Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Pro Football Guru Friday: Russell Baxter Talks Patriots, and the National Spotlight — 1/15/2021

Episode Date: January 15, 2021

It is a bit unusual that the New England Patriots will not be taking part in the Divisional Round of the 2020 NFL Playoffs. However, such is the reality in Foxboro. For a national perspective on the NFL’s latest headlines, host Mike D’Abate welcomes Russell S. Baxter of Pro Football Guru. The pair discuss the coaching hirings of Urban Meyer and Robert Saleh, the Divisional Round schedule, the Patriots 2020 NFL season and where they might look to solve their quarterback conundrum in 2021.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. EchelonGo to EchelonFit.com/LockedOn and try any Echelon Fitness equipment at home for 30 days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful. You are now locked in to the Lockdown Patriots podcast. Today is Friday, January 15th, 2021, and it is Friday with the football guru here on your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. Thank football and Foxborough.

It is Friday, Pats Nation. And thank you for joining me here today to close out your week in style on the Locked On Patriots podcast. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of Locked On Patriots, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, comments, and feedback are always welcomed and very much appreciated. 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 giving the weekend nod and saying, how you doing to the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Lockdown Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Patriots fans, the weekend is nearly upon us and it's divisional round weekend in the 2020 NFL playoffs. I know it's just not the same without the Patriots playing. I don't know about you. I'm not liking this not making the playoffs thing. Let's hope the Patriots put the work in this offseason, turn this thing around, and this time next year, we'll be back to watching our beloved Patriots do what they do best, win in the postseason. But that doesn't mean that you can't get your football fixed this weekend.

Four great games coming up on the horizon. Starting tomorrow at 4.35 p.m. Eastern, the L.A. Rams take on the number one seed in the NFC, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. In the Saturday night cap, a team you know very well, the AFC East division champion Buffalo Bills take on the Baltimore Ravens, 8.15 p.m. in Orchard Park, New York. A great and intriguing Saturday doubleheader.

If you're looking to check out the Rams and the Packers, that game brought to you on Fox. Of course, the Ravens and the Bills in the night cap can be found on NBC. On Sunday, another great doubleheader. The number one seed, defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs welcome what has been the Cinderella story in the NFL this year. The Cleveland Browns visit Arrowhead Stadium and they face a tall task taking on the champs, but the way the Cleveland Browns have played this year is without fear. Don't sleep on this matchup because I think the Browns and the Chiefs has a chance to be an intriguing matchup and a better game than a

lot of people are giving it credit for. Last but not least, the Sunday evening showdown we're all waiting for up here in New England. Most of us in Pat's nation feel that if it couldn't be our New England Patriots competing for a Super Bowl title, we wanted the absolute very best for old friends Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. Brady and Gronk's Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on Drew Brees, Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, and the New Orleans Saints. 6.40 p.m., that game brought to you on Fox. Of course, the early game on Sunday brought to you on CBS. An exciting weekend of football.

Divisional round weekends always are. Up here in New England, we know a thing or two about that. But even though the New England Patriots don't exactly have the national spotlight shining on it right now, it doesn't mean that there's still not a lot of national opinion going around about what the Patriots were like this year in 2020 and what they might look like next year in 2021. And when we need that national objective point of view, there's only one source that I trust and one source that I'll go to. My good friend Russell S. Baxter, the pro football guru himself, will join me here today on the hot seat to close out the week on Lockdown Patriots.

And we'll talk a little bit about the weekend slate. We'll also talk about the two latest coaching hires in the NFL. Urban Meyer heading to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Robert Sala heading to the J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets. Is each man or both the right hire for their new team? And how exactly might the Patriots benefit from Robert Sala becoming the head coach at Gang Green? Well, Russell and I will tackle that subject as well.

