Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Rating the Runners: New England Patriots Running Backs in 2021 — 6/2/2021

Episode Date: June 2, 2021

With the news that Rex Burkhead is headed to the Houston Texans, the New England Patriots will likely be opening training camp with seven running backs competing for a spot on their 53-man roster. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com. The duo discuss the prowess of Damien Harris, the enigmatic Sony Michel, the reliability of James White, the potential impact of rookie Rhamondre Stevenson and the inevitable ‘odd man out’ among the rest.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 “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% 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.Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. 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 into the Lockdown Patriots podcast. It is Wednesday, June 2nd, 2021, and despite it usually happening on a Tuesday, today is the day that we get our weekly dose of reason 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.

And after you've checked out today's episode of Locked On Patriots, check out my colleagues NFL analyst Brian Peacock and former NFL scout Matt Williamson as they host Locked On's Peacock and Williamson every Monday through Friday. Brian and Matt give you the national perspective all around the NFL, covering all the latest news and insight on every game, every team, and every move around the NFL. Get your picks, previews, and much more every weekday with the Peacock and Williamson Podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Happy Hump Day, Patriots fans, and thank you for joining me here on this Wednesday episode of the pod. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, comments, and feedback are always welcomed, very much appreciated. So share that feedback, send it to the internet by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there doing some Wednesday wandering through that Twitterverse,

please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Patriots fans, it is June 2nd. As of the time that we are recording this podcast, Julio Jones is still an Atlanta Falcon. A lot of rumors out there, reportedly the Patriots are still in the mix, but we've been talking a lot about Julio Jones here on the pod. Today, it's all about the backs, the running backs that is. And with yesterday's news that former Patriots running back Rex Burkhead is now going to be a Houston Texan, a lot of you out there are wondering what the running back core is going to look like in 2021. Right now, the Patriots have seven, count them, seven options.

Damian Harris, unquestionably, your running back one. And I don't think anyone will argue that. Damian has definitely earned that spot. The number two spot I think is still going to be filled by Sonny Michel. I know there's a lot of trade rumors out there about Sonny. And at the end of the day, the Patriots may decide it's in their best interest to part ways with the young running back. But Sonny showed me something, especially in the latter part of the 2020 season last

year. He proved that he can be an effective runner and a very sound compliment to Damien Harris. If he's here and if he's healthy, I believe he's your number two option. And this is where things get interesting. The Patriots now have a number of running backs on the roster that could fill that third back. Not necessarily a third down back, but a third back in this system. The more I look at rookie Ramondre Stevenson out of Oklahoma, I love the way this kid can run. He's got a lot of upside,

definitely a great power option, but he can also make tacklers miss, and I think that's something that's not said enough about Ramondre Stevenson. To me, this kid looks like he has the poise to make an impact right from day one, but we all know that Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels like to bring their running backs along slowly, so does this mean that Ramondre Stevenson is destined to redshirt his rookie season? I would say yes, but someone may disagree with me, and luckily for us here on the pod today, that someone is our guest, the resident voice of reason, my Patriots Paisan, Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com. And Steve and I will discuss the top of the running back depth chart, Damian Harris and

Sonny Michel, and why Steve is so high on Ramondre Stevenson that he thinks Ramondre might have a chance to be the number two back on the Patriots roster this year. Steve and I will also talk about the reemergence of James White and how that two tight end set that the Patriots are poised to run in 2021 might open things up for James to have a much better bounce to run in 2021 might open things up for James to have a much better bounce-back season in 2021. Last but certainly not least, we'll round out the end of the Patriots running back depth chart. Three names that may be competing for one spot, maybe two at best, and they are second-year runner J.J. Taylor, the returning Tyler Gaffney, and this one's for you,

