Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Patriots Roster Reaction: Making the Team or the Practice Squad? - 6/23/2020

Episode Date: June 23, 2020

Predicting the New England Patriots 53-Man roster for 2020 is a difficult task. However, host Mike D’Abate is joined today by fan-favorite Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy to discuss which members of the current roster might make the final cut, and which players might find a suitable home on the Pats practice squad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Patriots fans, you are now locked in to the Locked On Patriots Podcast. I'm going to show you how to make a beautiful and beautiful flower. I'm going to use a small flower pot. I'm going to use a small pot Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful, and welcome to Roster Reaction Tuesday here on the Lockdown Patriots Podcast, your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots.

Patriots fans, it is Tuesday, June 23rd, 2020, and I thank you all for joining me today here on the pod. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, your comments, and your feedback, always welcomed and very much appreciated. Feel free to share that feedback anytime 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 saying how you doing to the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. And folks, you did hear me correctly. Today is Roster Reaction Tuesday here on the pod. And while the roster I shared with you yesterday is definitely not official, and thankfully not official, it was ultimately my first attempt this season at breaking down what the Patriots 53-man roster might end up being in the upcoming 2020 NFL season.

Now, those of you that were perceptive, and I was called out on this on more than one occasion, folks, apparently, I forgot how to count yesterday. You see, I kept touting that I was bringing you the 53-man roster. Well, the problem was, all I did was bring you a game of 52 pickup. Because one name on that list was conspicuous by his absence. A wide receiver that I happen to hold in very high regard, and one I believe will make a pretty big impact on the 2020 roster in New England. Due to a little bit of an editing snafu, his name was left off the list.

And it's that of wide receiver Demir Bird. Now, two things may spring to mind when you hear that Demir Bird was the name that I left off the list yesterday. I realize that means that the Patriots are carrying a great number of wide receivers, maybe more than they're used to carrying. My reasoning for that is twofold. First, I believe that this year's group of wide receivers has the chance to be among the most versatile the Patriots have ever fielded.

I'm well aware that they don't have that prototypical star receiver that can take the top off the defense or, at the very least least provide that marquee name that fans absolutely adore. Save, of course, for Julian Edelman, who is beloved for good reason here in New England. But putting Jules aside for a second, we all know he's going to be a roster lock. I think the Patriots wide receiver core this year is going to feature a mixture of savvy veterans and younger players hungry to make a name for themselves. Dare I even say young players that are eager to play with a young quarterback that might be more willing to trust them than a veteran.

Calm yourselves, folks. I am not knocking Tom Brady in the least. But sometimes, if you're a younger receiver looking to grow in an offensive system, then you might just be better off working with a young quarterback going through the same growing pains. And before I start embarrassing myself and singing the theme song to growing pains, let's just move into why I believe the Patriots are going to field a larger number of wide receivers than they have in years past. Guys like Julian Edelman and Mohamed Sanu are going to be called upon to be the veteran leaders on this squad. We all know that. But the

team also has a couple of exciting sophomores returning this year, notably Jacoby Myers and former first-rounder Nikhil Harry. I believe both Harry and Myers are going to benefit greatly from playing alongside Jarrett Stidham this year. Keep in mind that Harry, Myers, and Stidham are all entering their second season in New England. They have the chance to really grow together as teammates and as a draft class.

That's a very unique situation that these guys find themselves in, and I think they're going to put the work in, especially in training camp, to make sure that each of them puts forth their best effort on the field. I also had the Patriots taking a flyer on two rookies, and I told myself I wasn't going to put a Vinnie Gambini impression in here, but you know what? I will. Two Utes, two rookie undrafted free agents, Will Hastings and Jeff Thomas. Some of you thought I was pretty smart to include these guys, and some of you thought I was pretty stupid to include these guys And some of you thought I was pretty stupid to include these guys But again, folks, guys like Will Hastings and Jeff Thomas bring unique skill sets to the table I've said it before and I'll say it again

The synergy that Will Hastings has with Jarrett Stidham will shine through in training camp this year I think the chemistry between these two is undeniable And I think it's going to earn Hastings a spot on the roster this year When it comes to Thomas, I know a lot of Patriots fans are excited about his potential. Look, he's one of the most gifted athletes at the wide receiver position that I've seen as a prospect in quite some time. Blazing speed, great hands, what more can you ask for in a wide receiver prospect? Well, Jeff Thomas has had his issues in the past with staying engaged on the football field.

