Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - On With the Scho: New England Patriots Opt-Outs Opt Back In; Talk of Trey Lance? — 2/26/2021

Episode Date: February 26, 2021

The New England Patriots are getting some greatly-missed reinforcements back in the fold for 2021. The 2020 Opt-Outs are reportedly opting back in. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Mark Schofield of USA Today. The pair discuss the return of players such as Dont’a Hightower, Patrick Chung and Marcus Cannon, along with the impact of their return both on and off the field. They also delve into the 2021 NFL Draft, and how the lack of a Draft Combine will impact scouting and evaluation of young talent. Lastly, Mike and Mark discuss a scenario where the Patriots would possibly trade up into the NFL Draft’s top ten to select quarterback Trey Lance.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 “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% 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 in to the Lockdown Patriots podcast. It is Friday, February 26, 2021. And to help us all close out the week in style, it is on with the SCO 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. Greetings and salutations, Patriots Nation, and thank football in Foxborough. It is Friday. Most of all, thank you for choosing Locked On Patriots to help take you into the weekend. 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.

Share that feedback, send it to the internet by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-F-P-C. And while you're out there giving the weekend nod and saying how you doing to the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked Onots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Folks, we're at that point in the NFL offseason where everything just seems to be in front of us, whether it's blockbuster trades, free agency, and of course, the 2021 NFL draft. Rumors surrounding almost every team continue to be all over the place. That definitely does not exclude your New England Patriots. And every time a report hits the Twitterverse or the social media landscape

that a player might suddenly become available, whether through a release or a trade request. However they become available, we all see that famous Bill Belichick gif file of him walking out of the tunnel in Ford Field in Detroit. It's the nature of sports fandom and it's the nature of sports media that the Patriots need to be in on every possible name that's available, but if we're being honest, they're probably in on only a select few. And with regard to the availability of these players, here on Locked on Patriots I try to keep the expectations as realistic as possible.

But sometimes as much as you may think you know, you gotta tip your cap and defer to the experts, and in my case, I'm very fortunate, because one of those experts happens to be not only my good friend, not only my mentor, but also my predecessor here in Locked On Patriots. That's right, folks. The excellence of execution

himself is back here on the hot seat today. My good buddy Mark Schofield of USA Today's Touchdown Wire. And you know know if Mark is here there are two things that you can count on. One we're going to make some total references meaning we're going to bless the reins in his honor but we're also going to be talking quarterbacks. However we're going to go a little bit deeper than that. We're going to talk about potential Patriots upgrades in all facets whether it be through the 2021 NFL draft whether it be through

free agency. We're also going to talk about how the lack of a combine this year might affect the way the Patriots and even other NFL teams are able to scout young talent. Folks, I'm always so honored and humbled to welcome Mark back home here to Locked On Patriots. Last week when we celebrated our thousandth episode, unfortunately scheduling conflicts prevented Mark from being one of my guests last week. But because Mark and I had so much celebrating and conversing to do, we actually had to break our conversation up into two parts.

So part one will air today, and of course, keep a sharp eye on your subscription feed to Locked On Patriots, as part two of my interview with Mark Schofield will drop tomorrow on Saturday, February 27th. So sit tight and settle in, Pats Nation. A conversation on tap today with Mark Schofield that was so nice, it needed twice the airtime. But before we bless the rains here in a moment, if you're scoring at home, folks, that's

two total references so far. Mark hasn't even joined me yet. We start with a little breaking news on Friday morning, and this coming from Ian Rappaport of the NFL Network. But if we're really being honest, this news was actually broken by a New England Patriot himself, Devin McCourty, who revealed this earlier this month on Tommy Curran's Patriots Talk podcast. Ian's report states as quote on Friday morning, free agency hasn't started, but the Patriots

are already getting some reinforcements. Their key opt-outs from 2020, including linebacker Dante Hightower, safety Patrick Chung, and offensive tackle Marcus Cannon, are planning to be back for 2021. That's according to Ian's sources. Ian went on to say that physically, they're all in a good place. Folks, this is excellent news for the New England Patriots. Let's face it, there wasn't a team that was hit harder by COVID-19 opt-outs in 2020 than your beloved favorite team in Foxborough. Having the chance now to expect these players back in the fold is great not only on the field for the New England Patriots, who fill several voids that they had in the roster, but also from a morale standpoint, a leadership standpoint, especially guys like

Hightower, Chung, Cannon, even Brandon Bolden throw into that mix. These guys are leaders in the locker room. They're leaders on the field. The example that they set is going to make a positive impact both on the field and off the field for the 2021 New England Patriots. But again, remember that this is not exactly a shock to the system for Patriots fans. After all, on Tom's podcast, Devin McCourty did say that he expected all of the opt-outs back.

