Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Wheatley, Lowe ‘ A Tale of Two Tackles,’ Running Backs and More: Mailbag

Starting point is 00:00:00 Your New England Patriots have two new offensive tackles, but does it really help all the problems along the offensive line? Stick around. You're about to be locked into Mailbag Monday here on 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.

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Starting point is 00:01:20 showing some love to the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well, at LO underscore Patriots. And, Pats fans, as you can see, it is Mailbag Monday, but it is also hashtag Locked On Murph Monday. And that means a visit from the Green King of Sting, the Monster Master of Disaster. Even over the weekend, we have...

Starting point is 00:01:41 So he's now the Weekend Warrior. He is the Count of Murphy Pisto himself. The legendary Thomas Murphy joins me today from E2G Sports. Thank you for coming to me in friendship. Bun Murphy. Thank you for having me back, Michael. It's getting to be a habit. Absolutely.

Starting point is 00:01:57 But a habit we like though. It's a habit we don't want to break. And it's a good one. And I know all of our listeners are always excited anytime you join here on the microphone. I love it. And that's simply the and it's a good one. And I know all of our listeners are always excited any time you join here on the microphone. I love it, and that's simply the way it's going to be. And of course, today, folks, please remember that today's episode is brought to you by our good

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Starting point is 00:02:30 and thank you all for submitting some great questions over the weekend. Special shout out and always the tip of the cap to all of you everydayers out there. Those of you who make Lockdown Victory, it's possible. We couldn't do the show without you. Honored and humbled by your support as always.

Starting point is 00:02:45 And Murph, before we dive headfirst into this mailbag, which was a robust one, a very good one over the weekend. We got some questions from YouTube. We got them from Twitter. Always good to get that mix. We kind of Newmaned it this week. We skimmed a little off the top. You know, it was raining and Newman doesn't want to work in the rain, Murph. So we kind of followed his example.

Starting point is 00:03:07 But it was raining linemen yesterday in Foxborough, particularly the England Patriots acquiring not one but two offensive tackles. Early on on Sunday, making the trade with the Cleveland Browns, sending a guy that we've talked about a lot here on Locked On Patriots, Pierre Strong Jr. going over to the Cleveland Browns sending a guy that we've talked about a lot here on Locked On Patriots, Pierre Strong Jr. going over to the Cleveland Browns, coming back Tyrone Wheatley Jr., offensive tackle on the Browns, formerly with the Bears, straight-up trade there. And then later in the day, Patriots pulling the trigger on a trade

Starting point is 00:03:39 that sent a sixth-round pick over to the Minnesota Vikings for Darian Lowe. So let's start with the two moves that the Patriots used to acquire the 2-0 lineman. We're going to get to the strong effect and impact that it's going to have on the running back or in just a moment, folks, so stay tuned for that. But I thought we'd start by talking about what this means, particularly what this means for the offensive line. And these are two guys that don't have a robust pro-level resume, without any question. Wheatley has not suited up for an NFL regular season game. And, you know, you're dealing with a very limited 33-snap sample size for Verderian Lowe. So you're obviously dealing with potential instead

Starting point is 00:04:25 of balance murph when you look at these two deals is there one that you like better than the other who has a chance to make a bigger impact here in the wind um i don't know if there's one that i like better than the other wheatley is uh i think a much better run blocker right now and he will probably slip it is probably your your second or third best run blocker uh personally i like the uh the deal that that i had with cleveland much better that we talked about last week um you know so right team wrong player how many times have we done that when we're doing draft coverage or something yep you got the right team, got the right spot, but the wrong player. But I like Wheatley. He's huge, a massive man, six foot six. But he was an undrafted free agent.

