Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - On the Third Day: New England Patriots Wrap-Up Three-Day Mandatory Minicamp — 6/16/2021

Episode Date: June 16, 2021

On Thursday, the New England Patriots concluded their three-day mandatory minicamp at the practice fields, adjacent to Gillette Stadium. This ‘sneak peek’ provided a great deal of insight on some of Foxboro’s new faces, as well as its familiar ones. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com. The duo discuss the practice performance of quarterbacks Cam Newton, Mac Jones and Jarrett Stidham, the fate of Stephon Gilmore in Foxboro, and they take an early look at Training Camp in late July.Support 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 “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus.Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. 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. It is Wednesday, June 16th, 2021, the third and final day of Patriots mandatory minicamp at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. And here today, our resident voice of reason joins us to break it all down 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. Greetings, salutations, and happy hump day, Patriots fans. Thank you for joining me here on this midweek episode of the Lockdown Patriots podcast. My name is Mike DeBate, and I cover the New England Patriots for Patriot Maven of Sports Illustrated, and I'm also 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, your comments, your feedback

are always welcomed, very much appreciated. So share that feedback. Send it to the internet by reaching out to me and following me at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-N-F-L. And while you're out there doing some Wednesday wandering through that Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. Pats fans, once again, it is the third and final day of 2021 Patriots mini-camp. After wrapping up action on the practice fields a little after 1 p.m., the Patriots players and coaches are

set for a mini-summer vacation before reconvening in late July and the official opening of 2021 training camp. Of course, the stories of the past three days continue to be the holdout of cornerback Stephon Gilmore and the potential quarterback battle between incumbent Cam Newton, three-year veteran backup Jarrett Stidham, and the rookie, the first round draft choice, Mack Jones. At least for the first two days, Mack was considered the front runner. He was throwing with a lot of accuracy, very decisive, looked very comfortable hitting his targets. A couple of hiccups every now and then. After all, rookie mistakes, threw a couple of interceptions.

But overall, Mack looked pretty solid. Cam, on the other hand, reportedly looked a little uncomfortable. He was overthrowing receivers. Some of his throws looked a little wobbly. Everyone was ready to write Cam off and anoint Mack as the new starter. Well, as the old saying goes, not so fast. Apparently, Cam saved the best for last. On Wednesday, he was much more accurate,

much more comfortable, and by consensus of the media contingent that was in attendance, he was the best quarterback on the field on Wednesday. Max struggled a little bit. He had his issues with overthrows. There were times where he looked a little uncomfortable and inconsistent. But bottom line here, folks, what does it all mean? In the grand scheme of things, not so much. These practices, whether they be OTA, whether they be minicamp, are more about teaching and camaraderie than they are about evaluation. The evaluation

process is going to take place once the pads come on. Murph said it on Monday, Dougie Max said it on Tuesday, and today here on Locked On Patriots, you're going to hear myself and our resident voice of reason, Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com, reiterate the fact that even though it's a lot of fun,

the hoopla that you hear coming out of minicamp is much ado about nothing. But don't get me wrong, that is not to say that minicamp is useless. Far from it. There have been a lot of standout performers, and some of those performances have given us a lot to think about and look forward to as we head to the start of training camp in July. And speaking of training camp in July, Steve and I will look into our Belichickian crystal ball and let you know who will be catching our sharp eye when the official evaluation

period starts in training camp. Steve and I will also discuss the way the quarterbacks have played, how much stock should be placed into that right now, and also we will touch upon the Stephon Gilmore contract situation. Folks, an action-packed agenda. It's always a blast when my Patriots Paizan joins me here on the pod, and in just a moment, Steve Balistrieri will occupy the hot seat alongside me as we talk anything and everything related to your New England Patriots here when this Day 3 mandatory minicamp wrap-up episode

of the Locked On Patriots here when this day three mandatory mini camp wrap up episode of the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues. But first, Lockdown listeners, Credit Karma has always been there to help you make better financial decisions, and now they want to help even more. With a Credit Karma money spend account, you can be rewarded for good money habits. Credit Karma money is a brand new checking account where you can win cash reimbursements just for making purchases. When you use your Credit Karma Money debit card, you can win daily instant karma purchase

