Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Patriots' Best Off-Season Move Finally Revealed | Will It Propel Them?

Episode Date: July 18, 2025

Patriots' Offseason Move: Will it reshape the future?Josh McDaniels' comeback as offensive coordinator could be the game-changer for the New England Patriots in 2025 and beyond. Nick Cattles breaks down why McDaniels' impact on Drake Maye's development and the offense's stability outweighs other moves. The discussion shifts to Christian Gonzalez's future contract talks, sparked by Sauce Gardner's massive deal with the Jets. Cattles analyzes the toughest challenges awaiting the Patriots' secondary, including matchups against Baker Mayfield's Buccaneers and Josh Allen's Bills.Tune in for an in-depth look at how the Patriots are positioning themselves for short-term success and long-term dominance in the AFC East.Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOPatriots?sid=YouTubeLocked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft & More🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNFL#patriots #newenglandpatriotsSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.FanDuelRight now, new customers can get $150 in BONUS BETS when your first $5 BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started.Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNFL at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnfl for 50% off your first year.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

On the precipice of camp, PFF picks the Pats best offseason move, but we've got a different choice that will impact the short and long term future of the franchise. That's where we start on this episode of Locked On Patriots. You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast Part of the locked on podcast network your team every day What's up Patriots fans? I am your host Nick Cattles born and raised in New England Also host of the everything pats podcast co-host of the Greg Bedard Patriots podcast With Nick Cattles and a sports talk show host veteran. On today's episode, a record breaking contract signed that will directly impact the Pats for years to come.

We also look at the three toughest challenges for the past defense in 2025, but first, the off-season move that the franchise can't afford to get wrong. We appreciate you joining the show, making us your first listen and for being an everydayer, the Lockdown Patriots podcast is a proud part of the Lockdown podcast network, your team every day and we give you one podcast every weekday, Monday

through Friday, free of charge. Pro Football Focus had a story recently about the best off season move for every single AFC team. Now PFF I think went with the easy choice. They went with the easy money. They went with the layup. Mike Vrabel. Mike Vrabel is too easy to choose. He's the head coach.

He's the builder of the program. And after watching Bill Belichick and Gerard Mayo the past two years, it's really easy to go with Brayboy, the leader of this franchise on the field, the guy who is going to make a ton of top decisions. He's also from what we understand running personnel. So Mike Frabel is the easy money. I want to go with somebody else. I want to go with a different choice. And my choice for the best offseason move for the Patriots is Josh McDaniels.

I'm rolling with McDaniels. Let's start with this idea of development. McDaniels has so much on his plate that is going to impact not only 2025 but could impact 2035 starting with Drake May, year two. He needs to take the step forward and the guy who was going to be in control of that is McDaniels. We could talk about Ashton Grant, the quarterback's coach, but let's be honest, McDaniels is the guy that's going to have the reins when it comes to Drake May and if he fails or he succeeds.

How does May adjust? How does he adjust to the league's adjustments? McDaniels is going to help him along with that. It's gonna make him comfortable. It's going to make him comfortable. It's going to make him more decisive in the pocket. And by the end of 2025, we are simply going to be asking the question, does Drake May elevate himself, his own play, and does he elevate others? And McDaniels, again, will be the guide.

He will be the guide towards that answer, whether it's a yes or a no. Maybe Drake may elevate himself, but doesn't elevate others. Maybe he doesn't elevate himself and doesn't elevate others. Maybe he does both. But we need that answer by the end of this year, we need to feel confident in that answer by the end of 25. And McDaniels is going to be the key character working with Drake May in this play. So Drake May, most important player on the field, most important player for this franchise, not only this year, but the next 10 to 15 years, that pick at third overall back in 2024 has to absolutely work out. If not, it's catastrophic for this organization. And that is not Stephen A Smith hyperbole.

It is catastrophic if May doesn't work out. But then you look at some of the other young players on this offense. How about two guys you drafted in 2025? Trevion Henderson, his transition to the NFL, his usage. How will McDaniels utilize somebody of Henderson's explosivity? Will Henderson continue to get better throughout the season. Kyle Williams, the role that McDaniels will play in Kyle Williams maturation process as an NFL wide receiver after the Patriots have missed and missed and missed and missed on so many wide receivers the past five six seven years. Can McDaniels get the most out of Kyle Williams? Because if Drake May looks like the guy by the end of 2025, Henderson is a big time impact contributor to the offense.

