Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Why and When Drake May Should Start at QB; Strength of Schedule, David Andrews

Episode Date: May 19, 2024

While many believed a potential mid-season bye week could be the proper time to finally hand the reins of the New England Patriots offense to rookie quarterback Drake Maye, the placement of the team��s bye at Week 14 could act as an impediment to such plans. Host Mike D’Abate welcomes Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com to discuss why Maye should start when ready. The duo also discuss the Pats strength of schedule and the extension of David Andrews. #nfl #patriots Find and follow Locked On Patriots on your favorite podcast platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFm...Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-...And follow host Mike D’Abate on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the New England Patriots and talking with fans — @mdabateNFLSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!eBay MotorsFor parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit at eBayMotors.com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms Apply.FanDuelFanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook. Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning GUARANTEED That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – with any winning FIVE DOLLAR BET! 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)

Does the 2024 NFL schedule make it more or less likely that we'll see New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake May early in the season? In the words of the departed Sergeant Dignam, maybe, maybe not. Maybe stick around. You're about to be locked in to the Locked On Patriots podcast. You are Locked On Patriots, daily new england patriots podcast part of the locked on podcast network your team every day hello to all of you foxborough faithful and thank you once again for making locked on patriots a daily part of your new eng Patriots coverage. Remember, Locked on Patriots is not only a proud part

of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day, but we are also free and available on all platforms, including YouTube. So smash that subscribe button, download and follow Locked on Patriots wherever you get your podcasts to ensure you're getting the latest episode as soon as it's available. I'm your host, Mike DeBate. I cover your New England Patriots for the Patriots country. So be sure to reach out to me and let me know what's on your mind on X at MDABATENFL.

And while you're out there showing some social media love to Locked On Patriots, follow our account there as well at LO underscore Patriots. And Pats fans, today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Make every moment more. Right now, new customers get $150 in bonus bets with any winning $5 bet. That's $150 with any winning $5 bet. Visit FanDuel.com slash LockedOn to get started. And Pats fans, most of you in Patriots Nation, believe that Drake May,

the phenom rookie quarterback that the New England Patriots selected with the number three overall selection in last month's NFL draft, might be getting a start. Well, the placement of the team's break, or bye week we should say, at week 14 could end up acting as an impediment to those plans. Murph and I talked about this a little bit earlier this week. We discussed the when. Well, today we're going to discuss the why. And when you need that kind of reason, you go to your resident voice of reason. That's right.

My good friend and Patriots bison, columnist extraordinaire of Patsfans.com, and, of course, the co-host of another amazing Patriots podcast, Patriots 4th and 2, alongside the great Derek Avins. He is Steve Balistrieri. Steve, thank you for joining me here today on Locked on Patriots, and welcome back, as always, by Zond. Hey, you know, every day it gets a little closer to real football stuff. I love coming on.

By the way, I love that opening. Maybe, maybe not. I see what you did there. Yeah, I tried to, and I also tried to keep it family-oriented because we are a family show here on Locked On, Patriots. Those of you that have seen The Departed know that Mark Wahlberg's choice of words and mine differed slightly, but you get the point. Thank you.

I appreciate the shout-out on that. Bottom line, Steve, schedule releases are always fun, but what it did was, I think, put into perspective a lot for Patriots fans. First of all, this is going to be a very tough schedule. New England has three instances in which they're playing back-to-back road games. According to our good friend Bill Sparrows over at Boston Herald, they are going to be traveling in excess of 25,000 miles and across 26 time zones throughout the NFL season. A lot of traveling, but the question on everybody's mind, Steve, is

when are we going to see Drake May take his first snaps as Patriots quarterback in a meaningful setting, meaning in a regular season game? Most people believe that Jacoby Brissett will get the start to begin the season. A lot of people are looking at Drake's footwork. They're looking at his penchant to kind of push the big play all the time. They're looking at some of the issues that he's had with pressure to sacks and that ratio and saying it's a little bit too much to clean up in just the next few weeks in training camp and in the preseason. Patriots are going to need to take their time with him. So if Jacoby does indeed get the start, you're probably looking at at least a few games for the veteran to be the Patriots main man. But Murph and I talked about this a little bit earlier this week, and that we're both in

