Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Puttin’ On The Pads: New England Patriots Start 2020 Padded-Practices - 8/17/2020

Episode Date: August 17, 2020

On Monday, the New England Patriots began padded practices during 2020 Training Camp. Seeing that these practices will be the only method by which the coaching staff can make their final evaluations for roster spots, the collective sharp eye of Patriots Nation will be squarely focused on this month’s simulations. Joining host Mike D’Abate is fan-favorite Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy to discuss the competition at wide receiver, the rookie learning curve, and the need for more than one day of padded practices to evaluate and anoint the next starting quarterback in New England. 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. Welcome to Putting on the Pads Monday here on the Locked On 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 Nation, I hope you had a great weekend. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, comments, and feedback always welcomed, greatly appreciated. Share that feedback with me 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 keeping an eye on the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. Patriots fans, it is Monday, August 17, 2020, and now we're starting to roll. Your New England Patriots were back on the practice fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium, and for the first time in training camp 2020, the Patriots practiced with the pads on. That's right, they were putting on the pads in Foxborough, Massachusetts, meaning that today was the first day that the team held its first full contact practice of the summer and approximately

90-minute session on the fields behind Gillette Stadium. Now, the first official day of training camp, meaning padded practices, is usually, by and large, uneventful, but it is exciting for the fans and the media alike who were allowed into Gillette Stadium for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. And there were a lot of observations by those in attendance, primarily on the offensive side of the ball. Defense and special teams definitely got their work in, especially when it comes to rookie kicker Justin Rohrwasser. Rohrwasser connected on a few impressive field goals,

did miss a couple, but definitely showed off leg strength. And even though he's had a couple of misfires, it still looks like the Patriots' kicking game is in good hands, or should I say good legs, when it comes to Rohrwasser. On the defensive side of the ball, both defensive tackle Bo Allen and rookie linebacker Anferty Jennings were absent from practice, but still all three defensive phases got in their work, the defensive front, the linebacking core, and the defensive backfield. But to no one's surprise, or at least it should have been to no one's surprise, most

eyes and most of the attention was focused on the offense. And even though there were a number of eyes focused on the Patriots quarterback depth chart, Monday's practice was really more about running the football. And two players in particular that stood out on 11-on-11 drills were fullback Jacob Johnson and running back Damian Harris. Both of them received a good amount of work on Monday. Harris especially received plenty of carries, generally looked good, and that's a very good sign for New England, who is still without Sonny Michel and Lamar Miller, both of whom are on the pup list. On the receiving front, it was pretty much business as usual. Nikhil Harry, Jacoby Myers still continue to get meaningful reps. One name that was conspicuous by his absence was undrafted rookie free agent Jeff Thomas. A lot of eyes

were expected to be on Thomas today, both by the fans and media alike. As of the time I'm recording this podcast, no official reason had been given from the team as to why Thomas didn't suit up. And while theoretically anything is possible, and nothing shocks me in Foxborough, I wouldn't read too much into this just yet. Still very early, and from all the information that I've gathered from sources close to the team,

they're pretty intrigued by what Thomas can bring to the table. So while I'm not going to go out on a limb and call him a roster lock at this point, far from it, I still think there's a lot more for him to prove on the field and I fully believe he'll get that chance. But the Patriots did make a little bit of news at the tight end position prior to the start of Monday's practice. As first reported by Nesson's Doug Kide, the Patriots signed not one, but two free agent

tight ends, and both were at practice on Monday. Paul Butler, formerly of the Las Vegas Raiders, and former Philadelphia Eagles tight end Alex Ellis. Now, neither Butler nor Ellis is going to come in here and be a Pro Bowl tight end. I don't think anyone's expecting that. Butler spent most of his time with the Raiders' developmental roster. He was signed to a reserve futures deal by the Detroit Lions earlier this year. He then returned to the Raiders earlier this offseason, only to be released again earlier this month. Now that he's in New

England, Butler is expected to compete for a roster spot behind guys like Devin Asiasi, Dalton Keene, and Ryan Izzo. The same goes for Ellis, who originally arrived in the NFL as a rookie free agent in 2016 with the Tennessee Titans, then went to the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad for a little while, was promoted to the active team, played in six games, making three catches for 11 yards during his time in Jacksonville, but the rest of his meaningful reps took place in the preseason from that point on. Ellis then went on to have stints with the New Orleans Saints, the Kansas City Chiefs, and then most recently last year with the Philadelphia Eagles.