And Kyle Williams is giving us some hope at the outside wide receiver position than Josh McDaniels has had such a significant impact on the product. That's not all. I've got more reasons why. The offensive line. Now yes, Doug Morrone and Jason Hotaling, Robert Coogler,

they will be in charge of the offensive line and making sure that Will Campbell and Jared Wilson are just fine in the NFL, especially Campbell, you need him at left tackle. But McDaniels will play a pivotal role in helping out the offensive line. I can't tell you how many times last year I wanted to throw furniture, watching Alex van Pelt, leave a Darien low on an island that left tackle, it drove me ever loving nuts.

I don't anticipate McDaniels doing the same if Will Campbell needs some help. I don't think McDaniels will do the same if Morgan Moses and his knee acts up and he's going to help out the 34 year old right tackle. I believe McDaniels will absolutely unequivocally help his offensive line. He understands how to run a successful offense. Help those offensive tackles. Chip the pass rusher with a tight end. Chip the pass rusher with a running back.

Make sure you've got extra help to one side when you need it. When you're going against an absolute beast like a Max Crosby week one, where is he lining up and where are you sending help? McDaniels will be ahead on that. He will understand it and he will do it. And this team will execute at a higher level because of it. You also help out the offensive line when your quarterback knows what he's doing. May needs to show that he's got recognition of what blitz is coming at him, where the

blitz is coming from, what games are being played by the defensive front they're playing in that given week. And that will also be under the Josh McDaniels umbrella. Because if McDaniel's develops May correctly and May is learning quicker and quicker and quicker then he's going to recognize the blitzes he's going to recognize the games and he's going to help his offensive line making sure that everybody's in the right position McDaniel's could also help the O line with pre snap motion confusing the defense.

Making parts of the O line. Unbalanced throwing a sixth offensive lineman out there at the line of scrimmage that could also help. How about the run game, running the football down the throat of the defense will take some heat off the offensive line. These are all things that fall under the responsibilities of Josh McDaniels. And finally, stability. How many offensive coordinators has Drake May had in the last four years of his football life? The answer is four. His last two seasons at North Carolina, he had two different OCs. His first two years with the Patriots, he's going to have two different OCs. What this team needed desperately was stability at the OC position. They absolutely had to have it.

May, four OCs in four years. The Patriots, four offensive coordinators in five years. And the only reason it's four and five years is because McDaniels came back. He was here in 2021. He came back in 2025. But you had McDaniels, Matt Patricia, Bill O'Brien, and then last year Alex van Pelt, and then you go back to McDaniels. So four offensive coordinators in five years for this program, you're not going

to win football games consistently if you're going through that kind of turnover at such a crucial coaching position. And McDaniels will bring stability because he's a terrible head coach. NFL team is not going to hire him as a head coach. It's not he's not to hire him as a head coach. He's not getting a third bite at the apple. It's not going to happen. Now he might end up going back to going to college,

but I don't think that's happening anytime soon. And with that kind of stability and with McDaniels hanging around for as long as he's going to hang around, as long as the offense is producing, I think it will, that allows you to build upon the foundation of the offense. And that's how you got, don't get this twisted, I'm not comparing Brady in May, but that's how Tom Brady got to the point where he got to because he had such stability and it was

the same playbook mostly dealing with the same stuff. And he knew as he said he knew the questions to the test. You know the answers to the test before you know the questions even showed up and so that stability will help build an offense that may understand a market busting deal has been signed and it will impact the paths much sooner than you might think. That's next as we continue on today's episode of Lockdown Patriots, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day.

You ever wish that managing your money felt easier? With Monarch money, it can. Whether you're growing your savings or planning a big purchase. Monarch puts you in the driver's seat. It's like having your own personal CFO, giving you full visibility and control over your finances. Monarch money is more than a budgeting app. It's a complete financial command center. You can track all your accounts, investments, and spending in one single place. So in addition to managing your money, you're also building wealth. I mean, was there a specific category, takeout, subscriptions, that might be adding up

more than you expected, especially subscriptions? Monarch Money will take care of it. Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKDONNFL at MonarchMoney.com for 50% off your first year. That's MonarchMoney.com for 50% off your first year. That's MonarchMoney.com. The code is locked on NFL for half off your first year. The biggest contract decision that will be happening

