Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Outlook Strange or Strong? New England Patriots 2022 Rookie Breakdown

Episode Date: June 28, 2022

With the signing of quarterback Bailey Zappe, the New England Patriots now have the entirety of their 2022 NFL Draft class in the fold for the upcoming season. However, which of the rookie signings will be the most significant? Joining host Mike D’Abate is Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy of E2G Sports. The duo discuss which of the rookies will have the biggest impact in year one, as well as overall. They also provide their thoughts on center David Andrews restructuring his contract.Find and follow Locked On Patriots on your favorite podcast platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-patriots-daily-podcast-on-the-new-england/id1140512627 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFmwg3WbfxAU3tR5Ve?si=k196wH-yRqifUcQQz8SjIQStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-on-patriots And follow host Mike D’Abate on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the New England Patriots and talking with fans.On Twitter: @mdabateNFLSupport 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.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!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

New England Patriots fans, Cole Strange was the Patriots' top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but will he be the most important or most impactful rookie on the field this season and beyond? Stay tuned, we're talking about that and much more today. You're about to be locked in to the Locked On Patriots podcast. You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful, and thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage

and also your first listen every day. Remember, Locked On Patriots, free and available on all platforms, including YouTube. So download, subscribe to follow Lockeddown Patriots, free and available on all platforms, including YouTube. So download, subscribe to follow Lockdown Patriots wherever you get your podcasts, and make sure to smash that subscribe button on YouTube. I am your host, Mike DeBate. I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. Also your host of the Lockdown Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network,

your team every day. Today's episode is brought to you by BetOnline. BetOnline has you covered this season with more props, more odds, and more lines than ever before. BetOnline, where the game starts. Patriots fans, your New England Patriots selected Cole Strange with the first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Their first rounder, number 29, Patriots trading down in that round to select Cole Services.

And right here on Locked On Patriots, we talked a lot about Cole Strange. We even talked about him pre-draft. We had him looking like a pretty probable Patriot, but not in the first round. Here today to help us sort out what Cole Strange is signing with the Patriots, what his contract situation will be, and also whether or not he'll be the most impactful rookie on the field this year for the Patriots and beyond is our good friend, the legendary green man himself, the kind of Murphy Fisto, columnist extraordinaire from E2GSports.com,

the legendary Thomas Murphy. Dunn-Murph, thank you for coming to me in friendship as always today. And as we look now into the Patriots, Belichickian, Crystal Ball, all of their 2022 draft picks are in the fold. Everyone's under contract. They've all signed. Cole signed last week. Tyquan Thornton was the one that signed later in the week. And then, of course, Bailey Zappi making it official on Friday and completely taking the Patriots draft class and putting them all under contract. We'll start with Cole Strange today because we talked a lot about Cole in the past, Murph. Talked about him being an impact player on the offensive line, getting reps with the starters in minicamp

and in OTA. We look for that to continue in training camp. But there's also some thoughts into whether or not that may make him the most impactful rookie on the field this year. You also have Tyquan Thornton. You also have Pierre Strong. You've got Kevin Harris coming in. There's a lot of different guys that can have an impact on this offense that the New England Patriots may look to utilize.

And really, I mean, when you look at draft picks, the Patriots always go against the grain. So there's not always a whole lot to go on there. My personal opinion is that Cole Strange will be the most impactful on the field this year, simply because I believe he's getting the starting job. I don't think anyone else in this rookie class is going to start out of the gate, but that's not to say I'm right on that. That's why we look for the wisdom and counsel from the great green man himself. So based on my assessment, I believe Cole is going to be the most impactful rookie this season. I'm not saying beyond, just this season for right now, folks.