It's led to him having some difficult relationships with coaches, and has even led to him missing some time due to suspension. Nowhere is the phrase, do your job, more important than it is in Foxborough. It adorns the walls of Gillette Stadium. So Thomas is going to have to prove to Bill Belichick and the Patriots coaching staff that those days are behind him. He needs to come in motivated. As I said yesterday, I believe that not getting drafted was exactly the wake-up call that Jeff needed.

I think he comes in here recognizing this is a great situation, a great system, and a real chance to succeed. So, knowing that Matthew Slater is an absolute roster lock, but very rarely used as a wide receiver, that only left one more slot for either a savvy veteran or a youngster trying to make his way onto the roster. Most people would flip-flop back and forth between Marquise Lee and Damir Bird. Lee has a bit more pedigree, a bit more of a resume, and conventional wisdom would say most would go with Marquise Lee over Damir Bird. I chose to go the other way. Lee may have very impressive speed when he's healthy, and folks, I'm sorry to say, that

is still a question mark. I've said several times here on Locked On Patriots that Lee's missed a ton of time due to injury. Missed six games in 2015. He didn't play at all in 2018 because of the ACL injury. And he only played six games last year as he battled a shoulder injury. Now, if he comes into camp healthy and looks like the Marquise Lee of old, then this will be a much tougher decision than it was for me when I put this roster together. I think I still go with Bird here, though.

For two reasons, speed and versatility. Without any hesitation, I can tell you from the footage I've seen on Demir Bird, he can turn on the rockets, folks. Putting his skills at the wide receiver position aside for just a moment, Bird can really be a dynamic kick returner for this team. When he was with Carolina in 2017, he returned seven kicks for 229 yards, including one that went for 103 yards. That's still a Carolina Panthers franchise record. When you talk about his prowess on the field as a wide receiver, Bird has blazing speed. He averaged 11.2 yards per reception last year and was one of Arizona's best receivers

when it came to spreading the field. Bird is a guy that always makes the most of his catches, but he's not a player that relies solely on the deep ball. He's also someone that can make things happen after the catch, and that could come in handy in New England, especially if the Pats want to focus on an offense that's centered around moving the chains and not necessarily on those big plays. So again, the speed combined with the versatility made Demir Bird my final selection in the wide receiver core and thus rounds out my 53-man roster. Version 1.0, that is. And again, folks, roster building is not an exact science.

Sometimes you hit with these selections, sometimes you miss. But one thing you always seem to get in exercises like this are surprises, both on omissions and on inclusions. Like I said, several of you were surprised by a lot of my inclusions on the roster. Guys like Yelda Frohold on the offensive line, Jeff Thomas and Will Hastings at the wide receiver position, and of course the one that seemed to make the most waves was Nick Coe at defensive end making it over Dietrich Wise Jr. That made me leave several great young players off of the roster, but that doesn't necessarily mean they still won't find their way to Foxborough this year. In fact, some of them may

even have a couple of extra chances to make the squad. The practice squad, that is. And don't roll your eyes, folks. The practice squad is a vital part of a team's success. And the Patriots have always prided themselves on fielding one of the best practice squads in the league for the last 20 years. But who might make that practice squad? Well, folks, it seems like with all the question marks surrounding inclusions, omissions, and possible practice squad selections, we need a little additional wisdom and counsel. Some green wisdom and counsel. That's right, folks. The green master of disaster himself is back for his weekly appearance here on Locked On

Patriots. Thomas, the Count of Murphy, Fisto Murphy, joins me in the hot seat today, and we will discuss the Patriots roster. Who among this current list of names does Murph see as a potential surprise addition to the roster? Who does he see the Patriots possibly omitting? And of course, we'll bring it all home today by giving you our thoughts on who might comprise the Patriots 2020 practice squad. So as I like to say, settle in folks, an action-packed pod here for you today on Roster Reaction Tuesday

with our good friend Thomas Murphy right here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. But before I welcome my good friend to the hot seat today, I remind you that the seat here on Locked On Patriots as pretty much every seat right now is a little bit hotter. That's because the weather's a little hotter, And the warmer weather can mean only one thing. Summer is upon us. And all that extra sunshine and longer days fills us with a lot more energy. But sometimes you need just a little more energy. And if you