agreement that at some point you're going to see Drake May start as the Patriots quarterback. I don't think you take someone at number three and sit him for the entire season. Now, again, folks, we could be wrong, but that's just our gut reaction. The week 14 bye seems awful late to put a kid in if you had 13 other starts being made by another quarterback, and then you expect him to come in and showcase his talents on just the final four games of the season so Steve when you look at the schedule when you look at the progress that Drake needs to make instead of answering the question that a lot of people are asking is when Drake May should be in there why do you believe that the Patriots should either wait a little bit or accelerate a little bit when it

comes to Drake Mays timetable for getting out on the field? Well, I think you don't want to put him out until he's ready and he's ready to run the offense. And you know, that timeline could be anywhere in between those, as you pointed out. I mean, will it be week one? I tend to doubt it because they don't want to rush him into things. But, you know, if he's showing, you know, through training camp and preseason that he's picking things up, you know, at a very fast rate, it could be sooner rather than later. But I don't think there's any rush to push him in there because they got, uh, Jacoby Brissett for exactly that reason.

And, you know, uh, I, uh, spoke with Derek Havens the earlier this week, and we were talking about Brissett and I said, you know, Jacoby's been kind of like a fireman everywhere he's gone, you know, as a rookie with the Patriots, he started two games because of the Brady suspension, and then Jimmy G getting hurt. Then they traded him to Indy because of Andrew Luck's retirement. Everywhere he's gone, he's put out fires. He's a really steadying influence with the players in the locker room and his teammates. I mean, is he an all pro and going to lead you to the promised land? No, but he, for what he is,

and I just think he's a Brian Hoyer, who's a much better on the field player. I agree with you in all aspects of that. Jacoby is definitely someone that has come in and is very capable of being able to lead a team in uncertain times. I love the analogy to the fireman because I think that really is at. You want to talk about someone that comes in and puts out fires, it is Jacoby Brissett. And not only is he putting out fires for all pro quarterbacks like Andrew Luck and Tom Brady, He's putting them out even last season for guys like Sam Howell coming in, coming into Cleveland where there's uncertainty about who's going to be their quarterback and does a phenomenal job working under Alex Van Pelt. And I think that relationship is definitely something to keep an eye on. He's a guy that

Alex trusts implicitly and vice versa, Jacoby trusts him. So there's going to be an awful lot of mutual respect there. And someone that Alex can use as an example for Drake and say, this is how Jacoby's doing this. Watch him, watch his mechanics, watch his mannerisms, watch how he handles the pressure. This can be a very good learning experience. And look, Jacoby alluded to this when we spoke with him on Thursday at Gillette Stadium, and he said, you know, Drake is already showing an awful lot of initiative. He's texting him. What do you think about this play?

Where should I be? What should I be doing? You're already seeing a budding relationship growing there that really, I think, takes on a new dimension that we haven't seen in a couple of years here, where an older quarterback is willing and is eager to help the younger generation and help this kid develop into what he needs to be say what you will about Mac Jones and Bailey Zappi there was so much competition between the two of them I don't think it allowed them to forge a relationship that you need between backup and starter even if you're competing with each other to get that job when camp breaks you have to get

on the same page and that's something that i do believe jacoby brissett and drake may will have and i don't think will be an issue it has been an issue here the last couple of years and you need to understand and and fans will see that there is a difference it does make a difference on the field and in that locker room so So to your other point, I also think that there is a lot of merit to not rushing Drake into this starting role. He said it. Drake said it very shortly after he was drafted. He says, look, if I'm the best guy and Coach Mayo has said that the best guy is going to

play, if that's me, I'll be ready to go. If I'm not, I'm going to prepare like it, compete, learn as much as I can from the other guys, especially you mentioned Jacoby Brissett by name, and I'm going to prepare like it, compete, learn as much as I can from the other guys, especially you mentioned Jacoby Brissett by name, and I'm going to do what I have to do to do that and get ready. So you've got two players that understand their roles and I think would be comfortable with their roles no matter what they might be. My follow-up question to you is that the Patriots have found themselves in this position before. I just mentioned Mac Jones a couple of moments ago. A lot of people forget that when he was drafted number 15 overall, myself included, believed that Cam Newton would probably get the start to begin the season.

