Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Strengths and Weaknesses Wednesday: 2020 New England Patriots - 8/5/2020

Episode Date: August 5, 2020

For the New England Patriots, roster building is a complex business. When evaluating the shape of the team for 2020, there are strengths and weaknesses throughout their positional groupings. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com. The duo debate the positions of strength, as well as the areas of concern for the Pats as they progress through training camp. 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. It is Strengths and Weaknesses Wednesday here on the Lockdown Patriots Podcast, your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots.

Happy Hump Day, Patriots Nation. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots Podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, your team every day means your questions, your comments, your feedback, always welcomed, strongly encouraged. Share that feedback at any time by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there making that Twitterverse an offer it can't refuse, please be sure to follow the Lockdown Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots.

Folks, thank you again for joining me here halfway through your work week on the Lockdown Patriots podcast. And here on this Wednesday, August 5th, 2020, training camp is finally starting to take shape a little bit. Thanks to our good friends at Patriots.com, we're starting to get glimpses of this incarnation of your 2020 New England Patriots, including that of new quarterback Cam Newton wearing some Patriots workout clothes. But the most important aspect of this, folks, is that the roster finally looks like it's starting to take shape. And even though they were hit pretty hard last week and last weekend when it came to opt out of Palooza,

the Patriots have been relatively healthy, especially when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, zero members of their roster have been placed on the COVID-19 injured reserve list. That is a very good sign. And yesterday, we got some great news as well. And that came in the form of wide receiver Mohamed Sanu, who you will recall over the weekend was placed on the physically

unable to perform list. Well, his stay on the pup list was a relatively short one. Yesterday afternoon, the Pats announced that Mohamed Sanu was indeed taken off the pup list and may resume full practice duties. And this is great news for the wide receiver, who came to New England last year amidst a lot of fanfare. Pats gave up a lot for him without question for it. A second round pick would have been valuable in this year's draft. But look, when Mohamed Sanu is healthy, he is as good as anyone in his role on the wide receiver depth chart. Not just in New England, folks, but in the league.

Sanu looks like he's been able to put his injury woes behind him when it comes to the high ankle sprain. And as a result, I look for big things out of Mohamed Sanu this year on the field. But who will be joining him on that field? Don't forget, the Patriots still have numerous holes to fill on this roster and $35 million worth of cap space burning in their pocket. Yesterday's guest here on the pod, Alex Barth of 98.5 The Sports Hub and I both agreed that the Patriots would spend conservatively.

The exception? Whether or not they're still considered to be in the running for the services of Jadeveon Clowney. I think Alex made a reasonable case for it, but I still believe it to be a long shot. But even if the Patriots do add Clowney to this team, they still have voids to address on the offensive line, maybe a little bit at running back, possibly even wide receiver. There's a spot open on the safety depth chart, and we haven't even gone into the linebacker position yet. That sounds like a lot of adversity which the Patriots need to overcome. But even though there are some weaknesses on this roster,

there are still a lot of strengths as well. And because today is Strengths and Weaknesses Wednesday, we're going to delve into the strong points of the Patriots roster, and we'll even take a look at those areas in which the Pats need improvement. And for an added and very valued opinion on the subject, I welcome in my good friend Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com for what's becoming a weekly spot here on Locked On Patriots, and Steve just recently published a 53-man roster projection for Patsfans.com. Very much encourage you to check that out, and while we won't be going line item by line item for every roster spot that Steve chose to fill, we're going to be playing a little game of strengths and weaknesses. In Steve's humble opinion, which positional groupings on the Pats roster need a little attention? Which are going

to be a strength of theirs? And are there any positions out there that may surprise people, either positively or negatively? Well, folks, these are all of the questions that Steve and I will break down in just a moment. So settle in. Once again, an action-packed agenda on Locked On Patriots. It's always a fun and informative conversation when Steve drops by the pod. And who knows, you might just want to have a pad and paper or however you take notes these days out because we will be giving you our projected strengths and weaknesses for your 2020 New England Patriots. Midweek Foxborough roster talk when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues.

