Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Requisite Reason: Hardegree and the QBs; Maybe Mariota?; Mock Drafts? — 2/16/2021

Episode Date: February 16, 2021

The New England Patriots are reportedly seeing ‘all options’ to help fill their void at quarterback in 2021. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com. The duo discuss the potential of Bo Hardegree as the team’s new quarterbacks coach, their rumored pursuit of Marcus Mariota and the draft potential of Ohio State’s Justin Fields, Alabama’s Mac Jones and Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful. You are now locked in to the Lockdown Patriots podcast. Today is Tuesday, February 16th, 2021, and because it's Tuesday, that means it's time for a little reason and accountability 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.

Greetings and salutations, Patriots Nation. Thank you so much for joining me here today on the pod and kicking off your work week with a little Lockdown Patriots. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Lockdown Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, comments, and feedback are always welcomed and very much appreciated. 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 Tuesday traveling through that Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Pats Nation, after a brief break for the President's Day holiday on Monday, Locked On Patriots is back. And because it's Tuesday, that means it's time for our weekly dose of reason and accountability.

And that means my good friend, my Patriots paisan, columnist extraordinaire from Patsfans.com, Steve Balistrieri joins me here today in the hot seat. And Steve and I have a host of topics to talk about today with a quarterback-centric focus. First off, it was reported yesterday that the Patriots might have strong interest in bringing in former Miami Dolphins quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegre as their new quarterbacks coach here in New England. Now, Hardegre spent a lot of time working under former New York Jbacks coach, Bo Hardegre, as their new quarterbacks coach here in New England.

Now, Hardegre spent a lot of time working under former New York Jets coach, former Miami Dolphins head coach, and former Bears and Broncos offensive coach, Adam Gase. I know, folks, just that name sends shivers down the spine of most of you all in Patriots Nation. After the difficulties that Gase left behind when he left not only the Jets organization, but also the Dolphins, I know most of you don't want any part of Adam Gase here in New England. Keep in mind that just because Hardigree is coming along doesn't necessarily mean that the Patriots are ready to adopt Adam Gase into the fold here in the coaching staff, or even that they're going to be adopting his philosophies.

Every coach deserves an opportunity for a little bit of a new start and maybe a fresh philosophy. Working with Josh McDaniels might not be the worst thing. But again, folks, that's just my opinion on Bo Hardegre. What does my Patriots paisan think about him? Well, I'll tell you what, I will ask him that question today. We'll also talk about the latest hot rumor surrounding the Patriots and that quarterback carousel that's going around out there. Raiders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota. Strong rumors around the NFL that Marcus Mariota might be able to be had for the right price via trade, or maybe that the Raiders would consider releasing him outright. If that's the case, will the Patriots be interested? Should they be interested?

Well, Steve and I will discuss that point as well. And seeing as yesterday here on the pod, we missed our opportunity to play a little mock draft Monday, we will put on our GM hats and we'll talk a little mock draft when it comes to the Patriots' choice as a quarterback. Steve has been doing some great work for patsfans.com on draft profiles as of late, and recently he's profiled three of the top quarterback prospects throughout the league. Today we'll talk about three players that have been linked to the Patriots. Two more so than others. Alabama quarterback Mac Jones and Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond. Each of these players has been mocked to the Patriots whether it be by patsfans.com, our good friends over at thedraftnetwork.com, and several more media outlets have projected

at least one if not both of these quarterbacks going to the Patriots at various points in the draft. We'll also discuss the pie-in-the-eye option of Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. Now, most of us, myself included, believe Fields to be far out of the Patriots' reach. But would they consider putting a blockbuster package together to move up and possibly take Justin in the first round of the NFL draft? I'll be honest with you folks, I'm not really optimistic about this one, but because Steve is our resident voice of reason, we'll discuss at least the prospect of Justin Fields finding his way to Foxborough.

Folks, an action-packed agenda today. I have no doubt that you'll find it fun, informative, entertaining, as it always is when Steve joins me here on the pod. And again, my Patriots paisan will join me here on the hot seat in just a moment. But for those of you who missed a little Locked on Murph Monday this week, fear not, folks. You didn't really think I'd let a week go by without my big legendary green friend joining me here on the hot seat, did you?