But fear not, folks. We're not going to be looking at everything NFL through a national lens today. After all, this is Locked On Patriots, and we're going to talk New England Patriots. I'll ask Russell his opinion on the Patriots' 2020 season, whether he believes that the Patriots have indeed started to tear it down to rebuild, or whether the Patriots simply underachieved in 2020, and that the dynasty is still very much alive if they press the right buttons in the offseason. Last but certainly not least, the question on everybody's mind

is who will be calling signals in New England next year. Russell offers a national take on this, and why it just might be the smartest thing to sit and wait until some of these dominoes fall before the Patriots swoop in and get their quarterback of the future. Folks, whenever Russell joins me here on the pod, it's always fun, always informative, and I always have a blast talking football with one of the very best in the business at what he does. So sit tight, settle in, and absorb the wisdom and counsel of Russell S. Baxter when Football Guru Friday here on Locked On Patriots continues. Locked On listeners, betting on the NFL does not have to be a guessing game if you listen to the new Locked On Bets podcast hosted by your boy Q and handicapping

expert Lee Sterling. Get daily picks and quick hitting advice to make the smartest possible wagers. Subscribe to the Locked On Bets podcast brought to you by BetOnline.ag wherever you get your podcasts. Patriots fans, my guest today is among the most well-respected journalists in sports media. You know his amazing work and objective analysis from outlets such as ESPN, Fan Sighted, SI Football Maven, NFL Spin Zone, and Full Press Coverage.

And that's just to name a few. He is the co-founder of PFG Vibe, along with the great and talented Julie Voigt, and he is the founder of Pro Football Guru. It's my honor, as always, to welcome Russell S. Baxter back to Lockdown Patriots. Russell, thank you for joining me today. Well, that flattery will get you everywhere. Thank you for a very, very kind introduction and so on. You know, we've known each other for a while.

I like what I do. I have fun. Julie and I have fun doing what we're doing. We've got a piece, by the way, coming up this weekend on the final eight, the great eight, however you want to call it. What's often referred to as the greatest weekend in football. It's great to be back on with you. We haven't talked in a while. It's safe to say it was a different kind of year in Foxborough.

It was. It was a different kind of year in Foxborough. To be honest, Russell, it was a different kind of year in Foxborough. It was. It was a different kind of year in Foxborough. To be honest, Russell, it was a different kind of year altogether in all walks of life. But, you know, being on the outside, looking into the playoff game, especially up here in New England, it's not fun. And we're going to get to that in a little bit because Patriots fans are having a little bit of a difficult time dealing with their team not being in the playoff run right now but Russell as you said we've known each other for a while your opinion is at the top of the pantheon in terms of where I consider you know to be the most level-headed and the most

spot-on and objective in the business I've admired your work for a number of years honor to call you a friend and honor to be able to call you a colleague as well. And you always bring that level-headed approach to analysis for anything and everything in the NFL. And to start off, I thought we'd take a look through more of a national lens today. I know this is Locked on Patriots, folks, but we're going to bring things back to a Patriots perspective. But let's start at a national level. And big news from the NFL yesterday. Two head coaching vacancies have been filled Jacksonville Jaguars obviously hiring former Ohio State head man Urban Meyer he's going to be

their head coach Robert Sala formerly of the San Francisco 49ers taking the head job with the New York Jets so the two teams with the top two picks in the 2021 NFL draft ultimately have their man now and each of these hirings is intriguing in its own right. And, of course, here at Patriots Nation, we might have a sharper eye on the Jets, being that they're a divisional rival. But, Russell, in your estimation, what does Myers' hiring do for the Jaguars? What does Sala's hiring do for the Jets? And do you believe that one of these teams made the better move?

Well, I think they just went in different directions, to be honest with you. When you look at Urban Meyer, who's coming into the NFL after a tremendous college career with various schools, and he's going to come in here and, you know, there's a rebuild, call it rebuild, revamp, however you want to do it. And it's funny, and it just shows you how this league is. You know, three years ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars are a quarter away from going to Super Bowl. They have a 10-point lead in New England in the AFC Championship game. And, you know, now it's three straight last place finishes. So, and riding a 15 game losing streak.

I don't know if did Urban Meyer lose 15 games his entire college career. I don't know. I don't know the answer to that because I don't know his college numbers off the top of my head, but he's going to come in here. They're going to basically start from scratch, which is not that uncommon in the league anymore, and it's also not uncommon for teams to make a quick turnaround as well from year to year. In fact, the year that Jacksonville got to the AFC championship game,

they were a three-win team the previous year and dead last in the basement. You know, we saw in the NFL this year, Mike, you know, Washington go from last place, albeit seven and nine, but they still won four more games and made the playoffs. Miami went from five wins to ten wins. They were a last place team. So it doesn't take long to turn things around. Now, of course, this is a different kind of beast with Urban Meyer, who really has to adapt to a different set of circumstances here.