What say you, Don Murph? What do you feel are the Patriots' best options for an impactful rookie this season on the field? No, simply because of depth and the position that he's playing. Now, folks, you see me. You know me. I am an offensive lineman. I love the big, fat guys. We are sitting here, and this is my ballpark and no, but no, he's not going to be the most impactful

rookie this year, simply because of the depth on the offensive line. Okay. That that's the, that's the reason that, and quite frankly, um, when he's doing well, you're not going to hear his name being talked and bandied about during ballgames because he is going to get his job done. And the only time that we get mentioned anywhere during a ballgame is when we screw up. So, no, I can't agree with that. I don't think he's going to be the most impactful simply because of um the other guys that that are surrounding him um the offensive line is is one cohesive unit when you see us on the field you see us together when you see us off the field you see us together we are the group within the group that uh we are the the giant straw others are the straw that stirs we're we're the glass we are the giant straw. Others are the straw that stirs.

We're the glass. We're the glass. And whether it's half full or half empty depends on how well we play together. So no, I don't believe that Cole will be the man that you're hearing the most about. The man that you're going to be hearing the most about is somebody that I

have hung my hat on as my new favorite Patriot. The jersey has been ordered, and that's Jack Jones. And it's simply because of the lack of depth at that position. Jack Jones is already running with the starting group, just as Cole Strange is. He's getting a lot of praise, not only from the coaches, but around the water cooler with his teammates into how he goes about his work. And this guy is the answer. We were all looking for questions to who was going to be the other guy at cornerback this year, and it's him. And he's going to come in. He's going to make an impact. He is going to frustrate the hell out of opposing wide receivers and quarterbacks and bring his A game every single time he's on the field.

And I think he's going to be on the field a hell of a lot, even with the myriad of DBs and how Bill Belichick is going to end up using them. You still need those two guys. You still need those two guys. He's going to be a future lockdown. Oh, I definitely believe he's going to be a future lockdown. And look, the knock on this kid was never his physical ability. It was never what he could do on the field.

It was off field situations. And Jack, to his credit, has addressed that. He hasn't shied away from it. He's basically and Jack to his credit has addressed that he hasn't shied away from it he's basically owned up to his past and he's come I think through it looking better looking more credible and I also think he's been you know looking as someone who's maturing an awful lot and that's something that is a big part of being a good pro I don't think that's really discussed enough in terms of how a pro becomes a pro, how a rookie becomes a true professional, and maturity is certainly a big, big part of that. My question on Jones is not necessarily with him. I believe he can be an impact player right off the bat. It's the fact

that Bill Belichick likes to bring his corners along a little bit. The thing that worries me is not so much whether Jack can handle the load at outside corner it's that jaylen mills performed pretty well there last year i know some people are going to roll their eyes as i'm saying that but go back and take a look at the statistics jaylen was not that bad no in 2021 really i think did an admirable job in a role he didn't expect to play in training camp everyone thought stephan gilmore was walking back through that door at a moment's notice. I'll make a call for this on my own. I believe that as well. I always thought the Patriots were going to work something out. I didn't think he would be in New England beyond

last year, but I thought he would at least finish the year in New England. He should have. You see the contract he signed? He should have taken what the Patriots offered. Absolutely. And you know what? I mean, we can probably fill a show right on that. And you know what? We just might. But back to Jones, I definitely see where you're coming from on that. And my worry is that with guys like Malcolm Butler in the fold, with someone like a Jalen Mills, would it stunt him being able to see the field early on?

If he does see the field, then you're probably going to be right on that. And let's talk. Let's not forget the other Jones as well. And we're going to talk about him in just a moment and that's marcus the cornerback out of the university of houston but ultimately the reason why i feel cole strange is going to be the most impactful this season um i don't see him being a part of a rotation at left guard uh the way the patriots are deploying him thus far and the way i've seen him on the field shows that they're looking to increase the amount of you know of opportunities that he's going to get to make an impact you didn't see them run a whole lot of zone drills and whatnot in camp and practices um that's very unusual for a patriots unit normally we see them

at least line up or run some of those drills cole Cole, I think at this point is really going to get an opportunity to show his athleticism. I think the Patriots realized that if there is one thing about the line that really, I think may have hindered them a little bit last year was a lack of a little bit explosiveness, a little bit of athleticism at that position, especially at left guard. And I say that with every reverence for steady Terry Harris, who was one of my favorite guys on the team last year. I think he did a tremendous job, but Cole does bring in a little bit more of that extra push. He's a strike first type guy. And if you pair him alongside Isaiah Wynn on the left side, and I know that's a subject that people, you know, roll their eyes a lot as well. But Isaiah is a strike-first type of left tackle.

