Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Standouts and Platoons? New England Patriots Training Camp Recap - 8/19/2020

Episode Date: August 19, 2020

The New England Patriots move into Day Three of substantial Training Camp practices in Foxboro. While it might be too early to determine a winner in the race for starting spots, several players Are starting to emerge above the rest. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com to discuss the camp standouts, thus far. The pair also take a deep dive into the tight end position, as well as the offensive line. Finally, each give his thoughts on the possibility of a quarterback positional platoon in 2020. 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. Welcome to your training camp standout Wednesday episode of 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 Bilt Bar. Go to BiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKEDON to get $10 off your next order. Happy Hump Day, Patriots Nation. It is Wednesday, August 19th, 2020. 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 whether or not it's a trending mailbag episode here on the pod, your questions, comments, and feedback are always welcomed and greatly appreciated.

Share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there giving that midweek wink and a nod to the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Lockdown Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. Folks, it is the third day of your work week, but it's also the third day of comprehensive practices taking place on the practice fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. And while Monday and Tuesday's practices were all about full pads, the Patriots scaled it down a little bit today,

practicing in only shells, which meant that the speed and physicality that we've seen the last couple of days was not as intense as it has been, but it was still an eventful day in training camp. Heavy focus on the passing game, as the Patriots took the practice fields for two hours this morning. And I'll break down some of the highlights of this morning's practice for you in just a moment.

But with the evolution of practices taking place this week, meaning the Patriots putting on the pads, having members of the media there in attendance to track statistics, giving you their impression on who's impressing the coaching staff, and who might have a little work to do to make this roster, the speculation machine continues to churn. For example, Player X hasn't been in uniform. We haven't seen him on the practice field. That means he's getting cut. This quarterback threw an interception.

That means he's all the way down to fourth on the depth chart. Receiver Y made a catch. Defensive back Z made an interception. That must mean they're shoo-ins for the 53-man roster. I know, folks, I'm exaggerating a little here. But I think everyone, fans and media alike, will admit that at the beginning of training camp, the hype train leaving the station has a tendency to bolt out of there like a cannonball. After only three days of practice, it's nearly impossible to determine what the final roster

is going to look like. But I will say this, especially in an abbreviated preseason like the one that we're in right now, practices and eventual game simulations are the only way that anyone, including the Patriots coaching staff, is going to be able to evaluate talent this year. Those that make a good early first impression have a leg up on the competition. And today here on the pod, that's exactly what we're going to discuss. My good friend and training camp partner in crime, Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com joins me here on the hot seat. And Steve and I will discuss who we believe to be the camp standout so far. We'll take a deeper dive into two areas on offense,

the tight end position and the offensive line. Two areas that have definitely caught the sharp eye of fans and media alike. And last but certainly not least, Steve and I will tackle the possibility of whether or not the Patriots might even consider a quarterback platoon. Yeah, folks, do not adjust your audio. That's exactly what I just said. A quarterback platoon actually is not folks, do not adjust your audio. That's exactly what I just said. A quarterback platoon actually is not as crazy as you think it might be. But before you

think I am for making that statement, definitely listen to what Steve and I have to say on the subject, as he will join me here on the pod in just a moment to evaluate all things from the first three days of Patriots training camp. But before welcoming in my pies on to talk some Patriots training camp, there were a few newsworthy notes from today's practice that I wanted to share with all of you. Starting with the roll call, where two new names were added to the list of usual suspects. Wide receiver Nikhil Harry and linebacker Derek Rivers joined defensive tackle Bo Allen, linebacker Tayshaun Bauer, wide receiver Jeff Thomas, and linebacker Anthony Jennings as the players who were absent from

Wednesday's practice. Now, it should be noted that both Harry and Rivers were present on Tuesday's practice. The consensus on their absence from today's practice seems to be work management, but again, folks, we will continue to keep a sharp eye. Bauer missed his second straight day of practice, and Allen, Thomas, and Jennings have been absent all week. Now, the Patriots have not issued any type of official statement as to why these players have not been on the practice fields, especially Allen, Thomas, and Jennings, who haven't hit the field yet this week. And I know a majority of you, myself included, were eager to see what undrafted rookie free agent wide receiver

