Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Some will win, Some will lose: Patriots’ 2020 Training Camp Performance Evaluation - 8/31/2020

Episode Date: August 31, 2020

In the immortal words of the rock band, Journey, “some will win, some will lose.” Joining host Mike D’Abate is fan-favorite Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy to evaluate the performance of the New England Patriots during 2020 training camp. The duo provide their thoughts on the players that impressed, and those that underwhelmed. They also discussed the pros and cons of pursuing running back, Leonard Fournette. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Patriots fans, you are now locked in to the Locked On Patriots Podcast. I'm going to show you how to make a beautiful and beautiful flower. I'm going to use a small flower pot. I'm going to use a small pot Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful and welcome to Who Makes It Monday here on the Lockdown Patriots Podcast, your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots.

Today's episode is brought to you by RockAuto.com. Amazing selection, reliably low prices, all the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com today and tell them Lockdown sent you. Greetings and salutations, Patriots Nation. Thank you all for joining me here on the pod to kick off yet another week of New England Patriots Nation. Thank you all for joining me here on the pod to kick off yet another week of New England Patriots coverage. 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, your team every day means that your questions, comments, and feedback are always welcomed and very much appreciated. Please feel free to share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there traveling through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Folks, the countdown to the NFL season has begun. For your New England Patriots, we are just under two weeks away from opening kickoff.

Sunday, September 13th, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Your New England Patriots against the Miami Dolphins. But there is another milestone on the horizon for your favorite football team in Foxborough. All 32 NFL teams, including your New England Patriots folks, must trim their rosters for the upcoming 2020 season down to 53 players. And throughout training camp, we've all been conjecturing which Patriots might end up on the roster, who might end up on the cutting room floor.

And even though the practice squads have been expanded this year, is it still smart to take the risk of releasing a player and then hoping you could stash him on the practice squad if he goes unclaimed, especially when you really like what he can bring to the table. Well, these are the very questions that the New England Patriots brass will be working on at one Patriots place in Foxborough all week long. And across the New England Patriots media landscape, including right here on Locked on Patriots, folks,

we will be making our best attempts to answer those same questions. And you heard me earlier refer to today's episode as Who Makes It Monday. Well, one of the best ways to make that determination is to determine who was a winner during training camp and who underperformed. I really don't like the term winners and losers. I think stock up, stock down has been a little overplayed. So rather than try to force a cliche here, I just think it's suffice to say that in order to fully answer this question, we need a little green wisdom and counsel. That's right, folks. Kicking off the week on the right foot is the main man himself,

the Green King of Sting, my good friend Thomas Murphy. And we will discuss who has impressed us the most so far throughout training camp, whose presence on the field has been, shall we say, underwhelming. And in Murph's estimation, who or what has been the biggest surprise during New England Patriots training camp thus far. Folks, we all know that anytime Murph has something to say, especially when it comes to your New England Patriots, it's appointment listening. And I, for one, am thrilled to be able to share the microphone with him today. So sit back, settle in, and in just a moment, the Count of Murphy Fisto himself will

join me here on the hot seat, and we will compare our news and notes when it comes to 2020 training camp performance for your New England Patriots. But first, folks, the Patriots were back on the practice fields on Sunday afternoon and once again this morning on Monday. And while media coverage will be slim to none from this point on, folks, there's still a lot to be determined for the Pats on the practice field. Some positional battles are ongoing, and I think it's a safe bet to say that those battles will continue throughout the week right up until the final roster cut down on Saturday. That's right, 4 p.m. Eastern time

on Saturday, September 5th, the Patriots, as all the 31 other NFL teams, will have to have their rosters trimmed down to 53. And while I and my guests this week will spend a fair amount of time discussing who we believe has either earned or burned their chance of making this 2020 roster, I just wanted to take a moment before welcoming Murph into the pod to address the running back position. And two developments took place on Monday morning that require a little more than a sharp eye. The first did not directly affect your New England Patriots, but shortly after this news broke, Patriots social media went into an absolute frenzy convinced that this was the missing piece of the Patriots Super Bowl puzzle. On Monday, it was announced that the Jacksonville Jaguars were waiving their former number four

pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, running back Leonard Fournette. And almost immediately upon this news breaking, that infamous gif file of Bill Belichick walking out of the tunnel at Ford Field in Detroit started popping up all over social media. And of course, throughout Patriots Nation, Leonard Fournette became that name that so many fans covet, the big free agent, the player that's going to put them over the top and punch the Patriots ticket to Super Bowl 55. Not so fast, folks. Leonard Fournette is a phenomenal talent, but I don't see it happening. And as the great Don would say, I'll give you my reasons. It is true that the Patriots would not have any financial difficulty making this work.

It's plausible. It's sensible. If the Patriots claim Leonard Fournette off of waivers, they can get him for around $4.1 million. And with the Patriots' current cap space, they can more than afford that. As for his impact on the field, well, the talent is definitely still there. Fournette is coming off of a season in which he averaged 4.3 yards per carry, more than afford that. As for his impact on the field, well the talent is definitely still there. Fournette is coming off of a season in which he averaged 4.3 yards per carry, caught 76 passes, and gained 1,674 yards from scrimmage. So from a financial standpoint and an on-field standpoint, it would seem that Fournette would be the perfect acquisition, leaving a lot of you to wonder why I don't believe this will happen. Well, one of my two reasons is far less weighted than the other, so we'll start with that one. And shortly after his release on Monday

morning, reports started to surface that Fournette was jettisoned from the Jacksonville Jaguars for being an issue off the field. In fact, NFL Network's Ian Rappaport tweeted out that he had heard from the source that head coach Doug Marone in Jacksonville released Fournette because he was trying to, quote, clean up the place. If you're the Patriots and you're hearing that, it doesn't exactly endear you to the thought of welcoming Fournette here with open arms. But I will acknowledge that there are players that can be difficult fits in certain systems, come into a new environment, and thrive, both on the field and off.

That's why I prefaced my explanation by saying that reason was far less weighted. If character was the only negative, the Patriots might have had at least an eye on Fournette. But to me, the most heavily weighted reason, and the most practical reason why Leonard Fournette is highly unlikely to become a New England Patriot, at least in my estimation, folks, is that the Pats are already very well stacked at running back. At present, the Patriots' running back depth chart looks like this. Sonny Michel, James White, Rex Burkhead, Damian Harris, J.J. Taylor, and Lamar Miller, who until this morning was on active physically unable to perform.

That's right, I did say until this morning, folks, because today, Monday morning, Lamar Miller was on the practice fields wearing number 35, and he had been taken off of the physically unable to perform list. So, with a positional depth chart, six men deep, each of them with the talent, Fields wearing number 35 and he had been taken off of the physically unable to perform list. So with a positional depth chart, six men deep, each of them with the talent and a case to be made for a roster spot, why would you add a seventh man to that list? Even when that seventh man brings the talent that a guy like Leonard Fournette would bring to this team. Simple. It's because the talent that you already have at the position will give you a more than serviceable and dare I say prolific running game in 2020.

It's true that Sonny Michel and Lamar Miller have missed the majority of training camp with injuries, but they're back on the field now, which leads me to believe that those injuries are no longer going to be issues moving forward, especially when it comes to Sonny Michel, who's looked pretty solid in camp so far. And despite the spewings of the sorry afternoon crew that really loves nothing more than the smell of their own stirred manure, I fully expect Sonny Michel to show that he is not only a capable runner, but I think with good health and running behind a healthy offensive line, he can recapture some of the magic he had as a rookie,

especially during his playoff performances of that rookie season. James White is as solid as they come. In my opinion, the best third down back in the NFL. Rex Burkhead, if he's healthy, is solid in every phase of the running game. But folks, the emergence of Damian Harris throughout this training camp, to me, is the strongest argument against the Patriots feeling the need to put in a claim on Leonard Fournette. Harris has already generated a lot of buzz that he could end up being the Patriots feature back this year. And you know me, folks. You know I'm a big fan of Sonny Michel, but I think it's hard to argue with their logic here.