In fact, he even mentioned Brandon Bolden. There are reports out there that Marquise Lee is planning on returning. He's under contract with the Patriots at the wide receiver position. The others who have not officially been listed, tight end Matt Lacoste, fullback Danny Vitale, and offensive lineman Najee Torin, should all be expected to return to the NFL in 2021 in some way, shape, or form. I say in some way, shape, or form because, folks, it's not a slam dunk that all of these players will be in a Patriots uniform in 2021. Are they under contract? Yes, their contract

would toll to the current season. But a couple of things did happen in 2020 that might throw a wrench into some of these plans. First of all, there is cap savings to be had, especially if the Patriots cut a few of these guys. Some of them have pretty hefty cap hits, like Patrick Chung, even a Dante Hightower, of course a Marcus Cannon. Before I start quoting erroneous cap information, I suggest follow my main man, the wizard of Benz on himself, the Patscap, at Patscap on Twitter. Miguel's all over it, and he'll keep you updated to the dollar

as to exactly what you can expect financially from this. But the insight that I can lend on this comes from the action on the field, and there are some things that happened on the field in 2020 that also might throw a little bit of a wrench into the Patriots' plans to bring all these opt-outs back. Let me go on record to say that I think the Patriots are a much stronger team by bringing all of these opt-outs back into the fold. But does the emergence of someone like Kyle Duggar make Patrick Chung maybe a little bit more expendable? Again, I don't think so, but it's something that

the Patriots are going to have to contend with. Also, and I might anger my good friend Murph by saying this, but again, I wouldn't be doing my job unless I at least floated this out there as a possibility, the Patriots may find themselves with a logjam of capable running backs. Does Brandon Bolden warrant a roster spot? Again, folks, especially you, Murph, I believe Brandon Bolden absolutely should be on the team this year. I absolutely believe he will be, but the Patriots do have a decision to make there. Marcus Cannon is also interesting. Do the Patriots have enough depth along the offensive line to let someone like Cannon walk, even if theyots have enough depth along the offensive line to let someone like Cannon walk, even if they lose the crown jewel of their offensive line, Joe Tooney?

Last but certainly not least, and one name I haven't mentioned as a potential question mark, is linebacker Dante Hightower. Folks, plain and simple, if Hightower is healthy, he's a roster lock. I know there are potential cap savings to be had by releasing him, but if you looked at the linebacker core last year, this team desperately needed that presence in the middle to dictate what the front seven was able to do and also to get the secondary in line with where they needed to be. Dante Hightower is the quarterback of that defense, and his worth in the locker room, knowledge of what's going on on the field, makes him the total opposite of being expendable.

And again, if I'm being honest, I'm not looking to part ways with any one of these guys. I still think they all bring a wealth of knowledge and a wealth of talent to the field for the Pats this year. But no matter which way you look at it, these opt-outs coming back will have an impact on the Patriots roster. And in just a moment, my good friend Mark Schofield will join me here on the hot seat where we will discuss Ian Rappaport's report this morning and what it could mean for the Pats in 2021. We'll also talk a little NFL draft. Mark is an expert, folks, and we're going to get his opinion. Could the Patriots

theoretically pull off a deal that might net them Trey Lance in the 2021 NFL draft? Well, it's probably more unlikely than not, but Mark does have some optimistic news for all of you out there, and I would definitely tune into what he has to say. Last but certainly not least, we'll talk a little NFL Combine, or a lack thereof. Normally, this would be Combine season, folks. But with the COVID pandemic still putting a dent in a lot of our plans, the Combine was scrapped this year. How will that affect NFL teams, including your New England Patriots, when it comes to scouting and evaluation? Folks, all of this and more.