Murph, the returning Brandon Bolden from his 2020 opt-out season. What will happen to these three backs and where will they end up? Well, that's just one of the questions Steve and I will answer today, in addition to getting Steve's thoughts on the absence of Rex Burkhead and how the Patriots running back core is prepared to weather that loss. Folks, it's a day for the runners here on Locked On Patriots, and we take a reasonable look at the Patriots running back depth chart

with Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com when this midweek episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Locked On listeners, get all the latest news, odds, and info for all of your sporting needs, including Major League Baseball, the NBA, NHL, all of your sporting needs, including Major League Baseball, the NBA, NHL, all of your UFC MMA action, and of course the NFL, with the only place that has you covered

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put Locked On in their How Did You Hear About Us box so they know we sent you. Amazing selection, reliably low prices, all the parts your car will ever need. rockauto.com. Patriots fans, it is Wednesday here on Locked On Patriots, but that does not mean that we are neglecting our need for our resident voice of reason to lend his wisdom and counsel here on the pod. He's one of the best and most knowledgeable columnists that you can find in Patriots media anywhere.

You know his great work from patsfans.com, as well as being the co-host of two, two amazing podcasts, Patriots 4th and 2, and One Patriots Place, of which I had the recent good fortune of being a guest. He is my Patriots paisan and worthy of all the praise he gets and then some, despite everything he'll tell you to the contrary. Steve Balistrieri joins me here today. Welcome back to Locked On Patriots, my friend. Thank you for your schedule flexibility this week. Oh, my pleasure, Mike. It's always great talking football with you. I look forward to it every week, and this week we kind of hit it a little early, and now just a day late, so we're

tracking. We're right on target here. Absolutely. Right on target and ready to absorb the wisdom and counsel of our resident voice of reason and boy steve we need a lot of voice of reason we need a lot of wisdom and counsel in patriots nation because there's never a short of things to talk about with the patriots we say this every week um as of right now folks leo jones is still an atlanta falcon as we're this, that is indeed the case. We have no idea what's going to happen. Of course, Steve and I are well-versed in Boston sports,

all types of topsy-turvy things going on. If you're a Celtics fan, definitely, I know it's an interesting day with all the Brad Stevens, Danny Ainge news. Definitely check out my good friend John Corrales on Locked On Celtics for all of your needs there. But this is Locked On Patriots, and we're going to take it back to a Patriots-centric spot. And let's start with the big news from yesterday, Bud,

and that is former Patriots. And that means Rex Burkhead becoming the 14th former Patriot to join the Houston Texans, ending his tenure with the team. And Steve, it had to be expected that the Patriots were going to be parting ways with Rex. Coming off of season-ending surgery, the stacked running back depth chart that the Patriots had, it just looked like all signs pointed to Rex moving on. But if I'm being honest, this one still hurts a little bit. Rex was one of the most productive members of this roster when healthy,

and that's a poignant point to make here, folks, when healthy. Steve, what are your lasting memories of Rex in a Patriots uniform, and how well-equipped is this team to withstand his loss? Well, you know, you're looking at Rex overall. I mean, whenever I think of Rex, I think of the overtime AFC championship game in Kansas City where, you know, he runs the ball in for the winning touchdown. So, yeah, you know, when I think of Rex, that's the first thing that comes to mind. You know, he's going to be a loss because he was such a, you was such a versatile, valuable guy. He could run the ball. He was a good pass blocker. He was a good pass receiver. He could do a little bit of

everything. The problem, as you mentioned, with Rex wasn't ability. It was just availability. That was the tough thing because it seemed like he was always getting bit by the injury bug. I thought he was having a tremendous season last year, and then he tore his ACL, and that was the end of that. Yeah, without question. I mean, you look at the impact that Rex has had, whether it be the run to Super Bowl 53, and I talked about that a little bit in yesterday's introduction here on the pod, to all of the great moments that he's had in a Patriots uniform. And I agree with you, 2020 was really shaping up to be a real red letter year

for Rex Burkhead in a Patriots uniform and really in any uniform showing off what he could still do if this works out for the Texans and his health is back to where it needs to be. He'll be a formidable runner in that offense and he'll give them a lot of good, you know, he'll be able to give them a great amount of productivity as a running back in this game. So I wish Rex nothing but the best. He was always a warrior here. He was always a good soldier, 110% every single time he took the field. And the Patriots will miss that work ethic. But the Patriots still do have a running back depth chart