Starting point is 00:05:20 He's a guy that had switched over from tight end to offensive tackle. So there we go, jumping right in there with the jumbo packages that we've been talking about all these many, many weeks. So, yeah, I think that the Wheatley move is probably the one that I am more comfortable with. Yeah, I think in terms of Wheatley, you're looking at a work in progress when it comes to pass protection. And I think you're looking at a pro level ready talent when it comes to run blocking and a tip of the cap to evan lazaro patriots.com who i thought articulated this very well on uh twitter or the bird app or again folks you know we're calling it twitter but whatever you're calling x zero zero send your residual checks directly to murph for that one folks he's the one that came up with it um But you're looking at a guy that I think has the ability to be a good pass protector. So far in the preseason, limited sample size, but four rounds,

Starting point is 00:06:14 surrendered just three pressures, only one hit and two hurries, and 66 pass-blocking snaps. There's some issues with his posture. Of course, when you look at that it can lead folks to some inconsistencies with positioning and for that reason i think he's going to be an ongoing project here but where you look at the run blocking and this is where also i want to give another tip of the cap folks taylor kyle's of clns media articulated this well showing some clips uh this kid is i think ready to go from day one as a run blocker he can identify

Starting point is 00:06:46 the position of the defensive lineman or the linebacker whoever happens to be matched up with and he's got a very good eye to be able to do that if he does that at the snap point which is where he does it at his best he uses his size and very good foot speed for a guy his size to effectively wall off that opposing defender so these are the things that I'm sure Bill Belichick saw in Tyrone Wheatley. I'm sure these are the things that Patriots fans are going to like about him. But again, these are young players. These are inexperienced players. And you have to be very patient when it comes to the contributions

Starting point is 00:07:22 that these guys are going to make. But we say that tongue-in-cheek, Murph, because there really hasn't been a whole lot of patience when it comes to the Patriots trying to rebuild this roster and what they left on the cutting room floor when it comes to offensive linemen in the draft and they didn't do enough in free agency. Getting ahead of myself here, Murph. We're going to go back to that in just a moment. But I want to talk a little bit about Verderian Lowe as well.

Starting point is 00:07:48 You know a great deal about these round men that we love to talk about here. What are the Patriots getting in this game? Right. Just because I said I like the Wheatley move better doesn't mean I don't like the Lowe move. You know, he was taken in the sixth round. I'm really not sure why the Vikings chose to move on from this kid at this particular time. You know, for a sixth-round pick, I'm happy. Lowe has a lot of the traits that you can't really – that aren't teachable.

Starting point is 00:08:14 He has size, okay? He has speed. I like his footwork an awful lot. You know, his Illinois tape showed me that he has all these things. He's super athletic, gets to the second level, and plays to the whistle on every single down. All right, I like this kid. Whether or not he's going to make the 53 or not,

Starting point is 00:08:36 or somebody that could get pushed to the practice squad, I'm really not sure at this point in time. I'm not sure who I would bump off. It's probably somebody that keeps getting banged up. Yeah, without question, folks. And I know we're going to talk about injuries and inconsistencies along the offensive line, the existing offensive linemen on this team in just a moment. But to echo what you said about Lowe, the left side is clearly where he's been comfortable all this time. So if you're looking at Lowe as being someone that can come in and challenge for that starting spot on the right,

Starting point is 00:09:11 I can tell you there's a chance, but there's a Lloyd Christmas chance, folks. It's not a great one because I think the Patriots are looking at Lowe as a potential swing option that can play a reserve role on either side. Because in 49 games at left tackle in Illinois, he really made his mark. That's really where he's at his best. Took 33 snaps at the position last year for the Vikings, but 129 at left tackle this preseason. That tells me an awful lot about where the Vikings thought that he was. And my good friend and colleague Luke Braun here on Locked On Vikings

Starting point is 00:09:43 said over the weekend that he was surprised Lowe was included in a trade with the Vikings. He believed that Lowe had won that reserve tackle swing spot for the Vikings. And he feels that's one of the reasons why the Patriots were able to swoop in and get him. They offered a substantial return. I know a sixth rounder doesn't seem like too much, folks. But believe me when I tell you, it is a return for a guy like that. And I think that Minnesota looked at it and said, this is the best option we have.

