Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots Unite? Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe Lead Throwing Sessions, Gesicki, Thornton and More

Starting point is 00:00:00 Mac Jones, Bailey, Zappy, working together, mass hysteria. But does it mean a united front for your New England Patriots? Stick around. You're about to be locked in to the Locked On Patriots podcast. You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful. Thank you once again for making Lockdown Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage and also your first listen every day.

Starting point is 00:00:55 Remember, Lockdown Patriots is 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 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 reach out to me and let me know what's on your mind on Twitter at MDABATENFL.

Starting point is 00:01:22 And while you're out there showing some love to the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well, L-O underscore Patriots. Pats fans, as you can see if you're viewing on YouTube, we're not going video today. Been a little under the weather the last couple of days, so I appreciate your patience.

Starting point is 00:01:40 We'll be back on camera tomorrow on Thursday. We've got an action pack close to the week coming up here for you, so stick around for that. But while your New England Patriots continue to wade through the offseason, getting ready for the 2023 season, it's that time again, folks. That's right. Offseason workouts and the phases of that are about to begin in Foxborough for the Pats, and they're coming up very soon at about to begin in Foxborough for the Pats.

Starting point is 00:02:05 And they're coming up very soon at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. Monday, April 17th is the first day that players are going to be able to go in, hold meetings, things of that nature. But ultimately, the offseason workout program is going to have organized team activities. You know them as OTAs between May 22nd and June 9th. Mandatory mini camps set to begin on June 12th. But once again, that first phase of the program starting this coming Monday consists of activities including meetings, strength and conditioning, physical rehabilitation, and these activities are set to take place over the course of a two-week period. Now, some members of your New England Patriots

Starting point is 00:02:45 look to be getting a head start on their preparations for the upcoming 2023 season. And that includes your quarterbacks, Mack Jones and Bailey Zappi. That's right, folks. You heard me correctly. They're working together. They don't hate one another.

Starting point is 00:03:02 There is no animosity that's going on right now. Yeah, competition, absolutely, and there should be competition between the two, but don't let that groundswell of muck kind of overtake you, folks. Trust me when I say this. This is a good thing, and it does mean that your New England Patriots might be ready to finally put up a united front. Those winds of aggregated controversy, they're surrounding the Patriots right now. Most of all, they're surrounding Mac Jones and his future in a Patriots uniform. But it still appears that he and his teammates are back in business. And it was first reported by longtime Patriots reporter Mike Giardi that Jones was indeed joined by Zappy along with wide receiver

Starting point is 00:03:47 Taequann Thornton the recently signed tight end Mike Gusecki at the South Walpole Community Athletic Complex for an informal throwing session and additional reports started to come out after that to confirm this want to give a tip of the cap to Babs on the mic on Twitter had some great pictures on his Twitter account on this definitely Definitely check those out. But it showed that Scotty Washington, Patriots back up tight end, and running back Pierre Strong were also in attendance as well as wide receiver Devontae Parker. So good attendance early on for the Patriots here. It's nice to see these guys working together. It's not atypical. I don't want to make it seem like it's the first time this has ever happened in New England. We all know that as early as last season in 2022, Mack led similar sessions in Florida

Starting point is 00:04:33 where Devontae Parker, Jacoby Myers, Nelson Aguilar got some work in before the draft and before team official workouts began. But again, this is a clear sign, folks, that this group of teammates is going to place the needs of the team above any outside desire to stoke the flames of those controversial narratives. More importantly, this particular round of warm-ups is going to provide some insight on the development of each primary participant heading into 2023,

Starting point is 00:05:03 which means that if you're worried about any of these players' development, I think the fact that they're present at these workouts says an awful lot about what they're willing to put in and what they're hoping to get out of their 2023 season. And it might just be more than anyone's given them credit for. In just a moment, we're going to take a look at the leaders of the pack on these workouts. That's right.

Starting point is 00:05:24 We're going to start things off with Mac Jones and with Bailey Zappi. What does these workouts say about each of them? Not just individually, but also in tandem on a united front. That's right, folks. I think we can finally talk about these two as a team. We're going to dive into that when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, folks, today's episode is brought to you by our good friends at Ultimate Football GM. Now, you've heard me talk about this mobile game app, and if you ever thought you'd make a good GM, you've got to give this game a try.

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Starting point is 00:07:16 that's ultimate-gm.com ultimate football gm start your dynasty today. Patriots fans, thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. And I say it every day, and I mean it more every day. Where would we be without you? The everydayers, all of you that are taking time out of your busy schedule to join us here on Locked On Patriots for each and every episode. Say it again. I'll continuously say it.

