Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - To Trade, or Not to Trade: Patriots Deadline Dealing? - 11/3/2020

Episode Date: November 3, 2020

As the New England Patriots attempt to push forward in the wake of their 24-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, there is still much to be learned about this team. Joining host Mike D’Abate is fan-favorite Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy to break it all down.  Murph provides his opinion on Sunday’s game, as well as the emergence of rookie offensive lineman Michael Onwenu. The duo also discuss Bill Belichick’s candid comments on the Patriots’ finances, as well as New England’s likely approach to Tuesday’s Trade Deadline.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you.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.MyBookieINVEST IN YOUR INTUITION. USE PROMO CODE LOCKEDON AND DOUBLE YOUR FIRST DEPOSIT. NEW PLAYERS GET UP TO $1,000 IN FREE PLAY - DESIGNED TO ADD MORE EXCITEMENT TO THE SPORTS YOU LOVE AND THE GAMES YOU BET. YOUR WINNING SEASON BEGINS TODAY...ONLY AT MYBOOKIE!BuiltGoVisit BuiltGO.com and use promo code “LOCKED,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order. 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 into the Locked On Patriots podcast, and it is election day, trade deadline day. Do your civic duty Tuesday 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. Locked On Patriots is presented today by Pepsi, made for football watching.

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Greetings and salutations, Patriots Nation. Welcome to this trade deadline Tuesday episode of the Lockdown Patriots Podcast. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of Lockdown Patriots, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, comments, and feedback are always welcomed and greatly appreciated. Feel free to share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there doing some Tuesday traveling through the Twitterverse, maybe checking the latest news on the NFL trade deadline, checking election returns, please

be sure to follow the Lockdown Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. Patriots fans, thank you for joining me here today on the pod. And of course, today is Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020, Election Day here in the United States of America. And I'm not going to get into a long political discourse other than to say that each and every one of your voices, no matter which side of the political spectrum you fall on, should be heard. Make sure that yours is heard. If you've already submitted your ballot, be proud.

Good for you. If you haven't done so yet, make sure to get out and rock the vote today. Folks, I know I'm showing my age when I say that, but you all remember the MTV campaign that I'm quoting. Those of you in your 30s and 40s know exactly what I mean. But in any case, once again, make sure your voice is heard. Get out and cast your vote. But from an NFL perspective, today is also an important date. Today at 4 p.m. Eastern, the NFL trade deadline will have passed.

And a lot of rumors out there about the activity of your New England Patriots. Will they make a big splash? Will they be buyers? Will they be sellers? Will Stephon Gilmore or Joe Tooney or another name out there be ex-Patriots by the end of the day? Well, at the time I'm recording this podcast, it's all been quiet on the trade front when it comes to the Pats, but things could pick up around 4 p.m. Eastern. So make sure to keep a sharp eye on Twitter, both to my account at MDABATEFPC, and of course the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots.

We'll continue to bring you the very latest. And no matter what moves the Patriots make, or if they make no moves at all, we'll definitely have all of the breakdown and analysis for you here tomorrow on the pod. But what do we have in store for you today? Well, yesterday, Steve Balistrieri joined me to try to make sense of some of the Patriots' woes in their 24-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. And Steve's analysis is always second to none.

He brings a level-headed approach and a wealth of information. But fear not, folks. Today, that green wisdom and counsel that you've been craving returns today. That's right, folks. The Green King of Sting himself is ready to occupy the hot seat in his embroidered weekly guest chair. My main man, Thomas Murphy, is my guest here today on Locked On Patriots. And Murph and I will be discussing Sunday's 24-21 loss to the Bills, what his

thoughts were not just on Cam Newton's fumble, but also the Patriots' performance as a whole. Because of Murph's prowess when it comes to offensive linemen, we're going to pick his brain a little bit on the prowess of rookie offensive lineman Mike Onwenu. Mike has been the highest graded rookie this year when it comes to pro football focus, a sixth-round steal for the New England Patriots, who, according to a lot of the talking heads out there, was drafted by a man who can't draft. Yeah, that's the latest from the Bill the GM sucks crowd. I know, folks, I don't get it either, but I digress. Murph and I will also discuss the very candid comments of Pat's head coach Bill Belichick on his weekly appearance on WEI radio

