Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Next-Move Monday: Patriots Looking Ahead to 2021? — 12/14/2020

Episode Date: December 14, 2020

For the first time since 2008, the New England Patriots will not be AFC East Division Champions. There is also a strong mathematical chance that the team will miss the playoffs for the first time in that span, as well. Joining host Mike D’Abate is fan-favorite Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy. The duo discuss the impact of the Patriots’ loss to the Rams on their plans for 2021 and whether sticking with Cam Newton as quarterback Is the correct move for 2020 and beyondSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.MyBookieINVEST IN YOUR INTUITION. USE PROMO CODE LOCKEDON AND DOUBLE YOUR FIRST DEPOSIT. NEW PLAYERS GET UP TO $1,000 IN FREE PLAY - DESIGNED TO ADD MORE EXCITEMENT TO THE SPORTS YOU LOVE AND THE GAMES YOU BET. YOUR WINNING SEASON BEGINS TODAY...ONLY AT MYBOOKIE!BuiltGoVisit BuiltGO.com and use promo code “LOCKED,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.BetterHelpI want you to start living a happier life today. As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at BetterHelp.com/LockedOnSimpliSafeRight now, my listeners get a FREE home security camera, when you purchase a SimpliSafe system at SimpliSafe.com/LockedOnNFL Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. You are now locked into the Locked On Patriots podcast. And it is Next Move Monday here on your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. Locked On Patriots is presented today by Pepsi, made for football watching. This football season will be different, and Pepsi is here to get you ready for game day,

no matter how you watch this season. Pepsi is the refreshment you need to power through any game day and become a member of the League of Football Watchers. Because Pepsi isn't made for those who play the game, it's made for those who watch it. Pepsi, made for football watching. Greetings and salutations, Patriots Nation. Thank you so much for joining me here on this Monday episode of the pod. My name is Mike Debate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, comments, and feedback are always welcomed and very much appreciated.

Feel free to share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there doing some Monday meddling through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Lockdown Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Pats fans, I know a weekend without Patriots football is not exactly easy to take, especially when you're digesting a terrible Thursday night loss 24-3 to the LA Rams and in essence watching your postseason hopes be washed away. And I know those hopes are very slim, but they are still there.

And until it's mathematically impossible for the Patriots to make the playoffs, I'm still going to continue to beat the so-you're-telling-me-there's-a-chance drum. Granted, that chance may be gone by the weekend, but we still live in hope. But perhaps this season, more than any other in the last 20 years here in New England, it might be smart to start looking ahead to 2021. And after a loss like the Patriots had on Thursday night that accentuates the problems that you have both on offense and on defense, you not only want to continue to break that game down, but you also want to watch it with a sharper eye in terms of where it leaves

you for the 2021 season coming up. And today here on the pod, that's exactly what we're going to do. It's Monday, so you know what that means. The green wisdom and counsel of the only guest here on Locked On Patriots that has his own hashtag, I'm talking my main man, the Count of Murphy, Fisto himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy joins me today. And we'll be talking Patriots defense and whether or not Sean McVay's offensive game plan to run the ball at the Patriots might have set an example for old friend Brian Flores to use

when the Patriots take on the Dolphins this weekend. We'll also talk about the Patriots' secondary and how the emergence of Miles Bryant may provide even more optimism when you're looking at the Patriots' secondary for the remainder of this season and into 2021. Last but certainly not least, Murph and I will talk Patriots quarterbacks. Kim Newton was highly criticized for his performance on Thursday night, but was it as bad as people really think? Well, Murph and I will delve into that very subject.

And we're also not afraid to bring up the painful subject that if, in fact, the Patriots find themselves out of playoff contention, is it time to turn the keys over to Jarrett Stidham and see what the kid could do before 2020 comes to a close. Folks, an action-packed agenda on the pod today, tons to talk about from top to bottom, so sit tight, settle in, and prepare for the green wisdom and counsel of my good friend the Green King of Sting here in just a moment. But before I welcome Murph into the pod today, even though the Patriots were not a part of

the Sunday slate of NFL action this weekend, they were still very much on the hearts and minds of most of Patriots nation and even the collective consciousness of the NFL. Because for those of you that are keeping a sharp eye on your competition, keeping your enemies closer, so to speak, we all know that the Buffalo Bills beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night to improve to 10-3 on the season. At this point, folks, that means that there is no statistical, mathematical chance that the 6-7 Patriots will catch up to them over the remaining three games in the regular season. That means that even though there is a minimal theoretical chance that the Patriots could make the playoffs, we now know that there is no chance the Patriots will be able to win the AFC East division in 2020.

