Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Trending Tuesday Mailbag: New England Patriots Training Camp Edition - 8/18/2020

Episode Date: August 18, 2020

It’s Trending Tuesday. Host Mike D’Abate opens the Locked On Patriots Mailbag to address listeners’ questions surrounding New England Patriots Training Camp. From the development of quarterback Cam Newton — to roster conjectures — to a potential reunion with defensive back Logan Ryan — Mike covers an array of topics. He also provides a recap of Day Two of padded practices in Foxboro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Patriots fans, you are now locked in to the Locked On Patriots Podcast. I'm going to show you how to make a beautiful and beautiful flower. I'm going to use a small flower pot. I'm going to use a small pot Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful. Welcome to Trending Tuesday here on the Lockdown Patriots Podcast, your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots.

Patriots Nation, it is Tuesday, August 18th, day two of padded practice in Foxborough, Massachusetts. And because you all have questions and you want answers, today here on the pod, we reopen the Locked On Patriots mailbag and address your questions, comments, and feedback right here on today's episode of the Locked On Patriots Podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. As for me, my name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots Podcast.

As so many of you did for today's episode of Trending Tuesday here on the pod, feel free to reach out to me anytime by following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there saying, how you doing to the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Once again, Patriots fans, specifically Locked On Patriots fans, pods like the one brought to you today are among some of my favorites. The reason why is because I get to interact with all of you great listeners out there. And seeing that it is training camp season and the Patriots are now two days into padded

practices, a lot of you had some burning questions. And once again, you failed to disappoint. Some great questions received today. As always, I will do my very best to answer them as completely and as accurately as I can. And I sincerely want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time out, submitting a question for today's pod, and helping to make the Locked On Patriots podcast among the most informative, analytical, and maybe even among the most entertaining podcasts that you'll find out there in Patriots

Nation. In any case, it's always my honor to open up the Locked On Patriots mailbag, and I will do so to kick off today's Trend trending Tuesday here in just a moment. But as they did yesterday, the Patriots once again took to the practice fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium for another full padded practice session. But much like Monday, there were also some absentees for Tuesday's practice as well, starting with defensive tackle Bo Allen, rookie wide receiver Jeff Thomas, and rookie linebacker Anthony Jennings, all absent. Wide receiver Will Hastings was present, but he was limited in his

action. And of course, linebacker Brandon King remains on reserve PUP. He'll be out for a little while. Sonny Michel and Lamar Miller continue to remain on active pup. They were absent from today's practice. But Allen, Thomas, and Jennings absent for the second day in a row. Much like yesterday, not a whole lot of information from the Patriots as to why they weren't on the practice field. And there also was a new face missing from today's practice, linebacker Tayshaun Bauer. And of course, last but not least, on the attendance note, much of the media contingent that was present at today's practice did report that Julian Edelman was at practice on Tuesday, left after warm-ups and before positional drills began.

But before you panic on this one, folks, Julian was listed as a full participant on Monday. This is more than likely just managing his workload, but as always, we'll keep an eye out. Not a sharp eye, because I don't find Julian's absence in the second half of practice today all that alarming, but we'll definitely do our due diligence and continue to bring you the latest right here on Locked on Patriots. And Tuesday's session once again found the spotlight squarely on the quarterbacks. And I'll give you a moment to recover from your shock.

After all, nobody pays any attention to the quarterback position, right? Yeah, I know, I'm being a little sarcastic, but Patriots once again split their quarterback reps rather evenly. And this sort of indicates that this quarterback competition that so many believe is just a fabrication actually might not be too far off from the truth. And the consensus winner of the battle of day one struggled the most on Tuesday. Once again, reiterating what Murph and I tried to tell you yesterday. Pump the brakes, folks. One day does not anoint you the starter. And even though he had a strong outing on Monday, Jarrett Stidham had a relatively up-and-down day.