yesterday afternoon. Yeah, folks, you heard me correctly. The candid comments of Bill Belichick. Very un-Belichickian details shared yesterday, and Murph and I will break that down. And of course, most importantly, maybe one of the reasons why you're tuning into this podcast, Murph and I will provide our analysis on exactly what we believe the Patriots will do by the 4 p.m. trade deadline. Will they be buyers? Will they be sellers? Or will they be mere spectators? All of this and more in an action-packed agenda,

and of course, probably at least a couple of Godfather references, seeing that Murph and I are going to be sharing the microphone. But it is always a blast when my good green friend drops by, and we will be discussing the ups, the downs, the bills, the trades. And of course, Murph fires the first shot to kick off Jets Week when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Locked On listeners, I've always thought that breaks in the action are the perfect time to evaluate how far you've come

and adjust your game plan accordingly to get where you need to go. Achieve your goal. Break through your wall, if you will. But sometimes you need a little bit of extra energy to help get there. If I'm being honest, it happens to me more often than not. And when I need that extra energy boost plus protein, I turn to the same amazing group that brought us the world's fastest growing protein bar. Built Go, the incredibly tasty energy plus protein gel that makes you the best you at whatever you do. Whether it's a mental or a physical wall, break through it with Built Go every day.

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with collagen protein to help promote joint, soft tissue, hair, and skin health. Visit BuiltGo.com and use promo code LOCKED and you'll get 30% off your next order. Don't delay, do it today. That's B-U-I-L-T-G-O.com and promo code L-O-C-K-E-D for 30% off at BuiltGo.com. Let's go. Patriots fans, we continue to break down the Patriots 24-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills. And, of course, it's Election Day here in the United States. And I really hope that all of you are engaging in your civic duty today.

Folks, one of my favorite election movies is Aaron Sorkin's The American President. And in a scene, Michael Douglas, as President Andrew Shepard, delivers a pretty memorable press conference toward the end of the film. If you've seen it, you know the one I'm talking about. And one of my favorite lines in that movie is when President Shepard says, we have serious problems to solve and we need serious people to solve them. Yeah, that's pretty appropriate for the United States right now, but it's also very appropriate for your New England Patriots. And at times like these, only green wisdom and counsel can help it become more palatable.

That's right, folks. It is that time again. Your favorite and mine, my benefactor in this business, the Count of Murphy, Fisto himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy, is back for his weekly appearance here on Locked On Patriots. Thank you for coming to me in friendship today and for joining me, Don Murph. Buddy, always my pleasure, man. I am sorry that I had to step back and bat second this week.

But, you know, life takes its toll. And I had some other stuff that I had to get done yesterday. And I appreciate you flipping the lineup a little bit so I could be here with you, because it is it's always one of the best 45 minutes of my week. Oh, likewise. Likewise, my friend. And I thank you for the kind words. You do such an amazing job batting off and leading off, Bud. But you know what? I got to give Steve credit.

He stepped in, stepped into the leadoff spot, and once again, knocked it out of the park. But he left just enough in the park so that way he's on third and you can bat him in and hit a two-runner this time around. But all kidding aside, my friend, it's always my honor, always my privilege to share the mic with you. And Bud, the New England Patriots currently find themselves in third place in the AFC East, two and a half games out of the final playoff slot.

Unfamiliar territory, to say the least, especially in the last 20 years. Although we go back to the lean years, so we know all about subpar Patriots teams. We've seen several, but for the new ones, it's a little bit different. Yesterday, of course, Steve stepped in, joined me here to break down some of the game's highlights and lowlights, but in order to properly move on, we need the green wisdom, buddy. We need the green counsel.

We need, Don Murph, those monster keys that you carry in your pocket pocket like so many nickels and dimes um we all know about cam's fumble bud but uh have at it the floor is yours what went wrong in the bigger picture on sunday against the buffalo bills um in in the the bigger picture Bigger picture, my keys all fit, they all turned, and the Patriots just refused to use them. There were some stupid penalties taken in the first half, which put them in a position that they weren't prepared for, that they haven't been able to get out of.

