Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Taylor-Made: Kyles’ Case for Cam as Patriots 2021 QB — 2/18/2021

Episode Date: February 19, 2021

The New England Patriots’ decision at the quarterback position may be the defining moment of their offseason. Amidst rumors of Cam Newton’s return, host Mike D’Abate is joined by Taylor Kyles of Pats Pulpit of SB Nation. Kyles makes the argument that retaining Newton’s services may be a smart move for the Pats. The duo also discuss New England’s possible pursuit of Marcus Mariota and ponder the future of Julian Edelman in Foxboro.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful. You are now locked in to the Lockdown Patriots podcast. Today is Thursday, February 18th, 2021, and it's a tailor-made Thursday here on your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. Greetings and salutations, Pats Nation.

Thank you so much for joining me here today on this Thursday episode of the pod. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, that phrase, your team every day, means that your questions, your comments, your feedback, always welcomed, your team every day, means that your questions, your comments, your feedback, always welcomed, very much encouraged. So share that feedback and send it to the internet by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there doing some Thursday traveling through the Twitterverse, please

be sure to follow the Lockdown Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Pats Nation, you heard me correctly. Today is being branded as a TaylorMade Thursday, and the reason for that is because my good friend Taylor Kyles of Pats Pulpit is joining me today on the hot seat, and Taylor has had a pretty interesting week, especially a pretty big week when it comes to Boston media. Yesterday, Taylor made an impromptu phone appearance on WEI's Dale and Keefe Midday show on Intercom Radio. The topic? Well, really the topic of the day, the week, the month here in Foxborough, Cam Newton as quarterback of the Patriots in 2021. And believe me, I know,

this is a polarizing topic. Some people are warm to the idea of Cam coming back. Others break out into a cold sweat at the mere mention of it. Personally, I like to fall back on my favorite Aristotle quote, that virtue lies in the middle. I wouldn't be opposed to Cam coming back. I do think there's an element of truth to the fact that he can be better in 2021. But at the same time, and as I've said several times here on these airwaves, if I were the GM of the New England Patriots, bringing back Cam Newton is not the move I would make. Doesn't mean it's the right decision, doesn't mean it's the wrong one, it's just simply how I feel.

I simply can't shake my concerns over Cam's throwing mechanics. But I do want to give Taylor a lot of credit. He went on WEI Radio knowing that the decks were stacked against him, and I think he made a pretty convincing argument for Cam coming back in 2021. And seeing that he only had a limited time to plead his case yesterday, I thought bringing him onto the airwaves today here on Locked On Patriots would give him the opportunity to expand on that argument. And not only will Taylor attempt to plead the case for Cam Newton,

he'll provide empirical evidence to support his claim. And empirical evidence does not mean opinion, folks. Taylor is truly one of the best in the business at breaking down all 22 footage, analyzing it, and then putting it into practical terms for improvement. Whether he proves that case is really going to be up to each individual listener, in your own individual court of opinion. Some of you will not be convinced, no matter what, and you're more than entitled to that opinion.

And I can't tell you that you're wrong for feeling the way you feel. Some of you may be on the fence about Cam, maybe even leaning toward not wanting him to come back. Taylor may be able to sway you. Or some of you out there might believe that Cam is as good or better than any other choice the Patriots may have in choosing a starting signal caller for the upcoming season. No matter your position, I encourage you to hear Taylor out, and I think you'll be intrigued by what he has to say. But we're not going to limit our conversation to only Cam Newton. Believe it or not, on his Twitter feed, Taylor recently dropped a hint at who he might like to see as the Patriots quarterback in 2021, just in case the Patriots decide not to bring back Cam

Newton. And the last but certainly not least, I'm sure you all saw some of the rumors circulating yesterday about the Patriots being better off cutting one of their most beloved veterans. That's right, folks, I'm talking about wide receiver Julian Edelman. Could he find himself on the chopping block? Well, ultimately, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots brain trust are the only ones that know that for sure. But to help bring it all home today on the pod, Taylor and I will offer our take on whether Julian Edelman has played his last game in New England. Folks, an action-packed and what might end up being polarizing agenda on tap here today on Locked on Patriots, but one that I'm confident you'll find entertaining and engaging.