But both Ellis and Butler were signed and on the practice fields at Gillette on Monday remains to be seen the impact that either or both of them will have on the squad this year. Even though the tight end depth chart is not exactly robust, I think both of these guys still face an uphill battle when it comes to making the roster. I still fully expect the Patriots to carry three tight ends, and unless Ryan Izzo has regressed to the point where the Patriots simply have no faith in him any longer, I don't know if Butler or Ellis are either of the guys

that are going to be able to unseat him. But a lot can happen between now and cut-down day, so as I like to say, keep a sharp eye. Tight end position's going to be one that I'll be keeping an eye on this year, and I'm sure most of the New England Patriots fan base will be as well. And of course, last but not least, a lot of eyes were on the quarterback position once again. Brian Hoyer, Jarrett Stidham, Cam Newton, Brian Lewerke taking reps all in that order, and folks, they took reps in that order based on seniority,

not because it's the quarterback depth chart. It's very important to make that distinction, because I see a lot going around on social media stating otherwise. I implore you not to read anything into that. But after one day, each of the quarterbacks took about the same amount of reps, and the three expected to be competing for the starting job, meaning Hoyer, Stidham, and Newton, all looked good, all looked solid, and pretty much all took the same amount of reps with very similar results. So before you put any stock into what the social media soothsayers have to say out there,

nothing has been decided when it comes to the Patriots quarterback position. It's been one day, let's give the guys a chance to play. And with the conclusion of today's 90-minute practice, the questions and the speculation will begin. So to help make sense of it all, we need a dose of wisdom and counsel here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. Maybe a monster dose of wisdom and counsel. A little green wisdom and counsel. Yeah, folks, you know exactly where I'm going with this.

A big day in Patriots Nation requires a monster opinion. And here today for his weekly appearance is my good friend, the Green King of Sting himself, Thomas Murphy. And Murph and I will discuss what we consider to be some of camp's most compelling storylines. We'll start with the wide receiver position. Who should be considered a roster lock, and who shouldn't be? Brace yourselves, folks. Murph and I actually have a difference of opinion on this one.

We'll also talk about that steep uphill learning curve for rookies and new players attempting to make the Patriots roster this year. Which of the drafted rookies has the best chance to make a significant impact on the Patriots roster in 2020? Stop the presses yet again on this one, folks. Murph and I may have differing opinions here as well. And last but certainly not least, we'll get Murph's take on the quarterback battle and why after only one day, it is absolutely asinine to assume that we know who the starter will be in New England. An action-packed agenda on today's pod, and Murph and I cannot wait to break it all down for you.

So settle in as we evaluate the first day of New England Patriots padded practice for 2020 training camp when the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, today is the day that your beloved New England Patriots return to the practice field. And for the first time this season, they were putting on the pads. Rest easy, everyone. This is an audio show. Neither myself nor my guests are going to force you to suffer through a young Frankenstein-like rendition of putting on the Ritz. We're going to save that for Halloween.

But I may have just tipped my hand because my guest today will lend some monster wisdom and counsel and help me to break it all down. That's right, folks. Your favorite and mine, my benefactor in this business, the Count of Murphy Fisto himself, Thomas Murphy, is back for his weekly appearance here on Locked On Patriots. As always, thank you for coming to me in friendship. Thank you for joining me today, Don Murph.

Oh, always my pleasure, bud. Always my pleasure. It's nice not to be put on hold. Hang on, Murph. We'll get there in two hours. Call back later. No, never here. Never here, man. two hours. Call back later. No, never here. Nah, never here, man.

It's always great to be here, man. Locked on is my second home. And, you know, since Steve and I are taking a couple of, you know, we've taken a week off. We're probably going to skip this week, too. I get to get stuff out of my system. It is. It's always good. And we're honored to be your weekly home here, your home

away from home, because let's face it, One Patriots Place is the flagship, as it should be, but we're always, always happy to welcome you in each and every week and lend your wisdom and counsel like only you can, my friend. Murph, you know, the Patriots were back at it at Gillette Stadium today.

The pads were on. Some media was there in observation, unless you're like me, around the Rodney Dangerfields of the Patriots beat. What am I going to do to get some respect around here? Anyway, Matt Murph, I digress. I'm not going to go into my Rodney impressions. I could be here all day

doing that, and we'll lose a lot of viewers and a lot of subscribers. Yeah, I know. But I don't think I'm stretching the imagination to say the business is about to pick up. A lot of eyes are going to be on the Patriots practice fields this week and with good reason. After all, padded practice is, my friend,

it's the only way that the coaching staff is going to be able to make their final evaluations for roster spots. And we literally could be here all day, speaking of being here all day, breaking down each position and the players vying for it. So I thought we might start off this week, kick off this week, with the wide receiver battles because much of our fan base is clamoring to know who's going to be catching passes from Cam Newton or Jarrett Stidham or Brian Hoyer.

