Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots Waive Jack Jones: Fit with Raiders? Who is Next Cornerback Up?

Episode Date: November 16, 2023

The New England Patriots raised more than a few eyebrows on Monday afternoon when they released cornerback Jack Jones after nearly two eventful seasons with the club. Host Mike D’Abate is joined by... Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy of E2G Sports to discuss the reasons for Jones’ release, his fit with the Las Vegas Raiders and who will rise to the challenge in the Pats cornerback room. Find and follow Locked On Patriots on your favorite podcast platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-patriots-daily-podcast-on-new-england-patriots/id1140512627?i=1000632782469 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFmwg3WbfxAU3tR5Ve?si=k196wH-yRqifUcQQz8SjIQStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-on-patriotsAnd follow host Mike D’Abate on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the New England Patriots and talking with fans.Twitter: @mdabateNFLSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!DoorDashGet 50% off up to $10 value when you spend $15 or more on your FIRST order, when you download the DoorDash app and enter code LOCKED23. Subject to change. Terms apply.Jase MedicalGet $20 off these lifesaving antibiotics with Jase Medical by using code LOCKEDON at checkout on jasemedical.com.PrizePicksGo to PrizePicks.com/lockedonnfl and use code lockedonnfl for a first deposit match up to $100!GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Last minute tickets. Lowest Price. Guaranteed.LinkedInLinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNFL. Terms and conditions apply.FanDuelScore early this NFL season with FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook! Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning FIVE DOLLAR MONEYLINE BET! That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – if your team 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) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you, Foxborough. Faithful thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots your first listen every day. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful. Thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots your first listen every day. Remember, Locked On Patriots is available wherever you get your podcasts. So make sure to download, subscribe, follow, so you get the latest episode as soon as it's available.
Starting point is 00:00:38 I'm your host, Mike DeBate. I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. Reach out to me. Let me know what's on your mind on X at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-N-F-L. While you're out there showing some social media love to Locked On Patriots, please follow our account there as well at L-O underscore Patriots. And, Pats fans, today's episode brought to you by our good friends at LinkedIn Jobs. LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to,
Starting point is 00:01:05 and they help you do it faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com slash LockedOnNFL. That's LinkedIn.com slash LockedOnNFL to post your job for free. And terms and conditions apply. And, of course, Pats fans, the news of the week when it comes to your New England Patriots, second-year cornerback Jack Jones, no longer a New England Patriot. Patriots making the decision to waive the Arizona State product on Monday afternoon. Not even 24 hours later, Jack had a new home in Las Vegas playing for Antonio Pierce,
Starting point is 00:01:40 his old high school coach and, of course, his old college coach. Tons to break down on this. Really deserved its own segment. And who else could we bring in today but the man who absolutely loved this pick when the Patriots made it. And we needed to get his wisdom, his counsel, his reaction to all this, folks. So joining me here today is, of course, one of our very favorites, the legendary Connor Murphy Fisto himself, Thomas Murphy of E2G Sports. Murph, I come to you today with regrettable information for you, my friend, but I thank you for your willingness to lend your wisdom and counsel to Murph. Oh, always a pleasure, Michael.
