Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Quarterback Quest: A Look Inside the Patriots QB Room - 5/29/2020

Episode Date: May 29, 2020

For the first time in 20 years, the New England Patriots will employ a new starting quarterback. However, there are four unique talents on the Pats’ depth chart. Mark Schofield of USA Today Sports joins host Mike D’Abate to discuss the QB prowess of Jarrett Stidham, Brian Hoyer, J’Mar Smith and Brian Lewerke. 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. Thank Gillette Stadium. It's Friday 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. Today's episode is brought to you by Bilt Bar. Bilt Bar is a delicious protein bar that tastes just like a candy bar. Visit BiltBar.com today and use the promo code LOCKEDON to receive $10 off your first order. We have almost made it to the weekend, Patriots Nation.

My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots Podcast, which is always proud to be a part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your comments, your questions, and your feedback are always welcomed and greatly appreciated. Feel free to share that feedback at any time 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 traveling through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots.

Patriots fans, this past week on the pod, we've talked about the tight ends. We've wondered about the wide receivers. And we've delved into the defense. But to bring you into the weekend here on the Locked On Patriots podcast, today we question the quarterbacks. That's right, folks. Perhaps the most high-profile and arguably the most scrutinized area of the Patriots positional depth chart is the quarterback position.

You don't need to hear me remind you that for the first time in 20 years, a new quarterback will be taking snaps under center. That quarterback will not be wearing number 12, folks. In fact, that quarterback will almost certainly be wearing a single-digit jersey number. Will it be Jarrett Stidham's number four, or will it be Brian Hoyer's number two? Or is there a chance that one of the undrafted free agent quarterbacks that the Patriots have signed might just shock the world? Well, folks, if you've been listening to Locked On Patriots over the past few weeks, you know that my money is on number four. I'm standing on the Stidham stump. But when you look at the four quarterbacks currently on the Patriots roster, is Jarrett Stidham really the best fit for the starting job?

What makes Brian Hoyer such an indelible part of what the Patriots will do offensively this year? And what should we know about the new faces in the quarterback room as we head toward the 2020 season? Well, folks, those are the topics of discussion for today's Locked on Patriots podcast, but I won't be delving into these matters alone, because when I need quarterback wisdom and counsel, I go to the man that I have dubbed the excellence of execution. And no, for all you wrestling fans out there, I'm not talking about Bret the Hitman Hart,

although he did originate the term. I'm talking about the quarterback analyst Excellence of Execution. My good friend and predecessor Mark Schofield will join me today, and he will give you all of the information that you may not have known, but you absolutely need to know about all four quarterbacks on the Patriots roster. I still consider Mark to be the host emeritus here at Locked On Patriots, and every time I get a chance to welcome him back in, I'm always honored, always excited,

and I always know that I'm about to learn a great deal when it comes to football analysis, primarily at the quarterback position. So sit tight, folks. An action-packed episode. And in just a moment, I will welcome Mark into the hot seat as we bless the reins of the quarterback positional depth chart for your 2020 New England Patriots. But first folks, one of the great joys about being a host of a podcast like Locked On Patriots is having the platform to be able to bring you, the amazing listeners of Locked On Patriots, your daily dose of news, notes, and analysis from Foxborough.

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while indulging in a delicious treat. So, folks, don't delay. Make Bilt Bar your go-to protein bar today. Patriots fans, positional depth chart week continues here on Locked on Patriots. And today, we take a deeper dive into the quarterback room. And you know what that means. We're talking quarterbacks. And that means bringing in the best there is, the best there was,

and the best there ever will be, the excellence of execution. I am joined by the greatest of all time in my estimation, the host emeritus here at Locked On Patriots, an amazing writer and analyst for platforms such as Inside the Pylon, Big Blue View, Bleeding Green Nation, and Pat's Pulpit, and of course touchdown wire of usa today that's just to name a few his podcast the sco show appointment listening for patriots fans that's right folks today we once again bless the rains and welcome back my predecessor my mentor

my good friend mark scofield but thanks so much for joining me today. Welcome back. Mike, I'm begging you, you've got to dial back these intros, man, because I'm blushing. I am on the deck as the kids are inside doing their virtual learning, and they're pointed and laughing at me from inside because they can see my face, and I'm literally blushing. You're far too kind with the introductions. But, man, it's always great to be with you, Mike. It's always great to hear your voice.