for the Patriots within the next year, within the next calendar year is going to be Christian Gonzalez. He is extension eligible after the 2025 season. Keep that in mind for a minute when I talk about this contract that was signed earlier in the week. Burt Breer posted, Stoss Gardner signed a four year $120.4 million extension, gives him a slight edge in APY average per year over the three year $90 million extension that Texans cornerback Derek Stingley got. Now Sauce Gardener, pretty easy to average the money out 120.4 over four years gives him 30.1 million. I'm going gonna tell you right now that's not

by accident. It is not by accident that Gardner is going to make $100,000 more each year of this extension than Stingley is going to make with his extension. That's how these things work. Gardner wants to make more money than Stingley and that's a status thing and he's going to be able to do that the average per year. So the 30.1 million average per year of new money uh is going to go along with the final two years of Gardner's rookie contract and this is the precise spot that Gonzales is going to be in after this season. You're going to talk about a young cornerback with a big time reputation with some nice production on the field, extension eligible. And Gonzalez will be looking at

the Stingley contract. He will be looking at the Gardner contract. And if there is any other cornerback contract signed from now until then, you can bet your took us that Gonzalez is going to be looking at that contract and it might not be Gonzalez's eyes, but his representation will certainly be looking at all of these contracts, all of these details. And so the Patriots within the next calendar year, they got to get this contract done with Gonzalez. When this season is over and he can officially sign that extension, they've got to get business done. Set a precedent. Get it done. If you're the Patriots, you want to

send the message to all the players out there, whether they're players in your own locker room or they're players across the league, we take care of our guys. It's the danger that Jerry Jones and the Cowboys consistently flirt with the way they handle contracts. They handle Dak Prescott a certain way, waited until the bitter end. They're waiting with Micah Parsons, waiting till practically the bitter end. They're waiting with Micah Parsons, waiting till practically the bitter end. And then you can look at San Francisco, the 49ers have had their own little contract issues

here and there, waiting until the very end, when you wait until the very end, you end up paying a lot more money for the player. Take care of business in a timely fashion, and take care of one of your best. And right now on paper, as we discussed in yesterday's episode about the top 100 from lockdown, Gonzalez is your best player right now.

He's the only guy that made the top 100 list this year. And you've got to take care of that guy. You got to pay him what he's worth. And that will be a message. It will be a message to his teammates. It will be a message to everybody else in the league that the Patriots aren't messing around, that they're willing to pay their best player. And not only that, if they pay him at the top of the cornerback market, if they come

in and they pay Gonzalez more than Sauce Gardner just got from the Jets, that is another statement from Patriots ownership that we're not only going to pay our best players we're not only going to take care of it in a timely fashion but we are willing to pay this guy at the top of the market and that's how you start to get that reputation as an ownership that is willing to pay and doesn't mess around as an ownership that is willing to pay and doesn't mess around. And if Gonzalez signs a contract early and gets the extension done, that could motivate other players. It could motivate a Keon White.

It could motivate Drake May down the road. Motivate other guys. They can look at it and say, man, Gonzalez could have held out for more money. He could have waited until the end of his rookie contract after that fifth year he could have tried to force the team the franchise tag him the team could have played games but they didn't they signed them to a legitimate top market deal and now i'm looking at it saying let me do that let me jump in on that let me get my deal done. I don't want the headaches. I want the long-term security, baby.

So set the precedent if you're Robert Kraft. The other reason why you want to get this Gonzalez deal done sooner rather than later, and again, you can't get it done until next offseason, but the reason why you want to get it done, another reason is because the aforementioned May. May's negotiation, as long as he proves himself to be a future franchise or in the moment franchise quarterback for the Patriots, May's negotiation happens after 2026 because again with first round picks they become extension eligible after that third season in the league. So May, at the end of 2026, will be in the position that Gonzalez will be in at the end

of this year. And if you're looking at quarterback money, and you're trying to work out a contract with Drake May at the end of 2026, you know what can help? Having your other big money contract locked in. You get Gonzalez done so you know exactly what he's going to be making the next four or five years. So then you can look at Drake May's future and say, well, now we know what he's going to make in accordance with Gonzalez, what he will make in the next four or five years. You can stagger your bigger contracts. You drafted Gonzales in 23, you draft May in 24. Hopefully, we'll be talking about Will Campbell when we get to