And, folks, we will get to the quarterbacks in a little bit today. We spent a lot of time on the quarterbacks so far for the last couple of weeks, but thought we'd give the wide outs there just do for just a moment. So Murph, I think there are three stone cold locks here on this roster at the wide receiver position. Julian Edelman, Nikhil Harry, Muhammad San Sanu. Now, some people may roll their eyes a little bit that I'm throwing Sanu into the mix, but so far, since he's been taken off PUP, he has not been limited. He's showing good conditioning out there. He's making his cuts well. His hands look good. I think his experience tells me that he's going to be here. So beyond that, I think there is some speculation. Jacoby Myers, Gunnar Ryszalski, Damir Bird, and even Jeff that, I think there is some speculation. Jacoby Myers, Gunnar Ryszowski,

Demir Bird, and even Jeff Thomas, I think are probably the four that are considered to be in the mix for some spots that are up for grabs. You can throw in Will Hastings, Isaiah Zuber, Devin Ross into the mix. Had a big day on Monday, believe it or not. Devin Ross actually was the battery mate to the play of the practice on Monday. And we'll get into that in a little bit. Of course, I don't forget Matthew Slater. He's listed on the chart as a wide out, but we know he's a special team or not a rotational receiver Murph. Again, I don't mean to demean Hastings, Zuber and Ross,

but I think this choice is going to come from either Myers bird Thomas, or maybe even gunner in your infinite wisdom, your Bill Belichick, who makes that list among your cut and why? I am not completely sold on Mohamed Sanu. I never have been. I don't like his – when things are going well, I'm playing well. When things are not going well, I'm not, you know, it gets into my head and I'm not playing well.

This is just my own opinion, ladies and gents. But to me, he is not a lock for this roster. There are a lot of guys here who can do what he did. And he's not the most reliable guy on the planet. He's coming off an ankle injury that we know is always difficult to come back from when you are playing this position. But no, Edelman is, of course, going to end up leading this this team and pass catches Harry will be right behind him Jacoby Myers that the team just loves him so I am basically giving

him that lock spot that Sanu is being given by so many other people and then it comes down to Gunnar Ross Thomas for me. And I really like Thomas. I know you don't. I know you're not ready. It's just he brings, he can play the slot. He can move outside. He has some fantastic speed.

He is one of the better punt kick returners to come into the league in a very long time into the patriot system in a very long time we all know how long uh the pats have been looking to be able to move away from julian edelman doing those things and i think this kid is it yeah you know i mean in a lot of ways, I do agree with you on Thomas. There is a cause for. Damn it. I want to argue. And I'll get into that.

Well, I think we will in a little bit because I do have a cause for concern. And we'll get to Thomas in just a minute. So I want to leave him on the shelf. We actually do disagree a little bit on Sanu. Not so much because of the reliability. I recognize your concerns there. I truly do. I really believe that right now in terms of the high ankle I recognize your concerns there. I truly do. I really believe

that right now in terms of the high ankle sprain, he does still have to show some things to be able to prove that he deserves that roster spot. I think he's established himself as the front runner a little bit. A lot can change over the next few days and weeks. Patriots gave up a pretty decent amount of draft capital to get him I don't know if they're quite willing to cut their losses on that so quickly however we're talking about Bill Belichick here and if he believes that putting a team on the field minus Mohamed Sanu and maybe giving a guy like Jacoby Myers or Jeff Thomas or maybe even someone else like a Damir Bird or Devin Ross a shot over here Bill Belichick is going to do it

maybe more so than any other quarterback in the league but the thing that I like about Sanu is his ability to be able to either come into the slot play the z position he could even play an x if he needed to if the backs were against the wall I don't like him in that role though I think that's Nikhil Harry's job to lose. And I think Demir Bird actually would be a better ex-receiver than Mohamed Sanu. But I think the versatility, the experience that he would bring would allow him to be someone that the Patriots are going to have to really be disenfranchised with at the end of training camp to cut him loose. And I think in a lot of ways, you know, they do stand to save a little bit on the cap. But right now, I mean, they do have a pretty decent amount of cap space available.

