Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Ultimate AFC East Crossover: New England Patriots - 7/13/2020

Episode Date: July 13, 2020

It’s Ultimate Divisional Crossover Week across the Locked On Podcast Network. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Joe Marino of Locked On Bills, John Butchko of Locked On Jets and Kyle Crabbs of Locked On Dolphins to take a deep dive into the AFC East. First up...The 2019 AFC East Division Champions, the New England Patriots. The trio discuss the Pats upcoming season, roster questions, and the arrival of Cam Newton 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. It is Monday and we are kicking off Ultimate Divisional Crossover Week right here on the Locked On 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.

Today's episode is brought to you by RockAuto.com, amazing selection, reliably low prices, all the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com today and tell them Lockdown sent you. Welcome to a new week, Patriots Nation. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Lockdown Patriots. Welcome to a new week, Patriots Nation. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Lockdown Patriots Podcast, which, of course, is a proud part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day.

And, folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, your comments, your feedback, always welcomed, greatly appreciated. And you can always share that feedback by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-F-P-C. And while you're out there making that Twitterverse an offer it can't refuse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account

as well at L-O underscore Patriots. And speaking of an offer you can't refuse, Pats fans, you know I love my Godfather references. Well, here this week, across the Locked On Podcast Network, we're keeping our friends close and our enemies closer. That's right. Today we kick off the ultimate divisional crossover

with my colleagues from the AFC East. Joe Marino, host of Locked On Bills, John Buchko, host of Locked On Jets, and Kyle Krabs, host of Locked On Dolphins, will join me on the hot seat starting today through Thursday. And each of those four days will be breaking down the fate of each team in the AFC East. First up, you guessed it, folks, the division champions, your New England Patriots.

And as I've said countless number of times on the pod, to say it's been a tumultuous offseason, very, very much an understatement. Losing the face of the franchise, the legendary Tom Brady, would have been enough to send any team into a downward spiral. But the Patriots weren't done shedding marquee players just yet. Kyle Van Noy found his way to Miami, as did Landon Roberts. Danny Shelton, Jamie Collins, and Deron Harmon, well, they're doing their thing in Detroit. And the Patriots also bid a fond farewell to their kicker for the past 14 years, Steven Gostowski. That would lead you to believe that the Patriots were on the verge of a

rebuild, right folks? Well, not so fast. And that's because a little over two weeks ago, we learned that Cam is coming to town. Cam Newton will be the quarterback of the New England Patriots this year, or at least we think he will be. That one's still up for discussion as a lot of people close to the team insist that this will be a legitimate quarterback competition between Cam and incumbent Jarrett Stidham. But either way, Cam's presence on this roster has caused the Patriots to go from a borderline playoff team to a potential division contender, maybe even a conference contender. But in keeping with the keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer theme, we will learn today what not only I think,

but also our three counterparts in the AFC East think when it comes to the chances of the New England Patriots winning a 12th straight division title in the AFC East. Folks, sharing the microphone with my great colleagues here on the Locked On Podcast Network is always one of my favorite parts of being the host of this show. In my humble opinion, Joe, John, and Kyle are three of the best at what they do, but they're also three of the best guys you'll ever meet in this business.

We have a little fun at each other's expense, but I think you'll find our discussion to be informative, entertaining, and we hope you find it to be accurate. So settle in, folks, because in just a moment, Locked On Patriots will officially become Locked On AFC East, as Joe Marino, Kyle Krabs, and John Buchko join me in prognosticating the fate of your New England Patriots in the 2020 season.

But before I welcome in my good friends on the Eastern Division here in the AFC, Patriots did make a little bit of news over the weekend. And for the first time in a long while, it was actually some pretty good financial news. Now, when the Patriots started the weekend, they had just a little over $500,000 available under the cap. And that was, of course, after the signing of Cam the weekend, they had just a little over $500,000 available under the cap. And that was, of course, after the signing of Cam Newton became official, and also after the team and running back Rex Burkhead agreed to a reworked final year of his contract. Now, we all wondered what the Patriots might have up their sleeve to try to clear up some cap space.

Just a little over a week ago, the Pats cap himself, the top gun of Patriots financials, Miguel Benzon, joined me here on the airwaves, and we talked about some possible moves that could be made. Last week, I was joined by great guests like Steve Balistrieri, Tonya Rae Fox, and the count of Murphy, Fisto himself, Thomas Murphy. And we all talked about potential moves that could be made. Would Joe Tooney be extended? Could guys like Dante Hightower or Stephon Gilmore possibly be ripe for a contract extension?

Well, on Saturday, we found out that the Patriots were in store for some pretty major cap relief, and it came from a couple of unlikely sources. However, if you've listened to Locked On Patriots in the past, especially when my man Miguel has taken the microphone, you'll know this isn't something you haven't heard before. Miguel discussed this possibility, and as always, he nailed it. As first reported by Field Yates of ESPN, the Patriots were able to free up $6.55 million in cap space by settling a pair of outstanding contract grievances. The first involved the money owed from the release of Antonio Brown. That freed up approximately $4 million for the Patriots. The other involved freeing up $2.55 million from the Aaron Hernandez release that following his arrest in the summer of 2013.