Patriots fans, roster building is a complex business and here in Foxborough, it's a gamble, even for the best of us. Luckily, I happen to have one of the best at predicting the population

of that Belichickian crystal ball. He is one of the best and most knowledgeable columnists that you can find in Patriots media. You know his great work from Patsfans.com, as well as being the co-host of two amazing podcasts, Patriots 4th and 2, and one Patriots place with our great mutual friend, Thomas the Count of Murphy,

Fisto Murphy. He is my Paizan. Steve Balistrieri joins me today. Welcome back to now your weekly home here on Locked on Patriots, my friend. I know. Hey, pretty soon I'll have to get my name up there in lights with you. Absolutely. You know, we'll have the guest chair embroidered.

And, you know, I think Murph still holds the record of being the most downloaded guest in my incarnation of Lockdown Patriots. But you're getting yourself up there, my friend. And listen, it is definitely well-deserved. Always enjoy talking ball with you. And I'm excited to do that today. Buddy, last week here on the pod, you mentioned that your 53-man roster prediction was forthcoming. And, folks, it is now available on PatsFans.com.

Steve did a phenomenal job as always and mine will be forthcoming folks uh like alex barth our guest here said yesterday i too wanted to allow the opt-out deadline to pass before making my second attempt at a roster prediction but steve is fearless in that regard i give him credit for having the intestinal fortitude to do it. Yours is going to be tough to beat, my friend. Solid insight. And I'm not going to play spoiler here, folks, so please read Steve's column. We won't do a rundown of all of the ins and outs, but based on your analysis, buddy, I thought we might play a game today of strengths and weaknesses. So as the old adage goes, let's start with the defense. Defense wins championships.

And we'll start with a negative and end on a positive, because I always like to end on a high note, bud. You know that. Steve, the defense is still likely to be the strength of this team, in my estimation. I'm not knocking the offense, folks, but I have my reasons and feeling this way, and we'll talk about those in a bit.

But the Patriots' defense was ranked at or near the top in the NFL all season long in 2019. That defense is still going to be very good, but they're far from intact from a year ago, and I have my own opinions on what the areas of concern for this defense will be, but when you look at this defense steve is there a positional grouping or a position in particular that worries you as we head into the field uh for on-field practices starting next week well you know prior to last week i was still worried a little bit about the linebackers because they had lost cal van noy jamie collins and, and Landon Roberts to the early parts of free agency. And, you know, I thought that's a lot of playmakers to go off your roster. And then Donta Hightower opted out.

And now I think that is the biggest area of concern heading into the season because you lose all three of your starters and you know arguably your top backup of your linebackers and now now you know you have a lot of inexperience there you know John Simon is kind of a hybrid edge slash linebacker player. But, I mean, other than him, you have a lot of young guys. Jawan Bentley, Case Winovich, they're going to be looked upon to really take

a step up. Now, we thought they were going to, but now they have to. You know, there's no ifs, ands, or buts. And then you have some rookies who, you know, we expect good things out of but i think the rookies now you're looking at josh uj and anthony jennings i think those guys now you know we usually don't expect a ton from them uh in their rookie year but i think we're going to have

to expect a lot more from them than we originally envisioned. Yeah, we talked a little bit about this last week, buddy, and I think you made some great points in terms of not only are the Patriots now going to have to take the linebacker position and apply that next man up mantra, but Alex Spock brought up a very good point when I spoke to him yesterday here on the pod, and that is the communication that's going to be lost, especially losing a guy like Dante Hightower. Patrick Chung is a big part of that in the secondary, in the safety position, and I think the Patriots will miss that, but they still have Devin McCourty to be able to try to

