Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Special Edition: MidWeek Mailbag: Patriots QBs, Gilmore’s Fate and More — 2/13/2021

Episode Date: February 14, 2021

Today, host Mike D’Abate opens the MidWeek Mailbag on Locked On Patriots. Among the topics discussed are the future of cornerback Stephon Gilmore in Foxboro, whether the team will exercise the fifth-year options on LT Isaiah Wynn and RB Sony Michel, the Patriots quarterback conundrum in 2021, and the final word on the “Brady-Belichick” system argument.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. EchelonGo to EchelonFit.com/LockedOn and try any Echelon Fitness equipment at home for 30 days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Foxborough faithful, this is Mike DeBate, host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, and I hope that you are all having a great weekend. As you know, Locked On Patriots always brings you your daily dose of news, notes, and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your New England Patriots. But Locked On Patriots daily schedule is usually Monday through Friday. Well, earlier this week on Wednesday, the gods of both time and technology were not exactly kind to me. We were supposed to take a deep dive together into the Lockdown Patriots midweek mailbag,

but unfortunately we were unable to air the show as scheduled on Wednesday, February 10th. But because all of you who submitted questions for this week's midweek mailbag did such an amazing job, the pod that was originally supposed to drop on Wednesday has now become a weekend special edition of Locked On Patriots. As I like to say during the week, folks, sit tight, settle in, as I do my best to address your questions, your comments, and your feedback. So without further ado, let's hop into that Belichickian time machine, set the time circuits to Wednesday, February 10th, 2021,

and let's take a deep weekend dive into the Locked On Patriots Midweek Mailbag. Your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your team, every day. hello to all of you foxborough faithful you are now locked into the locked on patriots podcast wednesday february 10th 2021 and it's time to open up the midweek mailbag right 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. Today's episode of Lockdown Patriots is brought to you by rockauto.com.

Amazing selection, reliably low prices, all the parts your car will ever need. Visit rockauto.com and tell them Lockdown sent you. Happy hump day, Patriots Nation! We have reached that midway point in your work week, and thank you for joining me here today on the pod. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots Podcast, which

of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, comments, and feedback are always welcomed. Very much appreciated. Share that feedback, send it to the internet by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there doing some Wednesday wandering through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Lockdown Patriots account as well at LO underscore

Patriots. Pats Nation, I've said it before and I'll say it again. One of my favorite things about hosting this podcast is getting an opportunity to open up the midweek mailbag. Once again, you, the great listeners of Locked On Patriots, have outdone yourselves. Some amazing questions, a large amount of questions for the mailbag this week, far too many for me to answer them all in the time allotted, but here today on the pod I've done my best to incorporate as many of your great questions as possible.

And again, you all continue to amaze me. You've really left no stone unturned, from questions on the kicking position, to the status of linebacker and special teamer Brandon King, the fifth-year option on a couple of Pat's former first-round picks, Sonny Michel and Isaiah Wynn. The Pat's free agency options if they lose either Joe Tooney or David Andrews, or hopefully not both, but you'd like to know who could possibly replace them,

and that's an excellent question. The status of Stephon Gilmore and whether or not the Patriots may sign him to an extension, lowering his cap number a bit. Last but certainly not least, you guys have a lot of questions on quarterbacks, and we will get to those. What the Patriots might do with the number 15 pick, whether they would entertain the idea of signing a secondary free agent and having that free agent bridge the gap between the quarterback of the present and the quarterback of the future.

And last but certainly not least, even though Tom Brady is down in Tampa on his $2 million boat, celebrating the Buccaneers' Super Bowl 55 win, his own boat in the boat parade, another reason why he's the GOAT. Only Tom Brady, folks, could take his own boat to a boat parade. And before any of you start hopping on me, I mean that as a compliment to Tom. But seeing as Brady is still in the news, before we can completely leave him in the rearview mirror, that is until we preview Pat's Buccaneers coming up in 2021, we will talk the system argument.

Did the system make Tom Brady, or did Tom Brady make the system? There really isn't a great answer to that question, folks, but I've done the best I can to answer it. So as you can see, a true plethora of questions for me to answer today on this Midweek Mailbag episode. I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for taking time out of your busy schedules to submit a question. Here today, as I always do when I open up the Midweek Mailbag, I will answer these questions to the best of my ability and I hope to the level of satisfaction you're all hoping for. And before we take a deep dive into that midweek mailbag, we'll start today with a news slash note

of the day. And believe it or not, this question actually ties quite nicely into one of the questions I received in the midweek mailbag. So for any of you paying attention to social media, and I know the vast majority of you listening to this podcast are pretty much glued to it, at least for each and every waking hour. You may have noticed that a couple of days ago, Bats quarterback and 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, Stephon Gilmore, suddenly had disappeared from social media. In fact, it looked like he had deleted his platform.