Starting point is 00:07:47 I appreciate each of you from the bottom of my heart because after all, Locked On Podcast Network is about your team every day. And I also want to turn you on to that in that vein to the new Locked On NFL Draft Buzz newsletter, which can be found on lockedonpodcast.com slash newsletter. Go there today, folks. Don't delay. Do it today. Sign up for free for the NFL Draft newsletter.

Starting point is 00:08:12 Each and every week, you're going to get the top story from NFL Draft expert Luke Inman, a top five ranking, and links to great draft content across the Locked On Podcast network. So that's the Locked On NFL Draft Buzz newsletter, lockedonpodcast.com slash newsletters to sign up for free. And Patriots fans, whether you are a first-time listener, whether you're an occasional listener, or whether you're an everydayer, you can probably tell that I try to look at the positive side of things. Now, that could be to a fault. I'll admit

Starting point is 00:08:45 it, be the first one to mea culpa on that one, especially seeing that I work in a business driven by, or I should say often driven, not always folks, but often driven by controversy as opposed to actual substance. But when I hear that both quarterbacks, Mac Jones and Bailey Zappi, working out together, several Patriots offensive players are joining them, it tells me that a team-first mentality is brewing in that locker room. And folks, when I tell you that is a good thing, it is a very good thing. It's good for Mac Jones. It's good for Bailey Zappi.

Starting point is 00:09:20 It's good for the players that are there. It's even good for the players that aren't there. Believe it or not, it's even good for Bill Bel that aren't there believe it or not it's even good for bill let's start with mac jones obviously he is the assumed starter at least at this point so we'll go from there and what these throwing sessions really mean for mac jones and his development moving forward entered 2022 on the heels of an impressive rookie campaign i think everybody expected a lot out of Mac because of the way he performed in his rookie season, leading the Pats back to the playoffs, setting some records, making the Pro Bowl. These are all things that really, I think, put a feather in Mac Jones' cap and maybe raised our expectations a little bit beyond what they should have been, knowing that he

Starting point is 00:10:02 was going to be going into a system that no longer had Josh McDaniels. It had two coaches that are experienced in all levels of football, but are not designated offensive-minded coaches, and it was going to create some difficulty. And look, there's no question about it. Max struggled to rekindle that previous success in his second year, finished the season with 2997 yards 14 touchdowns 11 interceptions Patriots limped to an eight and nine record and for the second time in three

Starting point is 00:10:32 seasons New England failed to qualify for the playoffs obviously that's not all on Mac Jones shoulders there were a lot of factors as to the reason why the Patriots did not qualify for the playoffs. But a lot of this difficulty that the Patriots have had is being pointed or is being blamed directly on the discomfort that Mack had in the Patriots' new offensive system under Matt Patricia and under Joe Judge. We all saw it. It's not a secret that Mack was frustrated, and there was a disconnect between the players and the coaching staff.

Starting point is 00:11:06 I will make that point, folks. It wasn't just Mack that had a problem with this. There were a lot of Patriots players that also had difficulty with some of the offensive play calling and the strategy that was going on. But it's always going to go on Mack because the camera pans on Mack every time there's some expletive-laden frustration that goes on. They're going to to look at him and they're going to say yep he's throwing a temper tantrum or he's really upset or even if you're trying to put a positive or a negative spin on it ultimately it's going to land back on Mac because that's what we're all seeing but apparently those

Starting point is 00:11:40 frustrations were enough not just to cause some difficulty out on the field but also behind the scenes as well we've heard the reports that Mac was seeking advice from outside the organization reportedly calling some of his old coaches at Alabama maybe Bill O'Brien was one of them we're not sure about that yet we may never be sure about that folks but bottom line that was a decision that led not only to alleged friction between him and Bill Belichick. And that's right, folks. I'm using the word alleged because we don't know how deep that friction really went or

Starting point is 00:12:14 how much of it is there. So or even if it is there, let's put it that way. I mean, I'm sure there's probably a little bit, but we really don't know because until you hear it directly from Mac or directly from Bill it really is all hearsay but I digress probably a conversation for another day bottom line there's hard feelings there and it's led to a lot of trade rumors surrounding Mac Jones in this offseason but despite the turmoil that's surrounding him Mac continues to steadfastly approach the 2023 season the same way he

Starting point is 00:12:46 approached the 2022 season. In addition to Tuesday's throwing session, Mack's been one of the handful of players who has remained in the region for the majority of this offseason. He's dialed in. He's ready to put in the work he needs to do to be the starting quarterback of the New England Patriots this year. In fact, Jones has been described by ESPN's Mike Reese recently as a daily presence at Gillette Stadium. He's using team facilities to train. He's using the socios.com field house to make his throws. This is all good news for Patriots fans, and it's good news for Mac. He's dialed in. He's on the same page as the Patriots, and apparently any good news for Mac. He's dialed in, he's on the same page as the Patriots and apparently any animosity that's supposedly brewing between he and the organization