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Instant Karma is sponsored by Credit Karma. No purchase necessary. Exclusions and terms may apply. See rules. Banking services provided by MVB Bank Incorporated. Member FDIC. Maximum balance and transfer limits apply. Patriots fans, once again, today is the third and final day of mandatory minicamp for your New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

But it's also Wednesday. And even though we usually absorb this man's wisdom and counsel earlier in the week, it doesn't mean that we're neglecting our need for that resident voice of reason wisdom and counsel that he lends so well here on Locked On Patriots. He is one of the best and most knowledgeable columnists that you can find in Patriots media anywhere. You know his great work from Patsfans.com, as well as being the co-host of not one, but two amazing podcasts, Patriots 4th and 2, alongside Russ Goldman and Derek Havens, and of course, one Patriots place with this man,

our good green friend Thomas Murphy, and the Countess of Klaas herself, Miss Claire Klaasie Claire Cooper. He is my Patriots Paisan, and despite what he'll tell you, he is worthy of all the praise he gets and then some. Steve Balistrieri joins me today on the pod. Welcome back to Locked On Patriots, my friend. Always a pleasure. Always a pleasure.

And, you know, it's nice to see the film of guys doing football stuff with football uniforms back on. And, you know, it's just getting everyone excited for training camp and then right around the corner we'll start seeing pre-season games and before you know it we'll be right in the smack middle of the season absolutely it's great to have football back whether it's camp whether it's ota whatever seeing the guys on the field watching the progressions and knowing that game action is closer rather than further away is always a good thing and it also gives us an awful lot to talk

about because steve we start off every week saying the same thing and it's true there's always a lot to talk about in foxborough but this time there's actually a precipitous for that believe it or not uh patriots finishing up three-day mandatory minicamp today at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough Massachusetts last couple of days have been interesting started off Monday with some inclement weather and a big absence and we'll get to that in a moment because I have picked the brains of uh our good friend Thomas Murphy and also our guest yesterday Dougie Mack on the situation with Stephon Gilmore. But if we're being honest, all eyes are usually on the quarterback.

So I figured we'd start there this morning. Steve, reportedly, Mack Jones has looked like the most complete quarterback of the three days that we've seen. Now, we're still getting bits and pieces of information and smatterings on Wednesday's practice. But for the most part, we've heard that Mack has looked very decisive. He's looked very accurate. There have been some hiccups at times. He's thrown some picks. One pretty prominent one to Dante Hightower on Tuesday, which apparently got a real rise out of the defense.

Good to see Dante back on the field, by the way. And I'm not sure why there was ever any question as to whether or not he'd be there. But I digress. That's a conversation for another day. Bottom line, Steve, we look at the quarterback play for all three quarterbacks, really all four quarterbacks, because Brian Hoyer is also out there taking snaps and doing things and running teams and whatnot so when you take a look at what the reports are from minicamp so far and you hear about mac looking pretty solid jared stidham making the most of the reps that he gets whether they be a little bit reduced or whether or not he's listed as the third guy on the depth chart right now he seems to be making some pretty good throws

cam newton has looked iffy according to some of these reports as well a lot of people saying that he's had some accuracy issues overthrowing a lot of players but physically looking pretty good um how much stock should we put into these reports on the quarterback play and how much of this is going to spill over into training camp in your estimation well i you know when it's when it's minicamp or otas i always take things with a grain of salt because there's no pads on the defenses aren't allowed to really jam you know and cover guys the way they they normally would um and then you know until the defense is out there actually throwing more looks at the quarterbacks, you know, especially with the pass rush and whatnot, you know, I they have an agenda, they tend to play it.

And, you know, one of the things that got played big time, it kept coming back to me on Monday, the first day of training camp, was there was a video clip that everybody was sharing. I think that thing must have got shared 100,000 times. And that was Cam overthrowing a couple of receivers in the end zone and then stidham not stidham mac jones threading the needle you know on the same throws and it just set twitter afire but at the same time you know you look at this it was done in a pouring rain you know newton's just getting back from injuring his

throwing hand and the fact that jones only completed one more pass than newton did in that session when they both threw the exact same amount tells me there really wasn't that big a difference now i understand everyone's saying that jones looks sharper sharper, and I'm very impressed with him overall. I really am. The fact that everything we keep reading is that Bill is throwing a ton of different looks at him. They're throwing the kitchen sink, including some amoeba looks at him, and seeing if he can read the defense and react.