Now, for most people, this is not a big deal. Sometimes you'll deactivate your social media account, you just need a break, or maybe you just get frustrated with something that you've seen, and rather than respond or do something you'll regret, you decide to deactivate for a little while. Totally understandable, right? Well, not when you're in the public eye, especially when you're the subject of some trade rumors, or there's a great deal of speculation about your future, especially if you're an athlete, an athlete in Foxborough. So a lot of people started wondering whether or not this was a precursor to Stefan getting traded,

or whether he was frustrated with the Pats and some ongoing negotiations, possibly in a contract extension, all kinds of rumors swirling around. Well, today, much to the delight of Patriots Nation, Stefan Gilmore returned to social media, particularly to Twitter. He tweeted out the following just a little before noontime Eastern, saying, quote, If I didn't sacrifice, I wouldn't be where I'm at now. So I'm going to keep sacrificing. And he ended the tweet with the 100 emoji.

Now, before we get into full-on speculation mode, that tweet could mean a lot of things, folks. I'm not going to get into it right now about what I believe Stefan was trying to say, the message he was trying to convey, any hidden messages, any cryptic shots on anyone. I'm going to take it at face value. Stefan Gilmore knows better than anyone that to win, you have to sacrifice. That means sacrificing your body for extra workouts. That means sacrificing time to yourself to put the work in to be able to compete. That means studying, working out, engaging with teammates, that kind of stuff. I think that's the sacrifice that Stephon Gilmore was getting at. Some may look at this tweet and say, well, this means that he's going to sign an extension

and he's going to be back in New England. In fact, that was actually one of the questions that was submitted for today's midweek mailbag by one of Lockdown Patriots' most beloved supporters, the golden heart from the Garden State, Starra at Keto Jersey Girl. And Starra's question was, do you think that the Patriots will rework Stephon Gilmore's contract to give him a pay raise

more in line with other elite cornerbacks, or do you see him being sent to the trading block in the offseason? And for the record, Starra submitted this question before Stephon Gilmore made his triumphant return to social media, so maybe a little bit of a soothsayer skill in your future. I'm just saying, Starra. But even if Stephon didn't make his grand return to the Twitterverse today, this would

have still been an excellent question. My personal feeling is that the Patriots will get something done with Stephon. I do think it will be a contract extension. I do think it will be a contract extension. I do think it will be a pay raise. I do think it will lessen his cap hit for 2021. Otherwise, the Patriots have no reason to do it. Don't forget, he's still under contract for 2021, so the Patriots do have control over Stefan Gilmore. They can put him on the trading block, or they can have him play at the existing cap hit, which right now, according to

my good friend, the Wizard of Benzahn himself, Stefan Gilmar is scheduled to have a roster cap hit in 2021 of approximately $16.3 million. Exactly, according to Miguel's calculations, $16,264,584. Even if the Pats didn't do a thing with Stephon's contract, they can absorb that type of a cap hit. For the first time in recent memory, the Patriots have quite a large cap cushion to work with this year. That doesn't mean that they're not going to try to maximize it. In my opinion, working out an extension with Stephon Gilmore is a smart way to do it. It keeps him on the roster for at least one more year at a much more reasonable price, allowing him to mentor and be able to work with someone like J.C. Jackson,

who, incidentally, I also believe will be back in 2021. But we saw what the Patriots looked like on the field without Stephon Gilmore last year. It wasn't necessarily a pretty sight at times. J.C. Jackson can become a number one cornerback in this league. He's got the talent, he's got the know-how, and he has the determination. The one thing he doesn't have right now is the seasoning, the preparation, and that's where a guy like Stephon Gilmore comes in and really provides the stability in that secondary that the Patriots are going to need. If the Patriots structure this deal properly, then in my opinion, it's a no-brainer. Now from Stephon's side, this is going to have to be worth his while.

We heard some unconfirmed, and I stress the word unconfirmed, rumblings last year that Stefan Gilmore may have been a little unhappy with his contract, that that might have had something to do with his absence during training camp. Neither side has really had much definitively to say on the subject, and for the most part, Stefan's camp has pretty much all but come right out and bluntly debunked those stories. But make no mistake, Stefan Gilmore knows his worth. He should know his worth. In my opinion, the guy is still the best cornerback in the NFL.

