Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Reload: Patriots Roster Tweak Continue | Better On Paper in 2026 Than 2025?

Episode Date: August 31, 2026

New England Patriots overhaul their 2026 roster, addressing depth at key positions as Darius Muasau and Cameron Latu join the squad. Has the team finally addressed its off-ball linebacker and tight en...d concerns to mount a more competitive campaign? Nick Cattles compares the 2025 and 2026 initial 53-man rosters, highlighting upgrades at quarterback, wide receiver (with the addition of Romeo Doubs and A.J. Brown), and offensive line, while considering whether departures like Khyiris Tonga, Austin Hooper, and the uncertainty around Harold Landry could hurt defensive consistency. Key discussion points include Christian Elliss’s anticipated development, the true value of the wide receiver corps, and whether New England’s front office has made the right moves to push the Patriots up the AFC rankings. Can this new-look roster elevate the Patriots, or do looming depth concerns still pose a threat? Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms 🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-patriots/ Locked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, & More 🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/leagues/nfl/ #patriots #newenglandpatriots Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! IndeedListeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast. PrizePicks Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNFL and use code LOCKEDONNFL and get $150 if you win your first $5 lineup! KALSHIFor a limited time,Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get $10 when you trade $10. GametimeToday's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. FanDuelCollege football Saturdays are already packed with reasons to get excited, and this season, FanDuel is giving fans even more ways to get in on every matchup. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COM  FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 The Pats continue to make tweaks to their 2026 roster, including adding needed depth on the second level of this defense. This is Lockdown Patriots. You are Locked on Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. What's happening? I am your host, Nick Cattels. On today's show, we compare the 2025 and 26 initial,
Starting point is 00:00:35 50 three-man rosters and let you know which team on paper has the edge. But first, roster construction continued on Monday. Today's episode is brought to by Fandul. College football Saturdays are already packed with reasons to get excited. And this season, Fandul is giving fans even more ways to get in on every matchup. Join all the action at fandul.com. So Sunday, we had the 53-man roster officially announced, as we said during the podcast, It was the initial 53 men.
Starting point is 00:01:08 There are going to be more moves, more tweaks to this roster as we get closer and closer to Seattle, Wednesday, September 9th. And there were more moves and more tweaks on Monday. The Patriots claimed not one but two players off waivers. They claim tight end Cameron Lottu from Philadelphia and linebacker Darius Muazau from the New York Giants. Let's start with Muazau. Off ball linebacker, obviously a position that needed an upgrade, preferably with experience.
Starting point is 00:01:42 Mark Daniels from Mass Live posted new Patriots linebacker Darius Muisal was a six-round pick by the Giants in 2024. He started 11 of 12 games played last season, making 51 tackles. Carlos Lopez, who posts under Los Talks Pats, posted Mousasau, 25, has started 18 games over the last two seasons recording 100 plus tackles, one sack, and one interception. Taylor Kyle's posted, Muisal was a core special teamer for the Giants in 24, but scaled back to mainly kick return and punk coverage teams after climbing the depth chart last season. Muisal returned to a primary special teams role this preseason and had multiple standout
Starting point is 00:02:27 reps, including three total tackles. What I did was, I went back and checked on Dame Bruegler in 2024 in what he wrote about Muazal in his beast that he releases every year. Now, in 2024, Bruegler had a sixth round grade on Muazau. For his strengths, Bruegler wrote the following. Physical alert run defender with enough range to play sideline to sideline. Nice job slipping through gaps in closing as a blitzer. We know the Patriots love blitzing their linebackers. Understands depth on his zone drops.
Starting point is 00:03:02 durable, didn't miss a game, has the experience and skill set to make plays on special teams' coverages, let his team in tackles in each of the last four seasons. As far as weaknesses, Bruegler wrote about Muazal the following, has some straight line tendencies and fall steps lead to trouble. Shifty runners can shake him, needs to improve his ability to decipher the eye candy before it's too late. He lacks ideal arm length and his shed mechanics are inconsistent, can be trapped and cut off by tight end blocks, needs to tighten up his angles out in space, doesn't have explosive acceleration to close the gap when chasing, man coverage skills aren't ready for NFL athletes.