Starting point is 00:10:12 We've got a lot of depth at this position. We're going to take the draft pick when we can. But another massive human being, 6'6", 320. Hard to envision a scenario where this guy gets easily passed by on a block, folks, with the wingspan that he has, very reminiscent of a Michael Awainu. So not skill-wise, folks. I'm talking size and wingspan-wise. So in the final analysis, I think these are two developmental players

Starting point is 00:10:35 that could really help to fortify this offensive line. But am I incorrect in saying that not a major needle mover either way here? You're not. You're not. This really doesn't move the needle. It doesn't put me into a much better mindset when it comes to the depth that is here. Like I said, I like the deal that I had going with Cleveland a lot more. There's still guys out there that are free agents that we've talked

Starting point is 00:11:07 about ad nauseum here, and I don't know why nobody's listening. But no, like I said, it doesn't put me at ease. I don't sleep better at night knowing that these two men are in Patriots uniforms. Yeah, without question, folks. And you know what? Bottom line, the Patriots are trying to stockpile arms in an offensive line that has struggled throughout training camp and throughout the preseason. Have the Patriots done enough to address their problems along this line? Well, some people will tell you that the problems along this line started long before players started getting injured in training camp.

Starting point is 00:11:41 One of our listeners submitted a question here on Mailbag Monday that starts with Trent Brown and ends with, when this all may come falling down? Yeah, I know it sounds ominous, folks, but stick around to find out what I mean by that and my response to that question when we open up the Lockdown Patriots Mailbag right here on the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team, every day. Lockdown listeners, August is here, and you know what that means. The official start of Fantasy Football Drafting Month. Get championship ready for your home league by trying out Best Ball on Underdog Fantasy,

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Starting point is 00:13:18 And joining me today is the legendary Connor Murphy Fisto himself, Thomas Murphy of E2G Sports, to break down anything and everything related to Patriots roster moves. And, Murph, the major moves over the weekend were to the offensive line. I know the Patriots jettisoned a few practice squad regulars, Scotty Washington being one of the notables that unfortunately will not be taking snaps in New England unless he's back on the practice squad, folks. That's a distinct possibility.

Starting point is 00:13:46 But bottom line, the Patriots are starting to jettison these guys early. But they did bring in two offensive linemen. We talked a little bit in the previous segment about Tyrone Wheatley, about Berdarian Lowe. But there are still problems that go beyond these two new players. They didn't magically fix the wrongs that are currently existing along this line. Cole Strange is still a little banged up. Michael Wainu has yet to take a meaningful snap since getting injured back in January against the Buffalo Bills.

Starting point is 00:14:16 You also have Trent Brown, who's had his health issues recently, and a veritable turnstile right now when it comes to the right tackle position. Murph, based on all of that, a good friend of ours, a longtime supporter of the show, and a good YouTube viewer that consistently gives us a lot of views, and we appreciate that, my friend, submitted today's question to open up a Lockdown Patriots mailbag. And it's Lukasik, I think I'm saying that right, I apologize, but that's L-U-K-a-s-i-k 1979 and luke wants to know i know we haven't seen much in regards to the starters on the o-line but

Starting point is 00:14:55 isn't brown meaning trent brown folks injury prone and what are they going to do when it crumbles now folks that does sound a little on the ominous side, talking about the O-line crumbling down. I understand the concern, and I'm not blaming him for the rhetoric that he's chosen, but Murph and I are going to try to talk all of you off the ledge a little bit and tell you that London Bridge is not, in fact, falling down. But, Murph, it is right now, it's teetering on the brink. Let's put it that way.