But at the end, they had a chance to win the game. They were in the red zone, and Cam put the biscuit down on the carpet, and that's why they walked away without a loss. A lot of people are making a big deal about how Buffalo ran on this team. So what? So what? They were still in a position to be able to win this game at the end. They begged this team to run on them because they didn't want them to throw the ball. And it worked. Everything worked that Bill was doing with the exception of stupid ass penalties and the fact that they didn't win the turnover battle. They were up to that point. Cam put it down.

It ended up a draw on that key, and they ended up losing because of it. Yeah, and a lot of people would definitely agree. Look, Steve and I both lamented about some of the decision-making. We did agree that Cam's decision-making was slightly better in this game than it has been. It was clear that he put in the work. His throws looked a little bit quicker, or his throws looked a little sharper, I should say. He did look a little bit quicker in the decision-making. There's still work.

Yeah, there is still work that needs to be done without any question. One thing I did want to pick your brain about is something that I did see on Twitter. A lot of people are being very critical of Belichick and the coaching staff for two decisions in particular. And Steve and I discussed this yesterday and I don't want to rehash it, but I'm very curious as to get your opinion, because I think you can lend a very good perspective on this that Steve and I didn't put yesterday. The third and one decision to kick a field goal at the end of the first half and also the onside kick tied all at 14. What were your opinions on both of those? And was either more egregious than the other,

or do you find yourself in agreement with both those decisions? I was in total agreement. I had no problem with it. With the wide receiver group that we had out here, I don't think that it was a poor decision to do it. I don't think it was a decision that was thought about for a great deal of time. Bill decided to go get the three. I am always of the ilk to get the points. You do not have Tom Brady back there.

You do not have Randy Moss back there. You've got a bunch of undrafted free agents and a quarterback that does not necessarily know this system to the point that we would all like at this stage of the season. So, no, I had no problem with that. And with the onside kick, no, go for it. You're trying to get momentum. You're trying to get a spark. People are pissed off because it didn't work. And that's it. I had no problem with either call.

No, I think that's an interesting perspective, especially on the onside kick. And you know, I'll be very honest with you. When I first saw it, I said, there's a lot of time. There's still a quarter and a little bit left in the third. Why go for it? Why push the issue now? I think the way the game was going, the more I'm looking looking at it the more I'm breaking it down looking at film all 22 whatever uh you're starting to see what Bill's thought process was there so I'm starting to have less of a problem with that I know fans are still upset about it but try to put the anger aside folks try to put yourself in a more um objective position to be able to view it, and I think you'll see what Murph's talking about here. The third and one kicking the field goal,

I actually don't have much of a problem with this at all, and I didn't even at the time. Look, you're down seven to three at that point. It puts you down seven to six. It's not a situation where the Patriots were facing a 14 to three deficit or a 21 to three deficit, and you just put points on the board, and it's not much of a difference. Then I say you've got to put more than three on the board. You've got to try to go for it. But the way the game was going and the fact that the Patriots were not playing their best game, and you can go into the half only down by one point, which is exactly what they did,

probably the smart move, especially when your quarterback has been saying all week long, I've been pressing, I've been pressing. I think a lot of that had to do with it, and I think Belichick probably didn't want to put him in a position where he did have to press with one play to make everything happen, especially when he knew there was a whole other quarter to go. And you just know, I mean, what has happened in recent games

at the end of halves when we're inside the red zone? Mistakes have happened and you've ended up coming away with nothing. They came away with three and it gave them the opportunity to win the game at the end of the game. And I don't have an issue with either decision. I just don't. No, it's true. And once again, I appreciate that type of green wisdom in council, which is always good. You know, Verizon's the spice of life, and you bring it,

and you always give your honest opinion. And nine times out of ten, buddy, you're usually right. So I defer to you on this one. Murph, Steve and I tried to pluck some bright spots out of this game yesterday, and we did with Jacoby Myers, Damian Harris, Josh Uche. One guy we didn't mention and it's a subject that I know you love to speak about which is offensive linemen and rookie Michael Onwenu has been phenomenal this year so far. I think as a rookie he's given you pretty much everything you can ask. You and I both love this pick when the Patriots made it. Under your expert tutelage, my friend, I had been taking a strong look at Cesar Ruiz as the Patriots option in the draft,

going the number one pick at the time in the first round. And we had both agreed this guy was the anchor in the middle part of that defense that could, excuse me, offense, that could be a factor here for many, many years to come. But that also made me take a look at Mike a little bit closer. And when the Patriots picked him up, I had identified this guy, and so did you, as a potential steal. And he's looking exactly like that. Pro football focus has him as the highest graded rookie in 2020 so far.