Well, I'm glad you didn't think so, because I could never do that. The Count of Murphy Fisto himself will join me here tomorrow on the hot seat. And as Greg Marmalard once said to Larry Kroger in Omega House, Super! I have lots to talk about, huh? Yeah, and we will have lots to talk about. We always do when Murph is in the house. But we also have tons to talk about when the resident voice of reason,

Steve Balistrieri, joins me here on the hot seat. And today, we have quarterbacks covered from every angle when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, Locked On listeners, football might be over, but the NBA, college basketball, and the NHL, as well as NFL offseason rumors, are all in full swing. And if putting your prognostication skills to the test on any of these subjects is something that greatly interests you, well, there's only one place that has you covered and one place we trust.

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of black men and women in sports with a new series called Locked On Presents More Than the Game. This week, Candace Cooper of Locked On Tar Heels and Erica Ayala of Locked On Women's Basketball discuss the opportunities and challenges that come with being a black woman in sports. Subscribe to the Locked On Presents podcast feed on the Radio.com app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Patriots fans, today here on the pod, we get our weekly dose of reason and accountability. And to help me further break down the Pats Outlook in 2021, including dipping our toe into the mock draft machine, is my Patriots Paizan, an amazing columnist for Pats Outlook in 2021, including dipping our toe into the mock draft machine, is my Patriots Paisan, an amazing columnist for PatsFans.com, one of the best guys in this or any business. I say it every week, gets more true every week, folks. Back for his now weekly appearance here on Locked On Patriots is my good friend Steve Balistrieri. Steve, welcome back to the pod, my friend.

As always, I thank you for having me on, and you know I love talking Patriots football with you, my friend, so, you know, let's get to it, because I'm already getting withdrawals with a week without football. I know, it's absolutely unbelievable, and a holiday weekend to boot, I mean, really, they have to make the first weekend without football a holiday weekend. It's like a void of no Saturday games, no Sunday games, no Monday games. Dogs and cats living together. Mass hysteria, Steve. It's crazy.

But, buddy, again, you've been doing amazing work with Patsfans.com, as you always do. That's nothing new. But the draft profiles that you've been putting out are excellent. Folks, today, last week we did take a dive into some of those profiles. But today, once again, we're going to be looking, especially in one of the most glaring needs for the Patriots. We're going to cannonball into those profiles. If last week was a dive, today is a cannonball into those

with the most high profile area of need for the pats and that's the quarterback position but we're going to sort of stay on that topic for a minute buddy because on monday it was reported that the patriots have strong interest in bringing in beau hardegree as a quarterback's coach and let's face it the patriots do have a need here they have a need for coaching help at this position jed fish is now departed he's not going uh to be here any longer he's taking a college job so the patriots do need someone with a little bit of pedigree in this area to help them coach the quarterbacks this year and um hard agree does come in with a resume i saw some people

yesterday quoting uh this guy has no resume at all. He's got no record. He does have a record. Maybe you're not a fan of his record, but the record is there. First of all, he is a former college teammate of current Patriots inside linebackers coach Gerard Mayo. So you've got a connection there. Obviously, that speaks well of you.

But he's been in the NFL since 2014, meaning Bo Hardigree, worked exclusively under Adam Gase, served as the offensive quality control coach while Gase was with the Broncos, an offensive assistant for the Bears while Gase was the team's offensive coordinator, later moved on to Miami and Miami he served as uh you know obviously served in a major role uh assisting um Adam Gase and then of course uh with the New York Jets as well and Steve this seemed to raise the ire of Patriots fans and I know that it probably has more to do with Gase than Hardigree himself I think it's because some people are worried that this might be a precursor of Adam Gase joining the Patriots coaching staff. But when you look at this objectively, what is your opinion on Hardegree and what could this mean for the Patriots in 2021? Well, you know, and again, I'm just looking at it through the prism.