So because of the fact that experience is at a premium this year, that leads me to believe that that Mohamed Sanu might be a little bit more of a roster lock than some people are giving him credit for. So we do disagree a little bit. We're not arguing yet. We'll get there. we'll get there but uh but there is a little bit of a disagreement in terms of uh of i want to stay on thomas for a bit because i'm glad that you brought him up um our mutual good buddy steve balistrieri and i selected our camp champ recently meaning that the player that will become the camp darling this year last year was really i think a combination of a combination of Maurice Harris at the start. It ended up being Jacoby Myers. Myers ultimately made this team. This season, many of our colleagues, Steve and I included, by the way,

do think that player is going to be Jeff Thomas. But Thomas, to me, is really an anomaly. I think he has an equally good chance of being cut, as he does for being an impact player, a strong impact player. And the reason for that to me is his off-field buy-in. So many fans fall in love with the highlight reel. And believe me, there's a lot to love about Thomas's game.

I would really love to see what this kid can do in a Patriots uniform. But off-field issues coupled with an abbreviated off-season makes me second guess how eager the Patriots are going to be to make Jeff Thomas or someone like him in a rookie type or inexperienced role an effective part of this offense this year because I think the learning curve is going to be so much slower because of the fact that we don't have some of the opportunities to evaluate rookies that we've had in off seasons past. He wasn't on the field on Monday for practice. Team did not give a reason for that yet. As of right now, when we're recording this podcast, folks,

we don't have the reasoning behind it. By the time you're listening to this, we may know that it was much ado about nothing or that it might be something that kept him off the field. And that's a possibility. That is definitely a possibility. It is not above Bill to do that, folks. Murph, I think I know the answer to this question,

but I'm going to ask it anyway. Do you have legitimate concerns about Thomas, or do you essentially believe, like you stated before, that the talent alone is enough to earn him a spot on this roster? The talent alone is enough to earn him a spot on this roster. The talent alone is enough to earn him a spot on this roster because this roster is not talented. There are not many playmakers on this roster right now. This is not the Patriots of 2014.

It's just not. The lack of speed on the outside, whether you know, I like Nikhil Harry. I really do. I enjoyed the, I liked the pick. It was out of the box. But he is not a speedster. He's not a burner. This kid is a burner.

All right. In 2018, Thomas caught all nine catchable passes aimed at him at Miami that were 20 yards down the field or more for 327 yards and three touchdowns. This kid gets loose and he makes things happen when he has the ball. That is something that is lacking on this team. It is lacking within the youth of this team. Something needs to change. We saw last year you can't go with what we had. Even Tom Brady could not go with what we had.

And if you think that this group of quarterbacks is going to be able to do it, no, something has to change, and this kid is the change. That's just my opinion. Well, you definitely have a lot of support out there when it comes to the Twitterverse, the Patriots fan base. And, look, you definitely have a sympathetic ear when it comes to Thomas as well. I'm not so much concerned as much about his off-field buy-in. I'd be lying if I said it's not a concern of mine because there is a track record there. The issue of him possibly going to Illinois and then having to

serve the suspension in Miami and the difficulty that he's had in two tours of duty in college, that has to be a concern. You have to understand that that could rear its ugly head. But I think in the right environment, and I believe New England is probably one of the better environments where he could find himself in, I believe he can thrive. What I look at with Thomas and where I really start to look at him and say, wow, you know what, this could really be an interesting fit in New England. Pretty much the reasons you just said. His ability to play a dual role at the next level.

He can see a lot of action as a rotational Z-type receiver. Very shifty. That allows him to move into the slot. Or even on select downs, I think he can be used on some of those misdirection plays that the Patriots love so much. Those reverse runs, those end-arounds with a guy like Cam Newton or possibly Jarrett Stidham taking snaps under center this year and being the director of that offense Patriots are going to be able to do that a little more this year than they have in years past and no disrespect to Tom Brady folks but

that wasn't his bread and butter that just wasn wasn't his strong suit. These quarterbacks are able to run those plays a little bit more effectively than Tom would have. So I think in a lot of ways you make a good case for Thomas. I also think he offers pretty good experiences, both a kickoff returner, a punt returner. You know Bill Belichick places a premium on that. That to me could be his ticket onto the 53-man roster. But ultimately he's going to have to prove to this coaching staff that he's in it for the long haul. His head's here.

His body is here. He needs to combine those two. If he does it, I think it's an impossible cut for the Patriots to make. I don't see how you let Jeff Thomas off of this roster and give another team potentially a crack at being able to sign him before he gets on the practice squad and before he agrees to be protected, there's still a chance there.