direct traffic. He's one of the smartest players I've ever covered, and I do believe that his insight and maybe some of the additions that they've had at that position will allow them to be able to sustain that type of a loss. And I don't want to steal any thunder there when it comes to the Patriots defense. I don't want to tip my hand, but I'm in full agreement with you. I think the linebacker position concerns us all right now. Look, we talked a little bit last week, I even asked Alex this question yesterday, about the Patriots adopting more of a 4-3 base set if they choose that if they choose to see I should say that maybe their personnel is a little more adept to being able to adapt to that type of base set rather than a 3-4 if they stay with what they have I don't really

think they have much of a choice here I think John Simon and Chase Winovich can play the 4-3 end I believe that they're well suited to do so do so. Their skill set is very accurate to being able to do that. But look, this opens the door, and we talked about this last week, for guys like Dietrich Weiss, maybe even a guy like Derek Rivers, who really was, I think, considered left for dead on a lot of roster predictions, all of a sudden is getting a little bit more play. Josh Uche, Anthony Jennings are probably going to be asked to do more now than they were just even a couple of weeks ago with the loss of Dante Hightower. So they have personnel to be able to fill it, folks. They could play a fourth, you know, four to five if they wanted to, having four guys up front, two linebackers, and then the five

defensive backs. I could even see a 5-1-5 look that the Patriots may give with Jawan Bentley being the only true linebacker in that core. But you can't sustain that. You can't run that over and over again because that could lead to problems. Ultimately, I think personnel-wise, I think they'll be able to fill it. But my main concern that Alex brought up yesterday, and it continues to be a concern of mine is communication because Dante Hightower just saw things on that field that I don't know if a lot of guys on this roster are going to be able to step in and see right off the bat a lot's going to be put on Bentley's shoulders this year I think he can handle some of the load but to say that the Patriots are not going to have some

growing pains especially at first I think is a little bit wishful thinking. So will they address that position in the offseason with some of their newfound cap space? It's out there. You know, right now, Alex even brought up the possibility of bringing in a guy like Jadavion Clowney again, where I had thought that really wasn't much of a possibility. Folks, keep a sharp eye because you never know when it comes to the Patriots. ultimately I share your curiosity in that regard Steve let's flip the script so I'm not really flip the script but we'll flip the page and uh you know talk a little bit about what might be a positive about this Patriots defense because again I do believe that this is going to be their their you know strength of this roster this year.

I think we agree by consensus that the Pat secondary is the true area of strength. When you look at the positional groupings, the front seven, including the defensive linebackers and then the secondary, I think the Patriots are pretty well stacked in that area. I believe that the cornerback position is one of the best positions, maybe even the deepest position, that the Patriots have on their depth chart. So putting the cornerback position aside, unless you feel very strongly that it's the only logical choice here, where on this team do you see the potential of a position grouping

or a position being a deep and productive spot on the Patriots defense? Well, obviously, I mean, corner jumps off the page at you because, you know, looking at the corners that they have, they're probably going to have to release two guys that can play and two guys that perhaps in years past would have definitely made the roster. So, I mean, obviously that's, that's a position of strength, even with Pat Chung opting out, which I consider a big loss. I still think they have a lot of depth at safety. Now they don't have a lot of depth at free safety. They have, you know, Devin McCourty, who's, you know, the quarterback of the secondary,

he calls all the signals. And, you know, I think he's one of those underrated guys. He doesn't really get the credit he deserves, I think, nationally because he's not flashy. But, you know, when's the last time you've seen Devin McCourty out of position? He's never out of position. I mean, if he gets beat, he gets beat because somebody may out physical, you know, play or run by him. But he's never out of position.

He's fantastic in that aspect. And, you know, some of the guys they brought in, you know, a guy you talked about many times on this podcast, Adrian Phillips, he's a guy that's played a lot of roles similar to a Pat Chum. And, you know, the guy they drafted, you know, Duggar, I mean, I look at him as the long-term replacement for Pat Chung. Yeah. You know, I think they're going to be in good shape safety-wise. I think I really do.