Starting point is 00:03:44 The overall summary from Bruegler was that Muazau compiled 440 tackles, including 40 tackles for loss. And he wrote that overall Muazau might not be elite in any one area, but he is well-routed linebacker with the play recognition and tackling skills that will translate to any level. Then Brugler wrote a line that stood out to me, similar in ways to Cion Taki Taki Taki. He projects as an NFL backup. Now, if you know me, you know I love the name Cion Taki Taki Taki. I could say Taki Taki Taki all day long.
Starting point is 00:04:16 But Elliot Wolf signed Taki Taki Taki in 2024. Muazal played in New York with the Giants. Ryan Cowden was recently in New York with the Giants. Ryan Cowden was there when the Giants decided to bring in Muazah. So you've got Elliot Wolf who signed Taki Taki Taki, liked him as a football player. Muazal profiles in certain ways to Taki Taki Taki. And then you also have the Ryan Couting connection from New York. So it all makes sense.
Starting point is 00:04:52 Now to make room for Muazau, KJ Britt was cut. And KJ Britt had an up and down camp. We've talked about it. Wasn't sure if he was going to make the team out of camp. He made the initial 53 man. Now he's cut. Muazau replaces him. And the Pats have decided to lean on youth for depth with NMD.
Starting point is 00:05:13 OBI-Zor and Khalil Jacobs, those two rookies to go along with Muazau. That is your depth at offball linebacker. Next up, you've got. Cameron Lattu. Lattu was overdrafted by John Lynch. Shocker. The 49ers GM has made it a thing to overdraft dudes. And in 2023,
Starting point is 00:05:33 Lynch drafted Lattu 101st overall, which was a third round compensatory pick. Dame Bruegler had Lottu graded as a fifth round guy. So it was a reach by the 49ers back in 2023. Taylor Kiles posted on Lattu that he was a core special team. for the Eagles last season, blocking a punt versus the Buccaneers and recording seven solo tackles mostly in kick coverage.
Starting point is 00:05:59 Kyle's mentioned that Latu also adds fullback slash Hback depth, and we saw the Patriots trying to put Tanner Arkin in as fullback during the preseason. It didn't really work out well. We know that they tried that with Jack West over last year. Didn't really work out well. And as Kyle's points out, the Patriots got a close. look at Latu because they had two joint practices against the Eagles and the preseason game. Mark Daniels posted, Latsu was on the Browns practice squad in 2024.
Starting point is 00:06:32 Who was in Cleveland in 2024? That would be Mike Vrable. And Vrable, as Daniels pointed out, worked with the Brown's tight ends as an assistant coach that season. So Vrable had firsthand knowledge and experience working with LATU in Cleveland. Now, Dane Bruegler had a fifth round grade again on Law 2. Strengths, coordinated athlete, snaps out of his brakes with fluidity and short area quicks, not necessarily explosive, by the way.
Starting point is 00:07:01 Smooth within his route construction, soft hands, has the vision to quickly process, pursue angles and maximize the yards after the catch, physical hands and hip roll as a point of attack blocker, attacks the second level, and engage as linebackers. His coaches say his past catching confidence improves with each game. He caught 12 touchdowns over his final two seasons, including eight in 2021, which was an Alabama tight end record.
Starting point is 00:07:34 He's very average when you look at the weaknesses from a size, strength, speed perspective. So he's not a workout warrior. He's not walking into the room, making people go, wow, look at that. Look at that. Man, oh man, Cameron Latu. Not elusive and forced miss tackles were infrequent honest film.
Starting point is 00:07:58 Guilty of losing focus, dropping layup targets. Marginal run blocker must improve his body angles to out-leverage defenders, unseasoned with his strike placement aiming points as a pass blocker. A two-year starter at Alabama. And what's interesting is LATU was a combo tight end in Bill O'Brien's offense, which Bruegler wrote about, splitting his snaps inline at 45% and detached at 55% as a senior. So this is a guy who played inline, tight end and detached, that type of versatility that Josh McDaniels loves. And it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out, all right, you got Bill O'Brien who worked
Starting point is 00:08:35 with Cameron Latsu at Alabama. And now you're going to have Josh McDaniels working with him. Obviously, O'Brien and McDaniels spent a ton of time in the same offense, same idea, same concepts. Bill O'Brien is very close friends with Mike Vrable. So you'd imagine Bill O'Brien has some really good knowledge regarding Lott 2. And again, Vrable was with Lott 2 in Cleveland in 2024. So, you know, he wasn't quite there as a blocker coming out of college. He had some nice, I would say, traits as a receiving Tidang coming out of college.
