a surprise that Gerard Mayo would refer to him as a core guy, one of those guys that you want to keep in-house and you want to make sure is a part of your secondary for quite some time. If the tag ends up going through and Kyle does sign it, he'll get $13.8 million this season. If the Patriots franchise tagged him, it would have been $17.1. So the Patriots do save a little bit there, but they take the risk. If a team comes in with an offer sheet, the Patriots decide they don't want to match it. That's getting no compensation there. So Kyle walks in that scenario and that's something we hope doesn't happen. In terms of people that could step up, I think you're right. The cupboard is not completely there. I like Joshua Bledsoe as a prospect always have jalen

hawkins is someone i'll be very interested in watching this year i think he could be someone who maybe opens an eye or two maybe a name that's not making a whole lot of waves out there on the free agent market but a savvy signing for the new england patriots obviously you'd love to see them go out and get someone like a justin sim is still on the market. One thing that I think could end up working to the Patriots advantage if Kyle does walk out the door is it may mean and it may force their hand to promote Marte Mapu. Now you and I have talked about Mapu several times being a linebacker but this guy can align in the defensive backfield. We've seen him do it last year. I think he was at his best when he was playing that off the ball role next

to Juwan Bentley, but he did play the deep safety on occasion as well. When he did that, he made plays. Marte only finished the season with 18 total tackles last year, one forced fumble, one pass breakup. He also had a pretty nice interception on Patrick Mahomes in week 15. Patriots didn't win that game, folks, but it was nice to see Marte emerge but he is someone that could play that role do you think the Patriots go that route or are they looking elsewhere maybe even outside the organization for someone to come in and help stop uh the problems that they might have without a Kyle Duggar in that backfield this year yeah I I think uh I think Mapu is best served being a

speedy linebacker. I just think that's a role that he would thrive in. And I think if Duggar was to end up leaving somehow, either free agency or a trade,

I think they'd look outside the organization and maybe roll the dice for overpaying for a one-year or two-year deal for a guy like Simmons. You have to think there is a reason why Justin Simmons is still on the market. It's probably because he hasn't found his price yet. His asking price has probably not been met. I can't imagine it's because he doesn't have suitors. This guy is still a two-time pro bowler, eight seasons in Denver, 604 total tackles,

30 interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown, five forced fumbles, four and a half sacks. Played at a high level last year as well. He had a nice interception against Patrick Mahomes last year in week eight. That was the first time that the Denver Broncos had beaten the Kansas City Chiefs in a while. That was a big, big victory for Denver last season. And, you know, you would think that someone like Simmons would be available.

Boston College product, you'd think, hey, you know what? Maybe this could work. Yeah, the Patriots, I think, would have to shell out. Are they willing to do that for a player who may end up only being a one-year rental? Very difficult to say. But Pats also have options in the NFL draft. Not a very deep safety draft this year. A couple of guys to watch out for if the Patriots want to go the middle rounds.

I like Sione Vaki out of Utah. I talked about him a little bit yesterday here on the pod. He was a part of my seven-round mock draft for the New England Patriots, a project, but I think a project with potential there. He's someone who hits hard and could be a versatile weapon for the Patriots, and if they decide they want to get a little more aggressive, I still like Javon Vollard of the Georgia Bulldogs. This kid, tough defensive back, physical player, great instincts, great football awareness. The Patriots would have to spend significant draft capital to get him. I'd be very surprised if he was anything but an early day two option. I really don't see him slipping

beyond that. I think the Patriots would have to be a little aggressive here, but if they feel it's a big enough need and that safety position is glaring and that hole is glaring enough, that may be a guy to watch out for as well. So folks, tell us what you think. Do you believe all will be well in Patriots Nation with Kyle Duggar and the New England Patriots? Or is it possible that the Lenoir-Rhyne product

has played his last game here in a Patriots uniform? We certainly hope it's the former, but not the latter. But folks, we are not done yet here on Locked On Patriots because there's one more story floating around there, and it's surrounding the quarterback position. Yeah, we thought it was almost a foregone conclusion. It looks like it's going to be Drake May, but if it's not, it might be Jaden Daniels. As a Michigan Wolverine entered the chat, And could he be the next Wolverine quarterback to bring the Patriots into a new era? And Steve and I are going to talk about that in just a moment when we talk J.J. McCarthy

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eBay guaranteed fit, only available to U.S. customers. Patriots fans, thank you for joining us here today on Locked On Patriots. Who better to discuss all of the latest rumor and innuendo out there than my good friend and Patriots pison, Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com. Steve, we talked about the Stefan Diggs trade. We talked a little bit about Kyle Duggar's future. However, all eyes continue to be on theiggs trade. We talked a little bit about Kyle Duggar's future. However, all eyes continue to be on the quarterback position. And coming into last weekend, it almost looked like we were starting to see a little clarity for the first time in terms of exactly what the Patriots are likely to do. Drake May continues to be the hot name, and most people believe that at number three,

if he's available if the Washington commanders have not taken him with the number two pick the New England Patriots would select him with the number three pick and he'll be your new quarterback here in New England for the foreseeable future of course if Washington takes Drake May it is probably looking like the Patriots would take Jaden Daniels but a a report on Monday, April Fool's Day of all, from sports kid as Tony Pauline, said that Elliott Wolfe is making a hard push for J.J. McCarthy of the University of Michigan. Now, Steve, we all know what happened the last time the Patriots got a quarterback from Michigan.

