Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - What-Now-Wednesday: New England Patriots Must Fill the Opt-Out Voids - 7/29/2020

Episode Date: July 29, 2020

In the wake of six of their players choosing to forgo the 2020 NFL Season (due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic) the New England Patriots have a great deal of roster questions. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com. The duo discuss replacing Patrick Chung in the secondary, the potential changes to the defense in the absence of Dont’a Hightower, filling the voids in the offensive line, and the lunacy of buying into ‘Belichickian’ conspiracy theories. 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 Welcome to What Do We Do Now? Wednesday 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 and tell them Lockdown sent you. Happy Hump Day, Patriots Nation. It is Wednesday, July 23rd, 2020. 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, comments, and feedback always welcomed and greatly appreciated. Feel free to share that feedback anytime 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 traveling through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Lockdown Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. Pats Nation, I hope you find yourselves slowly recovering from opt-out-a-palooza over the course of the last day or so. Yeah, we all know that from Monday evening into Tuesday morning, it was interesting times in Foxborough for your New England Patriots. We're all slowly starting to come to grips with the fact that

this Patriots 2020 roster will not be featuring the likes of Dante Hightower, Patrick Chung, Marcus Cannon, Danny Vitale, Brandon Bolden, and Najee Torrent. Each of those four players has foregone the option to play football in the upcoming season. Each of these players did so because they're worried about the health and welfare of themselves and their family. No other reason, folks. There is no idiotic and asinine Belichickian conspiracy. Anybody telling you anything different is aimlessly and pathetically trying to seek attention. Nothing more. But I'll tell you what, before I get too steamed up on this subject, we'll come back to it in just a moment. Because there is still business at hand in Foxborough to be attended to. And that starts with addressing how the Patriots are going to fill the void left

behind by six pretty substantial players. The linebacking core is sorely going to miss Dante Hightower. He's not only their signal caller, but also their defensive heartbeat. He's the guy that runs the show in the middle of the defense. And you can make the argument that Patrick Chung is just as vital to the safety position and the secondary as Dante is to the linebackers. So the defense clearly has its work cut out for them. But flip the script to the offense. Patriots lost two offensive linemen. One of them their starting right guard, Marcus Cannon, and Najee Torin,

who could have ended up being a solid depth piece for the Pats. Their running back core and special teams also took a major hit with the loss of Brandon Bolden, and the loss of Danny Vitale at the fullback position could be as devastating as any of these losses. We know the high regard with which Bill Belichick holds fullbacks. In this offense, they're so much more than just an offensive weapon. They're part of the blocking scheme. Fullbacks are big contributors on special teams, and the presence of a solid fullback really helps to open up the running game as well now the Patriots do have Jakob Johnson in that department

logic would tell you that he'll be ready to immediately step into that role after all when James Devlin went down last year Jakob took over I thought he played pretty well until suffering a shoulder injury and then he was on injured reserve for the rest of the year by all indications he's healthy but not more than just a few days ago people were saying that Danny Vitale was a shoo-in to be the starting fullback, and a lot of people were starting to wonder where Jakob Johnson fit on this roster. Well, I think his position might be a little bit more secure now, but the Patriots are definitely not above bringing in someone else that can not only push Jakob a little bit, but maybe even be a better fit as a starting fullback. Bottom line, folks, the New England Patriots have a great number of roster questions right

now, and to help answer them, we need a reasonable voice. And my guest today has that reasonable voice. Yet another valued capo regime in the locked-on Patriots familia, my paisan Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com joins me today on the hot seat. And we'll take a little bit of a deeper dive into how the Patriots may address some of these voids, including how to replace Patrick Chung, what the loss of Dante Hightower might mean for the Patriots' defensive base set. We'll then flip the script to talk a little bit about the offensive line and how those

losses might not just affect the line itself, but also the running game and most importantly, the blocking game. Last but certainly not least, folks, we'll bring it all home by telling you exactly why buying into the Belichickian conspiracies isn't just a waste of time, but also a waste of your functional brain cells. Folks, as usual here in Foxborough, there is a lot to talk about, so settle in, stay tuned, and prepare to absorb the reasonable wisdom and counsel of my good friend Steve Balistrieri when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues.