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RockAuto.com. Locked On listeners, February is Black History Month and the Locked On Podcast Network is honoring the challenges and success of black men and women in sports with a new series called Locked On Presents More Than The Game. This week, we have two conversations to help you wrap up the month. First, a discussion on protest in sports across leagues. Then tune in for a discussion on the importance of black history in sports, what's been achieved, and the important work left to be done, all in discussion on the Locked On Presents podcast feed.

Subscribe on the Radio.com app or wherever you get your podcasts. Patriots fan scheduling was not a good friend of ours last week at Locked On Patriots, and hitting our 1,000th episode milestone just didn't feel quite complete. Great, but not complete until now, that is, because the man that truly made it all happen is here in the hot seat. Wholeheartedly sincere I am when I say this man is the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. The excellence of execution, the host emeritus here at Locked On Patriots. That's right, folks. Today we bless the reins and welcome back my predecessor, my mentor, my good friend,

Mark Schofield. Thank you so much for joining me here today, bud. Welcome back home. Michael, it's a pleasure to be back. A belated congratulations to you on the 1,000th episode. I was sorry I couldn't hop on with you last week to celebrate, but it's good to raise a virtual glass of champagne in your honor on the tremendous accomplishment. And, you know, like you said last week, man,

here's to you in the next 1,000 episodes of Locked on Patriots, man. Truly happy for you. Well, thank you, bud. And believe me, I wouldn't be raising that glass or even have anything to put in the glass if it wasn't for you and your mentorship, your friendship and your support. And also the amazing job that you did, you know, carrying the torch for Lockdown Patriots, starting, of course, with the athletics, Jeff Howe, moving into Chris Semino.

You took the ball and you raised it to new heights. And every day I try to get this right in your honor, my friend. So the humble, the honor is all mine. And I always love when you come back home. It's a homecoming of sorts, folks. And Mark and I always love talking ball together. You know that. Anybody that has listened to us before knows that this is one of my favorite opportunities

and one of my favorite things to do as host of this show. But, Mark, there is a lot to talk about when it comes to the NFL. We never seem to run out of topics. And especially here in New England, you know, there are franchise quarterbacks potentially on the move in the NFL, a lot of franchise tag speculation, free agency trades. And of course, the gift that keeps on giving that is the NFL draft. But folks, we're going to touch it all here on the Lockdown Patriots podcast today. But before we do that, we got a little bit of breaking news, not necessarily blockbuster news, but significant enough when it comes to our New England Patriots, buddy. And it comes to us from Ian Rappaport of the NFL Network. And really, this news was hinted

around and almost, I think, maybe broken a little bit by tom curran in the recent days of nbc sports boston and uh you know ian to his credit also gave tom credit for that as well and did make the mention that free agency hasn't started but our new england patriots mark are already getting some reinforcements key opt-outs from the 2020 nfl season including linebacker dante hightower safety safety Patrick Chung, and offensive tackle Marcus Cannon. They're planning to be back for 2021, according to his sources. Physically, all seem to be in a good place. And the Patriots definitely miss these guys on the field.

And Hightower and Chung really are not a big surprise to me. I've been hearing rumblings about Chung wanting to come back. He's made that pretty overt. Hightower, there was some uncertainty, but I'm glad to see Dante back in the mix. Cannon surprises me a little bit, and I'm not saying that it surprises me because I don't think that he's still got something left in the tank.

I'm just a little surprised, or maybe not so much surprised, Mark, but maybe a little curious as to where he fits in the grand scheme of things. When you look at this news, what does it mean for the Patriots first off? And is there anybody among these opt outs that you would say might not be a slam dunk to make the roster in 2021? You know, it's fascinating looking at these three guys and what they could or could not contribute, you know, what the Patriots perhaps missed out on last season and how they could be incorporated into this year's version of a roster. I think the Cannon news is fascinating for a couple of different reasons because that now gives them a little bit of flexibility in free agency

because when you look at their current crop of free agents they face big decisions on Joe Tooney and David Andrews at the center spot now obviously Cannon and Andrews don't play the same position Cannon and Tooney don't say they play the same position but when you look at the list of NFL free agents at the guard spot it's Brandon Sheriff it's Joe Tooney and and it's the rest. And those two players are going to get big offers sent their way. Now, if the Patriots are going to be smart here, they're going to do what they can to bring Joe Tooney back.