So of course, the minute this story broke, my man Miguel was all over it. Did the calculations and enlightened us all. The Patriots now have a salary cap space number of $7,794,739. And folks, this is significant. I give a ton of credit to Miguel for having the foresight to predict this back in January when we first spoke about what the Patriots might do to clear cap room. But according to a lot of experts, the expectations that the Patriots would actually be able to recoup some of this money was very low. Freeing up cap space in this fashion is truly the definition of a financial windfall. Now, what this allows the Patriots to do in terms of roster additions remains to be seen. However, I don't think anybody can argue that it makes their situation far more manageable.

This gives them the flexibility to either keep Joe Tooney in the fold, whether they still choose to extend him, which they do have a 4 p.m. Wednesday deadline to do, or with this space, they may just decide to keep him on his $14.78 million franchise tag number. In addition, might make it a little more likely for the Patriots to take a chance on some veteran acquisitions, or maybe even extend some of their current players. And of course, folks, we know the rumor mill is churning. Some are speculating that David Njoku may find his way to Foxborough. Others have talked about the possibility of Jadeveon Clowney coming here. Not gonna lie, he'd look pretty nice in this defense. Others have speculated that Terrell Pryor might be interested in making an

NFL return, and if so, the Patriots are reportedly on his list of teams that he'd consider. We've even heard the rumors about Antonio Brown possibly coming back. Folks, I would paint that one with a highly unlikely brush, but this being 2020, and this being the New England Patriots, I would never say never to anything. But what is clear is as a result of the Patriots winning these two grievances is they have flexibility now. Flexibility they didn't have just more than a few days ago. So as I like to say, keep a sharp eye. It's going to be an interesting week in Foxborough and with training camp still very much set to begin on the 28th of the month, anything and everything is always possible in Patriots Nation. But was that enough to convince

myself and my counterparts in the AFC East who believe that the Patriots are now in the driver's seat when it comes to a division title? Well, in just a moment, Joe Marino, John Buchko, and Kyle Krabs join me right here on the pod, and we will discuss that and more in the ultimate divisional crossover here on the Locked On Podcast Network. But first, speaking about driver's seats, only makes me think more and more

about riding along in my automobile, and summer is the best time to do that, folks. You want to make sure that your ride is looking and riding as best as it possibly can, and the best way to ensure that is to do business with my good friends over at rockauto.com. If you're a do-it-yourselfer like me, you're probably tired of those chain stores having different price tiers for the do-it-yourselfers and for the professional mechanics. Well, the good news is that rockauto.com's prices are the same for everybody,

and they're always reliably low. In fact, rockauto.com always offers the lowest possible prices. RockAuto.com is a family business, serving auto parts customers online for 20 years. Go to RockAuto.com and shop for the auto and body parts from hundreds of manufacturers. They have everything from engine control modules and brake parts to tail lamps, motor oil, even new carpet. Whether it's for your classic or your daily driver, get everything you need in a few easy clicks delivered directly to your door. The rockauto.com catalog is unique and remarkably easy to navigate. Their website does not require membership or account login.

Just go to rockauto.com and quickly see all the parts available for your vehicle and choose the brands, the specifications, and here's the best part, folks, the prices that you prefer. Why spend up to twice as much for the same parts? Go to rockauto.com right now and see all the parts available for your car or truck. Write Locked On in their How Did You Hear About Us box so they know we sent you.

Amazing selection, reliably low prices, all the parts your car will ever need. rockauto.com. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful, Bills Mafia, Fins fans, and Game Green Nation. Today kicks off an exciting week here across the NFL landscape here on the Lockdown Podcast Network. It is the start of the ultimate divisional crossover, and this week we will be taking a deep dive into the division in each of the NFL. And as you may have guessed, this week's shows are all about the East.

The AFC East, that is. And even though the New England Patriots have captured 11 straight division titles, the competition in the AFC East is as tough as it's ever been. And we will be discussing anything and everything related to this division. For those of you faithful listeners of Lockdown Patriots, well, you're used to hearing my voice. My name is Mike DeBate, host of the Lockdown Patriots podcast, and joining me this week

on the mic are my esteemed AFC East colleagues. Gentlemen, please introduce yourselves to Patriots Nation. This is Joe Marino, Locked On Bills, and looking forward to this week and gauging where everyone's at when it comes to a division that finally looks like it could be competitive. This is John Buchko from Locked On Jets, and I'm really excited about talking AFC East this week. This is Kyle Kraus from Locked On Dolphins, and I'm really excited about talking AFC East this week. This is Kyle Kraus from Locked On Dolphins, and I'm excited to represent

the team most recently not named the Patriots to win the East all the way back in 2008. Not bad. And you know, down in Dolphins Nation, Kyle, you have someone who's very near and dear to Patriots Nation's heart, and he always will be. Brian