Jeff Thomas could do on the field. Again, even though nothing official has been put out by the team, Jeff Howe of The Athletic did offer some insight. And again, folks, I trust Jeff's information implicitly. He stated that even though Thomas' absence wasn't ever expected to be lengthy, the expectation on Jeff Thomas is that he should be back soon. Not necessarily ideal for an undrafted free agent to miss the start of an abbreviated camp, but at least at first glance it doesn't look like there's anything more here than

meets the eye. So there's the latest on Thomas. Other attendance news and notes, Julian Edelman returned to practice today, was a full participant after leaving shortly after warm-ups yesterday. Those that were present but limited were center David Andrews and wide receiver Will Hastings. As for the action on the field, it was another pretty even-keeled day for the quarterbacks. After his three-interception performance on Tuesday that made the social media rounds pretty quickly, Jarrett Stidham had a pretty nice bounce-back day.

According to the reported stat lines, he went 9-of-13 with one interception and 11-on-11 drills, 3-of-6 on 7-on-7s. As for Cam Newton, he went 4-of-9 and 11-on-11 drills, 4-of-7 with two interceptions on 7-on-7s. And rounding it all off with Brian Hoyer, 8-of-14 and 11-on-11s and 4-of-6 on 7-on-7s. A couple of the day's highlight throws and catches came from Stidham when he hooked up with tight end Dalton Keene on a post route, led the rookie tight end perfectly for what would have been a big game in a live situation, and with Nikhil Harry out, Damir Bird saw

an increased workload as the team's primary perimeter receiver. He connected with Jarrett Stidham on a go route for a long score versus Jason McCourty, approximately a 30-yard touchdown pass there. Bird also hooked up quite nicely with Cam Newton on a deep pass on an out route. So all in all, all three quarterbacks holding their own on Wednesday. But arguably, the offensive highlight of the day came at the expense of the reigning 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, Stephon Gilmore. Today, Gilmore made that man a gunner, as in my main man, Gunnar Ryszewski. And it is never an easy task for a wide receiver to beat Stephon Gilmore, but Gunnar did so quite nicely.

Got open on a comeback route and made a pretty nice reception on a pass from Cam Newton. So for those of you scoring at home, folks, the dream and the meme remain alive, at least for now. On the defensive side of the ball, there were also a couple of eye-opening plays. Rookie linebacker Cash Malawiah. As in, cash me outside, how about that? Or as my main man Murph would like, straight cash. Well, regardless of how you'd like to refer to him, he made the first big defensive play of the day

when he intercepted Cam Newton during a 7-on-7 drill. Malawiah was dropping back into his zone in the middle of the field, and by all accounts, Newton simply just didn't see him when he was trying to connect with rookie wide receiver Isaiah Zuber. Another interception of a Cam Newton pass came at the hands of rookie safety Kyle Duggar, who's been very impressive so far in training camp, his second in as many days. Duggar picked off Cam during a 7-on-7 drill in the red zone while covering tight end Ryan Izzo. Duggar also registered a couple of nice pass breakups versus Jarrett Stidham and another against Brian Hoyer. So Duggar continues to spread the defensive wealth around, but he also continues to show

why the Patriots were indeed justified to take him with the 37th pick in the 2020 draft. This kid is an NFL-ready talent, but is he the camp's standout so far? Well, there are some other guys on this roster that might have something to say about that. And in just a moment, my good friend Steve Balistrieri joins me on the hot seat to discuss training camp standouts, the potential prowess of the Patriots at the tight end position, the would-be heir to the Marcus Cannon throne on the right side of the offensive line. And last but not least, we'll tackle that enigmatic subject of a possible platoon at the quarterback position.

