Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Trending Like Tom; Feeling the Draft - 2/4/2020

Episode Date: February 4, 2020

It’s Trending Tuesday across the Locked On Podcast Network. To discuss the hottest topics surrounding the New England Patriots, host Mike D’Abate welcomes fan favorite Thomas Murphy to discuss Super Bowl LIV, the brilliance of Tom’s Super Bowl ad, and why the Pats might best be suited to focus on the line (o-line, that is) in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful. It is Trending Tuesday here on Locked On Patriots, your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. I'm Mike DeBate. I am your host of Locked On Patriots, a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Please feel free to reach out to me and follow me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there roaming around the Twitterverse, be sure to follow Locked On Patriots as well at LO underscore Patriots. Patriots fans, you heard right.

It's Trending Tuesday here on Locked On Patriots. And while the trending story across the NFL landscape is the Kansas City Chiefs and their victory in Super Bowl 54, here in Patriots Nation, it's time to do a little reminiscing and the six Super Bowl championship parades that have taken place throughout the city of Boston under the watch of team owner Robert Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick, and quarterback Tom Brady. And again, folks, while the rest of the nation has its eyes focused on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, here in New England, the trending topic is still 12,

as in TB12. Number 12, Tom Brady. And that is the biggest question facing your New England Patriots in the immediate future. Will Tom Brady return to New England? Well, it's no secret here, folks, that we've tried to answer this question now for the past four weeks. And there have been a ton of questions without a whole lot of answers. And until those questions get their answers, folks,

it's still going to continue to be a trending topic here in New England. But as we look ahead to 2020, it's not the only intriguing topic. The Patriots have a roster to build, not just a spot of quarterback to fill. And yesterday here on Locked On Patriots, it was mock draft Monday. Kyle Krebs of the Draft Network had the Patriots at number 23, selecting linebacker Terrell Lewis out of Alabama. Now, I went on record yesterday as saying that I like the pick.

I think it makes sense for the Patriots to at least use the early part of the draft to address some needs in defense. But again, because this is Trending Tuesday, the trendy pick tends to be at the offensive skill position, a wide receiver, a tight end. We know the Patriots need help in this department, and what better way to do that than to draft the next Julian Edelman or Rob Gronkowski? Or maybe even dig deep and find that next Randy Moss-level talent? His son Thaddeus just happens to be a tight end out of LSU and is available in this draft.

I'm just saying, folks. But you know as well as I, folks, that the Patriots tend to take a practical approach to the NFL draft. Their biggest concern is bringing in the right fit at the right position. But is the Patriots' biggest need at a position that might not be so glamorous, like the offensive line? Hmm, that's a good question. I have an answer to that, but you know who has a better answer for that?

My guest today. Because when I need answers, I go to the source that has them. And that source is a name you know and a name you trust. That's right, folks. The green man has returned. My good buddy Thomas Murphy joins me today on Locked On Patriots, and we'll talk about a lot of those trending topics, including his final thoughts on Super Bowl 54, what he thought of Tom Brady's Hulu ad, and why he believes that

a focus on upgrading the offensive line is the Patriots' best course of action when it comes to the 2020 NFL Draft. Folks, you know and love Murph for the same reasons I do. He's candid, he's honest, and usually, he's spot on. So sit tight, folks. I can't wait to welcome Murph in to discuss all things trending in Patriots Nation. And as always, I sincerely hope that you enjoy today's podcast. But before I welcome in my big green buddy, if you've been a listener of this podcast, I'm sure you've heard all of the great advertisers working with Locked On to reach sports fans. But you may not know that Locked On Patriots is a great way for your local business to

reach passionate Patriots fans just like you. Unlike any other podcast, Locked On gives your local company the unique ability to reach local podcast listeners. Not just any podcast listener, but a Locked On podcast listener. If your company wants to connect with Patriots fans and a predominantly male audience that is well-educated with disposable income, then let's put your company right here on Locked On Patriots. Local fans love to support local businesses.