At one point, he had a pretty rough stretch during Tuesday's session, threw three picks within five pass attempts. But it should be noted, and it was very nicely noted by much of the media that is in attendance for these practices, that not all of these interceptions necessarily appeared to be Jarrett's fault. There were a couple of times where he was trying to connect with Damir Bird. He also threw an interception while trying to throw to Devin Ross, and the defensive backs really made nice plays on these, and I'll get back to them in a minute. But all wasn't necessarily

lost for Jarrett. He did look decisive in his decision making, and also had two of the best passes of the day when he hooked up with Mohamed Sanu and Damir Bird during 11-on-11 drills. Now I know you're all wondering about his counterpart, Cam Newton, and Cam had a solid day. He showcased some impressive arm strength on numerous occasions, saw two of his three incompletions get dropped by the intended targets. Overall, Cam continues to look more comfortable by the day, looks like he's getting acclimated into the Patriots offense, learning the playbook more as he's looking less over to the sidelines at the coaching staff, and most importantly, folks, he's looking pretty healthy. So all in all, a solid day for Cam, but for the second day in a row, Brian Hoyer looked

pretty good. Hoyer connected on a couple of big plays on Tuesday. One of them was a 40-plus yard touchdown bomb to, wait for it, who made that man a gunner a Schelske? And when Bill Belichick asked on the sidelines, who made that man a gunner? Brian Hoyer looked at him and said, I did, sir. That's my target. Then Bill Belichick looked at Nick Casario, said made that man a gunner? Brian Hoyer looked at him and said, I did, sir. That's my target. Then Bill Belichick looked at Nick Casario, said, I knew it.

I'm surrounded by receivers. Put his mask back on and said, keep firing, Hoyer. See, folks, insight like that is information you'll find only here on Locked On Patriots. Who else would tell you that Patriots players and coaching staff are quoting space balls on the field? No one else. That's why we're your team every day. But I digress, folks space balls on the field. No one else. That's why we're your team every day. But I digress, folks. Back to the action. And all in all, it was a solid day for the

offense. It should be noted that the quarterbacks did work on shotgun snaps with three interior offensive linemen. Jarrett Stidham lined up behind starting center David Andrews. Cam Newton lined up behind starting left guard Joe Tooney. And Brian Hoyer lining up behind second-year offensive lineman Yelda Frohold. As for the skill position players, Nikhil Harry, Mohamed Sanu, and Devin Asiasi all held side sessions with the quarterbacks at one point. Josh McDaniels, quarterbacks coach Jed Fish, and wide receivers coach Mick Lombardi kept a close eye on this session.

If you're curious about the running backs, well, they definitely got in their work too. Rex Burkhead had a pair of nice touchdown runs out of the I-formation behind Jakob Johnson, who's playing very well at fullback, by the way. And at one point, Cam Newton connected with Damian Harris. By all accounts, Harris is showing some excellent footwork, and he's also showing an adaptability to be able to catch the ball out of the backfield. If he can prove that he can do this on a consistent basis, Harris just might find himself at the beginning of the line when it comes to getting reps as the every down back. Technically, that role still belongs to Sonny Michel, but if for any reason Sonny has to begin the season on the

pup list, Harris is showing so far that he is capable of handling the load. On the defensive side of the ball, the Patriots wanted to showcase their defensive backfield and newcomer cornerback Michael Jackson Sr. Don't worry folks, I already got my lame spaceballs jokes out of the way. I'm not going to make an even dumber Michael Jackson one, because what this guy did on the field was no laughing matter. Jackson notched himself the first Patriots interception of training camp, and this came off of Jarrett Stidham when he tried to connect with Damir Bird. Now, upon further review, it looked like Bird's cut may not have been decisive enough.

That probably allowed Jackson to jump the route and pick the ball off. But ultimately, for a newcomer trying to make a name for himself in this defense, Jackson had a pretty solid day. Stidham's other interceptions on Tuesday came at the hands of reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Stephon Gilmore, and it's hard to fault Jared on that. Stephon, after all, is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. And the other was rookie safety Kyle Duggar, who has looked very solid in the last couple of days.