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That's B-U-I-L-T-B-A-R dot com and take an important step toward eating healthy while indulging in a delicious treat. Don't delay. Make Bilt Bar your go-to protein bar today. Patriots fans, yesterday I made my attempt to predict the potential 53-man roster for your New England Patriots. And despite my apparent inability to count, many of you had some interesting reactions to my choices. But I thought the lending of some green wisdom and counsel to some of the potential roster surprises was just what we needed today. So in that vein, folks, that's right. To help us take a dive into the potential Patriots roster in 2020 is your favorite and mine, my benefactor in this business, the count of Murphy Fisto himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy is back for his weekly appearance here on Locked On Patriots. Thank you so much for coming to me in friendship and for joining

me today, Don Murph. Oh man, always my pleasure. Should I block out monday next week because we seem to be getting earlier and earlier in the week it's usually fridays with murph and then we got hump day with murph and now i think it's tuesday is it tuesday i don't know i'm in a whirlwind here everybody i don't know what's happening anymore uh you know what the bottom line is is you have to give the people what they want when they clamor for it. So, you know, they're clamoring for it five days a week, my friend. But we try to do what we can.

And yesterday I had to unveil the big 53-man roster. Yeah, that was dealt with some – I should say that was met with some interesting reaction. But we'll get into that in a moment. I figured the best way to bring some credence to that was to follow up with some green wisdom and counsel. And again, my friend, I always appreciate you having you here. I always love sharing the microphone with you. And I thought this would be a pretty fun conversation for us today. Murph, roster prediction is never an exact science. Anyone who listened yesterday to Locked On Patriots knows that. And in New England, I think it can be placed in the same pantheon as mock drafts.

They're hardly ever predictable. But we live in hope that we can help point the fans in the right direction. And that's what we're trying to do here this week on Locked On Patriots. And we all know guys like Stephon Gilmore, Julian Edelman, the McCourty twins, Matthew Slater, they're roster locks. They're not going anywhere. But some of my selections were met with some, how should we say, interesting, yeah, that's the best word for me to use here, interesting reactions. Particularly by inclusion of, sorry for the LeBron James

folks here, not one, not two, but three undrafted free agents on my first crack at predicting the 2020 Patriots roster. Murph, I know that roster predictions and doing the 53-man predictions, they're not exactly your particular brand of vodka, but you do know your stuff and you can do it. When you look at this team, buddy, as presently put together on paper, is there someone or someones that you believe will make the final cut and raise more than a few eyebrows in the process? Yeah, there, there's a, there's a couple of guys. But like you said, this is,

this is not my wheelhouse. And I think, I think Mike asked me on today just to humble me just to the guys that go over that again. You want me to tell you who might be a surprise make? Yeah, the surprise make first off. Some guy that you're looking at the roster right now who is thought of as maybe a bubble guy or maybe someone that has an inside track on a roster spot that not a lot of fans or maybe not a lot of media pundits are talking about but someone that you believe has

an indelible value to this roster and someone that's going to catch the eye of bill belichick and the brain trust and say we basically can't live without this guy all right um i'm gonna i'm gonna run home to mama here and when i do that that, I run home to the guys that speak to me in the most profound way. And that's the round guys on the offensive line, because I was an offensive lineman. I am a round person and I did play center. And I think the surprise that everybody is going to say, what the hell is Corey Cunningham? I do believe he's got an outside shot of making this. I did not hear your show yesterday or not, but I think he could turn a few heads in camp and end up making this squad.

You see, you always say that this is not your wheelhouse. That's exactly the type of wisdom and counsel that you want. You know, beyond belief, my friend, do not go short. As Ty Webb said in Caddyshack, you're a tremendous slouch. You know what you're doing. And that's the type of insight that I was looking for. So well done. Corey actually did not make my final cut, believe it or not.