Of course, this is the first time that the Patriots will finish outside of first place for the division since 2008. We all remember that season up here in Foxborough, Tom Brady going down with the torn ACL in the opening game of the season against the Kansas City Chiefs. But over the 11 years that followed, Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft, and all the New England Patriots that wore the uniform proudly for those seasons built a winning machine the likes of which the NFL had never seen before and the NFL will never see again.

11 straight AFC East titles. That was a new league record. The team also won three Super Bowls along the way. While I know it's a bitter pill to swallow for Patriots fans to admit that they won't be the division champions this year in the AFC East and likely won't be seeing the playoffs for the first time in a long while, this run of Patriots greatness is something that no cynic, no critic, or no sports media talking head, whether they be local or national, can ever take away from this New England Patriots team. And if the results of 2020 get you down, remember this with fondness,

appreciate it and be happy that it happened, and remember, as long as Bill Belichick is stalking the sidelines, and as long as the Kraft team owns the New England Patriots, even if this team is quote-unquote down, they're not going to be down for long, folks. Former Houston Rockets head coach Rudy Tomjanovich once said, never underestimate the heart of a champion. The Patriots may have taken a pretty bad hit this year, but they will rebound and they'll be back in the mix and sooner than you think.

And as for the teams that would be champion in the AFC East this year, the Patriots will see them both in the closing weeks of the season, starting with this Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. And to help move us past last Thursday night's debacle against the Rams is my good friend Murph. We're going to talk about the next move here on this Monday when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, I know the harsh reality of no longer being in contention for the AFC East Division title. Combined with the Pats' playoff chances hanging by a single thread, may have you feeling a little bit down.

And it does to me, too. In fact, it may have you clamoring for the glory days of Patriots past. Well, Wednesday here on Locked On Patriots, we will be taking a dip back into the Dynasty days, as it will be my honor to welcome Jeff Benedict, author of the New York Times bestseller, The Dynasty, of course, about the dynamic run of your New England Patriots. Talking Belichick, Kraft, Brady, remember him folks?

Yeah, we're going to be talking about all of them, and so much more. So stay locked in to Locked On Patriots for my conversation with Jeff coming up here on Wednesday. But folks, it's still a bitter Monday here in New England. The Patriots are about to watch another team take home the division they dominated for the past 20 years. Playoff hopes? Well, at best, they're hanging on for dear life, especially after a 24-3 loss to the Rams.

And if that wasn't bad enough, about a foot or more of snow is on the way here midweek in New England. So, we're all feeling like my spirit animal, Vincent LaGuardia Gambini. Is there any more that you can pile on to the top? Any more? Is it possible? Well, I'll tell you what is possible, folks. Today, I welcome the only guest that could possibly make Mondays bearable. Even this one. Regain your mojo with some green

wisdom and counsel. That's right, folks. It's that time again. Your favorite and mine. My benefactor in this business. The Count of Murphy Fisto himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy is back for his weekly appearance here on Locked On Patriots. Thank you for coming to me in friendship and for joining me today. Don Murph.

I wouldn't miss it for the world, but not for a foot of snow, not for any. I'm here. I'm always here. Whether it's in a calm and sedated mode or huge and green, the way I'm feeling right now. Well, we like the balance of both, but you know what? The huge and green, I think, is what Patriots fans need today because there are a lot of questions. There are a lot of concerns, and it's been an up-and-down week, buddy. Let's face it. When we last spoke, the Patriots looked like a team back on the

rise. They were solid in all three phases of the game, absolutely dominating the Chargers. But on Thursday, it was a different story. Quite the Hollywood twist, as I've been saying all week long here, or at least the last couple of days since Thursday. The Patriots now cling to very, very slim playoff hopes. A division title hope is basically all but gone. As a matter of fact, it's officially gone. And while we do have an agenda to get to, Bud, I just wanted to get your thoughts, your quick thoughts on the Patriots' dominant run in the AFC for the past two decades, particularly this division, the AFC East.

