Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - St. Elmo’s Flavor at the Combine? Scho’s Patriots Analysis - 2/26/2020

Episode Date: February 26, 2020

As the New England Patriots join 31 other NFL Teams in evaluating 2020 Draft prospects at the Combine, Mark Schofield joins host Mike D’Abate from Indianapolis. The pair discuss the standouts thus far, who to watch during workouts, and Mark advises if the much-praises shrimp cocktail at St. Elmo’s is worthy of the hype.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful. It's day three of Combine Week here on the Locked On 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. I'm Mike DeBate, your host of Locked On Patriots, proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Follows and feedback are always welcomed and appreciated by me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there roaming around on that Twitterverse, please be sure to follow Locked On Patriots on Twitter as well at LO underscore Patriots. Patriots fans, as I said just moments ago, we are halfway through Combine Week here on

the Locked On Patriots podcast. And Monday, we kicked off that coverage by running down the schedule of the week's events in Indianapolis and giving you a little primer on what to watch for. Yesterday here on the podcast, we did take a little break from Combine coverage and took a deep dive into the trending topics in Patriots Nation. That meant the salary cap. And who better to welcome in to discuss anything and everything cap related but the main man himself the pats cap miguel benzon brought his wisdom his counsel as only he can bring it not only did he

set the record straight on a lot of the inaccuracies that are reported when it comes to the patriots salary cap but he gave us his opinion on some free agent targets that make sense for the patriots some that don't and he laid out in great detail a framework of a deal that would allow Tom Brady to remain in New England, not only satisfying his reported salary desires, but also helping the Patriots with the cap. It was a very informative listen. I've received some great feedback from a lot of you that have listened to the show. The credit definitely goes to Miguel on this. I was honored that he chose Locked On Patriots as his platform to bring this information

to the forefront. He's a dear friend of mine, and I can't thank him enough for his appearance. But yesterday's trending topic interlude has concluded, and we are back to combine coverage here today, folks. And for the second straight day, I am blessed to welcome in a guest that is the very best

at what he does. And yeah, folks, you can figure it out. You know who I'm bringing in. The very best when it comes to draft combine coverage. And yeah, folks, you can figure it out. You know who I'm bringing in. The very best when it comes to draft combine coverage. My predecessor, my mentor, my good buddy Mark Schofield drops by. And he's not only going to bless the rains today, he's also going to bless some winter weather in

Indianapolis. Because that's where Mark is. Boots to the ground, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2020 NFL Draft Combine. And trust me, folks, you will not want to miss Mark's first-hand insight into who has stood out so far in the interviewing stages. Who are some of the players that he's spoken with that might end up looking good in Patriot Blue?

And last but certainly not least, with workouts scheduled to kick off on Thursday afternoon, who will he be watching closely? Is it some of the big names that we expect, or will it be some of the under-the-radar prospects that might be the best fit in Foxborough? As Luca Brazzi once said, I am honored and grateful that Mark would take time out of his busy schedule in Indianapolis this week to join me right here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. So settle in, folks, as Mark will help bring us back into combine coverage here in just a moment. However, before I welcome Mark in today, there was a news tidbit that broke over the course of the last couple of days that I did want to address.

And of course, as you may have guessed, it's about Tom Brady. And I don't want to get into a whole lot of speculative talk, especially because Tom is celebrating his 11th wedding anniversary today with wife Giselle Bündchen. And before I continue, on behalf of the Locked On Patriots podcast, happy anniversary Tom and Giselle, wishing you many, many more happy years together. But the news tidbit doesn't actually involve Brady himself. It's more about his agent Don Yee and Patriots representatives. After all, this is Combine Week,

and officials from all 32 NFL teams are down in Indianapolis, as are player agents. And before you get nervous, folks, keep in mind that free agency has not officially started yet. Therefore, those other 31 teams, don't worry about them right now. The only one that we're concerned about is your New England Patriots. And it was reported by several sources on Tuesday that Brady's agent Don Yee and Patriots team officials are expected to meet to begin the negotiation process. Ian Rappaport of the NFL Network was the first to report this, and in his own words, the two sides, quote,

should be the starting off point for real dialogue over the course of the next month. And Miguel and I briefly touched upon this in yesterday's podcast, but ultimately Rappaport took that a step further by saying that any type of potential extension is not expected to be reached at this time. That will probably work right up until the cusp of free agency. But getting talks underway now, folks, that's standard procedure. The Combine is widely regarded as the unofficial starting point of free agency. Player team representatives, like I said, are all present for the week-long event. And because both Yee and Patriots officials are in the same place at the same time, it's only natural that they would get together.