Starting point is 00:02:17 No, this is not a pleasure. When I said I hope to be back later this week, this wasn't the circumstance that I was talking about. You kind of thought so, bud. Yep. I thought so. Yeah, as for Jack's landing spot, yeah, I called it. I said when it was announced that he'd be a Raider within a week. And for obvious reasons, not just talent-based reasons,
Starting point is 00:02:46 but, you know, for the connection that was there. And I'm not happy. I'm not thrilled. And I'm not thrilled with everybody involved here. And that starts with Jack Jones. Yeah. I think in a lot of ways, there's a whole lot of mea culpa to go around when it comes to why this relationship soured and deteriorated, folks. Look, bottom line, I don't think there's anyone out there that can question Jack Jones' potential and his talent on a football field. This kid has all the intangibles, all the ability to be a top-level cornerback in this league. He's a ball-hawking corner. It's someone that can definitely get after the ball has a nose for routes anytime you need him to do something on the football field if he's engaged you should be able
Starting point is 00:03:29 to get it done but the timing of this move Murph came as a little bit of a surprise without a doubt I mean the Patriots just getting back from Germany 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts still ringing in their ears without question you know know, it also eliminated Jack from being, you know, potentially traded at the trade deadline a couple of weeks ago, you know, for compensation. The Patriots essentially let him walk for nothing. And now he ends up in Las Vegas, which I think is a very good fit for him. And we're going to get into what his fit logistically looks like with the
Starting point is 00:04:04 silver and black. But, you know, we've mentioned this before, fourth round draft pick, low risk, potentially very high reward at number 121 overall. Patriots fans fell in love with that athletic, that high octane style of play. Some people were concerned about him being a little undersized, 5'11", 175 pounds pounds but he became an aggressive presence on that perimeter made you forget all about that um we all know about the pick six of Aaron Rodgers last year in Green Bay there were a lot of reasons to believe this kid was a potential draft steal and it all kind of went south from that point um Murph the laundry list of reasons why this relationship soured is probably one that patriots fans are very familiar with but which one do you think tipped the scales most
Starting point is 00:04:53 for bill belichick to say this is it we have to let him go well you all you have to do is take a look down the end of the bench in in germany in frankfurt okay he. He sat there and instead of – this has been an ongoing issue with Jack, and I think it probably has been a part of his life, his entire life, is making himself more important than the team or, for lack of a better word, segregating himself from the team. There just seems to be no account. I don't want to say that. No, I don't want to say that there's no accountability because every time you hear this young man open his mouth, you know, when you stick a camera in front of him or a microphone in
Starting point is 00:05:42 front of him, he says exactly what you would hope that a young man would say. You know, the contrition is there that, yes, I've got to be better. I've got to do. But he doesn't get better. OK. And I don't want to drag other people into this, but it sounds an awful lot like a few other ballplayers that that have had issues in the past where, you know, they talk a great game, but you really don't know what's happening in their head. And I honestly, and I hope to God that I am wrong here, people.
Starting point is 00:06:16 I don't think we've heard the last bad news about Jack Jones. The most common question that I've been getting, Murph, since Monday afternoon when this happened is why cut him now? The last straw for Bill Belichick was essentially him sitting at the end of the bench. You're not seeing that type of attitude adjustment that the Patriots were hoping to see. Maybe the Germany trip energizing him, giving him a little bit more in terms of wanting to come back and perform well for this team. It just didn't happen, unfortunately. We left other people at home. We left other people at home.
Starting point is 00:06:49 And we made space on this plane for you. We made space on the active roster for you. And you decided not to become, not to be part of that roster. And that was it. Bill just looked at that and said, that was it. I can't take this anymore. I mean, it was it was almost like, you know, I'm trying to think of a comparable situation to this one. But but I really can't. I really can't. I don't remember somebody turning their back on their team to the point where you just did not want to be part of that team at all. And that's what he did in that instance. And it's not the first time that that's happened.
Starting point is 00:07:37 Been been chucked out of practice this year and then come back and stayed, stayed away from the rest of his group, stayed away from the rest of his team. I'm not a psychiatrist and I don't play one on TV, but there's a problem here. There's a problem here that he needs to address with a professional to maybe right this ship and hopefully prove me wrong that, that, you know, more is to come. Well, ultimately, I mean, if you asked the New England Patriots and we did ask Bill Belichick yesterday, stating that we just felt it was the right time, it was time for a change, um, definitely praised Jack's athletic ability and his, uh, potential as a cornerback so that he was a very talented
Starting point is 00:08:25 player, but he just felt this was the right time for a change. The Patriots would probably say that this is due to on-field performance, and the numbers draw that out, Murph. Through four games, 12 tackles, one pass break up, folks. That's it. You need a little more out of that if you're going to rely and lean on someone to be your top one or two cornerbacks on this team. And that's exactly what the New England Patriots, I believe, were hoping Jack Jones was going to be. Engagement issues, work ethic issues are the easiest way for you to earn your way out of Bill Belichick's circle of trust and really out of the Patriots' circle of trust. And Murphy hit this right on the head. You're seeing him disengaged from the team this wasn't necessarily just a problem with an
Starting point is 00:09:08 individual coach this was a situation where he felt like a lone wolf and he was essentially acting as such and you can't do that especially when you know you're letting up you know 31 yard touchdown receptions right Miami Dolphins two weeks ago. You have to expect something like this is going to happen. Eventually, the entire first quarter of the week, nine loss to the Commanders. Didn't even hang around into the locker room afterwards. He was gone. By the time reporters made their way into the locker room,
Starting point is 00:09:38 Jack was already in his car making an Instagram video and singing along and essentially just letting people know that I'm checked out and this is not going to work here anymore. And I think the Patriots absolutely needed to do this. So I think it sounds like Murph from what we're gathering here that you're in agreement with me. This wasn't just the right move for the New England Patriots. It really was the only move. I don't think this was a salvageable relationship anymore. No, I really didn't. This is this was a worse situation than anything that people are yapping on about about Mac Jones. It's when you when you become a cancer in the locker room, a cancer on the sideline, it's time to cut it loose. You know, Bill tried to to uh medicated away he tried to go through you know
Starting point is 00:10:27 every he he gave this kid every opportunity um when when people complain about how uh bill belichick uh hasn't um evolved with the uh with the modern athlete um this goes to prove those people wrong. And those same people are complaining that they didn't cut Jack Jones after the incident at the airport. Regardless of the off field issues. I mean, obviously those are no longer legal troubles for Jack.