Probably the greatest windfall in the history of the NFL. Tom Brady coming in at number 199 in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft. The rest is history, folks. We don't need to go through the resume. You know it as well as I do. Every time you step into Gillette Stadium, you see those six banners, and you know that TB12 was the one that hung them there. However, the Patriots going after McCarthy could be interesting. There are a lot of people that believe he's an NFL-ready prospect and that he's a lot better than the limited sample size we've seen of him on the field. There are others that believe that there's too many red flags with this kid

and that this may be a lot of smoke and mirrors. When you think about J.J. McCarthy and the potential of him being the Patriots' new quarterback of the future, how much do you believe is posturing? How much do you believe is solid intel? That's a great question, Mike. You know, and I'll try to word it this way. I think, like, number 199 back in 2000,

he's going to be, talking about McCarthy now, he's going to be a better pro quarterback than he was a college quarterback. Now, he was very successful in college, but because of the offense that Jim Harbaugh ran in Michigan, he didn't put up those prolific numbers that, you know, some of the other guys did. So I don't really hold that against him. But the fact that he was so successful in college speaks volumes. His teammates loved him. He presents leadership off the charts. And from what we've heard, I mean, his interviews,

he knocked it out of the park. So, you know, in that aspect, maybe they do have some interest in him. If their guy isn't going to be available at number three, maybe they feel really strongly about Jaden Daniels and and not so much drake may or the the opposite right so maybe if if the guy they really want at number three is not there and maybe it could be uh mccarthy i think it's a little bit of smoke at this point because i think that um if they don't have their mind made up at this time who they really want and then they have some issues because I think you know we've reached that that point

of diminishing returns we've been breaking down these quarterbacks since October when we knew they were going to need one, right? Even though the season was far from over for the Patriots, you know, we started looking at quarterbacks back in October because, okay, they're going to need one. And, you know, now we're, you know, trying to talk ourselves into or out of decisions. I think it's a little bit of smoke at this point, you know, not to say he's not a really good quarterback, but all things being the same, if, if my pick was at number three and you know, Daniels McCarthy and may are on the board.

I'm still taking Drake May. Now, that's just me talking. I'm not a professional. I just do this out of, you know, out of love for the game. And the fact that we get paid for doing it is kind of neat, right? But, you know, I don't have anything against McCarthy. You know, if the situation evolved to that point and the Patriots took him, I think he'd be very successful because I think he's going to be, you know,

in the NFL. I just don't think he's at that level with May or the top three guys. I think he's just a little bit below them, but I think he's going to be a really good quarterback in the NFL. I do, because you can't teach the kind of intangibles that he has. So that's why I think he's going to be a really good quarterback in the NFL, despite his lack of numbers in college. Good points all the way around. And look, Tony Pauline's report

essentially said that Wolf is pushing hard for McCarthy. He believes he has as much upside as any quarterback in this draft. Now, does that mean he's absolutely going to grow into it? It doesn't always mean that. There are quarterbacks that have tremendous upside that have been drafted that never realized their full potential. However, I will say this. If there becomes an issue with the Patriots' plans currently with either Drake May or Jaden Daniels or whoever they've decided is the guy that they want, I don't believe it's all smoke and mirrors when it comes to their

interest in McCarthy. And the reason I say that is because as soon as I heard this report on Monday, I reached out to a friend of mine who is an NFL scout, and he texted me back immediately saying, I wouldn't discount New England's interest in smoke and mirrors. J.J. was impressive during his pro day workouts. He missed what? Only two passes, meaning that in his pro day workouts he missed what only two passes meaning that in his pro day workouts I think he only threw two uh egregious incompletions he's a strong kid has a nice touch on the ball how could that not interest Wolf and the Patriots coaching staff and they followed it up with another addendum to this and he said don't forget that national championship line item looks great on a resume they like that kind of hardware over there in

New England. For as much as people want to beat the wins or not a quarterback stat drum folks, and I understand inherently they're not, I know where it's coming from. Ultimately, when you're looking at an NFL franchise, the only stat that they really care about is the wins that come out of that quarterback. And with a 27 and1 record as the starting quarterback of the Michigan Wolverines, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better winner than J.J. McCarthy. So that may speak very well for him, even if it's not a New England, folks. I guarantee you there are teams out there that are looking at that and saying, all he does is win.

Yeah, I agree with that. And, you know, people say wins on a quarterback stat, but they sure like to harp on losses as a quarterback stat right so you can't have one without the other i believe wins our quarterback stat because that's the whole purpose of them being back there right and yeah granted it's a team game you You know, teams win championships. But quarterbacks, you know, you look at the last 10 years and, you know, who are the top quarterbacks in terms of winning? It was Tom Brady.