Look, they lost Jed Fish. They need a coach to help out with the quarterbacks and I think that's what he's going to do I think he's going to have a nice clearly defined role he's going to work with the quarterbacks that's what I'm seeing I'm not worried about uh Adam Gase the only way I would have thought Gase would have come to the Patriots as if Josh McDaniels had gotten a head coaching job with Philadelphia. And I think Belichick would have thrown him, you know, a little bit of a bone to say, hey, you know, while you're looking for your next head coaching gig,

come over and take over the offense. Because Belichick obviously has a great deal of respect or respect excuse me for Adam Gates so that's what I would have been looking at but uh there's no way Adam Gates is going to come here now and co-exist with Josh McDaniels with neither one of them being the head coach just don't see it I don't see it either and again look I mean we're talking about the possibility of Hardigree coming in here and being the quarterback's coach. If Josh McDaniels is the offensive coordinator, and he is, that's his title, that is what

his title will be in 2021, folks. But you can't imagine stacking the coaching decks with someone like Adam Gase coming in here, who has been a head coach in this league. He's been an offensive coordinator in this league. It's a little difficult for me to believe that he would come in as anything but a consultant and at that point you know what are we really doing i don't see this as a precursor to gaze coming in and i'm glad that you mentioned that because that's my feelings on this as well look hard agree may have worked with suspect quarterbacks i know some people put out the you know the list of oh you, he goes back to Cutler

and he's back to Darnold, and I'm not impressed with anybody on the list. Look, bottom line, you work with the talent that you have available and say what you will about the Adam Gay system. It does allow quarterbacks to be able to grow. I don't necessarily agree with the way he's handled Sam Darnold in the Meadowlands with the New York Jets, but I'd agree coming in here and having the ability to work with someone like Josh McDaniels, work in the Earhart-Perkins system that the Patriots seem very familiar to working with,

could end up being a good move. And sometimes it's good to bring in some outside influence from other organizations and be able to change the flavor up a little bit in Foxborough. So we'll see what happens. But ultimately, I don't know if this is necessarily a needle mover in either direction. I know a lot of people had some harsh things to say about our degree yesterday when I reported the news on my timeline, just reiterating the reports that were out there. Some people were not happy about it. And I think everybody needs to pump the brakes a little bit here.

This is not a major coaching hire that's going to really cause the Patriots any type of pain or any type of success either way. I think it's a decent move, and I think Hardigree would be okay if he came in in that role. We're going to stay on the quarterback position for just a minute because we're going to talk about the actual players on the field, not who might be coaching them. And Steve, right now, the heart rumor out there, uh, seems to be surrounding Raiders backup, Marcus Mariota.

Mariota has been someone that's been rumored to the Patriots now on and off throughout the season, uh, and into the off season. And he really is a dual threat type quarterback. His stock is up after impressing in the time he had on the field with the Las Vegas Raiders this year. One thing that makes him very appealing at this point is there's no guaranteed money left on his deal. So the Raiders could save in excess of $10 million in cap space by trading him or even releasing him. I think the Raiders are going to try to see if there's a trade value out there to control

where he goes, and teams may want to be able to bid on him to make sure he doesn't end up with a rival. But in your estimation, do you think there's a serious chance that Marcus Mariota finds his way to Foxborough, or is this just another case of quarterback flavor of the month when it comes to the quarterback carousel that we're seeing this year? I think it's a little bit of both, honestly, because do I think there's a chance? Sure. I know Belichick, you know, always likes players who play well against him. And, you know, you go back a couple of years ago, Mario, they had a really, really good game against the Patriots. He's had a couple of them.

So in that aspect, I think the level of interest might actually be there. I don't know how deep it is because the Patriots had a chance to sign him. Granted, they didn't have the cap space last year when he was available. And they passed on it. And the other side of the coin, I think it's a little bit of a flavor of the month, because why would they trade for a guy that they had the opportunity to sign without giving up anything just last year? So, you know, granted the cap situation was a much different animal last year, but I think they could have worked something out if they really wanted him. But you never know after, you know, the 7-9 season

and they didn't get great quarterback play, maybe they're taking a second look and, you know, at, you know, what he can bring to the table as a bridge quarterback. I still think even if they bring him in, they're going to draft someone. So what he can bring as a bridge quarterback, and we'll see what happens. Yeah, I mean, the argument that a lot of people would make in favor of Mariota is that he did impress in the limited time, like I said before, with what he had on the field this year with Las Vegas, 326 yards and a touchdown while adding another 86 yards and another touchdown on the ground. Not overly impressive

numbers, but when you consider that he's a backup in limited roles, all of a sudden it looks pretty good. And a lot of people were tweeting out in that one that breakout game for the Raiders this year that Marcus was starting to look like what the Patriots thought they were going to get in Cam Newton this year dynamic runner on the ground buy time in the pocket make some strong throws this was a small sample size for Marcus Mariota but he did make the most of it and I think it could net him at least a one-year deal worth about $10 million. I think those are the projections that I'm seeing when it comes to Marcus Mariota and what he might be able to command on the open market if he's in the open market.