Mac came in, won the job. The Patriots at that point went with the new quarterback. A lot of people believe that was a bad decision, that they rushed Mac into things. He still had a very good rookie season he really did uh his best season as a Patriot came as a rookie so in that vein do you think what happened with Mack will cause the Patriots to maybe use a little more temperance when dealing with Drake or should they not really concern themselves with what happened in the past should they just be worried about how Jacoby and Drake look on the field independent of anything they've seen before?

Yeah, that's a great question, by the way. I think, you know, just my opinion on this, I think that they're going to look at what happened and say that happened then. There was different variables, and say that happened then there was different variables different factors that happened um you know i i think that you know like you and it was obvious mac was a very different quarterback his rookie season than he was the last couple of years and you know a lot of that had to do with josh mcdaniels and you know but the supporting cast around him you know, a lot of that had to do with Josh McDaniels and, you know, but the supporting cast around him, you know, I believe suffered down the last two years. And so that that had a lot to do with it.

But I think, you know, with this new coaching regime that's in place, I don't think they're going to look backwards because they are going that way. They're looking forward, you know, and so they'll play it by, Hey, you know, those teams had those players. We have a whole new cast. So we're going to go with, you know, what we have and we're not going to worry about what happened in the past. But at the same time, they're smart enough to know they, they don't want to ruin the kid's confidence right out of the gate. So that's why I think

they'll take a patient approach. And as you mentioned, you know, with the bi-week being so late in the year, um, I would think, um, you know, it, it's going to probably take at least four to six weeks before they want to throw him into the mix. A lot will depend on that and how they're doing, injuries, whatnot. One of the games I'm kind of looking at is maybe take a lot of the pressure off of him if he's ready to go and let him start in London. You know, there's no home crowd.

There's, you know, when you play in London, it's kind of like an all-star game because there's going to be teams from, or fans from all 32 teams there. That's a decent point. So I think, you know, playing so far away might be a good way to ease him in. But we'll have to see. But I really want to see him play Week 10 against the Bears, Caleb Williams and Drake May. That's kind of one of the games I've circled.

Because you have two young rookie quarterbacks. One went first overall, the other went third, to watch those guys play against each other. Yeah, I think a lot of people would love to see Caleb Williams and Drake Maylock horns and see those two go at one another in a quarterback duel, even though they don't necessarily face off with each other on the field, folks. It is an opportunity for them to get in there and to showcase what they can do. It's interesting that you brought up London because the last couple of episodes here on

Locked On Patriots, I've actually lobbied against having them use him in London, simply saying that there's enough hype going on with the game. You want to make that move. You probably should do it either the week before or the week after. You make the interesting point about it being kind of like an all-star game and playing in front of a quote-unquote neutral crowd yes the jacksonville jaguars are the designated home team but that stadium wembley is going to be filled with patriots fans as well as a big patriot following in the uk and i do believe that that would allow him to showcase his talents on the grandest stage because that will be

a nationally televised game at 9 30 in the morning uh eastern time uh i think that could be something interesting to watch so i like that i'm not sure if i necessarily agree with it yet but i think you've given me something to think about and we always love that when our resident voice of reason comes on the pod you did mention something interesting a little earlier and you talked about the strength of schedule that the Patriots have, and games may not always be pretty. How many games could possibly be unpretty for the New England Patriots? Well, Steve and I are going to talk about the strength of schedule

for your New England Patriots, and whether or not the battle testing going on is going to be a good thing for a team trying to develop, or if it could crush their confidence quicker than we thought. All this and more when this episode of the locked on patriots podcast continues a proud part of the locked on podcast network your team every day listen up boston sports fans it's winner take all time in the nba and the nhl and fan duels giving you a shot to bring home a big win of your own your favorite green team NBA playoff action do you have enough confidence in your fandom to make it work for you well if you're going to do so do it with FanDuel because right now new customers get