But offensive linemen was an area that I really took a lot of focus on. And I went with a lot of the veterans on this roster, but also infusing a little bit of youth. Some people were surprised that I included both Yelda Frohold and Marcus Cannon in my final offensive line prediction. And the reason why I did that is because I believe Frohold does have that anchor. I believe he has the youth and he can infuse that both into the offensive line this year his problem was picking up some of the signals from the defensive linemen and getting beat it wasn't because he didn't have the athleticism it wasn't because he wasn't capable but I think it was simply because he just didn't have the seasoning then got injured and missed the entire season and wasn't able to

do what he needed to do Marcus Cannon was someone that i've been back and forth on quite often yeah and originally yeah i'm sorry go ahead yeah no no no we're right on the same page go right ahead bud yeah i mean with regard to cannon you take a look at the salary cap hit you look at what he's scheduled to make or what the patriots could save by cutting or releasing him and all of a sudden he became an expendable name and shortly after the season I figured there was going to be no way that Marcus would make his way onto the roster I've been coming around on that a little more each day and he actually was ended up being in my final cut and the reason being is that I think the Patriots are going to need a great deal of veteran leadership, guys that have been in that system for quite a while,

especially knowing that they're going to be breaking in a new quarterback this year. They're going to have a new coaching staff. Albeit, yes, I understand that these guys like Popovich and Brasillo did study under Dante Skarnecchia, but Dante is not there himself. You're going to need that stability. I think Marcus provides it. I think when you take a look at the cut of what they would get for a financial type of alleviation,

I think having his presence on the field, even though he's been up and down, it's still worth it for the Patriots to make the investments. That's why I ended up going with Marcus yesterday on there. I mentioned the undrafted free agents. I got some feedback on them a little bit. The three guys that I do have cracking this roster are two wide receivers, one of them being Will Hastings of Auburn.

I think his synergy that he has with Jarrett Stidham is going to shine through to me in the practices that we see in training camp. And also Jeff Thomas. I just love the athleticism of this kid. He's a raw prospect. Again, I did put the disclaimer out there that if he comes in exhibiting any type of some of the behavioral problems that he was known for at Miami, he's not going to have a prayer to make this roster.

But I think he sees this as an opportunity to showcase his skill in a very good system. I think he comes in motivated. And because of that, I like this kid, and I don't think they can stash him on the practice squad. This kid will get snagged. That's why I put him on the final roster. And the other one was someone, again, that has his behavioral problems, but I just love his game on the defensive end position, and that's Nick Coe. And I think him from Auburn, I think his pedigree and his talent alone

and being that hybrid-type pass rusher, to me, is something that I believe is going to vault him to this roster. But like we said, it's not an exact science. Some people agreed, some people didn't agree. But variety is the spice of life. We live for stuff like that. And staying on that subject for a moment uh roster building is not just about inclusions it's also about omissions

um and the patriots have a number of guys on the roster bubble that will for whatever reason not make the final cut murph last year uh there were a couple of you know surprise cuts but the patriots usually put those things into perspective fairly well. When you look at this roster, switching gears from a surprise making of the roster, who do you see as someone to whom we might be saying, Arrivederci, when the season is about to kick off? All right. We'll start with the obvious. We've seen Ryan Izzo for the last time in a Patriots uniform. I cannot see him making this squad at all this year with the investment in that position. It hasn't worked out. It's not going to work out. And that's it. Another one is Marquise Lee.

I hate taking him off. The guy is just so talented, and there were some people that were very excited about him coming here. It's just coming off of two surgeries, I think Bill is intrigued, and I think this is a move that in years in the past would have made a little more sense. But I don't see him making it. My boy Gunnar Osluski, I don't see making this roster.