As far as a resurgence, it's really going to depend on whether or not the Patriots are dedicated to utilizing that dual-threat quarterback that they wanted to utilize in Cam Newton, then changing the face of their offense a little bit. If they do, and he's a reasonable, you know, contract, all of a sudden Mariota is looking like a hell of a signing. So this could be one to keep an eye on folks. I don't put a lot of stock into it. I think the Patriots may end up going in a different direction. I know a lot of people roll their eyes and want to throw things at the devices. They're listening to this at when I mentioned Cam Newton's name, but folks, it's a possibility. You have to look at all of what the Patriots are doing, and they may look at

Cam as their best option as a bridge quarterback, especially if they're not able to find the surefire guy in this year's draft. And Steveve that kind of lends me quite nicely into what we're going to be doing in the second half of today's show and we've talked a lot about quarterbacks but we're going to continue that into our 2021 draft segment in just a moment steve balistrieri will don his gm hat and he will take a look at a couple of quarterback options for the patriots in the upcoming NFL draft. Can a marquee name or a mid-round option help the Patriots regain their signal prowess the most? We'll tell you how when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues.

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Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Patriots fan Steve Balistrieri joins me today to lend reason and reality to the latest news notes from Foxborough. And Steve, it might not be Mock Draft Monday here on Locked On Patriots, but it's a Tuesday and a lot of Patriots analysts and even fans are mocking a quarterback to the Patriots early on in this upcoming draft. And I think there's one thing that we know for sure, Bud, is we never know what way Bill Belichick is leaning, probably until the moment he makes the pick. We've seen it year after year.

And I know the argument out there is that he's predictably unpredictable, but there are things that Bill Belichick sees in players that maybe we don't all see right away, or maybe it takes a little while and maybe some of them don't work out. But I think it's reasonable to expect that the Patriots are going to take a flyer on a quarterback this year. They did not draft one last year. And I think they will at least dip their toe into that pool this year. But

I'm not quite sure exactly when or how they're going to do it. These are the things that we're anticipating as we move into the draft. And Steve, again, quality draft profiles this season. Again, folks, Steve always puts out quality, but take a look at what he's been doing with some of these draft profiles, not just with quarterbacks, but tight ends, wide receivers, defensive players. They're all top notch. And we're going to focus on the quarterbacks though today. And before we get into the big guns, I wanted to take a look at a mid round young gun that you recently profiled. And that's Kellen Mond of Texas A&M. In your words, Steve, he was a very productive quarterback, holds the all-time records for total offense, passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions, and attempts at Texas A&M. Pretty

impressive when you think about the players that have played there and what he's been able to do. He started only eight games as a true freshman, but he continued to work and he continued to improve, got more experience, finished with 9,661 passing yards, 71 touchdown passes, and furthered a 1608 rushing yardage with 22 additional touchdowns on the ground. For the sake of argument, Steve, you're Bill Belichick. What is the most reasonable path to drafting Mond, and what is your case for bringing him aboard?

Well, I think if you're the Patriots, you're looking at a guy like Mond as a, you know, he's a mid-level guy. He's not going to go, he shouldn't go in the first round. I don't even think he should go in the second round. So you're looking at him in the mid-round. I think he's more of a third or fourth-round prospect. And he offers a lot of upside. The problem with him, and I've watched so much SEC,

is he's very inconsistent. And sometimes it's from series to series. When you see how well he can play, it jumps off the, you know, the page at you. I mean, there's times when he's absolutely delighting it up and then he can start to stare down receivers because, you know, one of the things that I've seen and I've read about him is that if he sees something, you know,

if you're looking at something pre-snap and he recognizes it, he has the tendency to stare down, which, you know, in the NFL, that's, you know, the kiss of death. And last year against Alabama, he did that and he got a pick six run against them. But, you know, he puts up a lot of yardage. He's very impressive. He can move in the pocket. If you're Bill Belichick, I think you can feel like, okay,

he has some inconsistencies. These are things we can work through. And so, you know, take a fly around him in the mid-rounds, and he's more of a developmental guy. I don't think, you know, take a fly around him in the mid rounds and he's more of a developmental guy. I don't think, you know, you're going to draft him and expect him to step in on day one. I think it's at least one year, possibly two before he's going to step in and be expected to be that guy. Yeah, I think definitely from what I've seen with Mond and in anticipation of talking to you today and some of the work that you've done on him, you know, definitely a lot of velocity in the throws.