He's played more than 80 snaps at three different positions along the offensive line, has three clean sheets. And, folks, that means no pass rush disruptions or blocking penalties in a game. One at left guard, one at right guard, and one at right tackle. So for every position he's played, he has a clean sheet on the season. That's remarkable for a rookie. Murph, what's made this kid so effective? We know the size, we know the agility, the massive wingspan. But what has impressed you most about Mike Unwaino?

His footwork and his knowledge of the game. I did not, you can't know from watching tape how smart a ball player is. And granted, when you're playing on the offensive line, folks, you have to be smarter than, you know, anybody else on the planet, on a football field. That's just the way it is. But no, his football IQ, his ability to move up and down the line and just plug and play anywhere that Bill has needed him has been a godsend. And if he had been taken in the first round, you couldn't complain about it. There's a lot of people getting on Bill for taking Kyle Duggar in the first round,

but he grabbed on a way in the sixth, and it is. It's the steel of the draft. You should go and lock this kid up for 10 years right now. Yeah, I agree. I absolutely agree. The size, the wingspan, like we said before, you mentioned the footwork, the agility, and he slimmed down a little bit. I mean, he's still a massive guy, folks. There's no question about it.

But I was very impressed to see him come into training camp slimmed a little bit. It's almost like he knew, and not almost, but I'm sure he did, that his size might be at a disadvantage. Absolutely. He was definitely told by coaching staff, but it has worked to his advantage, and boy, they've done an amazing, amazing job with him. And if he had slimmed down while at Michigan, he would have been drafted much higher. I'm telling you that right now, folks. This is a kid that would have gone in the third round, the second round maybe. A lot of scouts were looking at Ruiz the way Mike and I both were, and everybody down in New Orleans is very happy with what they've gotten out of him. But this kid is the real deal. And if he had

walked away from, as we like to say, the thoroughbreds room, where you get fed unbelievably well. And just spent a little bit more time on the treadmill. He would have gone much higher. But he went where he did, and I'm glad he's here. Yeah, absolutely. And definitely all of Patriots Nation is happy he's here. He's been a phenomenal rookie, and we look forward to seeing what he can bring to this offensive line, not just this year, but hopefully many years to come.

You mentioned lock him up in a long-term deal. Yeah, definitely, Bill. This is a kid you want to keep around, and I don't think we're telling him anything he doesn't already know. Murph, we can talk pleasantries all we want to, buddy, but business is what's on the mind of the Patriots today. It is trade deadline day in the NFL after all. And just a moment, Thomas Murphy and I will provide our insight on what the Patriots might be looking to when it comes to improving their team,

both in the short term and in the long term. And what did Bill mean yesterday when he said, quote, we sold out, find out this and more when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, Thomas Murphy stops by today for his weekly hashtag Locked On Murph appearance here on the pod. And Bud, much of the vitriol in New England right now is being spewed at Bill Belichick. For lack of a better term, Tom's not here anymore. You need to throw it at somebody. Bill's the only available face right now. And surprisingly, he's actually firing back a little bit. We don't see Bill do this much. And during his weekly interview on WEI yesterday, Bill said what I think may be

the most un-Belichickian thing I've ever heard come out of his mouth when he was asked about the team's recent struggles. And I'm quoting Bill here, folks. Look, we paid Cam Newton $1 million. It's obvious we didn't have any money. It's nobody's fault. That's what we did the last five years. We sold out and won three Super Bowls, played in a fourth, played in an AFC championship game. This year we had less to work with. It's not an excuse.

It's just a fact. Unquote. Now, I think Bill, when he says less to work with there i think he's referring more to the amount of money as opposed to the talent level of the players uh say what you will about bill bill's not the type of guy that's going to throw his players under the bus like that i think he's talking about the money and the resources that he had to bring in uh and feel the team and how things are done you know absolutely, with the NFL, with the salary cap, with dead money. They carried a ton of dead money over the past few years.