Duggar made a great cut and a heads-up play on an underthrown deep attempt by Jarrett Stidham, and he was in the right place at the right time. Duggar and also linebacker Josh Uche continue to be actively involved in practice. Much like he was the day before, Uche continues to be used in multiple roles, and at one point even stuffed a run on what looked like a scripted blitz. So far, these two defensive rookies had looked solid, and because of that, I continue to stand by my convictions that I mentioned yesterday here on the pod, that Josh Uche and Kyle Duggar are primed for very productive years in 2020,

maybe with Uche edging out Duggar just a little because of the lack of depth at the linebacker position. And I know, my good friend Murph disagreed with me a little bit there. After all, variety is the spice of life, and I'm certainly not saying I'm right and he's wrong or vice versa. No one respects that man's opinion more than I do. But if we keep seeing guys like Uche and Duggar used consistently in the defense as they have been in the first couple of days, that could be a very telltale sign that Bill Belichick has big plans for each of those guys when it comes to the 2020 NFL season. But even though I believe Usha and Duggar to be primed for high-impact seasons in 2020, that doesn't necessarily mean that they'll be the only impact rookies on the roster this year.

But that's just one of the many questions that we all have when it comes to New England Patriots training camp, and to help quell some of those concerns, I will be addressing your questions, comments, and feedback when I open up the Locked On Patriots mailbag and kick off yet another trending Tuesday right here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. But first, the fun days of summer, folks. Well, they're starting to reduce in number, but they're not gone yet. There is still time to get out, have some fun in the sun, and hit the road in style. And to make sure that you get exactly where you need and want to go,

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rockauto.com Patriots fans, once again, it is Trending Tuesday here on the Locked On Patriots Podcast. And every time Trending Tuesday rolls around here on the pod, I've said it before and I'll say it again. This is truly one of the best parts of my being host of this podcast. Getting the chance to interact with all of you great listeners. I'm always honored and humbled by each and every one of you that take the time to send in a question for our mailbag episodes, but I'm also amazed by the level of insight that a lot of you provide, not only when it comes to the types of questions that you ask, but

the relevance to the topic at hand. You never cease to amaze me, and I could not be more grateful for the support of each and every one of you. So without further ado, folks, let's open up the Locked On Patriots mailbag for this Tuesday, August 18th episode of Trending Tuesday here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. And we're going to start with a couple of questions on the offensive side of the ball. The first of which comes from Corey, who can be found on Twitter at scorelowgolfflaw. And folks, that last part was FLA, as in Florida.

And Corey's question is probably one of the most common that I'm asked, but it's also one of the best questions that I'm asked. And Corey wants to know, are the rumors true that the Patriots are taking it slow with Cam Newton and that Jarrett Stidham is the best looking player on the field? Well, Corey, you're going to see a lot on social media regarding the performance of Jarrett Stidham and the performance of Cam Newton. You've seen a lot already, and it's only going to continue to get even worse. Or, I guess, better, depending on your point of view. But whenever an opinion is given on either of these quarterbacks,

or even Brian Hoyer for that matter, I always encourage you to consider the source. The opinions of beat writers, those whose job it is to cover the team, I would say carry more weight than those who are driven more by fandom, or by a desire to enhance their social media following. The long and the short of it with your question, Corey, is there's really no easy way to answer that question. Up until yesterday, I think everyone would agree that Jarrett Stidham probably looked to be the sharpest and most prepared out of the three quarterbacks on the field.

But it also should be noted that all three quarterbacks have looked relatively sharp throughout training camp. As for part one of your question, whether or not the Patriots are taking it slow with Cam, I believe there's more truth to that than not. First of all, Cam is coming off two very serious injuries for a quarterback, one to his feet and the other to his throwing shoulder. Now, we can say all we want to that those injuries are fully healed and that Cam looks great. He does, by the way. So far in all of the footage that I've seen on Cam Newton, he does not show any signs of favoring any type of injury,

or any type of deficiency in his mechanics. In my opinion, Cam looks like he's ready to go out there and start on day one. But the Patriots are not going to push him beyond his limits. They'll bring him along slowly, and for one very good reason. Because they know that a healthy Cam Newton is the best possible thing that could happen to this football team. Even if it means handing the keys to the kingdom over to Jarrett Stidham, having a healthy Cam means Jarrett has to play at a higher level to earn that job. It simply brings out the best in him. And that leads me into the next part of your question, which is,