that consists of seven big names. Let's face it, Damian Harris, Sonny Michel, James White, rookie Ramondre Stevenson, J.J. Taylor, Brandon Bolden, and Tyler Gaffney. Now, Steve, clearly the Patriots are not going to be carrying seven backs. We all know that. And before we get into the inevitable discussion of quote unquote odd men out, let's talk about the roster locks first. And we'll start at the top of the food chain here by consensus. Damian Harris is set to be the number one back. A few will argue that point. Damian has shown the fact that he can handle the load as the feature runner in this offense.

He can run for speed. He can run for power. He can make plays out of the backfield. He looked solid in that role last year. I think that's only going to continue in 2021. Sonny Michel raised some eyebrows last season. For all of the vitriol that's thrown at him on social media, I thought Sonny put together a pretty good end of the 2020 season. And a few showings really show that he can still run with effectiveness and be a very good complement to Damian at the top half of this running back core.

Steve, I think Damian and Sonny can be a good one-two combination in the running game, assuming Sony stays in a Patriots uniform. But do you believe that the top end of this running back core is good enough to carry this offense if the passing game either falters or struggles coming out of the gate? Oh, I think it's plenty good enough because honestly, I think your one-two punch is, I'm kind of leaning toward the Patriots going with Damian Harris as your number one and Stevenson. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I think he's going to be your number two. I really like the way this kid runs.

He's a big bruiser, but, you know, he moves well for a big guy and he catches the ball well out of the backfield, and it's something that they really like. You know, I think a lot of it will obviously depend if he can pick up the pass blocking techniques that the Patriots insist on. But I think their one-two punch this year, even if it's a one-two-three punch, if Sony's still part of the equation i think they're going to be stacked yeah they will be stacked that's an interesting take on stevenson and one that's

gaining more and more traction in patriots fandom and even a little bit in patriots media when it comes to what stevenson can do you mentioned that big bruising type of um style that with which he runs but he can make defenders miss. A lot of people tend to realize or tend to, I think, neglect a little bit too much the finesse style that he can put on as well. It's not his primary and it's not a strong suit, but he can run that way if he needs to. I think Stevenson can be an excellent fit in this offense. My take on Stevenson, though, is that the Patriots love to bring their running backs along slowly, and that may lead to a red shirt.

And we're going to talk about that in a little bit, just a little bit down the line. But when it does come to Damian Harris, I think we both agree he is the alpha in this group. You look at Sonny Michel, and a lot of people are saying he might end up being the odd man out. He might be a surprise cut. Patriots did not pick up his uh you know his fifth round option so a lot of the handwriting on the wall that sony may be playing out the string here in new england and if that is indeed the case maybe they try to move him maybe they try to get something back for him i know a lot of people are throwing him around as someone that the atlanta falcons may want to

uh you know be interested in if they do decide to take him on as part of any julio jones trade i don't i can't speak to the validity of that i haven't heard anything from people that i know close to the team that would corroborate that but it would be interesting to see sony go back home to georgia and be able to run down in atlanta after spending all those years at uga but bottom line i agree with you i do think that this running core, regardless of who is the one-two punch, they have so much depth on this depth chart that's going to allow them to be able to carry the offense if the passing game either falters or if it struggles coming out of the gate.

It's an embarrassment of riches to have, but it's a good problem to have because the Patriots definitely have the runners to be able to withstand any type of growing pains that they might have in the passing game. And let's face it, they might do that. Cam Newton's trying to build himself back up into a formidable quarterback in this league after sputtering in 2020, especially in the second half of the season. You look at the new faces that they have catching passes, whether it be John Ou Smith and Hunter Henry, who are true pros, and they're going to come in and be ready. But offense, it's a new environment for them.