If they tag him, maybe they do that. Maybe they don't. Maybe they try to get a long-term deal worked out. Maybe it doesn't come to fruition. Maybe a team backs up the Brinks truck and Joe Tooney's, before you know it, a come to fruition. Maybe a team backs up the Brinks truck and Joe Tooties before you know it, a Cincinnati Bengals. That Cannon coming back gives them the opportunity to have still some

cohesiveness because you look at the opportunity to take now Michael Wenu. Now you can perhaps find a home for him at that left guard spot. And then you bring David Andrews back and you've got now a cohesive started five up front, slotted Marcus Cannon into that right tackle spot. Jermaine Illuminor, he now becomes your sort of swing in all likelihood, they're going to be, you know, we can say it's pretty certain that they're going to be breaking in a new quarterback. You know, maybe Cam Newton does come back. Maybe he starts at the start of the season.

But I think expectations are that there's going to be perhaps a rookie, perhaps another acquisition. You're going to want an offensive line in front of them that can protect that player. So I think Cannon coming back is a good thing. As far as a player that might not make this roster, Patrick Chun, I think, is a name to watch there. Now, there will be some problems if they cut him pre-June 1st. If they cut him pre-June 1st, you're looking at $6.1

million in dead cap, and he's going to cost you $983,000. You're going to lose that in sort of potential cap savings. Now, if you cut him after that, it's a little bit different. You will save a little bit of money if you do cut him after June 1st. Now, the Patriots are flush with money right now, so cap considerations aren't really a factor. But the other factor is, of course, Kyle Duggar.

You drafted somebody that you thought would eventually be Patrick Chun's replacement in Kyle Duggar. I think most people hoped that Chun would be able to play last year and sort of take Duggar under his wing and then he needs to transition to Kyle Duggar. But you have a replacement on the roster for this player. So Chun would be a name, I think, to watch in terms of a surprise type of cut from these three players. I agree with you wholeheartedly on mostly everything that you said.

In fact, everything that you said, if I'm being really honest. I think that in a lot of ways, what you look at now with the return, especially of Hightower, I don't think it can be overstated enough or understated enough, I should say, how important he was to that development of the linebacking core and how much they missed him in 2020, not just from an on-field perspective, but for the off-field morale, the leadership reasons, his ability to be able to call plays and identify and be that quarterback of the defense.

We've heard that term given so often to Dante, and it really is something that he does, and he embraces that role and plays it so well. His return is going to be huge for guys like Juwan Bentley, who looked like he was missing Dante Hightower very much last year. I still think there's a lot of promise in Juwan, but I think he was being asked to play roles maybe above and beyond what he could do, do to sometimes three roles at the same time. You can't expect guys to be able to do that, especially young players that are learning like a Juwan Bentley. You have to think that even guys like Josh Uche are going to, you know, Anthony Jennings.

These guys are going to benefit a lot from having the leadership and the wisdom and counsel, as I like to say here, of a guy like Dante Hightower. Chung is an interesting point that I'm glad that you made, because automatically people are going to assume that Chung's going to come back in here. He's going to be the team's best box safety. I've seen even suggestions out there about Kyle moving over possibly to a free safety position. I guess that's all possible, but Kyle Duggar really proved that he can be that bumper. He can be that box safety. Even Adrian Phillips was able to fill in in modes to that nature last year. Now, if they have a full arsenal, that may lessen what Adrian

needs to do and make him more of a floater, but that could be interesting to watch. And I think you also make a good point on Cannon. Everybody is automatically making the assumption that Cannon is not going to play at his current salary, at his current price. I think there might be something to that. But at the same time, they also face big time questions when it comes to what they have on their offensive line. And someone with Cannon's leadership could be a very good and very solid piece for a team that's going to look for continuity on the offensive line this year, especially if they lose Tooney, which unfortunately I would hate to see have happen. But I'm not feeling very optimistic about Joe returning, but I hope I'm wrong on that.