And one of those is, you know, a free agency, a draft, and a salary cap, okay, which you obviously don't have in college football. As for Robert Sala, he comes in with, I think, a little bit ahead of steam. The job he did with the San Francisco 49ers in 2019, I mean, it's almost unfair to judge him this year, this past year. You know, when you have two first-round draft choices on the defensive line, Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas go down in the second week of the season, you're kind of asking for trouble. But remember what he inherited with the 49ers. Well, not necessarily inherited, but in 2018, the 49ers set NFL records for fewest interceptions

and fewest takeaways in the season. And he helped turn that defense around. And again, Nick Bosa played a big part of that. There's no question about it. And the Jets have always been kind of a more leaning defense than they have offense for the last decade or so. By the way, the Jets come into 2021 with the longest active playoff draft. They haven't been there since 2010,

since they upset the Patriots in the divisional playoffs and then lost to the Steelers in the AFC Championship game. That's it. So, long draft. Remember, the two longest drafts coming into the year were the Browns and the Buccaneers, and they both made playoffs. So, it's two different kind of moves. You get the sense that Jacksonville will start over

in terms of a lot of things uh most notably quarterback um with the Jets I'm not so sure if they're starting over when it comes to their quarterback yeah that's a very interesting point and I'm glad that you kind of took that in this direction because from a Patriots perspective like I previously said I think there were probably more sharp eyes in New England on the Jets and Robert Sala's hiring as opposed to Urban Meyer going down to Jacksonville. I think a good hire. I think an interesting hire for Jacksonville. But it's interesting to see that the Jets went in this direction.

They bring in Robert Sala, who has that no-nonsense type mentality. He will definitely be a defensive-minded coach because of the fact that he is a great defensive mind, but he's bringing in offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, or at least that's the role that he'll hold with him in New York. He's taking him also from San Francisco as well. And Adam Schefter of ESPN reported last night that as a result of Salah coming in and bringing LaFleur, he expects them to hold on to Sam Darnold as their quarterback in 2021 and beyond. And if that's the case, the Jets could end up trading the number two overall pick, or they might take an offensive tackle, a wide receiver,

try to beef up some of the areas that they need around, but that Sala and LaFleur may have enough confidence in Sam Donald to be the guy going forward. That's interesting for the Patriots because right there, that may take the Jets out of the equation for a quarterback in the draft. That may mean that the Patriots now have an opening for maybe a guy like Zach Wilson out of BYU or Trey Lance out of North Dakota State or Mack Jones out of Alabama. I still think Justin Fields will definitely be off the board by the time these teams come to pick.

And all of these guys may be off the board at 15 for the Pats, but depending on some of the teams that are picking ahead of them, like Miami, Atlanta, Detroit, Denver, Dallas, San Francisco, these teams, depending on what they do with their current quarterbacks, whether it be Tua, whether it be Matt Ryan, whether it be Matthew Stafford, Drew Locke, Dak Prescott, Jimmy Garoppolo, a name we all know very well up here in New England, it could mean an interesting run for the Patriots

when it comes to the quarterback position. So I'm glad that you took that in that direction. Thank you for the national perspective. And we'll get back to the quarterback position for the New England Patriots in just a moment but russell coaching decisions aside all eyes in the nfl around divisional round weekend and we've got a great slate of games coming up now here in new england i would say buck saints is probably going to be the most anticipated for obvious reasons tom brady rob gronkowski are at the top of that list. People want to see what they're going to be able to do. I'll also say that some will be watching the Bills Ravens pretty closely,

a divisional rival there, a lot of history between the Patriots and the Ravens franchises in the last two decades. But I think each of these games that we're going to watch this weekend have a lot of intriguing storylines. I think we're in for a great weekend of football. Russell, what are your thoughts on this weekend's schedule? What are you most looking forward to? I'm looking forward to the fact that three of these games are games that were not played this year. Cleveland hasn't played Kansas City for a spell. Baltimore and Buffalo played each other last year up in Buffalo, Baltimore beat them. The Bills did a pretty decent job in terms of containing Lamar Jackson.