Starting point is 00:10:57 Those have been cleared up. So he's moving forward with a clean slate and from a legal standpoint, but these issues on the football field will continue to follow him until he's able to shake them and he's able to show on the field that he's engaged and ready to go and maybe the spot that he can do that in folks is going to be with the las vegas raiders will he be able to channel some of that rookie magic we saw last year in new england murph and i are going to discuss that point in just a moment when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues, a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day.
Starting point is 00:11:37 Locked On listeners, these days, every new potential hire can feel like a high stakes wager for your small business. You want to be 100% certain that you have access to the best qualified candidates available. And that's why you have to check out LinkedIn Jobs. LinkedIn Jobs helps find the right people for your team faster. And here's the best part, folks, for free. You will not believe how easy it is to create a free job post on LinkedIn jobs until you try it. Just make sure to add your job and the purple hashtag hiring frame to your LinkedIn profile to spread the word that you're
Starting point is 00:12:11 hiring. Simple tools like screening questions make it easy to focus on the candidates with just the right skills and experience so you can quickly prioritize who you'd like to interview and who you'd like to hire. It's why small businesses rate LinkedIn Jobs number one in delivering quality hires versus the leading competitors. LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to faster. So post your job for free at linkedin.com slash locked on NFL. That's linkedin.com slash locked on NFL, L-O-C-K-E-D-O-N-N-F-L to post your job for free.
Starting point is 00:12:49 Terms and conditions apply. Locked on listeners score early this NFL season with FanDuel, America's number one sports book. And right now, new customers get $150 in bonus bets with any winning $5 Moneyline bet. That's $150 if your team wins. If you've been thinking about joining FanDuel, there is no better time to get in on the action. The app is so easy to use. And folks, there's a wide range of betting options, including spreads, player props, over-under, and so much more.
Starting point is 00:13:25 You're definitely going to want to make this week a whole lot more fun and maybe even a bit more interesting with our good friends over at FanDuel. So visit FanDuel.com slash locked on and kick off the NFL season in style. That's FanDuel.com slash locked on. FanDuel, official partner of the NFL. Patriots fans, thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage and, of course, your first listen each and every day.
Starting point is 00:13:58 And Murph, we've been talking a lot about Jack Jones and the fact that he is no longer a New England Patriot and your feelings on that because I know you had a lot of high hopes for this kid I'll be very honest with you I had as well I think a lot of Patriots fans believe that this kid was really going to be that type of either complimentary piece to Christian Gonzalez or maybe even their best ball hawking corner on the roster because Christian's game is much more predicated to being a lockdown corner as opposed to a ball hawking corner Jack has a nose for the football he'll go find it and he knows that exactly and if he's getting targeted he'll make
Starting point is 00:14:36 you pay for targeting him because he knows that he can go up and make contested catches of opposing quarterback throws against some of his targets so So a lot of people thought this is what we were getting. And of course, last year's rookie numbers for Jack Jones definitely put that 13 games, 454 defensive snaps as a rookie, 30 tackles, six passes defense, one force fumble, one recovery, and two interceptions. And of course we include the pick six of Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay last year, but knee injury, hamstring injury, kept them off the field for a few games. That suspension at the end of the year was definitely suspect and something that I think
Starting point is 00:15:13 a lot of people believed there was more to the story than really came out, but that was very much smoothed over. You thought he and the Patriots were moving past the incident this past summer, but unfortunately it just did not work out. And with jack being cut it allowed him to be eligible to be claimed on waivers and lo and behold who claims him on waivers the las vegas raiders once again murph you said it you called this and this is not exactly a difficult no arm to reach out it wasn't look at it wasn't look at Murph, how brilliant he is. You know, it was a soft landing spot. He had people in the building, people who knew him.