Now it's Patrick Mahomes. And it's not a coincidence that their teams are winning with guys like that at the helm. So I definitely believe that they are a quarterback stat. That's why I think McCarthy is – I think he's really good. And, you know, I was listening to Scott Zolak the other day, and, you know, I liked what he said. He admitted he was wrong.

He wasn't a big fan of McCarthy, but then he started watching it. He's like, this kid is really good. And I think he is. I just don't see them, if they're guys on the board, and I think it's Drake May, I don't see them passing up Drake May for

McCarthy. And that's not a knock on McCarthy. I think just May has this incredible skill set. I mean, when people talk about Josh Allen, he has that makeup. He's big, he's strong, he's got

absolute cannon for an arm. And he's a leader in his own right as well. We saw the interviews with him. So, I think that it's going to be really intriguing, and maybe the Patriots are just shaking the trees a little bit to see if

somebody is thinking, well, if they want McCarthy, would they be willing to draw back a spot or two to get him? And, you know, we could move in there and take somebody else. So, you know, we won't, we won't know for three more weeks. That's true. And we probably won't know until three weeks folks. And yeah, it is. Tis the season of posturing. There's no question about it. A lot of times you'll see on social media, it lying season yeah it is in a lot of ways folks you're taking a lot of what's out there and you're trying to put that through but i do trust my source and i

do believe that if the patriots do have interest it is for those reasons and again i come back to elliot wolf's comments that he made about a month ago, where he said, we're not just looking for a guy that can handle the pressures on the field and can make the plays. You're looking for someone that can handle the additional pressures, which are certain to arise as an NFL quarterback. He said, we have to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and determine what's best for the team. We have to determine who can handle being the quarterback of the New England Patriots.

And folks, that's not to say that just because J.J. McCarthy is one at a high level that he's shoulders above the rest. He's got his issues on a football field. He doesn't identify as quickly as some of his peers. When things go wrong on the first read, it leads to him holding the ball. And because of that, that's when he gets late in his progressions and his ball placement is going to leave his pass catchers in a pretty bad position. That's not something you want in an NFL quarterback. So can he be coached enough to be able to overcome that? I believe he can.

But again, if you're looking for someone that can handle pressure, this guy has the third highest winning percentage of a college quarterback in history, and he's taken his team to a national title that's a pretty pressure-packed situation especially in a place like michigan where everyone expected them to come out and win this year it's one thing to expect it it's another thing to go out there and do it say what you will jj mccarthy did it whether wolverines carried the ball more than they passed he still was able to navigate the team to victory, and that counts for something. So, folks, what do you think?

Do you think there is any truth to the rumor that J.J. McCarthy may be headed to New England? A lot of people are debunking it. I understand and I respect everyone else's sources, but at the same time, it's also hard to ignore some of the evidence as well. But I thank you again, my friend, for joining me today and lending especially that reason in areas that I

think desperately needed it when it comes to Patriots Nation. Before I let you go, my friend, please let everyone know where they can reach out to you, where they can interact with you, and some of the great stuff that you have coming down the pike from the great pen, the great voice of Steve Balistrieri in the coming week. Well, thank you, my friend. I always try to be Tom Hagen to your, you know, Corleone, Michael, right? So we have to bow to the Michael here. But, no, you know, you can find me on Twitter at SteveB7SFG. I write for PatsFans.com.

As I mentioned earlier in the show, Derek Havens and I did our podcast today of Front 7 Prospects. We talked about the Diggs trade, the Duggar issue a little bit, and the McCarthy issue. So I think that's the hot ticket item for everyone right now because it's going to affect a lot of what's going on here. I'll be looking at this weekend. I'll be looking at some of the other prospects that are coming down the pike, and we'll see where it leads us.

Absolutely, folks. We will see where it leads us, probably in shorter time than you think. And even if it does take us right up until April 25th, it's hard to believe, Steve, that we are almost there. Draft time is almost upon us. All your questions will be answered. But the one thing, Steve, that I will tell you is, oh, Michael did not value Tom as a wartime consigliere. We know better here on Locked On Patriots. This Michael values you as a wartime consigliere. And if I ever need help, who's a better consigliere than Steve Balistrieri? I can't think of one. And I always appreciate you coming here, bud.

So a tip of the cap. And also, folks, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to join us here on Locked On Patriots and making us a part of your daily and weekly Patriots coverage. Don't forget, our good friend Thomas Murphy will be back in the studio and we are going to be evaluating all of your mock drafts. And you know what? It's going to be so fun. We might do it again on Monday.

So who knows? Maybe a back to back mock draft evaluation show here on Locked On Patriots. So keep those mock drafts coming in because you never know when one of them could get featured right here on these airwaves. In the meantime, I encourage you to stay safe and to stay well and to be the change you wish to see in the world. On behalf of my good friend Steve Balistrieri, I'm Mike DeBate wishing you a great day. And we'll see you back here again tomorrow on Locked on Patriots.