Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Ty Montgomery Injury, Pats-Raiders Recap and New England Patriots Roster Cuts

Episode Date: August 30, 2022

The New England Patriots are on to 2022, and their season-opener with the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Sept. 11 at Hard Rock Stadium. However, they must trim their roster to 53 members before then. Joini...ng host Mike D’Abate is Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy of E2G Sports. The duo discuss Ty Montgomery’s injury, recap the Pats 23-6 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday and possible Pats roster cuts.Find and follow Locked On Patriots on your favorite podcast platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-patriots-daily-podcast-on-the-new-england/id1140512627 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFmwg3WbfxAU3tR5Ve?si=k196wH-yRqifUcQQz8SjIQStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-on-patriots And follow host Mike D’Abate on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the New England Patriots and talking with fans.On Twitter: @mdabateNFLSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!DaveDownload the Dave app from the App store right now for an Extra Cash account and get up to 500 dollars instantly. For terms and conditions go to dave.com/legal. Instant transfer fees apply. Banking provided by Evolve. Member FDIC.LinkedInLinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNFLBuilt BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!BriteCoThe guys at BriteCo Jewelry Insurance made buying insurance for your engagement ring, your watch, or whatever so easy you can get covered in 2 minutes on your cell phone. You won't find a better deal on coverage that's so affordable. Go to https://brite.co/lockedonPrizePicksFirst time users can receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100 with promo code LOCKEDON. That’s PrizePicks.com – promo code; LOCKEDON EliasNFL season is right around the corner, so don’t wait! Find Elias Game Plan in the App Store or Play Store today!TuroDitch boring rental cars and find your drive at Turo.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Deadline is looming, but who gets that final spot? Murph and I will discuss that today here on the pod. Stay tuned. You're about to be locked in to the Locked On Patriots podcast. 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, and thank you once again for making Lockdown Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage
Starting point is 00:00:47 and of course your first listen every day remember Lockdown Patriots free and available on all platforms including YouTube so be sure to smash that subscribe button and download subscribe to and follow Lockdown Patriots wherever you get your audio podcasts and of course folks
Starting point is 00:01:03 today this episode is brought to you by Brightco Jewelry and Watch Insurance. Brightco brings you comprehensive, fast, and affordable jewelry insurance for as low as $5 per month. Check out your special offer for Lockdown listeners and get covered in under two minutes at bright.co forward slash lockdown. That's bright.co forward slash locked on. That's bright.co forward slash locked on. Pats fans, thank you once again for joining me here
Starting point is 00:01:30 on this Monday episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast. Hope you all had a fantastic weekend. I'm your host, Mike DeBate. I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. I am also your host of Locked On Patriots, which is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Because it's your team every day, folks, that means we encourage all of your thoughts, all
Starting point is 00:01:54 of your questions, all of your comments. So let me know what's on your mind on Twitter at MDABATENFL. While you're out there showing some love across the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Pats fans, the New England Patriots didn't exactly perform up to speed on Friday night against the Las Vegas Raiders. A disappointing 23-6 loss. Not the way you want to go out in preseason, but it's important to remember folks that it is preseason. Not a regular season game. Doesn't count against the schedule. Everybody's zero and zero right now,
Starting point is 00:02:31 and we are on to Miami and the Miami Dolphins in the season opener on September 11th. There is a lot to talk about when it comes to this game, including the health of Ty Montgomery, what the Patriots did wrong, and did they do anything right on the field, and of course, that roster deadline looming in just a little under 48 hours. Here today to discuss all of that is the only man that can handle that workload and still be able to kick some serious butt. That is right. He is the only man with a very own-branded hashtag. He is the Count of Murphy Fisto himself.
Starting point is 00:03:06 He is my good friend and columnist extraordinaire for C2GSports.com. The legendary Thomas Murphy joins me here today. Thank you for coming to me in friendship. Thank you for joining me, Don Murph. My pleasure, my friend. My pleasure. It wouldn't be Monday without, you know, sitting down here and talking this mess. Oh, my God. Yeah, and talking this mess. Oh my God.