I know a lot of you have heard these reports over the course of the last couple of days. You might be listening to this podcast thinking, please let something get done by the end of the week. Again, folks, as Ian Rappaport said, that is highly, highly unlikely. From the perspective of the Brady camp, they'll get their first look at what the Patriots are looking to spend and for how long they're looking to spend it. From the Patriots' perspective, they'll be looking for the same thing in return. Don Yee will likely indicate to them what type of a contract Brady is looking for.

Most of the reports out there indicate that Tom's looking for a two-year contract. And of course, I'm sure Yee will provide the Patriots with an idea of what Brady is looking for in terms of an annual value of the contract. Of course, even this report is somewhat speculative. A meeting between the two sides hasn't been confirmed, it's only been rumored. But it's a pretty safe bet to say that this week, Combine Week, will be the commencement of dialogue between the two sides. And as much as we all here in Patriots Nation, fans and media alike, want to see this resolved as soon as possible, I wouldn't expect a done deal by the end of the weekend. In fact, it's probably a safer assumption to say that

when it comes to these negotiations, we've only just begun. So now that we've discussed the biggest fish in the free agency pond in Tom Brady, we turn our attention back to the 2020 draft and this week's coverage of the NFL Combine. As Mark Schofield is about to join me to talk workouts, measurements, interviews, and... shrimp cocktail? You'll see, folks. I add a little St. Elmo's flavor to the Locked On Patriots podcast in just a moment. Folks, when it's combine week and you can't be in Indianapolis,

you bring Indianapolis to you. And today on Locked On Patriots, I bring you the best Indianapolis has to offer. He's no stranger to all of us. He needs no introduction. Guess what? I'm going to give him one anyway. Not only is he the host emeritus here at Locked On Patriots, he's an amazing writer, analyst for platforms such as Inside the Pylon, Big Blue View,

Bleeding Green Nation, Pat's Pulpit. That's just to name a few. His podcast, excuse me, The Scosho, must listen. That's right, folks. Today we bless the reins. We welcome back my predecessor, my mentor, my friend, Mark Schofield. Mark, thank you so much for joining us today from Indianapolis. Welcome back to Locked On, Patriots.

Thanks so much, Mike, for having me back. Thanks for that great introduction, as always. But I do have to quibble with what you said. You said I'm the best that Indianapolis has to offer. I strongly disagree with that. The shrimp cocktail at St. Elmo's, the steakhouse, that is the best that Indianapolis has to offer. I strongly disagree with that. The shrimp cocktail at St. Elmo's, the steakhouse, that is the best that Indianapolis has to offer. It has the freshly grated horseradish in there.

It will clear the sinuses. It is fantastic. Had it last night. Had a great dinner there. That's the best Indy has to offer. Also, what Indy has to offer right now, my friend, is snow. I'm standing here at the Indianapolis Convention Center on the second floor out overlooking Wildcat Avenue in front of me beautiful church the pan am tower the snow is coming down

it almost feels like football is back out here at indy absolutely and you know what you actually that was going to be my first question is tell us about the cocktail sauce at saint elmo's i have heard stories upon this and next year if i'm able to make that trip down to Indianapolis, you definitely know I'm going to be trying it. That's a passion of mine. And I definitely, I trust your instincts on this, my friend. And I'll definitely take that recommendation. But the snow is something. Up here in New England, we're not experiencing too much.

I've been a very mild winter. Really a mild week here in New England for the last couple of days. But apparently the temperatures are going to start to take a little bit of a dip as we go toward the weekend. So maybe there's still some snow in our future. Who knows? But for right now, any precipitation up here in New England is rain. But you know what? All kidding aside, my friend, we want to talk about the combine.