By all accounts, he's doing that. I think that's a very big positive because that's what you want to see. You want to see him learning this offense. You want to see him being able to react and make the correct reads. But until the pads come on, I'm going to just, you know, pump the brakes on that just a little bit. Yeah, completely level-headed approach. And why should we be surprised

you are our resident voice of reason you take us back to the level of reality we need to be at but i do want to praise my previous two guests this week murph obviously and dougie mac yesterday for taking a very level-headed approach to all of this as well because look bottom line you are 100 accurate when you say that until the pads go on, you really don't know what these players are going to be able to do. You're absolutely right. Without the pads, you're not going to see the type of physical defense that we're used to seeing these guys put forth each and every week. Training camp is a better barometer for that. Minicamp is just a small part of it. And Bill Belichick makes a habit of saying this regularly. Minicamp is a great opportunity for players to learn, for coaches to impart wisdom,

and for the media to get a look at some of the new players and some of the old familiar faces that are going to be on the roster in the upcoming season. But ultimately, to evaluate players, you're going to need the type of competition and physical play that you see in training camp, and ultimately, I think you'll get to see then exactly what we're dealing with when it comes to the quarterbacks on the roster. Steve, players that we know we'll see in July for sure, or at least we hope so, are going to be Mac Jones, Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham, even Brian Hoyer. Those guys are definitely going to be out there.

But one player that is in doubt right now is Stephon Gilmore. Obviously, the big news of the week continues to be Stephon Gilmore's holdout. We know now that he has not shown up for all three days of mandatory minicamp. And right now, there's still some uneasiness amongst the fan base. I think most fans are optimistic that the Patriots and Stephon can work something out. It may not be as easy as a lot of people think, though, because it's going to end up being whether or not the two sides can reach a happy medium. What is Stephon looking for in a contract rework or a restructuring or a new deal? And what are the Patriots looking to pay him? If Stephon Gilmore is looking to be paid in that Jalen Ramsey from

the Rams upper echelon for all quarterbacks, which is about $20 million annually, well, then my optimism is not as high as maybe it should be. But if they're looking to come to a happy medium for cornerbacks that are on the north side of 30, and taking an example from our good friend Miguel, aka the Pats cap, Darius Slay of the Philadelphia Eagles falls into that category. He's making approximately about $16.7 million annually. So it's really going to depend on how the Patriots are going to be able to structure a deal and come to an agreement. Steve, when you look at Stephon's situation from start to finish, what are your thoughts, your gut reactions to it?

Are you a little more optimistic or a little more pessimistic about the Patriots and Stephon working a deal out? And is there a legitimate chance that this does not get worked out in time for the start of training camp? That's a great question, because I'm just I think the Patriots are taking that measured approach, as they always do. because I'm just – I think the Patriots have taken that measured approach as they always do. And, yeah, while Gilmore's base salary is, as we say, just $7 million,

the other thing to remember is his cap hit is about $16 million because of his different bonuses and signing bonuses and whatnot. But, you know, the difference – and I know a lot of Patriots fans were talking about, you know, the other guy from the Rams as well. And, look, I don't think you can compare the two because Gilmore's in the last year of his contract. He wants to get paid one more time. Whereas, you know, that other guy, who I'm not a big fan of,

you know, he just signed a deal like a year and a half ago. So he's like in year two of a five year deal. And I don't think you can really compare the two. However, I think the Patriots, while there's always that chance, I chance that he won't, but I really think they're going to come to a decision to keep Gilmore around and see if they can work out something in the mid-range. I don't think he's going to get paid as much as he wants to if he wants to stay here. But at the same time, I think they'll be willing to guarantee him

a couple of more years because he's still playing at an awfully high level. And, you know, I think part of that will be driven by the fact that when he was out last year, I didn't think J.C. Jackson looked like that number one corner. I think he's an outstanding number two, but I'm not sure he's a number one yet. Yeah, and we've talked about this several times as well, and Murph and I even talked about it a little bit on Monday, in that we've seen J.C. Jackson try to assume that number one corner role recently, as recently as the tail end of the 2020 season when Stephon was on the sidelines and the time that he missed. J.C. is a very talented