Starting point is 00:03:25 Yeah, absolutely. No question about it. Uh, just really, uh, um, you know, Mac Jones running for his life and, uh, you know, the defense kind of really looking very shaky and giving up a lot of yardage to Jared Stidham and the backup Raiders offense. Uh, not a whole lot to take away from, take away from the field, but there were a couple of bright spots. Murph and I will discuss those, but mostly some dismal ones, and we'll discuss those as well.
Starting point is 00:03:51 But obviously, I think the big story coming out of this one, Murph, that has the most potential implication on the 2022 season coming up, potentially the season opener, is the health of Ty Montgomery. A little bit of an ankle roll. He went down when he was taken off the field. It didn't look good. He had to be helped off the field. Eventually evaluated on the sideline, blew medical tent,
Starting point is 00:04:14 hole nine yards, and then we see him be carted off. And that is usually not a good sign. Ty slammed his helmet on the ground in frustration, and it just looked like things were not progressing in the right direction. And over the weekend, I think a lot of Patriots fans assumed, at the very best, he's probably going on short-term IR. Well, Bill Belichick went on in his weekly appearance, WEI this morning in the Greg Hill Morning Show,
Starting point is 00:04:39 and he was asked directly about Ty Montgomery, and he said that he believes he's doing okay. They're going to get him out there today in practice and see, as a practice, we want to see what he can do. This is very encouraging news for the New England Patriots and Ty Montgomery, but there is still the specter of whether or not he has to miss any time. Do they put him out on short-term IR, or is it just a day-to-day thing? We'll save the roster implications for later in the show because we are going to discuss those. But on the field, if the Patriots do have to play
Starting point is 00:05:11 for any extended or even abbreviated period of time without Ty Montgomery, how big of a loss is this for the Pats? It's pretty significant. Ty's been quite dependable this spring and one of the few people that has been. But I think with the showing that J.J. Taylor put up over the past couple games that there's people to step in, and it's not going to be any one person. Little Jordan Humphrey is going to end up doing so a little bit extra. And they'll weather the storm. It's not like one of the top two backs has gone down here. But Montgomery is so versatile, and he's able to do so many things.
Starting point is 00:05:55 Yeah, it's going to cut into game planning. Absolutely, without any question. And look, I think you hit the nail right on the head. We're not talking about the two feature backs here. Patriots still have a very good one-two punch in Damian Harris and in Ramondre Stevenson but at the same time Ty's versatility surprised even me uh you know I mean I've had conversations offline with people that have covered the Saints and you know colleagues of mine that cover the Patriots early on in training camp and even into mini camp wondering if Ty Montgomery was going to be either just a camp body or someone to come in to kind of push maybe the
Starting point is 00:06:28 rookies a little bit. Ty really came in with a purpose, and that purpose was to be a reliable force for the Patriots, not just in special teams where he is a very good kick returner, but also in the running game as well and even receiving out of the backfield. And this kid really proved that he could be a third down back, a reliable third down back. When you hear about the retirement of James White, then all of a sudden it starts to really click in. Well, Ty Montgomery may be a guy that can do it until Pierre Strong or Kevin Harris
Starting point is 00:06:57 is able to take on that role. Most likely, it's going to be strong. That's the way they're practicing. That's the way he's built. I think that's why they drafted him. So that, to me me is the future but in the immediate present montgomery really makes a great case to be here and to do what he does but naturally if health gets in the way which it apparently could we'll see we'll know more tomorrow we'll know more today when he hits
Starting point is 00:07:21 the practice field this may end up being much ado about nothing and Ty may end up looking hobbled a little bit, but overall not too bad. But if he is going to be down, I agree with you. I think that this is a situation where the Patriots can weather the storm. I do think they're going to maybe be a little bit more overaggressive in carrying running backs. That may surprise some people, especially with everybody wanting to stack the depth chart with wide receivers or linebackers or offensive linemen or anything to that effect. I think the Patriots may go heavy on running backs because we saw this a couple of years ago where Bill was scraping the bottom of the barrel to try to get guys in. You can never have too much firepower. And when the running game is as important as it is
Starting point is 00:08:05 to this new look offense that they're trying to implement i think it's going to be paramount for that if ty is going to be out murph um in terms of third down even if it's in a short-term situation do you think one of the rookies gets a look or do they look to ramondre who's really looked fantastic in that role as well exactly um no exactly. No, this is Ramondre. Agreed. He has looked fantastic this year. Bill talked earlier about moving away from the third down back and getting these, you know, Ramondre and Damian Harris more into a three-down role.