Starting point is 00:15:24 When you look at this offensive line, what continues to be the biggest problem in your estimation, even in the wake of acquiring guys like Wheatley and Lowe to try to shore up some of the problems we've got here? It's the fact that these starters haven't played together. That's it. That's the problem, okay? It's health going into this season

Starting point is 00:15:46 and the fact that these guys have not taken meaningful snaps even in a practice or joint practice or anything of the such at the same time we've talked about continuity time and time again we talked about seeing um everything through the same set of eyes. Okay. And they have those same set, those five sets of eyes that need to be one have not been together at all. And that's the issue. That's the problem. Lucas is not even a glass half full kind of guy here. It's a quarter of the way full.

Starting point is 00:16:23 It's three quarters empty, according to him. I'm not of the hope that this is going to be a problem throughout the season. They're getting guys healthy now, okay? They're taking their time when doing it. Yeah, you could be out there today, but let's give it another couple of days and just make sure that you're not going to re-aggravate anything before the opener. I think these guys are going to be together for the opener.

Starting point is 00:16:47 Everybody's going to be as close to 100% as you possibly can be, and then we'll go on from there. If it crumbles, if it breaks down, if this is like the walls of Jericho and they're going to freaking come tumbling now, then they'll do what any team in the NFL would end up having to do. And that's punt. OK, because there's just no depth at the positions in the league right now. It's just not there. Yeah, we certainly hope that's not going to be the case, folks, and that the Patriots would have to punt in a situation like that.

Starting point is 00:17:30 But Bill Belichick alluded to this when he spoke with reporters via video conference on Monday morning. And he said the depth is so important at every position on your roster. You never know when you're going to need it. What we did was acquire insurance policies on Sunday, meaning guys like Lowe and guys like but ultimately what you need to do is stock your offensive line with enough talent where guys go down you can put someone in that's going to be able to competently help keep the ship in the right direction until the main guy gets back in the lineup and that's what we're looking for right now that's what you believe that we're going to have happen I hope so

Starting point is 00:18:01 yeah it really is it's nice to know that Bill is watching the show even if he's not looking at me. He's not listening to me. He went to Cleveland and he went shopping there, so he must have seen something going on. But no, it is. It's to the

Starting point is 00:18:18 point that we've got to realize that what we've seen this preseason is the worst case scenario. Okay. It's ground zero at Hiroshima. All right. But that bomb hasn't dropped.

Starting point is 00:18:35 Okay. We're just working out, you know, with who we have here. Be glad that these guys are getting some meaningful reps and wait for the starters to get in there hopefully there's enough time that they can all get on the same page and i'll start looking through that same set of eyes before week one because they've got their work cut out for them week one absolutely they really and truly do and one of those things that you need to face a team like philadelphia or really folks any team in the the NFL when it comes right down to it is teamwork and communication. And Murph has said so many times right here on Locked On Patriots,

Starting point is 00:19:12 articulated it so well, especially on the offensive line. That is key, and that is vital. And when you talk about the five main ingredients of your offensive line, not seeing time together on the field in the preseason, that's a problem. You're going to continue to have problems in that regard. And look, for all the people, for all those that think that the Patriots have hid their head in the sand when it comes to acquiring new talent or going out and bringing guys in that can succeed, the Patriots are well aware of this. That's why they're making those folks. You've got Connor McDermott and Riley Rafe right now that are banged up.

Starting point is 00:19:47 We don't know what their injury status is going to be. You've got Calvin Anderson, who's been on the non-football injury list. We asked Bill about Calvin. He was asked about him on WEI before we spoke with him, and the response was the same. We'll see. We don't know right now. Siddy So has shown signs of potential, but he's a rookie,

Starting point is 00:20:06 and he's showing rookie pains, and he's also dealing with having to switch positions as well. And that's been a real double negative for City. Kids working. The kids out there working. And it is not easy. Believe me, folks. You know, to pull somebody from the inside