is Jarrett Stidham the best player on the field so far? Well, again, up until yesterday, most of the beat writers and analysts would have told you that Jarrett Stidham was having the most solid camp out of all three quarterbacks that are considered to be competing for the starting job. And folks, I know I say three quarterbacks. Technically, I know there's four. I don't mean any disrespect to Brian Lewerke, but I think even Lewerke himself would admit that he's not coming in here to compete for the starting job. So that leaves three, Stidham, Newton, and Hoyer. Now if you want to talk about who's looked impressive on the field, I think Brian Hoyer deserves to be in this conversation right alongside Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham. In fact, he's had the majority of the ooh-ah moments that fans and media alike

seem to love. But yesterday here on the pod, Murph and I talked about the importance of pumping the brakes, taking it one day at a time, and evaluating the quarterback position later in camp as opposed to doing a day-by-day analysis. I fully recognize that it is the job of beat writers and analysts to analyze what they see on the practice field. That's not what I'm talking about. Their job is to give an opinion on who they believe had the most solid day and maybe even who the frontrunner is going to be for the starting job. But a lot of what we see on social media is fan-driven, an opinion that masquerades as analysis really designed for enhanced social media stature or likes and clicks. In my best attempt to walk that fine line, I think it's way too early to make a determination

as to who exactly the frontrunner is for this starting job. I do believe that all three quarterbacks have looked excellent thus far. At the end of the day, I believe all three of these quarterbacks will be on the final roster, and if the Patriots are going to take a cautious approach with any one of these quarterbacks, I do believe, Corey, that it will be Cam Newton, for two reasons. The first is his health, which I mentioned earlier, but the second is because Cam is still learning the Patriots playbook. He's still learning their system. And even though by all accounts he's a fast learner, taking to the Patriots playbook pretty quickly, each and every day he seems to be looking less and less over at the sidelines for

guidance, he's still going to need a little more additional preparation time than guys like Stidham or Hoyer who have been in the Patriots system before. So to answer your question, Corey, even if it seems like the Patriots are taking a little bit of a slower approach with Cam, and again, I think there's more truth to that than not, I don't believe it's any indication that Stidham is the frontrunner, or even that Cam may be the frontrunner. I truly believe this is a legitimate quarterback competition, and at the end of the day, Bill Belichick's going to do what he always does, what he believes is best for the football team. If that means Cam Newton starts, or if it means Jared Stidham starts, or even if it means Brian Hoyer starts, that's what Bill is going to do.

He's not going to worry about the fan backlash. He's definitely not worrying about the media backlash. All he's worried about is fielding a winning team in 2020. So Corey, thanks for the great question. I hope I was able to provide at least an adequate answer for you thus far. And don't forget, right here on Locked On Patriots, we'll continue to update you each and every day on the progress of all three quarterbacks, along with the rest of the guys on the team, both on offense and defense. Our next question keeps us on the offensive side of the ball, and

it's one very near and dear to my heart. And it comes to us from the official account of another great Patriots podcast from across the pond, Patriots Football Chat with Jake and Matt, at PatsChatUK. And, thank you guys for asking this question, they want to know, does Gunnar Ryszewski make the team in your opinion? Well, folks, all of you know the degree to which

I love that Spaceballs meme. I used it in the opening part of the show. But unfortunately, my fandom for the movie Spaceballs doesn't quite factor into Bill Belichick's decision-making when it comes to fielding a team. I know, folks. How dare he? I wish it did, but unfortunately it doesn't. And Jake and Matt, it pains me to say this, but Gunner faces a very uphill battle to make

this team in 2020. Gunner was one of the great feel-good stories of 2019, and I say that putting the meme aside, folks, for a moment. I'm being serious. He played his way onto this team without any question. Prior to the injury that shut down his season last year, he played a dual role and saw action both on offense and primarily on special teams. Not only was he the Patriots' primary punt returner, but he also offered a lot of experience in upside when it came to running back kickoffs as well. But something I don't think Gunner gets enough credit for is his prowess as a wide receiver. When utilized in the proper setting, I think Gunner has the ability to take on that Julian Edelman-like role on offense. Not just in the slot, but also split out wide as a Z option.