If he's got someone on the other side that's really helping to push that, very similar to the way Tooney did in the years that he was here, that's when Isaiah Wynn was at his best. When Joe Tooney was next to him, that's when he was at his best. And I'm not putting that on Cole Strange's shoulders, but I see similarities in the way these two play. And I think that even with the growth that's definitely needed from Cole Strange,

I think that can help to push him to, or I should say, push Isaiah to be a little bit better. And it allows Michael Waino and Trent Brown to really anchor themselves on the right side, because at the end of the day, I do believe Isaiah Wynn is still going to be your left tackle. I think that the Patriots were experimenting.

I don't think they're going to make that move. Of course, if they do, this could all be a moot point. We're not going to agree on this. I think Wynn is moving over to the right side. I think his contract is up at the end of the year, and Bill plays his games, his contract games. Right tackles do not make the amount of money that left tackles do out on the free agent market, even though he's played left tackle.

Well, why did Bill move him back over to right tackle? Because he had somebody better there? Okay, so we're going to offer you right tackle money. I think it's a contract game. I don't think it has anything to do with, um, with, uh, his win skillset. Uh, it, it, it just has to do with what he's going to be willing to pay him down the line. Hmm. Well, sorry. When you have someone, when you do have someone as good as Trent Brown is being able to play either contract for three years. Exactly. It's a game you can play. And at the end of the day, you may

be right. Um, be right um with with regard to isaiah we'll see how this shakes out during training camp i will say this if he comes out in training camp and you see him taking quite a bit of snaps at right tackle uh then yeah i mean i have all bets are off and then i will you know fall on the sword on this one and we'll be able to play this we'll you know bring this back and i will eat the proverbial crow that i need to um on this but just the gut feeling that i have on this and that i believe isaiah will return to his spot at left tackle but at the end of the day murph we're not infallible we all you know make mistakes and i know there's going to be a lot of the fan base that's going to agree with you on this and in a way i'm glad'm glad because first of all, I always provide reverence to the great Don

here. But second of all, it's what makes this show as interactive and as good as we try to make it. We always try to bring you the information the way only we can here on Locked On Patriots. And it's always, always an honor to have you join us each and every day to make us a part of your daily Patriots coverage. And of course, it's always our honor to host Murph whenever he's here in New England. And whenever he's here and bringing that wisdom and counsel, folks, you know it's going to be a good show. Well, Murph, we

talked about who's going to be the most impactful this season. We danced around the subject a little bit, but which of the Patriots draft picks is going to be the most impactful overall? Two, three years down the line, who are we still going to be talking about as the gem of this draft class? Was it Cole Strange at the top of the draft? Was it Jack Jones, the man that you mentioned? Or was it someone else in this draft class? Murph and I are going to be discussing who is the top draft pick or who should be the top draft pick for the Patriots when all is said and done we're evaluating this in a couple of years time but first sports is always fun to follow and even though a lot of our favorite sports are quote-unquote in the offseason right now there is no shortage of

action and there's also no shortage of ways to maximize your return on that action if you want to do that check out our good friends at BetOnline.net, who are your number one source for all of your sports betting needs and information. Find all the latest sports developments, league reviews, and news at BetOnline, your continued source for all of your sports wagering information, including live betting, esports, and scores. And BetOnline.net remains the best spot for all of your scores, podcasts, news this season.