Starting point is 00:09:11 He was a former linebacker who transitioned to Tite End full time in 2019. So as Brugler wrote, back in 2023, LATU should compete for a backup role as an NFL rookie with eventual low-end starting potential. I will add that LATU then missed his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus. And we know it's tight end usually takes two or three years to figure it out at the NFL level.
Starting point is 00:09:41 So you miss your full rookie season. You're a guy who was once a linebacker before you switch to tight end full time in 2019, so you're somewhat new to the position. And so maybe there's some ceiling there that the Patriots feel like they could work on. And I always look at where guys that get claimed, where they come from.
Starting point is 00:10:01 Like with the Giants, their linebackers, Tremaine Edmonds, R. Vel-R. Rees, who was just drafted, Jack Kelly and Micah McFadden, and John Harbaugh took over in the offseason. So major influence, new regime, guys fall through the cracks. So when you look at Muazal, that's what we know about New York. Linebackers, pretty decent talent, right?
Starting point is 00:10:25 Especially the top two with a new regime. Philadelphia, where Kam Latsu was, the Eagles had the most players claimed on Monday with four, which tells you what, that the Eagles roster, as we know, is pretty freaking loaded. And when you look at tight end, they've got Dallas Goddard, They've got Johnny Mund, who is more of a blocking tight end, and then they just used a second round pick on Eli Stowers this past draft.
Starting point is 00:10:52 On top of that, Philly is transitioning to a new offense. So it would make sense why LATU would slip through the cracks like Muazau did. I'm not telling you either of these guys is going to be a super impact player, but it makes sense where they're coming from, why they were cut, and how they could help this football team in 2026. As far as the practice squad, as of recording, we have new names rolling in, but as of the recording, Hassan Haskins is back, Eric Gregory is back, Jeremiah Farms is back, Lorenz metz is back, Jacob Rizzi is back, Riley Wilson is back, Kyle Dixon is back, those are seven guys returning.
Starting point is 00:11:33 Mitch Wischnowski, who was the punter for the bills last year, he got signed to the practice squad, some Bryce Berringer insurance, an offensive lineman Jake Kubas, who is also from the Giants. He started three games last year for the Giants at left guard slash right guard. He played center this preseason. I think the Patriots have done a pretty good job addressing the offensive line depth, given the circumstances over the past couple of weeks. All right. Coming up is the overall 2026 offense, truly better than it was in 2025 on paper.
Starting point is 00:12:07 This is locked on Patriot. It's part of the lockdown podcast network. Now the number one sports podcast network, your team every day. College football Saturdays are already packed with reasons to get excited. And this season, Fandul is giving fans even more ways to get in on every matchup. Back your favorite team. Build the same game parlay. Bet team props or make your picks on the biggest games of the weekend.
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Starting point is 00:13:12 sit on the couch, put the games on, and pull up Fandul. Again, it's Fandul.com and get started. Thank you for making us your first listen and for being an everydayer. Don't forget, click that thumbs up, give us a like, throw a comment in, and subscribe to the YouTube channel. No doubt, depth concerns for the Patriots. They are there in multiple spots, but I wanted to be fair to this football team. And what I wanted to do during today's podcast was compare the initial 53-man
Starting point is 00:13:45 rosters from 2025 to 2026. Now, of course, looking at 2026, we do have the couple of moves that we mentioned in the first segment, which is why I wanted to do that segment first to kind of lay the groundwork with the additions of Darius Muayasu and Cameron Latu. So we've done that. So now we know what the 53 man looks like. So my main takeaways from sitting down and working through this exercise is we put too much focus on the guys who play in the preseason, especially when like none of the starters play. And so I think a lot of people are looking at the Patriots right now. And man, oh man, is the roster better?
Starting point is 00:14:27 How much better is it? And what spots is it better? And we tend to focus on the negative. And we tend to focus on where the team needs help. Because frankly, how many times can you talk about the wide receiver room when we know there are six legitimate NFL receivers in said room? So I think all of the focus over the last couple of weeks at Edge and Linebacker and some of the offensive line stuff has made some people feel a little bit queasy, a little bit uneasy. And I at times have been part of that crew.