Starting point is 00:20:20 and push them to the outside like that is no small no, no small feat. You know, Mike, the way you did it, you know, for a little while when, when he first came, he's a guard. And right now it's the point where, what do you want to make weaker? Do you want to make two spots weaker or one spot weaker and have somebody on the other side of so to, to maybe compensate a little bit. And I think that's the way that bill's going to end up going yeah without any questions so folks when you look at what the

Starting point is 00:20:50 patriots are doing there are i think they are making their best effort to try to fix a problem that they know is a problem and that they created bill created it i'm not i'm not sugarcoating anything i'm not i'm not i'm not a Bill Belichick stan that says he never makes anything. There were moves that could have been made in free agency, and he could have went in and had this excellent draft anyway. The money was there, and he could have done it. And I'm still aggravated about it. I'm a little green right here.

Starting point is 00:21:20 You see this? Right there, it's a little green. Well, that leads me very nicely into my final question for you on the subject before we take leave of the offensive lineman talk a little running backs folks because that trade impacted the patriots running backs as well folks but what in your estimation was the biggest efficiency in the patriots offseason approach to the old line did they misfire when it came to drafting an old lineman this was This was a tough class, especially a tackle, or was this a free agency situation where they could have done a lot better

Starting point is 00:21:49 than they did? It's a free agency situation. It really is. It was a very deep – it was billed as a very deep offensive tackle draft. I don't think it was as deep as a lot of people are making it out to be. There was first-round talent out there that you could plug in and play, but who are you giving up in the first round? Are you giving up Gonzalez for one of these? I'm not.

Starting point is 00:22:21 You've already got people getting on Bill for trading down and not taking the offensive tackle and letting him go to Pittsburgh and, you know, just to screw over the Jets. He didn't do it just to screw over the Jets. He knew that he could make this move, pick up something else, and still get the, you know, what a lot of people thought is the best shut-down corner in this draft. And I was one of those people. But no, you get out of the second round and you're not finding year one contributors.

Starting point is 00:22:53 Maybe a guy that could plug in for a few few downs, but it's not starting material. The mistake was made at free agency. The mistake was made with the closing of the purse strings. OK, with them being locked up. The mistake was made at free agency. The mistake was made with the closing of the purse strings, okay, with them being locked up. These guys got paid and, in my estimation, got overpaid. But sometimes for this position, you have to do it. You have to have those tackles.

Starting point is 00:23:17 And Bill did not go out and do that. And right now, they're trying to piece together, you know, a competent offensive line behind a very competent offensive line because believe me folks when I say this when these guys are healthy I think this is the best offensive line in the AFC East and I think a lot of people may raise an eyebrow when it comes to that folks but what Murph is coming at here and I think he's actually right on the money Michael Wayne Wainu is unarguably, in my opinion, one of the better offensive linemen in this company right now. Not just in the AFC East, not just the AFC,

Starting point is 00:23:54 but yeah, I would say that in Murph. I would say in the league right now when he's healthy and he's locked in. Trent Brown has the type of talent to be at that level as well, folks. Trent seems to be locked in. We're hearing the right things from him. Hopefully that will continue into this season. They need him healthy, and he has to stay healthy, and that's been a problem for him.

Starting point is 00:24:12 But if he can, this is a unit right now that boasts some very big, very athletic linemen. Cole Strange is capable of playing at a very high level, and then you're talking about David Andrews in the middle, one of the better centers. You'll find four fifthfifths of this line could end up being Pro Bowl players. Not all pros, but Pro Bowl players.

Starting point is 00:24:33 And you show me another offensive line in this division that boasts that. Yeah, and I think in a lot of ways, folks, it really needs to, or what we really need to see as Patriots fans, as members of the media, as anyone who's observing this team, you need to see that main line together before you can really adequately judge exactly how good or how bad this line is going to be. So until that happens, we are at a disadvantage. But as Bill Belichick says, and he said it numerous times on Monday morning, we'll see how it goes. Really all we can do at this point. But the trades that happened over the weekend, Bud, did not just change the complexity of the offensive line positional grouping.