Harris has been phenomenal this training camp. He's taken full advantage of his opportunities, with Michel getting a much reduced workload, and he's been turning a lot of heads in camp, both as an early down runner and a goal line back. By all accounts, Damian is ready to go, and he looks poised to be productive. In my opinion, every bit as productive as what Leonard Fournette would bring you. And he can do it at a fraction of the cost. Harris' annual salary, $675,000.

Fournette's salary, $4.1 million. We all know Bill Belichick loves a bargain, but he will do what's best for the football team. In my opinion, what's best for the New England Patriots right now is to go with what they've got in-house, save some money in the process, and still trot out one of the best running back cores in the AFC and maybe even in the NFL. So folks, did I tip my hand as to whether or not I believe that Damian Harris was one of the big winners in training camp this year? Oh, I probably did, but you're still going to want to listen to what Murph and I have to say anyway.

Our 2020 New England Patriots training camp performance evaluation when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, folks, even though those summer days and nights are starting to slip through our fingers, there is still enough nice weather left out there to get out and explore with a sweet road trip. But to do that, you need

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Amazing selection, reliably low prices, all the parts your car will ever need. rockauto.com Patriots fans, some will win, some will lose, and some were born to sing the blues. And although I think today's guest and I would be a pretty kick-ass reboot of the Blues Brothers, if we did sing the blues, today's topic takes its cue from those immortal words of Journey. Who will or will not make the final cut for your 2020 New England Patriots? Well, folks, my guest today has some wisdom and counsel

to lend on this subject. In fact, you might call it some green wisdom and counsel. Oh, yeah, folks, that's right. Batting leadoff again, your favorite and mine, my benefactor in this business, the account of Murphy Fisto himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy is back for his weekly appearance here at the top of the lineup on the Lockdown Patriots podcast.

Thank you for coming to me in friendship and always for helping me kick off the week in style here on the pod. Don Murph. Oh, man. If a man can't spend time with his family, is he a real man? No, he's not. I've never been a real man. I'm always happy. Keep going. Keep going. That's's it i'm breaking you up i love it i love it i'm breaking you up the man has also spent time with his family can never be a real man

here i am here i am down down from the john you were looking for me and i came right down and that's right i'm not gonna yell at you i and go, you're going to act like a man because you already do that. Thank you. Hopefully I got that covered. I have never worn a lacy cravat. So that's, yeah, I'm good. Big day, you know, around the league.

Giant, giant happenings around the league right now. Leonard Fournette was cut this morning, and you, as I am, probably were inundated with the masses saying that the Patriots should run right out and sign the former number four pick. Was it number four or number seven pick in 2017? No, number four in 2017. Yep, the answer is no, people. No. All right. There's a reason that somebody who was the fourth pick in a draft just three years ago could not be traded. Okay. He was released. He was released because nobody wanted to trade for him. Nobody wanted

to give up a sixth round pick for Leonard Fournette. We can talk about his production, his, you know, 1100 yards that he had last year and whatever touchdowns were going on. But the bottom line is people, there's a reason nobody wanted this guy. He is a, not a good teammate, not a good employee, not a good, I don't want to say person. I don't know him as a person, but he rubs too many people the wrong way. That's why he is jobless this morning. I too have been in this position many just wanted to get that out of the way first. We were talking a little bit about it offline and had to start off Mondays with Murph with a little bit of, let's get this out of the way.

What did you think, Mike? No, and I'm so glad that you did. And I opened the show today to talk a little bit about Fournette and why I didn't believe this was going to be a good move for the Patriots. And, you know, there's a number of different reasons, some of them that I did reiterate of what you said about him possibly shooting his way out of town in Jacksonville. And I know that there were rumors going around.