It wasn't Lamar Jackson's big explosive day and so on, but the Ravens still found a way to win. When is it not fun, Mike, when the team that scored the most points plays the team that gave up the fewest points. And that's what we get with the Packers and the Rams. And then, of course, there's Tampa Bay and New Orleans for the third time. And I've already heard the dreaded, just like there are certain NFL cliches that are used by fans and media and so on that have become so common, I don't know if anybody even knows they're true.

One of them has nothing to do with truth. Nothing gets to me more than if the season ended today, okay? I don't want the season to end today. But the one that factually kind of makes me chuckle is it's hard to beat a team three times in one season. Mike, that's factually inaccurate. That one's almost like kind of a funny one to me. The three times in one season, you know, I heard it said it so often,

I decided to go back and do it myself. And just for a little way back history, back in the days before there were even playoffs, Mike, teams used to play each other three times one season when the league was kind of more of a barnstorming league. I went all the way back to 1926, which was in the seventh season of the league, and teams played each other three times. But I'm going to spin it more to the modern and in the playoffs and so on. There have been 21 occasions to date, and not including New Orleans and Tampa Bay,

where a team has won the first two meetings of the season, and then they play each other in the playoffs. And the team that won the first two meetings won 14 of the 21 third meetings. That's two-thirds. That's 67%. Safe to say that's far from hard. So it's a little more common thing. By the way, the last time it happened, I'll give you two last times for both scenarios. And one of them will not be such a fond memory.

Let's put it that way. The last time a team beat a team three times in one season, it was the Saints. They did it three years ago to the Carolina Panthers. Okay? The last time a team won two games during the regular season and they got knocked out in the playoffs, okay, in other words, they couldn't close the deal, was 13 years ago. It was the New York Giants

who got swept by the Cowboys and then went to Dallas and beat them in the playoffs. And of course, we remember the 2007 Giants for one particular reason, Mike, and I'm sure I don't have to remind you of the Patriots fans. No, I think we have all the lessons we need on 2007. The memories are still very vivid in Patriots Nation, I assure you, Russell. Thank you for not running us through that again. No, no, but it's just funny. It got said so long ago that it was difficult. I'm like, well, how difficult is it? And then you go back and you think, Mike, and, you know, and again, I'll jump on the Patriots there because they're probably the best example of things.

The Patriots beat the Bills 15 times in a row. So are you telling me you can't beat a team three times in one season, but you can beat a team 15 straight times over seven or eight seasons? So what matchups are matchups, okay? I know personnel changes and so on, but I mean, we just saw Cleveland win in Pittsburgh. They hadn't done that in 17 years, okay? 2003. I know the Browns haven't been the greatest franchise and all that stuff but we say every year i track sweeps and splits during the regular season okay nine and a half times out of ten there's more sweeps than splits amazing yes and and when you look at it and you you put that in perspective and you see it on, it's easy to talk about it as a concept. But when you actually see it on paper, facts and figures, it really it takes on a whole new life of its own.

That's interesting. That's something I didn't know. Yeah. And it's something I put out my notes and every once in a while. And by the way, if you're, if you're looking here, you go, how's this for a shameless plug? If you're looking for my piece that I did on the dispelling the myth of the three times in one season, so on look no further than full press coverage. I love it. And definitely folks check that out, especially this weekend because you're going to be hearing that a lot leading up to Saturday night's matchup. Can the Buccaneers buck the trend?

Can they take on the New Orleans Saints and beat them? Or can New Orleans beat Tampa Bay for the third time this season, which again seems to be an insurmountable goal? But a lot of talent on both sides of the ball in New Orleans, and I think Tampa's going to have their hands full no matter what. I know Tampa's playing well right now, and they are. But New Orleans is still a very formidable opponent. And to me, one of the marquee matchups this weekend. But all of those matchups again.

And I'm glad that you brought it back to having three matchups that we haven't seen yet. And I think that's something that is going to be very, very interesting when it comes to some of the way these teams match up, specifically the Packers and the Rams, like you mentioned, the highest scoring offense against the most stifling defense. That's going to be a very good matchup this weekend. The Browns and the Chiefs, I think, is intriguing in its own right. Can the Browns carry that momentum and that win against Pittsburgh into the den of the defending Super Bowl champions and be able to try to stop that amazing Kansas City offense.