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Go to rockauto.com right now and see all the parts available for your car or truck. And make sure to put 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. Patriots fans, the roster might be a bit thin at the moment, but what does this mean for the remaining members of the roster on the field? Well, to discuss this very point and more today, I welcome our resident voice of reason, and he's one of the best and most knowledgeable columnists that you'll find in Patriots media anywhere.

You know his great work from Patsfans.com as well as being the co-host of two amazing podcasts, Patriots 4th and 2, and One Patriots Place with our great mutual friend and yesterday's guest here on the pod, Thomas the Count of Montefisto Murphy. He is my Paisan. Steve Balistrieri joins me today. Welcome back to Lockdown Patriots for your weekly spot now, my friend. Thanks for having me. The Count of Monte Cristo, I missed that part yesterday.

Well, actually, I've donned him the Count of Murphy Fisto. I probably, I get so confused. Murph is becoming like the Apollo Creed of the guest list here. He's got so many names and stuff to keep track, but no, we love him and we're happy to host him. And we're happy to host you on a weekly basis now as well, my friend, to lend your wisdom and counsel the way only you can. And we always appreciate having you on. And Steve, personally, I just want to start off, folks, with a little anecdote. What a difference a year makes. Last year, folks, to the day, Steve and I were covering Patriots

training camp up at Gillette Stadium, covered the Hall of Fame induction for former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison. You might be able to use Rodney's help with the position right about now, but you know what? I digress. We'll get into that in in a minute folks uh and we also covered an in-stadium practice right on the gillette stadium field followed by a pretty impressive fireworks display as a matter of fact steve and i even culminated it doing a post-practice interview for youtube tv times were good buddy uh to quote hyman roth times were good we made the most of it uh but uh this year training camp talk consists of covid testing opting out and even uncertainty as to exactly what this nfl season is going to look like so bud let's start there uh between monday and tuesday evening between monday evening i should

say on tuesday morning uh the patriots saw six players opt out due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic and unlike the roster cuts from the weekend, some of them were more than household names. And obviously, Dante Hightower, Patrick Chung were the highest profile. So let's begin on defense. And Murph joined me here on the hot seat yesterday, as I stated earlier. And we talked briefly about some of the options on the roster and maybe even some veteran free agents that can help fill the voids but deeper into that today and beginning with Patrick Chung Steve there's no question he's going to be missed uh Patrick has a wealth of veteran leadership to the position he's a physical player he's not only one of the more adept safeties in the league but

he can play that hybrid linebacker position. And I think he's probably the Patriots' most capable defender of opposing tight ends. The team is now going to turn their offseason acquisitions into options to replace Chung. At least that's the way I'm seeing it. Most notably, Adrian Phillips and possibly even Kyle Duggar. I think those guys appear to be the frontrunners to take over the starting spot opposite Devin McCourty. Now, I've been very vocal about my feelings on Adrian Phillips. He's my choice.

But do you see something different? And if it's not Phillips filling that void in the backfield, who do you think it might be stepping up and taking on that Chung role this year? Well, you know, it's interesting that you said that because I wrote something about that this morning. And I think, you know, the first sentence I wrote is the old Chinese curse. And may you live in interesting times. And I think that has struck home today because there's very interesting times in Foxborough. At the safety position, that was a huge hit for them. You know, since Chung came back in 2014, he's been an integral part of that defense and they figured out a way to use

him best. And he's like, he's so versatile. That's why Belichick loves him now, you know, and it's, you know, he's that hybrid linebacker. He's the block safety. He's the run stuffer. He can cover tight ends. He's a very short tackler. And, you know, he's going to be really missed this year. And I agree with you. I think it's going to be Adrian Phillips. I think that's the guy that, you know, they brought in in case Tom gets hurt. And, you know, I think your rookie, Kyle Duggar, isn't ready to assume that mantle.

I mean, I think that's where he's going to step in. I think Phillips has the, you know, he has that experience. He's played a lot of those different roles. And I think they're going to ask him to step in. Now, eventually, I think that job will be Duggars to hold. But, you know, coming from a real small school in Lenoir, Ryan, and trust me, I know how small that school is because I lived in North Carolina. You know, asking him to step in as a rookie with no OTAs, minicamp, an abbreviated training camp, and no preseason, I think that's a bit much. Yeah, I agree with you as well.