I think the catchphrase this morning was Marone is trying to clean up the place. And when you hear that about a guy that's being jettisoned, you really don't get a warm, fuzzy feeling that he's going to come in and be a model teammate. Now, that's not to say he can't do that. Maybe Jacksonville was just the poor fit. Maybe he needs the right environment and he could end up being. But Murph, to me, the biggest reason that I believe Fournette is unlikely was because of the emergence of Damian Harris. And one of the big things we're going to talk about today is the winners and losers of training camp.

And I know that 53-man rosters aren't exactly among your favorite things in the world of sports media, but you've graciously agreed to lend your thoughts and feelings on who among these New England Patriots impressed you and who underwhelmed. And again, I think that Damian Harris has had one of the more impressive training camps that he's put together so far amongst a lot of people on this roster. And again, folks, my intention isn't to impugn Fournette when I talk about Damian Harris's prowess, but Harris can give them similar, if not equal, production at a fraction of the cost. Bill Belichick loves that. And that's one of the big reasons why I think that they will shy away from trying to pursue Fournette if he makes it out there on the open market and he's not claimed by a team, which I think is very much possible, folks. But to me, Harris has been one of the big winners so far, bringing it back to the purpose of today's conversation. But this has been a solid camp for a number of players thus far, not just Damian

Harris. You are my guest, my friend, and I give you the floor now. Which 2020 Patriots do you believe are securing the W as we move closer toward roster cut down at the end of this week? All right. Harris is on that list. You know, he's somebody that came in here and after a redshirt season last year, which Bill does often. OK, it's not unheard of. He uses draft picks wisely at the running back position in knowing that, you know, if you grab somebody in the first round, it's five years worth of control. I got into this with somebody over Sony yesterday, the day before, and they just don't get it. Harris was a second-round pick, four years worth of control, and he redshirted his first year, which Bill often does with guys in the running back position.

You don't really see too much of them in their rookie year. There's a couple of outliers there, but other than that, you know, because he wants to use them during their first contract, and I don't want to say use them up, but those are generally their best years in the league is coming off that first contract. Once you get into the second one, things tend to go downhill by the end of the second contract. So that's why Bill uses these draft picks smartly. And he was. After redshirting last year, Harris has really taken the spotlight with Sony still being banged up, with some other guys opting out, with some other guys also being on PUP. And he's made every single spectator say wow at at least 90% of the things that he's doing.

He's catching the ball out of the backfield well. He's running and hitting holes well. The only thing I can't comment on is one of his drawbacks that he had coming into the league, and that is picking up a blitz. I really have not heard and nobody has really seen too much of that going to this point with there being no, you know, inner squad stuff that is going at 100%. There hasn't been joint practices and there aren't going to be any preseason games this year. So that's the only thing that I can't comment on.

Everything else has been fantastic. Number two on my list has been one Cameron Newton, also known as Fig Newton in these parts. Not sure really what competition he's had this year. We all talked about the competition, but whatever it was has been swept under. By hook or by crook, it's pretty safe to say that he's going to be the starter in week one. He's been Mr. Good Teammate, Mr. High Energy up to this point.

But Cam is always good when things are going well. So he's another one of my winners. Joss Uche is another winner that I have down here. The second rounders stood out to me with fantastic attitude and an ability to show some versatility. He's been able to play outside linebacker, middle linebacker. He's dropped into coverage well. Stuffing the run and getting after the passer is something that this kid is very good at. This is a great surprise, and the Pats needed to hit on this pick, and I think they did.

Another winner is Kyle Duggar. There's a ton of experience in the Patriots' defensive backfield this year. We all know that. And I was thinking he could get a red shirt this year. We talked about that, you know, earlier in, in, uh, training camp right here on this show and on my show, One Patriots Place, check it out. Um, but what Duggar has been able to do right now is he's come in here, got the job done, and he's shown that he is versatile. He can play at different positions, and that's something that's very important to Bill in this configuration, this genius move that he has made, putting so much emphasis in the defensive backfield. Duggar has really stood out.