The money that they've spent, quite frankly, was a little out of necessity. The problem is, the problem that everybody's seeing is Bill spent it on the defensive side of the ball because he knew that over the last three, that's what he was going to have to do. He was able to trade for guys that were on rookie deals or on good contracts to come in here and catch passes during that last Super Bowl run, but he was also able to turn them back around into first-round picks that he spent on the defensive side of the ball. And it is.

It's coming back to haunt this team. Because for 20 years you were able to have Tom Brady back there and make chicken salad out of what was there, he's not there anymore. And like you said, he's not going to throw his quarterback underneath the bus. He likes Cam Newton. He likes him a lot. He's not going to do that. He's not going to go out and rip his wide receiving core.

He's not going to do that. This comes down to how much money you had to spend when free agency came up, and the Patriots did not have any. They couldn't do anything during the first round of free agency to bring in that kind of talent, and nobody was selling off anyone. Absolutely. No, and I agree. I absolutely agree. And look, what Bill has been able to do for the last 20 years, whether you want to lambast Bill the gm all you want to he's been able to put together some pretty impressive teams and

look a lot of people say oh yeah well he did a much better job drafting early than later since 2013 since 2014 hasn't drafted a pro bowler that's a common argument that i see but you look at the players that he's drafted in the interim there and you know guys like James White guys like Jimmy Garoppolo you know players that came in had a lot of promise maybe some went to other teams did you know great things for other squads but Bill has been able to bring guys in here that have been able to fit that mold and I don't think sometimes he gets enough credit for that people look at the terrible decisions that he's made. And I say terrible tongue-in of this player, out of this position, for six or eight plays a game, for 10 or 15 plays a game.

He's not going out there and he's not looking for guys that are going to be Pro Bowl players. He's looking for guys that are going to win him three games that year. He's done it with multiple draft picks, and this draft pick wins you three games, and this draft pick wins you two games, and this draft pick wins you another game. And before you know it, you're back in the AFC title game again and have a chance to go to the Super Bowl. This is the way Bill has been able to draft over the course of his career.

Also, what you see done here in New England doesn't get done anywhere else. When it comes to the second round picks that everybody keeps saying he's whiffing on, he's drafting guys with high ceilings that maybe don't have a very high floor coming in, but he thinks they're going to have high ceilings later on down the line. And that just two or three times that has not worked out. And that's where talking heads earn their money. Yeah, absolutely. They turn on the snark machine. They kind of put logic off to the side. They suck. They suck. Yep. And it does. It's true. That's exactly what happens. It works. It makes headlines. It either stirs the difficulties that everyone wants and everybody starts to come and cape up to defend bill belichick so either one of the two it definitely gains you ratings and that's ultimately what it is but here folks we're all about giving you the way it is uh before we move on from that quote i just wanted to ask you were you surprised to hear that come out of bill's mouth because i for one was a little bit um i'm the guy now for the last three years but you've covered him longer than I have were you surprised to hear Bill be that candid uh in

defense about some of the decisions he's made you know I wouldn't have been surprised if you said this while he was still in a Browns uniform uh you know wearing a Browns jacket uh but yeah I was a tad bit taken aback when he freaking came out with this I hit rewind a few times on the TV just to, to hear it again. Yeah, it was, it was, it was more than the usual. Well, we just got to coach better. We got to play better. And, and what, what gets me is the fact that everybody for years has, has bitch moaned and whined that Bill Belichick doesn't say anything except that. And then when he does, you bitch moan and whine about what he had to say. Shut up, people. Shut up.

Absolutely. And I completely agree with you. And once again, spot on. Last but not least, bud, today is trade deadline day. And for lack of a better term, this may be the reason why a lot of people are tuning into today's podcast. So, folks, we're not going to disappoint. Today, 4 p.m. Eastern, November 3rd. Yes, folks, I understand there's an election to watch for. But from an NFL standpoint, it's an action-packed day.