Murph, the Brady-Belichick era was nothing short of amazing. And as tough as it is to admit that this will not be the Patriots' year before the playoffs begin, not something we're used to here in New England, those types of memories should bring a smile to Pats fans' faces. Murph, I think I know the answer to that question, but will we ever see anything like this in the NFL again? And why won't we see what I did there, folks? Um, no, we won't. Uh, it's, it's a once in a lifetime, uh, happening. What, what's gone on here for the past 20 years? It's it's, it was a perfect storm of football between an owner, a coach, and GM, and its star player, its quarterback. It's not something that happens.

It never happened before, and it'll never happen again. The three men who came together for the good of all involved in New England got along, for the most most part for 20 years. That's longer than most marriages last nowadays. Never mind. Football is a – there is no more egocentric group of people than that are in football, and that goes for ownership, the coaches, the GMs, and of course the players. And you had three people who put their egos aside for a great deal of time

and also had the talent and knowledge and skill sets to do this. And no, we will never see this again. This is never going to happen again. And it might be slapping younger people in the face right now, but this is the way the NFL works. This is how it happens. Good teams can't remain good because the deck is that stacked against them. It's set up for parity. It's set up to have a changing of the guard year in and year out. That's why schedules are done in the way that they are. And the only team that has ever overcome all of this for this length of time is the New England Patriots.

And, no, it's never going to happen again. Yeah, without question. I don't believe it will either. And look, I've said several times, both here on the pod and guest appearances and my written work, no matter what, you're looking at the Patriots having done this in an era that was designed to prevent something like this, designed to prevent parity. It was designed to encourage parity. It was designed to prevent a team being able to dominate a division a conference the league for about 20

years and in all essence the Patriots did that the perfect storm of having the coaching knowledge of Bill Belichick the on-field prowess of Tom Brady and the ownership of Robert Kraft to dedicate enough resources to both men to be able to do what they needed to do was just amazing. And it does lead you to look back with a little bit of bittersweet feelings. There's no question about it because the run, unfortunately, is indeed over. And I'm not saying that there's no chance of Patriots dominance again, maybe even closer on the horizon than people think. But that Brady Belichick era has gone by the wingside. and you look back on it and we always will with fond memories at least I hope you will folks most fans and Patriots Nation understand the importance of these two guys coming together

and I'll always be fans of both of them no matter what I know you will as well and it's you know it leaves us with some optimism for the future but also a little bit of a nostalgic feeling and I think in a lot of ways it's very appropriate for the Christmas season so you know, it leaves us with some optimism for the future, but also a little bit of a nostalgic feeling. And I think in a lot of ways, it's very appropriate for the Christmas season. So, you know what, we'll continue to feel that way, but thank you for indulging me on some of your, your feelings and some of your thoughts on the Patriots dynasty and this dominant run, because A partridge in a pear tree. There you go. But in any case.

Six golden rings. That's right. Yeah, we've got to change that. Six golden rings. That's what it should be. Yeah, the 12 days of Foxborough Christmas. Murph and I, stay tuned, folks. Six white golden rings.

Murph and I might be writing this one before the end of the year. Yeah, why not? To enhance your holiday spirit. Just find someone else to sing. Yeah, exactly. We get Claire to sing. We should. That would be a good move.

That would be a really good move. My singing voice definitely is not what it used to be, and I think you're a little better than you give yourself credit for. But you know what? It snaps us back into reality, and the reality right now is that the New England Patriots are coming off of a 24-3 loss to the L.A. Rams. And before we get to some of the reality right now is that the New England Patriots are coming off of a 24-3 loss to the LA Rams and before we get to some of the lows on offense because I know that's getting

the majority of the press this week but the Patriots looked like they were exposed a little bit on defense as well in this game but I think that was really more due to a solid offensive game plan from Sean McVay who I want to give a lot of credit to in this one. L.A. averaged 5.3 yards per rush thanks to a really good game plan. They started with the gap in counter runs and opening, and that seemed to catch the Patriots off guard. They really didn't have an answer for Cam Akers, who ran pretty wild. Bill decided to try to combat that with a five-man front

with overhangs on the outside of the five defenders between the tackles. I guess he thought that would have helped set the edge against the outside zone. Now, the Rams looked at that and said, well, OK, you know, you're going to play outside zone. Well, we're going to counter that with the backside guard kicking out the edge defender, tight end pulling through the hole. And that seemed to work for a little while, at least until halftime when Belichick to his credit made the adjustment like a good coach will but I thought McVay made a nice adjustment as well he went back to outside zone and they really they neutralized the Patriots uh all of their momentum 16 play drive that ended up in a touchdown and I think in a lot of ways we look at this drive,

or I look at this drive as the microcosm for what the Patriots did in this game defensively. Now a lot of people are saying that the blueprint was laid here for the Patriots' run defense to be gashed. I think they ran into a better game plan and maybe a very tight Rams offensive line that did a phenomenal job of being able to match up. But is this something that the Patriots really are going to have problems with? And are you worried about this specifically coming into this game, coming up against the Miami Dolphins?