Starting point is 00:15:53 It was almost common sense. I'm not counting cards here in Vegas. No, well, I would give you a little bit more credit because it was very astute to pick up on that as quickly as you did. A lot of people didn't get the antonio pierce correlation until it started coming out you nailed this right on the head his high school coach at long beach poly high school in california that's where these guys forged their relationship after the problems that jack had at usc continued to plague him a little bit he follows antonio to
Starting point is 00:16:21 arizona state and all of a sudden you're seeing the of a sudden, you're seeing the real Jack Jones. You're seeing the type of player that bowed the Patriots, made them bring him in for a top 50 visit. And all of a sudden, you're looking at a guy that really was, I think, very much on the radar of most Patriots media. Looked exactly like the perfect fit here in New England, and unfortunately, that did not come about. But he does go to Las Vegas with his form coach. Um, I don't think there should be issues here with engagement, but Murph, is this the best place for Jack Jones to be able to move forward? If he fails here, is this a situation where he could be looking at in a difficult time, even finding a job from here on in.
Starting point is 00:17:11 If it doesn't work out here, it's O Canada or, you know, USFL or your XFL, something of that nature. Jack has got to wake up and understand that this is probably the last chance that he's going to get. All right. Now, I know people have said that to him probably countless times throughout his career. You know, I mean, going back, you know, God, I'm not sure how well he fared at Pop Warner and getting along with his coaches and his teammates. Never mind. You know, we all we all know what happened at USC. We all know, you know, how I jokingly called the kid Panda Express on on on draft night. And it is. This is his last best chance to stick in the NFL.
Starting point is 00:17:51 Now, having said that, this is always a league of, you know, I need talent. And right now the Raiders need talent, especially in their defensive backfield. And that's why this is a soft landing spot for him. This is a place where he can get his feet under himself quite quickly and get involved in the defense and get out there and make plays. I think you could see him on the field as soon as the next Raiders game. Yeah, I think that's definitely a possibility. And again, for the reasons that you've mentioned, it's a high octane style of play. It's a very aggressive style of play. When you're looking at a team like the Las Vegas Raiders right now that are searching for
Starting point is 00:18:29 identity, searching for ways to not just be relevant, but right now, I mean, they're knocking on the door of the playoff hunt. And I can't believe that we're talking about that with the Raiders, but you know, sometimes a change in direction, sometimes a change in head coach is exactly what a team needs to move forward. And I think you're definitely seeing that. Obviously, that team needed to rid itself from Josh McDaniels for whatever reasons, whether we agree with them here in New England or not. I know that Las Vegas had their valid reasons for doing so, and they did it. Jack coming into this environment is really, I think, a great opportunity for him, not just
Starting point is 00:19:03 because of his synergy and his kinship with a guy like Antonio Pierce, but the type of attitude that that team is exuding right now, which is, you slept on us all season long. We're still here. We're in the hunt. We've got some talent on this team. Maybe we're not going to go out there and be a Super Bowl contender overnight, but we're going to make sure that if you're gonna beat us you're gonna give everything possible in order to be able to do that and look they've got a mixture of some young guys and veterans in the defensive backfield nate hobbs and marcus peters are going to be the guy that they're going to try to compete with i don't think
Starting point is 00:19:39 jack will get a starting role off the bat but it would not shock me to see him be able to find his way into the starting lineup sooner rather than later. That's the type of talent this kid has. There's no question on his talent. It really is. I don't know if he's going to be starting out there, but he is going to be part of the rotation and really quick, and he's going to be a valuable part of the rotation,
Starting point is 00:19:58 and he's going to be one of those guys that people are sitting there, you know, certain people are going to be sitting there saying, well, I wish the Patriots had players like that yeah i can almost hear why can't the patriots get players like that i can almost see the tweets and hear the taglines coming from here you know it's coming and there will be those moments folks because jack does have absolutely the talent to be able to do it and now he's in an environment where he believes he can thrive. And you've heard that and you saw that regularly on the social media posts that he put out there. One with the prayers that showed that he was grateful to be a part of the Raiders. The other, which I thought was a nice touch for Jack to put out a message to the fans of New England,
Starting point is 00:20:41 thanking them for the support they provided for him. Once again, just telling people what they want to hear or what they expect to hear. Okay. I mean, I can go, there's, there's a laundry list of players that have been in trouble throughout the course of the NFL that you just sit there and you scratch your head saying when, when I listened to him, I don't understand how this kid gets into this kind of situation. You probably have a point there. The counterpoint that I'll make to that is he didn't have to. Nobody forced him to do it.