It's always great to catch up before these shows when we get a chance to talk a little bit. But I'm excited to be here, excited to talk to the quarterbacks, and it's always great to be back with you and to see the Toto poster still hanging up on the wall. It warms my heart, Mike, every time I see it. Of course. That Toto poster is never going anywhere. That is permanently affixed to the wall. It warms my heart, Mike, every time I see it. Of course. That Toto poster is never going anywhere. That is permanently affixed to the

wall, and I bless the reins every day when I see it, and I do that in your honor, my friend. Look, bottom line, the compliments are well-deserved. I don't know if you've had a chance to listen to the last couple of shows here, but when Thomas Murphy, our good friend Murph, comes on, on i introduce him and i give him a lot of kudos as well i've dubbed him the count of murphy fisto so when i knew that you were coming on today my predecessor i had to up my game a little bit but uh i assure you all those compliments come from the heart they're well deserved and it's always a blast when you come back here you're very very welcome and we're talking quarterbacks what better way to end the week

than to talk quarterbacks with Mark Schofield? I love my job, folks. And this is one of the big reasons why I do. And again, as I said to close the show yesterday, my friend, it's so odd to talk about the Patriots quarterback room and not be mentioning number 12. But, you know, that was then and this is now. But and, you know, dare I say, just to digress for just one second, this might be your first homecoming in which I think a climactic Patriots news story has yet to precede your appearance. I think this is one of the only times that you're on where we can actually stick to the guy. I didn't. I thought about it.

We had some Antonio Brown news break during the show. So we did. We absolutely did. Give it a couple of minutes. Let's make sure we can get through the show before, you know, something drops on our heads. The brilliance of editing, my friend. No, all kidding aside. Exactly.

Exactly. You know what? Before we talk about the familiar faces in the quarterback room, let's get to know the new guys a little bit. And the Patriots didn't draft a quarterback to the surprise of many myself included but they did take a flyer on a couple in free agency of the undrafted kind and we'll start today with Louisiana Tex Jamar Smith even if Smith ends up on the practice squad or possibly even cracks the roster as quarterback three he likely won't see any

playing time for New England in 2020, but his statistics speak for themselves. Smith threw for 2,977 yards, 18 touchdowns, five interceptions in 2019 at Louisiana Tech, had a 64.3 completion percentage. And the footage on this kid is electric. I mean, he's got a big time arm, all the physical skills to be a pro-caliber quarterback. But he doesn't come without his warning labels.

Mark in 2019, he was suspended for two games because of a quote athletic department via policy violation, which we're still not sure what happened there. That might be one of the reasons why some of these NFL teams stayed away from drafting him. He's also got some issues with his pocket awareness that I've noticed in the film that I've seen on him.

I think that causes him to maybe feel a little bit of pressure, not see the blitz coming at times. And I think that's led to some of the struggles he's had with his downfield vision. But you're the quarterback whisperer, my friend, and you see things that us mere mortals don't see. Despite the question marks surrounding him, should Patriots fans have a reason to be excited about the potential of Jamar Smith in a Patriots uniform? You know, I think they should, Michael, and for a couple of reasons. I think one of the ways we could almost, I'd almost guarantee that he at least sticks on the practice squad is because of the list of names I'm about to read off. Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson,

Kyler Murray, Josh Allen, Deshaun Watson. That's just a sampling of the quarterbacks that the New England Patriots are going to face this year as they make their way through what we all sort of consider to be a tough schedule. And when you're thinking about getting ready to play those types of quarterbacks, guys that can make throws inside and outside of the pocket, guys that can stress you with their legs, guys that can break down a defense when the pocket breaks down and still keep the offense ahead of schedule with their legs. You need to be ready for those types of quarterbacks. You need to be ready for those types of players. And Jamar Smith can more closely replicate what those guys are going to do than any of the other quarterbacks in the Patriots quarterback room right now. And so for that reason and those names alone, I think Jamar Smith has an inside track to make this team, even if it's just as a third string practice squad quarterback. But that being said, there's reasons beyond what he can do to prepare the Patriots defense that should have Patriots fans