Flores is held in the highest regard up here, and even though he's coaching the Finns down in Miami, took his talents to South Beach, we definitely still love him down there. And gentlemen, this is always a lot of fun to come together as hosts of the AFC East podcast for the Locked On NFL Network and be able to talk a little bit about the AFC East. Last time around, we were a three-man panel. Obviously, this time, we have some good representation with the Dolphins team,

and we're definitely looking forward to these crossover promotions throughout the week here on Locked On. So within New England, folks, they are beloved. For everyone else, they are vilified. Of course, I'm talking about the New England Patriots. And they kick things off here on the ultimate divisional crossover here on the Locked On Podcast Network. Those Patriots

finished atop the AFC East for a record 11th straight time. They finished the season with a 12-4 record, lost out on the number two seed in the playoffs, and thus a first round bye. The 2019 season for the Patriots ended with a 20-13 loss to the Tennessee four record lost out on the number two seat in the playoffs and thus a first round by the 2019 season for the Patriots ended with a 20 to 13 loss to the Tennessee Titans Tom Brady remember him folks I know these guys remember him and I know Patriots Nation does as well throwing a pick six

the former teammate Logan Ryan in a playoff loss at Foxborough I don't think my esteemed colleagues here are going to begrudge me for saying that no other team has had a more interesting offseason than the New England Patriots. After nearly 20 years, the Patriots will be starting a new quarterback. Tom Brady currently trespassing down in Tampa Bay as we speak, gentlemen. As painful as that departure was in New England, I know my colleagues were likely dancing in the street after that announcement, and I'm sure we'll get into that. But the Patriots also bid farewell to key contributors like Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, Stephen Gostowski, and even James Devlin. By and large, aside from some solid depth additions by a free agency, the Patriots had a quiet offseason.

And then came Sunday, June 28th, and the announcement that the Patriots had come to an agreement with former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. All of a sudden, the hopes of Jarrett Stidham being ready for prime time were replaced with the thoughts that, if healthy, Cam might just have the Patriots back in contention in the AFC. And again, I'm sure my fellow AFC East aficionados have their thoughts on Cam and the Patriots. But there was also the Patriots' performance in the 2020 NFL Draft. It was met with mixed reviews. Most believed that quarterback and wide receiver were glaring needs for the Pats.

Patriots chose not to address either one. Instead, they opted for players with tremendous upside. Maybe not the marquee appeal that many had hoped for. Kyle Duggar, Josh Uche, Anthony Jennings, they're going to add some pop to an already formidable defense. Devin Asiasi, Dalton Keene immediately upgrade that tight end position. That really had nowhere to go but up, to be honest with you. But a new kicker, Marshall's Justin Rohrwasser, will take on the leg duties in Foxborough. And that pretty much rounds out the marquee names of the Patriots draft this year. So the Patriots begin a new era, but they're hoping for a similar result, and that begins with contending for a division title.

We will speak about that very subject today, folks. But first, despite the ending to the season being a bit different than what Patriots fans have become used to. They still won the AFC title in 2019. That was still a bright spot. But it did not come easy, and it figures to be a lot tougher in 2020. So, Joe, esteemed host of the Locked On Bills podcast, my friend, your Buffalo Bills came very, very close to pushing the Patriots to the brink of surrendering that division crown in 2019. This is a hungry Buffalo Bills team, and they know they can compete with the Patriots.

As you look at this division, what do you believe to be the pulse of Bills Nation when it comes to evaluating the potential of the 2020 New England Patriots? Well, I think when you consider the temperature of Bills Mafia and its appetite to win this division and its belief that it can do that this year, it's at a rare level of confidence. And I mean, the reasons why are pretty low-hanging, if you ask me. I mean, Tom Brady's no longer part of this football team. It's a front seven that lost several key members of it.

And in reality, it's kind of an old-school philosophy that we expect in Foxborough with a run-heavy offense, a defense that is going to play stout run defense, and they have a great secondary. And it's kind of that old school formula a little bit. And the NFL is kind of going towards pace and space and up-tempo and passing the football. And it feels like the Patriots are going a little bit in a different direction.

Now, Cam Newton comes into this situation and it changes things. All of a sudden, it may not be that clear of a path here, but I'll tell you what Bill's Mafia is clinging to. They're clinging to that, well, Sean McDermott knows Cam Newton, right? That coaching staff knows Cam Newton. Eric Washington, the former defensive coordinator. Ken Dorsey, Cam's former quarterbacks coaches, the bills quarterbacks coach, a lot of Carolina connections. If there's anybody they know it's Cam Newton. So it's, it's that it's that Intel on Cam Newton. And it's also this statistic that in nine seasons as the

Carolina Panthers starting quarterback cam only led them to a winning season on three occasions. And a lot of doubt, right, that he's going to be able to come in here and step in and take a hold of this offense with a very limited amount of time to do so. And the fact that he's not really been healthy in a while. I know he hasn't missed many games before 2019, but he's played hurt a lot since 2015, his MVP year. And, you know, I think Cam has a lot to prove. Now, he's extremely talented. He's extremely driven right now. But there's a lot for him to overcome to prove himself.