Starting point is 00:21:10 I think in that case, he's leaving. He knows he's not coming back to New England. He's probably not worried about bridge burning, considering the amount of time he's spent now since on social media, debunking a lot of the reports, especially the one about him being late to curfew and not showing up at the hotels and things of that nature. He's coming out and damage control there.
Starting point is 00:21:30 But for him to put a message out to the fans, I thought was at least a good gesture, whether it was, you know, regardless of the intention. It's not something that had to be done. When those things came out, you know, and people were getting on Bill for not giving evasive answers and this, that, and the other thing, you know, I made the point of what do you want Bill to do?
Starting point is 00:21:48 What do you want the team to do? Drag his name through the mud. Okay. That's not what, that's not what a good coaches do. Okay. They don't, they don't point fingers and say, you know, well, this is why, you know, it goes back to, you know, busting kids for smoking marijuana and giving them suspensions. Why would you why would you drag a players the NFL?
Starting point is 00:22:08 Why would they drag players names through the mud for something so innocuous? It's and Bill's not going to do that. And not a single report came out from the team saying that, you know, that is what happened. And for whatever reason. But people that you, I, and everybody in this town trust said that that did happen. So if he comes out and says this, no, that didn't happen, who's going to refute it? There's no refuting of it. Nobody on this coaching staff, nobody in the front office is going to say, no, he did. He missed it. He did. He missed it. He did.
Starting point is 00:22:45 He missed it. He wasn't just late. He didn't show up. That's not going to happen. And I'm sorry. I'm really, I'm just, I'm really disappointed, Michael. I really am. Oh, you should be.
Starting point is 00:22:55 It's a disappointing situation all around. Yeah, it does. You know, I haven't been this disappointed in a very long time in a Patriots player. And we're talking about he who shall not be named. Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, regardless of where you lie on the spectrum of Jack Jones being here or not being here, folks, or what you thought of him while he was here, his release leaves the Patriots with another area for criticism for those that don't like Bill Belichick and
Starting point is 00:23:20 his draft status. Here we go. Here's another failed pick by Bill. Fourth rounder, folks. People calling this a failed draft now. Yeah, exactly. It is. And unfortunately, it feeds into the narrative. Those that know the true evaluation of how a draft should be evaluated knows it's way too early to be able to do that. But bottom line, it's going to be out there. You're going to hear it, whether you agree with hear it whether you agree with it whether you don't just be prepared because it is an argument that will continue to be made but what it leaves I think more importantly for the New England Patriots Murph is it leaves a degree of uncertainty in that
Starting point is 00:23:54 defensive backfield the team is already facing an onslaught of questions about Bill Belichick's future Matt Jones's future this is not something they needed at this point to now be worried about who takes the step up in the secondary. And one of the guys I think they really need to take that second step up is someone who has his own engagement issues that he's dealing with right now. Folks, it's amazing what we're talking about here in New England, but it is the reality of being a Patriots fan and watching this team right now. Who is the next man up on the Foxborough bench? Murph and I discuss the next man up in the Patriots cornerback room
Starting point is 00:24:31 when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues, a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Locked On listeners, football season is in full swing and there is no better time to use prize picks. The largest independently owned daily fantasy sports platform in North America.