I'm very high on Kyle Duggar. I was very happy to see the Patriots take him. And one of the very few that had projected him as a possible option for the Patriots in the early rounds of the draft. And when they selected him with their first pick, obviously they traded the first rounder to the Chargers. But at the same time, choosing him as their first pick, I think opened up a lot of people's eyes. But this is a kid with a very unique skill set he reminded me very much of a Patrick Chung someone that can come in be that hybrid linebacker safety someone that's very good at defending tight ends and really looked like a man among boys when you talk about his competition at division two Lenore Ryan the operative word

there my friend I think you said this very well, is this is going to be a different training camp. And a rookie is going to have a steep learning curve, especially in a complex system like the one that the Patriots employ. They don't have a whole lot of lead time this year. OTAs were non-existent. Mini camps were non-existent. I know they had virtual workouts and we're hearing a lot of impressive things from players throughout the league about how the evaluations are going but it's still not practical experience on the field and without that I think it's going to be an awful lot to expect Kyle Duggar to come right in take over for Patrick Chung and expect there not to be a beat missed the reason why I am so high on Adrian Phillips folks yes I know I covered him when I covered the Chargers there's a definitely a personal uh you know hope that uh that I get to cover him again, because I really did enjoy watching him

and watching, you know, and analyzing what he can do on the field. There he goes beyond just special teams value. There's no question about it. He has great athleticism, quick diagnosing skills. And I think that's something that the Patriots really place a large premium on and something that I think, you know, Phillips is very adept at doing. He also has a lot of positional versatility. It's not just about special teams when it comes to him. They can move him all over the formation. I watched them do it in Los Angeles. He played snaps as a box safety. He played some snaps as a slot corner. He's played as free safety. He's even taken 18 snaps on the defensive line and even a little bit more on the perimeter. So he can step up, play that hybrid linebacker type role. But really, his traditional set is being either a box or a free safety. And again, he's even lined up on the defensive line. So that type of positional versatility, I think, is going to spell a lot of success for him in New England.

And I think one of the big reasons why Bill Belichick targeted him and wanted to sign him, he's probably one of my favorite offseason signings, if not my favorite offseason free agent veteran signing for them, because of just what he's able to bring to the table. So Steve, hand in hand with the safeties is the linebacker position. And so much is being made out of the Patriots loss of Dante Hightower. Uh, obviously they're lumping it in, in conjunction with the loss of Kyle Van Noy,

Jamie Collins, and a Landon Roberts too on paper. That's absolutely decimating, but the Patriots define the term next man up we know there are going to be players in that Patriots locker room on that defense that are going to rise to the occasion but to me Steve the point isn't just who steps up I think the real question here is how the Patriots might have to change their base defense with Hightower gone I can see them adopting more of a 4-3 base if they think John Simon and Chase Winovich can play the 4-3 ends,

and I have no reason to believe they can't. It looks like they probably can. Also, a guy that we know well, Dietrich Wise Jr., might end up being more of a secure bet to make this roster now. I think he's more of a natural fit at the 4-3 defensive end. Maybe even a guy like Derek Rivers, who we seem to think was destined for the Foxborough wasteland this season, might end up getting a shot if there's any chance that he can come in and show

a little adaptation to this defense. Lawrence Guy, Adam Butler, Bo Allen, I think could rotate at defensive tackle, but that's my opinion. In your estimation, do you believe that they could work with a 4-3 as a base defense if they don't have depth at the linebacker position that they had in 2019? Basically, how do you see this stacking up now that Dante Hightower we know will not be a part of this defense? Yeah, I mean, you know, a lot of people, you know, I keep reading where fans keep saying, well, we have plenty of depth. Not anymore they don't. I mean, basically your top four linebackers from last year are gone, at least for this year.