$150 in bonus bets with any winning $5 bet that's's $150 to bet on spreads, money lines, player props, and so much more. Visit FanDuel.com and make every playoff shot count. FanDuel, America's number one sportsbook. Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on this special edition weekend episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast. And joining me is my good friend, a columnist extraordinaire at patsfans.com, Steve Balistrieri. Our Patriots pison dropping by on a weekend to lend some wisdom, some counsel, maybe a little Sunday sauce. It's all good. We love it and we can't wait to absorb more of that. Steve, for everyone hoping that the Patriots' season slate was going to provide a little blanket of comfort,

a little bit of solace for a team that's still reeling from a 4-13 start, new regime, new executive vice president of player operations in Elliott Wolfe, new head coach in Gerard Mayo, Bill Belichick is no longer here. Tom Brady has long since walked through the doors of one Patriots place as a player. This is definitely a new era in New England, but if anybody thought that the Patriots were going to easily be able to reestablish themselves with an easier schedule, well, no, that is not the case. The Patriots are tied with both the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Las Vegas Raiders for having the eighth toughest schedule in the NFL, a.512 strength of schedule metric.

Steve, there's a lot of tough teams on this schedule, and the Patriots' travel schedule here makes it even more grueling. When you look at a team that's trying to reestablish itself, because let's face it, a lot of teams are circling the Patriots right now on a schedule and saying that's a guaranteed win. How the mighty have fallen. You never thought that was even possible just five years ago. And now here we are in New England experiencing just that. So not only is this team trying to bring itself back to respectability, but they're also trying to forge their own identity as a new Patriots team, as a new era, maybe even a new dynasty, who knows within the next few years.

When you look at a schedule like this, especially right off the bat for a rookie head coach like Gerard Mayo and a new regime, can this be helpful or could it be detrimental? And which way are you leaning toward more here? Well, I, you know, obviously it could go either way. And I'm not sitting on the fence here, but, you know, I mean, you can either sink or swim in that early. I think the first six weeks are really daunting for them. But, you know, at the same time, if you're a new head coach,

this is kind of what you want because you're going to be playing a group of teams that are all going to be contenders. And it's an early way to let your team see itself in the mirror and say, okay, we can play with these guys, but these are things we need to improve on. And regardless of the record, I don't think it's going to matter the win-loss record per se, but how they play.

If they play and get just annihilated, then that's not a good thing. If they play well and just come up a little short, that's a great teaching point. Okay, this is, you know, we're close, but we're not there yet. And I think you can play that up in the locker room with the players. And, you know, this is a learning point, similar to what the 2001 team did when they played the Rams back in November of that season. So, you know, if I'm Mayo, I don't, I don't dislike this because it's like, okay, yep. We have a whole new team.

We have a lot of new moving parts but guess what we're going to face a gauntlet early in the season and this is a way to where we can show each other how much we've improved over last year such a great point and i agree with you i think gerard mayo loves this i don't think there's anything about the schedule that he's squeamish about or that he doesn't like. You and I have been around Gerard for a number of years, both as a player and now recently as a coach. We've been in the building. We've spoken to him. He's a competitor. He's a guy that loves to go up against the best competition and not only challenge it, not only meet the competition, but beat the competition. I think Gerard is smart enough to know that he's not going to necessarily beat the man as many times as he'd like this year. But as the great Ric Flair would say, he's going to try to beat the man every single time he goes out there. And that to me

is where your words ring so true. And I think Patriots fans need to be very cognizant of the success level of this season. It's going to be about how well they play against these teams. Do the Patriots go in and give games, serious games to teams like the Miami Dolphins, the Buffalo Bills, the New York Jets, your division rivals. You want to make sure those games are close. They're hotly contested. You don't want to give those away and give the upper hand in the division to an opponent that you're going to face twice every single year. You want them to know when you come into our house or when we come into yours, we may not be able to overtake you,