Yeah, I am worried about this coming up into the game against the Dolphins. Flo is a very, very smart individual. And he is another young coach that can adjust during games, who will see Bill come out with his rook and has no problem throwing their queen out there onto the board to take away any advantage that he might think he has on defense. It comes down to the fact that this defense, the personnel right now, is so situational specific that when Bill puts one grouping out there, the better teams, okay, folks, get this, the better teams, the playoff teams, the teams that are contending

to go to their conference championships are going to be able to counter with different personnel, smarter personnel, personnel that has been in this league longer, and just be able to flip the switch and say, okay, you're showing this, then we're going to go do that. And when you come in with a different personnel package, okay, that's fine. Then I can counter with two tight ends and run it this way. This is not – what went on on Sunday was the thing that was exposed the most was the fact that the people that Bill has to have on the field to stop what you're doing changes too much now. The experience and the guile that has opted out this year

really shows its head when you're playing a team as good as the Rams. And you can put that to every loss that the Patriots have had this year, with the exception of Seattle and Buffalo. Yeah, I think you're absolutely right in so many ways. And look, I mean, you know, the run defense having difficulty is definitely something the Patriots need to keep their eye on. Again, I think it was exacerbated by playing a very good scheme, a very good game plan, and a very good offensive line.

But at the same time, you face teams. You've got Buffalo coming up on the schedule. You've got Miami coming up this week. It's going to be a tough sell for the Patriots. And with the margin of error down to absolute zero, it is a concern and something that I think they're going to be working on very, very much. I wrote this four weeks ago during the four-game skid that we haven't seen here in over 25 years.

This is what you get, folks. All right? You're all screaming, where's the youth? Where are the draft picks? Why aren't they contributing? Why are they here for three years and then gone and on somebody else's bench? This is why. OK? There's no experience in front of them. There's no redshirt seasons this year, okay? These guys are out here and their heads are on a swivel looking back to see whether or not

they're even supposed to be in this package right now, okay? When it was second nature for so long with so many people. It's kids. These are kids, and they don't know what's happening. The only thing I can question about this is why Chase Winovich wasn't on the field more. Yeah, I share your curiosity on that, and the more I'm looking into this game, that is something that we'll continue to expound upon this week. And again, like I said, sharing your curiosity, and we will delve into that subject here on Locked On Patriots this week, folks, and whether or not we'll see a return to the field for

Chase in those types of situations. But you mentioned the rookies. You mentioned the young players getting a chance to get their crack at everything. And Murph, the Patriots secondary came into 2020 being touted as the strength of this defense, one of the top units in the NFL. I still think both of those are true, even though the results haven't been as impressive as they were in 2019. I mean that from a total team standpoint, folks. I don't necessarily just mean the secondary. I still think Stephon Gilmore is the corner that I'd take above all others. I don't hesitate in that regard.

JC Jackson has been one of the better cover corners in the NFL this year. And this group still gets a lot of solid contributions from Jonathan Jones, Jason McCourty. And the Patriots also have a youngster in that backfield that's making a big name for himself. A guy that you were among the first to sing the praises of way back in training camp. That's Miles Bryant. Murph, even though it appears that this season is winding down for the Pats, I'm sorry, folks, but we have to at least get our heads into some sort of reality here. Do you believe that this is still an elite secondary?

And do you think with these players that I've mentioned, assuming most of them are back, that it still can be in 2020? Oh, without a doubt. Oh, without a doubt. Yeah, without a doubt. And Miles Bryant is one of the big reasons for this. Make no mistake, folks. The reason Miles Bryant went undrafted is because this league is shortest. That's it.