Starting point is 00:08:49 And, you know, Harris has shown that he's been able to catch the ball out of the backfield too. They've both done really well in picking up blitzes. So, yeah, no, I think it's still, it's going to be the top two. This is just one bullet in the gun that they're not going to have right now. And they're just going to just going to, you know, go with, go with the five that, uh, the five that are in the cylinder. Absolutely. I agree. They will go with the five that are in the cylinder. And I think, uh, you know, going with from Andre in this situation is smart because you don't want to stunt the growth of a rookie, putting him in a role that you're going to yank out from him later. You want to give him the opportunity to progress, whether it's strong, whether it's Harris,
Starting point is 00:09:29 or whether they weather the storm with J.J. Taylor a little bit as well, who actually did look pretty good on Friday. And we'll talk about him in a little bit as well. But ultimately, I think if Montgomery is going to be out, the Patriots will weather this storm by going with good old reliable. And I think that's probably the best cause of action. So folks, keep a sharp eye on the practice fields on Monday, very much telltale in terms of how long or if Ty Montgomery is going to be out of action.
Starting point is 00:09:52 We definitely wish him all the best and hope that he's going to be back as soon as possible because at a great mini camp, a great training camp looks solid in the post season. The kid has done everything he can to earn a spot on this roster. And I believe he's done so with merit. So, you know, our best to tie Montgomery at this point, and we'll see what happens on the field, Murph. And we will also take a look at what happened on the field on Friday night, folks,
Starting point is 00:10:16 because most of it was not pretty. Murph never sugarcoats. He's going to tell you the way it is, and we're going to talk about Friday night's debacle in Sin City in just a moment when this episode of the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues. But first, Murph, how do you feel about video board proposals, engagements, so to speak? We see them a lot at sporting events, you know? Yeah. Normally, you know, they're entertaining.
Starting point is 00:10:42 I know some people don't like them to be totally honest with you i don't know if i'm the biggest fan of them but it's a nice heartwarming moment when you see two people come together and you see them want to be able to start their life together well there's a viral video going around on youtube and folks if you haven't check it out uh it's um regarding two fans of a certain team in the bron. And they're both wearing their pinstripe gear. And all of a sudden, they both get put up on the big jumbotron at the stadium. And guy gets down on one knee. He's ready to do his duty. And the girl is very overwhelmed.
Starting point is 00:11:21 And all of a sudden, he goes to open the ring box. And the ring is not there. It he goes to open the ring box and the ring is not there. It has fallen out of the ring box and he's scrambling around trying to find it. Everyone around is really confused. The girl doesn't know what to make of it either. It's a very difficult situation and I'm not going to ruin it for everybody, folks. I don't want you to, you know, to, I want you to be able to see it so go and check it out on youtube it's definitely a funny video but here's the lesson here folks and murph you can back me up on this you do not want to be that guy and you definitely don't want it splattered all over the internet
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Starting point is 00:12:31 Folks, the outtakes will be available on that video pretty soon, and we'll definitely see that. Funny stuff. I definitely encourage you to check out brightco.co. It really is. It's hilarious, and these guys have really done a great job
Starting point is 00:12:45 of uh of doing that um but uh you know what murph there's you know for every difficulty that you have when it comes to finding the right moment you have to get there first that's the biggest problem and in order to get there you need a reliable ride and let's face it we've all been in situations where we might be strapped for a ride well that is where our good friends at Turo come in because they are the world's largest car sharing marketplace with Turo you can book any car you want wherever you want it from a community of local hosts browse a huge selection of vehicles for just about any occasion or budget across the U.S., Canada and the U.K. Maybe you want to book a spacious
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Starting point is 00:14:02 Patriots fan, the legendary Thomas Murphy, chopping it up with me here on the Locked On Patriots podcast each and every Monday. It's hashtag Locked On Murph Monday, and we are ecstatic to have him as we always are. Murph, in the previous segment, we talked a little bit about Ty Montgomery, the big story of Friday night's loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, 23-9, but 23, excuse me, 23-6, which I wish it was nine,