excited. I mean, I went back and I watched his game in 2018 against LSU. And this was back when, you know, it wasn't a year that LSU won the title, but it was still a very good defense. It was a year that saw LSU finish in the top five. And they had just come off a big win. And Louisiana Tech had to go into Death Valley on a Saturday night in late September and you can only imagine what that environment was like and after getting down a bunch of points early Jamar Smith led out La Tech on a comeback and they made it a one-score game late and at the end of that game Ed Ogeron said look they gave us everything they had and you see him making reads, making throws,

making anticipation throws from the pocket that you don't see a lot of college quarterbacks do, particularly, Michael, in that environment where, you know, you get a steamy night down on the bayou with 110,000 Tigers fans, you know, screaming blood. It was an impressive performance. And so when I see him on film I see things that I don't see a lot of other draft eligible quarterbacks doing like I said those anticipation

throws so he adds that on top of that layer that I just talked about that athleticism the things you can do with his legs and so I think fans should be very excited about Jamar Smith you're right there are red flags both off the field and on, on the field. There are sort of some pocket awareness concerns. Sometimes when you have that athleticism with the quarterback position, that's what you turn to first. Every time I see a quarterback do that, my mind flashbacks to good old Pete Costas, senior, my wide receivers coach in college. And anytime I started moving around in the pocket,

I would pull the ball down and look to run rather than throw. And he said that was going to be the death of me as a quarterback. Well, being 5'9 was also perhaps the death of me as a quarterback, as well as the fact that I wasn't very good. But sometimes you do that as a quarterback. You pull the ball down, you rely on your athleticism, and it destroys your pocket awareness. That's an area that Smith will have to work on. But I think Patriots fans should be excited about his potential. I think that's a great piece of insight,

and especially when it comes to a player like Smith that has the electrifying qualities that you see in guys like you mentioned, Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, guys that can move around the pocket, guys that are electric that can make things happen. It makes you wonder what a type of quarterback like that would look like in a Patriots offense. I think he adds another dimension, and I'm glad that you mentioned that because I do think this kid has a chance to stick around. Again, there are red flags, but you know what, Mark?

There are red flags when it comes to mostly any quarterback coming out of college. They're not going to be 100% polished. Even the most NFL caliber ready quarterback coming out of college still has a learning curve. So what better place to be able to cultivate that than to do that in New England? And I think a guy like Josh McDaniels could have a lot of fun with someone like Jamar Smith. And I think the presence of a guy like Bill Belichick in that coaching room will be able to at least stabilize him a little bit. So I look for big things out of him. I'm looking forward to watching this kid in training camp beyond belief.

But Mark, the Patriots weren't done there. The Hoodies still had one more quarterback card up his cutoff sleeve and undrafted free agency. And that was Michigan State's Brian Lewerke. Again, he's a long shot to make this roster but there is some NFL caliber talent there Lewerke threw for 3,079 yards at Michigan State 17 touchdowns in 2019 but he also threw 13 interceptions that may have turned some teams off but Lewerke is actually the only player in Michigan State history to throw for 8,000 plus yards and also to rush for 1,000 plus yards too. He finished with 8,293 passing yards and 1,255 rushing yards in his collegiate career. That raised my eyebrow a little bit when I did a little more research on Brian.

Now, I've spoken with a few college scouts, and most of them had pretty good things to say about Lewerke. My question to you is, why did he go undrafted? And does he have a chance to be quarterback three this year, even if it's just as a practice squatter? You know, I think he does have a chance. I think between the two undrafted guys, like I said, I would give Jamar Smith sort of the inside track. You know, you sort of talked about what Lewerke did in terms of rushing numbers. And a lot of that was sort of designed inside track. You know, you sort of talked about what the work he did in terms of rushing numbers, and a lot of that was sort of designed and scripted stuff. Michigan State did a lot in sort of that zone read,

read option type game that gave him some opportunities. He's not known for his mobility. You know, he's more of that standard pocket passer type, but sometimes that worked to his advantage because defenses weren't really ready, and when, you and when he would beat that running back at the mesh point, sort of read that backside defensive end,