Starting point is 00:24:55 In fact, they're the easiest and the most exciting way to play daily fantasy sports. It's just you against the numbers. Instead of battling thousands of other players, including all of those pros and sharks out there, you pick more than or less than on a two to six player stat projection
Starting point is 00:25:11 and just watch the winnings roll in. Prize picks is the most fun I've had winning up to 25 times my money this football season, and you're going to as well. You just select two or more players, pick more or less on their projected stats, and place your entry. And listen up, you are going to as well. You just select two or more players, pick more or less on their projected stats, and place your entry. And listen up, you are going to love this. With PrizePix reboot policy, your entries stay in play
Starting point is 00:25:33 even if one of your players gets injured. And that's for NFL games and for college football top 25 matchups. If you have a player who exits the game in the first half and does not return in the second, that player is rebooted. PrizePix is the only daily fantasy sports platform with injury insurance. And if you're a New England Patriots fan, you know all about the value of injury insurance. So don't delay. Do it today.
Starting point is 00:25:59 Go to prizepix.com slash locked on NFL and use the code locked on NFL for a first deposit match up to $100. That's a first deposit match up to $100 by going to prizepix.com slash locked on NFL and use the code locked on NFL. PrizePix, daily fantasy sports made easy. Patriots fans, Locked On has launched the first ever national sports 24-7 streaming channel on YouTube. Locked On Sports Today is here for you. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, covering the top sports stories of the day with the local experts of Locked On, plus our national shows covering every league. Go to Locked On Sports Today on YouTube and subscribe to the first ever National Sports 24-7 streaming channel.
Starting point is 00:26:50 But here today, we're talking about former New England Patriots cornerback Jack Jones, now a member of the Las Vegas Raiders. And here today to help me break it all down has been a man who once again graced us with his presence and lending his wisdom and counsel on a subject that he's very passionate about folks Murph had a lot of high hopes for Jack Jack here in New England our good
Starting point is 00:27:10 friend Tom Smurphy of E2G Sports Murph we've talked about the why we've talked about the how we've talked about the what but we haven't yet discussed the who and no I don't mean Roger Daltrey and Pete Downshin, folks. I mean the who is going to step up and be the next man up in the Patriots' cornerback room. Murph, the Patriots are already without Christian Gonzalez for the remainder of the year. They're without Marcus Jones for the remainder of the year. The Pats went out and traded for J.C. Jackson to help bring an alpha presence to this cornerback room. J.C. had his own engagement issues prior to the Germany trip.
Starting point is 00:27:50 I am very happy to report that J.C. was on the practice field on Wednesday. He's reporting, seems to be in better spirits. Hopefully the Patriots and J.C. can move on and salvage the remainder of the season. But it's a lot to put on a player's shoulders that was essentially told, no, we're going to go to Germany without you. You stay home and get right. And we'll regroup when we get back. You also have Jonathan Jones, who was banged up.
Starting point is 00:28:15 And you have Sean Wade, who is still gaining his experience. Not necessarily an ideal situation, but you see things us mere mortals don't see, my friend. When you look at this depth chart on the cornerback room, who is the next man up? Who takes this cornerback room on his shoulders and says, we don't have Jack. We don't have Christian. We don't have Marcus. I'm going to take you there and follow my lead.
Starting point is 00:28:39 And hopefully the rest of the cornerbacks on the squad follow that Pied Piper-like lead. Who's going to do it? In the short term, it's going to be JC Jackson. He's going to wake the hell up and he's going to be the veteran in the room. He's going to be the man that these kids can look to. Now, whether or not he picks this gauntlet up that I'm throwing down for him, I don't know. In the long term, I believe it's Wade. Wade has the talent. He's a ball hawk.