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Patriots fans, the pads are on and your New England Patriots are back in action. The practice fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium are the stage for showcasing during 2020 training camp. Some are already starting to shine and some might be shining brighter than others. But does that really mean anything in the grand scheme of things? Well, back for his weekly spot to talk a little more, Pat's camp is one of the best and most knowledgeable columnists that you'll find anywhere in Patriots media. You know his great work from patsfans.com,

as well as being the co-host of not one, but two amazing podcasts, Patriots 4th and 2, and of course, One Patriots Place, with our great mutual friend Thomas, the Count of Murphy, Fisto Murphy. Joining me today here on the pod, however, is my Paizan. Steve Balistrieri joins me today for his now weekly spot here on the pod. Welcome back to Locked on Patriots, my friend. Hey, Meg. As always, thank you for having me on, and I appreciate the offer and always love talking football with my Paizons.

Oh, always. Absolutely. Paizons for life and football buddies for life as well. And, you know, Steve, it's a little bittersweet this year. You know, we're not among those that are in attendance. The media contingent is very limited. The guys that are up there are doing a phenomenal job. But we're doing our best to cover what we can

and bring you the latest when it comes to training camp. And padded practice is back. It's back in action. And as we speak, day three of high-octane practices are just wrapping up in Foxborough. Although we should note, folks, that today's practice, Wednesday's practice, took place in shells. It wasn't in pads. But there is a lot of interest in the eventual shape of this roster. And there's a lot of expectations that are starting

to buzz. Now, there have been some standouts here in training camp for the last couple of days. Devin Ross and Gunnar Ryszelski at wide receiver, Kyle Duggar at the safety position, Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene at tight end. And we'll get into the tight end position in a little bit more detail in a moment, folks. But first things first, Steve, you published a great piece today, as you always do for Patsfans.com. And this morning's piece, you detailed some of your camp standouts so far. From what you've seen and read,

who has impressed you the most so far? And is there someone right now emerging to take a roster spot that maybe even a few days ago you wouldn't have even considered? Well, you know, I think you have to look at the overall perspective. As you know, the first couple of days of padded practice we tend to overreact on things that we see because you know that's the first glimpse of things but you know looking at they i mean you have to be impressed with what devin ross has done so far i mean uh you know um they brought him in last year as a practice squad guy and and he's obviously, you know, worked hard. And, you know, he's had a couple of really standout days at camp. You have to really be encouraged by that.

I mean, you know, you look at the grand scheme of things, and, you know, they need some help at wide receiver. So I thought that was impressive. And then, you know, you look at those two rookies on defense, and Josh Uche, you know, Kyle Duggar, you know, normally the Patriots kind of ease these guys into the mix, and, you know, especially as rookies. It seems like they've thrown them right into the deep end of the pool,

and they're already experimenting with different things with them. And it seems like they're catching on really quickly, which is a good sign. And it could mean that they're in line to get more reps and possibly get a lot of reps once the game starts in earnest. Yeah, it could be. And I think that's a definite possibility. I've been very impressed from what I've seen with Uche, very impressed by what I've seen with Duggar, especially as a rookie.

This kid has a knack for being in the right place at the right time, and that will serve him well throughout the year. Look, I've been very vocal about Adrian Phillips. You haven't heard a whole lot about him on the practice fields. I guess kind of lying in the weeds there. I've been very vocal about my love for Adrian Phillips and my belief that he can have a great impact on this team this year. I still fully believe that. I'll stand behind that. Even if he does end up getting jettisoned from this team, which I think would be a shock, I would still stand by the fact that I think he has a great deal to add to this team. And hopefully we'll be able to see that a little bit more. But Duggar has really impressed me in terms of um his acumen his

desire we heard about that non-stop motor that he has that high octane level uh that he plays at and he's he's proving that on the field each and every time uh ross is another kid uh that not a lot of people gave a whole lot of credence to myself included he wasn't included among my 53-man roster predictions I thought solid practice squad guy uh at best but Belichick had a good amount of praise to give him this morning on the conference call called him a hard-working kid uh said that he doesn't believe that Devin was 100% healthy when the Patriots got him last year he's improved this year he looks ready to go and ready to compete and he's made some great cuts made some great catches his hands look good and he's improved this year he looks ready to go and ready to compete and he's made some great cuts made some great catches his hands look good and he's showing signs of being able to run routes