Text the word ADVERTISING to 33777 or visit LockedOnPodcast.com slash advertising and let us know who you are. We'll get our team to help you achieve Locked OnPodcast.com slash advertising and let us know who you are. We'll get our team to help you achieve Locked On advertising success. Once again, text the word advertising to 33777 or visit LockedOnPodcast.com slash advertising. We look forward to hearing from you. Patriots fans, our season may have ended about a month ago, but the 2019 NFL season as a whole is now history. And it's been a great journey for me here on Locked On Patriots fans, our season may have ended about a month ago, but the 2019 NFL season as a whole is now history. And it's been a great journey for me here on Locked On Patriots.

I've had the honor of being joined by some amazing guests this year, but this man, he's on another level, folks. And I mean that in a good way. Who better to help me put a bow on the 2019 season and start the look ahead to 2020 than my main green man, columnist extraordinaire for diehardbostonsportsfans.com compiles one half of the hosting tandem of One Patriots Place, which, along with our mutual friend Steve Balistrieri, hosted me yesterday as their guest, and I look forward to that every single time.

Again, the legendary Thomas Murphy joins me today on Locked On Patriots. Welcome back, buddy. Hey, bud. Good to see you. Good to be here, man. Thank you for asking. It's always a pleasure to sit down here in the old familiar chair. I'm starting to feel like Archie Bunker, you know, in Archie's chair right there, you know?

Absolutely. Well, you know what? To me, there's no better chair than this guest chair that could sit next to Archie's in the Smithsonian. You deserve it. You're just as much of a legend in these parts, and really, it should be all over the country as far as I'm concerned, buddy. But you know what? We'll let the masses figure that out. You're still the most downloaded guest here in the history of Locked On Patriots since I've taken over the chair, and it really has been. It's been an amazing run and I, for one, love it every single time you're on here. Again, what better timing to bring you in than to discuss what we saw

on Sunday. Murph, you know, I've said so many times here on Locked On Patriots, if they just turn the keys, and folks, I'm turning about Murph's monster keys, they can drive the car all the way home for a lot of us in patriots nation the super bowl was already kind of anticlimactic with the patriots being absent but there was a lot of support in these parts for jimmy and the 49ers

and for three quarters it looked like they were in good shape from a niner's perspective what went wrong on sunday and from a Chiefs perspective, what went right? It's basically the same answer. The Niners went wrong when they stopped doing what was working. They had a game plan that worked for three quarters, more than three quarters. And then it just seemed to go right out the window and um i know some people don't have a problem with with garoppolo slinging it around um i did i said that he would throw between 20 and 25 passes during the day and he threw 30 and two of them were really ill-advised and um uh very unjimmy like you know especially that lob ball that he threw up there during, you know,

get the ball out of bounds. There were a couple of plays that he missed that he could have, but, I mean, you don't have to miss plays when you're running the ball to the outside where Kansas City has absolutely no chance of stopping anyone. And even with the run game, instead of doing that, they started slamming guys up into the Chiefs' defensive line, which is really the guts of their defense. People give the Chiefs a lot of grief about their defense.

I think it's a very good defense, especially that front line. They can really take up some space, fill some gaps, and just end a running back's good day. And they did that, and Shanahan just handed them over the keys that I cut, and that was basically it. For Kansas City, what happened was on the defensive side of the ball, I think the 49ers kind of got away from the discipline that they had shown definitely in the first half, if not throughout the entire game up there in the fourth quarter.

They started getting pushed back behind Mahomes. They left their gaps, and they gave him room to move around. And the defensive backs allowed Kansas City's wide receivers to work their way back to the play, and they didn't stick with them. And that was the issue there. It was a fine fourth quarter for Mahomes, but it was not a fine game. It really wasn't. The 49ers really owe their fans one.

Yeah, and I agree with you on all accounts, which I'm sure shocks our listeners. But you always make good points. And we talked about this offline. We talked about this a little bit on One Patriot's Place in my appearance earlier this week. And you brought up some very good points that I wanted to expound upon a little bit. One, getting away from what worked.