And I think that's a chance the Patriots won't want to take unless they realize that he's just not going to be a fit here. And that's the only concern that I have with Thomas. I agree. And, and also, you know, the kid returned 14 punts in three years at Miami averaged 18.9 yards of return and scored a touchdown. 14 punt returns. God, he's turning into my whoopee because everybody's been getting on this train. So I go back and I'm looking at all this film over and over again.

And I just, I really like what the kid can do. Like I said, folks, you want to, in a nutshell, this kid is Philip Dorsett who doesn't get hit with a sniper rifle after he's made the catch. He makes things happen once he has the ball. And I liked Philip Dorsett an awful lot when he came here. I was expecting more from him. And this kid could give me that more. He could be the fluff to the peanut butter.

Yeah, I think he could be. And look, I think you look at the dynamics between what Jeff Thomas or Demir Bird. I think a lot of people were talking one or the other on this one. I'm going to go out on a limb and say, why not both of these guys? Why not both? Why not? That may mean an end to my favorite meme. And I really hope that's not the case, folks.

But in terms of what these guys can bring to the table, it might end up being a little more electric than what Gunnar can provide. But we'll see. We live in hope with this team. But there are some buds of talent that are there. I agree with what you said earlier, where you said this is not a phenomenally talented wide receiver group. But there's buds of talent there that could make these guys a little bit better

than most people are thinking. And a lot of that's going to depend on who's throwing them the ball. And we're going to get to that in just a minute because, folks, Murph and I are about to continue to discuss some of the newest faces in Foxborough, those rookies. And we've said many times here that this may be one of the toughest training camps for rookies and newcomers. But the Patriots always seem to have an eye for detail and maturity.

Who among New England's rookie class might emerge as an impact player this year? Our answer to this question and our thoughts on why the quarterback one battle is far from over after only one added practice. This and more when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Pats fans, Thomas Murphy joins me today. And Murph, in our previous segment, we talked about the Patriots wide receiver core and the battles for limited spots on the roster. But the Patriots raised the collective eyebrow of their fan base and really even the NFL landscape when they chose not to draft a wide out this year. It was determined by consensus that this was one of the deepest receiver classes in recent memory. Patriots didn't take the bait though.

They drafted versatile players with high football acumen players that fit the makeup of the team philosophy. They weren't really worrying about what the wants of the Twitter mob were going to be, but players they knew could come in and make an impact this year. But this is going to be a tough year for rookies to make an impact on the field, no matter where they play. There's no rookie mini camps. There are no joint practices, no preseason games, really not a lot of opportunity to showcase their talent outside of the confined practice field walls, so to speak, of the fields that are adjacent to Gillette.

So the camp is going to become the showcase this year. And I have my thoughts on who will show that they're ready for prime time. But first, I put it to you, Murph. Who among the drafted rookies is primed to show us the most this year? You can just scratch out everybody that was drafted on the offensive line. They're just blocked by too much right now and too deep of a learning curve. So that lets those guys out. Duggar is getting up to speed. He's got to essentially jump from A ball to the majors or double A ball to the majors.

I can see him contributing. But the guy that I really think is going to impact right away is Rowan Wasser or Runamucker or Gardenhoser, whatever the hell you want to call him. But this guy has got to come in and he's got to do the job and he's got to do it this year. And I think that some people might say, Murphy's a kicker.

What the hell are you doing? Well, that's, that's the guy. That's the guy that is going to make the most immediate impact on this, on this team. We, we know the, the history of kickers here in new England, and he's going to have to step up and do it. Yeah. I would be hard pressed to disagree with you on this. I do have my own theory, and Rohrwasser actually wasn't my pick because I think ultimately he's won the job. Let's face it. I mean, he is the kicker.

He is the guy, and he's going to have to have an impact one way or another, whether it's positive, whether it's negative. He's going to be the guy unless for some reason he comes in during training camp. Look, he's shown the be the guy unless for some reason he comes in during training camp and look he's shown the last couple of days Sunday he hit a couple of good field goals showed his leg strength showed that he has the capabilities his accuracy was well you know half and half he had a little bit of a rough day missed the last two on Monday's practice Sunday he connected for roughly about 70 according to Paul Perillo of Patriots.com. So there were a few eyebrow raises in terms of being accurate,

putting them through the uprights. I think he works on that. I think he shows that the skinny poles are down the other end. Those were down the other end on Sunday. They were down the other end. I think Mondays were the skinny poles, the sundays were down the other end so for folks that don't know it there's there's two different sets of of uh goal posts and and one is called the skinny set because you know quite frankly i could not fit through them um and the other is the regular one so i had i had to ask yeah no that's good no no i'm glad that you uh that you mentioned

that and that's good information for our listeners to have as well. Because, you know, we use the slang a lot of times and we'll refer to them, but not everybody knows, not everybody's seen the practice fields at Gillette like we have, but in a lot of ways, I think Roarwasser will be a solid kicker. I really and truly do. I think this kid's got ice water in his veins. He's the type of player that can kick in all different environments.