It's the fastest and easiest way to check in on all of your favorite sports and events, including MMA, boxing, and all the golf that's going on this summer. Head to the website today or use your mobile device to learn more about the trends and the action. BetOnline, where the game starts. Patriots fans, the legendary Thomas Murphy, the Count of Murphy Fisto, great columnist from E2GSports.com joining me today here on the pod

as he does each and every Monday. It is hashtag LockedOnMurphMonday here on LockedOnPatriots. But in the previous segment, a rarity here on LockedOnPatriots. We disagree. But you know what they say. It doesn't happen a lot. Variety is the spice of life. And you know what? We came to play today, and I like that. Your assessment is that Jack Jones,

cornerback out of Arizona State, will end up being the Patriots' most impactful rookie on the field this season. and I'd be hard-pressed to argue with you and tell you that you're wrong I happen to feel it's going to be strange based on how uh you know the the reps are shaking out with him at at left guard in uh minicamp and an OTA but I don't necessarily I'm going to say that you're way off base or even that you're wrong about Jack Jones he's lining up with the starters, as you pointed out. Good point there. I think he's got a great chance to be that guy.

We also disagreed a little bit on Isaiah Wynn, but next week when we begin positional previews here on Locked On Patriots, we're going to get into that a little bit more because I think the fans are speaking right now that they'd love to see our thoughts on the offensive line. So we're going to go there next week, folks. When Murph joins me here on hashtag LockedOnMurph, I believe it's probably going to be Tuesday in observance of the Fourth of July holiday.

We will get back on track and we will talk a little O-line for you. But Cole Strange and Jack Jones are not the only players that the New England Patriots selected in the draft. They've selected a plethora of players that I believe can have an impact on this team for many years to come. Taequann Thornton in the second round, a wide receiver blistering speed. We've talked about him several times. Pair of running backs that I think could make things very interesting for the guys on that depth chart this year. Pierre Strong, Kevin Harris, really can't wait to see these guys in full regalia and see what they can do. Sam Roberts at the defensive end is kind of the forgotten guy, I think, in this draft in terms of coverage, but Sam is someone that can come in and make things interesting at that position as well. He's

got a lot of great mentors there, guys that can play the position well i'd love to see what this kid can do a couple of good young offensive linemen chasen hines andrew stuber who still kind of been missing in action lately we're waiting to see andrew out on the field but i think when these two guys come into their own patriots may have two good solid offensive linemen for a number of years um and of course back in the third round Marcus Jones cornerback out of the University of Houston who a lot of people feel may get more playing time than anyone uh when it comes to this season so Murph my interpretation is that Marcus is going to end up being the most impactful rookie two three four years from now in conjunction with Jack Jones. I do

believe the Jones brothers are going to be the gems of this draft. And I say that believing that Pierre Strong, yeah, I say that with Pierre Strong that I believe is going to be impactful. Tyquan Thornton, Cole Strange. I think this is going to be a good rookie class for everyone that really wanted to drag it through the mud earlier this year. Right. Reason why I believe Marcus is going to be impactful is his ability in the return game and also his ability to be a slot corner. Eventually, they're going to have to make a decision with Miles Bryant. I know you're extremely high on Miles. I am as well.

Jonathan Jones, some rumblings out there that his job may not be safe, even this year. So if they're looking for a slot corner, a guy that can make a return game, an impact, maybe not this year, but in subsequent years, I think Marcus Jones can be that guy. But again, you see things us mere mortals don't see. Does the defense's case hold water in this situation? Do you believe it's going to be one of the Jones brothers, or are we looking for something beyond here when it comes to not just this year, but two, three years out for an impact on this team?

Yeah, it is. It's two, three years out. It doesn't have to necessarily be this season. That's why we're calling this down the line. And it's the pair of aces. It's Pierre Strong and it's Kevin Harris. The turnover rate here in New England is a lot higher than in other places when it comes to the running back. What we do, Bill gets everything he can out of these running backs. It's few and far between when you see these guys sign a second deal here in New England at the running back position. And I think these two are going to down the line,