And I think any redshirt talk has been put back into the drawer. Their redshirt has been put back into the drawer. Here we go. I'm going to really upset Mike with this. But who made that man a gunner is also a winner. I stole the line. I'm not going to do it, but you know, hands down, he has been the best story in camp. I have not, and I have to admit, I haven't heard a bad thing said about gunner since camp opened. He's bigger, stronger, faster. He's the $6 million man right now. I think he's been a big, big winner.

I think he's probably been the second most consistent wide receiver in camp. And I don't see how he does not make this roster this year. And finally, we're going to go with an undrafted free agent. All right. Miles Bryant. This kid has been around the ball the entire camp. He's broken up seven passes and has three interceptions. He has it all. He has all the tools except for height. His poor kid is was was, you know, is isn't that tall person? He's not a huge he's not a huge person, but the numbers are stacked up against him. But the talent above him, you know, is just so good that I really do.

I think he's going to end up being a stash on the practice squad, but that's still a win for this kid. For an undrafted free agent like him, I think that's a win. I really like that you mentioned Miles Bryant. First of all, I love seeing a short guy succeed. I'm low to the ground myself. Between myself, Reese, and Sose, we're trying to

we might require a little bit of height assistance when interviewing some of these guys, but no, all kidding aside. The Redskins had the Smurfs, and we've got you guys. It's okay. That's true. That is. It's not a bad thing, you know? That's not bad. I like that.

But Miles Bryan, I think, is an interesting inclusion on this list, and I'm glad that you mentioned that because he has been around the ball. He has shown some good ball hawking skills and really instinct when it comes to being able to play the position. We heard Bill Belichick this morning loud the versatility and the understanding of football acumen for a guy like J.C. Jackson, who absolutely is on this list when it comes to winners of training camp. Even though he's not fighting for a roster spot, he's secured. But I think J.C. Jackson could be cornerback one on a

number of different NFL teams if he wasn't lining up alongside of Stephon Gilmore. People forget J.C. Jackson was an undrafted free agent himself, folks. So the Patriots, just because he doesn't have the draft pedigree or the name to back him up, doesn't mean that he can't be a significant addition to this team down the line. So I'm glad that you mentioned him. I've got to wax poetically on my man, Gunnar. You know that. And look, he's gone beyond the meme and the dream being alive, folks. This is just this is beyond that at this point. I think Gunnar has shown great quickness to me other than julian edelman he's been getting the best out of the break separation within the inside the pass numbers game i think he's really i think someone that could really be that type of of threat out of the field that is such a great

route runner um and someone that can really get open against NFL coverage. Our good friend Evan Lazar pointed out that he was plagued by drops at times when he does create that separation, but that looks like more of a technique or a repetition thing more than focus drops. He's a legitimate route runner now, both inside and both inside and in the slot and outside. I think he's done enough to play his way onto this roster, so I'm glad you mentioned Gunnar. Again, folks, work with me. Keep the meme and the dream alive.

I hope he's done enough to get on there. Two guys that I did want to mention that were on my winner's list as well, Byron Cowart coming in and emerging in the interior of the defensive line as a run stopper. He was a pretty good pass rusher in college, but I think he's added that dimension to his game and with bo allen being missing who i won't be putting on my losers list folks just because he hasn't seen the field i can't hold i still think the patriots need a guy like bo allen

in the interior of that defensive line but cowart and lawrence guy were very impressive making it tough on the patriots interior offensive line during practice. Cowart's a strong guy. He's got some get-off to penetrate the line. When he keeps his pads down, he can be really tough to move. So I'm looking for big things out of him this year. Another guy is someone else that I have an affinity for, and that's Dietrich Wise Jr. I think he's quietly had a very nice camp, and I think he's taken himself off of the roster bubble. I think that he's shown wins in one-on-ones that would allow me to believe that he may be one of the best the Patriots currently have at defeating blocks without significant help from the scheme. play his way not only back onto the roster this year, but could be a very significant force,

especially if the Patriots employ more 4-3 looks than they did last year because of their personnel. Great point. Great list, my friend. Great, great list. I'm glad you mentioned the rookies, Uche Jennings. They're definitely a part of things. Kyle Duggar, I think, has been a huge win. Of course, we have to mention Cam Newton.