And so I think when you consider where Bills Mafia is at in their belief of what this Patriots team team can do and their belief that the bills can claim this division. It's a, it's a very confident fan base. Um, now do I personally subscribe to everything I just said? I don't. And one thing that I've, I've said a lot about this Patriots team on, on my own podcast and, uh, and other conversations that I've had is, is I think that despite me not being overly high on this supporting cast that Cam Newton has in New England, I do think that this is the best supporting cast that he's ever had, even dating back to his MVP season in 2015 when his number one

and number two receivers were Ted Ginn Jr. and Corey Brown. So I like what exists. I think it might be challenging for it to all to come together in a short period of time. But, you know, to me, this is the Patriots. This is the Patriots. You know, they're on top of the division until someone knocks them down. But I do feel more optimistic than I have in a long time

that the Bills could accomplish that. I think that's an interesting perspective. And I think you put a lot in when it comes to the Patriots being able to not only compete in the division, but also the dimension that Cam Newton brings to this football team. And I think a lot of people are automatically assuming that just Cam's presence itself automatically puts them in the driver's seat for the AFC East Divisional crown. It's not necessarily that simple, folks. It's all about the fit in New England. It's all about his supporting cast. I agree with you on paper. I think the supporting cast of the New England Patriots, it's a little better than

it's getting credit for on a national level. And again, I'll come back to that in a little bit, folks, but good perspective. And again, there's nobody that respects the Buffalo Bills and their ability to contend for this division and potentially win it more than myself. And again, we will get back into that a little bit, folks. But John, the Jets had a Jekyll and Hyde type year last year. If we're being honest, there were times where this team looked like it could definitely contend for a playoff spot. And then there were times where the quarterback looked like he was seeing ghosts.

And, you know, we've we've seen that, you know, a lot. We've heard about that a lot, especially up here in Patriots Nation. That still has ceased to be funny. But at the same time, I think the Jets played very well down the stretch. And I think to sleep on this team is going to be a mistake in my book. Look, the Patriots have typically had the Jets number, especially when it comes to a Patriots defense and a Jets offense. There have been exceptions to that. And I know Jets fans will definitely be very vocal about that. But for the most part, Bill Belichick has been able to keep that team in check.

John, from a Jets perspective, when you look at this New England Patriots team in 2020 and the additions that they've made, what types of challenges do you think it provides for your New York Jets on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball? Well, as you mentioned, the Jets had a very difficult time with the Patriots defense last year. Now, one of those games was started by Luke Falk, who was cut by the Jets before the end of the season. But there, of course, was that famous uh monday

night game where sam darnold and i'll tell you jets fans don't find it very funny uh made the ghost remark and it was just a nightmarish situation i think the you know from the jets perspective one of the biggest challenges is the it's a you know it's a defense with a lot of talent on it and the jets are going to be breaking defense with a lot of talent on it. And the Jets are going to be breaking in a number of new faces on their offensive line this year. And Belichick is always pretty good at figuring out the weaknesses on an offensive line, figuring out how to attack that. So these are just these are just guys have not been together for, you know, two to three to three years. These are guys who are going to have to learn how to play with each other.

And I think you're concerned that the Patriots will figure out ways to exploit that. Now, on the offense, I'm kind of interested to see what's going to happen with New England because it's not really clear. I think that this is an unusual offseason from the standpoint that there's kind of uncertainty with New England. We don't really know what Cam Newton's going to provide. You know, he's coming off a season that was mostly lost to injury. And I think, you know, at his age, the number of hits he's taken, there's a question of how much he has left in the tank. Now, I'm not saying necessarily that he's he's finished being productive because as recently

as two years ago he had a good year with carolina but i look at this group of patriots weapons and i know you and joe have talked about how maybe it's better than what he had in carolina but late last season it seemed to me like this this group was having a tough time generating big plays in fact i mean it seemed like a lot of the plays where they were producing big yardage were kind of manufactured. They were kind of gadget plays. And I think that there are questions as far as not having the offseason program. And I think it's very easy to overrate something like that.

And you do have to remember that the last time the NFL did not have an offseason program, it was 2011. It was Cam Newton's rookie year. Obviously, the circumstances were very different. But Newton stepped in as a rookie and had a great season with Carolina. So, you know, there's there's that element of it. But I think that there's a lot of uncertainty in New England, especially on the offensive side of the ball. And that's unusual. And I think from a Jets perspective, the thing that gives you hope, this is probably not a Jets team that you can expect to be among the elites of the league. And typically in a season, typically when you're entering the season,

when you have Tom Brady, you know it's going to take at least 12 wins to win the AFC East, maybe 13, maybe 14. And I think the Patriots, more than any other team, have the benefit of the doubt because of the coach that they have. But you look at this season, the Patriots have more question marks than usual. And you wonder, is this the type of division where maybe 10 wins is all you need to take the title? Is it nine wins? maybe not but for the first time in a while you don't enter the season thinking that your team needs to be one of the true elites in the league to win the division at least conceivably and i think that's what gives you hope from a jet

standpoint if the patriots have tom brady you're looking at this and you're saying new england's probably going 12 and 4 minimum and And again, maybe they will. I'm not ruling it out. Cam Newton could easily have a great season. But this is the first time in a while where you're saying, OK, it's realistic. The Jets maybe could go 10-6 if things break right. And maybe that could be enough to grab a division title. I think you make an interesting point.