that backside defensive end didn't really worry too much about Brian Lewerke keeping it and pulling it around the end, and so that gave him some opportunities as a runner. I think the main, well, there's probably a couple of reasons he went undrafted. Part of it was when he was, you know, the summer scouted season,

we're in it right now. Guys are looking at whether it's Trevor Lawrence or Trey Lance from North Dakota State or Justin Fields, you know, people are starting to get into the next draft class quarterbacks and the next draft class at all the positions. And there were a couple of summers ago where people looked at Brian Werke and thought there's really something here. You know, that was the sort of summer before his junior year. There were a couple of summers ago where people looked at Brian Wierke and thought, there's really something here.

You know, that was the sort of summer before his junior year. And then what ended up happening was he got hurt that season. I remember I went to a Michigan State-Maryland game, sat in the press box to see the Wierke, and it was his first game back from a shoulder injury. And he threw an interception, got benched again. And he had a really bad junior year. And I think, you know, that turned a lot of people off as to what he could be as a quarterback, particularly when you're thinking about him projecting to the National Football League. He redeemed himself somewhat.

But I think that junior year really hurt him in the eyes of scouts and evaluators. He does some things well. He has ideal size for the position, measured in with massive hands, I think 10 and 5 eighths at the combine, which, you know, those are catcher mitts for hands. And, you know, that might help you when you're thinking about playing in the Foxborough weather come December and January. He certainly has the arm for the position. You know, he can make some NFL reads and throws. You see him work through progressions fairly well.

That Michigan State offense had a lot of sort of, quote, pro-style concepts, where you're seeing him making reads and working to his fourth or fifth read in the progression and checking the ball down when he needs to. So he does a lot of the things that you typically expect to see NFL quarterbacks do. But I do think it was that junior year, that injury, and we're also seeing interestingly enough, and not to get into the sort of soap opera aspects of the football world we live in, but with a new sort of coaching opera aspects of the football world we live in but with a new sort of coaching staff at Michigan State it was announced just Thursday afternoon on Twitter that you know Jim Nagy the executive director of the senior bowl made a point of saying now we're

going to be allowed back to Michigan State to sort of meet with the coaches and to meet with the players and you get the sense that the prior coaching staff at Michigan State wasn't doing their guys many favors. And Adam Schefter, I believe, from ESPN followed up on that, basically saying, look, we heard from a lot of NFL staff that when they tried to get onto campus to meet with players, to meet with their coaches, to try to get a feel for these guys potentially working in the NFL, they were given a cold shoulder. In Jim Nagy's case, he wasn't even allowed on campus and so that might have hurt a guy like Brian Lewerke because if you could imagine him having the opportunity to go down to a senior bowl like Jared Stidham who we're going to talk about in a few minutes and maybe show an NFL coach is you know up close in person what he can do that might have helped his draft stock and so that might have played a role in it as well Mike that prior

Michigan State coaching staff seemed to be pretty standoffish when it came to helping their guys get stock and so that might have played a role in it as well mike that prior michigan state coaching staff seemed to be pretty standoffish when it came to helping their guys get drafted which is a head scratcher to me because you think one way to keep your job one way to help recruit it if you can walk into a living room and tell a mom and a dad that look you come to me you send your son to michigan state we're going to get them drafted look at what we've done for these other guys it's a head scratcher to me probably was a head scratcher to the rest of the national football league as well as some of these you know executive directors like jim nagy but that might have played a role as well great points on both i think in a lot of ways mark uh you bring that level of of analysis to

the table that really helps you to understand exactly why these quarterbacks may go in areas that they do i'm glad that you mentioned quarterbacks may go in areas that they do. I'm glad that you mentioned the rushing yards. That was something that caught my eye. And I think fans, media, analysts, whoever alike, have a tendency to take a look at statistics, and it raises their eyebrow. It did with me with Lewerke. I didn't realize that he had rushed for that many yards in college.