I'm not saying they're not going to miss Pat Chung. I think they are. But, you know, they brought in some guys. I like Cody Davis as well. You know, he's one of those special teams guys that can step in and play a little bit. I think Terrence Brooks is probably going to make the roster now. So, you know, it's going to be an interesting group.

I really like this whole secondary overall. You know, and a lot will depend on how good the pass rush is, but the secondary is definitely their major strength on defense. Yeah, without question. I completely agree. And I think folks could probably predict that when you take a look at what the strengths and weaknesses of this defense is going to be.

But I'm still very high on the prowess of the safety position, even with the loss of Pat Chung. Again, communication and readiness, preparedness, experience in this system is going to be something that they will sorely miss when it comes to that. But one thing that you mentioned about Devin McCourty and his experience and what he brings to the table, McCourty is listed as their starting free safety. There's no question about it. That's exactly what he is, but his role extends far beyond the classic responsibilities of that position. Take a look at his 2019 season in a microscope, and thanks to Next Generation Stats for providing these. He saw most of his action aligning deep, played 467 snaps there he also regularly played in the box he took 343 snaps in the box

as well as either in the slot 98 of them or even split out as a perimeter cornerback in 39 snaps McCourty has really been that Swiss army knife that jack of all trades in the Patriots secondary so to me that's where the communication uh the lack of communication that they may have in Chung to me is going to be eclipsed by someone like Devin McCourty. It looks like he might be playing with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder this year. I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, but I think it could translate to some good things on the field for him. So because of the strength of a guy like Devin McCourty, who is absolutely one of my favorite

players that I've ever covered of all time. Again, I said before, I think he's one of the smartest players I've ever covered, but he's also one of the most versatile. And I think to me, that speaks volumes for the safety position and why the Patriots may be able to handle the loss of a guy like Patrick Chung a little bit better. I've gone on and on about why I absolutely love Adrian Phillips here. I'm not going to bore our listeners again with hearing all about Phillips, but you know how I feel about him. Guy I'm going to give a little love to that I really haven't done so in the past is Terrence

Brooks, and I agree with you. I think he now has an inside track to make this team. I think he may actually end up benefiting from Chung opting out because he has experience in the system. He was kind of that Daron Harmon clone type guy that you wanted to put on the field, maybe that third safety. I think Phillips eclipses him in that regard. I think even Kyle Duggar as a rookie will eclipse him in that regard. But Brooks does have some positional versatility as well, and he has a great deal of acumen when it comes to special teams so because of that I think he has the ability to come in and be able to be a contributing factor and I think the Patriots are still very deep at this at the

safety position that's going to allow them a good amount of opportunity to make plays and still maintain that formidability in the secondary. So, Steve, we're like-minded when it comes to this. Big surprise. I'm sure everybody is shocked, but I don't think we spoke out of turn when we said that linebacker is a concern. The secondary is probably their strength. The defensive line I really think is a wash. Before we move on, I just wanted to give my opinion on that as well.

I think losing a guy like Danny Shelton does hurt you a little bit. I think Bo Allen will be a good, you know, strong replacement. Maybe he won't give you exactly the production that Danny Shelton had, but I think Bo will do a pretty decent job. I think the strength of this defensive front is guys like Lawrence Guy, Adam Butler. I look for big things out of them this year as well. So ultimately, my friend, I love to call you familia here on Locked On Patriots. You are family, buddy, within every sense of the word. But family business in Foxborough is building a roster for 2020, and the Patriots are doing just that on both sides of the ball.

In just a moment, folks, Steve Balistrieri will continue to occupy his spot on the hot seat as we discuss some of his 2020 roster theories, particularly his thoughts on the new look Patriots offense. New England Patriots roster talk, folks, when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fan Steve Balistrieri joins me here today on Locked On Patriots. And, buddy, we've talked defense, but there's going to be more than a few eyes on the offense this year. Let's face it, it's just the nature of the way the media runs and the way fandom runs.