A lot of mixed emotions on the Patriots' potential action throughout the day. And during his morning media availability, Bill Belichick once again went back to being so forthcoming. He was asked by espn's mike reese will the patriots be active ahead of today's trade deadline bill's response yeah i don't know at this point so forthcoming i know it's that's typical bill that's the bill we know and love uh but of course the fate of stefan gilmore i think is really top of mind for all patriots fans today espn's diana Diana Rossini tweeted earlier that after speaking with a few general managers around the NFL, she learned that there are multiple teams that have been calling the Patriots about Stephon.

I don't think that's really a big surprise. But they're being told by New England they want a first-round pick and a player in exchange for his services. Murph, that tells me that the Patriots are not in fire sale mode at all. I think that you're going to have to really, really impress this team with a deal to get one done. And that kind of makes me feel squeamish about the Patriots going out and making a deal. For the benefit of our listeners, my friend, who might be listening both before or after the deadline, in the mind of Murph, what will be the roster headline for the Patriots at the end of today? The Patriots made no moves. They made nothing.

They might make a secondary move to bring in a run-stopping linebacker, but no, I don't think Stephon Gilmore is going to leave because I don't think anybody is going to offer Bill what he wants for him. I really don't think one of the better teams in the league right now is going to give up a first-round pick for Stephon Gilmore. I'm not sure why. If I was a team that was one player away, that player away, if I were the Seahawks per se, I would offer up a first and a third for Stephon Gilmore right now because they need that help. If I were the Cardinals, I would offer up a first-round pick for him.

I'm not sure if they have one. They might not. Never mind. But no, I would make the deal if I was a contender. If I was somebody that had a legitimate shot at doing this, I would definitely go out and do it. But I don't think anybody's going to give that up. But there are a couple of people that, like I said, there are so many glaring needs on this team right now that I think Bill will make a smaller move. Avery Williamson was just traded for a bloody fifth-round pick. I would have given up a fifth-round pick in a heartbeat to the Jets for him. Jordan Hicks is another guy, another linebacker down there in Arizona

that I just talked about. They're having a difficult time getting their first-round pick, Zaya Simmons, into the games, and moving him would be a very smart move, in my opinion. And then here's one more, our old buddy Matt Patricia, who can't stand Jared Davis for some strange reason. He's a fine linebacker, was a first-round pick a few years ago. I would love to see Bill call up Matt and say, you know, I got this sixth-round pick. Would you send Jared Davis over here?

Just to stop the bleeding when it comes to stuffing the run on this side. People keep talking about guys like Kyle Rudolph and a few others. We have both said, I would love to see Will Fuller here, but he is on the last year of his deal and is an unrestricted free agent. So I can't see that happening. There are moves out there that could be made, but the big splash one that you're all waiting for, I just don't see happening. I agree with you 100%. Big surprise there, folks. I know. But look, Murph is very accurate in his assessment. What the Patriots need is small moves that'll be able to help shore up the run defense. And that's exactly what you saw on Sunday. You did see that this team had difficulty stopping

the run. We've seen it now for the last few weeks. And look, exactly. And they can't tackle. Juwan Bentley is missing tackles. I actually gave a little bit of criticism yesterday. Hard to believe, bud. But I gave a little bit of criticism to my man, Adrian Phillips, who's whiffing on a lot of these moves.

How is he supposed to shed a 380-pound lineman? He can't do it. He's being asked to do things that he shouldn't have been asked to do when he was 24 years old, and he's 34 years old now. You can't do that. Stop it. Stop. Don't pick on him.

I agree. I didn't. I just said he deserved a little bit of criticism for whiffing, but he's playing a role that he shouldn't be asked to play. He's a hybrid linebacker. He's not a full-timer. You're going to whiff when you're exhausted and you've been going up against guys that are literally my size people, and that's going to happen. He's the last person that I'm getting on. But there are other people out there who should not be missing tackles. This is the worst tackling Patriots team I have ever seen in my life,

and I'm an old man, people. Yeah, it's true. And not that he's an old man, folks, but it is one of the worst tackling teams that we've seen in quite a while for the Patriots. Hopefully they'll be able to get some help, some assistance. You know, you just have to wonder what's going to be the case with that. But I agree with you. I don't think the big splash move is the one that gets made.