pretty well so I've definitely been impressed with uh with those guys as well and another guy that I want to give a few props to is Damian Harris the running back that we've mentioned so many times here on the pod uh he seems to be running with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder almost a little bit of anger I think Mike Giardi of NFL Network put that to be running with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder, almost a little bit of anger. I think Mike Giardi of NFL Network put that, that he runs with a little bit of anger. And I think that's something that the Patriots have lacked the last couple of years. As much as I am a proponent of Sonny Michel, that's not Sonny's running style, but Damian Harris does do that. And he's showing an ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, which is something that you know is going to endear him both to Josh McDaniels and to Bill Belichick

they really love that so great stuff as always Steve and uh you know we're always we talked a little bit last week about possible camp champs I don't think either one of us thought of Devin Ross's name as a possibility in that mix but he's been doing well and I want to give some props to my boy Gunnar Ryszewski too who's's been very good with running routes, running them crisply, developing a good rapport with all three quarterbacks. Keep an eye on Gunnar. The dream and the meme are not dead yet, folks, so they may still stick around. And I love using it. Any example I can take, or any excuse I should say I can take to use that

Spaceballs meme, I'm going to take it. And Steve, I want to stay on that subject for just a moment, but I want to digress a little bit into the tight end position. And we've seen so far in practice that Devin Asiasi, Dalton Keene have emerged as solid pros. They look very comfortable in this offense. And since the last time we spoke, the Patriots have made some veteran additions to the core, added in Paul Butler, formerly of the Raiders, and of course, Alex Ellis, formerly of the Chiefs, the Eagles.

He's been around a little bit. Two depth additions. I don't think either one of them should be expected to set Foxborough ablaze, but I will admit this, Steve. The diehard fan in me kind of likes the fact that the Patriots have a tight end named Ellis. I can picture him walking over to Bill, knowing the tight end depth problem that they have in New England, and saying, Bill, Bobby, I'm your white knight. But folks, all right, yeah, Google Ellis, and you'll understand exactly what I mean by that. You get my demented sense of humor. I appreciate the laughter on the other end. Hopefully some

people like that comment, but Ellis, what have you told them? All right. I'll stop folks. I promise I'm done. But from what we've seen in practice, I must have missed that episode of 60 minutes. I must have missed 60 Minutes. What are you saying? All right, folks, before we turn this into the diehard Patriots podcast, rather than the locked-on Patriots podcast, what we've seen in practice, I think Devin is on his way to establishing himself as the day one starter.

I think he's tight end one. He's looked a little bit better in blocking than I actually thought he would. his way to establishing himself as the day one starter. I think he's tight end one. He's looked a little bit better in blocking than I actually thought he would. He's been praised for that several times by his teammates. And he had a couple of seam routes that he caught for nice receptions. He looks like he's ready to go. Dalton Keene actually looks like a natural fit here too. And even though a lot of people, myself included, have thought that there was a chance that he could be the team's primary option at fullback,

I think he's more of a natural fit as a true tight end. And I like the way he's fitting in here, showing a good amount of prowess as a pass catcher. I also know our friend Claire from West Midlands in the UK. Hey, girl, by the way. She has high hopes for the rookies. But another one of our loyal listeners, Andrew Carraway, who can be found on Twitter, folks, at Carraway6, he still believes that the Patriots will add another tight end and that that guy could very well be Adam Shaheen, someone that we've talked about here on the pod in the past. Steve, in your estimation, could we see another addition at tight end or have

Devin and Dalton shown enough already to you and hopefully to the Patriots brass to allow them to focus on other positions? Yeah, that's a great question because, you know, when you look at things, I mean, you know, the Patriots normally don't like to rely on rookies to play key roles. And even you go back to that year where, you know, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez were rookies. They had Captain Trump there, you know, as kind of like that veteran presence. But actually, the guy with the most experience right now is Ryan Izzo, and he doesn't really have a ton. You know, Ellis, who you just backed me up with that guy reference. You know, he has only three receptions in his career.

And Butler, I believe, hasn't played in a game yet. And, you know, then you add in, I mean, the two undrafted free agents. So you really don't have a heck of a lot of experience there. So, you know, I think the possibility of them still adding a veteran, I think, is still really good. I mean, we'll see how these other guys who have been bounced around a little bit, how they work out. But getting back to Asiasi, I think you hit the nail on the head. I think, you know, he's shown a lot of promise. And it's nice to see him catching on this early.