We want to talk about all of the action that you're seeing down in Indianapolis. And I disagree, by the way. I do think you are the best that Indianapolis has to offer, especially this week. But it's one of the best weeks for football fans and media alike. And, Mark, the big names on a national scale are, of course, Burrow, Tua, Young, Brown. And the list goes on and on. That's just to name a few. For the past three days, we've heard about measurements interviews wonder licks the whole nine yards but in your opinion is it really possible within just these first couple of days for anyone to have significantly helped their

draft stock already even though it's the early stages if that's possible who do you think has done just that over the course of the last three days you know it's interesting right because a lot of the stuff that takes place in indianapolis the stuff that really matters takes place behind closed doors they take place in hotel suites and they take place during medical exams when these players get tested and when they meet with these teams and that's stuff that we obviously don't get access to until sometimes after the draft teams like for example the philadelphia eagles they put out a video of their meeting with Carson Wentz in the whiteboard session and talking about his offense

and all that stuff. It's great. It's what matters the most, but it takes place behind closed doors. But there are players for whom, say, measurements matter. There are players for whom the podium session does matter. And one of those players, he addressed the media yesterday. That's Joe Burrow. I almost said Cincinnati Joe Burrow, but he's not quite there yet, but we're getting

there. But he did have to address the questions about whether he would be willing to play for the Bengals, whether he wants them to draft him first. And he answered all the questions well. Really had a very good media session. Some of the players that I talked to yesterday, yesterday it was quarterbacks, offensive line, I mean quarterbacks, wide receivers

and tight ends. I think two quarterbacks that really handled themselves well during their media sessions were anthony gordon from washington state and cole mcdonald from hawaii two very energetic outgoing bright young quarterbacks love talking some scheme stuff with both of those guys cole mcdonald went into depth on you know the run and shoot offense and their streak read concept which is a four verticals concept but all those routes can convert based on coverage that you're seeing from the defense. And so there's a lot put on the quarterback's head from a mental perspective

and reading and reacting to defenses. And we know in new England's offense, that's something you're going to be asked to do. And then there's Cole McDonald talking about both his baseball background and how that lets them make some of those off platform throws. You like to see from quarterbacks, but also talking about that air raid system and the full field progression reads he was asked to make you know going left to right reading the streak to the cross the curl to the dig we know in the nfl and

especially new england's offense those are big parts of what tom brady's asked to do and so those are two quarterbacks i think had very good media sessions yesterday excellent and great insight and you mentioned guys like mcdonald and you mentioned some of the interviews and people had very good media sessions yesterday. Excellent and great insight. And you mentioned guys like McDonald and you mentioned some of the interviews and people that you've had a chance to speak to personally. And that leads me quite nicely into my next question is the workouts are scheduled to begin tomorrow,

Thursday afternoon into the evening is when we're going to see those tight ends, those quarterbacks, those wide receivers work out for the media. And obviously for professional scouts, most importantly. But to be honest, those are probably the three most exciting positions from a fan's perspective. You mentioned McDonald, obviously, but who will you have your eye on tomorrow? And from the info you've gathered, who might be a good fit for the New england patriots either that we've heard about

or maybe someone that we haven't heard about just yet yeah i mean i think you know when these guys start throwing when we start looking at the quarterbacks tomorrow guy that i'm going to keep an eye on just because i think it's going to be a show is jacob eason from washington yes an absolute cannon for an arm you know there are some quarterbacks here justin herbert as well that can really spin it but i think eason's going to be one of those guys that can sort of put on a show during the sort of sterilized throw-in portion that is the throw-in session in Indianapolis. But he's going to put that arm talent

on display. I think he's going to really help himself during the throw-in session. I think if we take the hypothetical situation that Tom Brady is coming back and the Patriots might entertain more of a day-three type of quarterback, I think the two guys I just mentioned, both Cole McDonald and Anthony Gordon, will be interesting fits to watch from a schematic perspective.

But I'll mention another guy who I think could really help himself out in Indianapolis. That's Nate Stanley from Iowa. He's working with Tony Ricopi, a noted quarterback coach, a former Division three quarterback who set all sorts of records during his playing days. I talked to Nate Stanley about what he's working on with Tony. They're working on cleaning up his throwing mechanics, his stance and staying more vertical in the pocket. I think he's going to throw it really well.