And, you know, also, I really hate to say it, but I think he's going to end up trying to be stashed. And that's J.J. Taylor, the running back. Honestly, I agree with everything that you said, and I had them all off my final cut. So, again, do not sell yourself short, my friend. You're much better at this than you think you are. And there was a reason why I asked you on today. It wasn't simply because I like using the Count of Murphy Fisto jokes or, you know, giving the Godfather background. You do. You bring the wisdom and counsel that only you can bring. And believe me when I tell you, it is warranted. I agree with you on Taylor. And we're

going to talk a little bit about Taylor, folks, in the next segment. But getting back to guys that you had mentioned that probably will be on the bubble and maybe on the outside looking in. I did not have Ryan Izzo cracking the 53 man. I believe the Patriots are going to go with the young guys. I think Lacoste has an outside shot. I did end up putting him on because I think they do need depth at that position. But I think you're going to see Danny Vitale line up at tight end on occasion as well. He has the ability and the versatility to do it.

So I think that fullback position can be utilized to be your effective de facto fourth tight end. A guy that I left off the roster that pained me, and we talked about him last week here when I interviewed our good friend, Steve Balistrieri, is Dietrich Wise Jr. Dietrich was the first player that I ever profiled covering the Patriots beat way back in 2017. He's one of the more affable guys, one of the more forthcoming Patriots in terms of his availability and his graciousness. He could not have been a better subject to profile. I thoroughly enjoyed working with him on the field.

I think he's doing everything he possibly can. I think he's got a lot of talent, but he seemed to be a little out of place in the Patriots 3-4 scheme last year. I think they want to everything he possibly can. I think he's got a lot of talent, but he seemed to be a little out of place in the Patriots three, four scheme last year. I think they want to try to continue that. And because of that, that's why I put Nick Cohen over even a guy that has the talent of Dietrich wise.

A lot of people were surprised at that. Some even called me out on it, but at the same time, I also look at it and say, if the Patriots are going to maintain this scheme, I just see co in a perfect world, again, coming in motivated. That's a big factor, folks, and I'm not denying that. But if he comes in motivated, I see him being a great fit for this roster and a great fit in that 3-4 scheme, and I think he can do great things there.

So, yeah, I mean, there are all different kinds of guys as well. Yeah, I see your point. But if Coe does make the roster, I do believe that it's Dietrich Wise whose spot he takes. I have Derek Rivers, unfortunately, falling short out of this group. Yeah, I do too. Unfortunately, Rivers came in with so much hype. It's the same draft class as Dietrich. And I remember people saying that he was going to be, you know, the star pick in that draft. Just loved him. Just loved him. type talent that had fallen for some reason he just wasn't able to put it all together here and a lot of that has been because of health reasons folks and injury no question about it but maybe a fresh start for a guy like Derek would be warranted uh Terrence Brooks is another guy that I had just

missing the cut and a lot of people were upset about that but I looked at the skill set of a guy like Cody Davis a skill set of a guy like Adrian Phillips so again maybe I'm being a little bit biased on Adrian because I covered him when I covered the Chargers. But at the same time, I know what this guy can do, not just on special teams. He can be a factor on defense, and I think people are going to see that in the preseason, in practices.

I think they're going to see just how versatile this kid can be. And because of that, I think they may look in different directions, try to use that roster spot in another location. Brooks is a tough cut. It really is. With the youth that they want to go with and also keeping the veteran leaders that are really going to teach this intricate defense to the younger guys, I'm with you. I think

Brooks is, is on the way, you know, is on the other side, the bad side of the bubble right now. Yeah. And unfortunately I think if Terrence were entering his third season in new England, then I probably would have definitely left him on the roster. The fact that he's entering his second makes him enough of a veteran under the system to be able to understand it, but also new enough where you're not going to be losing that real deep wisdom council, so to speak, that guys like obviously a roster lock and Patrick Chung or Devin McCourty, but guys like that would be able to bring to the table. And again, I see Cody Davis.

I see a adequate replacement for Nate Ebner. I'm not saying he's going to be like for like when it comes to Nate, but I see an adequate replacement, and I like what I see from him. Yeah, when they signed Terrence Phillips, when they signed Adrian Phillips and guaranteed him $3 million a year, Brooks really got pushed down the depth chart quite a bit. And as well, you know, he performs well on special teams, but right now it's just, it's a numbers game.