And we've seen him do it. We've seen him kick in terrible conditions. Belichick loves guys like that. In terms of his accuracy, once I think a lot of the residual nerves for being a rookie wear off, I think you'll see this kid round into form. And I expect him to be a solid kicker for the team this year. The guy that I have my eye on is Josh Uche, and I know it's probably easy to say that, but I'm looking at how he's been used the last couple of days in training camp, especially on Monday's, especially in Monday's practice. He was moved around the formation quite a bit during the first full pads practice. The Patriots look like they're going to try to utilize him in a number of different ways

in the linebacker position maybe even dropping back into the in the defensive backfield playing a potential hybrid safety at times we've seen certain um you know linebackers be able to do it O'Shea is not the prototypical Patriots linebacker he's a little leaner he's not as bigger lumber you know like he's not that lumbering type of linebacker that the Patriots linebacker. He's a little leaner. He's not as big or lumber, you know, like he's not that lumbering type of linebacker that the Patriots love. Supposedly he's been working very well and taking direction very well from Juwan Bentley. And you have to love to see that because in the absence of a guy like Dante Hightower, who was the play caller in that area, Bentley takes the mantra and all of a sudden, right away, a young kid is taking direction well and he's able to move around Uche saw a lot of the field on Monday and he's been working very closely with

the um with the linebacking staff in uh practices previously I think this kid is primed for something big so I look for him I wanted to keep an eye out for Amprey Jennings in today's practice uh Jennings was not on the field as well much like like Thomas. Not a lot of reason given as to why. Maybe that time, maybe that information has been released at the time you're listening to this, but as of the time we're recording it, we didn't have a whole lot of info on that. So I think Uche really has the opportunity to come in and be a big-time contributor right off the bat. To a lesser extent, Kyle Duggar, simply because I think there are some bodies there with experience that may get the lion's share of the playing time while kyle is developing has nothing to do with the fact that i don't think he's ready i just think

the patriots can afford to bring him along a little bit more than a guy like gucci simply because their depth chart is bigger it'll be it'll um i see this is where where we we we part ways um i i think jay is gonna you know get his opportunities this year in the way that that wino did last year chase winovich did last year and john simon but it's it's i i'm not sure if he's gonna have as big a role as you think and now, you mentioned Anthony Jennings. Now, he is somebody that is intrigued the hell out of me, and it was disappointing that he wasn't out there today. Again, we're not sure why.

But I think that Jennings could come in and make a real impact coming off the edge and getting to the quarterback. I think he comes from a program where that Bill respects a great deal. It would have been nice to see him lining up on the outside of Donta Hightower and learning from him. But with the departures of Van Nooy, Collins, and Roberts, I think that the man that you were just talking about is somebody that could come in here and make a few highlight reels and be able to do things that we did not get to see him do at Alabama.

Absolutely. And look, I'm very high on Jennings. I'm starting to almost become as equally high on Jennings as I am on Uche. Uche is someone that I looked at and scouted even before the Patriots drafted him. I was so glad to hear his name on draft night. I can see your understanding. I can see your argument and your understanding when it comes to Uche and that the Patriots would like to bring him along very similar to what they did with Winovich last year.

The Michigan guys are well coached. They're intelligent. They know their place on the field. We saw that with Chase last year. I think you're going to see it to a certain extent with Michael Onwenu on the offensive line this year. I think he could be a sleeper in that draft class that comes in, maybe not taking starting reps, but I think he could be a solid depth piece.

And in a year or two, that kid could be someone really solid on the offensive line. That's the way that the Patriots draft. We're not drafting for this year. Nobody saw the COVID things happening. Bill was looking down the line a year, two years. This is what a lot of the talking heads don't understand, but guys like Michael, myself, Steve, and a lot of other people out there do

when they run down Bill Belichick drafts. He's not drafting for this year. You know, he comes in, these kids come in, and they learn from seasoned veterans, and then they're ready to step in a year or two down the line. The circumstances have changed this year a little bit, and that's why we're spending so much time talking about these guys and tweeting about these guys and why, quite frankly, you're probably going to see a lot more of these guys this year. I'm sorry. No, do not apologize.