but we're going to give you a fight. So you better be ready for it because if you're not, we will get the best of you. And then you look at teams where they can really, I think, give themselves a litmus test. Arizona is one of those teams. Indianapolis is one of those teams. These are franchises right now that are trying to build themselves into playoff contenders. They're not at the Super Bowl level yet. They may not even be at their own division level yet. But what they're trying to do is challenge and make a case to be a team that you have to prepare for. That's why I said earlier this week that one of the two of the more intriguing matchups that I'm looking at are the matchup before the bye and the matchup coming out of the

bye. How do the Patriots go into their bye week? Are they limping along? Do they kind of give a lackluster effort just to get to that week off? If they're doing that, you're Gerard Mayo and you see that, you know adjustments need to be made. If they're going in and they get a win or a very close game, you know they're continuing to fight late in the season. It still says the same thing coming out of the bye. That's a road game in Arizona. Are they coming out flat? Are they coming out uninspired? Are they looking

and saying, oh, we got four games left and then we get a chance to go on vacation or go play golf or whatever they want to do. then you know you've got problems. But if this team competes and fights to the very end, you know you've got something to build on. And that, to me, is where the success of this team is going to be measured, not necessarily the wins and losses, folks. I think that's where the Patriots are going to use this as a measuring stick for what they need to do moving forward.

Yeah, and, you know, that's a great point because, you know, I think the defense was very solid last year. I think it's going to be even more so this year, even though they only added really one small piece, but they're getting back a lot of guys that were hurt. And, you know, some of the younger guys still have a year under their belt and you know um so you know i i look for the defense to be very solid this year that should keep them in a lot of games similar to what last year was i mean you look how many one score games

they lost last year and that number is pretty high so if they can you know uh improve the offense and it wouldn't take much to improve it from last year right but i mean you look at the offense they added some pieces is it going to be enough to compete uh for like a division title no i don't believe so but will it make them a kind of a team that's going to be a pain to play because of that defense. And all of a sudden you could have an offense that could, you know, start hitting on some of these plays.

Yeah. I think, you know, I think this year, this is going to be a team where if you don't bring your A game against them, they can sneak up and beat you. And that's one of those pain in the butt teams that I was mentioning because they have a lot of new moving parts,

especially on the offensive side of the ball. A whole new coaching staff, all these new players. It's not going to take a heck of a lot to improve on what they did last year because they were so bad. But think how many of those one-score games were just to play here or there. You know, then their record wouldn't have been so bad. So I'm not too concerned with wins or losses this year. I just want to see them improve.

Steve, one of the ways that you want to make sure that you're always in games and always in contention and always putting the best quality product you can out there on the field is re-signing your core guys. Well, they did a very good job earlier this week of keeping one of those guys on the roster, someone we were questioning whether or not we were even going to see in uniform this year. David Andrews is not considering retirement, folks. In fact, he's going to stick around for the next couple of seasons. Patriots signing the team captain to a contract extension. What does it mean for the Patriots and what does it mean for their

development moving forward? Does keeping David Andrews around accelerate that ascent back to respectability. Steve and I are going to discuss that and more when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast wraps up right here on the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Locked On listeners, passion, drive, and patience is what brings home that winning trophy. You know what? it's also what keeps your ride or die alive our good friends over at ebay motors have everything you need to maintain your vehicle and level it up to peak performance from superchargers to roof racks to

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eBay guaranteed fit, only available to U.S. customers. Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on this weekend episode of Locked On Patriots. Talking Patriots schedule, breaking it all down from a Drake May perspective and a strength of schedule perspective. And joining me is my good friend of Patsfans.com, Steve Balistrieri. Steve, it's always interesting to speculate about what the schedule is going to do of patsfans.com, Steve Balistrieri. Steve, it's always interesting to speculate about what the schedule is going to do to the Patriots' development, what it could do to Drake May, what the strength of schedule could do to the development of a team trying to establish itself back to respectability. But one thing that is always in their control, usually, there are extenuating circumstances and exceptions to every rule but