Not only are the Patriots moving forward without the cornerstone of their franchise for the past 20 years, and folks, I don't care, it still looks weird seeing Tom practicing in Tampa, but that's a conversation for another day we're going to focus on the guys that are in Foxborough right now and the Patriots defense offense excuse me is going to look different this year whatever for whatever reason it will look different whether it be the consensus choice of Cam Newton or the guy who was the shoe-in turned dark horse, Jarrett Stidham, expect to see different sets, different strategy, and different play calling this year when it comes to the Patriots offense.

Before we end on a high note today, my friend, let's get the concerns out of the way first. The Patriots offense has been much maligned in the national narrative surrounding this team, particularly the receiver position, the tight end positions, not getting a lot of love from the national media, lack of talent, lack of depth for whatever reason. We've heard them all. But as with the defense, I do have my concerns on offense with this team. As you look at this offense, Steve, where is your biggest concern? And is this an area that you think the Pets may

have to address in the offseason to prepare themselves for a start in 2020? Well, you know, a lot of people have been talking about the wide receiver position being, you know, a weak spot. I think it's going to be better than, a lot better than people are, you know, portraying it. I think Nikhil Harry in his second year, you know, I think he's going to be much better. I think Mohamed Sanu is going to be healthy.

And, of course, you still have Julian Edelman. And, you know, I have a sneaking suspicion that Jeff Thomas is going to not only make the roster, but I think he's going to, you know, turn a few heads. And so I don't think they're going to be as bad as roster, but I think he's going to, you know, turn a few heads. And so I don't think they're going to be as bad as people are making them out to be. You know, I'm holding out hope in that aspect. Of course, a lot of it will depend on the quarterback play and if Cam Newton can learn the offense, you know, in a very short amount of time with, you know, not a lot of on-field

stuff. So he's going to have to work extra hard with those guys. But what concerns me is the tight end position. I thought they addressed it pretty well with the two rookies that they picked up, Dalton Keene, Devin Asiasi. I was really pleased that they picked up Asiasi, and I think Keane will be a nice fit for them. But, you know, and even though I didn't have high hopes for him,

Matt LaCoste, I think he's, you know, he was a veteran guy. So I think that's an area that they need. And, you know, you can turn back the clock, 2010. They drafted two rookie tight ends, you know, Gronkowski and Hernandez, and they brought in a guy, Captain Crump, Algie Crumpler, kind of helped those guys learn the ropes. I think they really need that kind of a guy. And a lot of people have been saying Delaney Walker,

and he could conceivably be that guy. But I just have the feeling that they're going to trade for a veteran title and take a little bit of the onus off of these young guys and let them learn. Because, again, they didn't have OTAs or rookie minicamps or any of that stuff either, and it's going to be difficult for them to learn the offense that quickly and to be an integral part of that.

So I think they're going to try to bring in a veteran. They might get a free agent. I really think they're going to try to swing a trade. And, you know, people have been talking about David Njoku. There might be a guy out of Houston because they have some depth there. If you can hear people still talking O.J. Howard, I don't think there's any way that the Bucs will trade him to New England. But you never know.

Never say never in the NFL. Yeah, you never say never in the NFL. And, look, I agree with you on Howard. I think right now the evidence that you are seeing from Tampa Bay is that they're going all in. If they can figure out a way to keep O.J. Howard on the roster and he's not demanding to get out, I don't see a way that they're going all in. If they can figure out a way to keep O.J. Howard on the roster and he's not demanding to get out, I don't see a way that they pry him loose.