They may have some growing pains coming out of the gate. Nelson Aguilar, Kendrick Bourne, they're new wide receivers. So when you look at the pass-catching options out of the Patriots roster, it's interesting to look at, and it's also, I think, common sense to take a look at the running back core and say, well, they may have to handle the load early, and I think this group is definitely capable of doing that.

Steve, this is why, again, Wednesday, it was necessary. Even though we had to switch the day, we couldn't live without your reason, your wisdom, your counsel. Always brings us back to a level-headed place. That's why I love having you here, and that's why our listeners love having you here. But we're not done yet, folks, because there are some young guns in this backfield. Steve mentioned one in Ramondre Stevenson that could be pushed a little bit by a couple of savvy veterans, including one that's of particular interest to a very good friend of ours. We're going to talk James White, Brandon Bold, and J.J. Taylor, a little more Ramondre

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Patriots fan Steve Balistrieri joins me here today on the pod talking some running backs here on this Wednesday edition of Locked on Patriots. And Steve, with Damian Harris set to be the alpha on this running back core, assuming Sonny Michel is going to be back in the Foxborough fold, whether that means a slot at the number two or being the third option on this running back depth chart, the Patriots still have some formidable runners on this roster, not named Damian Harris or Sonny Michel.

You mentioned one very prominently in Ramondre Stevenson, and I agree with you. I think there's a lot to love about this kid but let's not forget about James White who is a real staple in this offense a team captain someone that the Patriots I know were enamored to have back many of us ourselves included thought he was headed to another team but James coming back as soon as sure as the Patriots of having that third down option that can catch the ball out of the backfield and I still think he's one of the best third down backs in the league Patriots did spend the valuable draft capital to bring in Ramondre Stevenson and

it's an interesting point that you made about him being number two the Patriots obviously believe very highly that he can be an effective runner in this system. So it'll be interesting to see if they bring him along sooner rather than later. Again, I think that there's a chance that he might be redshirted, but if Sony is jettisoned or if there are injuries, that is the great equalizer. And I think Stevenson's up to the challenge. Based on how the Patriots groom their backs, based on how they deploy, I guess is the best way for me to say, their running backs in this system. How do you see the future playing out for James White? And how do you see the future playing out for Ramondre Stevenson if Sony is their second option? Does that mean that Stevenson is automatically going to be relegated to a redshirt season?

Or are we going to see more of Ramondre Stevenson this year than we've seen from other rookie backs in the past? That's a great question. And like I told you earlier, I'm going out on a limb here. I think they're going to groom him for a role. It might just be short yardage early in the season because he is such a big guy. He can run with authority.

And, you know, that's one of the issues they had, you know, for a couple of seasons where, you know, you get in that short yardage situation. You know, their backs who run the ball very well weren't really, you know, built for that kind of running game. I think Stevenson can fit that bill quite well. I think he's going to show even more than that. You talk about James White. The Patriots love James White because

he runs the ball a little bit between the tackles. He's an outstanding pass blocker. He's great out of the backfield catching the football. And I think that, you know, for this year, he's still that guy. You know, they signed him up for just that one season, and I think that's because they're grooming J.J. Taylor for that role. That's another – I'm going out on a limb again. I think they're grooming J.J. Taylor to take that role over, and I think we'll probably see more of him this year.

That's a good point, and we're going to talk a little more about Taylor in just a moment, but I like what you had to say about Ramondre Stevenson, and I like that you're going out on a limb here because it is a pretty strong limb to head out on, but it's also a risky one because again the Patriots love to bring their running backs along slowly especially those that aren't required to play an immediate role right away Sonny Michel out of the equation he was a first round pick you knew he was coming in here to be as close to a featured back for the Patriots as you could possibly imagine so they were going to go and throw him out there and get him the reps, get him the carries, and see what the kid could do. Damian