And especially when it comes to the Jets because like I said this is a team that showed a lot of promise last year down the stretch got off to a really bad start you mentioned the Luke Falk game and obviously you know there were a lot of factors into that game that factored into the the poor showing that they had I think ultimately when Sam Darnold found his groove in this offense and he allowed this team to be able to kind of be molded in his image, they started to show promise. So, again, I think it's a big mistake to sleep on the Jets, and I think you made some good points.

To kind of expound upon what you said a little bit when it comes to the Patriots, that seems to be a common conception about how the Patriots finish the season in terms of their offensive prowess and some of the plays that were manufactured that were a little bit difficult. And this team did have difficulty moving the ball in the latter stretch of the season. There's no question about that. I think a lot of the reasons for that were unfamiliarity between Tom Brady and some of the weapons that he had around him.

Don't forget, Nikhil Harry was on the shelf for the better part of the first half of the season all through preseason. Never got a chance to get on the same page with Tom, and I think that affected his ability to become the receiver that the Patriots hoped he would be.

Beyond that, you didn't really have much. Jacoby Myers, I think, was a nice, how shall I say, a nice training camp story, but I think in a lot of ways he never quite lived up to the expectations that people thought he did. He's an undrafted free agent rookie. You can't expect to put much in

his hands and be able to have him carry the load. He's going to progress at a slower level. Julian Edelman is obviously the glue of that wide receiving core. At one point, Julian was fighting a rib injury, a knee injury, and a shoulder injury. Any one of those might have put another guy on the shelf. He was fighting all three of them, and he still didn't miss a game, but he was a shell of himself and wasn't able to really break free. They had very little production out of the tight end position last year, and their key running back, Sonny Michel, struggled to run the ball because there was some holes and difficulties on the offensive line that simply was not getting him the blocks that he needed.

So I think in a lot of ways, I definitely understand. And I think you're spot on with your analysis, John. But there are a lot of different reasons why the Patriots struggled in that department. And I think that's why Joe and I look at this starting cast or the supporting cast that Cam has around him and what he can do with a full training camp of being able to bring this full circle might end up changing some, uh, some minds, but the Patriots strength is always been on their defense, particularly, uh, under Bill Belichick. And there've been a lot of exceptions to that folks, because Tom Brady has run some very prolific offenses in Foxborough,

but especially this current incarnation of the Patriots has been about the defense. And Kyle, you know better about the Patriots defense probably than anybody because you have a good number of former Patriots on that defense right now. Obviously, the last year exit for the New England Patriots, that fourth loss was costly to this team. It was at home in Foxborough to your Miami Dolphins and the Patriots held their fate in their own hands, but they were unable to capitalize. And a lot of that was because the Patriots didn't execute. But I give a ton of credit to the Miami Dolphins for coming up to Foxborough late in the year and beating the New England Patriots, not just watching the Patriots beat themselves.

Got to give a lot of credit to Brian Flores and the guys he has on that squad who he convinced could win this game, and that's exactly what they did. From a South Beach point of view, my friend, do you believe that the Dolphins had set the downward spiral of the Patriots' dynasty in motion with that loss last year? And how does having some former patriots on the dolphin staff help them to be better equipped to take it to the patriots and maybe even hand them two losses in the division this year instead of the customary one that usually takes place in miami for sure and

that last point you made is what made that week 17 win so surprising is is miami has been the team throughout the course of the Tom Brady era that gave him a little bit of a hard time, right? He had a losing record in South Florida against Miami. But in New England, the Patriots routinely held serve. So for them to go up and for Ryan Fitzpatrick to effectively Tom Brady, Tom Brady, running this two-minute offense to go down and score the game winning touchdown after a late lead change. I don't know if it necessarily set the wheels in motion for the departure, but I think it was one of those incidences of frustration where, you know, you have very prominent figures in Bill Belichick and Tom Brady and having so much success for so long.

But ultimately, some degree of ego felt like it was at play there with Tom and TB12 and the Belichick oversight of the Patriots locker room. So I think that frustration kind of was helped by that loss in Miami. But as far as the Dolphins and bringing Patriots into the program in South Florida, I think it's a really fascinating dynamic to watch this roster construction that Chris Greer and Brian Flores have undertaken and that it mirrors a lot of the Patriots philosophies with very heavy in the secondary and and valuing secondary play and stars in the secondary versus necessarily a lot of prominent pass rushers off the edge and uh you think about

the trade of chandler jones and how the patriots didn't miss a beat and chandler jones has gone on to become one of the most successful pass rushers in recent years down in arizona but because they have this mold and blueprint of players up front of heavy hands, they want to push the pocket, make you uncomfortable inside the pocket, and they want to play sticky coverage and they want to play aggressive and get in your face. You're seeing the Dolphins have success or even throughout the back half of 2019, doing that with a lot of guys who were signed off the street. And then you think about adding Eric Rowe to the mix, who they had for 2019 and successfully transitioning into safety to play man-to-man coverage against tight ends.