You know, Doug Ferrara and I over at USA Today Touchdown Wire, we put together our top 101 free agents. You can check the piece out. It's a behemoth of a piece. If you have a slow old laptop, it might not load, but 101 players with film breakdowns, analytics, scheme fits, all that stuff. And Joe Tooney was like a top 12 free agent for us. You know, you're talking about one of the best players in the NFL

on the offensive side of the ball. Teams are going to come calling. Teams are going to look at, like I mentioned the Bengals for a reason. You know, Tooney grew up in that area of the country. Tooney could go to Cincinnati and solidify an offensive line that has one job headed into next season, and that's to protect Joe Burrow, right? You know, you expect Joe Burrow to come back from the ACL tear,

but everybody expects him at five to draft Penny Suelda off at the tackle from Oregon. Everybody expects him, since they're kind of flush with money, to put an offensive line in front of Joe Burrow. Joe Toady would be a tremendous acquisition for them. And so teams are going to drive up the price. And if you're looking at the New England Patriots, who they've historically spent money on the offensive line,

I think they were like top 15 in offensive line spending last season, you know, maybe even top 12, something like $40 million on the offensive line. You know, they're not afraid to spend, but if you're talking about maybe, you know, I think Mason has a cap number of around $9, $9.9 million for this season, and then maybe you have to pay Joe Tooney $9, $9.9 million for this season. And then maybe you have to pay Joe Tooney $13, $14 million. That's almost $30 million wrapped up in guards. That's a lot.

And I know the Patriots have a ton of money to spend, but if you start getting into a bidding war over a guard, how high are they willing to go, particularly when you have a guy like Orwendo that can play guard, maybe Isaiah Wynn that can play guard. I'm just not so sure that they're going to go to a place they're uncomfortable with to bring Joe Tootie back. Yeah, absolutely. And it is.

It's a common question. And again, that also begs the question when it comes to someone like Marcus Cannon. Like we just said, the Patriots could withstand about a $7 million cap savings if, in fact, they decided to part ways with Cannon. So there's always a lot to talk about when it comes to this. And, folks, we will continue to keep you posted on the latest when it comes to the Patriots opt-ins, I guess you could call them now, and what it means for their 2021 roster building. But we're going to switch gears here for just a moment because when it comes to the NFL draft, folks, really unparalleled, second to none in my opinion. And the question on everybody's mind when it comes to the draft is, buddy, how are you coping? You know, the combine is usually in full swing at this point.

You know, of course, there is no combine this year, folks. And, Mark, you're always our resident boots on the ground eyes and ears in indianapolis and you know what really hurts is that i was planning and i had the wherewithal to be able to make that trip with you this year to indy and you know it it uh i i see your tweets i see the how much you miss it i can still feel that saint almost fire burning within you there you go little little little john parr there you know you got to throw in some 80s music references buddy every time you come in here we gotta love it right um but uh yeah neither one of us were a man in motion this year because there is

no motion to get to so um i think the biggest uh you know void right now is a year without the hush with the horseradish cocktail source i mean what are we gonna do with all that buddy all kidding aside all kidding aside you, we might be able to fill a show just on that. You know, what, how do we live without a year without St. Elmo's, but all kidding aside, but there's still going to be pro days. There's still going to be evaluations that are happening, but the combine is a special way of being able to get to know a lot of these college players. Mark, what specifically will be missed about the combine from a football standpoint, especially as it relates to the upcoming NFL draft? Uniformity.

That's the biggest thing that's going to be missing is uniformity. Because, you know, uniformity of metrics in terms of testing, height, weight, 40, bench. You know, there have been people that have put together sort of a mashup of standard height, weight, testing, 40, all that stuff at the combine. And then what you see at pro days and you see a deviation, sometimes a wild swing in some players and what they do with the combine and then what they do with their protease. And so I know the NFL is working with colleges to try to standardize the process as much as possible. But, you know, when you're looking at all these protease, when you know the 40 times inflated, even people say, how can the bench numbers be different, right?

You're just counting 1 to 23 or whatever. You know, the NFL at the combine has a stricter standard of what an actual rep is versus a failed rep. You know, if you're not walking out your elbows, that shouldn't count. Well, your college strength and conditioning coordinator might see you not walk out the elbows but still count it as a good rep. And so that's why you might see somebody bench for 23 reps combined. And then suddenly he's a 28 first pro day a couple of weeks later. It's like, well, how in the world does that happen? Because different standards.