And he knows that he does not have to grovel to any team, including the New England Patriots, to accept pennies on the dollar. That being said, he's coming off of an injury. He's on the wrong side of 30. And in a lot of ways, that could lessen his value on the open market. Bottom line, as valuable as Stephon Gilmore can be to a lot of other franchises in this league, I believe that he is most valuable to the New England Patriots. That's why I feel that the Pats and Stephon will sit down, work this out, get a contract extension done, and I don't think

you're going to see Stephon Gilmore on the trade block this year. Of course, if negotiations don't go so well, or if Stefan feels like he's being undervalued, or if the Patriots feel that Stefan may be overstating his worth a little bit, then anything and everything is possible. He's a hot commodity, and the Patriots would not be above trying to trade him to see what they can bring back. From those that I talk to within the organization, I don't believe that will happen, but it's definitely not impossible. So, Star, thank you for submitting the question and kicking off this midweek mailbag episode of Locked On Patriots today.

It's a great question. I always love talking about Stephon Gilmore, one of my favorite subjects to talk about here on the pod. But fear not, folks, because we had plenty of great questions and plenty of great topics to discuss. Because after all, it's hump day, Foxborough faithful, and we're ready to break open the midweek mailbag when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, we're covering everything you need to know about the New England Patriots, but what about the rest of sports? Now, the Locked On Podcast Network has you covered there as well with Locked On Today.

It's hosted by the great Peter Pekowski, and it's all the sports news you need every morning in under 20 minutes. Subscribe to the Locked On Today Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Pats fans, with today being Wednesday, the midway point in your work week, it is the perfect time to reopen the Locked On Patriots Midweek Mailbag. And as I said to open the show today, the cross-section of topics that you all selected to submit as questions for today's Midweek Mailbag, really impressive. You really hit on some great topics, a lot of things that aren't talked about readily

throughout Pat's Media, so I appreciate the opportunity to answer some of these great questions for you today. And without further ado, we'll get right to it. And our first question today comes from Patriots Daily, found on Twitter at Patriots Daily 3, number 3. And the question reads, Hi Mike, love the podcast. Thank you so much, Patriots Daily. Really means a lot to me, and I sincerely mean that. But Patriots Daily wants to know, do you think the Patriots will exercise the fifth-year options of Isaiah Wynn and Sonny Michel? His guess is no on both, but he'd like to know my opinion. Well, I think you're going to find that we're pretty much

like-minded, but maybe not 100% like-minded. And as the great Don would say, I will give you my reasons. First, a little background for those of you that might not know what the fifth-year tender is. After a team picks a player in the first round of the NFL draft, if they sign him to a four-year contract, then the team has to make a decision following their third year in the league. They can either exercise that fifth-year option and add one more year to the deal with a significantly increased salary, but one that is still below top market value, or they could decline it, make the player an unrestricted free agent following year four and of course as Patriots Daily pointed out the New England Patriots have two players in this position this year left tackle Isaiah Wynn and running back Sonny Michel on the surface each of these players has

their ups and downs Wynn has looked like a quality left tackle when he's healthy and he's engaged but Wynn's biggest problem has been staying healthy. We all remember the Achilles injury during the 2018 preseason, spent his entire rookie year on injured reserve, returned in 2019 as the Patriots starting left tackle. Again, he had to miss time on IR after hurting his toe in week two. He did return, ended up playing eight games in 2019. When he was on the field, he was very good. 2020, he ended up playing 10 games. But again When he was on the field, he was very good. 2020,

he ended up playing 10 games, but again, he spent time on IR with a knee injury. As for Sony, he's had his share of struggles with injuries as well. Maybe not quite as bad as what Isaiah Wynn has had, but two separate knee issues have forced him to sit out games in 2018, 2019, and even again in 2020, where he only played 9 out of a possible 16 games. There are times, clearly, when Sonny Michel has shown flashes of talent. He's proven that he can be a big game back. His performance in the 2018 postseason was one of the big reasons why the Patriots had so much success that year.

His 2019 campaign, definitely forgettable. Injuries were a big part of that. Playing with a lack of confidence was another big part of that as well. In 2020, it looked like he had completely relinquished control of the top back status in the Patriots to Damian Harris. I still believe that's the case. But when Damian Harris was out, particularly toward the end of the season, Sonny Michel ran with a purpose, he ran with a power, and he ran with much more authority than he had even just earlier in the 2020 season. So really, it's sort of the same type of story with both of these guys. Tremendous upside, tremendous talent when they're on the field, just can't seem to put

it all together because of injuries. Ultimately, Patriots Daily, I think that's why you believe that the Patriots won't pick up either option. I agree with you on Sonny Michel, and I know that's going to surprise some of our longtime listeners here who have heard me sing the praises of Sonny Michel day in and day out. I'm still a big fan of what Sonny can do on the field, but because of the prowess of Damian Harris, because I still think the Patriots see a lot in J.J. Taylor, and the fact that they're so stacked at the running back position, I think they might have some difficulty justifying, at least in their own head, why they would give Sonny Michel a big-time raise.