I think we're contractually obligated. But no, all kidding aside, he has. He has shown his way onto this roster and played his way into the starting role. So and I think he'll be solid and I think he'll do a great job. that's definitely true in Foxborough and training camp has not been kind to some Patriots roster hopefuls in just a moment Murph and I will delve into the dark side and give our opinions on which New England Patriots might end up being expats by the end of the week the opposite end of the training camp spectrum when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues that's Vance Thomas Murphy joins me today but in today's previous segment, we talked about the emergence of the winners in training

camp, those that either secured their roster spot or just went out and took it. But not everybody can make the final product. And there have been some underwhelming performances in camp. Once again, bud, you are familiar here on Locked On Patriots, but you're also a guest, whose opinion I hold in the highest regard, by the way. In the style of Frank Costanza, let's make Festivus come a bit early this year. Let's air some grievances. Who on this Patriots roster has disappointed you the most in 2020 training camp? camp um i'm gonna start with uh a guy that you just mentioned and it's bo allen um bo allen where where's bo allen um i guess we can add bo knows the tub to um to the the famous old tagline because that's where he's been uh letting shelton walk over cash was stupid all right it might be it might have been the dumbest move that that's happened here in a couple of years. Bo is not healthy. He is not ready. I think that

this was a mistake. Bo Allen is my first loser on this list. That's not to say that this list is not me making a roster projection, people. I am not saying that these guys will not make the roster. Please don't come at me later. And don't yell at Mike. Come to me. That's okay. If you've got to come to somebody, come to me.

But no, Bo is on there. And this losers list that I have, it's a terrible term. The guys who did not have a good camp, the guys that had lost in camp, is one that hits the Patriots really hard because they're all positions of real need. And the second loser in this camp on my list is Mohamed Sanu. I have no doubt that Mohamed Sanu will be a starter this season. I just don't think it's going to be here. He's shown me nothing since he's got here. Blame all you want on his second half last season on the bad ankle,

but he hasn't shown me that even healthy, he's worth a roster spot. Nevermind a second round pick that Bill gave up for the stiff. I can't, I want him out of here. After that, Jacoby Myers, unfortunately, is on here. Now, I love Myers, but he has not had a great camp. He's not a lock to make this team. I'm not sure if he's dealing with injuries or not, but I'm not hearing much about him or from him at this point as I did a year ago. You can put that on having new quarterbacks to deal with maybe.

I'm really not sure. But I mean, he had a good rapport with Stidham last year, and that just hasn't happened. Sonny Michel is another guy. He's only here on this list right now for me because he's missed so much time. I like Sony. I think he's a fantastic running back and I think that he's going to do, uh, well this year. Uh, it really bugs me that people run down a guy who, who averages four yards of carry. Um, but that's what happens around here. He's only on this list because he hasn't been on the field enough to not be on it. And lastly, our good friend who I thought was going to be the biggest contributor this year and still could be, this is just because of a bad camp, and it's our good friend Justin Runnemucker.

When you get handed a job and you don't take it, that's bad. Healthy or not, he hasn't been consistent and that's hard to overlook. And lastly, and unfortunately, I'm putting him here as a, again, simply because we haven't seen much of him. In my opinion, this man is being hidden. Bill does not want to show him. He doesn't want anybody to know how good this kid is going to be, and it's Jeff Thomas. I love this signing, but he's missed a lot of time.