A lot going on and a lot happening this weekend. Great weekend slate. But Russell, up here, it just doesn't have the same quite ring. It's nice to get outside the Foxborough box here on the pod, take a look at the national side of things and realize that things are going on beyond Foxborough. But this is Locked on Patriots. And coming up here on the pod, folks, Russell Baxter will provide his thoughts on the Patriots 2020 season.

Was this truly the end of the dynasty and the start of a rebuild? Or did this team simply underachieve? And Russell will give us his take on where the Patriots might go in their quarterback search. We take it back to the Pats when the on where the Patriots might go in their quarterback search. We take it back to the Pats when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, you've all heard the phrase, often imitated but never duplicated. I mean, is there a better phrase to describe your favorite football team in Foxborough? Six Super Bowl titles in just under two decades?

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NFL. Subscribe to Locked On NFL wherever you get your podcasts. Pats fans, renowned sports journalist Russell Baxter joins me here today on Locked on Patriots. And Russell, we started today's pod by saying that 2020 was a tumultuous year for so many reasons that go far beyond football. But this is a football podcast, and 2020 has been a rough year football-wise for a lot of teams, but specifically for the New England Patriots missing the playoffs relinquishing the AFC East Division title for the first time since 2008

finishing seven and nine a sub 500 record and really laying the groundwork for an off season of questions and oh yeah this all began when that quarterback that we just recently talked about that they had for about two decades up here leaves via free agency. And he's playing this weekend. So, Russell, here in New England, fans are just not used to this kind of an offseason. It's a rough one here. We're not used to going into divisional round weekend and not seeing the Patriots. And it's led to some overreactions here to the Patriots season.

You always take a level-headed approach, my friend, and from your perspective, you never get swayed by fandom or media coverage alliance. I admire that so much about you. What was your take on the Patriots season? Do you believe that this is only a temporary setback for the Pats, or might there be some lean times here in the foreseeable future in Foxborough? Well, I think that remains to be seen. And listen, let's be honest here. The decline with the Patriots began the second half of last season, not this past season. Eight-no turned into four and five, including the playoff loss to Tennessee. And, you know, let's not forget,

Tom Brady's final game with the Patriots, he threw a pick six, okay? And that almost put, like, kind of this strange, I don't know if it was an exclamation point, more like a semicolon, I think, on what was going to happen next. And you saw it this year. And listen, Cam Newton got off to a decent start. Then there was COVID. I can't tell you, I know, how his body reacted to that from the rest of the season.

I know this was a man who went through shoulder surgery and foot surgery and didn't play a lot of football, basically, for a year and a half. So who knows? But the thing to me that stuck out, again, was the same thing that plagued them the second half of the year, and that was their run defense. And that shortens possessions by the offense, puts more pressure on the offense.

You could see Tom Brady felt it. I mean, it was more than just not having his plethora of weapons and so on. So, you know, complementary football is very, very big. You know, you don't win these titles, you don't win these Super Bowls with just a great offense. Again, another shameless plug for full-press coverage. I did a piece yesterday showing how 500 points in a season is really admirable. And, of course, Buffalo and Green Bay both hit that this year.

Hasn't meant a lot in terms of success. I think I've said this to you before, the 12 highest scoring teams in the history of the league in terms of points in the season did not win a title, okay? Not top three, top 12. In fact, I think it's 23 teams previously, is it 23 in the Super Bowl? Now, the 1961 Houston Oilers won a title, okay? So, I think it's 23 teams have scored at least 500 points in the season, or 23 times, I should say. And those teams, in terms of the Super Bowl, are 4-19, okay? Now now you have to put this into context here. In 2018, Mike, three teams scored at least 500 points. Okay, the Saints, the Rams, and the Chiefs. Now, all of them are not going to win the Super Bowl, so two are eliminated right there. But the high-scoring teams without a backup, without a defense to back them up, has led to disaster.

Listen, the Patriots scored the second highest point total in NFL history. In 2007, we saw what happened. Remember, it happened in Denver. They scored 606 points, and they only lost the Super Bowl by 35 points. Okay? Edged out by the Seahawks. So you've got to have some sort of balance here. The Patriots have always pried themselves in defense and special teams.