So sit tight and settle in, all you Foxborough faithful, as Taylor Kyles of Pat's Pulpit prepares to join me here on the Locked On Patriots podcast when we continue in just a moment. Locked On listeners, when it comes to repairing or maintaining your vehicle, why would you spend 30%, 50%, even 100% more for the exact same auto parts at a chain store or a new car dealership? It's still possible to take pride in your ride and even save a little in the process. Visit my good friends at rockauto.com. Rockauto.com is a family business serving auto parts customers

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rockauto.com Locked On listeners, February is Black History Month and the Locked On Podcast Network is honoring the challenges and success of black men and women in sports with a new series called Locked On Presents More Than The Game. Right now, you can hear Candace Cooper of Locked On Tar Heels and Erica Ayala of Locked On Women's Basketball discuss the opportunities and challenges that come with being a black woman in sports. Subscribe to the Locked On Presents podcast feed on the Radio.com app or wherever you

get your podcasts. Patriots fans, my guest today is one of the best analysts in football media. His ability to break down film and explain it in a clear and concise manner makes him a favorite of mine and so many others on social media. You know his great work from Pat's Pulpit of SB Nation. He's, in my opinion, one of the best Twitter follows in all of sports media, or really any media realm, if I may say so.

The guy knows his WandaVision and so much more. He is my good friend, Taylor Kiles. He joins me here today on Locked On Patriots. Taylor, thank you so much for joining me. Welcome back to the pod, my friend. Thank you for having me on, my good man. I loved the little WandaVision throw in there, too. That was nice.

Watch it if you haven't. Spect spectacular show. So good. Absolutely. I'm going to get to that. Eventually. I haven't had a chance to, but boy, I'll tell you, you and Pat, Pat Lane at SB nation as well. Uh, you guys are making a really, really convincing argument. My good friend, Ian Glendon tells me I have to watch it as well. So I'm getting hit from one side. I need a little bit more in my life than just Cobra Kai, and I'm really looking forward to watching that. Everyone here on the pod knows that I'm a huge, huge Cobra Kai guy, but WandaVision has definitely got my attention.

So I will be watching, and hey, who knows, maybe in the doldrums of the offseason here, we'll have you back on to talk a little bit about it. But folks, Taylor had a pretty big day yesterday meaning wednesday uh here in the boston media market uh the subject of that big day was none other than cam newton and you know recent rumors taylor seemed to be indicating or tipping in the direction of cam's return to new england for 2021 again everyone not confirmed but the rumors are out there and they're starting

to get a little louder than they have been over the course of the last couple of weeks and taylor you've been a significant advocate for bringing back cam newton to the fold here in foxborough to a certain extent i have been as well but i've had my assessment issues and i'll get into those in just a minute you're not just an advocate for bringing Cam back you have made some very good empirical arguments my friend about why this is something that should not be keeping Patriots fans up at night my assessment has been that the problems with Cam's ability to throw the football go a little bit deeper than simply the supporting cast around him you've argued to the contrary though though. And in fact, yesterday, you made an appearance on Enercom's WEI midday show, Dale and Keefe, a show that I'm a fan of,

Dale Arnold, Rich Keefe, Fitzy as well. I think they do a good job of trying to incorporate and listen to opposing viewpoints. And they did that with you yesterday. And you made some very good points in opposition to their assessment that Cam was past the point of no return in his career. Buddy, the floor is yours. Why should the squeamish Patriots fan, breaking out in a cold sweat over a potential Cam Newton return to Foxborough, why should they be able to sleep better at night? Well, we all know the circumstances. You know, I feel like it's not really enough for a lot of fans, and I understand because you want to see the product on the field

regardless of what happens, especially when you had Tom Brady go to a new team and win a Super Bowl. But it's also very important to, you know, add that context. One, Cam wasn't signed until so late in the process. He wasn't part of their plan. So they were building around him on the fly. It was very much a kind of a feeling out process on both sides, as Cam and Josh McDaniels pointed out.