I'm really impressed by the way he's able to step into them. Got a really snappy type release. He's got a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of zip on his passes. To me, that, you know, speaks well of someone that can succeed here in New England and the type of system that Josh McDaniels likes to employ and likes to run. A lot of poise, never really in a hurry. But I think the fact that he's never really in a hurry can also be an Achilles heel of his.

Our friends over at the Draft Network do a great job of profiling this. And Jordan Reed, I thought, had a very good description of him in that his kryptonite is the decaying pocket uh trying to allow him to escape a lot of you mentioned he waits a little bit too long to make that decision instead of correctly timing when where and how to exit the pocket in order to explore and create some off script opportunities might mean that he's much more of a long-term project than a short-term project. You mentioned one, two years out.

I think that's a realistic expectation. I think he could be a solid quarterback in this league, but if Patriots fans are salivating over that type of NFL-ready young quarterback that can come in and take the reins right away, Kellen Mahn may not be that type of project. But again, with some seasoning, with a good veteran that's able to mentor him a little bit, and with the right coaching staff, I think this kid could end up being a solid pro. So a name to keep an eye on, folks, not one that's going to put your team over the top

just yet, but one that could pay dividends a little down the line. And again, Steve, great profile on him. Last but not least, my friend, it's pretty much the consensus of most of us within the nation, meaning Patriots nation, that is, folks, that the Pats are going to look at a veteran option, a quarterback, and then use a mid-round draft capital to bring in a potential backup or a third stringer. Very similar to how we just described Kellen Mond. There are a lot of names out there that we'll talk about as we approach the draft. But we can dream here on Mock Draft Tuesday here on Locked On Patriots. Right, buddy?

We can dream a little bit. And you did profile two highly touted quarterbacks in this draft. Obviously, at the top of the heap, Ohio State's Justin Fields. Yeah, folks, I know Trevor Lawrence is out there. I know the Patriots sent scouts to see him. Trevor's not coming to Foxborough. It's just not. I'm sorry. We've got to be realistic in that regard. But Fields represents an interesting opportunity if the Patriots were to throw the kitchen sink out there to move up in the draft. Maybe they consider taking him if he drops at all because of his 2020 production. We'll get into that in a little bit. The other name that seems to be attached to the Patriots that's a relatively big one is Mac Jones of Alabama. Again, this is a polarizing name that a lot of fans either love or they absolutely hate.

Steve, again, keep that GM hat on for just one more moment, buddy. You can take it off in just a minute, but just keep it there for a moment. Which of these signal callers do you think is the more realistic choice for the Patriots? And just hypothetically, who do you think would be the better choice for the Patriots if it came down to really making a push for either one of these quarterbacks? Well, I think Jones is probably the more realistic because I just, I mean, again, you know, I mentioned it in my, my mock that I didn't think he was going to be around when the Patriots draft at number 15. I thought he would be long gone by then, but I included him because there was a lot of chatter about him because one of

the national draft analysts said that he thinks he's going to fall to 15 for New England and it got people very excited I still don't have the feeling he's going to be there I mean he brings a lot of upside but again he's another guy I don't not sure it's going to be ready on day one he might take take some time, but boy, he has some. I mean, you know, you look at his measurables. He has really, really outstanding arm strength. He's very athletic. And, you know, you play man coverage against him,

and as we've seen, he can eat up that defense. He's very, very good in clutch performances. But at the same time, I mean, you know, just like Kellen Mond, sometimes he struggles with his weeds and recognizing pressure. And if there's a knock on his arm strength, then sometimes he trusts it too much and he makes throws he probably shouldn't so but again I mean you're looking at a guy with tremendous upside I think he's an outstanding prospect with the right team the right coaching staff I think he's going to light it up in the

NFL and he'll be a very very good quarterback I just think just think that when you're looking at the big picture, I think Mac Jones has a better chance of being around for New England at that point. And I just have the feeling that the New England offense would be a perfect fit for him. It really would. And in a lot of ways, I know people are very polarizing on Mac Jones, and I will get into that in just a moment. But he does fit very well into that scheme. I agree with you on Fields, wholeheartedly agree with you on Fields.