Again, like you mentioned, he had that big block in the running game. I believe it was the first day in pads where they said he just cleaned out edge player and allowed for easy running touchdown in the red zone. And then yesterday, Cam Newton play-action pass down on the one yard line and Asi Asi broke free and was wide open for a touchdown. That's the kind of red zone production that they, they need to start getting from their tight ends and they haven't got into Bronc left. So, you know, it's, it's exciting to see these young guys.

And, and Keane has been practicing as well with the running back. So, you know, we could see him at HVAC, maybe a little bit of fullback, you know, he's a movable piece and, you know,

as good as Jakob Johnson is playing so far, you know, it's always nice to have that, you know, depth. I'm glad that you mentioned Jakob, because a lot of people are wondering, or a lot of the questions

that I've gotten here on the pod in DMs or on Twitter is how are the Patriots going to replicate what they had in James Devlin last year in the fullback position we saw how different this offense looked without a true fullback and obviously I don't think any of the guys that they have on the roster right now are going to be able to fully duplicate what James Devlin gave to you. I know they had some high hopes for Danny Vitale. He's opted out. He's not playing this year. The Patriots can definitely kick the tires and see what's available for him next year. But right now they have to go with what they got. And what they got is actually a pretty good option. Jakob has looked very good. His footwork has looked solid. His ability to be in the right place at the right time has looked fairly strong.

You can tell he learned a lot from Devlin, especially in camp last year. Those two worked very closely together. And as a matter of fact, Jakob made a comment that James Devlin had a message for the fullbacks, gave it to them, and sent it to them during training camp. And that really allowed him to kind of, you know, work his way into the position. It really gave him a lot of extra motivation. So I like the way he's looked so far, and I think he could emerge as the primary option. But Dalton definitely has the capabilities.

You mentioned that H-back role, even the fullback role. I think we could see him a lot. But the Patriots, I think, are well suited at the tight end position from what I see with Asiasi and Keene. I do believe that they will keep an eye out there for maybe another veteran option. I don't think Butler or Ellis as much as I really would love to see that because it would be nonstop material for me on here. You know what, Steve, give me an excuse to do my Hans Gruber impression that actually did get some buzz the last time I did it on here. Oh, man, I promise I won't.

I really won't do it. But in any case, I also believe that the Patriots are on to something something here and they'll keep their eye open. If there's a guy out there that they think could come in and be a possible addition to this team, you know, Shaheen might be an option. There's, you know, some that starting to dry up, but we'll say the Patriots always end up doing what's best for the football team. And Steve, the bottom line is that what's best for the football team is evaluating talent for 2020 and now that the Patriots are back on the field they're doing just that in a moment folks Steve Balistrieri will continue to occupy his spot on the hot seat as we discuss an underappreciated but vital component of this roster the right tackle position along the offensive line who appears to be emerging as

Marcus Cannon's heir to the throne in 2020? And Steve and I will give our opinions on whether a quarterback platoon could even be an option in Foxborough. What do we mean by that? Find out when the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues. I don't know about you sports fans, but breaks in the action always make me hungry. I'm Mike DeBate, host of the Locked On Patriots podcast. And folks, if there's one phrase that we've heard a lot of during 2020, it's quote unquote new normal. And some may embrace that phrase, some may find it annoying. But one thing most of us can agree on is that it's true.

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when you download the DoorDash app in the App Store and enter code LOCKEDON. Don't forget, that's code LOCKEDON for $5 off your first order with DoorDash. Patriots fan Steve Balistrieri joins me here today on Locked On Patriots and Steve most eyes during camp are on the skill position players the quarterbacks the receivers the running backs even the defensive backs on defense get a lot of press we talked a little bit about the tight ends and my new best friend Alex Ellis and you know his die-hard prowess that I'd love to you know get trending but you know we'll be living hope bud but we know that championship teams are built in the trenches the Patriots have been working on the offensive line particularly the right tackle position