Starting point is 00:25:14 The running backs now look a little different. They're down by one guy, and that one guy is someone Murph and I had a whole lot of praise to keep over here on Locked On Patriots throughout the past year and a half, and that is Pierre Strong Jr. He's going to be running now in Cleveland. What does it mean for the rest of the guys on this roster? And is one better suited among the rest to now make the 53

Starting point is 00:25:35 man roster as that number three running back? Murph and I are going to delve into that subject and more when we continue right here on the Locked On Patriots podcast, a proud part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Every day. Lockdown listeners, buying tickets to your favorite events should not be stressful.

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Starting point is 00:27:11 Thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage and also your first listen every day. Folks, a special treat for you tomorrow here on Locked On Patriots. Author and journalist Dave Archibald wrote a new work that he's working on, scheduled to come out this Friday, September 1st on Amazon. It's called the inches we need. And you can catch an excerpt of that on the inches. We need.com. Dave joins me here tomorrow to talk about all things,

Starting point is 00:27:35 including team building and how appropriate on a day where team building is going to be the most popular subject in the NFL universe. Don't miss tomorrow's episode of locked on patriot free and available wherever you get your podcasts and of course today here on hashtag mailbag monday the legend himself thomas murphy of e2g sports already dropping all kinds of wisdom and counsel when it comes to the offensive line and the new tackles that the patriots have brought in by a trade but murph one thing that this trade did was it forced us to say goodbye to a player that you and I both had a pretty good amount of affection for, and that is Pierre Strong Jr.

Starting point is 00:28:14 Fastly running back to run in the combine in 2022, came in here with an awful lot of expectation, but unfortunately just a victim of the numbers crunch and a victim of the Patriots' need at offensive line. First off, before we get into how this trade is going to impact the rest of the running backs on the roster, what are the Patriots missing this year by not having Pierre Strong in this back? Well, they're missing somebody that can get to the outside and bust past that edge or another person that can do that.

Starting point is 00:28:47 One of the reasons that this move was made was because Pierre Strong is an outside gap kind of runner. And that fit in with what the guys were trying to do last year, which failed miserably on many, many a level. And he really had a lot of trouble running up in between the tackles, okay, especially picking things up this year under Bill O'Brien and what Bill O'Brien wants to do. You saw it in practice. You saw it in the preseason games. It was really difficult for him to switch up and find that. Now, you could blame that on the offensive line, if you want.

Starting point is 00:29:28 But Bill needed to move a piece that he really wasn't sure was going to make the 53-man roster at the end. And he was the guy that was teetering on that side, and he could still use to bring somebody in. Now, what, what it means for, for the, the running backs room is of course, where Mondray is, is, you know, right there at the top. Zeke is in, in behind them. I wish we had seen a little bit more of him, but what JJ Taylor was able to do on Friday night really solidified his, his position and allowed Bill to move on from strong.

Starting point is 00:30:08 Yeah, I'm glad that you mentioned J.J. because he has been a common casualty on a lot of 53-man roster predictions. I'll admit that just shortly before the trade came out, early on Sunday morning, I published my third and final 53-man roster prediction, and Pierre was the third running back on my squad. And unfortunately, it meant JJ was going to be on the cutting room floor. And a lot of people are wondering, well, how does this affect the room now? Now who ascends to that next level? Well, we've got a question regarding that, exactly from a longtime supporter, longtime

Starting point is 00:30:40 listener, longtime viewer here on Locked On Patriots. I would consider this man an everydayer. And this is Tucker Roscon, Brave Boy 12. You can find him on the Bird app at Tucker Roscon. And he wants to know, now that Pierre Strong has been traded, do you think we keep J.J. Taylor or Kevin Harris? I think Harris because he's probably the better pass blocker. Well, Merce already tipped his hand here,

Starting point is 00:31:03 but I want to get your thoughts on Tucker's insight on Kevin Harris. Does Kevin's ability as a blocker allow him to maybe latch on and get that fourth spot? Is that going to tie Montgomery, or are the Patriots only going to carry three here? No, I think the Patriots carry four. I really do. And yeah, he is the better blocker. But, you know, Ezekiel Elliott is that much better of a blocker than he is. All right. So that's that's where those touches are going. I really do. I think for whatever reason, you know, Ty Montgomery keeps hanging around and hanging around. The guy gets got alligator blood, you know.