They don't like short people. This kid is 5'9", but he brings it on every single play, on every single snap, whether it's at practice, in the weight room, in the meeting room. He's a fantastic talent that has a giant chip on his shoulder that he's had since uh probably his days playing midget football um remind you of anybody uh this kid is is is a great talent that will not be denied and and once again uh it's it's limited what he's out there and doing because they quite frankly in the secondary is is where there is still depth there are still those those leaders that uh you can look up to and and learn from

and he's done it he soaks it up like a sponge what he's doing this year is is really special and i think he's going to be here as not a number one lockdown corner, folks. That's not what I'm saying. He's going to be a very good rotational piece in the secondary for a very, very long time. Yeah, completely agreed. And you know what? A list of players that he's going into with very, very good company to keep, Randall gay malcolm butler justin coleman jonathan jones jc jackson all under the radar undrafted free agents coming in here making a big impact

at that position for the new england patriots so give a lot of credit to the bill can't draft uh you know a crowd uh you know i should say give a lot of flack to that i mean you know you get guys in here that can be able to do that. Those guys have paid dividends, and it looks like Miles Bryan is right on the cusp of that. And it just goes to show the way things work around here in a media standpoint. If you're brought in as a first-round pick, as a quote-unquote playmaker, and you don't reap huge dividends out the gate, you get ripped. But a kid that comes in undrafted or in a later round and is given time to grow, your praises are sung.

So it's just aggravating. It's just aggravating. I'm sorry. I got a soft subject here. No, it's okay. Wax on poetically because at the same time, I think a lot of Patriots fans feel that. And look, it's a difficult time in New England right now. We're not used to talking or looking toward the future in mid to late December it's usually the immediate future

the playoffs coming up does this team have it in them to make another playoff run uh we I know we sound negative today folks but Murph and I are still hoping for the best oh yeah but we have to expect that soon we'll be looking toward that future and 2021 here in New England. And in just a moment, Murph and I will talk about that future. And what better place to start than the most marquee position in all of sports? Talking Patriots quarterbacks present and future when the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, you've all heard the phrase often imitated, but never duplicated. I mean, is there a better phrase to describe your favorite football team in Foxborough?

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Go to BiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKEDON to get 20% off your next order. Don't delay. Do it today. Use promo code LOCKEDON for 20% off at BiltBar.com. Locked On listeners, the wait is almost over. The 2020-2021 NBA season is almost here, and the Locked On NBA podcast will get you ready with a special week of shows beginning December 14th. Get previews of every team, division by division, from all 30 of our Locked On local NBA experts, plus waiver wire editions from Locked On local NBA experts, plus waiver wire additions from Locked On Fantasy Basketball, rookies to watch from Chad Ford, and predictions on each division

from rejecting the screen. Subscribe to Locked On NBA wherever you get your podcasts. Folks, Thomas Murphy joins me today here on Locked On Patriots. Locked On Murph Monday to begin your week as we usually do here on the pod. But the question on everybody's mind is what's going to happen at the Patriots quarterback position? We talked a lot about defense, corners,

whatnot, but a lot of eyes are on the quarterback position. Mark Schofield and I talked about that pretty extensively on Friday, but I wanted to get your wisdom and counsel here today. Cam is coming off a rough outing. I can't really say it any better than that. I will say this, though, on my second, third, and fourth viewings of the game Thursday night,

it actually did make me feel a little bit better about his performance, but his stat line isn't going to comfort anyone at this point. The Patriots coaching staff, however, seems committed to Cam. Bill has bluntly stated Cam's our quarterback, and that looks to be the case at least until the Miami game is in the books. Murph, I think we both can make the argument that Bill sticking with Cam, at least in the immediate future for this game, is probably the smart move. But do you believe that he's doing so because he believes Cam is the best quarterback on the roster right now?

Or could this be a sign that the Patriots believe that Cam is here for the foreseeable future? How do you read the tea leaves here in Foxborough right now? And are the Patriots doing the right thing? Yeah, I do believe the Patriots are doing the right thing. I would much rather see Jared Stidham with a full offseason program, with a full training camp, with maybe a more well-rounded set of offensive weapons. I don't want to say better because I am not of the ilk that these guys are trash that are out there, but no, Cam Newton is the answer. Now I'm not sure if he's going to be here next year or not,

but I do think that it's the smart thing to do. I don't believe in, you know, well, let's just run the kid out there and see what happens. Right now we have no tight ends on this team to speak of for some reason. We're not seeing them on the field, be it game plan-wise or skill set-wise or, you know, just the fact that they're young and stupid. But I would much rather see Jarrett next year as opposed to this one. And then, you know, there's always my crazy conspiracy theory that Bill thinks that this is the best chance we have to lose and get a better draft pick. Are you saying that it's tanking?