If Gunner were coming into this season with a year under his belt and the same competition he had in 2019, I think he would be a shoo-in to make this roster. But this year, with a year under his belt and the same competition he had in 2019, I think he would be a shoo-in to make this roster. But this year, the competition is that much tougher. In my opinion, Julian Edelman, Nakheel Harry, absolute stone-cold roster locks. I think Jacoby Myers and Mohamed Sanu are close to that. Not stone-cold locks, but I'd be really surprised if either one of those guys was jettisoned.

That leaves Gunner competing with guys like undrafted rookie free agent Jeff Thomas and veteran wide receiver Damir Bird. Bird is being utilized pretty heavily in practice. The Patriots seem very impressed by his speed, so I would say that Bird has a better chance of making the team rather than being cut. So based on that, now we're looking at Gunner competing with Jeff Thomas and maybe even last year's practice squatter Devin Ross, who's actually looked pretty good in camp this year. Again, I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but Devin's looked impressive working with all three quarterbacks thus far. I'm just saying, folks. A great deal of the fan base is enamored with what Jeff Thomas can bring to the table. Murph and I talked about Jeff yesterday, and folks, look, he is impressive. He's explosive

with the ball in his hands. He can play in the slot, can switch to the outside, is a dynamic return guy, everything you could possibly want in a wide receiver. The only problem is he hasn't seen the field in the last two days. Now, the Patriots have been pretty tight-lipped about what has been keeping him off the field. It should be noted that Jeff Thomas did have some disciplinary problems while with the University of Miami. Now, there has been absolutely no indication from anyone connected to the team that would indicate that Thomas' absence for the last couple of days wasn't in any way related to the problems that he had at Miami. And I'm sure the team did its due diligence with Jeff when it came to off-season workouts,

albeit in a virtual sense. But the cold hard facts of the matter is, folks, they just won't know what Jeff Thomas can do on the field until he actually sees the field. So until we see Jeff Thomas taking meaningful snaps alongside Devin Ross and Gunnar Roschelski, both of whom have looked pretty good in training camp so far, I really don't think it's fair for us to evaluate Gunnar's chances of making the roster this soon. If in fact Jeff Thomas comes into camp motivated and exhibiting the skill set that he showed at Miami, then that final roster spot on the wide receiver depth chart will probably be his, which means that Gunner could find himself on the outside looking in.

However, if there are any doubts about Thomas for any reason, folks, then Gunner's ability on special teams might earn him a spot on this 53-man roster. Keep in mind, not many believed he would stick around last year. He was brought back after initially being cut and was well on his way to being the Patriots' primary punt return man until an injury derailed his season. So Jake and Matt, excellent question when it comes to Gunnar Roschelski. From listening to this podcast, you know as well as we all do that I want the Patriots to once again make that man a Gunnar, but ultimately the decision lies with Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels, and the Patriots'

brain trust, and much like they're going to do when it comes to the quarterback position, they'll do what they believe is best for the football team. So some great offensive questions to kick us off today on Trending Tuesday, but we're not quite done with the Locked On Patriots mailbag just yet. Some of you had some great questions on the defensive side of the ball and even on special teams. And in just a moment, we'll dive back into the Locked On Patriots mailbag and talk some defense special teams and wrap it all up with a little discussion on the Patriots rookies.

More of your questions, comments, and feedback when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Folks, the Locked On Patriots mailbag is once again open for another episode of Trending Tuesday here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. And so far, we've addressed a couple of questions on the offensive side of the ball. But there are also some concerns when it comes to your New England Patriots on the defensive side of the ball as well, particularly when guys like Dante Hightower and Patrick Chung made the decision to opt out of the 2020 season.

Now, yesterday on the pod, my good friend Murph and I talked about who might step up in the absence of Dante Hightower, and we both agreed that Juwan Bentley is more than capable of handling Dante's play calling duties. We also mentioned guys like Josh Uche, Anfernee Jennings, John Simon, Chase Winovich, stepping up and taking on more responsibility when it comes to the pass rush. But Chung's departure definitely leaves a hole in the defensive backfield. The experience that Patrick has in playing safety in the Patriots system can't simply be replicated.