If they choose to make him an unrestricted free agent, I just can't see Sonny having the type of year that would lead him to that top-back status and command the type of deal on the open market that he wouldn't be able to find with the Patriots if he wanted to resign for another couple of years. On the other hand, Wynn's a little more tricky, and I know he's had his health problems, there's no question about it, and each of the last three years, he's missed significant time. That's not going to do a lot to instill confidence in the Patriots front office,

but left tackles are so hard to come by, especially good ones, and when Isaiah Wynn is on the field, he's a very good left tackle. He can provide protection, he has good range, he's got smart footwork, and he's done a very good job of providing protection. I'm still not completely sold that the Patriots are going to pick up this option on Isaiah Wynn, but I would say it's more likely that they pick up the fifth-year option on Wynn, more so than Michel, because I think the Patriots are in line to lose Joe Tooney, more on him in a minute, folks. And the Patriots will need as much continuity along that offensive line as possible.

That's why it's probably worth it to bring back Isaiah Wynn, even at an elevated salary, to maintain the continuity. The only way that I think they decline that option is if they learn something between now and the deadline about his injuries being a lot worse than we had originally thought. So Patriots Daily, excellent question. Hope I was able to answer it to your satisfaction. And thank you very much for all of your support of Locked On Patriots. And staying on the subject of offensive linemen for just a moment, that leads us quite nicely

into our next question from another good friend of the program, our man Joel from Hull at Joel Shapiro20. And Joel wants to know, who do I feel could replace Joe Tooney and David Andrews in free agency if they decide to leave? That's a painful question for me to answer, Joel. It's a very good one, and thank you for it, by the way. But I really don't want to entertain the idea of losing both Joe Tooney and David Andrews. It's a lot to lose on that offensive line, especially if the Patriots are going to have a new quarterback.

More on that in a moment, folks. But the more information that we see on Joe Tooney seems to indicate that he's played his final game in New England. Bottom line, these two sides have had a long time to put together an extension, and they haven't agreed to a deal yet. Right now, it just feels like the Patriots are looking at the depth on their offensive line, whether it be with Michael Awenu or Justin Heron, and ultimately thinking that

tagging Joe Tooney, or keeping him under salary, or tagging him just to trade him is probably not worth their while. Therefore, I do think the Patriots let Joe Tooney walk. Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that his replacement is going to be found on the free agency front, Joel. Actually, I think that's just the opposite. When you look at the guards that are available right now in free agency, if he does, in fact, hit unrestricted free agency, I think Joe Tooney is the best guard available.

A very close second is Brandon Scherf of the Washington football team. They're going to run about the same amount of money, and I don't expect the Patriots to let Tooney go and then sign Scherf to a huge deal. What you're probably looking at is maybe someone in the $5-4 million range if the Patriots chose to utilize some of their cap space and go out and sign a guard. Lane Taylor of the Green Bay Packers is available. John Miller of the Carolina Panthers is available.

Austin Blythe of the Rams could be had. Brian Winters and John Feliciano of the Buffalo Bills are out there as well. So there are some names, but no one that I would consider a like-for-like or maybe even adequate replacement for someone like Joe Tooney. In that regard, I think you're going to see Michael Wainu return to his natural position as a guard. He really did a great job at the tackle position this year, filling in for Marcus Cannon, but ultimately, Michael Wainu is an excellent guard, and I think he can slot right in next

to Isaiah Wynn and form a very formidable left side of that Patriots offensive line. I know you asked about David Andrews, Joel, and quite honestly, I don't see the Patriots letting him walk away. David is the heart and soul of this offensive line. He's one of the team's captains. He's going to command a little bit of money, but he's going to be well worth it. If the Patriots were to let him walk, again, there are some high-priced options that are out there. With Mike Pouncey's retirement announcement, right now Alex Mack of the Atlanta Falcons is the biggest name out there. Corey Lindsley of the Green Bay Packers.

Matt Skura of the Baltimore Ravens. One name to watch, though, and keep a sharp eye on this one, is Ted Karras of the Miami Dolphins. He's set to become an unrestricted free agent. And don't forget, played center here in 2019 for the Pats. Did a pretty good job. If, in fact, David Andrews hits unrestricted free agency and he's overwhelmed

by an offer, the Pats might think about maybe calling Ted Karras. I'm not saying it's possible, I'm not even saying Ted would be willing to come back, but it's definitely an option. Bottom line, Joel, I don't see anybody coming in here and being able to immediately fill the shoes of either Tooney or Andrews. Ueno, I think, is going to do a fairly good job of returning to the guard position. I do believe that's where he'll slot in in 2021 after Joe Tooney's departure from New England becomes official. And ultimately, I think the team does what they can to bring back David Andrews for at least one or two more years.