Starting point is 00:14:28 would be a little bit better, but still not a good showing. Murph, there was a lot that went wrong in this game, a lot offensively. The defense kind of buckled down a little bit, but they had their moments as well. A few bright spots, we'll get to those, but let's get the bad news out of the way first. As you watch this game unfold, as you watch the highlights, and as you absorbed what you were watching on the screen, what was the most concerning to you? What was your takeaway from this game that has you concerned heading into the regular season? The urgency of some of the people on the offensive line and not being able to get
Starting point is 00:15:05 what's going on. Justin Haran was just, you know, another mess. He's had a chance to really step up here and become, show himself as to be somebody reliable here. And it just hasn't happened. Yandy Kajust has been able to do that. Haran hasn't. Another guy that was down that's on the offensive line is Michael Wanweyu. He's a good player. I just don't know if this system is conducive to his abilities, if you understand what I'm saying. Bill has always been famous for putting guys in the right situation to excel,
Starting point is 00:15:58 and I'm just not seeing that this situation is something that he's going to excel in. So, yeah, it's the offensive line and how things are going there. You could see it in Mac's demeanor, both on the sidelines and on the field. He had some really happy feet. He was bailing out too early. He ran himself into at least one sack. It just doesn't seem like he trusts these guys up in front of him. And that's really scary considering how much trust he had in them last year.
Starting point is 00:16:32 Absolutely. I could not have said that better myself. And look, I'm glad that you mentioned Dwayne because he's been someone that we've sung the praises of since the day he was drafted. You know, we looked at this kid as someone that could come in and really anchor this offensive line for many years to come, whether it be at the tackle position, which I think he's played well at in his career so far, or at the guard position. But in order to incorporate a zone run offense, a primary zone run offense, it is based on fluid and rapid horizontal movement. And that to me is something that may not be the best fit for someone like a McCoy New, who is not the most athletic of offensive linemen. You know, he gets a little bit, I don't think he's given credit for the athleticism that he brings to the table enough,
Starting point is 00:17:20 but it may not be enough to do what he does in this offense or for this offense to be an effective fit for him. Cole Strange, I think, will settle into this role once the rookie growing pains get out because he does have that youth and athleticism that will allow him, I think, the opportunity to do this. This type of offense is really tailor-made for a guy like Isaiah Wynn. It's going to be interesting to see if he can round into form and really do what he should be doing because I don't know, Murph, it just looks like his head is somewhere else. I mean, I don't know. Maybe we'll see more on the practice field now into the games, but he's got to step it up.
Starting point is 00:17:55 He really does. He really does. I'm really tired of the pouty smurf thing that's happening with him being on the right side. It's I, like I said, I'm not gonna, you know, I'm not gonna sit there and, and argue the fact that, that he's been injured. You know, these are the reports that we're getting, but it just seems like, you know, he's almost checked out before he's even checked in. Absolutely. Yeah, it really and truly does.
Starting point is 00:18:26 So I think you need you need to step up from him. You look at someone like, you know, on a way new, maybe this is a bad fit. Hopefully he'll be able to round into form at the core when we talk about the the offensive line, because I know a lot of people are coming at Mac for his performance. And look, there are things that Mac does deserve some criticism on. As a quarterback, you never want to turn your back on a defense and start running the opposite way. That is a recipe for disaster every single time. A pro-level quarterback just cannot be doing that. And I know that's an anomaly.
Starting point is 00:18:58 It's a one-off. I'm not ready to put Mac out into the abyss and say, okay, it's zappy time. I'm not getting to that level at all. But at the same time, he has to shoulder some of the load for that. But a lot of it is because you said the offensive line is not instilling him with the confidence he needs to hang there in the pocket. Do you think this is more of an assignment issue, or do you think this is more of an execution issue with the offensive line?