You know, when they won their first Super Bowl back in 2001, that was really the catalyst. It was less about Brady and Bledsoe, let's not forget, who threw Bledsoe through a touchdown pass in the AFC title game at Pittsburgh. It was more about the defense and special teams and Adam Benetary and Troy Brown and scooping up block field goals, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Just shows you how you can win in this league. Various ways. Look what Denver did in 2015 in the Super Bowl.

They had less than 200 yards of total offense and beat the Panthers by 14 points. So, but the fact that they could not stop the run again, picking up from, and it was more than just the Ravens that exposed them in 2000, in 2019. Nick Chubb had a big game against them up in Foxborough. It kind of got lost because the Browns lost and Nick Chubb fumbled twice, but he kind of exposed their defense as well. And, again, their run defense at times of day was just deplorable.

The Rams, the Thursday night game against the Rams in Los Angeles was, you know, borderline embarrassing in terms of them trying to stop the run. So you can't be a great defense unless you stop the run. So to answer your question that I think you asked me an hour ago now, I can't get a gauge yet. I think it's too soon. Just like it's too soon to say the dynasty is over, okay? A dynasty is over when there is, let's put it this way,

a dynasty is over when there is, let's put it this way, a dynasty is sustained excellence. The end of a dynasty would be sustained disappointment. This is the first losing season since 2000, okay? So I don't want to say end of dynasty yet. You know, I go back to the early 2000s when they won three Super Bowls in four years. And I know everybody yells dynasty, dynasty, dynasty. I just, for my own personal sake, wasn't ready to say dynasty yet, Mike, because in 2002 they didn't even make the playoffs.

And that's like a big donut hole in the middle of what I would call a dynasty. When you look at the Cowboys, once they did playoffs, what, eight years in a row or eight out of nine or whatever it was, and Pittsburgh went eight straight years in the playoffs and won four Super Bowls in six years, and the Packers five titles in seven years. You know, it's about sustaining. Now, as it turns out, New England, to me, has had the greatest, I'm not saying the greatest team, but in terms of dynasty,

for them to do what they did, 19 straight winning seasons, 11 division titles, 11 straight playoff appearances, double-digit wins. They still own the NFL record for longest winning streak, including playoffs, which is 21. The Colts own the regular season record at 23. You know, nine Super Bowl appearances in an 18-year span, six titles, et cetera. That, to me, is the greatest dynasty. But is the dynasty over? No. So I think it's a little too soon to figure out that, you know,

ding-dong, the witch is dead. And I think this is the last team in the last head coach you ever want to put that on because um you know he has proven in the past and at times this year proven that even devoid of a lot of things that they were right in the playoff mix until the end absolutely and i really think you've endured yourself endeared yourself i should say to a lot of my listeners by saying that ding dong the witch is dead may not be the dirge that a lot of people should be playing right now when it comes to the New England Patriots. I agree with you. Things can turn around in a vacuum. And if there is a head coach and a front office that's going to be able to do it, the Patriots do have the wherewithal. And they actually have cap space for the first time in a good long while they can put that to good use i agree with you the run defense is something that is a concern and if the patriots are going to turn this season around and make it a better one in 2021 that's an

area that they significantly have to invest in we're going to talk a lot about the run defense next week here coming up on locked on patri. But in terms of the national perspective, my friend, and I'll end today with this question for you. We mentioned the Patriots quarterback position, and we also mentioned where they may go to try to pull themselves out of a difficult situation this year. And Cam Newton came in. You mentioned Cam earlier about the surgeries that he's had and the difficulties that he's had with maybe being rusty, not playing in a little bit. He really did become a fan favorite here in his first season in Foxborough,

mostly for his work ethic, his accountability, and the camaraderie that he had with his teammates, with the media, with the fans. Everybody really admired the job that Cam came in and did, trying to replace a legend in Tom Brady. But his play on the field is a polarizing subject for a lot of the fan base. And there are some conflicting reports out there about the Pats' desire to engage Cam in talks to return to Foxborough. Does he come back for another year? Are the Patriots and he willing to go their separate ways

and maybe find other alternatives? If the Patriots do that, it would be either via trade, via free agency, or maybe even the NFL draft. There is also some that would like to see Jared Stidham get his shot at the starting job as well. And Russell, we hear the names of potential suitors all the time from the draft perspective. I mentioned a few of them earlier, guys like Mac Jones, guys like Zach Wilson. I mean, obviously, the Patriots would love to have someone like Justin Fields or Trevor Lawrence. I'm not sure any one of those guys are realistic. We also talk about possible free agent or trade targets.