And then you look at the fact that, yes, it is. It's part of the script. It's part of how they do business. It's part of their offensive strategy. Makes a little more sense at that point as to why he was so prolific running the ball on the ground. The other part in him not being drafted is the lack of exposure that he had to NFL scouts and NFL caliber, you know, evaluators that just couldn't get in to see them. So, you know, in a lot of ways, we'll see what happens with Lewerke. I have a tendency to agree with you. I think if they're going to go with a quarterback three of the two that they've signed from

the undrafted free agent pool, I believe it will be Smith over Lewerke, but we'll see. You know, the hoodie's always got some stuff up his sleeve that we never see. So maybe there's something he sees in this kid that we haven't. But ultimately, it's going to be his decision. But it's always a blast when you come back home. And as you always do, you're showing why today's topic is right in your wheelhouse. But it's time for the veterans to take center stage, my friend. In just a moment, Mark Schofield and I will discuss Brian Hoyer, we'll discuss Jarrett Stidham, and who he believes will be the starter when the 2020 season kicks off.

All this, and at least one more Toto reference when the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, we close the week in style here on the pod by welcoming home my friend and predecessor, Mark Schofield. And Mark, for the first time in 20 years, bud, Tom Brady is not walking through the door of the quarterback room. But that doesn't mean that we won't recognize the faces that are there. So let's start with the return of the back up, that is. Little Mark Morrison reference there for you, for those of you that are into 90s hip-hop like myself, but I digress. The question is, will he be the backup? And we all know I'm talking about Brian

Hoyer. And Mark, they signed Brian for just a little over a million dollars when it comes to a hit against the salary cap. So we know finances are not going to be a liability here. But they also weren't the catalyst when it came to signing Brian. Hoyer knows the Patriots system. He's one of the best scout team quarterbacks in the NFL, and he's capable of starting. Now, I happen to disagree with this assessment, but several of our colleagues are floating the idea that Brian not only could be the opening day starter, but that he will be. Mark, in its purest form, what does the signing of Brian Hoyer do for the Patriots, and do you believe he has a legitimate shot to be QB1 this year? Yeah, I think he has a shot.

And I think that one of the things that we should keep in mind here, and it makes, you know, thinking about the next NFL season a little bit different than sort of thinking about seasons as we have in the past is we're at a different time. I mean, we're currently doing this as, you know, as a nation, we're starting to come out of a two, three month period of being sort of locked down and we don't know yet how the NFL offseason and preseason will play out we're hearing that you know facilities are going to start opening up soon but coaches might not be

allowed back into the building yet we don't know how that's all going to unfold we don't know what training camp is going to look like we don't know what preseason games are going to look like. And so when you take that into account, you can see a scenario where somebody that comes in that is completely familiar with the offense and has years of experience in it, that has years of game experience or at least practice experience in it, is going to have an opportunity to sort of win the job because of that familiarity with the playbook. You know, I do think that the guy we're going to talk about last Jared Stidham is the plan that the plan will be see what they have in him hope that he's the quarterback they thought he was when they drafted him in the fourth round hopefully he's the quarterback that we all

saw down to the senior bowl last year and move ahead with him. And you see what he has to offer over the course of the season. But if we do get sort of that abbreviated training camp schedule, abbreviated preseason game schedule, there's an opportunity for Brian Hoare to sort of assert himself as the guy if Jarrett Stidham can't get up to speed. That's why as soon as the Colts, you know, acquired Phillip Rivers and made the move, you know, that they did with Brian Hoer, you know, I immediately tweeted out and others did too that he's going to be in Foxborough before the week is over. And he was the next day, you know, because it makes sense from the Winglands perspective, A, given their cap situation and B, given his familiarity with the offense, to side Brian Hoyer as a viable backup that could potentially start games for you if you need him to.

You know, he's one of those guys that isn't going to make a ton of mistakes. He knows the system. He's not going to throw you out of games. He might not be able to throw you into games. You know, but if you're looking at how New England is constructing their roster this year, right? My friend David Archibald, formerly of Inside, and still of Inside the Pylon and other places, has said that, look, they're trying to build a roster to win those 17-14 rock fights. And I think it's a great way to describe what they're doing. They're building up the defense.