And so uniformity is one thing that's going to be missing. Another huge piece is the medicals. You know, you talk to any sort of former scout, former general manager, former front house personnel person in the National Football League, they will tell you there is no easier way to get complete medical data on 332 players than the combine because it's all done there. Now, you know, you're flying your doctors around. I mean, I would tell you when I was flying out to the combine last year,

there was the entire Baltimore Ravens medical staff was on my flight from Baltimore to India. I mean, because they moved their entire medical personnel departments to Indianapolis to get all this medical testing done on all these players. That's why the old combine rechecks are a huge thing because they catch things like a former thumb injury that wasn't disclosed. They see it in these physicals.

And so you lack that. And so, you know, those are the two things that are really going to be missing. You know, the team is going to miss out on. Now, you talk to former scouts and they will tell you that a lot of the scouts are actually happy about their not being at a combine this year. They're happy because it's really going to, you're going to rely on the film. You know, and scouts will tell you that the film is what matters. Forget the underwear Olympics.

Forget the benching, you know, all that stuff. What matters is what a player has shown on tape. And this year, the teams that have scouts that are knowledgeable, that know the game, they haven't – a lot of them haven't been traveling. Like we've talked about before, they're just in their offices grinding through film and they've probably had the opportunity. Like I've talked to some scouts that have said, yeah, since I'm not traveling, you know, I've watched probably 50 more players than I usually have at this point.

And I've watched more games on every player than I have at this point because I have more time to simply sit down and work through the film. And so you might see players that often slip through cracks, or smaller school players and things like that, sort of rise up boards. I mean, a great example of that might be Kay Johnson from South Dakota State, the slot receiver, who you might see come off the board on day three. Quinn Miner, Division III offensive lineman from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Now, the senior bowl, Jim Nagy, they've done such a great job at finding small school talent.

These are two great examples. But in years past, you know, those guys might have slipped through cracks. And so I think you're going to see teams with scouting departments and scouts themselves that have more time to sit down and just watch film game after game after game. You might see them identify better talent as a result. And so those are some of the changes I think we're going to see. Of course, in addition to me not getting to sit down at St. Elmo's and burn my face off with a shrimp cocktail. But you can, my friends.

My local Harris Teeter sells the shrimp cocktail sauce from St. Elmo's and the fish department. You can order it online. Amazon has this stuff. If you have not been to St. Elmo's, I strongly recommend it. It's well worth it. It's fantastic. It is. It really, really is. And, you know, I mean, it's something that I think we can all agree that that is the biggest tragedy right now is us not being able to indulge at St. Elmo's. But no, all kidding aside, the insight that you provide, and I agree with you, the medicals I think is going to be probably the biggest adjustment when it comes to the information being at the ready, continuity, things of that nature. You've outlined it very

nicely, but it also does open up a window. Even though that door has been closed, that window is now open to watch additional film, not just to rely on clips maybe or highlights or things of that nature, really delving into the actual meat and potatoes of the film, like the meat and potatoes reference there, St. Elmo's Steakhouse, you know, folks, we're all about the alliteration, bringing it back right now here, closing out the week in style. But all kidding aside, that insight is excellent from someone that has, you know, been boots on the ground at the combine for the last, you know, how many seasons and an opinion that I trust at the highest level that you could possibly, possibly imagine.

Patriots fans, my discussion with Mark Schofield will continue in just a moment. But first, football might be over, but the NBA, college basketball, and the NHL are in full swing. And we all know that the NFL equivalent of the hot stove is getting hotter and hotter by the moment. If testing your prognostication skills on any of these subjects is something you'd like to try, then there's only one place that has you covered,

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and receive your 50% welcome bonus on your first deposit when you use the promo code LOCKEDON. Don't sit on the sidelines any longer. Get in on the action. Visit betonline.ag today to sign up and receive your 50% welcome bonus on your first deposit using the promo code LOCKEDON. BetOnline, your online sportsbook experts. Folks, Thursdays on Locked On NFL are a must-listen as Ryan Tracy and Jake Lisco

break down teams across the NFL from an analytics and team-building perspective. Get the expert analysis on your favorite teams from Ryan and Jake every Thursday. Subscribe to Locked on NFL wherever you get your podcasts. Patriots Nation, I now take you to part two of my Friday discussion with Mark Schofield of USA Today right here on the Locked on Patriots podcast. Since we're talking draft, bud, I thought we'd stay on that subject for just a moment because Mark is already providing some of the most comprehensive draft coverage anywhere that you'll find, folks.