Starting point is 00:13:30 is clearly not there. Otherwise he'd be doing these workouts on his own. Bottom line, he's also tried to go outside the organization a little bit and make every effort to try to make his physical and mental game that much better in 2023, enlisting the help of former NFL quarterback Nick Shimanek in adopting an improved physical and mental preparation regimen. And we talked about this a few weeks ago here on Locked On Patriots. When the news broke, this is another positive move in the right direction. And apparently, Nick has been very impressed by what he saw from Mac

Starting point is 00:14:05 Jones. So what all this means to me is that Mac Jones is putting in all of the physical and mental preparatory work to succeed in a Bill O'Brien offense. O'Brien is the offensive coordinator he wanted. Mac's not going to tell you that. Bill's probably not going to tell you that. And Bill Belichick is definitely not going to tell you that. Bill's probably not going to tell you that. And Bill Belichick is definitely not going to tell you that, but all the handwriting is on the wall. It was a similar situation, a similar type of offense, leading the defender, leading the receiver under the defense, making the quick throws, the accurate throws, putting your receivers in an opportunity to be able to get yards after the catch.

Starting point is 00:14:43 Mac excelled at that at Alabama, had a great supporting cast around him. He can do it again here in New England, and New England is building a pretty impressive supporting cast, and I think the fact that Gusecki and Thornton were there is a very good sign. So we'll talk about those guys in just a minute, but ultimately, Mack is not letting the noise get to him. In fact, he's making it work to his advantage by putting in a little overtime. And you really can't go wrong with that.

Starting point is 00:15:08 So all of this points positively for Mack. But what about Bailey? Well, Bailey Zappi is doing a pretty good job as well. His presence at Tuesday's session is also significant because, as we've all heard, he may actually be competing for the starting job. And that's not speculation, folks. That's coming from Bill himself. When asked in March about the Patriots quarterback position while he was at the league meetings,

Starting point is 00:15:34 Belichick offered a expectedly cryptic indication that Jones is yet to be anointed as the team's opening day starter. In fact, I'll quote Bill directly. He says, everybody is going to get a chance to play. We'll play the best players. This is nothing new for Bill Belichick. He's done this with every position, really, since he walked through the door in Foxborough. The only time he never had to worry about who was playing what position was when he knew Tom Brady was taking the ball at quarterback, even when Brady was suspended for the first four games of the 2017 season. Everybody looked at it and said, oh, well, maybe Jimmy can beat him out.

Starting point is 00:16:13 No, there was no doubt about that. Tom was getting the ball back as soon as everything was done and over with. The only time that there was a legitimate quarterback controversy here in New England is when Brady took over for Drew Bledsoe. And you can even make the argument there that Bill Belichick had his mind made up as soon as he saw that Tom could run this offense. But enough about Tom Brady. This is about Mac Jones and Bailey Zappi. And Zappi has put together a pretty good resume to let everybody think that, hey, you know what?

Starting point is 00:16:42 He could come in and win this starting job. When Mack was on the shelf due to his high ankle sprain in October, Zappi performed pretty well. He demonstrated poise. He had comfort within the Patriots system, led the Patriots to a 2-0 record during the games in which he started. Yes, the Patriots lost the game to the Packers, but Bailey didn't start that game.

Starting point is 00:17:04 You have to factor that in a little bit. He wasn't really sure how long or how much he was going to play. That was supposed to be Brian Hoyer's game, but ultimately Bailey finished the season completing 65 of 92 passes, 781 yards, five touchdowns, three interceptions. Now Bailey has also been putting in the work. I don't want to just loud Mac for all of the work he's been putting in. Bailey is working hard as well. In fact, both he and Taequann Thornton were spotted training together in early February. So it's clear that he wants to put in the time not only to make himself physically better, mentally better, but also develop that synergy with his teammates.

Starting point is 00:17:42 And that's very important to becoming a very good quarterback in this league if Bailey can muster enough of a showing during training camp he may actually earn more of a prominent role in the Patriots offense for 2023 than most people think so there is incentive here to letting these guys work and compete for the starting job. But whether you're team Mac or you're team Bailey or you're team Belichick, yeah, folks, there are some fans out there that are siding with Bill on all this. They like him making Mac work a bit more for the job. They like the fact that he hasn't canonized him as the starter. Sure, go ahead. Tell everyone that the best players are going to play. I mean, why not? Why wouldn't you do that? It's going to make Mac work to keep his job. It's going to make Bailey work to take the job.