Now, they do have some in-house options. And in this past offseason, they did address the safety position via the draft and via free agency. And the most high profile of these came in the second round of the NFL draft when they selected Kyle Duggar out of Division II Lenore Rhine. And the Patriots definitely have high hopes for Duggar. His skill set projects very closely to what Patrick Chung brings to the table, and in a couple of years, there won't even be a question as to whether or not he's ready

to assume that type of a role in the Patriots' defense. But we have to remember that even though Kyle may be looking impressive in training camp, he's still a rookie. And it's a pretty tall order to expect him to translate that type of success on the practice field onto the field when it comes to facing live competition in the regular season. The Patriots will need some veteran presence, and they did bring in some safety help via free agency. One who's safety Cody Davis, who I believe has a great shot at making the team this year, but he plays a little bit more of the Nate Ebner role. Special teamer that can fill in every now and then in the defensive backfield. The player that I think they'll be

looking to when it comes to filling these shoes is someone I've mentioned quite a bit here on the pod, former LA Charger Adrian Phillips. You all know the high regard that I hold Adrian, and I believe he's going to be the best option to fill the Chung role in the 2020 season. But our next question here on Trending Tuesday had me thinking a little bit, and it's a good one, coming from Sal Macielo, at Sal Macielo. And Sal asks whether or not in my Belichickian crystal ball that I see a reunion for Logan Ryan and the Patriots. After all, Logan can play safety, and he can let Duggar learn and groom.

Sal, this is a very good question, and of course, we all remember Logan from his first tour of duty here in New England, and I'm sure most of us have followed him during his time with the Tennessee Titans. Yeah, folks, we all remember in January how he ended the Tom Brady era with a pick six, which ultimately ended up being Tom's last pass in a New England Patriots uniform. But don't hold that against Logan. He is still a solid player and would be a great addition

to anyone's defensive backfield. Most throughout the league consider him to be a cornerback, but if you were to ask Logan himself, he apparently views himself as a safety. And according to Ian Rappaport, Logan's agent actually recently emailed all 32 GMs of all 32 NFL teams and asked them to compare Logan's production to that of his safety counterparts. And folks, they're pretty impressive statistics. In 16 games played in 2019, Logan registered 73 solo tackles, averaged four and a half sacks, collected four interceptions, and four forced fumbles. So based on those statistics, it's hard to argue that Logan Ryan still has it. Obviously he still does. And don't forget that during his first tour of duty

in New England, he did play that hybrid linebacker safety cornerback role that Patrick Chung had played at times. So a Foxborough reunion almost seems like a foregone conclusion, right? Well, not so facile. If the Patriots didn't have someone else on the roster that was capable of doing the exact same thing already, I would think that Logan Riott would already be in a Patriots practice jersey on the field at Gillette Stadium as we speak. But again, and this is just my humble opinion, I believe they already have Patrick Chung's replacement on staff, and it's Adrian Phillips. And the more you get to see of Phillips on the field, I believe that you guys are going to really love what he brings to the table.

He's athletic. He's one of the best players I've ever covered at being able to diagnose what's happening on the field quickly and accurately. He's so versatile the best players I've ever covered at being able to diagnose what's happening on the field quickly and accurately. He's so versatile on the defensive side of the ball. He played 122 snaps as a box safety in 2019, 72 as a slot corner, 60 as a free safety, and even 18 on the defensive line. He even played nine more snaps on the perimeter. So Phillips can really be a jack-of-all-trades at the safety position as well. Not to mention that he has tremendous special teams value. During my time covering the Chargers,