not necessarily this season, but it could happen this season, but down the line, they are going to be the guys that are, that are carrying the workload. They are going to be the guys that the fantasy guys are wondering about every weekend, which one are you supposed to take? And it's, it's game plan specific. Both of these guys going down, down the road are very similar, but, but yet very different running backs as to what they can do. You're going to see the replacement for, for Mr. White here and, and going down the line, that's, that's something that is so, so paramount, so important for this offense to continue to grow and flourish. We talk a lot about the changing of the offense here. Nothing's changing, people. The terminology

is being changed. Certain plays aren't going to be used as often as they were in the past this season, okay? But the offense is not changing, and the offense is predicated around what you're able to do with the running back out of the running back room each and every week. You're going to see different guys getting healthy scratches on Sunday. You'll see one week you'll see one of them in the lineup. One week you'll see the other one. But down the

line they're both going to be there every single sunday and they're going to be the ones toting the rock for bill belichick in this offense good point very good point and look when you think running backs for a new england patriot rookie running back especially the first thing you think of murph is redshirt i'm sorry most people think that now from under stevenson broke the mold a little bit last year because he was utilized a little bit more than most people believe that's because he looks fantastic but um he does he does look fantastic and we love to see him be able to take on that role and i think he's more than capable of taking on even a feature-back role in this lineup damian harris will continue in that role for this year

but the one thing that New England Patriots history has taught us is that they're not going to dish out long-term deals for running backs it's different and you hit on this and I think it's a very good point that I really didn't take under account uh maybe the way I should have and that is the longevity is not going to necessarily be there. So if you're looking two or three years down the line, you've got two backs that really have complementary styles with each other that are the same age, that are under the same rookie contract. I don't know about the same age, but they are under the same rookie contract. I don't have the numbers in front of me right now. But at the same time, you look now and you see Pierre Strong and his ability to be that dual threat back, a guy who can tuck his head down, run for power a little bit,

but the speed that this kid allows and the shiftability that he has is truly remarkable. I can't wait to watch it. He is next generation James White. You know, Bill does this. He doesn't look at this year's depth chart and say, I've got to fill in here. This is the place that I need.

He's looking at the contracts that are coming up. And there are expiring contracts. We do not know what James White is anymore. We really don't. We won't have a good idea of that. He's thinking down the line, and so am I with the comment that I made here. Right. Absolutely.

And that's, to me, I think something that people are really looking forward to. down the line and so am i with the with the comment that i made here right absolutely and you know and that's to me i think something that people are really looking forward to you want to talk about someone that can even um help out in the return game i think he's got a shot there kevin harris to me is flying a little bit under the radar at the end of training camp i don't think he will be i think this is going to be one of those guys that catches the sharp eye of all of us in attendance scouting looking at what these guys are doing. And he's built like a mountain. I mean, Kevin really is remarkably built there.

You want to talk about being built strong, low to the ground. That's this kid, folks. And he does it. He does it very, very well. He looks like a boulder that was that was blown off the side of Mount Rushmore. You talk about Mount Rushmore type players. He's one of the boulders that got blown off and everybody said duck and it's it's going to be beautiful you folks are going to love this yeah absolutely and he really doesn't the way the style that he brings that power style that i think can

really be so complimentary to someone like a pierre strong or even a remandre stevenson because i think remandre's here for you know the long muggy hall at least for a few years as well um you know harris i know he's got a lot of support in this area and i would love to see damien stick around for a long long time i love the kid great guy and a great person to cover and a great running back i mean somebody is going to out pay exactly that's one that's the unfortunate part of the bottom line yeah that's the unfortunate part of it with damien nobody always like do i have to pay this guy $8 million a year when I can get it out of this guy who's still on his rookie contract? And it's a shame.

It really is because you grow attached to these young men. Absolutely. And you want to see them do well, and you want to see them do well in a Patriots uniform. In the past, we've seen this time and again, and, but I just don't see it. I just don't see Bill giving him a second contract with the amount of money he's going to be able to get out there on, on the open market. You could see him get transitioned or something of that effect, but it's, it's, that's, that's better for Miguel.