Starting point is 00:18:28 It really brings out the best in both players. But one thing that it doesn't seem to be generating here is animosity. And I know it drives a lot of my colleagues nuts, but this shows that these two guys can coexist on the field and put out a pretty good product in 2023. At the end of the day, that's the most important thing. Whether Mack wins the starting job, whether Bailey wins the starting job, these two guys are on the same page. They have complementary skill sets. And at the end of the day, I still feel this is Mack's team. I still believe he's going to win the starting job, or I should say keep the starting job. But if you can get Bailey Zappi playing at as high a level as possible, if Max struggles or if he has injury problems, it's nice to know that the guy coming in can not only handle

Starting point is 00:19:13 the load, but he can keep that ship in the right direction and maybe even make it a little more dynamic than it was before. So that is something that I think Patriots fans need to be very, very confident and very content with. After all, a Bill O'Brien offense needs continuity just as much as it needs yards after the catch. That's right, Murph. Harmony is just as important as yak. That's right. I said it. But bottom line, folks, it's good to see both quarterbacks on the same page. And we'll see if that continues into offseason workouts and of course with OTAs with training camp mini camp before that it's going to be very interesting to

Starting point is 00:19:52 see how this all plays out in Foxborough but for right now things are all smiles but what does it mean for the complimentary pieces that are there at these workouts but we haven't forgotten about them we're going to talk about them in just a moment, particularly what this means for Taequann Thornton and Mike Gesicki, who have an awful lot to prove on the field in 2023. This and more when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots your first listen. And remember that we're taking a trip back in time on our next episode here on the pod. That's right. It's Throwback Thursday, and we're going to be taking a look at the 2022 Patriots draft class.

Starting point is 00:20:35 So don't forget to download, subscribe to, follow Locked On Patriots wherever you consume podcasts. Of course, remember, we are a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And before we look back, it's very important to look forward here on Locked On Patriots. And in the previous segment, we talked a lot about Mac Jones and Bailey Zappi moving forward. But there are other players on this roster that are looking forward as well.

Starting point is 00:21:02 And they were joined in these informal throwing sessions by a pair of pass catchers from whom a lot is expected in the upcoming season. Can they carry the load? Well the fact that they're there shows that they're willing to put in the work to get there and let's start with the second year speedster Tyquan Thornton. We were all extremely excited when this kid was selected last year. Or I should say most of us. There were some concerns about his body mass. And ultimately he did have some injury concerns.

Starting point is 00:21:34 I don't think they were related to that. But this was all a concern when he was brought in. But the Patriots clearly used high level draft capital to bring him in. Second round pick, 50th overall. He was heralded as a potential deep threat due to his amazing speed. And I've seen this kid run in person during practice. He has the wheels to do it, folks. You've seen it on the field.

Starting point is 00:21:56 When you see it in a practical setting, it really is something different. And this kid has the jets to do it. Sorry to say the word jets there, folks. I know. But, you know, it is. It to say the word Jets there, folks, I know. But, you know, it is. It is what it is, as Bill Belichick would say. His rookie debut, unfortunately, was delayed. He suffered a fractured clavicle in the preseason,

Starting point is 00:22:16 spent some time on the shelf, but when he was activated from injured reserve, Morton showed flashes of his potential. And I'm particularly fond of his performance in week six against the Cleveland Browns. He scored his first receiving touchdown and then his first rushing touchdown. He became the first Patriots wide receiver since Deion Branch to score a receiving and rushing touchdown in the same game. So talk about putting yourself in very good company early on. Taekwon did it, and he did it very well, folks.

Starting point is 00:22:50 Finished the season with 22 catches, 247 yards, two touchdowns. He ran three times, 16 yards, and that touchdown as well. Now, those numbers aren't going to make him or put him in contention for Offensive Rookie of the Year, but when you look at the season that he had and you look at the ups and downs, it was understandable that he was going to struggle more than he was going to succeed. But those succeeding moments led you to believe that Tyquan Thornton is on the cusp of something special here. And I think this proves that he believes it as well. He's showing the initiative, wants to gain a greater synergy with his quarterbacks. We mentioned before that he was working with Bailey Zappi. I think it's very important that he works with Mac Jones. This tells me that he is expecting

Starting point is 00:23:29 a significant step forward in 2023. And that's a good thing for the New England Patriots because they definitely need speed in this system that Bill O'Brien is going to be using. He can burn you right off the bat. He's not someone that has to rely on yards after the catch. He can beat his receivers, get down the field, and be that deep threat. And as much as Bill O'Brien likes his yak, he's going to air it out too when he feels it's in the best interest of the football team. And if you've got a guy that can do it, Tyquan Thornton may be poised to take on that role.