Jimmy Garoppolo is another name that I mentioned, Dak Prescott, Matthew Stafford. Ryan Fitzpatrick has been gaining a lot of steam here as someone that the Patriots could target. Even Deshaun Watson rumors are still out there. From those in your circle of knowledge, Bud, do you believe there's a national perspective on where the Patriots might go in search of a new single caller? And do you have an opinion on what they should do? Well, you know, I look at this team and as tempted as it may be to think rebuild, I don't think Bill Belichick and the organization is, it is an organization that thinks rebuild. It's always tweaking. It's always upgrading. You know, they've, you know, early in the, you know, when they were first building the dynasty and so on, they utilized free agency and didn't sign a lot of big name and big high-priced free agents and so on. It was just guys who were hard workers, and, you know, he just made all the pieces together.

Now, the Patriots drafting has been spotty the last couple of years, and I think that has certainly hurt them as well. And I always hear, well, they always pick last. I said, where are you picking the draft to me is there's nothing you can do about that. To me, it's always who's doing the picking, okay? I saw the Buffalo Bills go to four straight Superbowls and they were picking next to last every year and they still managed to get good players. So they just need to do a better job in the draft.

I think it would likely be a veteran who would come in. I don't think, you know, you've got a young kid there instead of, I do not rule out until I officially hear it that Cam Newton could come back and so on. He would then be another year in Josh McDaniel system. So that to me would be a plus. The Patriots have to get back to being better in the trenches. And I go back to the year they won their first Superbowl. Who was their first draft choice?

It was Richard Seymour, okay? It wasn't a quarterback. It wasn't, you know, the wide receiver or anything. It was Richard Seymour. And, you know, his impact in the league, safe to say, one of the most versatile defensive linemen in history in the league. He played nose tackle and tackle, lined up in the backfield every once

in a while. That will help their run defense as well. So as far as quarterback goes, I don't know what's going to happen with certain teams. Are they going to make difficult decisions? I know there's a slew of veteran quarterbacks out there that could hit the market. But, you know, it's always fun to speculate. And then all of a sudden they still wind up back where they are and so on. To me, I would think it would be more than likely that the Patriots would go with more of a proven product than they would developing a rookie.

Because if that was the case, I think they would let Stidham get a little more playing time and a little more experience and so on. So if they brought somebody in, I don't think it would be, you know, a high draft choice and so on. And, you know, what are the names we've heard out there? Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, you know, et cetera, et cetera. You brought up Deshaun Watson, who's been, you know, the only place Deshaun Watson hasn't been traded to is the Nets. Okay?

Let's see what happens. It's funny. There's always at this time, and I get it, there's so much speculation about what a team's going to do and what a team's not going to do. And, you know, we talked about Urban Meyer today, and we talked about Robert Sala today. There's still five teams looking for their head coach, okay?

You know, we just saw teams in the last couple of days finally get a new GM. So nothing's happening until you have those pieces in place to begin with. So I get it. It's fun. It's it's you know, it's the NFL version of the hot stove league. I get it. But, you know, let's you know, don't put something in the microwave too long. OK. Absolutely. No, and you're absolutely right. don't put something in the microwave too long, okay? Absolutely. No, and you're absolutely right. And I think in a lot of ways, when it comes to these perspectives, it is a little bit early to do that, to speculate.

And I get it. I totally do get it. But it's nice to hear a national perspective on what the Patriots might do, their draft perception, and their free agency perception as well. Because in a New England cocoon, it can be very easy to kind of pick and choose who you might want. I mean, there's a lot of groundswell up here in New England that a lot of fans would love to see Jimmy Garoppolo come back if Cam Newton is not going to be the option here.

Will the Patriots pull the trigger and say, OK, well, we're going to trade up to try to get our quarterback of the future? I think it's very, very early in the game for the Patriots to make that decision. It's going to be a big one for the Pats this year, but ultimately how they choose to rebuild this team may end up starting with the quarterback position. And I appreciate your insight. What I think what happens is, and again, it's not anybody's fault. Everybody likes to talk football and all this time. But we all find out who's going to become a free agent in 2021.