Harris was essentially redshirted his freshman year. James White, going back to how they brought him along, was brought along very slowly. Shane Vereen, guys like that, they bring their running backs along slowly. So conventional wisdom would tell you that Stevenson is going to be in that mold. But Stevenson is drawing such amazing comparisons to a guy like LeGarrette Blount. And I think this is interesting to see what similarities there are in both of their games. When you look at his tape from Oklahoma, there are similarities, but Stevenson is so explosive with the ball. He just, he can do so many things. He can run for power yardage. He can catch the ball out of the backfield as well as anyone. And the more footage I see on

this kid, the more I really like him and the fit that he has in this offense. With White, I think that White will continue to be able to catch the ball out of the backfield. I do believe, like you said, that they are keeping him here for a year to help groom his eventual replacement. And I think a guy like James White is going to benefit tremendously from having the two tight end sets that the Patriots can run this year. They couldn't do that last year. It often resulted in James being covered at least by one defender, sometimes doubled because they didn't want him to be a player that could hurt them when Julian Edelman went down. It was very difficult for James to be able to break free. I think he's going to get a

lot more open looks this year, and I think he's going to be able to take advantage of that. So interesting stuff on Ramondre Stevenson. James White, again, you know what you can count on. You know what you've got there, and what you've got is something that's very good and i think he'll have a solid 2021 last but certainly not least my friend rounding out the mix at the running back position is a trio of intriguing options and you already tipped your hand i think a little bit on this but i'm going to ask the question anyway second year runner jj taylor able to get some limited playing time in 2020, and he looked sharp in the small sample size we have on him. He can be effective on special teams. He can be an effective runner, maybe being that shifty type of back that can catch out of the backfield and really be a

threat when a lot of people don't believe he can be. We also have seen the Patriots re-sign Tyler Gaffney, who spent a little bit of time here in New England in the past. He comes back in. This looks like a solid depth piece, especially in training camp. I'm not sure if they expect him to crack the 53 man, but he's a body that knows the system well, and he can be an effective runner in helping to groom maybe some of the players on this roster or help bring them along. Maybe someone like a Taylor or even a rookie like Stevenson. We cannot forget veteran Brandon Bolden.

Back after a 2020 opt-out, we all know that the sharp eye of our good green friend, Thomas Murphy, is always on the land of Brandon Bolden. Steve, the reality is, though, that this is where the patriots would be trimming the roster and it's more likely than not that two out of these three are likely headed to the cutting room floor you're on the hot seat my friend and again i think you've tipped your hand here but i'm going to ask the question anyway who do you think might be on the outside looking in for the 2021 New England Patriots among these runners? Well, I think it starts with Gaffney. Obviously, like you said, he's the depth guy. You know, he's a guy that, you know, break glass in case of emergency and they need a running back if they start getting a slew of injuries.

They know he knows the system. I think they liked him when he was here last time. But, again, he was just a victim of numbers. And, you know, during the preseason and, you know, training camp, he'll eat up a lot of reps. You know, give the veterans a little bit of a break. I think it starts with him. I think he's probably the first guy on the block.

And then things get interesting because, you know, you have Brandon Bolden and how many times have people said, Oh, Brandon Bolden's on the cutting room, you know, cutting block. And, you know, and then he's there when the smoke clears. So I think it might be a little premature. I know where I think another cut may be coming, and that's fullback. We haven't mentioned that, but I really think there's going to be some really deep competition this year

between Jakob Johnson and Dalton Keene. And I think Keene can do a little bit more in the passing game. So, you know, we might be looking at Jakob on the block, but I also think, you know, Brandon Bolden, he might be getting up there. If one of these young guys can show, they can play on special teams and then they can give a little bit more than Brandon can. And, you know, the running back capacity more so than special teams,

then he might be as well on the block this year. Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, I think we made a point of this when we spoke earlier this week on One Patriots Place about J.J. Taylor in terms of the reps that he's going to be able to take and what he can do. Obviously, during his time at Arizona, rushed for 3,750 yards, 20 touchdowns. On special teams, he averaged just over 24 yards per kickoff return in the Pac-12. That could be interesting in terms of his special team's value and what he can do in terms of trying to cut a niche on this roster and a spot for himself. J.J. Taylor is a runner I like a lot, and