vacated by Marcus Cannon you outline this quite well in your camp primer from this morning on patsfans.com and two names seem to be emerging here Jermaine Illuminor and Yannicka Joost and Illuminor has been getting more looks you outline that in your piece and it stands to reason he's the veteran they're bringing him along you know in terms of where he needs to be but Yannicka Joost is essentially a rookie they're bringing him along slowly and I think it's the smart thing to do, and I think we're like-minded when it comes to this. Based on that, should Patriots fans expect Illuminor to settle into this role, or can you see Kajust being the guy, or is that role going to be filled

by someone we haven't discussed yet? That's another great question, Mike. I mean, right now, and again, it's really, really early. You know, Illuminar is getting the lion's share of the reps, which we kind of expected, you know, they were going to ease, kajuste into it. I mean, let's face it. I mean, his rookie season, he didn't play a snap either in practice

or in a game. You know, he had off-season surgery and he never took the field. So he's basically starting from scratch. And, you know, it seems like their approach with him is taking that exactly, easing him into it, you know, throwing too much on his plate. And plus, he hasn't played football in, you know, what, 18 months? So it's been a long time for him. You know, so, you know, they're kind of easing him in.

And, you know, talking with our mutual friend, Evan Lazar. Evan was telling us yesterday on Patriots 4th and 2 that, you know, the coaches are in his ear after every snap. They're coaching him up. And that's a, that's a good thing. I think that's a good thing. No one should read anything negative into that. That's you know, that, that's the way you want to approach this with these rookies because he basically is a rookie.

Yeah. And you know, I think it's exciting because the fact that they're moving him basically from guard out to tackle. And, you know, one of the things that you can look at as a real positive is if they decide to run the ball to the right side, obviously you've got two road graders out there and, you know, Illuminor and Shaq Mason to the right. You put a tight end on the right side, and then you have some possibilities out there. The only caveat, obviously, is his footwork and his speed and quickness going to be enough to stand up to those speed rushers on the edge.

But so far, I mean, I think you have to look at it as a positive. It seems like he's playing well. It seems like he's adapted well to the role. Yeah, I mean, I think you have to look at it as a positive. It seems like he's playing well. It seems like he's adapted well to the role. Yeah, I agree with you. I think that in a lot of ways, I think there is overreaction to a lot of what we see early on in training camp. Murph and I alluded to this on Monday when he joined me here on the pod, and I alluded to this even yesterday in some of the questions that I answered on the mailbag episode. A lot of what we see early on in camp is good.

It's fun for the press and the fans alike to debate. But a lot of it can't be read into too deeply. And I think that's something where a guy like Kajus, who you said, Evan, alluded to the fact that the coaching staff is in his ear. They're constantly coaching him up. That, to me, doesn't prove that, oh, well, Kajus doesn't know what he's talking about. That, to me, is the coaching staff helping a rookie that they see a lot of promise in and someone that they believe that can benefit from insight and

additional wisdom and counsel, as I like to say. I think that's where they're coming from. It is nice that they do have guys like Jermaine Illuminor, even a guy like Corey Cunningham that have played the position before that can come in, be a fit and be someone that can take some of the early snaps while they're looming Kajust, I think maybe for that role. Offensive line is always an interesting position for the Patriots, top to bottom. I think a lot of my early concerns are sort of being quelled by the fact that David Andrews looks to be fully healthy. Joe Tooney seems to be locked in. There's no malaise from having been placed with a franchise tag. Some people were worried about that.

Is he going to be unhappy with it? I don't think that's the case at all. Tooney looks locked in to play very well. I like the left side of that offensive line. I think it's locked in. And you look at the right side now, I think they haveer was working with him and taking snaps with him being his lead offensive blocker. So a lot to be optimistic on on the offensive line, folks. And I think the Patriots will continue that. Steve, that leads me sort of into the last question I have for you today, my friend. And the primary job of the offensive line is to protect the football. And the big part of that is protecting the man under center.