So, Joel, once again, thank you for the great question. Thanks again for your amazing support of Locked On Patriots. And I hope that gave you a little more insight as to my thoughts on what the Patriots might do with both Joe Tooney and David Andrews. But another longtime Patriots stalwart might be on his way out of Foxborough as well in this offseason, and that is special teamer and Patriots linebacker Brandon King. Our next question comes from a colleague of mine at Full Press Coverage Patriots. He is Luke O'Brien at Luke O'Brien NFL. And Luke wants to know, do you think that after missing most of the last two seasons that Brandon King comes back? Luke, this is an excellent question. And logistically, Brandon King is such a valuable member of this New England Patriots team.

He has tremendous special teams value more so than anything else. Even having missed all of the 2019 and all of the 2020 season, he's still one of the more experienced kicking game players on New England's roster. Has a total of 1,307 special team snaps on his combined regular season and playoff resume. When he's healthy, he's one of the most valuable members of the Patriots kickoff and punt coverage units and also a member of the two return units. He's also seen some occasional but inconsistent action both on field goal and extra point block units. He does have some versatility on defense. He can be capable of playing both the linebacker and the safety position, but really his contributions are on special teams. As much as I love Brandon King and I would love for the Patriots to find a way to keep

him on the roster, I see them going their separate ways with him this year. The Pats have a lot of special teams prowess, especially if they want to re-sign cornerback Justin Bethel. Assuming Matthew Slater is returning and not retiring, they'll have Slater, they'll have Bethel, they have Adrian Phillips. Brandon Bolden will be returning. The Pats may want to take another one-year flyer on Cody Davis. They have a lot of bodies and special teams right now that even Brandon King, as valuable as he is, simply doesn't carry the same weight that he may have carried one or even two years ago. For that reason, because of all the problems he's had health-wise, I think the Patriots may

move on from him in the offseason. But again, I could be wrong. He is a favorite of Bill Belichick. He is a very good special teamer. And if in fact they lose a guy like Bethel, or if Matthew Slater does indeed retire, or if they don't re-sign someone like Cody Davis, they may need special teams bodies. If that's the case, and King is healthy, don't be shocked to see him be back in New England. I'm just saying, in my opinion, I don't believe it's likely. Excellent question, Luke. Thank you very much. Not a lot of people talk about Brandon King,

but I'm glad that you brought him up. Another very good personnel question comes from another good friend of the program, John at Belfast Pats Fan. And John wants to know what my thoughts are on the kicker position. He said he knows that Miguel, the Pats cat, who incidentally is going to be my guest tomorrow here on Locked On Patriots, has mentioned Nick Folk possibly as a candidate to be tagged.

Well, John, seeing as Miguel is going to be my guest tomorrow, I'll let him answer that question about Nick Folk possibly being tagged and what it means for the Patriots salary cap. But John also wants to know whether either of the kickers on the roster, meaning Justin Rohrwasser or Roberto Aguayo, could possibly make it a competition for the job this offseason. John, this is a really good question, and considering the season that Nick Falk had this year, I don't think the Patriots are going to be able to retain his services if he hits the open market.

We've seen that kickers are badly needed throughout the league and are on a premium. Nick Folk showed that he can be reliable, he's got the poise, he's got the distance, and ultimately that should land him a pretty good deal. If the Patriots want to keep him, they're going to need to tag him. If they don't tag him, they do have two options on the practice squad right now. The first option is a name that most Patriots fans know. Their fifth round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, and that's Justin Rohrwasser out of Marshall. Now, most people, myself included, believe that when the Patriots used a fifth round pick

to draft a kicker, that he would indeed inherit the kicking duties this year in 2020. That didn't happen, though. We started to hear reports during preseason about Rohrwasser missing kicks, about possible injuries, a lot of different theories floating around as to why he didn't end up being the guy.

Nick Falk came in, he was signed, and handled the duties for the entirety of the season. Rohrwasser definitely has the mettle to be able to kick in bad conditions. We've seen him do it at Marshall. He doesn't appear to be a guy who's easily rattled or buckles under the pressure. The team was very tight-lipped about his health, so I don't know for sure about whether or not injuries took their toll or if it was simply just rookie nerves. What I do know is that the Pats did use a fifth-round pick on him, and eventually they're going to have to see what the kid can do. As for Roberto Aguayo, the Patriots signed him to the practice squad in the offseason. He's played 16 games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He's made 22 out of 31 field goals.