Starting point is 00:19:24 It's an execution issue, plain and simple it's execution it's it's um there's a lot of bad technique that's that's happening here you know guys are out over their knees they're they're thinking when you're an offensive lineman you can't think it has to be second nature okay you can't pause because when you pause for that that split second okay folks a quarterback has at most three seconds to get rid of a ball three and a half seconds all right and if you're taking one second to understand what you're doing that defender is is past you and in Mac's face. And this is what Mac is feeling inside. You know, each time he snaps the ball, it's like he's wondering who's going to screw up on this down. Right.
Starting point is 00:20:17 Okay? And it's never the same person. It's never the same person. There's always somebody who isn't there where they're supposed to be and this pretty this this messes with the um with the the running game you can see it these guys do not have the the holes to cut back through they need to make that that one cut and go with this uh with this blocking scheme and these guys aren't able to do it. And if you can't set up the run, you can't set up play action. And that's what's screwing with Matt.
Starting point is 00:20:49 Yeah, it is. And it really, and in a lot of ways, Murph, it's messing with him in a way that could be detrimental to his own game, to the Patriots offense and really to their scheme as a whole. So these two weeks are going to be very telltale for the New England Patriots. And they're going to have to go back to the drawing board. It's fixable folks. It absolutely is fixable.
Starting point is 00:21:08 That is not lip service. These guys can write the ship, but they're going to need to do it. And they're going to need to come out of the gate very quickly in order to be able to fix some of these problems because they are executional. I think it's easier. This is the way people, there's no going back.
Starting point is 00:21:23 I wrote, you know, last week that, that bill, week that what Bill did with this system and this coaching staff was essentially him being Cortez, burning his ships and go back to his old ways. It's not going to happen. He's committed, and these linemen need to get committed, need to get on the same page. And over the next two weeks, they can do it. Absolutely.
Starting point is 00:21:56 So well said. And I think they can do it. And you know what, Murph? We all hope they will do it. And that, I think, is going to be something that the Patriots need to hang their hat on. I don't want to take our leave of this game without talking about a bright spot, and he may be one of the sole bright spots in this game, but I wanted to give a little bit of love to Jack Jones, the rookie cornerback on Friday night. You know, he's a rookie, folks, and there's going to be a good amount of growing pain, so I don't want people to take this and think, oh, immediately,
Starting point is 00:22:24 JC Jackson 2.0 plug him in start him give him the keys to the kingdom and he's going to be ready to ride not going to work quite that way folks Jalen Mills and Jonathan Jones are going to start this you know season as your primary top corners on the perimeter but Jack showed a lot to me I think he showed an ability to recognize the route which which is very, very positive in a rookie corner. I love the way he flies to the football. He's got a very good instinct, and he's also showing a great deal of physicality as well. So there's a lot of good to take away from him. Were you impressed by what you saw from him on the field on Friday? Oh, yeah. It was everything that I've seen in tape. He was my favorite pick in this draft after I got a little bit deeper into things. Jack Jones is the
Starting point is 00:23:08 aggressive spark plug that these defensive backs need. His counterpart was getting a lot of press earlier in training camp. This kid is it. this kid is it. This kid is it. He's everything that you want. He had a pass breakup in this last game.
Starting point is 00:23:32 He had a – he forced a fumble in this last game. He's going to get burned. I'm telling you folks right now. He's ultra-aggressive, and things are going to happen. He's going to jump – he's going to try to jump a ball on Hill in week one and Hill's going to, you know, do a dance into the end zone. You know, nobody, nobody thought it was going to be a shutout people. But, but this is the mentality that I want at that cornerback position. You know, a guy who's ultra aggressive, a guy who's going to stand people up at the line of scrimmage, a man who's going to close on balls and make those bone crushing hits.
Starting point is 00:24:08 I love this kid. I can't wait to see him in game action. Absolutely. I feel the same way. And, you know, with everything that's happened off the field for Jack to see him come back and to rebound and have the right attitude about it is something that's encouraging for Patriots fans. So there were some positives on the field, folks, and we just brought you one.