I mean, Hightower will probably be back next year. But you lost the other three in free agency earlier this spring. So you're looking at your starting lineup and probably your top, you know, sub at your linebacker position are all gone. And that's a huge hit right for the middle of your defense. And Hightower was, you know, he's the guy that called all the signals. You know, he was kind of like the quarterback of the defense back there. He wore the green dot. And that's,

that's a huge loss for them. And, you know, when you're looking at things, I believe that, you know, we might see a lot of four, three mixed in there. And I think it will all depend on who they're playing, you know, what the, you know, what the scheme is, what the opposition, how they're lining up and the play call. I think we're going to see a lot of changes with that because now they're, they're kind of, you know, they're kind of relying on Juwan Bentley because he's going to have to be the

guy in the middle because the only other real inside linebackers they have a cash Malalua and Dejohn Harris, who are both undrafted free agents. I think maybe you could mix Brandon Copeland in there, but I kind of see him more on the outside and, and the same with Anthony Jennings, same thing, the rookie from Alabama. I think he's more of an outside guy. I mean, I could see them conceivably bringing him in on occasion, depending on what the play call is.

But, yeah, I think you're going to have to see some 4-3 looks there, and I think that puts a lot of pressure on the two guys you mentioned, Simon and Chase Winovich, you know, this year. And I totally agree with you. This could open the door for a guy like Dietrich Weiss, who both of us had possibly leaving Foxborough, now sticking. Yeah, exactly. And just the experience that a guy like Dietrich playing in the system

for a couple of years can bring to the table now has me taking a much closer second look. And look for one I'm happy about it I've told you many times I've told them you know our listeners many times the affection I have for Dietrich Wise both personally and professionally uh just a great guy uh and I had an opportunity to uh to speak with him uh and in my opinion I would love to see him be able to stick around. But I think you will. I'm glad you mentioned Bentley in the middle because I don't think that's a look that Bill Belichick will ever shy away from essentially putting together. Almost like a 5-1-5 type look with Bentley smack dab in the middle. I think that we have a chance to maybe see a little bit of that.

Maybe even like a 4-2-5 where you have an extra defensive back uh you know in that uh that role as well i think now this could mean uh more of a chance of even a guy like terrence brooks who i've been a little uh apprehensive to put on this roster at the safety position maybe he comes in plays more of a traditional safety and then you can have a guy like adrian phillips kind of be that flank type linebacker, that hybrid that plays in that system as well. So without depth and without Dante being able to call plays and being able to be the anchor of that, the middle part of that defense, I think you're going to see maybe some creativity seat back into Bill Belichick and you might see some looks that we haven't quite seen

in a while or something like a 5-1-5 that could be an interesting look for the New England Patriots this year. Steve, you know, there's always a lot to talk about in New England when it comes to defensive formations, and the bottom line is the Patriots business is building a roster for 2020. They're doing that, folks, regardless of some of the hits that they've taken. In just a moment, Steve Balistrieri will continue to occupy his spot on the hot seat as we discuss some of the 2020 roster theories floating around out there, particularly the impact of the opt-outs on the offensive line and even in the running game. And for last but not least, folks, we will discuss

why these Belichickian conspiracy theories are nothing more than pure idiotic drivel. This and more Foxborough roster talk when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fan Steve Balistrieri joins me here today on Locked On Patriots. And Steve, we talked about the defense in the previous segment, but it wasn't the only area that was hard hit by the Patriots' recent roster reductions. Gone for 2020 are Marcus Cannon, Danny Vitale, Najee Torin, and Brandon Bolden. Now, from a skill position standpoint, the Pats still have several options,

wide receivers, tight ends, whatnot. But I think the biggest void that the Patriots are going to endure is offensive blocking. Obviously, the offensive line was hit hard, but to me, the offensive loss of Danny Vitale at fullback is really, I think, a key loss as well. He was expected to fill the James Devlin role, and a lot of people figured that he would do that pretty effectively. But, Steve, bottom line, they want competent help on that line. They need competent help on that line they need competent help on that line and with the loss of Marcus Cannon the Patriots have a lot of unproven names that do have the ability to take that next step we've talked about a lot of them here on the pod Yanni Kajust

Hale the Frohold rookies like Justin Heron and Dustin Woodard I personally think that in-house options are going to be the best bet to fill these voids, but it wouldn't shock me to see the Patriots invest in some veteran help here either. What's your opinion on the Patriots offensive line now, knowing that Cannon's going to be out? And does your opinion of the line change how the Pats might address the loss of either Vitale at fullback or even Bolden as a runner? Well, Bolden was just kind of like that super sub that would come in on occasion and spell the guys who were maybe a little dinged up during the course of the game or just tired.