player, and no way am I demeaning or degrading what he's capable of bringing to the field. He's one of the true rising stars or budding stars at the cornerback position in the league. But I agree with you. I don't think he's there yet. And if he's not there yet, the Patriots have to be very cautious and very careful that they're filling that position with someone that's capable of carrying the load. I know there were a couple of free agents out there. I know Richard Sherman's name continues to be mentioned. If there's something that doesn't work out between the Patriots and Gilmore, oh, well, they can give Sherman a call and see if

that'll work. Sherman is a very capable corner. He's, you know, one of the, throughout his career, he's consistently been mentioned among the best in the league, but there's something to be said about Gilmore's fit here, knowing his role, being a part of this team for so long, growing into his role and knowing exactly what's expected of him. To me, that's where his value and his power lies in the negotiation process. So if the Patriots want to come back and say, well, you know, Stefan, your annual salary is low, but your cap hit is exorbitantly high for corners in the league.

I believe he's either at or near the top of, you know, the salary cap hits that a team would take for a corner. That's going to be a, that could be a point of contention for any potential negotiations because if Stephon decides he wants to be compensated in the Ramsey half, which is the $20 million, as opposed to being compensated in the Slay half, which is the over-30 crowd for a cornerback, it may be tough to reach a common ground.

And at that case, it might be on the cusp of training camp, and we may still be talking about this. Hopefully, my friend, we won't be. But if we are, you know things are always going to get interesting, and there's no question about that. Buddy, your wisdom, your reason always brings us back to a level-headed place, and that's why we love having you here. But, folks, we are not done yet because with mini camps wrapping up throughout the nfl and there being a little bit of a lull time

between now and official training camp steve and i are going to get into what the difference is between the two and why training camp is where the real fun begins we'll also catch steve sharp eye of who he's looking at and the players he can't wait to see on the field in training camp when this Wednesday episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Locked On listeners, when it comes to repairing or maintaining your vehicle, why would you spend 30%, 50%, even 100% more for the exact same auto parts at a chain store or a new car dealership. It's still possible to take pride in your ride and even save a little in the process.

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and we both kind of came to that consensus that realization that while many camps are fun and it gives us a little bit of a sneak peek as to what some of the players look like in a Patriots uniform what they might look like on the field some of the synergies and budding relationships that are starting to form it really is futile to put any type of evaluative stock into what we see on the field before the pads come on even in training camp it's a few practices before the pads get put on so in terms realistically my friend of your coverage throughout the nfl for years how far away are we from really finding out what the 2021 patriots are going to look like how deep into

training camp do you think it's going to be before we know exactly what we're dealing with here with this team oh I think by the second week we're going to start seeing things solidify now there might be a position or two where you know where it's still wide open in terms of competition. But for the most part, I think by the second week, we're going to start seeing, you know, the positions solidify. And then, you know, we'll see what's happening in terms of how they're going to use certain players, the packages, and the like. And that's when, you know, you start seeing things that are working

and some things that maybe aren't working as well as they hoped. So that's always where things start to come together. Absolutely. Definitely where things start to come together. Building off of that for a moment, though, preseason games are going to hopefully make their return this year. They're scheduled to. There's no reason why they shouldn't. But based on what happened in 2020, I don't really take anything at face value until it's

actually staring me in the face and ready to happen. So if you hear sarcasm or doubt dripping from my voice, folks, it's no inside information. It's just me being the ultimate skeptic. But preseason games are set to make their return. The Patriots are set to have three of them in place, one of which will be against the New York Giants. And reportedly, even though Bill Belichick didn't confirm it this morning, it's looking likely that the Patriots and Giants will be holding joint practices right up here in Foxborough in late August before the start of the season. Training camp is obviously a huge part in, plays a huge part, I should say, Steve, in building team chemistry and helping to shape the roster and being able to evaluate talent.