I saw Adrian Phillips being used on all four of their kick coverage teams and also regular employed him on the field goal and extra point blocking units. I believe he'll play a very similar role in New England, and because he has that dual value, not just on special teams but also on defense, I think the Patriots will go with a team of Adrian Phillips, Terrence Brooks, and maybe even Cody Davis to help replace Chung and also help to bring Kyle Duggar along, because after all, that role will eventually belong to Kyle Duggar, just a matter of giving him the time he needs to develop into that role, and I think someone like Adrian Phillips, and even to a lesser extent Terrence Brooks, can weather that storm until Chung returns next year and Kyle Duggar ends up taking over that mantra full-time. But Sal, please don't take that as a knock on Logan Ryan. I've

always loved Logan's game, I will continue to, and honestly I think he would be a very good fit here in New England. I just think the Patriots have enough in-house options to weather the storm, and because of that, I don't see them spending the free agent money to bring Logan back to the fold for another tour of duty in Foxborough. But again, it's not me making the decisions. It'll be Bill, so we'll see what the hoodie has up his cut-off sleeve. I do thank you, Sal, for the great question and for your support of Locked On Patriots. And Sal, because your question was defensive-oriented but also lent quite nicely into special teams, that leads me into my next question here on the Locked On Patriots Mailbag,

and that comes from Joel from Hull, hyphen Pats number one, at Joel Shapiro 20. And Joel's question is a great one, and he asks, Given the limited amount of time to prepare, do you think that Bill Belichick will opt to kick the ball into the end zone more often on kickoffs than in years past? And Joel, this is an excellent question. And to be honest, I think you're going to see all 32 NFL teams kick the ball into the end zone much more than they have in years past. The preparation will be a decent part of that. Teams don't have the opportunity to work on punt and kickoff returns and really showcase the talent they have at these positions without playing in preseason games. I think you're going to see touchbacks happen a lot more often simply because teams are worried about injuries. The time that's

been set aside for all 32 NFL teams when it comes to strength and conditioning has been severely limited, and don't forget that teams haven't had the opportunity or the time to practice both tackling and coverage methods effectively. So in that regard, Joel, yes, I believe the Patriots will employ the touchback or the kick into the end zone a little more than they have in years past. That being said, I still don't expect them to be among the top teams in the league when it comes to that. Two reasons. The Patriots, one, have some of the best coverage special teamers anywhere in the NFL.

Three in particular spring to mind right off the bat. Adrian Phillips, who we just mentioned. Cornerback Justin Bethel, who is among the best when it comes to both kick coverage and punt coverage. And of course, the captain Matthew Slater, who is the best when it comes to special teams. Already in training camp, we've seen Slater and Bethel participating in numerous drills when it comes to punt coverage. They're always in the right place, always at the right time, and these guys can cover with the

best of them. And Phillips is also included in that group. Terrence Brooks, Cody Davis, they'll play a major role in those coverage teams as well. The loss of guys like Brandon Bolden and even Brandon King to a certain extent might make them want to kick the ball a little more often into the end zone this year than they have in the previous years, but the reason why I don't believe it's going to be a staple in their arsenal this year is also they have two very strong legs when it comes to the kicking team. And whether it be the punter Jake Bailey or the rookie kicker Justin Rohrwasser that handles kickoffs, certainly won't be lacking for a power leg. One thing that I'm seeing a lot of in training camp this year, Joel, is both Bailey and Rohrwasser working on their accuracy, their kick placement.

That tells me that the Patriots are not just going to rely on power, they're also going to be looking for control from the kicking game. And because the Patriots pride themselves on special teams play, especially when it comes to accuracy both on coverage and on kicking and punt placement, I think Bill Belichick might be eager to show the rest of the league why his teams are among the best when it comes to special teams year in and year out. And yes, I also say that taking under account the loss of special teams coordinator Joe Judge. The Patriots still have smart, savvy veterans in that area, and if there's any special teams unit in the league that can weather through a lack of significant preparation

time, it's definitely your New England Patriots. So Joel, thanks a ton for the question and for all of your support of Locked On Patriots. Once again, I hope I was able to answer it adequately for you, and I guess we'll find out if I was right when we start seeing those kicks sail into the end zone week after week, day after day, play after play. Until then, thanks again. And folks, we're almost ready to close up the Locked On Patriots mailbag, but not without a question from our main man, our financial guru,

the Patriots salary cap top gun, my main man, Miguel Benzon. And you all know that you can find Miguel on Twitter at Patscat, and his question is twofold. First, how many rookies make the 53-man roster? And he also follows that up with a fill-in-the-blank. Player X has surprised me, meaning me, the most with his blank. And Miguel, I thank you for this question because it's the perfect way to end a trending Tuesday and also a great mailbag question when it comes to my evaluation of Patriots training camp so far.