He's made 32 out of 34 extra points. He was signed to a futures deal, so there's not a lot of risk with this deal, but a lot of reward if Aguayo can somehow turn some heads. I happen to think that he's here just for insurance to make sure that the Patriots are not without a kicker. We all remember what happened in 2019 when Steven Kostowski went down. It really took them a while before they landed on Nick Folk to handle the duties for the rest of the season. I don't think the Patriots want to be in that position again and Aguayo make sure that they have someone on staff that can handle the load. Ultimately, if I'm the GM of the New England

Patriots, I tag Nick Folk, I keep Justin Rohrwasser on the practice squad, and probably look at Roberto Aguayo as someone that's expendable. But the fact that the Patriots do have two kickers on staff right now and are thinking about tagging Nick Folk as the third might tell you something about Justin Rohrwasser. I'm not saying, I'm just saying. So John, once again, thank you for the great question and a lot of great questions in this segment today regarding Patriots personnel. But one thing we haven't talked a whole lot about is the quarterback position.

And you guys flooded the midweek mailbag with quarterback questions. In just a moment, I will try to answer some of those questions by combining your thoughts into a pretty delicious quarterback stew. And I'll also give you my thoughts on the system argument when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, Locked On listeners,

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code LOCKEDON. BetOnline, your online sportsbook experts. Pats fans, Wednesdays on Locked On NFL take a dive into the future of your favorite NFL franchises. Tony Wiggins and James Rapian are joined every week by a Locked On draft expert to talk prospects in the upcoming draft and young NFL players fresh in the league. Did your team have a big rookie performance? Or are they shaping up to have a premier draft pick in the 2021 NFL draft?

Get everything you need Wednesdays on Locked on NFL. Subscribe to Locked on NFL wherever you get your podcasts. Pats fans, here on the pod, we continue to take a dive into the midweek mailbag. And as you've probably deduced, a lot of questions that were submitted for this week surrounded the quarterback position. I know in the last segment, we did a lot of personnel questions. Offensive line, running backs, kickers, special teamers. I always enjoy talking about those topics, but ultimately, you all want to know who's

going to be the signal caller here in New England in 2021. And all of you out there submitted some great questions on the subject. Our band Rich, aka Bruins Cup Quest 2021, at RichG6567, wanted to know if the Patriots might be willing to take a quarterback in the first round, or if they're going to draft at a lower tier and bring in a veteran free agent. Zach G. at ZGoodie34 had a great question and asked whether Bill would swing for the fences with the pursuit of a guy like Deshaun Watson or even Dak Prescott. If not, could I put on the GM hat for a moment

and walk through a high-level ideal tier two free agent or trade scenarios as it relates to quarterback? Even my good friend and full press colleague, Kevin Tame Jr. at Kevin underscore Tame, wanted to know with so much talk about who the Patriots might draft at quarterback or wide receiver, wouldn't it be so Bill Belichick to fool us all and draft a defensive player in the first round?

Well, Kevin, I'll give you a little hint. I think you might be on to something there. I've said this a few times on the pod. When Murph has been my guest here on Locked On Patriots, as well as Steve Balistrieri, we've talked about the possibility of the Patriots drafting defensively in the first round. If the Patriots hold on to that number 15 pick. I do think it's going to be a defensive guy, and I'll get into that as the week progresses.

But Kevin, I know you're wondering about the quarterback position. And again, you're not the only one. B.O. at Brian underscore OC100 has some quarterback questions of his own, and he wants to know whether the New England media should push the trade narrative on what quarterback plays here next year, whether it be Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers, or Seattle's Russell Wilson, or Houston's Deshaun Watson, or Jacksonville's number one pick Trevor Lawrence.

Last but certainly not least, the countess of Klaas herself, Claire Klaasie Claire Cooper, wanted to know whether or not the Patriots would be drafting their signal caller for 2021, and whether that would be Alabama's Mac Jones. Bottom line, everybody, you all asked great questions and made great points. Here are my thoughts on the Patriots quarterback situation coming up for 2021. I can say with a pretty good degree of certainty, not 100% certainty, but a pretty good degree of certainty, based on those who I've talked to close to the organization, that a blockbuster deal for a top flight quarterback like a Deshaun