But preseason games can be an invaluable part of that as well. Even though fans are lukewarm on preseason games and they kind of get a bad rap and really get a lot of jokes thrown at them amongst our colleagues in the media, how big of an opportunity are some of the players that are really trying to earn a roster bubble spot or may be on the roster bubble? How big of an opportunity is this going to be for them to play in preseason games this season, especially knowing that they didn't last year? Oh, I think it's huge, you know, especially for those guys on the bubble. And this year they're down to three preseason games. So as you mentioned just a few moments ago, that, you know,

that joint practice with the Giants that they're trying to work the details of, I think that will be absolutely huge for a lot of these guys because, you know, they might be limited to a handful of snaps in a preseason game, but they're going to have like three days of joint practices against the Giants and for the Giants players as well for these guys to show the coaches what they're capable of doing. So I think, you know, it's mainly for the guys who are kind of on the bubble or guys who are maybe competing with another player for, you know, starting reps, but they're invaluable.

And that's why I love training camp because that's when the rubber hits the road and you know it was as we talked about a few minutes ago you know everyone looks great in OTAs they're running around with their hair on fire and guys are moving and throwing the ball and catching it but you know once the pads come on that's when the true players stand up. Absolutely. And that's also when we find out about true conditioning as well. And Bill Belichick is a stickler on that. And OTAs last week gave way to some uncharacteristically warm temperatures up here in New England, tipping the scales way past the temperatures.

I should say the thermometers way past 90 degrees. And Bill Belichick kind of gave it a little bit of an ease up on having them run the hill, the infamous hill in the Gillette Stadium practice fields. But you know those are coming. And the dog days of summer are going to be here in late July. New England summers can be very hot, very humid. And they'll have the pads on and they'll definitely be doing their due diligence. But I agree with you on preseason games as well,

especially when it comes to joint practices, Patricia train of locked on giants. Join me here on Friday on locked on Patriots. And we talked a little bit about the synergy between bill Belichick and Joe judge and how similar the coaching styles will be and how each team can learn off of that. That's going to be an invaluable part of trying to make a roster for some of these bubble guys.

And even some of the veterans right now that may be considered roster locks or might be feeling pretty good about themselves, we know one thing with Bill Belichick, he's not afraid to do what's best for the football team. And if you're not producing, regardless of what the name on the back of the jersey said, it's the logo on the side of the helmet that means more to him, and that's exactly what he'll'll do so i'm looking forward to the extra prep time this year and getting a lot more of a look as to what these patriots are going to look like steve before

i let you go today bud i thought we'd have a little bit of fun to commemorate the end of mini camp and going into that infamous lull before the training camp begins in late July. I'm going to ask you to look into your Belichickian crystal ball, my Paisan. When you look at this roster, whether it be the Headliners or whether it be, you know, players under the radar or rookies or whoever, who are you looking forward to catching a glimpse of when training camp opens and into the beyond? Who's going to catch the sharp eye of Steve Balistrieri in late July and into August of 2021? Well, you know, I think we're going to be inundated with reports

about the quarterbacks, as we all know, and rightfully so. That's the most important position on the team. And, you know, we're going to be hearing about the new tight ends and the wide receivers, you know, with every catch or drop they make. But the two guys I'm looking at, one on offense, one on defense, Ramondre Stevenson is a guy I'm super intrigued to see once the pads come on because I think he can play that valuable role where he can do a lot of different things. He can catch the ball out of the backfield. He can run

the ball between the tackles. He's shown the ability to, you know, to make people miss. He's a big dude. I think he's going to become their short yardage guy. I want to see how quickly, you know, he adapts to this offense. And the guy on defense has got to be Matthew Judon because he's a guy that I've always been intrigued with. I've always been impressed with him on the Ravens. And he said he came to new England because he wanted to play for bill Belichick.

And I want to see how the Patriots, now they have Hightower back, Van Nooy back, Josh Uche in his second year. They have some guys who can get after the passer. I want to see how the Patriots are going to get creative in making Judon some opportunities to make some splash plays. Yeah, without question. And I'm so glad that you, Judon some opportunities to make some splash plays. Yeah, without question. And I'm so glad that you mentioned Judon because he is definitely one of the players I'm keeping my sharp eye on as well.

He had some impressive moments so far in minicamp, according to Mike Reese of ESPN yesterday, really dominating rookie offensive tackle, Will Sherman, a lot of pass rush moves that he believes will provide a great boost to the Patriots ability to get after the quarterback in 2021. But Judon is actually a lot more versatile than a lot of people think. And he said this yesterday when he spoke to the media, he says, I played everything. I was on the edge. I was on the inside. Sometimes I was lined up at corner. I actually had to double check that stat. I didn't doubt Matt, but I just never realized that he actually did line up at corner from time to time.