When you watch Nate Stanley on film, you see a lot of stuff that you see Tom Brady doing under center, deep play action drops, turning that back to the defense on those play action throws. But it sort of narrows down your ability to read a defense because you lose time with your back to the defense like that. So it taxes the quarterback from a mental perspective. He does those kind of things.

Those are things that we see in New England's offense. And I think if he has a good throwing session, which I expect he will, given the work that he's put in, Nate Stanley will really help himself over the next couple of days. That's interesting because a lot of what we're seeing and a lot of the coverage that we're seeing from the Patriots' perspective, and even from a national perspective, indicates that the Patriots may not be looking to find that starter, that 2020 starter that a lot of people seem to think they may have their eyes on. I think it bodes well for a return for Tom Brady here in New England, but ultimately that's going to have to play itself out.

I think the Pats are going to be looking purely from a talent perspective, as they usually do. And I like the fact that you've mentioned a guy like Stanley who's not getting a lot of press up here in New England, but in your opinion probably should be. And I think that will probably only increase over the course of the next couple of days. Mark, always great insight. And again, we've talked about tight ends. We've talked about wide receivers. And those are two positions that I think a lot of Patriots fans are looking for the team to upgrade.

I know you talked to a lot of them yesterday on Tuesday, and we're looking forward to seeing some of these workouts that will occur. Adam Troutman seems to be a name that a lot of people are looking at and falling in love with. I know we saw a lot of tweets going around yesterday about him meeting with the Patriots and him being the type of guy that the Patriots would love to be able to employ. Thaddeus Moss, obviously, is another coming from the lineage that he has, being Randy's son. I think a lot of people are excited to see maybe another Brady to Moss connection, even though Thaddeus is more of a traditional blocking tight end rather than a receiver, there seems to be that excitement. From a wide receiver perspective, I've liked Justin Jefferson for a little while. I've been touting him for a little bit. T. Higgins obviously

is a name that a lot of people are throwing out there as well. Even K.J. Hamler from Penn State. These would all be targets that they'd likely have to use that 23rd pick on. In your opinion, is any of these a realistic option for the Patriots, or do you think they'll look in the later rounds for help at these two offensive skill-positioned players, even though the tight end technically isn't a skill position? I somehow count that in there as well, because I think it's become more of a receiving position over the last few years. Yeah, I think both positions tight end wide receiver probably in play for new england at 23 but that's again sitting here right now

during the combine in late february i think once you know in talking to people in and around you know the convention center and talking to other media types and people you know with teams and people in and around the league and agents as well the expectation the feeling here down in india is that things are going to look a lot different come new march come free agency because things are definitely going to change when we start seeing player movement you know in the current veterans free agency movement you know because they might acquire a receiver here via free agency they might acquire a tight end and so the needs of 23 and what they want to do at 23 might change but since we're here since we're talking draft in the combine i think if you look at the tight ends i think trotman's probably the guy that might most be in play at 23 right now because of

his versatility at the position because you can ask him to do the traditional in line type tight end things where you're asking the guy to block where you're asking him to be a factor in the run game but he also has that ability to be a mismatch type player you can move him around you can put him in the slot you can flex him out wide so i think his versatility is going to be a big draw where some of these other tight ends they might be more of a blocking type like a fat ace moss who actually when he measured in measured in more as a fullback in his height and his weight than anything else so he definitely has that blocking type tight end well. Or the other side of the spectrum is Stephen Sullivan. Has a receiver's background.

He flashed down in Mobile during the Senior Bowl with some explosiveness, the ability to run away from defenders. He could be that Swiss Army chess piece type player where you can use him down in the red zone. And another player I got a chance to talk to that I really sort of liked was Albert O, you know, the big Missouri tight end, flashed as a redshirt, flashed freshman, but then maybe tailed off a little bit as teams sort of figured out what he could do. But when we talked to him down in the media room, he's talking about how he wants to emulate Robert Gronkowski.