I've gone on record several times here on the pod by saying that I believe this is going to be one of the toughest years in recent memory for rookies, any rookies, on all 32 NFL teams to make an impact this year on their 2020 rosters. And by and large, the Patriots usually bring their rookies along slowly. That's why I'm not too concerned about the rookies on the Patriots roster this year. And that's why I think that eight out of the 10 Patriots draft picks in 2020 will end up finding a spot onto their 53-man roster. In short, I believe that safety Kyle Duggar, defensive end Josh Uche, linebacker Anthony Jennings, the two tight ends Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene, that one's for you, Claire, hey girl, kicker Justin Rohrwasser, offensive lineman Michael Unwainu, and linebacker Cash Malawi will all find their way onto the team.

Now, before any of you think that I just included Cash Malawi at the linebacker position simply because I want my cash me outside, how about dat catchphrase to catch on, well, that might be part of it, folks, but it's not the main reason. I believe that Cash has a great deal of versatility to bring to the linebacker position, and ultimately, I think the Patriots would benefit nicely from having someone with Cash's high energy and versatility at the linebacker position, especially after Dante Hightower's decision to opt out. Now, if you had asked me this before the opt-outs happened, I would have said that Cash would have been on the cutting room floor,

and I would have included Dustin Woodard as my projection into the 53-man roster. Obviously, last week, Dustin announced his retirement from the NFL. And even though the national pundits were not very high on the Patriots' 2020 draft, I can say without hesitation, I believe there's some solid players in this 2020 draft class, and I think that within the next couple of years, a lot of these players are going to round into very solid pros in Foxborough. And as for the second part of your question, Miguel, who has impressed me the most so far in camp? Well, my answer might make a very good friend of mine a little green with anger, but I'm going to go with Mohamed Sanu at the wide receiver position. Sanu is someone,

admittedly, I've had my sharp eye on all throughout the offseason. The comeback from the high ankle sprain, the procedure it took to repair it, I've been keeping a very sharp eye on his footwork, how he makes his cuts, the ability he has to work with quarterbacks like Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham, and most importantly, his route running. By all accounts, with the exception of Julian Edelman, Sanu has been the most crisp and accurate route runner in the Patriots wide receiver core. To me, this quells a lot of the concerns I had about him early on in the offseason and whether or not Sanu would even be asked back to New England this year. Based on what I've seen so far, I think Mohamed Sanu is playing his way onto this roster. I've also been very impressed with the rookie tight ends, primarily with Devin Asiasi and Claire, at Klaziklaire, who has also asked me several times whether or not

there's any chance that the rookie tight ends would not make the roster. Claire, I don't see that at all. Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene are both the real deal. They're here to stay. On the defensive side of the ball, I've been very impressed with what I've seen out of Kyle Duggar and Josh Uche, and even though some have questioned whether or not the Patriots would be able to equal the prowess that the defense had in 2019, I still think they're very well equipped to have a solid and maybe even top-tier defense in 2020. So, Miguel, I hope that answers your question adequately. Again, Locked On Patriots wouldn't be Locked On Patriots without you choosing this as your

vehicle by which you set the financial record straight when it comes to all things Patriots salary cap. I thank you for your great question and for helping me close up the Locked On Patriots mailbag today. And as such, and as such, we put a bow on this trending Tuesday episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast. But the practices continue,

as will our coverage right here on the pod. So to ensure that you do not miss a single episode of Locked On Patriots, follow us on Spotify. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Download Locked on Patriots wherever you get your podcasts. And of course, don't forget, you can always listen to Locked on Patriots right on your very own smart device. Simply ask it to play the latest episode of Locked on Patriots. Once again, folks, I'm Mike DeBate.

I thank Corey, Jake and Matt from Pat's Chat in the UK, Joel Shapiro, Sal Massiello, and the Pat's Cap himself, Miguel Benzon, for their great questions for today's Mailbag episode. But most of all, I thank you all so much for listening and for staying locked into Lockdown Patriots. Stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.