No, that was great information. And I do. I understand and respect your argument on Uche and how they're going to use him. Personally, I think because of the Patriots' lack of depth at the position, and even though guys like Winovich and like John Simon are more comfortable on the edge than they are as traditional linebackers, I think you might see Usha maybe get a little bit more playing time this year than normally he would have if the Patriots had a little more depth in that department. And if he, let's face it, if Dante Hightower didn't opt out, I think that would have allowed them a little more time to develop him the way

they did chase last year. I think they might be a little more accelerated because of the need at the position, but it wouldn't shock me if that's exactly what happened. So, you know what, bud, we'll see. We'll see what happens. We'll see what Bill's got in store, what he's got up his cutoff sleeve, so to speak, when it comes to that. But lastly, my friend, I did not want today to go by without mentioning the quarterbacks. It's the topic of conversation. It was the hot topic surrounding Monday's practice. And all four gut reps,

Hoyer, Stidham, Newton, Lewerke, in that order, which folks, please, let's put this out there. Murph and I will both say this right now. It's based on seniority. This is not the quarterback depth depth chart I'm reading that a lot on social media it concerns me please don't believe that this is based on seniority but the speculation is starting to churn and Murph it's definitely important to keep tabs on who's practicing well who isn't I completely recognize that but for the benefit of those taking a social media victory lap over the last 24 to 48 hours, please help me to enlighten our listeners as to why it's pretty insignificant to assign the starting job after only one day of meaningful practices.

Look, folks, I'll put this in a college football context. The seniors sit down and eat first. Okay? That's what happens. All right? Brian Hoyer is the senior. Okay? Cam Newton is a, we'll put him as a redshirt junior just because of his experience in the league. And then Stidham is there, you know, he's the sophomore.

He's the super soft. He's here to show everybody that he's better than the older guys and that he's the way to the future and the future is now. That's why you're seeing the rotation that you are right now. And Lewerke's just happy to be here, hope to help the ball club. And we all love that. That's great. I'll take 50 kids like that on a baseball team any day of the week, but I don't want them under center. They, um, but, but that's, that's basically what it is.

They do not read into any of this. Brian Hoyer is showing Cam Newton how things are run here. He's showing him this is the way things are. Um, Bill, Bill Belichick is, is, is showing Cam. Nothing is going to be handed to you here. I know Brian Hoyer. I know I can run Brian Hoyer out there and he's going to run a fantastic practice. That's the reason that he's here. That's the reason he was brought back last year because he's a man who can go in and run any offense that you want for any scout team on any, for any scout team on any week. And as we said earlier, um, in this kind of year,

um, being a veteran helps. And, uh, and that's, that's why you're seeing this rotation in a way that is don't read a damn thing into it. No, I agree with you wholeheartedly. And thank you for at least talking some of our listeners off of the ledge when it comes to the quarterback competition, because folks right now, there really is no clear front runner in the quarterback competition we're talking one day of padded practice it's a very difficult uh long painstaking process to look at what these players bring to the table and then make a decision based on that uh there's still a lot that can happen between now and then look by consensus absolutely nothing nothing was was made out of monday's practice just like nothing was made out of cam newton doing you

know workouts in la with with youtubers and and julian edelman it meant nothing meant absolutely nothing so just sit sit there stick it in your back pocket and wait to see how this this all turns out everybody is either ready to jump off a bridge or ready to hand this to Cam Newton, and I'm not ready to do either. No, and I agree with you. If you look at the reps that each of these quarterbacks got, they received the same amount. They received the same amount of reps, same amount of times. All three of them were pretty much as accurate as the next one.

You know, Newton, Hoyer, Stidham may have been the sharpest. I think he only missed one pass all day during competitive work. That was a throw that was intended for Nikhil Harry. But the Patriots really, first of all, two things, folks. The Patriots' focus on Monday was really more running the ball than anything else. It was very interesting to me to see Damian Harris out there for extended work. He looked to be in pretty good shape. I'm sure we'll talk more about the running backs Murph in the weeks to come

here. But Harris is a guy I'm keeping my sharp eye on, especially after what was reported in practice on Monday. But ultimately you're not going to tell a whole lot. Look, Hoyer had the play of the practice. And I alluded to this earlier, 50 yard deep ball from tell a whole lot. Look, Hoyer had the play of the practice, and I alluded to this earlier. 50-yard deep ball from Hoyer to Devin Ross.