I love Brandon Bolden, and I would love to see him brought back. And I think ultimately, I don't know, I'm just, I'm getting a feeling that he will be brought back because I think Bill just values his contributions, his ability to, you know, coordinate special teams. The leadership that he brings in that locker room is something that I think is not really given enough press. And I can understand why. I mean, you know, you usually go by what you see on the field and Brandon's, you know, opportunities to carry the ball in a running back situation on the field are few and far between, but he always seems to make the best of them when they're there. So I think it's going to be an interesting year for the New England Patriots in terms of how to cut this depth chart down because there's so much talent. There's

so much ability for all of these players to be able to make an impact. I like what you had to say about Jakob Johnson. Not so much that I like the thought because I love Jakob. I think he's done a great job here and I think he'll be a formidable fullback, especially now with Danny Vitale out of the mix. It's really going to be on the incumbent, the veteran in Jakob Johnson, to be able to do what he does. But we've also talked several times, and I want to give a special shout out to our good friend, the Countess of Klaas herself, Ms. Claire Klaas-Eclair Cooper, for pointing out that Dalton Keene has a chance to be the fullback of the future on this roster. And I think that idea has merit. He played that role a little bit at Virginia Tech, and I think that might be a good way for him to ingratiate himself

into the Patriots offense, because now there's going to be a little bit of a log jam at the tight end position. I can't see him getting extra reps ahead of a guy like Devin Asiasi. So this could be an option as well. So folks, continue to keep a sharp eye when it comes to the New England Patriots because they have a lot of big questions to make and a lot of big questions to answer when it comes to the final product of this roster

that we'll see in late August, early September. But Steve, we'll continue to break it all down. And I really love the limb that you've gone out on several times today, whether it be Stevenson or whether it be Taylor or whether it be Jakob Johnson being on the block. A lot of interesting things for us to think about, and most of which you'll only hear here on Locked On Patriots, folks, unless you're already listening to one Patriots place, and you should be.

Bud, what can I say? Thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule today to join me here on this Wednesday episode on the pod. Next week, folks, fear not, we'll be back to our Tuesday schedule with Steve. But in the meantime, my friend, please let all of our listeners know where they can find you on social media, what you have coming down the pike, and what we can look forward to from the great Penn and the great voices of the illustriary. Well, thanks again for having me, Mike.

As always, I always appreciate your hospitality and asking me on the show every week. So it's always a lot of fun. I'll be looking at some of the things we just talked about. Some of the roster battles that we expect to see in training camp this year. I think it's going to be very interesting. I think, you know, with the depth and the guys that they've brought in, it's going to be some stiff competition in training camp this year. I think they're going to have to make a lot of very difficult decisions.

And that's what we'll be looking at in the next few days and what we'll be writing about. Absolutely. And folks, again, if Steve puts his name or his voice to any of that content, I don't even need to recommend it before I don't need to listen to it before I've recommended it. It is absolutely top-notch, and I can tell you that he is among the best in the business at what he does. He's also among the best guys in this business. That's why you're always a friend of the program here, my friend. You are familiar.

You're on Locked On Patriots, and we love talking football with you every Tuesday. So until next Tuesday, stay safe and well, and we look forward to breaking it all down again here, whether Julio is a member of this roster by then or not. A lot of different things to talk about, but one thing we know for sure, there will never be a shortage of topics to discuss when it comes to Foxborough football, buddy.

Absolutely. All right, you take care. Thanks again, Steve. Thank you. Just like that, Patriots Nation, we are more than halfway through your work week, but there is still plenty of coverage to come here on Locked on Patriots. And even though we here at the Locked on Patriots podcast have you covered on all the news notes and analysis you need when it comes to your favorite team in Foxborough,

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Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank my good friend Steve Balistrieri 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 next time, Pats fans, stay safe, stay well, be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.