I thought it was a little bit surprising that guys like George Kittle did not get more touches in this game, was not a bigger focal point, especially when things started to come off the rails a little bit for the 49ers. We saw Debo Samuel be able to run that jet sweep effectively. I think we could have seen a little bit more of that. Granted, Kansas City's defense was going to catch on to that eventually, and in a lot of ways they did, but ultimately, I think play calling, maybe a lack of aggressiveness on play calling, maybe being a little bit too conservative, hurt San Francisco in the long run,

and I think that allowed Kansas City to be able to claw their way back in. You mentioned the defense, and I'm glad that you did, because I think that's one thing that's not getting a whole lot of credit, and to me it should get a lot of credit. To me, I think it's one of the key reasons why Kansas City was able to win Super Bowl 54, and that is the play up front. You mentioned the D-line. Obviously, Frank Clark's addition has been huge to this team.

He really changed the complexity of it. A guy I want to give a lot of credit to is, and I said this yesterday here on Locked On Patriots, is Chris Jones. And him being that key force as a defensive tackle, the couple of bat-downs that he had against Jimmy Garoppolo definitely helped that situation. He's been a pretty good run stuffer, and he's helped to give that Kansas City defense the ability to control a running game, especially a prolific running game like we see in San Francisco with guys like Coleman and then guys like Mostert. And even Breda, who didn't get a whole lot of touches in the postseason, had the ability to ground and pound at times, which I'm, again, a little surprised we didn't see maybe a little bit more of that.

That could have helped as well. But ultimately, Murph, we're left with, you know, if you're a 49ers fan, you're left with a lot of what-ifs. If you're a Kansas City fan, you're definitely left with a good amount of partying to do. As we speak, the party is probably wrapping up as people are listening to this podcast in Kansas City, but definitely a big win for them. With the exception of people with tiny heads. Well, yeah, that's true. That will continue.

And we all know who Murph is referring to. If you don't, just check out our Twitter feeds, and you'll be able to figure that one out pretty quickly, folks. But in any case, the action on the field was definitely something that everyone always pays attention to when it comes to the Super Bowl. Everybody does. But here in Patriots Nation, our attention was a little bit more focused on the commercials this time around than it was the actual game. One commercial in particular, but I think Tom pulled off what was really one of the

most epic troll jobs of all time on Sunday. We learned that the photo that broke the internet on Thursday night ended up being a teaser for the Super Bowl ad for Hulu. And first of all, really smart marketing by Hulu. I mean, the minute you saw Tom on screen in black and white, everyone paid attention. And all of a sudden, all eyes were on Hulu. But like I said yesterday here on Locked On, Tom, I think in this one, took a little bit of a shot at some of the coverage surrounding him lately. And I have absolutely no problem with that.

But in the end, the ad is still creating some buzz. Because you're practically neighbors with the guy. You know, I kid folks, I kid. But seriously, in your opinion, is there more literal truth than figurative truth when Tom says, I'm not going anywhere? Um, I, I just, I believe, you know, and you said this, you know, the other day that, that this was Tom saying that I'm not going anywhere. I am still an NFL quarterback. I am still playing next year. It's him playing his cards exactly the way he should. I've said many times that this offseason

is going to be important because right now we're waiting for which came first, the chicken or the egg. Is Tom coming back with him asking for more weapons to be around him? Or how do you get those weapons to come here if Tom isn't signed and set to come back? It's a very, very difficult situation that the Patriots left themselves in when they granted Tom free agency by saying, we aren't going to franchise you next year. And that it does. It puts them in a very difficult position because for 20 years, people have come here to play with Tom Brady. I'm sorry, folks.