And with $3 million guaranteed, I can't see Phillips falling short, and Brooks is going to be on the outside looking in with, like, Malik Grant and Pickett. Yeah, I agree. And I think it's going to be on the outside looking in with like Malik Grant and Pickett. Yeah, I agree. And I think it's going to be difficult. And again, who knows? I mean, there are a lot of prognosticators out there that are including Terrence in their final roster and saying that the Patriots are going to carry six corners, six safeties. It wouldn't shock me because I think he has a lot to offer a roster. And look, folks, if for any reason Terrence Brooks doesn't make this Patriots roster, it's not an indictment on him. It's an indictment on, or I should say it's a feather in the cap for the Patriots

for the amount of depth they have at the position. He'll be able to lock on to another team and still do a very good job. I just think that when it comes to roster fits in that spot, they may be better off utilizing it in other areas where they need more depth. Folks, we have talked a lot about the roster, but that's not the only way to become a pro. There are some new guidelines for the practice squad this year for all 32 NFL teams. And in just a moment, Murph and I will give our thoughts on how the Patriots might just use those new guidelines to their advantage. This and more when the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues.

Folks, as we continue to navigate through these tumultuous times in our country, we remind you that the Lockdown Podcast Network stands against racism and social injustice. That's why we, the hosts across the Lockdown Podcast Network, are making personal donations to local and national organizations that are fighting for change. And in the month of June, Locked On is matching the total of all host donations up to an additional $10,000. To make your own donation along with us, please visit LockedOnPodcast.com slash Black Lives Matter. Patriots fans, Murph joins us today to provide his weekly wisdom and counsel. And we've been talking a lot about the Patriots 53, Murph joins us today to provide his weekly wisdom and counsel.

And we've been talking a lot about the Patriots 53-man roster and the active roster that we're going to see on the field. But maybe even more so than not this year, my friend, I think there's going to be a little bit more spotlight. And I'm not just talking about in New England. I mean all 32 NFL teams when it comes to the practice squad. The new collective bargaining agreement now allows players, excuse me, teams to carry 12 players on their practice squad spot. And there are promotions that can be made throughout the season that could bump up the Patriots roster or any roster to 55. Now, again, there are some restrictions in there as well. You can't do it to the same player, you know, so many times there has to be some sort of rotation. It's not like you're getting two extra roster spots that are kind of like invalid or secret roster spots. You have to be

able to mix those up a little bit, but the Patriots have a pretty big pool this year of undrafted free agents. That's usually where they pull their practice squad from. But because of the fact that they have so many veterans on this roster, second, maybe even third year players that still have practice squad eligibility, this could get interesting in New England. And I did kind of take a brief approach at what the practice squad might look like this year. Because don't forget, you know, beloved New England Patriots, guys like James Devlin, Danny Amendola, they started their careers on practice squad. So, I mean, it is possible for guys to get a spot on the practice squad

and then ascend to a pretty decent career in the NFL and be a pretty, you know, strong and solid pro. Obviously, they have youth on the offensive line. Dustin Woodard, Justin Heron were two guys they selected in the draft this year. I think those guys have practice squad wit all over them. Even though they have draft capital behind them, I still think they're good practice squad candidates. So I had them both cracking that.

Jakob Johnson, I think the Patriots will use a spot on him this year, not use the international exception. And I think they will be able to put him on. J.J. Taylor was another guy that we had mentioned before. I think he ends up on the practice squad this year. Murph, when you look at some of the players that might end up on the squad this year, I'm not going to put you on the spot and ask you who's going to make it and who's not going to make it, but is there a particular position that you believe the Patriots have

a great deal of wealth at right now where they could use the practice squad truly for what it is, being the farm system for guys that may either go down or that they really need some extra pop at a different position? Well, I wouldn't call it a great deal of wealth right now, but it's a place where I believe they should start, and that's at the quarterback position. I do believe either Lewerke or Jamari Smith will get a stash this year. More than likely, Smith will make this team as a third quarterback if Bill decides to do it. I can't see him stashing two on the practice squad, but definitely one.