Watson or a Dak Prescott, Carson Wentz, Derek Carr, all of those options I believe are relatively off the table for the New England Patriots. The asking prices of the teams that are trading these quarterbacks are likely going to be too high, and the suitors that they have are likely going to be able to offer better packages than what the New England Patriots have. Bottom line, it's not that Bill is cheap, it's not that he doesn't want to go the extra mile. Simply put, even though the Patriots' cabinet is a little more stocked than it has been recently, meaning cap space, draft capital, NFL-ready players, they still don't have the

packages that a lot of these other teams have to put together that can pry a blockbuster quarterback away from the franchise that currently holds his rights. That would mean that the Patriots either have to look to free agency for a lesser name, or like Claire said, they could look to the draft for a guy like Mac Jones or maybe someone else, or they would go with their in-house options, meaning Jarrett Stidham or re-signing Cam Newton. I know that's not popular amongst the fan base right now, but in my opinion, I think the Patriots may end up going more in-house than outside the organization to find their signal caller in 2021. If the Pats

were to go the free agent route or maybe even a trade route, it would probably be for a quarterback that's right now considered top tier. I'm talking guys like Ryan Fitzpatrick, Marcus Mariota, maybe giving the Jacksonville Jaguars a call and inquiring about Gardner Minshew. These are players that I could see the Patriots taking a flyer on. And before you roll your eyes, these aren't exactly bad options for the New England Patriots. Especially if these players are interested in short-term deals, prove it deals to come in here and prove that they can play. The Pats do have a great deal of cap space to work with, and if they invest some of that

at the offensive skill positions, then maybe we're talking a more improved offense than what we saw in 2020. Bottom line, as much as some of the fanbase may not want to hear this, Cam Newton returning to quarterback this team in 2021 is possible, but it might not be the worst thing either. Still, if I'm being 100% honest and I put my GM hat on, I wouldn't bring Cam back for one more season. And this is coming from someone right here on these airwaves that sang Cam Newton's praises all season long. I was thoroughly impressed with Cam's accountability, his work ethic, his leadership skills, and the camaraderie he developed with each and every member of that locker room.

Cam is really a great guy, and I root hard for him every day to succeed, no matter where he ends up. I do have some questions about his throwing mechanics. And I could be proven wrong. He might come into training camp having really worked hard, spent some time with Josh McDaniels, really having immersed himself into OTAs, minicamp, training camp, hopefully preseason games, maybe that helps. And again, like I said before, maybe bringing in some offensive skill position players might

help him to succeed as well. The only problem that I have with Cam right now is, again, his throwing mechanics. I've seen him skip passes. I've seen him throw passes at receivers' feet. I've seen him hold onto the ball a little bit too much. Based on that assumption, I think it might be a better move for the New England Patriots to move on, even if it's just going to be for a year. I fully understand the argument about bringing someone back and knowing the commodity that you have, as opposed to going with a

commodity that you don't know. Like I said, I'm purely going off of what I saw in 2020, and the negatives I saw outweighed the positives. But I caution you, that's what I would do. What I think the New England Patriots will do is a completely different circumstance. And I believe that all things considered, if the Patriots are not able to hit a home run and get their quarterback of the future here in New England, meaning either a big name free agent or trade target or a top ofof-the-line draft prospect, then I think the Patriots are more apt to go with what they have as opposed to what they don't. So that being said, do not be surprised to see Cam Newton quarterbacking the New England

Patriots once again in 2021. Not saying it's going to happen, folks. I'm just saying don't be surprised if it does happen. And at the end of the day, maybe it's not the worst thing in the world after all. So folks, thank you all for the great questions on the quarterback position. That's my two cents. We'll see what the New England Patriots have in store. But one thing is for sure, that quarterback decision is going to help to shape the entire

offseason, and there's no doubt that it will be a very important factor in the Patriots 2021 outlook, and maybe even beyond. It's almost time to close up the midweek mailbag here on Locked On Patriots, but not before one more question. And this question comes from Josh Brown at TheHorntail on Twitter. And Josh's question states, it has been said that Brady thrived because of, quote unquote, the system. But in actuality, did the system thrive because of Brady?

Josh, after watching Tom Brady hoist the seventh Lombardi trophy earlier this week, this has been the question of the week in the NFL. Who's more responsible for the Patriots' dynasty? Is it Tom or is it Bill? Who created the Patriot way? And let's face it, this argument was really inevitable. So many media pundits were far too happy to turn this week into a Bill Belichick versus Tom Brady debate. Tom goes to the Super Bowl, wins it.