Of course, while people are listening to this, there'll probably be a huge ticket move out there for the Patriots. And we'll have to come on here tomorrow. We'll have to give our reasons why we were wrong. But you know what? All in all, I wouldn't honestly I wouldn't mind seeing Kyle Rudolph in a Patriots uniform right now. I wouldn't either, especially from especially from a tight end perspective. He's a fine blocker. He's still a good pass catcher. That goes to the same thing for Zach Ertz. Neither of them would be a rental.

They would be here for a year or three. And more Rudolph than Erz because of the blocking ability um but but other than that i i can't see a huge thing coming i'm sorry michael yeah me either no it's okay no last week i had a chance to go on with uh espn radio and uh our buddy wayne harvey up there that oh wait it was the uh the 92.9 The Ticket Morning Show in Bangor. And he asked me about, absolutely, Wayne is great. And we're going to get him on the pod within the next couple of weeks to get the finger of the pulse of Patriots Nation throughout the entirety of New England outside of Foxborough.

But Wayne and I discussed Kyle Rudolph. He was one of the names that I brought up. If the Patriots are going to make an offensive move, he's the guy that I would target as well. So once again, bud, we're thinking like-minded and I like it. That's why you're family here. One of these days, folks, Mike and I are going to have a knockdown drag out about something that we don't agree upon, but it's hard to figure. It is hard to figure. We're going to have to do it sooner rather than later. So you know it is hard to figure we're gonna have to do it once you know sooner rather than later so you know what we'll try we'll try to scheme something together uh you know what maybe we

shouldn't scheme it together and just let it happen organically i think that'll be the best way for it to go that's it um folks you should already be following this man but for the benefit of our new listeners and we do have some this week and we want to welcome each and every one of you i encourage you to follow this man my good friend the count of murphy fisto himself on twitter at team earth 207 his monster keys you will always be a much more well-educated football fan by reading them point click absorb and learn material folks always proudly found on diehardbostonsportsfans.com and of course never miss one episode of one patriot's place with murph and our great mutual friend steve balistrieri ditto for two patriots place each and every friday where he steve and our good friend claire all occupy an equal seat and give you all the information that you need to get you ready for game day over

the weekend. What can I say, my friend? Always honored, always humbled by your presence. No, thank you so much for asking me back week after week. Like I said, it is literally 45 of the best minutes of my day, my week, my month, my year. And I hope you keep asking me back. And yes, folks, tune into Friday's episode of Two Patriots Place with the one and only Klazzy Clare. She klazzes up the joint in a great way, and we just love her. Absolutely. We had her grace the airwaves here a couple of weeks ago on Locked on Patriots,

a great, great episode, and always a fun listen every time you and Steve hit the mic. And that's why you guys are family, and you have a weekly spot here on Locked on Patriots. I'm proud to offer it. I'm honored to offer it. And, of course, you know I'm going to ask you back each and every week. Selfishly, I just love talking football with you. I love being able to spend this time, and it's always, always great. Bueno, tazza di caffè, and we're all set.

We got everything we need. Folks, once again, definitely follow Murph this week you'll get all of the information you need as we prepare for Monday night's game against the team that wears green how dare they Murph gives class to a terrible green it's an awful green it's a gang green gang green just to amputate it just cut it right When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way, my friend. All the way from the first fumbled snap to the last bungled play. I love it. I love it.

I love it. I'm not even going to try to touch that because it deserves to stand on its own. Thanks again, my friend. Have a great week. Look forward to doing it again next week. Anytime, bud. I'll see you all later. And so, Patriots fans,

just like that, we are nearly halfway through your work week already. And as we head into the home stretch, it's time to turn our attention away from Orchard Park, New York and the Buffalo Bills and turn our attention

toward another divisional rival, a Monday night football showdown with the J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets. That's right. You heard Murph fire the first shot, and we have officially kicked off Jets Week here on the Locked on Patriots podcast. So to ensure that you do not miss a single second

of the action, download Locked on Patriots wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and subscribe to us on platforms such as Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts, just make sure that you're staying locked into Locked On Patriots.

Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank my good friend Thomas Murphy 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 making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until tomorrow, stay safe, stay well. For those of you in the U.S., make sure your voice is heard by getting out and casting your vote.

And of course, last but certainly not least, always be the change you wish to see in the world. Thank you all so much for your support. Have a great day, everyone.