They've added two tight ends. You know you're going to be starting either Brian Hoyer or Jarrett Stenum who's going to be a first-year starter for you. And so you're probably not going to be in a situation where you can just put it in the quarterback's hands and throw it 55 times and throw yourself into games. And so if you're thinking about that kind of roster from top to bottom, a guy like Brian Hoyer, who's not going to, like I said, throw you out of games and put you behind the eight balls in terms of your defense and what they have to do. I think, yeah, there's a situation where he could end up winning the job. I don't think it's likely, but I think it's possible, and a lot of it might be determined by Jared Stidham

and how well he performs over the next couple of weeks and months. That's a really great point, one that I don't think gets the attention it deserves. Look, these are different circumstances, folks. This is an offseason in the NFL like we haven't seen before. I do think the NFL deserves a lot of credit for keeping the offseason as intact as they have, but let's face it, OTAs have been canceled.

Rookie camps have been canceled. Players haven't been able to work out at team facilities. For a young, relatively unproven quarterback like Jarrett Stidham to gain the chemistry he needs, he needs that time on the field. So, even though I agree with you, Mark, in saying that it's unlikely that Hoyer gets the nod, it might be a little more possible or even probable than we had originally thought for that very point. Brian Hoyer has a comfort level in this offense that maybe even Stidham doesn't have yet. He may be able to come in, keep the ship in the right direction until Jarrett is ready. Even if Brian does begin the

season as the starter, I don't think he'll finish the season as the starter. I think the keys will eventually be handed over to Jarrett Stidham. I still think he gets the nod day one. But again, if for any reason he's not ready, Brian can come in. He can start. He'll do his job. And he's probably not going to make a fuss if he has to hand the keys over to Jarrett Stidham at some point during the season. And that leads me quite nicely into my last question for you today, my friend.

And even though we've raised the point that hypothetically Brian Hoyer could end up being the starter this year, all indications are that Jarrett Stidham is the guy. He seems to have the confidence of the Patriots brain trust to be productive in this offense. Now, the one thing that I do keep hearing a lot, and Mark, I'm guilty of this as well, is that the Patriots are going to turn more toward a game management strategy with Stidham under center. And the argument there is that it's the best way for him to learn the NFL game and study defensive formations. After all, that's kind of how Tom started way back 20 years ago. But that being said, we've seen that Stid the Kid has the capability of making some big time throws,

provided he gets the protection and the time he needs to make the reads. Now, the New England fan base, for the most part, seems to be getting behind Jarrett. He's gaining some momentum up here. But my question to you is, my friend, can Jarrett Stidham live up to the expectations that come with being the quarterback of the New England Patriots? And in the process, might he turn some national heads while he's doing it? You know, Mike, I think he does. And, you know, before we sort of get into what he's shown, say, over the time he's doing it you know mike i think he does and you know before we sort of get into

what he's shown say over the time he's been in the new england uniform it is important to sort of give it a bit of a bad story because this is somebody that was you know view as a very good quarterback during his recruitment process he goes to baylor he's forced to play relatively early but he's in sort of that Art Bryles offensive system that, you know, Baylor quarterbacks, they're a difficult bunch to evaluate when you sort of think about how they'll translate to the next level, because he was in that Art Bryles offense where everything was, you know, a hitch route, a quick slant, or a go, or a screen. Like, there wasn't a lot of complexity and depth to it conceptually and so that made it

a difficult evaluation when you're trying to look at his film from those days then he goes to auburn where he's in that sort of option-based offense that again didn't ask for much from him you know there was a lot that they put on the scheme in terms of options it wasn't really pro style in that sense he wasn't really attacking the middle of the field too much they didn't put too much on his plate in terms of the trick the traditional progression reads that we see quarterbacks making the national football league which again made it difficult to sort of conceptualize hemming an nfl system that's why for jerry stidham his senior bowl week was so critically important. And, you know, when I was talking about those quarterbacks before that senior bowl, I said, look, if you're going to put money on a guy sort of improving their stock

and looking great this week, it's Jared Stidham because he's going to be in Kyle Shanahan's offense that is really quarterback friendly. He throws the ball very well. So I think in that kind of system, he's going to do great. And he did have a great week. And, you know, and getting ready for some of the stuff I've been writing this year I looked back at some of my notes from that senior bowl week and in the notebook that I had there was a moment during Wednesday's practice I believe where you know he was running around concept in