usually it's in a team's control whether or not they want to keep their core guys in a Patriots uniform or in any respective uniform for the long haul so far this offseason the Patriots have done a very good job about keeping guys in the fold that they believe are not only vital to their future but vital to their present. You want to give an awful lot of credit to Elliot Wolfe, who in his new role now as executive vice president of player personnel, has kept guys around that are vital to this team's present as well as its future. Team captains like Hunter Henry, guys like Michael Wenu, who's now going to be in the fold for a number of years here in Foxborough, Kyle Duggar sticking around, re-signing Kendrick Bourne, signing someone like a Joshua Uche,

extending Christian Barmore, which I think was an extremely smart move for the Patriots, keeping him locked in long term. The Pats did that earlier this week by locking in a team captain, maybe the most vital team captain on this roster now that Matthew Slater has retired, and that's David Andrews. Steve, you and I have covered David since the moment he was a rookie to the time that he is nearing the end of his career, but thankfully, it doesn't look like that end will be coming this season or even next season. It looks like he's going to be here for a couple more years here in Foxborough. Base value of $12 million over the next two seasons with a maximum value of $12 million over the next two seasons with a maximum

value of $13 million and $8 million guaranteed respectively. A nice payday for a guy who truly deserves it. Not just one of the team's inspirational leaders, but one of the team's logistical leaders. This guy is as durable as they come and also one of the best locker room guys I've ever seen the Patriots employ. From a leadership standpoint, this is a no-brainer. But from an on-field standpoint as well, what does David Andrews provide for this young team, especially a young offensive line that's going to need a lot of wisdom and counsel this year in order to protect Jacoby Brissett, Drake May, or whoever is taking snaps at the quarterback position for the Pats? Well, you know, let's look at it from the lens of Drake May, right?

They have a young rookie quarterback coming in to an offensive line that was in flux last year. I think we can all – I think that's the politically correct term for it. But, you know, you have that one piece of stability there, and it's the most important guy on the offensive line, I think, because the quarterback and center have to be on the same sheet of music. That guy has to have the cadence down, you know, everything, and he sets the protections for the offensive line.

I think that it's extremely important that he stick around for at least the next year, possibly two. We'll see. I mean, that's a good sign for me that they want to keep him around for a second year. And I like it from the aspect that Andrews senses that, you know, they're going to rebuild something good, and he wants to be a part of it. So I just think, you know, this is a no-brainer.

And, you know, with other pieces on the offensive line that are, let's face it, other than aenu, I think pretty much everything else is kind of up for grabs. I know, you know, we kind of penciled in certain guys, but truly this will be a competitive training camp for the rest of the offensive line. So other than Mike Awenu and David Andrews, them other positions are up there. And that's the kind of stability they need.

They need those two guys, and especially with Brissette, who we pretty much expect to start the season. Everyone has to be on the same sheet of music, and it starts with the center and the quarterback. So I love the – like you said, Andrews is a great locker room guy. He's funny. He has a lot of respect both on and off the field. My favorite David Andrews moment, waving goodbye in Kansas City.

I think every Patriots fan loves that. Play it on a loop and continue to play it every single opportunity you get. It's not often you get to have a laugh at the expense of the defending champions, but you know what? Patriots do have some good moments against that team, and I think it would be really, really interesting if the Patriots were still the Patriots of old going up against this crew each and every year, how those matchups would shake out and who would come out on top. I think we all know here in Foxborough how it would come out, but I think it would be

an eye-opener for a lot of national pundits out there that seem to want to gravitate toward the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately argument and really take a look at how these two teams stack up. But I digress, folks. We're not going to live in the past. We're going to live in the future, and the Patriots are simply not in the league with the Kansas City Chiefs right now, but one thing that they are in terms of leadership is very well stocked, at least in my opinion. They've got a core of players here, veterans that have been battle-tested, veterans that are willing to help the next generation grow, And veterans that are still capable of getting it done at a high level on the field. David played very well last year when he was in the lineup.