Let Miguel answer that that we're just sitting here looking at talent and and what's going to happen and this is what Bill does folks yeah and you're absolutely right Murph and I think you know when you look at what Damien sees these guys getting out on the run on the market uh there will be teams that will overpay for a running back or they will pay market value the patriots are probably going to come in a little less than that i know that upsets some people but it is a nature it is the reality of the team uh so you almost have to prepare yourself for that but if we're talking that damien is a past part of the patriots already folks please do not read anything into it damien is here for this year there's no question about. He'll be here for the length of his contract.

Patriots aren't going to move him. At least I don't believe they will. But at the same time, beyond that, it's just the nature of the way this business is. And, you know, it's unfortunate, but it's definitely not through any lack of confidence in his ability. Damien is truly a great running back and a great guy. Somebody that we hope to see do very well this year. This will not be a Sony Michelle situation. No,

not unless somebody blows them away with a, you know, a second round pick or a top second round pick. Right. He's going to be here for the duration of his contract. I feel that bill bill understands what he brings to this team and what this team needs this year, and what this team needs this year is that young man running the ball.

Absolutely. That's exactly what they need this year. So we'll see. Again, a difference of opinion. I'm going with the Jones brothers. You're going with the two-headed running monster of Pierre Strong. The new Hydra. Part of the new Hydra.

Well, Murph, we're going to give the people what maybe they don't want but uh what we want here and we're going to i think agree on this one because when it comes right down to it the patriots in order to get all of their rookies under contract and in the bold they needed a good old reliable patriot to step up and take one for the team and that's exactly what a captain should do. And the captain did that on Friday, folks, when David Andrews restructuring his deal in order to make sure that the Patriots had enough under the cap to be able to bring in all of their rookies.

Murph, we love ourselves and David Andrews and Murph and I are going to discuss why it really shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that the captain was the one that answered the command. We'll talk David Andrews as we bring it all home on today's hashtag Locked on Murph Monday episode of the Locked on Patriots podcast. Patriots fans, the legendary Thomas Murphy, the Count of Murphy, Fisto, Dunn Murph himself, legendary columnist from E2GSports.com. My good friend Thomas Murphy joins me here today on the pod. And Murph, we've disagreed more than we've agreed today.

Yeah. In a way, I think that's great. It's been a while. There really has been. It's been a while. But you know what, folks? We kept it clean and we kept it respectful. And that's something that I'm proud of here.

My good buddy and I can not necessarily agree on everything but still be able to keep that respect for one another but I don't think there's any disagreement here and I don't think there's really any surprise here that when we were getting reports from our good friend Miguel

Benzana, Patscap himself salary cap guru, go ahead and follow him over on Pat's cap. You might be able to catch him on these airwaves here on Locked On Patriots from time to time, maybe toward the end of the week. I know. Perhaps. But

all kidding aside, Miguel was basically telling us in order for the Patriots to sign their final three holdouts, so to speak, Cole Strange, Taequann Thornton bailey zappy quarterback um that they were going to have to make a roster move in order to accommodate that open up some cap space and allow the patriots to do that well the captain was the one that answered the command he answered the call david andrews restructuring his contract um creating 2.1 million in 2022 cap space by converting 3.15 million of his compensation

into a signing bonus there was no new money here folks there was no immediate uh you know return on investment uh that david could pocket immediately this was simply a restructuring move that he made for the good of the team and why are we surprised this is exactly what david andrews does it's what he's done what David Andrews does. It's what he's done as a six-year veteran. It's what he's done as a team captain, a five-time team captain here. Six seasons he's been with the Patriots, five of those seasons he spent as a captain. That should tell you something about the reverence that the players in the locker room have toward him. Were you surprised by the fact that it was David that stepped up to the plate and restructured his deal?

And does this only further everyone's thoughts on him, about him just being the ultimate team player and the ultimate New England Patriot? Yeah, if you didn't think so in the past, you have to right now. It also goes to the, what's the word I'm looking for, the personal accountability he has as a Patriot. He knows that what he does, you know, when he goes out and does things like this, it makes the entire team better. It's something that, you know, other players in the past have done. Danny Amendola has done time and again.