That's not just, you know, I don't see them trading him to the Patriots. I just don't see them moving him, period. Look, I agree with you on the tight end to a certain extent. The reason why I say I'm a little more optimistic on the tight end position is because of the reasons that you mentioned. I believe they will bring in a veteran, someone that's going to be able to mentor the young kids in Asiasi and Keene, who I'm very high on both of them. I think they're going to bring a lot to the table. Asiasi, to me, has a tendency to be maybe a little bit more of a deep passing threat. I think

Keene can be a dual threat when it comes to making short intermediate catches throughout the field, maybe stretching it as well. I mean, he did that at Virginia Tech, but also his ability to line up in that H-back role, maybe even play some fullback in the absence of now Danny Vitale, definitely in the absence of James Devlin, who retired in the offseason. Give Jakob Johnson a little help on that. I still have my concerns about the right side of the offensiveseason. Give Jakob Johnson a little help on that. I still have my concerns about the right side of the offensive line. And look, I know the Patriots have a great deal of depth and young players that are untested that could come in and provide some depth. But look, when you look at the loss of a guy like Marcus Cannon, who we had predicted was probably going to be a loss for this team right away, You don't really,

I think, understand what you have until it's gone. And then you look at guys that could possibly come in. I know Yanni could use this, the popular choice to be able to fill in, but if he did, he'd be playing out of natural position when it came to that. You'll also look at guys like Corey Cunningham,

maybe coming up, taking a shot. He's got some experience in this system, but obviously, you know, you didn't see a whole lot of time on the field last year for the New England Patriots. Will he be able to shoulder the load? Justin Heron, Dustin Woodard are rookies largely unproven. Michael Onwainu, I think, has a chance to really turn some heads in training camp. Again, he's a huge body. It'll be interesting to see if he's able to factor in, but ultimately I think filling that right tackle position may choose to be a little bit more difficult than the Patriots had anticipated. And do they go outside the organization? Maybe even

to an old friend, guys that we talked about last week, like Adrian Waddle, or dare I even say the name again, Marshall Newhouse. There are names that are out there. So, you know, we'll take a look, folks. But that continues to be a concern of mine. Again, I think the Patriots are going to address both, but I think they have a chance to bring in a tight end that can have more of an impact on this roster and solidify that piece on the depth chart than maybe bringing in a backup offensive lineman. They may have to go with what they have. And because they're largely untested, to me, that's still going to be a question mark. But let's end on a high note, buddy. We want to end on a high note. And I know a lot of people are excited about the quarterback position. Some are nervous, but a lot of eyes are going to be fixated on that position this year.

If I'm being honest, I think the Patriots' biggest strength on offense is at a position that isn't the signal caller under center. And that sounds weird to say. For the first time in a long time, we're talking about a team that may be deeper at a different position other than quarterback. When you look at this roster, top to bottom, but on offense now, what is the position that you look at and say, you know what, the Patriots are pretty well stocked in this position, and I think this is going to be the strength of their offense this year. What say you, what is the high point of your Patriots offense in 2020, buddy? Oh, I think it's definitely running back.

You know, we heard the news that, you know, Sonny Michel is going to start training camp on PUP, and I don't think that was a surprise because he had the surgery, I think it was either late April or early May. So that wasn't really a surprise, but their depth is such that I don't think it's going to be a big thing for them. And I say that as a guy who has always defended Sonny Michel and a guy I like, I like him as a player. I think he's still the Patriots, you know, running back in the running game. But that being said, I mean, we both have high hopes for Damian Harris to step up this year.

And I think he's going to, I think he,. I think this is an opportunity for him to take that next step. His second year, his first year is a little bit of a redshirt year for him. And that's typical of what they do with their running backs. But I look for him to really make a big splash this year in the running game. He can catch the ball. He's a very good pass blocker. So I'm looking for him to make a big step up. They still have Sonny Michel.