And we've seen a lot go around about the three quarterbacks. Who's getting the majority of the snaps? Who's Bill's favorite? Who are they going to put in? This is a legitimate quarterback competition. And by all intents and purposes, it looks like this is a legitimate quarterback competition. But when Bill met with the media this morning via teleconference, the soundbite that seems to raise the eyebrow of those of us that were on the call was when Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston asked about the

possibility of a quarterback platoon. And Mike Reese also authored a very good column on ESPN.com this morning regarding this subject. And Bill didn't exactly refute this. He basically said it might. I quote him now, I always say I do what is best for the football team. What gives us the chance to win? Whatever that is, I would certainly consider it. Now, folks, I will add that Bill also noted, quote, that that means run unbalanced lines, double unbalanced line, 23 personnel, whatever it is, if it helps us win, I would consider anything. So my takeaway from

that line, Steve, is that Bill Belichick is essentially putting all options on the table. But this is kind of fingernails on the chalkboard for the fan base. They want a decision. They want to get behind Cam or even if it's Jarrett, they want to be able to align behind that. But there are some reasons why this idea isn't totally ridiculous. To close out the session today, Bud, when you hear something like this, do you truly believe that Bill Belichick would even consider a quarterback

platoon? And if yes, why might that be an adequate decision? And if no, why shouldn't this even be on the table? Yeah. When I look at it, I think that, uh, Bill's not gonna, he's not gonna, you know, not gonna poooo it completely, but I just don't see the Patriots doing that. They've never done that.

They've always gone with the guy, whoever the guy is. That was most of Bill Belichick's tenure. With the Patriots, it was Tom Brady. Could I see that happening maybe for a week or two where, you know, Cam isn't all the way, you know, up to speed yet with the offense? And, you know, right now we're still seeing that. And we kind of expected that because, you know, and that's not a knock on Cam whatsoever. You know, you and I talked about that on this show a couple of times where, you know, he's only been here, you know, for a very short amount of time. He's still trying to learn the offense and without the benefit of, you know, OTAs and, you know, mini camps and whatnot,

he hasn't been able to do that. So could I see Stidham maybe starting the first week or so, and they bring Cam in when they get close to the red zone or the goal line? Yeah, possibly, but I don't see them really doing that. Yeah, I would agree with you. I really don't believe that having any type of a quarterback controversy leading into the season, even if the controversy is quote unquote quelled by saying we're going to platoon, it never really works out in that fashion. I know it's a different sport. I know it's a different situation, but all I could think of when I heard quarterback platoon

was that infamous bullpen by committee that the Red Sox tried to implement back in the early part of the two thousands. And it was an absolute nightmare for the team, for the pitching staff. It just didn't work, folks. It just something about that type of committee or platoon just simply doesn't work. Look, there are advantages of this. And Mike Reese outlined this very well in his column about challenging the opposition, kind of making, especially a guy like Brian Flores, who knows this offense so well, making him prepare for two quarterbacks with two different styles of play. Maybe Jared Stidham, Cam Newton, you know, Newton is, you know, has the possibility of more zone read concepts. He's a little more adept at being able to do that. Maybe Stidham brings a little more to the

opposite side of the table as well, attempting more passes, things of that nature. This also would allow them to preserve Cam's health. You mentioned that a little bit, bringing back a little bit slower, even though so far so good on Newton's return. He looks pretty good. His foot looks pretty good. His shoulder looks pretty good.

But, you know, there is that concern that down the line he might wear himself out a little bit considering that he hasn't played all that much in the last couple of years but ultimately i don't see this happening and i agree with you i think it's just a bad notion a bad way for teams to be able to do business and i know fans are going to roll their eyes and say, oh, this is just a media creation or, you know, Belichick is never going to consider that. I don't know why anybody even, you know, considered the concept. Well, for those reasons, folks, there is that to consider. And another point to make is Cam Newton is only signed here for one

year right now, folks. I know a lot of people believe that if he plays well, the New England Patriots will just back up the Brinks truck and pay him whatever he wants. That might not be the case. I think in a lot of ways, the Patriots really want to see what they have in Jared Stidham going forward, not necessarily for this year, but they want to see if this kid actually can be the quarterback of the future. Yesterday, I saw a lot of vitriol being thrown Stidham's way. Oh, he threw three picks. He's ridiculous. That's absolutely ridiculous. Yesterday, I saw a lot of vitriol being thrown Stidham's way. Oh, he threw three picks. He's ridiculous. That's absolutely ridiculous. Steve, you pointed out very nicely in your column that throwing into coverage is something that Stidham needs to do right now.