And then bringing in a chess piece like Kyle Van Noy, who had that big breakout in 2018 under Brian Flores before sustaining that success in 2019 and having arguably his best season last year and it the parallels are definitely there I think on the offensive side of the ball it's interesting because Brian Flores brought Chad O'Shea to be his offensive coordinator and they ran the Patriot style offense and they decided to break and go a very different direction by bringing in shangalian going with more of a horizontal spread modern spread offense instead but as far as the defensive side of the ball there is no question this is a patriots blueprint that brian flores is looking to imprint and because they had the assets that they did they were really able to go out and get

a lot of personnel it should make this experiment have some success and sticking power. I agree 100% on all accounts. And look, there's no question about it that out of the Bill Belichick tree of head coaches that came from his coaching staffs, I think Brian Flores has not only the best upside, but I think he may already be one of the best that's come from that tree simply because he was such a great student under Bill Belichick. He learned a lot from the way he builds a roster. He learned a lot from the way he handles his locker room. But not just all the credit should go to Bill Belichick, folks. Brian Flores deserves a lot of credit for taking those

lessons and applying them in a way that fits his own style. I think so often we've seen branches from the Bill Belichick coaching tree try to become a like for like, try to become a carbon copy of Bill. It's not going to work. That's his style. But Brian Flores knows to be able to take the elements that work for him and be able to put them into his own style. I saw so much of that when the Dolphins came up here last year and handed it to the Patriots. That was a tough media room and a tough spot to be in. When you looked at the stakes in that game and what everyone in Foxborough really expected the outcome to be, you have to give a lot of credit to Miami.

And I think those are going to be two very difficult games this year coming up on the Patriots' schedule. Folks, we are just scratching the surface when it comes to our prognostication on the fate of the New England Patriots in 2020. You've heard what the competition thinks about the Pats in a general sense, but each of these teams shares one common goal, and that's an AFC East divisional crown. In just a moment, Joe Marino, John Butchko, Kyle Krabs, and I will make our predictions on where the Patriots might finish in the division this year. We keep our friends close and our enemies closer

when the ultimate AFC East divisional crossover continues. Faithful fans of the AFC East, Joe Marino of Locked On Bills, John Butchko of Locked On Jets, Kyle Krabs of Locked On Dolphins, and me, Mike DeBate of Locked On Patriots, join you today on Locked On's AFC East Ultimate Divisional Crossover. And today we are profiling the New England Patriots. And gentlemen, in our previous segment, we heard your thoughts on the Patriots offseason and what it means for them on the field in 2020.

But with no Tom Brady in the fold, many believe that the tide has turned in this division. Even after the Patriots' acquisition of Cam Newton, a lot of people still feel like this is not going to be the Patriots' stranglehold on the division that they've had for so many years. I know each of your respective teams smells blood in the water, and there's a lot of reasons to believe that. But as the great Ric Flair once said, to be the man, you gotta beat the man.

And don't worry, folks, I'm not going to woo. I'm just not good at it. But for the last 11 years, the New England Patriots have been just that. Joe, I'll start with you. When you look at your division and you look at, excuse me, your roster and you look at this division from top to bottom and the way that the Bills match up with the Patriots, what leads you to believe that the Bills might be in the driver's seat this year? Or do you still defer to the Patriots as being the team to beat in the AFC East? Well, I think when you talk about the Bills

and Patriots matching up, I think you can look a lot at last year's two matchups. Now, the Patriots won both of them, but they were both very tight games. Obviously, the first game, Josh Allen didn't play in the fourth quarter. The Patriots were assisted by a blocked punt for a touchdown, and Matt Barkley wasn't able to do enough down the stretch to win that football game. And then I think we all know that the Bills gave New England all they could handle in the late-season matchup in Foxborough.

And so that was as good as we've seen Buffalo play New England in 20 years, potentially, since Drew Bledsoe's first game from coming over from New England, and Bills won 31-0. It's been a while since the Bills have been that competitive in two games. And so I think when you consider the losses in New England, Tom Brady, Jamie Collins, Kyle Van Oy, question marks, I think, along the offensive line in terms of three guys that have health concerns coming back, how does Cam Newton fit into this mix? And you then take inventory of what's going on in Buffalo with continuity all across the organization in Josh Allen in year three with everything back that he had last year, plus

Stephon Diggs. And of course, the Bills defense being one of the best in the league and probably having the most depth up front of the defensive line that it's ever had, you, you, you really do feel like there's a lot that swings the, the pendulum towards the bills really, really going after this thing. And I know it's crazy because the bills haven't won the AFC since 1995. I mean, so this is, this is unprecedented types of conversation that we're having,

but I do draw optimism from kind of everything I just outlined there and thinking, yeah, you know what, if there ever was a year for the bills to get this done it's probably this year, especially when you're talking about potentially you're starting quarterback, not joining the ranks until, you know, just on the, on the doorstep of camp and never taking any reps with this infrastructure. I just think there's a lot for this Patriots team to get done.

And the Bills are just very well positioned right now to end the streaking. I think you make some interesting points, and I will address those in just a moment. But, John, when it comes to the New York Jets, you made an interesting comment in our previous segment about maybe 10 wins or 11 wins are going to be enough to get the division title this year in the AFC East. Um, I mean, no disrespect when I say this, but when you look at the prognostications of whether people are predicting teams to win the AFC East, you're seeing a lot of Buffalo Bills, especially since the acquisition of Cam Newton.