Again, I think few, if any, equals in the business. It's just my humble opinion, but I feel that way wholeheartedly. But we've been hearing about the Patriots quarterback situation really since the minute the Pat season ended in 2020, or 2021, if you think about it. But to this point, it's all speculation. There have been some mixed signals on how the Patriots are going to fill this void. And that does include the draft. Now, up until this point, maybe just up until a few days ago, the rumblings that I were hearing was that the Patriots were not looking to

make an early draft splash to get their quarterback of the future here. Mac Jones seemed to be the most lofty option, but names like Kyle Trask, Jamie Newman, Kellen Mon, they're being thrown around as possible mid round selections. But Mel Kuyper set off a bit of a firestorm earlier this week when he suggested in his latest mock draft that the Patriots might be able to swing a trade for North Dakota State's Trey Lance, getting into the top 10 in order to be able to select Trey.

You know, buddy, the more I watch on Trey Lance, the more I love of him. If Josh McDaniels wanted to work with a young dual threat quarterback, this could end up being the guy he's always wanted. But the capital needed to get him, I think, would need to include multiple picks and maybe even multiple first rounders. But I'm asking you this question because you recently joined our mutual friend and colleague Trevor Sycamore and did some creative manipulation to make this actually happen. And I'm intrigued. So I'm going to give you the floor

for a second here but is trey lance a real possibility for the patriots and how would he fit here in foxborough i absolutely hope that he's a real possibility for them because i i'm fascinated by his game now i i think it's sort of important to remember in looking at this quarterback class at the top, you know, there's that first tier, Lawrence, Fields, Wilson, Lance, stacked them however you want. I don't, you know, if you want Fields first, if you want Wilson first, Lance first, whatever, like that's fine. They're 1A, 2B, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D for me. Then there's Mac Jones and sort of that second tier or maybe kind of like batting on the

door to get into that first tier. They're all fantastically talented players. What intrigues me about Trey Lance is actually a couple of things. There's the athleticism, which I think is a component to playing quarterback in today's NFL that you have to have.

You know, because I look at it this way, Mike. If you're an athletic quarterback, if you're a mobile quarterback in the state's NFL, that helps a young quarterback on both a macro and a micro level. On the micro level, it helps you sort of extend to the play, stay alive in the pocket, avoid contact, avoid hits, and give you more time to make a decision with the football. That's how it helps you on the micro level.

Because all young quarterbacks coming into the league, they might need an extra half second, you know, to sort of read through a concept. And so, yeah, that will certainly help them. On the macro level, that will give you more time to figure things out over the course of the first season or two, you know, because it will help you on that sort of granular play-to-play level figure things out.

And the more you're able to do that, the more reps you'll get at speeding up your process, the more opportunities you will get, then it will give you more time to figure out and fill in the rest of the things that you need to develop. And so I think, you know, mobility at the quarterback position matters and Lance certainly has that. He has easy arm talent. You know, everybody's very excited about Zach Wilson and how well he throws the football. And, you know, I did a show last night with Jordan Reed from the draft network.

He talked about arm aggression, you know, and arm arrogance was the phrase he used. And Wilson has that because he's not afraid to challenge a window. aggression, you know, and arm arrogance was the phrase he used. And Wilson has that because he's not afraid to challenge a window. But when you see Wilson do it, he might have to take an extra hit or two, really step into and really drive into a throw. I think, you know, Jordan said he has a B-plus arm, and I'd agree with that.

Lance has an A-minus arm because he makes those same throws, but flat-footed, back foot, whatever. It doesn't matter. You watch him, even that one spotlight game against Central Arkansas this year where I think he was sort of overly hyped up, that ball just explodes out of his hand. There's another thing to like about him. The pro-style offense, right? The pro-style offense.