The Patriots need to see if he's able to lead receivers, if he's able to throw into tight coverage, and how he reacts to that. This is something very similar to Jimmy Garoppolo and what he did when he was here. And Jimmy has gone on to a pretty good career right now in San Francisco. So if Jared has those abilities, then I think the Patriots need to do everything they can to show what he can do. And also for Cam Newton, this gives him an added chip on his shoulder as well. And I think someone playing with a little chip on his shoulder could be a dangerous, dangerous quarterback in 2020. We might end up seeing that down in Tampa this year my friend and it pains me to say that but Tom looks like he's playing with a little chip on his

shoulder down there so does that add an added fire to Cam Newton maybe it does and maybe it brings out the best in Cam I happen to think it will so as all we like to say bud keep a sharp eye uh anything and everything is possible in foxborough but bill knows how to play him he knows how to play the media like a heart from hell doesn't he but he always gives us stuff to talk about and uh you know what for all intents and purposes for anybody that complains for it i love it because it's non-stop material but um you know i'm, I'm sorry. Have you noticed one thing about Bill, you know, with these virtual press conferences with nobody there? He seems to smile a lot more.

Is it just my imagination? No, it's not your imagination. He seems more relaxed. He seems more comfortable. I think he loves this type of environment. And, you know, bottom line, maybe it brings out a kinder, gentler Bill. You know, maybe, who knows? Maybe Ellis will be his white knight.

You know, who knows? That's it. I mean, Corona Bill might be the next, you know, hashtag. So. It could be. It very well could. We live in hope. We'll see.

But, Steve, what can I say? Please let all of our listeners know what's on the horizon from the great pen of Steve Balistrieri and what we can expect in the coming week until you join us again here for your weekly spot next week, my friend. Well, you know, we're just going to keep our eye on what's transpiring down at training camp. I mean, the quarterback, the running back situation, wide receiver.

I mean, it's an offensive line. You could go down the line. It's all fascinating stuff. You know, we're all as much in the dark as everyone else because no one really knows what Bill's thinking. So, you know, we're going to continue to watch that and see what transpires down there. I think this is going to be one of the more intriguing seasons, I think, in a very, very long time. I think it is as well.

I really do. I think there's a lot still on the table, a lot yet to be determined, and padded practices, game simulations, folks, could end up being a little more exciting than we all thought they were going to be. So far, the action we're seeing on the field at Gillette is pretty interesting. So keep a sharp eye. We'll continue to keep a sharp eye, but Steve, stay safe, stay well, have a great week, my friend, and we look forward to talking Patriots camp with you again next week right here on Locked on Patriots.

Oh, thanks for having me, Mike, and I'll leave you with one last Hans Gruber quote because you cracked me up earlier when you talked about Alice. By the time they figure out what went wrong, we'll be sitting on a beach earning 20%.

I love it. We'll be lying on a beach earning 20 i love it we'll be lying on a beach earning 20 percent do you really think they'll do it who cares you know bill belichick probably hung up the phone after that with uh with when it comes to this quarterback platoon i think somebody's probably around him just going bill do you really think the media is going to buy that you're going to do a quarterback platoon? Hook has. Really.

I can picture it. I can totally picture it, bud. I love it. And on a Hans Gruber note, can't get any better than that. We bid you adieu, folks, definitely. And we'll see you next week, Steve. Thanks again, my friend. Oh, thanks for having me.

And just like that, Patriots Nation, we are over halfway through the work week. my friend. Oh, thanks for having me. the progress of your favorite team in Foxborough. So to be sure that you do not miss a single second of the action, subscribe to Locked on Patriots on Apple podcasts. Follow us on Spotify, download Locked on Patriots, wherever you get your podcasts. And don't forget, you can also listen to us right on your very own smart device. Simply ask it to play the latest episode of Locked on Patriots.

Once again, my name is Mike debate. I thank my good friend, Steve Balistrieri for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's pod. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and continuing to stay locked in to Locked On Patriots. Stay safe.

Stay well. Be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.