And then even Belichick noted how difficult it was for the entire team to have to rely on a lot of young players that they weren't anticipating. So you think about guys like Devin Asiasi, Jacoby Myers, you know, Nikhil Harry, a lot of guys that were thrust into bigger roles and they were maybe ready for although jacoby myers obviously stepped up to the challenge but these were all guys other than demir bird and a little bit of jacoby myers because they were familiar with each other from before both of their times in new england uh but cam didn't know a lot of

these guys in terms of throwing to them understanding their body language their chemistry the kinds of things that when you had Tom Brady, you always had enough guys around him that he had his, you know, go-to targets where in the worst case scenario, you got Gronk, or you got Edelman, you got James White, you got Amendola. You got those guys that can pick up the slack if you've got one or two young guys that you're still getting acclimated with. Cam didn't have that luxury.

Demir Bird was the only person he had any experience playing with outside of New England. So you saw a lot of, obviously, you know, slow development. I think when you just watch the offense, one thing that's hard to ignore is just how clunky it was outside of the quarterback. Now, quarterback is obviously the most important position on the field. They get the ball every single snap, whether they're throwing or not. So the ball protection, you know, keeping the offense on schedule, those things are very important. And Cam has always been a risk-averse quarterback, and we saw that this year.

He had his battle with turnovers, and that's inexcusable. You know, I've never tried to throw that under the rug or anything. There were a lot of times where he was trying to do too much and wound up costing the team a possession. But as I went through in the thread yesterday, you can also see that half the games that they lost with Cam under center were games where they only lost by one possession. And in all those games, except for Buffalo,

where he obviously had the fumble and that pretty directly cost the team the game, he had them in position multiple times and was really let down by the supporting cast largely. You know, you saw him making accurate throws. A lot of the conjecture that Cam can't throw short to guys like James White in the flat. You don't see any mispasses to James White. Where you really saw his accuracy kind of waver was when he was throwing to guys like Nikhil Harry, who he didn't have great chemistry with. That was the big problem when they faced the Texans.

And then you saw the dangers of having, you know, a big offensive line shuffle in the Broncos game, where they faced a really good front. You had Isaiah Wynn playing multiple positions. Michael Wayne, who I believe had to switch around as well. And Isaiah Wynn wound up giving up a sack, where Cam had another second to just slide and make a throw, he had a wide-open touchdown to Demir Bird. So it's easy to say, oh, Cam's passing stats were so bad, the team had such an unfamiliarly – that's not even a word, whatever.

You know, it was a record that you don't really see around New England very often. But you also have to take into consideration how close they were in a lot of these games. And even in the games that were blowouts, a lot of teams, a lot of fans, understandably, don't like going back to watch those games. I don't either. But even myself, and I acknowledge, I know Evan Lazar, he's someone I look up to in the community, is a really good film breakdown guy, and he's very knowledgeable.

We've both said, hey, when you watch the game live versus the all 22 especially in the emotion of the game things look very different because you can see whether or not guys are open downfield based on coverage or whether or not they just couldn't get open you know sometimes the defense just makes a great play but in their blowout losses other than I think the San Francisco game I believe Cam had a pretty nasty turnover. But he was keeping them in those games by keeping the ball safe, by making sure that he wasn't making, you know, overly aggressive plays the vast majority of the time. And when he was getting pulled, a lot of the time it was because he was getting destroyed. In the Rams game, he was getting hit consistently just because that front is so talented. So you understood why Belichick decided, know what this game with a lot of reach the

offense itself is just not doing what we needed to do let's put Stidham in there just you know so we so we're not hurting Cam because he started the entire season and I think the fact that the Belichick was so adamant in defending Cam all season adamant to have him start until the last week where they actually looked like some semblance of the offense that we hoped they'd look like, albeit against a tough Jets team. But as we've constantly said, this wasn't exactly a Patriots team that was, you know, flushed with talent in the passing game. So I don't fully expect Patriots fans to take my word for it until they see a different product on the field.