I can really see him as another guy who's going to be stashed on the practice squad and do some really spectacular things here in the future. But you've got to have him here in the loser's bracket. Yeah, I think it's hard to argue with the members that are on your list. I think we kind of, and I don't want to say we severely disagree on Sanu. I've liked what I've seen with him with route running, having a familiarity with Cam Newton. I think that makes him a little more valuable than a lot of other people would say. As far as his play on the field and as far as maybe the free pass that he might have

gotten regarding his ankle injury of not assimilating properly into the Patriots offense last year, I think you make a significant argument on that. And I think the argument can be made and should be made a little bit more that it wasn't all about the ankle last year, folks. There was a learning curve. There was simply a lack of lunging, going for the first down, making these plays that just was not in Muhammad's game last year. Now, maybe some of that was apprehension from, you know, the injury or what it did to him. There is something to be said for playing through that and putting yourself on the line when you know that you may not be at your best physically. You have to have that emotional

lift that's going to take you over the top and i don't think muhammad had that last year so i'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt with the jury being out on that one and saying that i think he'll be able to play through that but it is a legitimate concern uh and i i do understand where you're coming from on that uh roerwasser was definitely on the top of my list as well and and you know that's not to folks, that he won't be on the final roster on this team. Right now, if you're looking at consistency, I think Nick Folk has been the more consistent of the two. There's no question about that.

Folk made 86% of his kicks in training camp, those that were tracked, 18 of 21. Rohrwasser made 55, 12 of 22 in terms of his field goal attempts so the summer has been a struggle for uh you know the rookie he's looked woefully inaccurate at times I don't think there's anybody that can uh argue um on the opposite so is there like we talked about last week Murph is there an underlying reason for this is it injury related if it is could Justin Rohrwasser be an IR stash with a designation to return giving him a little bit more time to develop into the type of kicker that they saw they're not cutting him I just can't see the Patriots cutting loose a fifth round draft pick that they obviously saw something in a player that could

have been had at a number of different uh you know opportunities in the draft the patriots chose to start off uh you know the fifth round with a bang and take this kid they had to have seen something in him his ability to kick in elements uh his kind of ice water through the veins type of personality that he hasn't shown in training camp. But that doesn't mean it's not there, folks. And if you do need to start the season with Nick Folk, they could do a lot worse. I think Nick has done a very good job of being very consistent. He's even split the uprights on kicks that have tipped the 50-yard scale,

which is not his strong suit. So credit with Nick Folk for coming in and being that consistent presence there. But you have to count Roarwasser among those that have underwhelmed so far, simply because he just hasn't gone out and taken the job that he was handed after Steven Gostowski was released. One area that you didn't mention that I do want to get into a little bit is depth along the offensive line, particularly at the tackle position. And two guys that have underwhelmed for me have been Corey Cunningham and Yanni Kajust. These guys started off training camp saying that this was going to be a battle between the two of them

for Marcus Cannon's old spot to go in and be able to be that next right tackle that was going to provide stability on the offensive line. They've both been leapfrogged by Jermaine Illuminor. And look, nobody was talking about Illuminor before the 2020 season. A lot of people, myself included, thought he'd probably be a likely candidate for the chopping block. I was surprised last year that the Patriots gave up a fourth rounder and essentially didn't really play him all that much in 2019.

Illuminor is looking like that guy that the Patriots traded for. He's showing depth, he's showing the ability to cover, and he's showing the ability to stand toe-to-toe with some of these pass rushers. Now, he's been beat by some pass rushers in training camp. I think that's more of a positive on the Patriots' defense than it is an indictment on their offensive line. But look, Cunningham started out in training camp looking pretty good. He's been routinely beat in one-on-one drills.

This has been probably a very poor ending to camp for him. And I think it may spell the end of Corey Cunningham, you know, being in New England. I actually left him off of my most recent 53-man roster projection. And there was a reason for that. I just don't think he's done enough to be able to warrant a spot on this team when you've got hungry rookies like Justin Heron, even Michael Onwenu, that I think have outplayed him and deserving more of a roster spot than Corey Cunningham. And Kudus is someone that I don't think the Patriots are quite ready to give up on, but at the same time, of course, if I can learn how to say my R's and then actually be able to, you know,

pronunciate well, not wetty, ready folks. Yanni Kajusta, I think, can be someone that might find himself in roster jeopardy toward the middle part of this season if he doesn't come on. I still think there's a spark there, but he's been underwhelming for me as well. Not being able to stay on the field, nursing injuries. This is a guy that missed all of last year with injuries. He's got to prove that he can do it on the field. All the talent is there, but he's got to put it together in order to be able to do it.