There are times where overconfidence can be a little bit of an Achilles heel for him. I think that's something that he may need to work through a little bit. But look, there is no question that NFL teams are going to fall in love with his evaluation. No question about it. He can throw around defenders. He really has the ability as a passer to wow a lot of people. But then you look at what he's able to do and create a bag of tricks that really can be endless in a lot of ways. He's really successful when engineering those option-based reps and the mesh point between the zone reads rpo concepts um extending to that's used to the speed option i think he's really going to give some nfl offensive coordinator whoever works with him

this year an awful lot to work with the key is is he has to get embraced by the right system the right destination that's really going to embrace his ability to use his legs, use the quarterback run game, and allow that to facilitate his passing prowess. Because if he's peered with any type of an offensive coordinator or a system that doesn't utilize that to its fullest, it could lead to some struggles this year. That's the only thing I worry about with Justin Fields.

Definitely all of the markings for someone that can make a great impact in the NFL, but it's going to be the right fit. And I just don't see it here in New England. I mean, I don't, first of all, I don't think they're going to be in a position to get him. And second of all, I think that there are probably other systems and other teams that will either revamp their offense or utilize the type of offense that will allow him to thrive. So as much as I'd love to see Justin Fields here in New England, folks, I think very unlikely. Mac Jones, to me, is interesting. He's not going to make his living creating off-script plays, and that's something that we're seeing a lot of quarterbacks do.

And I think that's why a lot of the fan bases may be a little bit squeamish on Mac. They talk about his athleticism or lack thereof they talk about his mobility and lack thereof but look bottom line there is an ability for him to be an anticipatory thrower that is something that we saw Tom Brady do so well up here for years again folks I'm not comparing Mac Jones to Tom Brady there is not in my opinion not a like like comparison, but I love how Mac is able to anticipate the about to be open receiver and get the ball where only he can, you know, make that play. That's something Tom did very well. It's going to be interesting to see how, who gives him a chance and how he's able to get that chance in today's NFL.

I really I look at him as someone that could succeed very much here in New England. And then I look at him and say, well, the lack of athleticism, the lack of weapons around him here in New England could end up being a problem as well. They'd have to surround him with some pretty big talent. Again, Jordan Reed of the Draft Network, I thought, put this very, as well. They'd have to surround him with some pretty big talent. Again, Jordan Reed of the Draft Network, I thought, put this very, very well. As a passer and as a quarterback in this league, I think Mac Jones is going to need three P's surrounding him. And these are Jordan's words, folks, not mine. I wish I could take credit. He needs playmakers, he needs a play-calling ability, and he needs protection. And he needs that at high-tier levels in all three of those

in order to see his full potential on a consistent basis. Play-calling ability, he probably would get that here in New England. I think Josh could do a good job with him on that. Protection, Patriots do employ a pretty good offensive line. I think they'd be all right with that. Playmakers is going to be a question mark. Are they going to be able to bring in guys that would be able to make him look better, make him look solid?

And I don't know if Mac Jones is necessarily the name that marquee playmakers would want to come here and play alongside. So based on that, I don't necessarily think Mac Jones is the solution this year. He would succeed here if given the opportunity because of the coaching staff, but again, I just don't see it, bud. Bottom line, when you look at what the Patriots' options may be in the draft, is there someone under the radar right now that not a lot of people are looking at that maybe we should keep a sharper eye as we head closer into the 2021 draft season. Well, you know, again, I think they might, you know, if Jones is there at 15,

I think they'll take a look at that. I mean, obviously Bill Belichick has the, you know, the relationship with Nick Saban. So if there's any questions they have, if they're kind of leaning that way, I'm sure that Saban can lead them in the right direction there. They might not be interested in him. But, you know, another guy in the mid-rounds, I mentioned Kellen Martin could be from Georgia. So, you know, it's tough to say. We don't sit in the meeting rooms. We don't know who their guy

is, you know, when it comes to that. But I'm kind of leaning toward Matt Jones a little bit more these days, just because I know that Belichick trusts Saban and, you know, I think that this offensive system could work for him. Yeah, and it could. And if he does work on his mobility, works on his durability a little bit, it could end up being a fit. I don't think if they do bring him in, I don't think it'll be a situation where he'll be carrying the load in his freshman season.