Starting point is 00:24:27 And maybe that's enough to hang your hat on. But will it be enough for the Patriots to keep some players from sticking around as opposed to hitting the road? The 53-man roster deadline is coming up Tuesday at 4 p.m. And Murph has some ideas as to who might be on that roster and who might not be. We conclude today's episode of the Lockdown Patriots podcast in just a moment by talking about those roster predictions. But first, Murph, it's almost time for us to start wondering which quarterback is going
Starting point is 00:24:58 to throw for over 500 yards, which running back is going to rush for less than 100 yards. All of these can be put to good use and maybe even make a little extra on it with our good friends at prizepicks.com at prize picks you can pick from two to five players and if they will go score more or less than their prize picks projection you can win up to 10 times your money on any entry there's no competing against other people it's just you versus the projections available and prize picks offers projections on any sport that you wish murph not just the nfl but the nba major league baseball nhl pga college football men's college basketball women's college
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Starting point is 00:26:26 deposit match up to $100. PrizePix.com Patriots fans, we are ready to wrap things up here on the Locked On Patriots podcast with our good friend, the legendary Green, Master of Disaster, the Monster Destroyer.
Starting point is 00:26:45 I'm at a loss for words, Murph. I just am at a loss for words. He is the counter Murphy Fisto himself, and he is my good friend, Thomas Murphy of E2GSports.com. Murph, we've talked about the past, but it's time to talk about the future. And the New England Patriots' immediate future will start on Tuesday at 4.01 p.m. when the roster deadline has come and gone. And we know who will reside on this 53-man roster.
Starting point is 00:27:12 We've heard all of the predictions all training camp long. It started off that up. Trey Nixon is going to be a member of this wide receiver core. And now not so many people are projecting him into this lineup. We've heard a lot about Cam McGrone who has been a pre-camp darling in terms of his abilities at the linebacker position and he's found himself on the outside of several roster projections out there. Murph again you always tell it like it is you give us the information we need when you look at the 53 man roster what's going to be some of those monster moments that Patriots fans are going to have between now and Tuesday at
Starting point is 00:27:53 3 59 p.m. in terms of who may end up on the cutting room floor or who makes this roster yeah it's this has been a really difficult you know roster to project as to whether or not Bill is going to go with the youth and the inexperience or bring back the trusted guys. And I think at certain positions, he's going to want more depth than at others. And the one that, that I have on, you know, that is really going to take people off as a quarterback. And I only think he's going to carry two and it's Jones and Zappy. I really, I feel that's, that's the way it's going to turn out. I think Hoyer should have been offered a job as the quarterback's coach to start, to start this season.
Starting point is 00:28:46 But I think I can almost guarantee at 99.9% that if he doesn't make the initial cut, that he sticks around. He's not going to go take a job somewhere else. Nobody is going to pick him up off waivers. And that's it. You just need the spot somewhere else right now. I think Bill's only going to carry the two quarterbacks. Yeah, I think in a lot of ways, people will agree with you. I know there are a lot of people that will. I'm one of them that is definitely keeping my sharp eye on Brian Hoyer as well. But look, there are reports out of Foxborough
Starting point is 00:29:21 that Brian is not all that interested in doing any coaching. So if he's going to stick around, it's going to have to be on the practice squad if the Patriots choose to do it that way. I think that could be a way to save a roster spot because there are a lot of crowded depth charts this year in New England that could stand to use maybe a little bit extra. I still think the Patriots go to tight ends. Sorry, Claire. I know that really upsets her, but i haven't seen enough from devon assiasi in this offseason to really warrant that spot i think they use and again i'm sorry claire
Starting point is 00:29:51 but i think they use a little jordan humphrey in that role a little bit in situational uh you know areas and then if they do need to dip into the tight end well if there is an injury or anything like that or they need to elevate for a given game plan i do think either matt sokel or jalen uh ends up on the the practice squad and they could use one of those guys as a practice squad call up uh matt i thought had a very good camp believe it or not and he looked pretty solid in the preseason so he may be a good um a a very good option for the practice squad we'll see uh. One of my big surprises in my latest roster projection was leaving Jelani Tavai on the cutting room floor. And I know Bill Belichick loves him.