Starting point is 00:31:45 And quite honestly, you know, the man hasn't done anything since 2018. All right? And we're sitting here, and every year there's another injury, and there's another injury. So I think it's going to come down to his health as to whether or not who that fourth running back is going to be. And I do think that Kevin Harris is somebody, you know, make it to the practice squad.

Starting point is 00:32:13 And right now, if you cut Ty Montgomery, the Saints would come marching in. They would want him back. They really would. They would want him back. Or somebody else would take a flyer and see if he can stay healthy and stay on the field. Because that's how good he can be. It's just the fact that he's been banged up so much since that 2018 season,

Starting point is 00:32:36 2019 season, that he hasn't been able to get back and stay on the field. So, yeah, no, I think they're going to keep four. It's going to be of course from andre zeke is is safe you know and i think it's jj taylor and time montgomery yeah i would agree with you uh i do think that there is a reason why time montgomery is on this roster or will remain on this roster i joined our good friends uh 92 not ticket up in bangor and maine on morning to talk a little roster predictions, and I was asked about Ty Montgomery and why I

Starting point is 00:33:08 continue to allow him the space on my 53-man roster predictions. I didn't have him off on one of them, and I can tell you from people that I've spoken to close to the organization, there is an affection for the Patriots for Ty Montgomery because of what he can do. He can be

Starting point is 00:33:23 a backfield receiver and play a notable role there. He can carry when you need to on early downs. That's not his main game, but he can do it. Also, the Patriots were giving him looks as a third Z receiver off the line. Thank you. Before he got injured. This gives you another dimension for the New England Patriots. And as much as I love the addition of Ezekiel Elliott, he'll catch a pass into it.

Starting point is 00:33:45 I'm not going to give him that type of prowess from the running back position. You want separation? Exactly. And Montgomery can do it. And I think J.J. Taylor showing that he can be that change of pace back that can really disrupt a lot, showed them a lot. He's also shown that he can get up in between the tackles. He's patient enough to sit there on a giant lineman's backside and wait for a hole to open up and then hit it in third gear and go out there and get you that five yards that you need. This kid has grown every single year, and Bill Belichick himself has said it.

Starting point is 00:34:21 He likes him. He likes his moxie, for lack of a better New England term. And, you know, I think this is the year that he ends up sticking. Yeah, and I think you're right on that. And, look, bottom line, if you're wondering, folks, why Taylor and not Strong, similar skill sets, but I think it's a schematic fit. It's the Zeke factor. Yeah, it's a better schematic fit for Taylor here in New England than Strong was.

Starting point is 00:34:47 I think Strong is poised for a good opportunity in Cleveland, running behind Nick Chubb. I think that's going to give him opportunities, and I think that system is very well suited for his strength. So, folks, it's hard to see Pierre Strong succeeding this year. Don't be angry at this one because I just don't think it was work here in New England. I think it will be in Cleveland, and I wish him all the best. I think this kid's got a great work ethic.

Starting point is 00:35:10 I've enjoyed covering him. He does. He does. He does. He does. He does. He does. He does.

Starting point is 00:35:12 He does. He does. He does. He does. He does. He does. He does. He does.