But it's very important to keep in mind that this offense was not a functioning offense by NFL standards consistently for a number of reasons. Offensive line, wide receiver, it was very similar to last season where you had a quarterback doing as much as he could to enhance what wasn't really a lot of familiar talent around him. him and Cam actually came out, if you look at advanced statistics, Brad Kelly helped me out and posted a tweet yesterday saying that Cam's numbers were actually better in a less familiar offense that was adapting to him on the fly, whereas Brady for a lot of the season in his last shot with New England was working mostly with guys he was familiar with, although again, the talent level wasn't great and he still had to deal with young players that he was getting used to. So long-winded argument kind of boiled down.

You got to give Cam a chance to show you what he can do with not only talent, but also familiarity of the coaching staff, of being in the system. Again, one more thing, Cam himself acknowledged that he didn't even feel like he understood or really was comfortable with the system in terms of familiarity until well past, I believe, midway through the season. You know, so those things are important when you're playing a position as integral to the game as quarterback. Absolutely.

And, you know, I think you make some great points, Taylor. And staying on the subject for a moment, because you've made a couple of points that I want to expound upon, especially with Brad Kelly's tweet that I'll mention in a moment. Your ability to break down and effectively analyze the all 22 to me is what set you apart from the rest. You mentioned Evan Lazar, tremendous amount of respect for the work that he does. Evan is a frequent guest here on Lockdown Patriots and someone whose film breakdown I hold in the highest regard. I put you in that category and I mean that as the highest of compliments, you deserve that because your ability to dissect that type of film is to me,

what, again, what sets you apart from some of the rest, myself included, I watch a ton of all 22 and it is a much different experience. You're able to really take, I think the fan element out of it to take the emotion out of it and really break the plays down.

And that's where you can see where players are either connecting, not connecting, or having difficulty. And in a lot of ways, you know, Brad's tweets yesterday, I saw the tweet comparing the stats of Cam in 2020 to Tom Brady in 2019. They are eye-opening, folks. I will encourage you to check that out it's on taylor's feed it's on brad's feed brad does an amazing job with uh doing film analysis of all 22 with the slant route as well fellow rhode islander i gotta give a shout out

to him he does a great job love brad kelly um but one of the stats that really caught my eye yesterday and i tried to go back and do a little film analysis in preparation for our conversation today was cam's intended air yards um they were in the lower portion of the league's rankings uh that is undeniable brad pointed that out and this is i think where cam is generally and most heavily criticized by his detractors in the fan base especially those and you briefly touched upon this, that believe a quarterback on this roster, as we speak, in Jarrett Stidham, can be more effective in this area. Again, folks, I'm not arguing that point.

I'm just saying that is a general, not a general, but that is a palpable consensus that is out there amongst the Patriots fan base right now, in that Sam's intended air yards per attempt, and that's a factor that does influence completion percentage was 6.8 that's near the lower end of the league but it isn't quite the bottom in 2019 Tom Brady's was 7.6 added perspective in 2020 you know comparatively year to year Jared Goff's was.2, so Cam had a higher percentage than Jared. Almost neck and neck with Ben Roethlisberger at 6.9. Phillip Rivers just a cut above at 7.2. Obviously, you look at guys like Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson. Mahomes is 8.4, Russell Wilson 8.6. But

from what you've seen, Taylor, from Cam in 2020, why is it believable that this can be corrected in 2021? Well, he's a very good downfield passer and really has been his entire career. When you saw him get the opportunities to really uncork it, there were good results, but the biggest problem was you just didn't have a roster full of guys that could consistently win deep. Now, we saw flashes from Nikhil Harry where you see that big body being able to box guys out downfield and use his kind of alpha mentality and those big hands to just take the ball away. But that wasn't an element that we saw enough. And clearly the chemistry between he and Nikhil, you know, it was on and off. The Seahawks game is when I think it was at its best. And that was, I think, when we saw Cam at his best. If you look at it, you can look at my Twitter. It's a pinned tweet right at