They still have Rex Burkhead. You know, Rex can do a little bit of both. He can run the ball. He can catch it. He's a good blocker as well. If he can stay healthy, he's always a nice option to have. And, of course, James White is your kind of go-to guy and on third down in the passing game now they will uh miss brandon bolden uh were you going to say something oh no no no by all means please go ahead okay yeah yeah

and uh um you know the guy that I was excited to see this year, and I don't know whether he'll make the roster, but I think they'll probably try to keep him around. You know, in the practice squad is J.J. Taylor, who's just – he's small but electric with the ball in his hand. You know, and that being said, you know, we've seen stranger things. You know, an undrafted guy coming in, making the roster and competing. Now, you know, again, they had an opt-out at fullback,

which is a guy that I thought was going to play a big role, Danny Vitale. But, you know, we'll see what happens with Jakob Johnson. He played well last year for a couple of games before he was hurt so uh and there again i wouldn't be surprised if they bring in another fullback just to have some competition there yeah i wouldn't be surprised either i think there might be some activity on fullback i think the Patriots are pretty well high on Yakov. I think he proved last year that he could carry the load. And look, I know they brought in Danny Vitale for a reason, because I think they saw his ability to come in and be able to right away fill some of what James Devlin gave you.

And ultimately, I don't think anybody was ever going to fill those shoes right off the bat. James was such a well-respected fullback in that locker room, not just for what he brought to you on the field, but also the leadership capabilities and what he brought for you off the field. I think that was going to be tough for anybody to replicate, but Jakub could be able to do it. It wouldn't shock me to see them bring in maybe someone to challenge him in training camp and try to motivate him a little bit more and maybe even see what's available out there to be a formidable option because the fullback is such a big part of what this Patriots

offense does. I think you're on the money when it comes to the running backs. I think that they do have a great deal of depth at the position. I do like the fact that Damian Harris, I think, is going to be poised for a bigger role this year. James White, anytime you have him in a positional depth chart, you're always going to get productivity. He's, I think, one of the more underrated players in the NFL in terms of not just catching the ball out of the backfield, but he's a pretty adept runner when you need him to do that too. And with the loss of a guy like Brandon Bolden, I think he's going to be called upon a little bit more this year.

And I think he's up to the challenge without any question. And they have depth at that position as well. Rex Burkett, I think, is going to be called upon to play a bigger role this year. He'll be able to step up to the plate. We've seen him do it. Only question with Rex is his health. You want to see him remain healthy. But other than that, I think he's got the ability to be someone that

can make plays for this team as well. And I'm glad you mentioned a guy like JJ Taylor, who to me can be one of those protected practice squad guys that might be able to pay dividends for them on the field this year. He does. He's very electric with the ball in his hand. Very, you know, sneakingly elusive, I guess, is a term that I that I described him with a couple of weeks ago here on Locked On Patriots. And I stand by that. I'm a little higher on the wide receiver core than most people are. And that to me is one I think one of the bigger deaths of this team that not a lot of people

were talking about. I know they're not getting a lot of national love. And I understand that you look at it and you don't see the number one receiver jump right off your plate. But look, I think there are guys on this team that are going to have better years than they had in 2019, simply because I think they'll be healthier, and one in particular that I think is going to get more looks.

The two guys that I think are going to benefit from good health more than they did last year, Nikhil Harry and Mohamed Sanu. Already pulled off of Pup. We saw that last week that, you know, he was going to start the season on Pup and a lot of people were surprised he was pulled off right away. I think that's a smart move. That's a good move in the right direction. I think he's going to be productive, already working well with Cam Newton from the workout videos that we've seen, folks.

Again, another guy that I think is going to benefit you know from good health is Nikhil Harry I think him coming back from the injuries he had last year with slowed his growth a little bit and I think in regard to that because he was experiencing growing pains throughout the season the play calling really didn't move to his strengths it almost and Alex pointed this out to me yesterday it almost worked to his disadvantage some of the play callings at the time I don't think you're going to see that this year. I think you're going to see Nikhil in such a good position, go up and make contested catches, maybe even be a little bit of a hybrid tight end at times. I envisioned him being able to utilize

that role with the absence of Rod Gronkowski last year, I think he has a chance to grow into that again. And Jacoby Byers, I think, is going to get more looks this year. I think that last year he was still a rookie, feeling himself out, trying to find his spot in this offense. But look, I think a guy like Cam Newton can benefit from having someone like Jacoby that can be that Z-type receiver that just goes out there and is really a jack of all trades. I think he can utilize him well. And again, you still have Julian Edelman in that core, folks.