Starting point is 00:14:57 So I wanted to take a look at last year's initial 53 and this year's initial 53 asterisk with the additions of Latu and Muayasu. So offensively, it feels like a big time upgrade, right? Like if you're just thinking about this offense, you say upgrade over, let's move on. But is it after what we saw at camp? Let's break it down. Quarterback, Drake May, Tommy DeVito, Baron Morton. The three quarterbacks you had on that initial, the initial 53 men roster in 2025 was May, Joshua Dobbs, and DeVito. I lean towards 2026.
Starting point is 00:15:38 May and DeVito's second year in this Josh McDaniels offense. Baron Morton, I think, has a fun ceiling as a QB3, so I would lean towards this quarterback room. How about running back? Well, back in 2025, we had a name that I think might give the edge to last year, but first, this season, Ramandre Stevenson, Trevion Henderson, and now the newly acquired Corey Kiner from over the weekend. You look at the room last year, you had Ramandre Stevenson, you had Henderson, but you
Starting point is 00:16:10 had Antonio Gibson. Now, here's the weird part. Are we including fullback with running backs? because fullbacks are really with the tight ends. For this conversation, I'm going to treat it as clean as I can, which is, hey, if you're in the back field for most of your snaps, you are a running back slash fullback. So for this conversation, I would lean towards this season's roster with Reggie Gilliam because in 2025, you did not have a legitimate fullback. Now you have one of the best in football. Wide receiver, come on. I mean, what are we even doing? As I just mentioned, how many times can we talk about this wide receiver room? I could talk about it all day because it gets me excited, but, you know, AJ Brown, Romeo Dobbs, Pop Douglas, Mac Hollins, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chisholm.
Starting point is 00:17:06 and you compare that to last year's team, I just think you have more. And the true difference is Romeo Dobbs here. It's not necessarily A.J. Brown. Now, I think A.J. Brown is a better player than Stefan Diggs. But Diggs gave you an awful lot last year. And, you know, Brown might end up with better statistics, maybe than Diggs, but maybe not. So we might look at this at the end of the year.
Starting point is 00:17:31 And just statistically speaking, you're saying, well, there's not, much of a difference between Diggs and Brown. Now, Brown impacts defenses differently than Diggs, as we know. But it really comes down to Dobbs. And I would also argue the improvement of Pop Douglas that we saw and the improvement of Kyle Williams that we've seen and the expected improvement of Efton Chisholm. But the biggest difference maker in this room is Romeo Dobbs because he gives you a legitimate number two guy. You could argue that last year, Diggs was fine as a number one. Now, would I want Diggs as my number one? No, I would want him as my number two.
Starting point is 00:18:09 But now you got the A.J. Brown number one in the room to replace the Diggs number one. And then you've added Romeo Dobbs. And he is better than anybody you had in that room last year aside from Diggs. So the Dobbs edition is just so big. Wide receiver, it's an easy call, 2026, better than 2025. How about tight end? Now, again, at the time, of this recording, which is right about 5 o'clock Eastern time, right now the Patriots have
Starting point is 00:18:40 four tight ends on the roster. I'm not so sold that's going to be the case by the end of the week, but we can only talk about what we know right now. What we know right now is that in that tight end room, you've got Hunter Henry, Eli Raarden, Tanner Arkin, and Cameron Lattu. If I was a betting man, Arkin is probably out, hopefully sliding to the practice squad. Lottu replaces his spot. Tight end in last years initial 53 man roster was Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, and Jack Westover. Now, I'm actually going to lean to last year's tight end. The Julian Hill injury hurts. If Julian Hill was healthy, I'd lean 2026, but I would take Austin Hooper over Eli Rairden right now. Now, I would take Eli Rairden next year, the year after, the following five or six
Starting point is 00:19:34 years. But if you're asking me about one year in a vacuum, I think Hooper helps you more than Rairden would help you this season. Now, maybe I'm wrong. You all know I love Rairden, but I'm looking towards 27 with him. So I'd actually lean towards the tight end group last year because of Hooper's involvement. And you look at, you know, the Arc and Latu combination. I don't know what you have there. So I will lean towards last year at tight end. Offensive line. You're starting five. Will Campbell, Elijah Veritucker, Jared Wilson, Michael Wenoo, Morgan Moses is better than your 2025 starting five.