And I think it's, it's Brian. God, I can't, I'm tongue tied and I can't fricking do it. If he only goes with two, I believe Smith will still be the one that makes the practice squad. Yeah, we're in agreement again. I'm sure, I'm sure our listeners are okay but i i do like jamar smith as uh the practice squad quarterback i think he has an outside shot at making the 53 man if it looks like jared is going to need a little bit to build a bit of an extra push

for lack of a better term uh i could possibly see, especially if he comes into training camp and plays in the preseason. And we see some of that electric capability that he has on the field. I encouraged my listeners and have been for quite some time since the Patriots signed him to look at his footage from his days at Louisiana Tech. This kid is electric, got a big time arm. Decision making has led to some difficulties in his game. And I think that's something that will help and will cultivate with time. That's why I think that he has a shot at being a good, solid member of the practice squad. But if he comes out and he looks like a guy that just, you know, is otherworldly in terms of his athletic capabilities, then a team may need to

take a flyer on him. And at that possibility, the Patriots may not want to risk losing him. So that could be an interesting guy to keep a sharp eye on, folks. Jamar Smith, I believe the Patriots would love to stash him on the practice squad, but it'll be interesting to see if that happens. A guy you mentioned in our previous segment, a favorite of mine, Murph, and you know I love that meme I love that movie Gunnar Roshelski if I don't get a chance to use the who made that man a gunner uh meme at some point this year I don't know what I'm gonna do folks it might end up being an ugly season here in uh in New England I'm just kidding I do I I love Gunnar's heart I really really and truly do. I think this kid just leaves it all out on the field, 110% every time he goes out there. I do like his upside on the field, and I like his talent. I think this kid's got talent in the return game. I think he's got a pretty good savvy when it comes to being picking up on his value. Unless a team is in desperate need of a return specialist,

I think he could be a guy that, if he doesn't make the final roster, could end up making the practice squad, and I think he would be a call-up sooner rather than later if they run into difficulty at the wide receiver position. Some people were upset that I put Thomas in over a Shelsky to make the final roster. I'm looking at Thomas as a talent, and I'm not looking at Thomas as a talent and I'm not looking at

Thomas as a malcontent. That could change if he comes into camp and exhibits any type of those difficulties that we saw him exhibit when he was with Miami. Again, I don't think he's going to do that. That's why in terms of talent, I have to give the nod to Jeff Thomas because I think this kid does exhibit talent beyond his draft status, which he wasn't drafted. I think that was exactly the wake-up call that he needed. Even going back to a guy like Nick Coe, I think is a possibility as well. So those guys are people that I look for to be, you know, possible, you know, contributing factors on the practice squad this year.

Murph, that leads me nicely into my final question for you today, right before I let you go, my friend. And that is the practice squads increase from 12 to 10. Now the previous last year and the max it has been is at 10 players. We know that there's that 55 bump that I mentioned earlier in the segment with some of the guys that we've discussed or maybe a guy that we haven't even discussed that could end up on that bubble in the practice squad who do you believe of the guys that might be on the cutting room floor could possibly return and return with a vengeance this year in the New England Patriots lineup and dare I say be a very strong contributing factor in the active roster? It's got to be, again, I'm going to run home to Mama,

and it's going to be Anawiu. I believe that he's somebody that the Patriots could stash down there and call up later on during the year. As we know, Mike just said, the everyday right the the sunday roster is going to expand and one of the things that that is you can call up two players and if one of them is not and but only if one of them is an offensive lineman and i think this kid might be it that's an interesting uh you know possibility and again i had uh I actually had Michael Onwainu as a member of my 53 man. I think his size, his ability, his athleticism for a guy his size does give him a heads up on the competition. I think he remains. But if he does end up on

the practice squad, I think there's a shot. They're going to be scared to try to stash him there because somebody is going to come in and scoop him up and do something. So no, I can definitely see your point of view there. Yeah, and in a perfect world, I do agree with you. I think that they would like to stash him on there. I think he would be able to be a pretty good factor, and I like what he brings to the table there as well. Let's just jump into the Wayback Machine. Let's jump into the Wayback Machine, and the first question that you asked me is uh i'm gonna i'm gonna flip-flop and and cory cunningham