the top. That entire drive is what you're expecting when you have someone like Cam. You know, the ball placement was phenomenal. A lot of the issues that people talk about with his footwork, I don't think people understand that he's been in the NFL for a long time. He's been a high-functioning quarterback for a long time. So he has mechanical issues, but keep in mind that he's well past the time in his life where they were much more raw than they are now when he was an MVP. Now, with the shoulder and everything, I don't think the shoulder is as much of a problem as a lot of other people do, because I've seen him still make some ridiculous throws without the best mechanics, although I think he maximizes them when everything's in line, he's got all his cleats in the ground, he's pointing his shoulder, not dipping, little things that a lot of people have pointed out that on the tape. But again, going back to the downfield passing game, when you talk about someone like Demir Bird, who has the speed to beat defenses deep, he's also a smaller guy who doesn't have the same, you know, go up and get an ability that

someone like Brandon Cooks had, where he wasn't as tall as a lot of the guys defending him outside, but he was a really good vertical guy who would jump up and he wasn't going to let the ball get picked off. You know, he could still put his body up and make those contested catches. Demir Bird isn't really that kind of player. So the ball had to either be perfectly dropped into a hole, which just isn't a consistent enough strategy for Josh McDaniels to use. That's just their offense has never been that when they take their deep shots,

it's usually down the middle of the field, you know, more high percentage throws, but campus really didn't have the talent down the middle of the field, you know, more high percentage throws. But Camden really didn't have the talent around him to be able to, you know, body somebody up and make the catch or just decisively win downfield. And I think that's something that they could look to bring for any of the quarterbacks on the roster. You know, you really need that guy who, if, you know, you don't have a Tom Brady and a Julian Edelman and a Gronkowski where they

can just make their entire living in the middle, you need somebody who can be multidimensional at the wide receiver position. I think that could help Cam a lot. I don't really think it was a matter of Cam not being able to do it. I think a lot of that is, frankly, just a lot of misremembering because it was a tough season. But I don't see that as much of a Cam issue as I do. Josh McDaniels was kind of hamstrung with what he was able to call,

given the people he had on his team, who, again, he was still kind of adjusting to on the fly as well. Absolutely. And again, Pats fans, Taylor Kyles is good, plain and simple. You're making some great points, Bud i do appreciate that and like i said coming from someone that watches a lot of all 22 and it tries to take the fandom out of what you see guys like you and guys like evan really pick up on stuff that even us mere mortals can't believe and can't see and i always love the opportunity to share the mic with you my friend uh and i think

you've made some consistent and fairly effective arguments in the case for Cam Newton coming back. There are a lot of factors to absorb here, folks, not just the lack of OTAs, mini camps, a full off season, but the opportunity to adjust to a very difficult offense on the fly, not having necessarily the arsenal of weapons around you that really makes this offense what it could be, all factor in. And they all have to be factored in. Ultimately, Bud, you're going to have your detractors. You're going to have your supporters.

Variety is the spice of life. And it's always OK to agree to disagree, folks. But if you don't think that here today that the defense's case holds water, as my spirit animal, Vincent LaGuardia Gambini would say, then maybe you aren't really looking at things objectively. So, Bud, excellent job. And I'm so glad that you took the time here today to plead your case for Cam. And I think you've done a very effective job of that. But Taylor isn't off the hot seat quite yet, folks. Cam's return to to Foxborough as impressive as this case has been hasn't quite been ruled on yet by Judge Belichick in fact if the Patriots move on Taylor's actually stated that there is a quarterback

out there that he wouldn't mind seeing here in New England and last but not least Taylor and I will offer our opinions on whether a Patriots legend might just have played his last game in Foxborough. More with Taylor Kyles of Pat's Pulpit when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Locked On listeners, football might be over, but the NBA, college basketball, and the NHL are in full swing. And I'm sure that you saw the news about quarterback Carson Wentz being traded to Indianapolis today.