He wants to be a force in both factors of the game. And look, when you mention trying to replace number 87, you get a guy that's talking about how he wants to be like Gronk. That sort of endears you to Patriots fans. And so that certainly brought my antenna up. At the wide receiver position, it is such a deep group, Mike, that you know the guys that are going to go early, like the Ruggs and the Judys and Neregor from TCU. But it might be a position where the smart play would be to wait and find some value later on day two or even on day three because you're going to see some names like a jefferson for example fall down boards or james

crochet who people fell in love with down at the senior bowl who's been linked to the patriots you know he'll be there on day three and so new england could probably find value at that position a little later in the draft good point and i happen to agree with you i think that if they are going to go into one of those positions early on i think they might look to tight end simply because of the lack of production that they had in 2019. And also the level, the top level of talent where it's not so much of a deep class with the tight end position. There's a lot of high end talent early on, but then it kind of drops off after that. Whereas the wide receiver group is very deep. And the fact that there's need for so many teams and there are only so many picks to go around, they may be able to find that type of value in the later rounds. Mark, what can I say? Lastly, my friend, I just wanted to pick your brain a little bit on some of the other action that we're going to be seeing this week, particularly on Friday.

I know the special teamers, the offensive linemen are going to be working out. That's something that I'll have a sharp eye on because here on Locked On Patriots, I've gone on record by saying I believe the Patriots will look to address the offensive line early on in this draft, maybe as early as the 23 pick. And there are some names that we've talked about here on Locked On Patriots. Cesar Ruiz, one of those names that we talked about offline, is somebody that I think has helped his draft stock and could even be a first-day selection. Where a couple of weeks ago, not many people agreed with that. Defense is always top of mind with Bill Belichick, and the defense is going to be working out the linemen and the linebackers on Saturday.

And then, of course, finishing up on Sunday with the defensive backs. Who should Patriots fans be watching this weekend when it comes to linemen on the offensive side and the defensive side? And who are you looking forward most to seeing as you wrap up the week in Indianapolis? Yeah, I mean, all great questions, Mike. And then there's a lot of names I think Patriots fans should familiarize themselves with. I mean, I'll talk about Reese here for a minute

because I just got a chance to talk to him. He had his media portion just a couple of hours ago and he was a fantastic young man to talk to. He had obviously some tragedy in his life. He lost his father when he was just eight years old. His father was pulled over to help somebody change a flat tire on the

side of the road and they were hit by an iron driver and his father passed away at the scene and he talked about the loss of his father and how his father's watching him now and how his father still lives through him. Just a tremendous young man who was dealt with loss. But then he spoke at length about leadership and what he meant in that Michigan offensive line and how he was responsible for all the calls up front, his versatility playing both guard and center.

He had an informal meeting with the Patriots. And yes, Dante Skarnecchia was a part of that meeting. Folks, start watching this kid. Learn this kid's name. I think he's definitely in play for New England at 23. And he tells people, look, I'm a first-rounder. My versatility, the way I dominate people, my leadership, how smart I am,

how much I love the game of football. I'm a student of this game. The Patriots are going to love this kid. I love this kid. Get to know him him I think he screams New England Patriot maybe at 23 because you are hearing him climb up draft boards when you start to get into the defensive side of the ball I think a name that I keep coming back to especially if you perhaps envision a defensive future without Kyle Van Noy is Zach Bond from Wisconsin similar type of player one of those weapons you can use as an overhang defender,

but he showed the ability to run with receivers at times, you know, Wisconsin, they would basically keep their base defense on the field as much as they could. He'd be responsible at times for covering slot receivers. He can do it. He can rush off the edge. He can set the edge against the run. He can be a force player at times. He can attack the pocket. He can stress deep offenses from sideline to sideline and you know from the pocket deep down the field i think he's a versatile swiss army knife type

defender that you need in today's national football league but if there's going to be a must-see event in indy it's isaiah simmons now i'm not saying that because the patriots have a shot at getting them they don't but i think this kid is going to test out of the convention center. He's going to blow away everybody's minds at Lucas Oil. I was talking to Doug Farrar, the great football writer who wrote The Genius of Desperation, and he was talking about how he had 100 different snaps at four different defensive positions this year.