Starting point is 00:35:17 He does. He does. He does. He does. want to keep him around here. Hopefully he can make it through. If they get him back, I think he can be a free call-up. I think he will. Murph, what can I say? It's always an honor and always a blast to open up the Monday

Starting point is 00:35:34 mailbag with you, my friend. Hashtag Mailbag Monday would not be anything without hashtag Locked on Murph Monday. They are the same to quote the freshman, and that's something that I think we're all looking forward to in subsequent weeks. Folks, regular season's coming up.

Starting point is 00:35:49 Hashtag Mailbag Monday's not going anywhere. Get your questions in because we're going to incorporate the mailbag aspect into our Monday coverage. So you're going to be a part of this coverage. You're going to be a part of our post-game analysis. We can't wait for you all

Starting point is 00:36:05 to join us here on the ride that is Locked On Patriots. And Murph, you've been the co-pilot on this ride for so long now, my friend. And you steer the ship a lot of times when I fall asleep at the wheel. So, thank you for always being here. Before I let you go, bud, please let everyone know

Starting point is 00:36:21 where they can reach out to you and what they can expect in this coming week from the great Penn, the great voice of Thomas. Well, of course, I'll have a couple of Patriots articles up this week. Everything that's happening or not happening at Fenway Park. You can check that out. Just follow me on the on the Zitter app at Team Earth 207. And before I go, I've got to say happy anniversary, Michael. Happy anniversary.

Starting point is 00:36:47 Four years here at Locked On. I hope I got that right. Four years? Four years. Unbelievable. Unbelievable. I was lapsed in that last week, and it's just been a fantastic four years. Thank you for making me a part of it.

Starting point is 00:37:02 Well, thank you for being one of the reasons Lockdown Patriots is an everyday listen for so many of you everydays out there. Murph is part of the Lockdown familia, and I really hold you in such high regard, my friend, and people like you, Steve Balistrieri, Claire Cooper,

Starting point is 00:37:20 Mark Schofield, Tanya Ray Fox, Tats Cat, Miguel Benzon, all of you regulars here on Locked On Patriots that help to make my job easier each and every day truly is a remarkable thing. And I'm so honored and so humbled to call you friends and colleagues. But most of all, folks, all of you everydayers

Starting point is 00:37:37 have made this job possible for me. It's not often that someone gets to live their dream of covering a team they grew up idolizing as a child. I have been able to do that thanks to great colleagues here at the Lockdown Podcast Network, the special tip of the cap, and a nod to the gods to David Locke and Ross Jackson, who give us such great direction and our jobs possible each and every day. So thank you all for everything. I am now the longest tenured Locked On Patriots host. I say that with great pride

Starting point is 00:38:06 because those who held this chair before me are some of the best in the business. People like Jeff Howe of The Athletic and Mark Schofield of SB Nation truly set a table that I still try to get right each and every day in their honor. I haven't got there yet, folks, but I will with all of your help and with great

Starting point is 00:38:22 co-pilots like Murph by my side. It's a fun ride, and I hope you continue to join me here each and every day on Locked On Patriots. We're not perfect, but we will take criticism, we will listen to you, and we will try to give you the best possible show we can each and every day, and that is a dedication, a promise that I make to each and every one of you. So, Murph, thank you for the kind words. Definitely are appreciated, every one of you. So, Murph, thank you for the kind words. Definitely are appreciated, and so are you.

Starting point is 00:38:49 All of your contributions to Locked On Patriots, all of you everydayers out there, is truly something that I will always treasure in my heart forever. On that note, bud, we continue our coverage tomorrow, and don't forget, Dave Archibald will join me here to have the very latest on roster cutdowns. Who knows? We might even bring the big man right here back for a little final roster thoughts. It's going to be a fun week, bud.

Starting point is 00:39:11 So stick around. Stay locked in to the Locked On Patriots podcast. In the meantime, continue to stay safe and to stay well and to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone, and we'll see you back here again tomorrow on Locked on Patriots.

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Wheatley, Lowe ‘ A Tale of Two Tackles,’ Running Backs and More: Mailbag

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