Tom Brady did time and again to make sure that there was enough money spread around to get everybody in the fold. And it also goes to show how secure he is in his position as a Patriot in being able to do this, because this bumps up his cap number over the next few years by a million dollars per and a million dollars per and it's not something that bill is going to uh you know they he's just too talented to let go he he wants to be here um he bill in the past just last year gave him the opportunity to go out there and see what was happening. And he came back here for less money, folks. And now he's restructuring that less money into allowing other players to get into camp, to get into uniform and contribute every year. This is a guy that's going to have a red jacket and should probably have a gold jacket by the time he's done in New England and in the NFL.

I never want to see him in another uniform. And he's just, he's a brilliant teammate, a brilliant leader, and a brilliant center. And coming from me, I don't grade on a curve, people. I really don't, especially at this position. When I coach baseball, I hold my first baseman accountable for everything. The only thing we can't do at first base is grow.

That's because I'm a first baseman, and I hold it that way. And I was a center. So I hold them to the same accountability. And this is a man that, that is just accountable for everything from when it comes to signing on the dotted line to every single snap at practice and to every single snap during a game. He's a true professional and a true patriot great so well said absolutely well said and he truly is and folks i can tell you from personal experience murph is not great on a curve that is a position that he holds very very sacred and for him to give that kind of praise to a player they have to be well deserving first of all i completely agree with

you on never wanting to see him in another uniform anyone who saw david model in those reds and three and the point stance knows that he looks like pat patriot in that image you look at that that's the image on the helmet uh really all you need to do is get him the right hat and he's he's pat yeah i mean he's wearing the number 60 the team was established in 1960 i mean he is the prototypical patriot i don't think you ever have to worry about that i think david had his shot to continue his career elsewhere and he took less to come back that should tell you how much he loves this area and how much this area really embraces and loves him i've never heard anyone uh fans media alike ever have a bad thing to say about david and i can't say that

about too many guys on this team that have walked through that locker room and folks this is a man that's dealing has dealt in the past with a blood disorder you know so even even more so it's important to him to or to his family to get as much money as they possibly can as soon as they possibly can but he felt he he felt being Patriot was more important than a little more financial security. And you can't talk in a more glowing fashion about this Patriot. You really can't. I see when his playing days are over to maybe take a season off and come back as a coach. He's a future offensive line coach. I as a coach. He's a future offensive line

coach. I'm telling you. Absolutely. Yeah. I don't know anybody that is embraced and, and, and knows the Dante Skarnecchia way of playing the offensive line than David Andrews. And I've been watching this team for a very, very long time. Absolutely. Without without question and the point that i really want to make here as well and you kind of alluded to this a little bit murph is this is not simply a symbolic position that david is holding oh he's a captain he's beloved he's bat patriot and everybody loves him so we're gonna keep tossing him out there because that's who he is now folks david andrews is a lot more than that he's from the injury that kept him out of the entire season a few years ago with blood clots in his lungs

it caused us to really seriously think about using the patriots first round draft capital a couple of years ago on a center in michigan we wanted we we talked to Ruiz up the entire time because we simply didn't know what David was going to be able to do going forward. Since then, this guy has been a pillar of reliability. Last year, even with a shoulder injury that he had to have surgery on this offseason to repair, 98.6% of the offensive snaps, David Andrews was out there. On 16 of the patriots 18 games

including the playoff loss to buffalo which we're not going to bring up we don't want to talk about that andrews 100 of the team snaps on 16 of 18 games you want to talk about reliability folks that's reliability that proves that this guy is going to be out there for the long haul and injury is always the greatest equalizer i understand that you can't predict it from one year to another but you know that if david andrews is relatively healthy he's going to give you those minutes he's going to be out there and he's still as good as it gets when it comes to his position pro football focus had him ranked as the fifth highest graded center last year i know they have their algorithms i'd put him up on the list a little bit higher than that but I understand they're grading on statistics folks so that's that that

is understandable but out of 610 black pass blocking snaps that he participated in one sack credited against David Andrews only one out of 610. if that doesn't tell you that this guy is still more than capable of playing his position at a Pro Bowl caliber level, well, I don't know what to tell you. I think that says it all about David Andrews. But the thing that really, I think, makes him who he is is that leadership, that perseverance. Just every day out there on the field, it's Lee by example. Right.