Don't discount that. Still one of the best slot receivers, one of the best option receivers, really, in the NFL when he's healthy. By all accounts, he is healthy, so look for him to be utilized well in an offense that's either run by Cam Newton or in the outside shot that Jarrett Stidham takes some snaps this year as well. I think there's either run by Cam Newton or in the outside shot that Jarrett Stidham takes some snaps this year as well. I think there's still a possibility. Steve, what can I say, bud? It's always a blast talking football with you on the microphone here. Again, folks, I cannot recommend highly enough. Check out Steve's 53-man roster prediction. You'll get a lot more insight

into Steve's thought process when it comes to the strengths and weaknesses of this team. Before I let you go, my friend, please let everyone know. I think everyone knows where to find you and where to find your great work now. But what can we expect on the horizon when it comes to the great pen of Steve Balistrieri, or the great keyboard, I should say, in the next coming days and weeks as we lead into the 2020 season? Yeah, I wish I had my pen because that would mean I'm taking notes down there at training camp and watching the guys go out on the field. Absolutely.

We'll just be, you know, looking at how things play out. I think, you know, you mentioned the offensive line. I think they're going to try to make, you know, an addition there. I think they'll try to do that at tight end. And, you know, an addition there. I think they'll try to do that at tight end. And, you know, we'll see how it all plays out. I think there's so many intriguing parts of the puzzle, you know, with Cam Newton coming in and, you know, there's a lot of new young faces. I think it's going to be exciting. It's not going to be what we're used to here in New England, but that's what makes it so exciting this year.

I'm looking forward to the season, and hopefully we'll see a lot more of these guys on the field of training. Yeah, absolutely. And I'm looking forward to seeing what these guys have to offer, especially with on-field practices starting on the 12th. We're going to get a chance to see what this team may look like. Going to be a different year, a different way of covering camp for us this year, my friend.

But you know what? We still go at it. We'll do the best we can. And who knows? Maybe there will be a time coming up this season where we might be able to share a spot in that media tent and see these guys live up close and in person. We still live in hope for that, folks. So all in all, my friend, I appreciate you coming on today.

Thank you for lending your wisdom and counsel. You seem to have a weekly spot here on Locked On Patriots, and I, for one, could not be more proud or happy to offer that to you. So we'll be talking to you soon, and we'll talk more Patriots roster, I'm sure, within the coming days and weeks as this team begins to build its roster for 2020. Stay safe and well, my friend, and we'll talk to you soon. Thank you, Mike.

Anytime, my friend. Anytime. Thank you, my friend. And so, Patriots fans, that is a wrap on this Strengths and Weaknesses Wednesday episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast. And even though today's pod might have tipped our hand a little bit as to what might be the highlights and lowlights of the Patriots roster, there is still a lot to discuss when it comes to this team. Will we see some New England Patriots playing out of position this year

for, quote, the good of the team? Who, besides the team captains, will step up in a leadership role this year for the Pats? And, of course, how will the coaching staff handle all of these roster changes amidst trying to balance a competitive roster alongside the COVID-19 pandemic? Well, if you seek the answer to these questions, you're going

to want to make sure not to miss a single episode of Locked on Patriots, so follow us on Spotify, subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, download Locked on Patriots wherever you get your podcasts, and of course, you can always listen to Locked on Patriots right you get your podcasts. And of course, you can always listen to Locked on Patriots right on your very own smart device.

Simply ask it to play the latest episode of Locked on Patriots. Once again, Patriots Nation, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank my friend Steve Balistrieri for his time, his wisdom, and his insight today. But most of all, I thank each and every one of you so much for listening and for staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Stay safe, stay well, and continue to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.