Starting point is 00:30:31 I know it's probably not going to happen. Right. But to me, there are just too many questions and too many breakdowns in coverage that lead me to believe that they may not be better utilized rostering maybe somebody like a Joshua Bledsoe or Sean Wade in the secondary. Joshua has the opportunity to move up and maybe even play like that hybrid linebacker, like a Jabril Peppers or even an Adrian Phillips. So the more guys you have that are versatile and allow you to do a lot of different things, there's a possibility. But again, Jelani has the size and the style that Bill Belichick loves in his linebackers.
Starting point is 00:31:07 So, you know, Murph, it's not easy. It is not easy picking a 53-man roster. I do, thankfully, always, always thank my lucky stars that I don't have to be the one to make these decisions. And I know our fans are definitely happy about that as well. We'll see what they think of Bill's decision tomorrow. Any parting thoughts, any parting surprises, anything that you believe that Patriots fans should have their sharp eye on
Starting point is 00:31:32 but don't heading into tomorrow's cuts? Other than my move at quarterback? No, I really don't see that. There's still a chance that we made a couple of mistakes. You know, I don't see any surprise cuts. You're not going to see, you know, Dietrich Wise on the cutting floor tomorrow. The defensive line is something that I believe is one of the better units here. It's the linebacking core. It's whether or not Cam McGrone makes this team.
Starting point is 00:32:20 Absolutely. You know, I really feel that not to piggyback off you too much, but that's just the way I see it. And yeah going to be carrying two tight ends. You know, she'd want to go like five or six deep at that position and it's just not going to happen. But bottom line, folks, we will see what Bill Belichick has in store for the masses here in New England and find out if New England Patriots will be carrying two quarterbacks, seven linebackers. Those questions are answered on Tuesday. But we always... Absolutely, yeah. I have them carrying eight.
Starting point is 00:33:07 I think they're going to need as much firepower on that position as possible. And don't be surprised to see a good amount of them on the practice squad as well. Murph, we always count on you for the wisdom and counsel that only you can bring. A show like this that involves the future of Ty Montgomery, it involves negatives in a preseason game, and hard-hitting facts about the roster can only be brought by the Count of Murphy Fisto himself. Folks, he is the Don of Locked On Patriots, and it's my honor to share the microphone with you each and every Monday. Before I let you go, my friend, please let everyone know where they
Starting point is 00:33:39 can find you, what you have coming up this week over at E2g sports.com yeah i've got a um my roster projections that went up this morning uh you can check that out at e2g.com tomorrow uh one patriots places back with claire and steve our uh our special guest this week is is none other than the the voice of the new england patriots bob soci don. Don't want to miss that. We'll be doing a little preview of what might come later on in the afternoon. That's tomorrow morning at 10. And, of course, I'm working on a piece now about Major League Baseball trying to fold Minor League Baseball into the union. Unbelievable, folks.
Starting point is 00:34:23 He covers it all, whether it's football, baseball, anything related to Boston sports, anything related to the realm of sports all over the world. Murph is on it and he's on it like no one else because he covers it the way only he can. No soccer. Tip of the cap to you.
Starting point is 00:34:39 I'm not going to go there. I'm not going to go there. I'm not going to go there, but a tip of the cap to you, my friend, for all of your great work and for joining me here today on Locked On Patriots. But most of all, folks, I thank you for taking time out of your schedule to join me here
Starting point is 00:34:52 on Locked On Patriots each and every day, making us your first listen. Now that you've made Locked On Patriots your first listen, please make your second listen our good friends over at Locked On Fantasy Football. My good friend Vinny Iyer, 20 years in the business, doing phenomenal work in terms of fantasy outlines and analysis. You definitely want to check it out. Subscribe on YouTube, download, follow on wherever platform you choose to get your audio podcasts.
Starting point is 00:35:18 On behalf of the great Thomas Murphy of E2GSports.com, I'm Mike DeBate. Continue, please, folks, to stay safe, stay well, be the change you wish to see in the world. Thank you for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until tomorrow, folks, have a great day. Peace.
Starting point is 00:35:37 Figure it out, Patricia. Figure it out.

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