the end of 2027 saying, well, you drafted Will Campbell in 25. And you're talking premier positions and you're taking care of your guys early and you're staggering these contracts so you're never running into a gigantic issue. That's the way it should be done. Imagine a world where you get Gonzalez's extension done after this season, you get May's extension done after 2026, and now you have the guy on the defense happy healthy with tons of money in his pocket and then you have the guy on the offense happy healthy with tons of money in his pocket. At the end of 2026 you want Drake May and Gonzalez done no No questions asked, contracts locked in and maybe even Keon White if he shows out this year. That is of a top priority. And if you get Gonzalez done,

once this season is over, you have to understand how he impacts the rest of this defense like Gonzalez dictates the defensive back pieces. He dictates that because of his ability to lock down the opposition's number one receiver that allows you to double wide receiver number two if you want to double wide receiver number two Gonzalez's ability dictates how you deploy your safeties. Do you go single high? Do you go split safety? How do you work with that? Do you play your safeties closer to the box? Do you play them in the box, closer to the line of scrimmage? All of these things are impacted by your cornerback play. If you've got one guy who has the capability of shutting down half the field,

that just opens up so much defensively. It impacts your blitz rate and we can go on and on. So that sauce Gardner contract this week, pivotal for the Patriots future because now we're getting an idea as to how much it's going to cost to get a Gonzalez contract done. And I say, get it done. This season's over. He gets through it healthy. He plays the way we expect him to play. Get it done ASAP. Don't mess around. Speaking of Gonzalez, we break down the three biggest challenges for the secondary this

season next as we continue with today's episode of Locked On Patriots, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Earlier this week, we talked about the high expectations that I have for the secondary. We talked about the high expectations that Pro Football Focus has for this secondary. PFF ranked them as the fifth best secondary ahead of the 2025 season. And so what I wanted to do was look at the three toughest challenges team-wise for this Patriots secondary in 2025. And I threw in a bonus fourth team because I think they deserve to be mentioned. This is not in any specific particular order but let me begin with tampa tampa is a tremendous challenge for the secondary baker mayfield as they

say in hockey compete level baker mayfield's compete level is through the freaking roof the guy doesn't quit he's like a horror movie, right? He doesn't die. It's like Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees. He doesn't die, always comes back from the dead when you think he's done. It's really the big picture, you know, story of his career. But it's also week to week to week when you watch him play. You could be up by a touchdown, two touchdowns. Baker Mayfield is not going to quit. He's going to continue to grind. He's going to continue to try to push you

to the very, very limits. His compete level is tremendous. His IQ is also good. And don't overlook Mayfield's ability to extend plays. Whether it's running around like a chicken with his head cut off in the pocket to extend a pass play, or it's breaking, containing, getting to the outside for a crucial 8, 9, 10 yard scramble play. Do not underestimate Baker Mayfield's ability to hurt you with his legs. He does have some of that athleticism.

But let's get away from just a quarterback in Tampa, because when I said the Tampa Bay Bucks, you probably immediately thought of their wide receivers. They might have the best wide receiver room in football. You've got Mike Evans, you know what he brings to the table. A big possession red zone receiver can make plays down field, contested catches great hands very physical then you've got chris godwin we went through the whole chris godwin chase before free

agency patriots really wanted godwin he's a terrific route runner a very good football player then the buccaneers drafted one of my favorites in this draft, the Mecca Abouka from Ohio State. He is a crisp route runner, kind of like Jackson Smith and Jigba, you know, vibes a little bit. I think Abouka could put together, it's going to be tough with this wide receiver room because of the depth, but I think Abouka is going to put together a very good rookie season. They've got Jalen McMillan, who of of course, was the teammate of Jalen poke at Washington. McMillan had a good rookie season. Evans Godwin, a book, a McMillan.

My goodness, they're all offensive line. Their offensive line is is is good. Bucky Irving is an explosive back. So Tampa, a very, very tough challenge for this Patriots defense and especially the secondary. The second team I wanna talk about is a team that we've seen so much. I'm sure some of you are sick of them already,

but the Buffalo Bills. I mean, how can't you put the Buffalo Bills on this list when they have Josh Allen, one of the best quarterbacks in football? They have to be on the list. And Allen can make your life miserable. We know what he brings. He's got the rocket arm.