He did. And it just depends on what the call was. And what better way to ingratiate yourself to a Bill Belichick defense than be a jack-of-all-trades? Bill Belichick loves guys that he can employ all over the field. He's going to be able to do that with Judon. And, boy, I'll tell you, the motor, the capabilities, the savvy of what this guy brings to the table i'm looking forward to seeing it it's going to probably be uh one of my highlights of training camp and watching matt judan and of course anybody that listens to this show knows that i've been wanting to see hunter henry at tight end for the

new england patriots for a long time i loved watching him in a Bolts uniform and saw him as a rookie, but he's someone I just thought would come in here and play the role so perfectly. That traditional wide tight end role, got great route running skills, and I think it's going to accentuate that. He's got a tremendous ability to box out. I think Patriots fans are really going to see that in him. Strong blocker and a very reliable pass catcher.

So if I sound like i'm effusive in that praise folks you're absolutely right i am and i know claire's gonna love this as well because she's looking forward to seeing some hunter henry um but uh seeing just him paired alongside johnny smith that prototypical move tight end that to me could be such a threat in the red zone it's going to be a lot of fun to watch this 12-man personnel. Patriots only ran offensive packages with two tight ends 3% of the time they took a snap in 2020. You know that figure has nowhere to go but up.

That was dead last in the NFL last year. Patriots knew it, and they took a big step toward making that a reality and making the increase in that a reality. And I think the fans are going to enjoy what that's going to bring to the table. Steve, what can I say? But I always appreciate you lending your wisdom, your counsel, whether it be on a Tuesday or a Wednesday. Folks, we're going to get back to a normal schedule next week, I promise. So Steve's customary Tuesday appearance, assuming he's available to grace us with his presence, will return to our normally scheduled programming. But

Steve, again, I always appreciate your flexibility, your willingness to come on and talk ball with me. Before I let you go, my friend, for the benefit of our new listeners, please let everyone know where they can find you, your great work, and what you have coming up in the coming days and weeks from the great Penn and the great voice of Steve Balistrieri. Well, thanks, Mike, as always. I really appreciate the invite, and I'm always available for you. You know that.

That's what friends are for. So, you know, I'm looking forward to, you know, training camp coming up. I think we're going to start writing about some of the positional battles as we're going to see them unfold. I know everyone's talking about the quarterback, again, because it is so important. But then again, I mean, there's a lot of guys that, you know, might be on the roster bubble this year just because of a numbers crunch with the people that they've brought in.

So it's going to be interesting. We'll start breaking it down by position and looking at how we see things playing out. And then, hey, there's never a shortage of things to talk about in New England. So that should keep us busy. And as always, you can find me on Twitter at Steve B seven SFG. I write for pats fans.com and you know, we do the two podcasts and I do now this one and I'm,

I've been doing one with the South Florida Tribune on a couple of times a month. So, you know, we're talking some football all over the division. So it's getting more fun by the day. It is getting more fun by the day. And what else gets more fun by the day is being able to share these discussions with you, my friend. Always one of the highlights of my week talking ball with you. Look forward to doing it again next week.

But in the meantime, continue. Stay safe, stay well. And thank you for lending your wisdom and counsel once again to Locked On Patriots this week. Have a great week, my friend. Just like that, Patriots fans, we are more than halfway through your work week and 2021 Patriots Mandatory Minicamp is in the books. And even though Locked On Patriots has you covered for all the daily news, notes, and analysis you need from Foxborough, get all the sports news you need in under 20 minutes with the Locked On Today podcast.

Host Peter Bukowski updates you on the latest news in every major sport with the help of our local experts. Follow the Locked On Today podcast on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. And even though minicamp might be in your rearview mirror now, Patriots fans, there is still plenty of Pat's coverage still to come here on the Locked On Patriots podcast for your work week. So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, follow, subscribe to, and download the Locked On Patriots podcast on platforms such as Spotify, the Odyssey app, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts.

Just make sure that you are staying locked into Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank my good friend Steve Balistrieri 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 next time, Foxborough faithful, stay safe, stay well, always be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.