You're seeing a lot of people, once again, pick the Patriots. You are seeing even a little bit of smatterings of the Miami Dolphins being able to maybe rattle off some wins and surprise some people, depending on whether or not they plan on handing over the reins of the quarterback position to a tug of a l, or whether or not Ryan Fitzpatrick can lead this team. And maybe if the Bills and the Patriots beat themselves up enough, Miami can sneak in there. I'm not seeing a whole lot of division title expectations for the New York Jets. I also think that that's a mistake. And I'm not saying that they're in prime position to win it, but I do believe that sleeping on that team is a big mistake. There's still a lot of talent on that club. When you look at the Jets juxtaposed to the Patriots, do you believe that the Jets have enough to be able to keep the

Patriots from winning the division? And where do you see both of these teams lying when it comes to the end of the day in the AFC East? Well, I mean, I think it's going to be tough for the Jets. I think that if you look at their new general manager, Joe Douglas, just had his first offseason and the jet, it was kind of a, it seems like his strategy is kind of a slower build. And I don't think that Joe Douglas is necessarily focused on winning the division in 2020. I think a lot of things would have to go right for the Jets to win the division. And as you stated, I mentioned earlier that it's unclear what's going to happen in New England. And that's a difference.

That's a big difference. Because any team that's quarterbacked by Tom Brady and has Bill Belichick as its coach, you know exactly what's going to happen. You know that they're going to have a big year. Now with the Patriots, they might have a big year. And I think that gives hope not just for the Jets, but for the other three teams in the division. And that said, I think that you have to say that the Patriots are the team that's most likely to win the East this year. And usually I'm against the phrase, you know, that until somebody beats them, they're the champion. But when a team has so dominated a division the way the Patriots have,

they've won every division title except two since 2001, you have to defer to them a little bit. And a lot of that goes back to bill belichick and you look at what he does he just adds a lot of little advantages he's just incredibly detail-oriented he thinks ahead of everybody else and he just figures out a way to get more it reminds me of the the phrase that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts and you look at the uncertainty about this season you know we don't there's a lot that we don't know about this season uh there could be some unforeseen twists depending on what

happens and i think the patriots are the team that's best equipped to deal with unforeseen twists just because bill bell you can count on Bill Belichick to handle those things better than any other coach. So listen, I'd love for the jets to thread the needle, but they're going to have to thread the needle in order to win this division. And some teams are not, are going to have to play.

Some teams are going to have to play a little bit lower at a lower level than we're, than we're expecting them to. So I think objectively the Patriots are ahead of the Jets right now. I think the Jets would need a lot to go right to win the division. And until I see the Patriots not win the division with Bill Belichick, I'm inclined to think that they are still the top team in the AFC East. Oh, much like Joe, I think you made a lot of great points, John. And again, I will expound upon those in a minute when I give my opinion on what I believe

to be the Patriots' strengths and weaknesses this year. But Kyle, if there's been a kryptonite for the Patriots in the AFC East, it's been the Miami Dolphins. I mean, let's face it. You usually struggle, at least the Patriots have usually struggled with that game down in South Beach. But you can always pencil in, or it seems like you can always pencil in at least one loss at the hands of the Dolphins every single year. When you look at the division and the way the division is going to fall this year, my friend, when the chips are down,

where do you believe the Patriots place? And Pat's fans are going to get that pun. Sorry for the bad dad joke there, but all kidding aside, where do you believe the Patriots finish in this division in 2020? And how much of a role will the Dolphins play in their final spot in the AFC East this year? Yeah, I think Miami's well-positioned to continue giving the Patriots good matchups and fighting them hard. And I think the opportunities there with Brian Flores and the familiarity that he has with Coach Belichick gives Miami another layer on top of that. You think about all the turnover that the Dolphins had in the early season matchup and losing, I believe it was 43-0. And then they win the Week 17 matchup after a lot of attrition

and losing additional talent to injuries throughout the course of the season. So I wouldn't say that I'm going to sit here and expect a win against the Patriots if I'm the Miami Dolphins this year, but I see no reason for those dynamics to be different as far as projecting New England this season. I think this team's in a great spot to win 10 games plus this year, potentially. I think their ceiling's probably 11, but 10 games I think is a very realistic outcome for the Patriots. You think about, we have talked about the outgoing talent that has left, but if you look at the roster, a lot of opportunities other than Bo Allen at nose tackle and Cam Newton at quarterback, they are reloading with players that have been in the

system, young talent like Chase Winovich, for example, at the defensive end position. Now, I also think about how much success the Patriots have had when Jimmy Garoppolo has been tasked to play and when Jacoby Brissett's been tasked to play. And Cam Newton's, yes, a different quarterback, but the offensive line, they're bringing everybody back. Granted, David Andrews had his health issues last year, but he's returning into a starting role. They've had young infusion of talent at the tight end position with a lot of versatility that, as you said, can't be any worse than what it was last year. And I think this team, they have shown throughout the course of the Tom Brady era in the instances in which they've had to play without Tom Brady. They're capable of putting all of their players in the position to best be successful.