Because he's somebody that lines up under center, 21 personnel, fullback, tailback, play-action passes, back to the defense. I love seeing drafted quarterbacks who run those back-to-the-defense play-action type of moments because it gets us back to that decision-making window, right? If you have to turn your back to the defense, you lose sight of what's happening behind you. You lose sight of what the secondary is doing. You might think when the ball is snapped and you. You lose sight of what the secondary is doing. You might think when the ball is snapped and you have that last second to see the safeties, oh, I know this is cover three,

that post safety is staying deep. I can throw the dig route in front of him. You come around, turn your back to the defense, make the play action fake. You come up, you expect him to be deep. Suddenly he's jumped that dig route. And now you have to recalibrate your thinking. It cuts down that decision-making window. And so where Lance is doing that and turning this back to the defense along

these plays, these other guys, Wilson, Lawrence, Fields, you know, they're running that RPO stuff out of the pistol, out of the shotgun where your eyes are always downfield. And so you can see what's happening as you're carrying out run fakes. Now, I think they're all, again, I think they're all great quarterbacks, but scouted evaluators are going to see Lance doing stuff like that and think, man, you get him into our offense, it's going to be, you know, the sky's the limit. Now, I think Lance is somebody that is wrong.

You're talking about 17 games, a season and a game at the FCS level. That's going to face an adjustment. I do think that there are some offenses that will be a tougher adjustment. But at the same time, I look at this kid, I think the sky's the limit. I think North Dakota State traditionally puts a lot on their quarterback's plates. You know, they get to make checks, adjust protection, things like that, a lot of scrimmage. You know, in talking to people in that program and watching some install videos and stuff like that,

they involve the tight end, they involve the fullback. If you see Trey Lance check the ball down to the fullback early in a play, don't think he's scared. That's what he's coached to do. So that's a good thing. And so you put this together. If he's there at 15, if he's slotted into the bottom of the top 10 and they can trade up to get him and it costs you a future first, whatever, do it.

Because I think this kid can be a star in the NFL. Agreed. Absolutely agreed. And look, folks, there's a reason why Trey Lance is right now being considered the flavor of the month when it comes to quarterbacks and the NFL draft, especially here in Foxborough. And I say flavor of the month, really more like flavor of the week, I think. But I'm seeing that thrown around a lot on social media. But very few prospects that you see have the ability to play with the type of athleticism

that Trey Lance has. Mark, you mentioned he aligns in the pistol. He aligns in the shotgun. He's shown the ability to run the offense from under center. He's able to get out of the pocket, extend plays with his legs. And, you know, the thing that I really like about this kid the more i watch on him is and you touched on this his mobility his footwork has developed you look at what he's done you know in in years and the progression that you've seen in him it continues to develop and develop positively he can be he needs to be accounted for when it comes to the zone read

game because he can effectively get out of the pocket and extend plays with his legs but I like the insight that you gave when it came to him being a passer this is one thing that I think a lot of people may have had some reservations about with Trey Lance heading into this draft but he can generate velocity on his throws that's going to be a big key if he goes to a cold weather city or a city that plays a lot of outdoor football, throwing through the elements, you need velocity to be able to get those throws out. And I think Trey Lance is going to be able to do it. He does need to continue to develop those subtle moves and those subtle tendencies that

you need to be a pure NFL quarterback at this level. But to me, I think the positives far outweigh the question marks. And if there is a guy out there that the Patriots are willing to trade up for, I think Trey Lance is, I do think he's it. And we'll see. We'll see what the Patriots do. But I think it's intriguing at the very least. And it seems to be like it's a situation

that we're in agreement with, that it's from our lips to God's ears. Maybe Trey Lance finds his way to Foxborough. But it's always a blast when you come back home. Your wisdom, your counsel, breath of fresh air that we need here in Pat's nation right now. But the draft is only one avenue through which the Patriots are going to look to improve for the upcoming season. When we continue, Mark Schofield and I will delve into the Patriots' approach to free agency in 2021. How will they be able to attract certain free agents to come and to play here in New England? And all of this, and at least one more total reference, when the Locked On Patriots podcast

continues. Just like that, Patriots Nation, we've made it through another Monday through Friday here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. But don't forget, when it comes to my weekend discussion with Mark Schofield, as Colonel Slade would say, we're just getting warmed up. Don't forget to check your subscription feed to Locked On Patriots for part two of my discussion with Mark, dropping on Saturday. So if you have yet to subscribe to Locked On Patriots, don't miss a second of the action.

Subscribe to the pod on platforms such as Radio.com, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Just make sure that you're staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank my good friend Mark Schofield for stopping by the pod today. I look forward to concluding our discussion over the weekend. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage.

Until tomorrow, Foxborough faithful, stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.