Starting point is 00:20:12 Campbell, Moses, they stay there. You're looking at the interior. Elijah Verit Tucker did not have as good of a camp as I would hope that he would have, but I would still take him over Jared Wilson, who was playing out of position. Jared Wilson has had a good camp, had a very good week against the Eagles, which I feel like was overlooked, and certainly looks more comfortable at center. than he did at guard last year. And I think Michael Wenu has also had a very solid camp
Starting point is 00:20:39 and had a very good week against the Eagles. And, you know, if he can give you what he gave you the last two months last year for the entire season this season, then your interior is better and better at a significant, significant margin. So I would go with the offensive line starting five this year, absolutely. The offensive line depth, which has been a big question. Well, this year you've got Caleb Lomu, Greg Van Rohn, Ben Brown, who is healthy for week one, it seems, Walter Rouse and Demetrius Crownover.
Starting point is 00:21:11 You look at last year's depth, you had Marcus Bryant, Vinarian Lowe, Ben Brown, and Kaden Wallace. I would give the edge to this year's group. I think the signing of Greg Van Ruin is a big one. I think the trade for Walter Rouse is a smart one. So I would go with the offensive line, not only the starters, but I would also go with the depth. I think you have a higher ceiling with the first five guys up and you have more experience on the bench. So when you look at the overall toll of 25 versus 26, you've upgraded at quarterback, wide receiver, running back slash fullback, and offensive line.
Starting point is 00:21:56 Four spots. I think you've downgraded at tight end. And a lot of that has to do with Julian Hill's injury, which was obviously. obviously unpredictable. So to me, on paper, better in 2026. But as the defensive talent as bad as it might feel right now when compared to last year's team, I'll give you the truth coming up next. This is Lockdown Patriots, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Football is finally back. And that means Sundays are about to get a whole lot more interesting. Every week brings new matchups, breakout players, big performances, and plenty of storylines to follow. And if you like getting even more engaged with the players and stats, you're watching, there's a new way to make game day more exciting.
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Starting point is 00:23:43 Let's start at edge because everybody wants to talk about the edge position. This year you've got, and I'm not counting Harold Landry because he's on the pup. This year, you've got Draymont Jones, Elijah Ponder, Gabe Accus, and Quintabius Hutchins. Last year you had Harold Landry, Kalevon Chase on, Keon White, Anthony Jennings, and Elijah to ponder. To me, the Harold Landry issue, the fact that he is going to start this year on Pup, and we don't have a whole lot of information about the injury, when the surgery happened, has there been some kind of setback? Is this all a surprise for the staff? The healthy Landry makes all the difference. Really does. Because a lot of the other guys you can call the wash.
Starting point is 00:24:33 I mean, you could say, Kilevon Chase on is pretty even with Draymont Jones overall. you say Jones is better. Elijah Ponder should take a step forward, but we got to see him against the run. We're not truly sure about that. Quintavius Hutchins is somebody who, you know, you would compare him to Anthony Jennings. You give Anthony Jennings the obvious edge when you look at those two guys.
Starting point is 00:24:54 And maybe you would compare Gabe Accus to Keon White. And I don't know what you're going to get from Acus. So it really comes down to Harold Landry. Landry makes a difference. So 2025 takes that on paper. but it's not by a huge margin. I think a lot of people look at this edge position going, man, oh, man, they stink.
Starting point is 00:25:14 Well, that could be true. But, you know, if you get Landry back healthy by week five, and it's a big if you do that, not a whole heck of a lot of difference between this year and last year. And I don't think that's a good thing, by the way, because the Patriots should have clearly upgraded at defensive end. Now, there are two things. Again, did they know that Harold Landry was not going to be ready by week one?
Starting point is 00:25:36 I don't know. And if they did know that, then why did they not do more? If they didn't know that, would they have handled this off season differently? I think they would have. Number two, they didn't know about Gabe Accus and his injury to the knee. And they didn't know that negotiations were going to drag out the way they did. So, you know, there are two things that were unpredictable that have significantly impacted the edge group. but 2025 gets the edge. Defensive line. Milton Williams, Christian Barmore,
Starting point is 00:26:11 Corey Durden, Joshua Farmer, and Leonard Taylor, the third are your defensive linemen this year. Last year you had Williams, Barmore, Tonga, Farmer, and Jeremiah Farms. I would lean to last year because Kyrie's Tonga was so darn good last season and you have not found
Starting point is 00:26:30 the Tonga replacement. You don't have a guy right now as we talk about this at quarter past five on Monday evening, Eastern time, you don't have a guy who is replacing Tonga and you feel good about it, especially given what you saw against the run during camp in the preseason games. So I'm going to lean 2025.