And that comes down to good coaching. And because of that, I think 10 wins is a very realistic outcome for the New England Patriots this year. Actually, I think you're pretty well spot on. And gentlemen, I think you all made great points. Kyle, Joe and John, every single one of you when it came to thoughts about the Patriots, question marks about the team and what their strengths seem to be. From an insider's perspective, when I look at the New England Patriots, I definitely can see that the NFL schedulers did not do the Patriots any favors here. Folks, that's one thing that we have to remember. They will have one of the toughest schedules in the

league this year. They're going to match up against strong AFC opponents as well as the NFC West this year, and including the division that we have to play in, which I think we've all agreed is much more competitive, much more tight than it's been in years past. So this is going to be a very tough 16-game schedule, and that's assuming we play all 16 with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic. When Tom Brady decided to leave New England, folks, the vast majority of those who follow the NFL, myself included, believed that the Patriots were going to struggle to contend for this division, let alone the conference.

And it seemed like maybe that dynasty run that the Patriots had been on had finally come to an end. Patriots Nation seemed to be content to roll with Jarrett Stidham under center and see what he could provide, and maybe the Patriots could turn some heads in the process. The acquisition of Cam Newton seemed to indicate that the Patriots are going to be fully committed to another title run. Now, I'm not saying that that's going to be an easy road, folks. It's going to be tougher than it has been in the past, but you bring in a guy like Cam Newton to run this offense, especially bringing back the guys you're bringing in on defense, and the Patriots look committed to being able to contend for a title this year.

As much as it may anger some of my fan base, and it's probably going to surprise you guys as well, I think it's a bit premature to assume that, just in my own feelings. First, as great as Cam looks in the hype videos and the workout videos he's been posting with guys like Mohamed Zanou and Nakheel Harry, the upcoming season is going to be a 16-game grind, or at least we expect it to be. Again, that might end up being reduced because of COVID-19, but Cam still has to prove that he's healthy for the long haul. If all things are equal, and Cam does come in healthy and he comes in strong, and right now he looks to be, I fully expect Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels are going to incorporate the RPOs that he's so good at

and make that a key component of their offense. Unlike a Brady-led offense, the Patriots can rely on Cam to roll out, alleviate the pressure in the pocket, make his reads, and complete those easier throws. He also has the ability, and the Patriots haven't had this in quite a while, to run the ball very effectively if nothing's there. I think that's how they're going to utilize Cam to be at his best. I can tell you this wide receiver core is better and more versatile than it gets credit for on a national scale, like I said earlier.

I think they also employ some very talented running backs, and I expect them to take on more of a prominent role this year in the offense one guy to look for if you're a patriots fan or if you're an enemy looking to scout the patriots look for damian harris second year running back out of alabama to take a big step forward this year he has the ability to run the ball ground and pound but he also has the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. And I also look for a veteran like Brandon Bolden to maybe take on more of a mentor leadership role in developing Harris and maybe even giving some pointers and help to Sony Michelle who struggled last year. Kyle, you mentioned the offensive line. The Patriots are bringing back their core of the offensive line. Assuming David Andrews can be healthy for an entire season, they will be much better than they were last year. I think that leads for better protection

of Cam Newton than what Tom Brady got last year. And I think it's going to lead to a little bit more facilitation of the running game when it comes to guys like Sony and when it comes to guys like Damian. On the defensive side of the ball, the Patriots still employ one of the best defensive secondaries in the league. That was the gem of their defense last season. That will continue to be this year. One name that we haven't mentioned, and I would not want to close the show today without mentioning him, is Adrian Phillips, free agent that they got out of Los Angeles. I had the opportunity to cover the Chargers, or I cut my teeth in the journalism business,

covering the Chargers. I saw the versatility of this guy right off the bat. He can literally play anywhere on this defense, and his special teams prowess, I saw the versatility of this guy right off the bat. He can literally play anywhere on this defense. And his special teams prowess, I think, is going to make him a favorite with Bill Belichick. There are some concerns on defense this year, folks. Losing Danny Shelton to free agency, replacing him with Bo Allen is a wash at best. That's going to weaken the defensive front, in my opinion, just a little bit. And the losses that this team has experienced that linebacker

especially guys like van nooyen collins that's going to force this unit to take a step back so in the final analysis when i look at the rosters of all four of these teams i see tough fights in every one of these games for the patriots at the end of the day i do see the patriots in the mix but the continuity and Joe, this is going to make you really happy. And this is going to make me even more popular in Buffalo than I already am. Folks. I look at the continuity of the Buffalo bills on both sides of the ball. I still give them the edge in this division. I think cam makes this better. I think it makes it more competitive. It would not shock me to see the Patriots when the division this

year, I'm certainly not giving up on my team, but I do think Buffalo has the leg up here. So speaking of those Buffalo bills, they will be in the spotlight tomorrow here on the AFC East ultimate divisional crossover on the lockdown podcast network with the host of locked on bills, Joe Marino in the driver's seat. So be sure not to miss an episode of this or any of your favorite lockdown podcasts.

Follow us on Spotify. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. And if you've enjoyed today's pod, now tell your smart device to play the latest episode of Locked On Fantasy Football. On behalf of Joe Marino, John Buchko, and Kyle Krabs, my esteemed colleagues here on the AFC East, I'm Mike DeBate. Thank you all so much for listening today. Stay safe, stay well, be the change you wish to see in the world, and have a great day, everyone.