It really is. Yeah. Last but certainly not least, who's been your biggest surprise in training camp? I know we've gone through winners and losers, bud, but I'm going to tip my hand toward the end of the week. So I'm just kind of getting your thought process in on this. Has there been anybody that has really stood out to you and say, wow, this has been just an absolute shock? I never expected this type of production or negatively. I never expected this player to fall flat on his face as he has. Who's been your

biggest surprise before I let you go today? It's really got to be, I have to go back to Damian Harris. I expected good things out of this kid, but not the glowing stuff that I've heard from everybody to this point. We saw what he could do in college. It was very good. It was definitely worthy of his pick. But to be uplifted by some of the people that are talking about him in the way that he is, no, I didn't see this coming at all. Yeah, I would probably say you're nearly right on the money for that. And again, folks, I'm not going to tip my hand. I'll be giving my thoughts on that position, my biggest surprise toward the end of the week.

But, of course, we want to start off the week with a bang, and I think Murph makes an interesting argument for a guy like Damian Harris, who's been a very pleasant surprise. And we're all about pleasantries here on Locked On Patriots. We want to kick off the week on a positive note and end on a positive note. And who knows, maybe we will do that, folks. But, Murph, you lend your wisdom and counsel like no other. That's why your family here at Locked On Patriots. And I thank you for coming on, lending your thoughts and feelings on who have been the

Patriots stars and who has underwhelmed so far in training camp. Folks, you should already be following this man. I'm fairly certain that most of you are. But just in case we have any new listeners, follow this man, I'm fairly certain that most of you are, but just in case we have any new listeners, follow this man, the Count of Murphy Fisto on Twitter, at TeamMurph207. The columns, including his monster keys, they are always point, click, and learn material. We're getting fairly close to that, folks. Two weeks, just under two weeks to the start of the Patriots regular season against the Miami Dolphins. Going to be great, and I look forward to those keys like you can't imagine.

Of course, Murph's work is always proudly found on diehardbostonsportsfans.com. And of course, folks, never miss an episode of One Patriot's Place with this great man and our great mutual friend Steve Balistrieri. Buddy, what can I say? Thank you again. Honored and humbled, as always, by your presence. Always my pleasure, man. Always my pleasure. I've really come to like batting leadoff. I don't know why. I've been a cleanup hitter my entire life, but no, man, I'm digging this.

Absolutely. And you know what? It's always starting the week off on the right foot here. Mondays with Murph. I like the alliteration. It's a Murph Monday here on Locked On Patriots, and we love it. Of course, I've been dubbed the Admiral of Alliteration by our good friend Clazzy Clare, Clare L. Cooper, over in West Midlands in the UK. I love the nickname, and I'm going to keep giving her

credit for it because it was great. What can I say, buddy? Thank you so much. We look forward to having you back here next week on Locked On Patriots. And judging by the fact that roster cutdowns are scheduled to occur on September 5th, we may have something to open the week next week and have some interesting discussions. And we'll talk about whether or not we were right or wrong on today's pod, my friend. But until then, stay safe, stay well.

And I thank you for joining me today, buddy. Anytime, bud. Anytime. Thank you again for having me. Anytime. Pleasure is always all mine. And so, Patriots fans, I hope you have enjoyed another Murph Monday here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. I always enjoy sharing the microphone with my good buddy,

especially when we have the opportunity to talk anything and everything related to Patriots training camp and their attempts to build a roster for the upcoming 2020 season. But as Michael Corleone once said, there are still a lot of things being negotiated that will solve all your problems and answer all your questions. And here on the Locked On Patriots podcast, we'll continue to bring you those each and every day. So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, please be sure to follow us on Spotify, subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts,

download and listen to Locked on Patriots wherever you get your podcasts. Once again, I'm Mike DeBate. I thank Thomas Murphy 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 staying locked into Locked on Patriots. Stay safe, Stay well. Always continue to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.