I know Belichick is the greatest coach in history. Nobody comes here to get coached by Bill Belichick. No, I think you're absolutely right. When it comes down to it, I mean, Belichick is a difficult coach to play for. You've heard so many different players come in here and mention that, that he is tough to play for. It's rewarding, and they use the experience to their advantage, and people will praise him up and down and say that Bill Belichick

made me a better football player, but the camaraderie that they're looking for is being a teammate with Tom Brady. I have yet to hear one ex-teammate of Tom Brady come out and say anything negative about him as a teammate, as a mentor, as being approachable, as being someone that understands his place on the team. And that means he's there to set an example, but he's not there to have his nose in the air and not give anybody the time of day. He's still the guy that goes over to people in the locker room and says, hi, welcome to the team. My name is Tom. I mean, I don't think there's anybody that needs Tom Brady to wear a name tag in that locker room,

but he still does it. And he does it because that's who he is and that's who he'll always be. Now, another point that I wanted to expound upon here a little bit as well, and again, we've talked about this several times, is the adjacent report that came out to this that said that Robert Kraft would not stand in Bill Belichick's way if he believed that Belichick came to him and told him, our best bet is to walk away from Tom here and cut the cord earlier than later.

And I know a lot of Patriots fans are worried about that concept. And I talked a little bit about this on Locked On Patriots yesterday. My assessment in this, Murph, is that, yes, Bill Belichick is a guy that will cut the cord earlier than later. We've seen him do it with a lot of great players in this area. Richard Seymour. You know, we talk about, I talked about Seymour a little bit yesterday. That was one of them.

Adam Vinatieri, Ty Law, Lawyer Malloy. These are beloved Patriots that, in a lot of ways, really, you know, were, they still had some things left in the tank, but not as much as maybe a lot of players wanted to believe, a lot of fans wanted to believe, I should say. And because of that, Belichick had no problem cutting the ties early. To me, this is not the same situation. I don't see them cutting ties with Brady at this point because they just don't have a capable or competent solution to the problem of who's going to be the quarterback if Tom indeed leaves. First of all, what's your opinion on this subject? And is there a competent plan out there that maybe I'm not looking at, maybe our listeners are not looking at in terms of moving on from Tom? Because I don't see them walking away from him just because he's 42, soon to be 43.

He's still playing at a high level, and I believe he's still the best fit for this team at quarterback if they want to succeed in 2020. I agree. If the bottom line is to win, then bringing Tom Brady back is the best option. There is not a quarterback out there on the free agent market or available in trade that is going to come in here and do a better job than Tom Brady, especially with what is here. You are going to have to pay Tom Brady one way or the other in dead cap money or in live cap money whether he stays or goes.

So I say put that money to good use and bring Tom back. I kind of lost the question there. But no. We get going and it's – seriously, I mean, it's just – yeah, bringing it back. It's basically is there even another option out there that maybe a lot of fans either haven't considered or don't want to consider when it comes to moving on from Tom? Look, Bill Belichick is like the Russians. The Russians don't take a dump without a plan, son.

And so, yeah, he does have a plan in place, but I believe it's plan B and C. Tom is still, you see, Bill wants Tom back, but he wants Tom back at a number that he's happy with. And quite frankly, I'm not sure what that number is, but no, there is a plan. It's just that we don't see it. I have no idea, honestly, what it is.

Jared Stidham is not the plan. I said that last year when they drafted him. I said that this year. This is the reason that they brought in another quarterback because, quite frankly, Jared Stidham can't run a scout team. There was a plan in place four years ago. They worried about it. That's why they sit there and they draft a quarterback almost every year.

They have not found him. He is not Jared Stidham. I do not think he's a former Cincinnati Bengal. I don't think that he's the overpaid number two man on the depth chart in Jacksonville. I really do not think that he's on the free agent market. They're going to draft somebody this year. It's going to happen. It's just, I don't, Bill's plan is under lock and key, and I don't have the combination to that safe, and I'm just tired of trying to guess at what he wants to do.

I'm so glad that you said that, and to me, that's a point that is, I think everybody needs to hear, is if there is a plan B, it's one we don't know. And it's one we're not going to know until the time is right, folks. That's the essence of who Bill Belichick is and why he is who he is. He keeps things close to the vest. He's not going to tip his hand one way or another. He never has. He never will.