will get stashed and i don't know how about that not about how about that we'll do that i like the way you think and we haven't even mentioned you know luminor who the patriots picked up the option you never know he could end up cracking that 53 man as well the guy that i have my eye on believe it or not is a local boy and i've become a lot more enamored with this kid the more i i've watched him i don't think he's ready for prime time i think he's a perfect practice squad candidate and i think he could end up being a pretty solid tight end three for you maybe in year two and that's jake bird out of boston college he had some injury concerns and I think that allowed him to essentially fall off the map when it came to this draft class it wasn't a very strong tight end draft class and

that speaks negatively on Burt because you have to say well if he were that good he would have been drafted I think the injury concerns are what contributed to that this year but this is a kid that was on the watch as being one of the top tight ends in the league a couple of years ago, I should say, in college football before he got injured. I look for him to come on. I think he's going to be highly motivated to play for his hometown team. This could be an interesting opportunity for him to be able to make the roster as well. So this is a guy I don't think is going to make a very big contribution this year, but I think he could be down the line.

So keep an eye on the practice squad this year for tight end Jake Burt. I think there's a possibility he may end up turning more heads than people want to give him credit for. But again, my friend, it's not an exact science. We could be right, we could be wrong, but we give our opinions the best way we possibly can. Well, I would say I probably am. I wouldn't say, you know. Well, I would say we got to do one of these shows.

And then we'll be right about everything, because you really you really need a drink or two to sit down and try to sort through this. Because unfortunately, folks, the both of us try to think about what Belichick is going to do. And it's just scary to put that hoodie up. It's just, it's nightmare inducing to try to think like this man. And we're not really sure what he's going to do this year. But doing this is always fun. Oh, it absolutely is. And that's an idea, folks.

Coming at you post-4th of July, hangover edition of Locked On Patriots. Now we're just kidding. There you go. It's a family show. We're contributing to the positive aspects of our youth and our listening public. But you lend your wisdom and counsel like no other.

I say it all the time. I don't ever mean it any more on one time than I do on the other. Your family here at Locked On Patriots, everybody knows that. I thank you for coming on and lending your weekly wisdom and counsel. Folks, you should be already. I know you are. But again, we might have some new listeners. And if there are new listeners, follow this man, the Count of Murphy Fisto himself, on Twitter, at TeamMurph207.

The columns, including his monster keys during the season, these are always point, click, and learn material, folks. And, of course, Murph's work is always proudly found on DieHard, BostonSportsFans.com, and never miss an opportunity to check out an episode of One Patriot's Place with Murph and our great mutual friend, Steve Balistrieri. My friend, thank you so much once again. Honored and humbled by your presence as always. Oh man, always my pleasure. I'm always excited when the phone rings and you're on the other end. And yeah, no, no, let's just keep doing this because it's one of the best half hours of my week. And I understand, folks, it's not saying much.

I got to get out more. It's always the highlight of my week when I tell you that, my friend. It's always my pleasure. You lend your weekly wisdom and counsel. We love having you on each and every week here. We'll see you again next week for our transition from June into July. And it'll be interesting. We'll definitely brainstorm some good topics to discuss with you the next time that you're on.

But thank you again for today. As always, I appreciate it. Stay safe, stay well. And we'll be talking to you next week, my friend. more information than you had previously about the 2020 practice squad. I would still love to hear your thoughts on this roster prediction along with your own. So feel free to add the Locked On Patriots account at LO underscore Patriots. Or if you prefer, you can always send your feedback in via email. And that's LockedOnPatriots at gmail.com. And just a reminder that Locked On Patriots will be off tomorrow on June 24th, but we

will be back right here on Thursday, June 25th. And a special guest is slated to join us. Folks, you will not want to miss this. So to ensure that you do not miss Thursday's episode, or Friday's for that matter, or you know what, any episode of Locked On Patriots, please be sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, follow us on Spotify,

and don't forget, you can always listen to Locked On Patriots right on your very own smart device. Simply ask it to play the latest episode of Locked On Patriots. And if you've enjoyed today's pod, now be sure to tell your smart device to play the latest episode of Locked On NFL Draft. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank my good friend Murph for his time, his insight, and his appearance today. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for staying locked into Locked On Patriots. Stay safe, stay well, be the change you wish to see in the world, and have a great day, everyone.