He's got the athleticism. Big dude will lower their shoulder and try to take out your linebacker. And sometimes he's successful at doing so. You never feel like you've won the game when Josh Allen is out there. He's never out of it. He can bring these guys back very much like, you know, Baker, he's got that compete level. Never feels like he's out of a football game.

Josh Allen is so dangerous. He's so terrific. I was wrong on him. When he was drafted out of Wyoming, I had questions because of his lack of accuracy and his rookie season obviously didn't go well. But I mean, since year three, since his third year in the league, he has been one of the best QBs. And he is just devastating on a weekly basis. Offensive line is good, which is going to give Josh Allen more time to make decisions, give Josh Allen more time to make plays down field, give Allen more time to run with the football. Dawkins is one of the best left tackles in the game.

Spencer is one of the best right tackles in the game and Spencer is nasty. If you watch the Bills play, Spencer is always playing right up to the whistle. I feel like every time I watch the Bills play a is always playing right up to the whistle. I feel like every time I watch the Bills play a football game Spencer is involved with some extracurricular activity on the field after a play. He's a nasty big dude, and he's good at what he does. in home run ability of James Cook, who can get to that second and third level as quick as anybody in the league. Shakir, good receiver. Palmer, underrated receiver. I was hopeful the Patriots go after him in free agency, but Joshua Palmer ends up with Buffalo. I think he's going to be a really good get for them. And they've got some talented tight ends. So

Buffalo no joke no joke, especially that first game week five Sunday night football in Buffalo Very very tough task for this secondary and then we get to Baltimore The Ravens and much like I just discussed Josh Allen How in the world do you have a schedule that includes Lamar Jackson and not put the Ravens on the list of the most dangerous or one of the most dangerous offenses that this secondary is going to have to deal with? Josh Allen is bruising. Baker Mayfield is a little bit scattered and scrambly. Lamar Jackson is dynamic. He can break your back with two runs. Two runs can be the difference. One run can be the difference. We know he can take it to the house.

Just a different kind of guy. You can play Lamar Jackson twice a year every year and he's still going to be incredibly difficult to take down. His shiftyness, I mean, he's just so, so tough. His speed, when he gets past the initial front seven, difficult to take down his shifty Ness. I mean he's just so so tough his speed when he gets past the initial front seven he can kill you. Derek Henry yeah I question the signing of Derek Henry by the Ravens but he worked out unbelievably well last season and

obviously variable has a lot of history with Henry and understands how much he can change a game. And yet, he's going to punish the front seven, but don't get it twisted. If Derrick Henry can get through that front seven, he is torture on defensive backs. He is almost impossible to take down. You don't want Henry going one-on-one with your cornerbacks or even your safeties. So Derek Henry, yes, he is a tough task for even the secondary. And then you look at the receivers, Bateman and Flowers, both talented guys. Bateman just got his contract extension, so he's going to be happy.

He's going to be motivated to justify that contract. And tight end. Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, a very, very talented tight end combination. And let me give you my extra, my honorable mention. And it's gotta be Cincinnati. And I know we saw the Bengals last year and the Bengals looked awful in week one, but here's the thing,

Cincy always looks bad early in the season. It doesn't matter who they're playing they always look out of it unfortunately for the Patriots they're playing since he late in the season they're playing him in November right around turkey day and so late season since he is much different than early season since he Joe burrow will be I'm sure I'm sure he will be in his groove Jamar chase T Higgins even if you look at somebody like Yoshi Voss you know their third wide receiver Cincinnati is a very very difficult offense to deal with Burroughs accuracy, the deep ball, the verticality that they bring since he's going to be tough. So I think those are the four toughest challenges

for this secondary. This season, you've got Tampa, you've got Buffalo, you've got Baltimore, and you've got since he that wraps up this edition of lockdown patriots reach out to me on Twitter at Nick C radio. Don't forget to throw a comment in on the YouTube channel. And please help us out. Don't forget to hit that like button and subscribe as well. The lockdown NFL top 100 I talked about it yesterday is available on lockdown sports today. The NFL top 100 was voted on by the NFL hosts of lockdown. And there are there are some doozies folks if you want to check them out. Don't miss where your favorite players were ranked subscribe to Lockdown sports today on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts have a fantastic weekend. Be safe have some fun and we will see you on Monday as training camp training camp kicks

off next week.