I agree with you. I think he does want Tom back at a price that's going to be amenable for his side. I think Tom wants a price that he's got in mind that's going to be amenable to him that allows the team to be able to improve some of the offensive production that they have this year. So at that point, it's about guys getting into a room, talking it out, and being able to come to a happy medium. That's how this deal is going to get done. Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail. There's always a chance they won't, folks. I hate to tell you

that, but Tom's I'm not going anywhere comment, which really started this conversation, is not a declaration that I'm coming back to New England. That's a declaration that I still have a lot left in the tank. I can play at a high level, and that's exactly what I'm going to do this year. We'll see what happens

when it comes to Tom, but again, it's the trending topic, and it's Trending Tuesday here on Locked On Patriots. So I couldn't have you on, my friend, without asking your wisdom. It was a brilliant commercial. It was a brilliant move. It was fantastic. It was anything but cheesy, which is something that some talking heads were saying this week. Yeah, I don't believe it was cheesy at all either.

Don't come at me with cheesy when you have the Beth Eaton guest chair and brought to you by this. Everything on your entire show is brought to you by something. Grants and Caldors and whatever. Those are out of...

I'm not really giving plugs to anybody. Caldor, wow, that is – Wow, yeah. Wow, we're talking – next thing Murph's going to be mentioning Zayer's and some of these old – Zayer's. Oh, it's great, great stuff. You know what?

Join us next week on Locked on Patriots where Murph and I just start listing old stores that aren't in existence anymore. That's it. And we could probably fill the whole time. I'm in Caldor. But no. Oh, man, it was great. You could find everything you wanted.

How about Leechmere in some of these stores? We're really dating ourselves. My millennial listeners tuned us out about two minutes ago, but you know what? It's all good. Look up these things, folks. It's great. I encourage it. I absolutely embrace it, and I encourage it.

But you mentioned the draft earlier, and that leads me very nicely into what will be my last question for you today, my friend, and that is obviously Brady's return is going to be the first and foremost important domino to fall for the Patriots in the offseason, but a big part of how this team is going to look next year is going to be built through the draft, as it is every year. So the Pats have a lot of needs, and we partner with a great analyst at the Draft Network, is going to be built through the draft, as it is every year. So the Pats have a lot of needs,

and we partner with a great analyst at the Draft Network, and they've all given their expert opinions on how the Patriots might approach their pick at 23. A couple of them think they're going to go offensive skill and go with a wide receiver. Some have suggested that they'll trade it, which definitely is a possibility. And some have also thought that it was going to be an upgrade at defense, particularly at the linebacker position,

especially if Kyle Van Noy looks like he's going to leave. So now I go to my expert. I go to my good friend and the guy that has the answers. In your opinion, how do you believe the Patriots are going to approach this draft in 2020? Where are they going to look to improve? On the offensive line. You can start all the problems that you want to talk about

with this Patriots offense this year anywhere you want, with a lack of Rob Gronkowski, with a lack of tight end help, with young wide receivers that just don't get it and can't stay healthy, with running backs that look like they've lost a step. No, folks, you build an offense from the outside in and you build a defense from the inside out and a defense from the outside in, and that's the way the Patriots

are going to attack this draft. The first pick that they are going to make, they are not going to trade unless they feel that they can get this guy at a different spot, is Cesar Ruiz, Michigan center guard. That's where they're going. I am not going to tell you where they're going to pick, but I'm going to tell you who they're going to pick, and I never do this, folks. I do not going to tell you where they're going to pick, but I'm going to tell you who they're going to pick. And I never do this, folks. I do not mock drafts, but I love this kid. I love what he brings. He's the most versatile guy on the offensive line in this draft.

He plays center. He plays guard. He could probably even kick out to tackle if you needed him on the right-hand side. This is the kid. This is where it happens. This is where rebuilds start. Not rebuilds, but reloads. And that's what's going to have to happen.

We are going to lose Tooney this offseason. He's going to get paid through the roof. There are not many guards in this league who can do what he does. This kid can come in here and do something right away. Absolutely. I love the pick. I absolutely do.