I think it would be behind a veteran. Maybe bring in a guy like Cam Newton and keep him around and say, hey, you know what, here's how you can play a little bit more mobile. Here's how you can play a little bit more physical. And maybe Mac Jones rubs off on Cam a little bit. Maybe the arm returns at this point. But, you know, there's a lot of speculation, a lot of things that could happen. Like I said, ultimately, me, I don't see it. But that's not to say that it won't happen.

And ultimately, Bill Belichick will always make the decision that's best for him and his franchise. Steve, what can I say? It's always an honor, always a privilege joining you here on the microphone on Locked On Patriots each and every Tuesday. For the benefit of our new listeners, my friend, please let everyone know where they can find you

on social media and what we can expect in the coming days and weeks from the great pen of Steve Balistrieri. Well, thanks. And again, Mike, I'll be looking agency is right around the corner. So, you know, we'll be looking at some of the players that obviously, you know, are going to be available for the Patriots and which ones we think might, you know, fit. And, you know, but it all starts with the quarterbacks. I think they need to get a quarterback right off the bat so they can, you know, identify some guys who, who might fit, you know, with the Patriots and who they might be able to entice to come in here. So we'll see, but, you know, but I think it all starts with them.

And, you know, we'll see what's going on. But as always, thank you for having me on here. I really appreciate it. Pleasure and honor is always all mine, my friend. You are familiar on here. You know, it's Sunday. Mom made a little dinner. Come on, let's sit down, Lindsay.

But no, all kidding aside. No, I think that's a great point, you know, that, that you've made about quarterbacks and bringing them in, not for anything, but Mike Reese of ESPN said something very similar on Monday in his, you know, media appearances. It probably would be best for the Patriots to have a quarterback in place, or at least a plan in place if they want to try to attract some type of prowess at the skill position player, either in free agency or in trade. People want to know or, you know, these players would like to know who's going to be throwing them the football from a timing perspective, from a logistical perspective.

It makes a lot of sense. So that may be one of the first dominoes to fall, folks. And if it is, we'll definitely keep you updated on all of the latest when it comes to the Patriots quarterback situation right here on Locked On Patriots. Again, buddy, thank you so much for joining. I'm sorry. Actually, I made what my partner Russ calls a Goldman. I said Jake Frum earlier with Georgia. It wasn't Jake Frum.

Jamie Newman. Jamie Newman. said jake from earlier with georgia it's uh it wasn't jamie newman jamie newman jamie newman you know from a logistical standpoint i was having flashbacks last year but yeah jamie newman might be that because he was the guy that opted out um because right after i said that i was like wait a minute jake from's with the uh buffalo bills absolutely no it is it's true and from was someone that our good mutual friend, the big green man himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy, was very high on last year. And of course, this year, save

nothing of the fact, I would welcome having a quarterback named Newman on the roster just so I could go, hello, Newman. Steve, thanks again, buddy. Stay safe, stay well, and we look forward to talking ball with you again next week right here on Locked on Patriots.

All right, thanks, Mike. Just like that, Patriots Nation, we are almost at the midway point in your work week. Amazing how holiday weekends can do that to you, but we have just scratched the surface on Patriots coverage for the week. Like I said to open the show today, tomorrow here on Locked On Patriots, the Count of Murphy

Fisto himself will occupy his hot seat. It's a hashtag LockedOnMurfWednesday here on the pod as the wisdomous Thomas Murphy joins me to discuss the very latest from Patriots Nation. So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, download and subscribe to the Lockdown Patriots podcast on platforms such as Spotify, radio.com, Apple Podcasts,

Google Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Just make sure that you're staying locked in to Lockdown Patriots. Once again, Patriots Nation, 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 tomorrow, Foxborough faithful, stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.