Okay. And I think there's an assumption out there by some fans, okay, that as soon as the season ends, you're a free agent. Well, that's really not how it works. These guys are in the contract until March. Okay? These guys whose contracts are expiring can be re-signed by the team before then. The only guys who become true free agents, Mike, and, again, I'm preaching to the choir here. The only guys who become free agents are guys who

have their contracts terminated so if the Lions decide to cut Matthew Stafford he is available immediately okay if other players are four-year players and they're in the fourth year of their deal. Again, you know all this, okay? You understand how the business end works and so on. You got up until a certain time limit to get, and that's where the franchise tag comes in and so on. And we don't see quarterbacks franchise that often because the price tag is very, very high and so on. But the free agent list, if you're on one of these sites and so on,

you're looking, oh, wow, and you're already doing your Christmas shopping, you might want to calm down for a couple months yet. And that I definitely appreciate you letting everyone know, not just to my listeners here on Lockdown Patriots, but a lot of the listeners that we have from a national perspective that want to check out what's going on in New England. Yeah, I think right now Christmas lists may be a little bit past due when it comes to the Christmas holiday, but they are a little bit premature

when it comes to the fans' wish lists on how this team is going to look this year. Russell, what can I say? I always appreciate you lending your national wisdom and counsel to lockdown Patriots. It's been way too long since you've been on here, the airwaves, but we look forward to having you back again real soon as we march into the off season and try to answer some of those questions surrounding the New England Patriots and even at an NFL level to begin with. For the benefit of our listeners that may not know where to find you on social

media and check out your great work, please let our listeners know where they can find you and what you have coming down the pike when it comes to the great coverage always put out by Russell Baxter. Well, I like how you said that March into the offseason, because that's really when the offseason begins is March. So that is very well done. So there's a trio of Twitter accounts I always push, which is Backs Football Guru, Julie Noted PFG, and PFG Vibe. And for people who follow me on Twitter, if I write it, you're going to see it on Twitter. It's the first place I put all my stuff. ProFootballGuru.com, which I'll say to you that within the next month or so could have a different look to it. I'll just leave it at that. But ProFootballGuru.com is, you know, kind of my way station for all the different things I do and so on. But ProFootball Football Guru on Instagram and also on Facebook. And I promise you, again, if you follow me,

and I've used this line many times with you, it's kind of like Liam Neeson. I have a special set of skills. And I will find you and I will follow you back. And what better way to end the week than on a note that pulls from Liam Neeson and one of his great roles in Taken, one of my favorites of all time. Everybody here on Lockdown Patriots

that listens to the show regularly knows that I love my movie quotes, I love my puns. Anyone that follows both Russell and I on social media knows that we have been known to go back and forth when it comes to some good movie quotes and puns.

And we look forward to continuing to do that. I look forward to your content each and every time it's published. Folks, I can't recommend it highly enough. And just from Russell's brief appearance here today, you'll understand why. He's always spot on. Stuff is always entertaining and right on the money. Thank you so much for joining me today here, bud. Stay safe, stay well, and we

look forward to having you back here on Locked On Patriots real soon. You got it, Mike. Enjoy the playoffs. It's going to be a fascinating weekend. It should be. Absolutely. Thank you again. Have a great weekend, and we'll talk to you soon, bud. You got it. And so,

Patriots Nation, we put a bow on the week that was here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. It's always my honor to help you all get through the work week with the latest news notes and analysis from Foxborough, sprinkled in with my occasional opinion, of course. I had a blast talking to some great guests this week, and I hope you all did listening as well. And as for next week here on the pod, we will continue our deep dive into the Patriots off

season. We might even get into a couple of hypotheticals. For example, if the Patriots were to trade for player X, what would their offense or defense look like? And of course, we'll continue our positional depth chart analysis and keep you updated on the latest breaking news from Foxborough. So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, download and subscribe to the Locked On Patriots podcast on platforms such as Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Just make sure that you're staying locked in to Locked On Patriots.

Once again, I might debate. I thank my good friend Russell Baxter for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's pod. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for continuing to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until Monday, Pats Nation, stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great weekend, everyone.