Bill Belichick and the Patriots missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008. The Sharks were circling and there was blood in the water. I've been very vocal here on Locked on Patriots several times about saying that the virtue lies in the middle in this debate. Bottom line, it's my assessment that Bill Belichick and Tom Brady coming together was the reason why the Patriot Way was so successful for over two decades here in New England. Wouldn't have worked without Bill, it wouldn't have worked without Tom. And I know your television talking heads, your radio personalities, media members, what have you, are going to have all kinds of theories on who is responsible for the Patriot Way. Well, I always say consider the source, and to me there's no more valid source

than someone who was in the actual New England Patriots locker room, someone who played with Tom Brady, and someone who was coached by Bill Belichick. Earlier this week, Willie McGinnis had a lot to say on the Patriot Way, and Willie is always candid and brutally honest in his response, and he basically said that the Patriot Way was really a blending of three different philosophies. Owner Robert Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick, quarterback Tom Brady, all of them coming together for a common goal. Willie said that Belichick and Kraft really had the Patriot way in mind

even when the team went 5-11, the season before Tom Brady took the reins here in New England. It was really team concept over individualism, preparation, the coaching staff wanting mentally tough players, the type of character guys that wanted to come here and play in that environment, players that could do multiple things, play multiple positions. This was the concept that they both envisioned. The reason why it worked so well for so long is because the best and most high-profile player on the team bought into it, accepted it, and lived it.

He embodied it every day he put on shoulder pads and cleats, and that's Tom Brady. We all know from former players commenting to the various exposés that are out there on the Patriots' dynasty that Bill Belichick and Tom Brady had a contestuous relationship at times. Bill was not afraid to call out his star quarterback in practice or in team meetings. That may sound like something that all head coaches do, but believe me, it's a lot more rare in the NFL, especially today, than you may think it is. A player has to be willing to accept that type of criticism. They have to be willing to accept the fact that they're simply just one of the guys, one member of a 53-man roster. Tom Brady never questioned that.

He never looked at himself as being above coaches' criticism. And at times, I'm sure he knew that he was being made an example of by Bill Belichick. But Tom Brady knew that the only way for his teammates to buy into it was to show them that in New England, it was all about the team concept. And it wasn't just about taking coaching abuse. It was about being the first out onto the practice fields, putting in the work, putting in the time, watching film, being extra physical. These have all been staples of the quote-unquote Patriot way, and a lot of people in social media and even on other sports teams have labeled the Patriots puritanical, or said that playing in New England is quote-unquote no fun. Well, all I have to do is point you to Brandon Cook's comments from last week, where Brandon said he loved playing in New England, and that his time playing here was fun,

and that if you didn't find it fun, well, then maybe you don't like winning. The players that lasted in this locker room here in Foxborough are the ones that bought into that concept. It started with the team mission that was set forth by Robert Kraft. It continued with the guidelines that were set out by head coach Bill Belichick, and it was embodied by the example that Tom Brady set. As for who would have thrived more on his own, I still think the jury is out on that one, even though Tom won the Super Bowl this year in Tampa Bay.

You have to remember that Bill and the Patriots were hit very hard by COVID opt-outs, uncertainty at a lot of key positions, and the fact that it's a lot harder to restock and rebuild a team than it is to go to a team that already has a lot in the cupboard. That being said, I'm not taking away from what Tom did down in Tampa this year. The job that he did as the quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 was simply amazing. He's the greatest of all time, and it's not even a debate any longer. But to say that Tom would have been exactly the same quarterback with exactly the same amount of success if he hadn't played in New England under Bill Belichick,

I think is a bit disingenuous, and I think Tom would be the first to agree with that. The guidance and the coaching style of Bill Belichick brought out the best in Tom Brady, and the skill and the football IQ that Tom Brady brought to the table brought out the best in Bill Belichick. Bottom line, there's no doubt in my mind that both Tom Brady and Bill Belichick would have been very successful in and of themselves if neither of their careers had ever crossed paths. But the fact that Tom Brady had Bill Belichick as a head coach, and the fact that Bill Belichick had Tom Brady as his quarterback, allowed both of them to ascend to the level that they

are right now. The greatest coach in NFL history, and the greatest quarterback in NFL history. That to me is what defines the Patriot way. So to answer your question, Josh, I think Brady benefited as much from the system as the system benefited from him. I think Belichick benefited as much from the system as the system did from him. And at the end of the day, I agree with Willie McGinnis on this one. Each of those three entities, Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick,

and Tom Brady, deserve an equal third of the credit that it took to set the example of the Patriot way, and ultimately, each and every New England Patriot that ever put on that uniform and bought into this concept is just as responsible for making it succeed as any one of those three guys. And Josh, on that note, we will close up today's midweek mailbag, and I thank you for submitting that great question. I thank you all for submitting your great questions. And perhaps most of all, I thank all of you, the great listeners of Locked On Patriots,

for being so patient this week while the Locked On Patriots midweek mailbag worked its way through some technical difficulties to become a special edition for you this weekend. And of course, today's episode of Locked On Patriots was brought to you by 1010. 1010 is an exclusive collection of 10 one-of-a-kind engagement rings designed by 10 of the most distinctive designers working today.

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to the Locked On 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 Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank you all so much for listening today and for continuing to make Locked on Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until next time, Foxborough faithful, stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world.

Have a great day, everyone.