Without looking like it's tanking. We went out and got an MVP freaking quarterback to come in here and help us and try to get us back into the playoffs, and it just didn't work out. It's confusing, but it's not. It's really simple if you take a step back and look at it. Do you want to see Jared Stidham out here starting, or do you want a guy that could possibly get us into the playoffs still?

I wrote two weeks ago when I was outlining my Chargers game plan that it would have been a perfect time for Stidham and both tight ends to get into the game. And it didn't really happen. So this is it. Just get used to it, people. Bill is going to ride it out. And it's not just this week. It's for the rest of the season. Yeah, absolutely. And I think that leads me quite nicely into my final question and i'll get to that in just a moment but for those that are still probably scratching their heads at what i said earlier about you know cam wasn't as bad the second third and fourth times i viewed the uh the game i'll get to exactly what i was getting at there um according to statistics cam was under pressure for

43.5 percent of his dropbacks. He was 2 of 5 and 34 yards with 4 sacks and a throwaway on that. He also scrambled 3 times for 16 yards. Jarrett was also pressured on 2 thirds of his dropbacks on Thursday when he came into the game. So for everyone that's getting on the quarterbacks,

I think we do need to acknowledge the fact that this was the worst pass blocking performance of the season by the Pats offensive line. They've been solid all year, and I am not going to dump on this offensive line. But if you're being fair in your evaluation for a game, that factors into it, and it has to. You know, Cam, I also thought, made some offensive plays that were pretty good. I think that where he evaded the sack on one of his scrambles, that was a pretty good play. He made some decent throws to Demir Bird, to Nikhil Harry, to Jacoby Myers. I thought the

deep route on Nikhil Harry was a tough one because I thought Harry was held. And I thought that really should have been called, but it wasn't. So there were a lot of things to look at. I could have thrown three flags on that play. It was, it was ridiculous. Absolutely. And in a lot of ways you look at that and you say, okay, well, you look at the stat line and you say, oh, Cam's trash. They got to get them out of there. Throw Jarrett Stidham in there. Anything's better.

Look at the whole picture. Use your eyes, use your common sense. And I think you'll come out with a little more of a level headed approach to exactly what went wrong in this game on Thursday night. And it was really a team effort of things going wrong. It wasn't just on Cam's shoulders. And again, that leads me nicely into my last question for you because you've alluded to the fact that you believe Bill will ride this out with Cam Newton as his quarterback for the rest of the year.

And a lot of people are going to clamor that even if the Patriots fall completely out of contention, that that's the right move. Or some people will say, no, if they're out of contention, they've got to throw the kid in there, get him some in-game experience. You know, there's nothing like it. And, you know, see what he's got. I think arguments can be made either way. I err on the side of your opinion, where I think sticking with Cam for the remainder of the year is the smart move considering everything the Patriots have been through. But at some point, again, we're going to have to look at 2021. In your opinion, Bud, is Cam the guy to lead this team into 2021 considering the options that are out there

right now? Or do you think they take a look at Jared Stidham, or do you think we're looking at the draft or maybe free agency as the next potential quarterback for the New England Patriots? All right, I'm going to cop out and say all of the above with the exception of Cam being the man to lead this team next year. Everything that I said or wrote before the season started when they signed Cam Newton has come to fruition. He's banged up. He's injured. He is a step and a half slower. His reaction time is terrible. His mechanics, while early in the year, we saw some changes, but you fall back into old habits

because that's what you do. And this is the way you throw the ball without it hurting. It's over. It's really over. I don't want to hear about the weapons. I don't want to hear about anything. Cam can't run this offense, and this offense can't run in a way geared towards Cam and sustain itself successfully just because of his

age and the abuse that he has taken over the years. I think we all learned that Cam is a wonderful human being. He is, uh, he, he certainly changed my mind about him as, uh, as I got to see him on an everyday basis.

Um, hats off to, to him and, uh, and Antoine Staley Staley, who more than one time told me, if you really knew this guy, you'd like him. And I do. And I do like him. But he's not the guy going forward. I think they will give Stead a real good look because he's still on a rookie deal.