And you saw the effect his absence in the lineup had on guys like Cole Strange and even Michael Luenu and these guys that needed David in the middle to be able to dictate where they needed to be, help them set up where they needed to be, and also lead them by example by the movements he was making and show them what they needed to do to succeed. This is an essential part of the Patriots' growth on the offensive line, and I'm so glad David is going to be there for it, not just now, but maybe even further into the future. Like you said, a couple

of years, the Patriots would love to keep him around. I think that's a great thing. And it's going to help with guys that are trying to gain an opportunity to win battles, whether it be the left tackle position. And we're hearing a lot about Caden Wallace and how he could be the left tackle of the Patriots this year in a positional battle, maybe with Chuck Sikora for in training camp. Cole Strange trying to come back and establish himself in Alex Van Pelt's offense, an offense that I believe he's much more capable of succeeding in than what we saw the last couple of years here in New England. Leighton Robinson could give him some competition there as well.

So a lot going on on the left side. Right side I think is pretty well set with City So and Michael Wendell over on the right tackle position. But David being the solid presence of the man in the middle is truly remarkable. And the other thing about it is David's been battle-tested in tough seasons as well. He succeeded at the highest level with the Patriots, but he's seen them at the lowest of the lows. And that lowest of the low happened last year.

I was in plenty of those rooms where David would be the first to walk to the podium and have to explain to the fans, have to explain to the media what happened. Never, ever wavered in his commitment to be the team's first line and postgame communication. Even when a lot of those walks from the locker room to the media room podium were going to be very long and arduous, he did it and he always did it with candor, respect. And leadership like that is something you can't manufacture. It's just there, and it is there in David Andrews. So the Patriots are a much better team. Win-loss record be damned by having David Andrews on this roster, and I'm glad to see that he's going to be there at least for the foreseeable future of the next

couple of years. Absolutely. That type of know, and, uh, that type of veteran, uh, you know, experience and leadership, you can't put, can't put a price tag on that. Now, if you're asking me is, is Andrew's, uh, you know, a perennial all pro center, probably not, but for the Patriots on this team, he is, he's a guy that you need. And I love the fact that they're keeping him around. It shows he's motivated and, you know, wants to be part of building something. Without question. And I think that's exactly what the Patriots are trying to do.

They're trying to get their veterans in this locker room to convince the younger players to stick around for the long haul, remain in this fight because the Patriots are building something. This is a team that knows how to build a winner. They've done it before. The blueprint is there. You just have to follow it. You have to have the right leadership in place to do it, and you have to have the right players and the right soldiers to be able to march forward. And that's, I think, what this season is going to be all about for New England. In the meantime, I want to thank my good friend, my Patriots bison,

Steve Balistrieri, for joining me here today. Bud, before I let you go, please let everyone know where they can reach out to you and absorb all of your great work in the coming days and weeks here from the great pen, the great voice of Steve Balistrieri. Thanks for all those comments. It's always flattering to hear those. I'm very appreciative of all the flattering comments. You can find me on Twitter at SteveB7SFG.

I write for PatsFans.com. I'm just finishing up what will be my Sunday football column, which will be out there tomorrow morning. You know, I'm writing about a lot of the same stuff that you and I just discussed. So it'll be a chance for Patriots fans to, you know, not only listen to our podcast right here, but rehash some of the stuff in print. So, you know, I look forward to posting that up and you know, as always my friend,

you do a super job and I appreciate you having me on all the time. Absolutely. And I, you never have to thank me for that. It is our pleasure, our honor to have you on this show each and every week and sometimes multiple times during the week. You are truly a Lockdown Patriots familia, my friend, and you always will be. So thank you for lending your wisdom and counsel. And folks, most importantly, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to join us here on Lockdown Patriots and make us a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage.

Don't forget, Monday Mailbag is still coming at you. Mailbag Monday will be back, so get your questions in over the weekend so Murph and I can discuss and feature your great work. And a special episode coming up, an OTA recap, day one of all of the action you're going to see on the field.

Media will be boots on the ground in Foxborough on Monday. What should you have your sharp eye on? We're going to talk about that and more. And of course, stay locked in. A lot of expert analysis coming your way. Stay locked in. You are not going to want to miss a single second of the action. In the meantime, on

behalf of my good friend and Patriots bison, Steve Balistrieri, I'm Mike DeBate, reminding you all 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.