Ruiz is actually someone that I've been keeping my eye on for the last couple of weeks now, and especially doing mock drafts. We do Mock Draft Monday here on Locked On Patriots, and yesterday's pick by the Draft Network had them going linebacker, and they mentioned Terrell Lewis out of Alabama. An intriguing pick if they did decide to go um on the defensive side of the ball upgrading the linebacker position might not be a bad idea and especially a guy like Lewis he's got those long limbs very good hands he's a little bit his motor is a little bit amped up uh which you know obviously they went with Chase Winovich last year, another Wolverine. But I think there's a chance that maybe that could work out to their advantage.

But offensive line, I believe, is where they're going to end up landing as well. And I've been saying this for a little while now. I think what they're going to need to do is get younger on that line and infuse a little bit of versatility. Don't forget, Scar's not going to be there to mentor these guys anymore. He'll be a coach emeritus in the wings, obviously I said a couple of weeks ago, I said

the day after he retired here on Locked On Patriots, whoever gets that job, he'll be a phone call away I mean, if he ever gets in trouble, who's a better consigliere than Dante Scarnacchia and I think Dante will definitely be willing to take that call at all costs, but it's going to be a new coach, it's going to all costs. But it's going to be a new coach.

It's going to be a new philosophy. It's going to be a new line. So in a lot of ways, because of the loss of Tooney and that versatility, I think Ruiz plugs very well into that. There's a wild card here with David Andrews. I think the Patriots expect him back. But, however, you can't be so sure when it comes to blood clots in the lungs. That's a serious health issue, folks.

So you can't count on him coming back. So because of that, do they bring back Teddy Karras? I think they do. And I think a guy like Ruiz allows them to be able to do it. I know a lot of people are talking negatively about Wynn and talking about his ability to stay healthy, for lack of a better term, or some of the concerns that he's had. His health is definitely a concern, folks, but it wouldn't be one that keeps me up at night. I think he'll be able to go. The problems that he had in college were not the turf toe that we saw come up last year.

That was a freakish-type injury that I think is isolated. With a full training camp and with a full season under his belt, I think you're going to see big things from Isaiah to win. I still like that pick. So interesting, definitely interesting, my friend, and we'll see if you're right because I'm in agreement with you, and I think that's a very, very solid pick. So, Murph, anytime you're on here, you lend the wisdom and counsel like no other.

That's why you're familia here at Locked On Patriots. That chair is named after you. That is not being renamed, folks. It is the Murph guest seat. I will not accept sponsors on that. It's his and his alone. I thank you for joining me today, my friend. Folks, you should already

be following him. I know you already are, but if there's anyone out there that hasn't been following, please do it. Follow the man on Twitter at TeamRF207. The columns, including the monster keys, which may come out at some point during the offseason, a little bit of draft content.

I'm sure the man will definitely be willing to share more of his wisdom and counsel at this point, and I'm first in line to read those each and every time they come out. Also, never miss an episode of One Patriot's Place with Murph and Steve, especially this week's. If you check it out, you might just hear a familiar voice, but in any case, always check that out. Other than this podcast, of course,

it's my favorite podcast, and I'm always honored when they ask me to come on. Thanks again, my good man. Can't thank you enough, and have a great, great week, and thank you for the wisdom and counsel, mostly, because you always make me look a little bit better and a little smarter than I really am.

Too good. Too good to me. I'm always happy to be here, and this is my favorite podcast, and that includes my own. Well, thank you, and that is a huge, huge compliment, folks, and he does mean it, and I know that, and that's why it means so much to me. Have a great day, have a great week, buddy, and

go Pats. Once again, Patriots fans, I hope that you enjoyed today's trip down the highway of trending topics here in Patriots Nation. As for me, I will be back tomorrow to continue to bring you the latest news notes and analysis from Foxborough. And I might just have a special guest along for the ride to help me do that. So be sure to stay tuned. As always, please be sure to join me each and every day on the Locked On Patriots podcast. Subscribe and download via your preferred podcast provider.

Once again, I'm Mike DeBate. I thank Thomas Murphy so much for his time, his insight, and his appearance today. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for staying locked into Locked On Patriots. Have a great day, everyone.