Shanahan's offense where he was trying to throw underneath and he looked off the mic line back or underneath and then threw a route once he moved him with his eyes. And I wrote down in my notebook that that was Brady-esque. You know, when you think about moving defenders with your eyes, everybody's favorite example is, you know, when you've got the two-go routes along one on each side of the field, and you look at the safety in the middle of the field, 15 yards, 20 yards downfield, and you freeze him with your eyes, and then you throw a route along the

sideline. Well, okay. Yeah. You kind of manipulated the safety there, but he's probably not getting over the sideline to make a play in the football. I'm more impressed when I see a quarterback sort of look at a Mike linebacker who's dropping under underneath freezing him or moving him with his eyes, who's just five feet away from him, five yards away from him. And then throwing off of that guy's movement. That's more impressive to me. And to see that from Jared Stidham,

even in sort of a sterilized environment of the senior bowl, was impressive to me. And so I think when you start to then see him in last year's training camp, preseason games, making some of the reads and the throws he did, he had another great play that I wrote about against Detroit where they were running sort of what we call five cougar which is a trap coverage where that cornerback shows the quarterback that he's going to cover the outside guy in man coverage. He uses a man turn. He turns his back to the quarterback. Everything is screaming man coverage to the quarterback but then if he sees

the inside receiver break out on a quick flat route, he's going to peel off that guy and try to trap it for an interception. That's a way that veteran quarterbacks get baited into throwing interceptions. Stidham saw that, was about to throw the flat, realized what was happening, pulled the ball down, scrambled for a game. Now, ideally, you'd like to see him then throw the vertical route, but that's really advanced stuff, but for just to see Jared Stidham recognize and decipher that coverage was impressive to me. And so I think the mental side of the game is going to be better than we expect from a guy making his first year as a starter.

I think he has all the tools to make all the reads and the throws. I think he's athletic enough where, you know, you saw him at Auburn. He could extend some plays with his legs. He could pick up yardage on the ground. You know, I think you put this package together. There's a reason why the Patriots organization, and everybody I've talked to, and Mike, I'm sure you've heard the same, they're very excited about what this kid can do.

There's a reason why in a year when, you know, Jameis Winston was available and Cam Newton was available and Andy Dalton was available. Yes, you know, there are salary cap concerns, but the salary cap is a construct. They could have made it work. Well, any one of those guys, if they really wanted to, they want to see what they have in this kid,

and they're excited about what they have in this kid. Now, will it be all roses and puppy dogs? No, probably not. There will be bumps along the way. There will be mistakes along the way. But I think this kid has the makeup, has the tools, has the traits that he could excel in this Patriots offense. He could excel in the National Football League.

I'm very excited to see him as he embarks on perhaps his first year as a starter in the NFL. Agreed. I couldn't have said it better myself. And you know what, bud? I'm not even going to try. I'm going to let that sit for exactly what it was. And that was spot on analysis.

But in any case, I will offer some commentary, folks. I appreciate the fact that you are taking a level-headed approach uh to uh to jared's uh progression look there are going to be some bumps along the road like we said before any quarterback that's coming into the league and for all intents and purposes folks jared stidham is coming into the league this year yes he saw some limited action last year carried the clipboard learned from one of the best to ever do it. That counts for something. So he does have experience coming in, but this is his trial by fire. Let's face it.

He is going in, accepting the role and likely to be the starter of this New England Patriots team. And there are going to be some difficulties and some bumps along the road. But I'm glad you mentioned his ability to make the reads, make the throws, extend plays with his legs. And again, I think he has the savvy. And as the late great gorilla monsoon once said, the intestinal fortitude to lead this team, again, not easy to follow a legend, but he's, he's facing an uphill battle. And I do think the

kid is definitely up to the challenge from what I've seen in him. I'm impressed. And I know the Patriots brass is impressed as well. Mark, what can I say? Thank you so much, my friend. I always have a blast when you come back to check on the total poster. Ironically, my friend, it is about to start raining here in Southern New England. So we are truly blessing the rains today with your presence. But the floor is yours, my friend.

I'd normally ask you to tell people where they can find you. But folks, if you're a football fan, Mark is royalty. You know where to find him. So enlighten us, my friend. What can we look forward to in the analytic world of Schofield in the coming days? Well, Michael, always a blast coming back on with you and getting a chance to catch up. Easiest way to keep along with me is on Twitter at Mark Schofield. You can follow me on the bird app there.