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Locked On listeners, Thursdays on Locked On NFL are a must listen as Ryan Tracy and Jake Liskow break down teams across the NFL from an analytics and team building perspective. Get the expert analysis on your favorite teams from Ryan and Jake every Thursday. Subscribe to Locked on NFL wherever you get your podcasts. Pats fans, Taylor Kyles of Pats Pulpit joins me here today on the pod. And Taylor, in the previous segment, you made a lucid, intelligent, well-thought-out

case for Cam Newton to return to Foxborough, at least in my humble opinion, you did. And the jury of listeners here at Locked On Patriots is ultimately going to determine your burden of proof. But until the Patriots confirm their plans, there's going to be speculation. And it is possible that New England does not bring back Cam Newton in 2021. You took to social media yesterday to say that if Cam in fact did not return there was a quarterback out there rumored to be linked to the Patriots maybe a little more strongly over the course of the last week or so quarterback we've talked about here on Locked On Patriots that might be a good fit. Taylor who is that quarterback and why?

Yeah, that would be one Marcus Mariota. He's a guy who obviously he has experience in the Chip Kelly offense and Belichick holds Chip Kelly in very high regard. I believe he was someone that they looked at and did a lot of research on in the pre-draft process. Obviously, they knew they weren't going to get him, but a lot of the time they'll do that extra work if it's someone that they think, you know, somewhere down the line they may have an opportunity to go after. Someone who I haven't watched a lot of his tape, you know, enough to be able to give you all the, you know, in-depth breakdown, but I did get a chance to see him in his start in the Raiders last year. They've got a pretty similar offense in a lot of ways to the Patriots. They're a run-heavy team. They like to use a lot of gap principles. So you get a lot of play-action opportunities in that kind of scheme, a lot of downfield shots, but also they got a lot of West

Coast principles where they like to throw the ball short. So he's familiar with a lot of the concepts that you're going to see in the Patriots offense. He's a guy who can throw in time. He can operate an offense well where he's not going to make too many aggressive mistakes. He's a guy who can throw in time. He can operate an offense well where he's not going to make too many aggressive mistakes. He's a good downfield passer. I know his first drive against the Chargers last year was fantastic. He saw a lot of really good ball placement. He saw his mobility, his improvisational skills.

He's got a lot of similar strengths to Cam Newton, where you can also include him in the ground game as well, and he's a legitimate run threat that defenses have to respect. But he's a smaller guy, so he's twitchier, which I think is definitely a plus for him in that way, whereas Cam is a bigger guy who he's an easier target, I guess, to get to, but then to bring him down is another challenge because he's so big and can get through tackles.

Mariota isn't quite as physical in that way, but he is a hard-nosed player. There was one first down he fought for with his legs against the Chargers through three defenders that was really impressive. So we've got that gamer mentality that you like to see, even though he's known as more of a quiet guy. And, again, just in terms of keeping your offense on schedule, accuracy, being able to take advantage of those deep in-cuts and crossing routes that the Patriots like on their play-action opportunities

on first and second down. But I think the biggest difference where you're going to see is Mariota just doesn't have as much in-game big opportunity experience as someone like Cam Newton, who's been to the playoffs a couple times. So I think you have a bit of an advantage there. And also, I think Cam just has a better resume, even though last season wasn't great. You know, Marcus Mariota was still a backup in the league,

and the Patriots still thought highly enough of Cam to not try to trade for Marcus Mariota, but to say, hey, we're going to bring you in. Obviously not for a lot of money, but they respected him, and he was their quarterback for every game last year that he was able to start. So, you know, I still am – I definitely would prefer Cam for a number of reasons, especially the leadership that he brings and that charisma. Marcus Mariota is a highly respected player. You know, I still am – I definitely would prefer Cam for a number of reasons, especially the leadership that he brings and that charisma. Marcus Mariota is a highly respected player.