We mentioned Devin Ross. Ross actually opened some eyes out there by hurling in that catch and being able to be a little more shifty. Absolutely. Well, you know that from personal experience, and we all do, by the way, folks. I'll let Murph explain that in a greater capacity at another time. But when it does come to that, you know, the Pats did have some, you know, guys out there that were able to make plays.

And those ooh-ah moments that you crave in practice were definitely there. If fans were in attendance, that would have gotten the roar of the day there without any question. But ultimately, pump the brakes a little bit. Stidham looked very sharp without any question. From what I'm told, Cam looked good. From the footage that I was able to see early on, I didn't get a whole lot on the video feed, but what I did see, Cam looked to be throwing the ball well. Brian threw the ball well, and so did Jarrett. So right now, what that tells you is after day one folks all three quarterbacks are capable of throwing the football pretty well that's all we

know and that's all we probably will know for at least the next few days until things start to take shape so pump the brakes take it easy keep a sharp eye out but don't read too much into things is basically what we're trying days into this before we start you know losing our minds let's let's see whose shoulder is holding up and what old man's knees aren't bothering him too much and and you know what what kids are are picking up on their way in and out the door before uh it it becomes something that it's not absolutely could not have said it better myself my friend. And that's why we have you here, to lend your wisdom and counsel like no other. That's also the reason why you're a familiar here on Locked On Patriots.

Folks, you should already be following this man. If you're not, I don't know what to tell you, other than just to please do it. For any of our new listeners, you are let off the hook. But follow my good friend, the Count murphy fisto himself on twitter at teamer 207 the columns including his monster keys throughout the season i've always said this i mean it every time i say it their point click and learn material you become a better football fan you become a better person by reading this man's work always proudly found on diehard boston sports fans.com which is where murph houses all of his great work and of course never miss an episode of one patriot's place with murph and our

great mutuals friend steve balistrieri my friend thanks again honored and humbled as always by your presence oh it's always a blast to be here and i can't wait to come back next time around i can't wait to spend a half an hour on Corey Cunningham. Absolutely. And you know what? We probably will. We'll probably spend an extensive amount of time. Hey, Illuminor was out there for a good amount of time on Monday as well.

Don't start. Don't start. Stop. Stop. Just stop. We'll be here for three hours, and then the bosses will get all mad at you and everything. What am I going to do with three hours, and then the bosses will get all mad at you and everything. What am I going to do with three hours of Murph?

Jesus Christ. Oh, man. Well, if you're clamoring for the next round of Locked on Murph, folks, you know it's going to be coming at you next week. Same bat time, same bat channel. Well, maybe not same bat time. We kind of switched that up a little bit, to keep everybody guessing and on their toes. But you know he'll be back next week,

and we'll probably be talking some running backs, some offensive line, things of that nature, some of the man's favorite subjects. Bud, what can I say? Continue to stay safe and well. Thanks for always being here, and we look forward to talking to you again next week, buddy. You the same, buddy. Whether it's Monday or Friday, I'm like Butchie. I'll bat wherever you put me in the lineup.

Absolutely, and effective in every slot in the lineup. Just like Butchie, you always knock it you put me in the lineup. Absolutely. And effective in every slot in the lineup. Just like Butchie, you always knock it out of the park whenever the bat is needed. And there's no bat I trust more. So thank you, my friend. Again, we'll talk to you next week, my friend. And so, Patriots Nation, the pads are on, the practice may be over, but the action on the Gillette Stadium practice fields is only just beginning. And all week long on Locked On Patriots, we will continue to break down Patriots practices, any new comings or goings when it relates to the Patriots roster.

And as we inch closer to the start of the NFL season, I, along with some amazing guests we have lined up for you during the month of August, we'll provide our prognostications on not just who will make the Patriots 53-man roster, but also what the collective fate of the team may be as we break down and evaluate the Patriots 2020 season schedule right here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. So folks, to ensure that you do not miss a single minute of the action here on the pod, be sure to follow us on Spotify,

subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Download Locked On Patriots wherever you get your podcasts. However you prefer to listen, make sure you listen and remain locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank my good friend Thomas Murphy for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's pod. Most of all, I thank each and every one of you so much for listening today.

Stay safe. Stay well. Continue to be the change you wish to see in the world each and every day. Have a great day, everyone.