But I'm doing a bunch of different things this summer. I've got a series over at USA Today's Touchdown Wire called metrics that matter where I look at one sort of statistic or metric from the 2019 season from every team, talk about why that matters, why it's a concern and what the team is doing to sort of rectify that going forward for the Patriots. For example, I highlighted their lack of tight end production from last season's group and obviously look they drafted two tight ends on day two so you probably know what they're trying to do fixing that in the year ahead you could also look for

some summer scouting stuff both for the next draft class as well as looking backwards you know at quarterbacks currently in the league and I always think that if you try to get yourself into sort of draft scouted in that draft evaluation game a great thing to do is to look at not the guys that are coming, but the guys that are there. Look at the guys that are currently in the league at various positions. Get a sense of what works, what doesn't. So I'm going to be watching guys this summer like Jimmy Garoppolo, Kirk Cousins, Derek Carr. We know what guys like Breeze and Brady and the elites can do, but look at sort of that next tier of quarterbacks and that next tier at each position, see what sort of gets you to the league,

what allows you to stay in the league that will help you get ready for that next, you know, scouting group when you start looking at the Trevor Lawrence's and the trade Lance's and the Justin Fields and the Jamie Newman's of the world, you get a chance for what works. So I've been doing pieces both on Shanahan's offense and Garoppolo, and I've got some stuff coming on Kirk Cousins and, you know, Kevin Stefanski and what you can now expect from him in Cleveland with Baker Mayfield. So look for that stuff as well. But as I said, the easiest way

to find me is on Twitter, at Mark Schofield. Absolutely. And folks, I can't recommend it highly enough. All of the work that he does, especially the great work that he's been doing for Touchdown Wire lately, is second to none. Read it. You'll be smarter. He may think I thank him too much. I say I can't thank him enough. That's how much I appreciate him coming on, lending his wisdom and counsel, and still educating the Locked On Patriots audience,

even almost a year after he's vacated the microphone and handed it over to me. My friend, you are a great friend, a great man, and one of the best in the business at what you do. Stay safe, stay well. We look forward to having you back here on Locked On Patriots. Maybe for some late-breaking news when it finally happens, we'll have you on to commemorate that event, my friend. You got it, buddy.

Anytime you need me, you know where to find me. Absolutely. Thanks, man. Have a need me, you know where to find me. Absolutely. Thanks, man. Have a great weekend. You too. Just like that, Patriots fans, we tie a bow on the week that was here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. And I hope that you've enjoyed Positional Depth Chart Breakdown Week here on the pod

and that you found it as informative, as interesting, and as fun as I found it. But the good news is, folks, is we are not done with positions on the depth chart to break down just yet. As I said to open the show, we have now talked about the tight ends. We've wondered about the wide receivers. We've delved into the defense, and we've even questioned the quarterbacks. Well, on Monday, we're going to dish on the defensive backfield. That's right, folks.

Cornerbacks and safeties are up next in the rotation. And there is definitely plenty to talk about and what I still believe to be the strongest and deepest positions on the Patriots roster. And I might just have a special guest along for the ride as well. So keep a sharp eye out, folks. If you've enjoyed the breakdowns this week, you are not going to want to miss Monday's episode. And just to make sure you don't miss Monday's episode

or any episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast, be sure to follow us on Spotify, subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, whatever your preferred podcast provider may be, make sure you find us. And don't forget, you can always listen to Locked On Patriots right on your very own smart device. How do you do that? Elementary, my dear listeners. Simply ask it to play the latest episode of Locked On Patriots. And if you've enjoyed today's pod, now tell your smart device to play the latest episode of Locked On NFL. Once again, I'm Mike

Debate. One last shout out to my previous guest this week, Taylor Kyles, and the Count of Murphy Fisto himself, my main man, Thomas Murphy. Of course, a humbling thanks to my guest today, Mark Schofield, for his time, his insight, and his appearance. But most of all, I thank you all so much for listening and for staying locked in to Locked On Patriots.

Stay safe, stay well, and have a great weekend, everyone.