I believe they will go out in free agency. Sign Josh Rosen now. Sign Josh Rosen as soon as you can. And I do think that they're going to draft somebody. But folks, you're kidding yourselves if you think that Bill Belichick is going to roll the dice on somebody at 15 or 18 that plays the quarterback position. It's one thing if Aaron Rodgers falls to that spot. It's another thing if this group of kids, somebody falls. He's going to take a defensive tackle in the first round, or he's going to take an offensive lineman in the first round, or he may even take a cornerback, but he is not going to take another wide receiver. He is not going to take a running

back simply because they don't need him, and he's certainly not going to take a quarterback there unless the, you know, all of the stars align and somebody falls to him that is just a can't miss. And, and it's just not going to happen because we we've seen it before. People can be successful in this offense that are not high-round draft picks at the quarterback position. That's Bill's philosophy. That's what he's going to keep doing. But no, there will be a free agent brought in. They will draft somebody, and there will be time for Spiral Stidham in next year's camp to see if he can do this or not. Because Bill has seen something. That's why he brought him in here.

That's why he, you know, before signing Cam, nothing was at that in the fact that they had no money to do it. Wasn't done. A higher profile guy wasn't brought in. And I don't want to hear that cap can be manipulated in many different ways. Not when you're up against it the way they were. No, no question about it. I completely agree with you. And I'm so glad that you brought up the point on the cap because we do hear that a lot. And our man, Miguel, kind of pulls the fat

out of the fire every time those arguments go through. He'll interject and he'll answer that question far better than I'm capable of doing. But it is a great argument that you make. Well, maybe you're a little more equipped than myself, but I'm not good with numbers, buddy. And when it comes to math, I was an English major. It was my understanding that there would be no math. I think we're the only ones that got that. Other than that, maybe we do have some older people that listen to this or old souls like me that grew up on a steady diet of classic Saturday Night Live. But no, all kidding aside, I think you do make some good arguments. And look, I think the argument can be made for Cam maybe being the guy this year. That's a conversation that we can have for another day.

But at the same time, I think they are going to look at all of their options. I think to simply say that they're going to ride this out and just go with this blindly next year is really, I think it's short-sighted. And with the teams that you mentioned in the draft, there's not a lot of, I mean, there are some surefire hits when it comes to quarterback position, but they're going to be gone by the teams that are drafting. Thank you. They're going to be gone because you look at the teams that are drafting. Thank you. They're going to be gone because you look at the teams that are drafting. They're going to be quarterback starved. They're going to be quarterback hungry, and they're going to look,

even if they don't need it in the immediate, they're going to be drafting for the future. And by the time the Pats come around, it's not going to be the right fit. So always interesting to see what's going to happen in the Patriots system. Always interesting to see what's going to happen in Foxborough. There is never a dull moment, buddy. But you lend your wisdom and counsel like no other, and that's why you're family here at Locked On Patriots.

I say it every week, but you are family. You're head of the family here on Locked On Patriots, and I always thank you for joining me. Folks, you should be already, but for any of our new listeners, follow my good buddy, the Count of Murphy Fisto himself, on Twitter, at TeamRF207. I don't care what the Patriots record is. any of our new listeners follow my good buddy the count of murphy fisto himself on twitter at teamerf207 i don't care what the patriots record is you listen to the keys you read the keys you absorb the keys you're better equipped to win the football game and i completely and firmly believe

that their point click learn and enjoy material each and every week proudly found on diehard boston sports fans.com and of course never miss an episode either of one Patriots place with Murph and our good mutual friend Steve Balistrieri but also two Patriots place with not only two good people but you add a third into the mix with our good friend Claire L Cooper as well the countess of class herself as I like to dub her um buddy what can I say thank Thank you so much. Always honored, always humbled by your presence. No, thank you so much for asking me back week after week.

It's nice to be, you know, appreciated. And it's nice for us to have you here each and every week. No better place to be, no better place that we can think of to grab the green wisdom and counsel while we can. You're among our favorites and you always will be for a lot of reasons, but, but stay safe and well. And we look forward to breaking this all down next Monday when we actually have a game to break down against the,

the Miami dolphins coming up this week in South beach, going to be a good one down there and we'll see what happens for the new England Patriots. But thank you for joining me today. Have a great week, buddy. You too, my friend. Thank you. And just like that, Patriots fans, we are one day down in your work week,

but an exciting action-packed slate here on Locked on Patriots will continue all week long. So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, subscribe to and follow the Locked on Patriots podcast on platforms such as Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Just make sure you're staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate.

I thank my good friend Thomas Murphy for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's pod. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for continuing to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until tomorrow, Pats Nation, stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.