Starting point is 00:26:51 Linebacker, another spot. Robert Spillane, Christian Ellis. Then you got Muazau, OBI, and Jacobs. In 2025, you had Spillane, Ellis, Dr. Gibby, Jack Gibbons, and Marte Mapu. I'm going to lean 2026. I do think Christian Ellis will be better this year than he was last year. He continued to get better last season.
Starting point is 00:27:16 I think second year in this defensive scheme, he will be better. I think Muazal is probably a wash with Gibbons. Maybe you lean Gibbons, but I think Muisow probably ends up giving you what Gibbons could give you. Maybe he's slightly better. maybe just a little bit worse. And then you got the other guys, you know, OBI, Zoran Jacobs. I mean, look, Marte Mapu stunk out loud last year.
Starting point is 00:27:41 So I will lean 2026. Cornerbacks. Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, Marcus Jones, Karan Pronti, Charles Woods, and Channing, Canada. Last year you had Gonzo, Davis, Jones, but then you had Alex Austin and DJ James. I would actually lean this year.
Starting point is 00:28:00 Now, I don't love the cornerback room beyond, what you have in Gonzalez, Davis, and Jones. But again, you look at 2025, you know, Alex Austin just got cut by the dolphins of all teams. They're scrambling to find more players. They picked up like seven dudes on Monday and had zero dudes claimed by other teams. So, you know, Alex Austin, he's not an NFL player right now. DJ James, he's not an NFL player right now.
Starting point is 00:28:29 He got waived with some kind of injury designation a couple of weeks ago. So I would actually lean towards 2026 because Charles Woods is an NFL player. Safety. Kevin Byard, Craig Woodson, Del Pettis, Jalen Reed. Last year, Woodson, Jalen Hawkins. Then you think about it. Kyle Dugger, Jibrill Peppers, feels like they were on this team four years ago. And of course, Pettis was also on the team last year. I'm going to lean towards this season, this roster.
Starting point is 00:28:59 Kevin Byard, I think, is an upgrade over Jalen Hawkins. I do think that, you know, Jalen Reed is a better fit on paper than Dugger and Peppers were, which is why, you know, Dugger was sent packing during the season. Peppers was cut right after the initial 53-man roster was released. So, I mean, I think Reed is a better fit than those two guys. And Pettus is a wash. Pettus is Pettus. So overall grades, are we looking at the upgrades?
Starting point is 00:29:27 Let's look at the upgrades first. I would say that linebacker, again, linebacker, you are slightly better. you're slightly better at linebacker. I think you're better at corner. I think you're better at safety. Downgrades. I'd say edge and defensive line. Your specialists remain.
Starting point is 00:29:47 They are who they are. Now maybe Bryce Berenger has to sit out a couple weeks and Wischnowski comes in and he's, but for all intents and purposes, same guys, same guy. So when you look at this roster overall, When you look at the 53-man roster with the Muazawa and the Latu-Mu's compared to last year's initial 53-man, I think overall you upgraded at seven different positions.
Starting point is 00:30:12 You downgraded at three positions. So you're better. You are a better football team on paper. You are a more talented team on paper. With all the questions at Edge and linebacker, you are still a better football team. If you can stay healthy, you're a more talented team.
Starting point is 00:30:31 So again, we can kind of get lost in the sauce at times. But when you look at it, man for man, position by position, this team is still better this year on paper than it was last year. That wraps up this edition of Lockdown Patriots. Reach out to me on Twitter at Nick C Radio. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe on YouTube. If you're watching on YouTube, go and check out the Lockdown NFL 24-7 stream, the first of its kind.
Starting point is 00:30:58 And otherwise, you can make sure to check out Lockdown Fantasy Folsom. with Fabz and Marcus for your daily fantasy football info. Appreciate every single one of you. We'll see you next time.

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