You would see him as a boundary corner. You'd see him sort of as an overhand defender. You'd see him at free safety. You'd see him at strong safety. You'd see him in the slot. The guy can do it all. He's going to test out of the building. I think he's going to have a fantastic combine.

That's going to be the must-see event here in Indy. It's funny that you mentioned Simmons because I think a lot of people, especially a lot of the national names and people that I've spoken to this week, seem to share that sentiment. And I definitely am going to be watching closely this weekend to see what he has to offer. Coming back to Ruiz for a moment, I think that is definitely an interesting point that you made. Our good friend Thomas Murphy joined me a few weeks ago here on Locked On Patriots and mentioned Ruiz as a possibility and really heightened my spidey sense when it came to

him as a possible first round target. I had been thinking maybe day two, maybe even day three of the draft at number 23 now. And not to mention he's a Wolverine. Wouldn't he love to be protecting arguably the greatest Wolverine of all time in Tom Brady? So I think that could be interesting and we'll see what happens. Assuming Brady comes back, I think he'd be on board for that. And I think he'd be up for a little protection on the offensive line as well. Mark, what can I say? You took time out of your busy schedule in Indianapolis. It's breakneck speed down there at the combine folks. Mark actually took the time to join me today. Thank you enough for that. I can't recommend highly

enough following Mark's work this week. All every week, each and every week in the year is a time to follow him, but especially a combine time. Draft time. Senior bowl. This is where this man shines. You are a true mentor. A true friend to me. And again I can't thank you enough. So thank you for joining me today Mark. And please let everyone know where they can find you.

And continue to follow your great work. This and every week as we move toward the 2020 season. Well Mike as always. Thank you so much for having me. It's always great to get a chance to chat with you. You do such great work at Locked On Patriots. I'm such a huge fan of what you're doing and what you're doing with the show.

Patriots fans, so lucky to have you every single day. It's fantastic work. Best way to find me on Twitter, at Mark Schofield, Platt's Pulpit, Bleeding Green Nation, Big Blue View, Pro Football Weekly, Matt Waldman's Rookie Scouting for Portfolio. And yes, stay tuned.

There will be another title added to that list in just a couple of days. And we look forward to that. And I can't wait to see that no matter the titles, no matter the platforms, everybody that bears the name Mark Schofield is lucky to have this man doing work for them. And thank you again for setting the great table that you left for me here at Locked On Patriots. You mentioned being a fan of mine. That's so humbling. But in addition to that, I am such a fan of yours.

I continue to be and always will be my friend. Enjoy the rest of the week in Indianapolis. Have a little more cocktail sauce. I definitely give you the dispensation to do it and have safe travels home, my friend. And I look forward to speaking with you soon as we march toward the draft in April. Thanks so much, Mike. Always a blast to be with you. So there you have it, folks.

The latest from Indianapolis in the 2020 NFL Draft Combine from my good friend Mark Schofield. Mark's insight on some of the players we've discussed here on Locked On Patriots, such as Adam Troutman and Cesar Ruiz, provides a whole other dimension to the Patriots' interest in these players. I also heard him mention a couple of under-the-radar prospects for the Patriots such as Adam Troutman, Cesar Ruiz provides a whole other dimension to the Patriots' interest in these players. I also heard him mention a couple of under-the-radar prospects for the Patriots, namely Cole McDonald and Nate Stanley. I would definitely keep a sharp eye on what Mark has to say. He truly has a sixth sense when it comes to this type of analysis, and I value his opinion as much if not more than anyone else covering the combine in Indianapolis right now. So you might want to keep this podcast handy, folks.

Replay this as we get closer and closer to the NFL Draft. Perhaps Mark has given us some insight onto who might be the newest Patriot in Foxborough after the draft is concluded. As the old saying goes, only time will tell. But as for me, I will be back here tomorrow for Day 4 of NFL Draft Combine coverage, and I'll have another special guest that you all know and love who lives for weeks like this.

Please be sure to join me each and every day here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. Subscribe and download via your preferred podcast provider. Once again, I'm Mike DeBate. I thank Mark Schofield for his time, his insight, and his appearance from Indianapolis today. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Have a great day, everyone.