I don't think there's any debate about that. But he is more of a quiet guy, you know, and I think that the difference between he and Cam would be palpable, and I think Cam gives you a bit more of that leadership void that you're missing with such a – with a team that's going to be going through a lot of changes this year and kind of needs that. It's tough adjusting to a new quarterback who may not be as boisterous as someone like Brady or Newton. But, you know, all that said,

Mariota I think would be a very serviceable replacement, a good gap guy that you could get if you bring in a quarterback that you think you can develop over the next couple years. Or if Stidham is at a point in his development where you feel comfortable maybe, you know, making it a real competition. So, uh, yeah, there's going to be speculation. We'll see. I'm going to try to come out with a thread sometime today, uh, with my thoughts on Mariota,

but, um, you know, I'm pretty, definitely the top of the list. If you're going to go away from Cam Newton as the Patriots in my opinion. Yeah. Yeah. Mariota is somebody that we discussed here earlier this week on locked on Patriots, in my opinion. Yeah, Mariotta is somebody that we discussed here earlier this week on Locked On Patriots as being a potential fit in this offense, and he really does. I mean, when you take a look at what he brings to the table, he is that type of quarterback. He's that dual type of threat that the Patriots, I guess some fans would say they were hoping to get in

Cam Newton. Some fans would say that they did get in Cam Newton, just didn't see enough of. But this is a kid that's a dynamic runner on the ground. He is able to buy time in the pocket. He can make some strong throws. I do agree with you. The leadership that Cam Newton brings to the table and for all of his detractors of what he does on the field, I've yet to see anyone criticize the leadership, the accountability, the camaraderie

that he develops with his teammates in favor of Cam Newton. I've barely seen anybody criticize him for that. And that's one thing that I am glad to see throughout the fan base, because that's palpable. That's something that you can't duplicate. But Mariota would bring a lot of similar elements to the game. And I like the way you've been able to you know bring that correlation another thing that might be a you know selling point for marcus mariotta is the fact that if the raiders either trade or release mariotta that would free up in excess of 10 million dollars on their cap so you have to think they're motivated to try to maybe move him um maybe he could be had for a one-year $10 million deal if he's out there on the open market. Could be an opportunity for them, but ultimately we'll see what the Patriots have in

store. And it's going to be interesting until that moment is confirmed. Again, speculation is going to run rampant, but I do think we're like-minded on Mariota as being a potential fit for Cam. And again, I thought you made an excellent case for Cam here, but last but not least, but this is a subject that does stray away from the quarterback position, or maybe it really doesn't. I guess you could actually say that this does fit hand in hand, but the Patriots might be, or Pats fans, I should say, might be divided on the quarterback situation, but there is a thought that still unites us all here in Patriots Nation, and that's pay respect for wide receiver Julian Edelman. ESPN analysts recently made waves, and I'm sure you've seen this, when they implied that the Patriots would be best off by releasing Julian Edelman. And that caused a lot of shock

waves throughout the system of the fan base. Our good friend, Miguel Benzon, the Pats cap, helped me out a little bit with cap savings down to the penny about what the Patriots would do if, in fact, they did move on from Julian Edel300,000 offseason workout bonus, meaning he, meaning Julian Edelman, would increase the Patriots cap space by a little over $2.6 million, almost into $2.7 million. $2,657,500 down to the T, according to my man Miguel. So there is a little bit of financial motivation, but what Julian brings to the table is so much more than that. And I know fans are going to really be upset if Julian Edelman is not a member of the Patriots next year, but it's something that we at least have to entertain considering his age,

his injury history, and that type of cap savings that the Patriots may be able to put to good use. Taylor, you take a level-headed approach and you've argued so effectively today for so much. What's your thoughts on Julian Edelman, the Patriots' offseason plans, and is this in the long run a good thing for the Patriots or will this be a disaster in 2021 without someone of his leadership and reliability capabilities on this roster, especially if they bring back a guy like Cam Newton, who seemed to be developing a very good relationship with Julian last year. Go back to that Seattle Seahawks game. They really looked like they were in sync. What are your thoughts on Julian, my friend? Yeah, obviously Bill's going to do what he thinks is best. You know, we don't

really know exactly what the dynamics are like inside the locker room. You know, if they have some emerging leader who could possibly fill the void. But with the information that we have, and especially with the Patriots having over $60 million in cap space, I just don't see how, you know, $2.7 million is worth losing what you lose in terms of a leader and, you know, a practice presence in Julian Edelman. Everybody who comes into England mentions how annoying he is to play against, but also how he elevates the level of everybody else who's out there. Now, obviously, you can't just ignore the cap. So if there was some situation where they really needed the money, I could see Belichick doing what he has to do.