The most depressed guy on the New England Patriots is who's ever behind David Andrews on the depth chart. Absolutely. It's completely overpaid and that's the only thing keeping a smile on their face. The fact that they're not going to have to go out there and really do anything because you're not sitting David Andrews down unless he's getting something taped.

Right. Absolutely. And that leads us quite nicely into the next time that Murph will join us here on Lockdown Patriots, because we're going to be doing some positional previews, folks. Yes, at long last, positional previews start next week here on Lockdown Patriots. And Murph and I are going to kick it all off talking about the offensive line. And we're going to talk about who might be the center backing up David Andrews. Is it going to be Andrew Stuber? Is it going to be Jason Hines? Is it going to be some of the other? You know, James Ferentz, definitely a possibility. He's done it in the past. He knows the position. Who might be those swing positional players

that might end up challenging some of the starters for some playing time, either early, mid, or late way through the season? Everything offensive line next week here on Locked on Patriots, buddy. I mentioned the depth. We're going to get into it next week. It may not be household names that you're talking about, but there's good, solid guys back there, and I can't wait to get into it.

I really can't. Let's take next week right now. Murph always loves talking about O-line and we love talking all line we love talking patriots with all of you here on lockdown patriots thank you once again for investing time out of your day to make locked on patriots not just the daily part of your new england patriots coverage but also your first listen every day and now that you've listened to locked on patriots make your second listen of the day with my colleagues over at Locked On NFL who put on a tremendous program each and every day.

Check out their podcast, smash the subscribe button on YouTube, download wherever you get your podcasts, all the latest news notes and analysis across the entire NFL landscape, always covered on Locked On NFL. And of course, we thank you for smashing that subscribe button and downloading, subscribing to and following Locked On Patriots wherever you get your podcasts, including YouTube. Until next week, please follow my good friend, the Count of Murphy, Fisto himself on Twitter at TeamMurph207. You can find his great written work all over E2GSports.comcom along with all the great writers that they have over at that site you can also hear the golden melodious tones of his voice each and every week on one

patriot's place available on e2g sports.com's podcast network alongside good friends steve valastrieri and the countess of class herself miss claire clazy claire cooper don murph thank you once again always honored always humbled by your Don Murph, thank you once again. Always honored, always humbled by your presence, my friend. Well, thank you, Bud. I've got a nice piece over there at et2g.com that went up this morning about the fantastic resurgence of the Red Sox. We all love seeing them coming back and how hard their schedule is coming up.

Yesterday, I threw up just, you know, just because I really needed it. I really needed it. I really needed it. I threw up a nice little Patriots piece that you guys might want to check out. Whether or not Tyquan Thornton is going to end up being a healthy scratch more than not this season. So go take a peek at that. For a team that is said to not have a lot of weapons, there's a lot of hurdles that this young man has to climb over to get on the field on Sunday.

So check that out too. Yes, tomorrow on One Patriot's Place, Mark Schofield will be joining us. You're not going to want to miss that. Michael, thank you for letting me plug everything and anything. I really appreciate it. Now I'm going to go and make some ravioli because we're going to have baked ravioli for dinner. Okay.

Don't forget, when you make the sauce, Murph, you start with some olive oil. You fry it and make sure it doesn't stick. Fry it up. Right. You throw in all your sausage and your meatballs, a little bit of wine, and a little bit of sugar, and that's Murph's trick, my friend. That's my trick. All kidding aside, folks, thank you so much. Once again, Murph, we thank you for joining us here today,

and we thank you all for taking the time out to be a part of the Locked On Patriots family. Until next time, stay safe, stay well, be the change that you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.