Starting point is 00:24:00 So keep a sharp eye on Tyquan. I like the fact that he's at these workout sessions. But the other guy that's there is a newcomer. And of course, it's a newcomer that is really hoping to revitalize the tight endage here in New England. Yeah, hi, Claire. I know I said tight endage. Mike Gusecki is someone we've talked about several times here on the pod and it's great to see him there as well because you want to see him develop that type of kinship with Mac or with Bailey Zappi he needs to get on the same page with

Starting point is 00:24:32 his with his quarterbacks and that seems to be what he's doing this to me immediately upgrades the Pats offense and that's signing Mike Gusecki I should be clear on that he's a gifted pass catcher this is what he does well all in 62.4% of his passes during his five-year tenure with the Miami Dolphins. He's got the size, the speed to be effective as a receiver out of the slot, or he can even be put out wide. He's got the speed to be able to do that as well. Maybe not blazing speed, but he's faster than you would think for a guy his size. That being said, what he's here for is red zone production. And this is an area where the Patriots were absolutely putrid in 2022. You heard me mention the word putrid, folks. I know I try to be positive, but you can't put a positive spin on the Patriots red zone performance in 2022. It was abysmal. And Mike Gusecki, I think, is definitely going to make that better just by default.

Starting point is 00:25:29 He has the power to power his way into the contested catch situation, and that's going to be particularly useful in those areas inside the 20. He finished second among all tight ends in contested catches in both 20 and 2021, earning 61 in both seasons combined. You want to take a look at a comparison. The New England Patriots ranked last in the NFL in red zone productivity in 2022. So at the very least, Mike Gusecki coming in here is going to help the Patriots find the end zone a lot more this season.

Starting point is 00:26:01 He's working with Mack and working well with Mack Jones. That says something right off the bat that these guys are going to have a strong connection already saw that mac can definitely find hunter henry when he needs to find him if he has mike kisecki now to pair alongside him i think you're looking at the resurgence of patriots tight ended so claire keep up you know keep an even keel on this right now but i will say this to all of you who are looking for more 12 personnel this year. I think you're going to see a lot more of these two guys sharing the field together than you saw in previous seasons with Hunter Henry and John O'Smith,

Starting point is 00:26:35 which, again, I liked at the time, just don't think it worked out the way anybody thought it was going to work out, and you wish John O the best in Atlanta now. But Gusecki right now looks to be a guy that can really make some waves. And his Dolphins teammate is right there with him. Let's face it. Devontae Parker struggled with injuries himself in 2022. He can be a guy that can make the catch.

Starting point is 00:26:59 He'll go up and make contested catches. And he's tough at being able to do it. I think there is some prowess there for him as well. And the fact that he is attending these throwing sessions shows that he's serious about building on what I think we saw was maybe a pretty good relationship developing with him and Mac Jones, but I think there's more to meet the eye there. And I think Devante Parker can also add another element to this offense that we haven't seen before as well so ultimately the Pats collaborative offense is a good thing for the New

Starting point is 00:27:32 England Patriots and seeing Mac Jones and Bailey Zappi leading this working together it definitely shows that the Patriots are ignoring the noise out there, and they're moving forward united, maybe for the first time in a while in the 2023 season, and that is a good thing for all Pats fans involved. And all of these guys are expected to be in attendance when Phase 1 of the team's off-season workout program, again, folks, focusing on strength and conditioning, begins on April 17th. And we're going to continue here on Locked On, Patriots, to bring you all the very latest

Starting point is 00:28:06 when it comes to the ins, outs, comings, and goings in Foxborough. So thank you all for spending time with us here on Locked On Patriots and making us your first listen every day. And now that you've made us your first listen, don't forget to continue that trend into tomorrow as we hop in our Bella, Chucky, and DeLorean and throw it back one year to take a look at the 2022

Starting point is 00:28:28 draft class on throwback Thursday, Cole strange, Marcus Jones, Jack Jones, not that Jones, the other Jones, Pierre strong. We're going to be talking about them all tomorrow.

Starting point is 00:28:39 So definitely be sure to download, subscribe to, and follow locked on Patriots, wherever you listen to podcasts., of course, on YouTube. Once again, folks, I am your host, Mike DeBate. I thank you all for joining us today. I encourage you to continue to stay safe, stay well, and be the change that you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone, and we'll see you here once again tomorrow on Locked On Patriots.

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots Unite? Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe Lead Throwing Sessions, Gesicki, Thornton and More

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