You know, we've seen him be ruthless with beloved players in the past. You know, he's always going to make the decision he thinks is best for everybody. But I just don't see Edelman being out the door for a few million dollars as being worth what you lose with everything that teammates say about him and how highly regarded he is with the team. And considering he said he wants to retire a Patriot, you know, this isn't a Brady situation where he's trying to get out or, you know,

he just wants to experience something else. It, by all accounts, it seems like he still wants to retire a new England Patriots. So I don't really see that coming to fruition personally, but you know, I've been wrong plenty of times in the past. So who knows?

No. And you know what, from your lips to God's ears is something I say in a lot of episodes of Lockdown Patriots, and I agree with you. I think $2.7 million cap savings doesn't really equate to what you get from a guy like Julian Edelman in the locker room, on the field, the toughness, the example that he sets, and just the big game experience that he's able to bring along with him is something that to me is indelible and something that goes so far beyond just mere dollars and cents savings. Now, the wild card to all this is how is Julian going to be able to

come back from his offseason, from his 2020 season injuries? And how is he able to rehab from those in the offseason? Is this the opportunity for the Patriots to cut him loose if he's not going to be able to be the same player? I never bet against Julian Edelman. He's one of those guys that if he sets his mind to something, he's usually able to do it with his toughness and tenacity. So I'm holding out hope, but we'll see. It's one of those things where we're just going to have to let the offseason play out and find out exactly what this guy is going to be able to do. And if he has played his last game in New England, he's leaving this nation behind with a tremendous amount of memories

and a lot of fondness. But we certainly hope the ride's not over just yet here in New England. Buddy, what can I say? Thank you so much for taking the time out today to join me here on the pod. You've made a compelling case for Cam Newton folks. We'd love to hear your feedback. Did Taylor convince you that Cam Newton is the guy for this team this year, or are you still squeamish about that?

Please drop us a line at locked on Patriots, but ultimately my friend, please let our listeners. And we do have several new listeners over the course of the last couple of weeks here. Let them know where they can find you on social media, where they can find your great work, and what we can expect coming on the horizon from the great pen and the voice of Taylor Kyles. Thank you, brother. Pleasure as always.

Well, you can find me on Twitter at T-K-Y-L-E-S 39. That's at T-Kyles 39. And I'm trying to get a Patreon off the ground. So if you want to, you know, check that out, see if it's something you might be interested in, that's patreon.com slash taysplace. That's T-A-Y-S-P-L-A-C-E. Absolutely.

And again, folks, I can't recommend highly enough the work that Taylor does. He always puts 110 percent in, if not more. Like I said, the term rising star definitely applies to him. But I wouldn't even say rising star. I think he's already at that level. But maybe you can apply you join me here on the microphone. And I hope to have you back here on Locked On Patriots very soon, maybe to break down some draft prospects, all 22 analysis, free agency, you name it, we love talking it here on Locked On Patriots, and we love when you can join and talk with us as well. Stay safe and well, my friend, and have a great week, and we'll talk to you soon. All right, likewise, my brother. Thank you. Patriots Nation, your work week is almost through,

but not before one more edition of the Locked On Patriots podcast. And with the news that now former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz will be dealt to the Indianapolis Colts, that could mean that the NFL trade market is about to heat up. Does this impact the New England Patriots at all? Well, joining me here tomorrow on the pod to discuss that subject and much more is 98.5thesportshub.com's Alex Barth. Alex is a good friend of the program and will be discussing the Carson Wentz trade,

what it might mean for the NFL trade market, and does this impact the New England Patriots' pursuit of a new signal caller in 2021? Folks, you will not want to miss Alex and my take on this and more subjects, so to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, download and subscribe to the Locked On Patriots podcast on platforms such as Radio.com, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts, just make sure that you're staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate.

I thank my friend Taylor Kyles for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's pod. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for continuing to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until tomorrow, Foxborough faithful. Stay safe. Stay well. Always be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.