Starting point is 00:29:07 He's that same type of individual. He's had problems in the past with injuries. He had that turf toe issue, I believe, back a few years. But right now, it's JC Jackson. It's going to have to be him. He is going to have to step up and say, you know, follow my lead and we'll get through this. I think that's a very good point on J.C. Jackson because when he's engaged, Murph, I still say he's one of the most talented ball hawking perimeter corners in the game right now and has developed an ability to be a lockdown corner in the last couple of years. Really started in his last year here in New England and he tried to continue that into Los Angeles with the Chargers didn't
Starting point is 00:29:49 necessarily work out that well right there but he can attack the ball especially at its highest point he can fight through contact that's where JC is at his best I would like to see him limit contact with his targets down the field because he has a tendency to be whistled for DPI an awful lot. Some of that I think is for officiating, but the officials are looking at him for that. He's got to do a better job of knowing that he's being targeted for something like that, or at least being looked at a little closer than maybe some of his peers. Just keep an eye out because you don't want to start getting flagged for penalties. But I agree with you. If he does that and comes in engaged, New England will have a solid presence. I like what you said on Wade, because Wade, to me, is a kid that has the ability to play
Starting point is 00:30:34 all over the place. We saw him play the slot at Ohio State, and he was one of the highest outed slot corners coming out of that draft. But ultimately, the injury caused him to come back. It caused him to regress. He's been an outside corner, but that versatility that really allows him, I think, to be aggressive at the catch point, but also be able to read his opponent is something where he's getting more opportunity to do that little by little. And so far, not an extensive uh you know resume but three starts um 16 tackles one for loss one pass breakup yeah i have a very sneaking suspicion that sean wade is going to be quite
Starting point is 00:31:13 active against the giants on november 26th when the patriots get back on the field yeah i i agree this is going to be a collective effort oh yeah okay it, it's next men up this time. Okay. There's no choice. This team is so banged up and so, uh, uh, anemic in the defensive backfield. And, and what did we say at the, at the beginning of this season? That's where the depth is. That's where, that's where, uh, the strength of this, uh, of this Patriots defense really is, is in that defensive backfield. And now it's been stretched so thin, it's like, you know, the last sliver of butter that you're trying to put over toast. That's true.
Starting point is 00:31:52 That's a good analogy. And that's such a great point about this being a collective effort, folks, because it's always a collective effort here in New England. Very seldom is it one man taking the place of another. It's usually by committee. And these guys tend to rally around one another. The other part of that, too, is that, Murph, it has been a long time since the Patriots have been 2-8. Are these guys still engaged enough to be able to do it?
Starting point is 00:32:15 One guy I can tell you will be, and I don't worry about. The only thing that worries me is his long-term health is Jonathan Jones. This kid is absolutely dialed in to helping this team the best he can. I was a little surprised Jonathan was not chosen as a captain this year. I thought he had the background. I thought he had the ability. The way he worked with Christian Gonzalez this summer and really helping bring him along was something that I thought
Starting point is 00:32:39 was really endearing, and I really thought it would earn him a captainship. He'll be back here next year. I'm assuming that he probably will get that nod at that time but Jonathan is a little banged up but if he's out there and he can give it a go he's gonna go and he'll do whatever he can 20 tackles this year three pass breakups and seven games so look for him to increase that power in that kid very much so that's a good kid yeah absolutely so. Very much so. You can't help but love that kid. Yeah, absolutely. So a tip of the cap to Jonathan Jones here. We're definitely not forgetting about him, folks.
Starting point is 00:33:10 And Murph, it's always, always a pleasure to talk Jack Jones with you, my friend. Folks, do not miss tomorrow's show either, because we're not talking about Jack Jones. We're going to be talking about Mac Jones. Yeah, I don't think we've forgotten about the big story in New England right now. We're going to take a look at Mac, where things have gone wrong, what he needs to do better. Is he salvageable at this point? And who should start at quarterback for the Patriots?
Starting point is 00:33:36 We're going to be talking quarterbacks, folks. That's right. There is no other man that we would trust to bring that wisdom and counsel here to Lockdown Patriots than the host of Marist, execution himself, my good friend, Mark Schofield, joining me here for a quarterback chat that you are not going to want to miss. But in the meantime, I have nothing but gratitude and just honorable feelings toward you, Don Murph, for coming on today. I know this is not an easy show for you to complete without using colorful
Starting point is 00:34:05 language. And you've done that and you showed restraint and not only have you shown straight folks, but also wisdom and counsel that we needed desperately. And you know that even though it is not going to be a melancholy Monday or a victory Monday, it is still hashtag locked on Monday. And we're kicking down those doors.
Starting point is 00:34:23 That mailbag is wide open and waiting for you to drop questions into it. Don't delay. Do it today. Send us your questions at TMurf207 or at MDABATENFL. Or if you want to send them directly to the LockedOnPatriots account at LO underscore Patriots. Or drop them in the YouTube section. But if you're going to do that, folks, just put hashtag Mailbag Monday so we know that you're a submission and we can't wait to feature your great
Starting point is 00:34:48 questions here on Locked on Patriots. In the meantime, I'm Mike DeBate, and I continue to remind you all 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 Thomas Murphy, have a great day and a great evening, and
Starting point is 00:35:03 we'll see you back here again tomorrow on Locked on Patriots. The saddest thing in the world is wasted talent.

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