But they will really miss him in the kicking game. And we saw how the kicking game suffered when he wasn't in there. But in the matter of Vitaly, I think that's a huge loss. And I think they were really depending on him to, you know, step up in that void that James Devlin left when he retired. Because, you know, although he's a little bit smaller and maybe not quite as physical, he was a little more athletic. And I think they were going to take advantage of that.

Obviously, they were still going to use him in the running game as a blocker, but I think they were going to use him a little more in the passing game, and I think that's a big loss for them. Now, that being said, we know Jakob Johnson was hurt last year, and he acquitted himself fairly well when he was in there, but I wouldn't be surprised if they bring in another fullback during training camp with one of their other, you know, open slots they have now. But, yeah, the offensive line now, you know, and we talked about that a couple of weeks ago where they, you know, on paper it was looking mighty strong. But, you know, they had some issues there last year.

They had some injuries. Now with Cannon out, I'm not sure that you really want to commit to a guy that hasn't played a snap yet in Yadni Kajus who missed all of last year. So, you know, to me, he would have been the swing tackle of this year, but now he may be pressed into starting, you know, right off the bat, but there are a couple of guys out there and one of them used to be a member of the Patriots, Adrian Waddle. You know, he's a, he's a free agent. He's out there.

Cordy Glenn is another one that may take a flyer on him for one year, but it's going to be interesting to see how they address this. I think in-house definitely is going to be how they start. We'll see how training camp goes, you know, with the limited amount of padded practices, though, it's going to be really difficult to get a feel on how your offensive line is shaping up. Yeah, I think a lot of that will depend on how training camp does happen, the amount of padded practices that they have. We're starting to get a little more clarity from the Patriots PR team about exactly how that's going to run.

On-field contact and on-field practices are probably going to be mid-August, and I think that may be the time frame that they're trying to target right now. But I agree with you. I think that in a lot of ways they'll start in-house, but there are a number of intriguing options out there as well. DeMar Dotson is a name that's come up in a few conversations that I've had within the past couple of days. And he's a very, very big lineman,

kind of in the mode for what the Patriots have on the offensive line the last couple of days. And he's a very, very big lineman, kind of in the mode for what the Patriots have on the offensive line the last couple of years, coming off of a pretty bad knee injury that ended his season, missing the final game, missing the final five games. But he could be a serviceable stopgap for one year. We mentioned Adrian Waddell, Murph and I did yesterday on the show. And, you know, Adrian was a pretty decent pass protector during his time with the Patriots. He's got pretty pretty good lateral mobility he can slide with the pass rushers and then mirror

them with pretty modest effectiveness so I think there's a definite appeal there I don't know if necessarily they'd want him to come in and be the starting right tackle for the entire season he may end up being a swing guy if they decide that Kajus does have the ability to take on that role and they put that mantle on his shoulders. A name that I mentioned yesterday and definitely had to duck and cover when I mentioned it, and it made for some pretty interesting fan mail last night, and that's Marshall Newhouse, folks. You know, look, bottom line, Marshall had a lot put on his plate last year. Whether or not he was up to the challenge is a matter of debate. I don't think he played particularly well last year, but I also don't think he was necessarily put in the

best position by the team. A lot of the responsibilities that were put on his shoulders were responsibilities that I don't know if he quite signed up for when he first came into New England. So he was not great, but he wasn't terribly bad. And he did have some experience in the Patriot system last year. So if that name does creep up, folks, don't moan and groan as much as you think you may want to. There still may be some life left in the tank when it comes to a guy like Marshall Newhouse. But I think that'd probably be a last resort. And speaking of last resort, Steve, you know, we've heard them all, bud. Yesterday just boiled my Italian blood a little bit more. These conspiracy theories surrounding Bill Belichick have been around for almost as long as Bill has coached this team. But to infer that Bill

is somehow using a global pandemic to pull the godfather strings here, in my opinion, is just absolutely ludicrous. And I'm being diplomatic here, folks. I could use more colorful language. But this is a family show. I don't want to do that. Folks, these players are not opting out to stick it to Bill. Bill is not trying to force his guys to opt out so that he can tank for Trevor. Let me repeat that, folks.

They are not tanking for Trevor Lawrence. Use common sense. But I digress. Apparently, even rival executives from other teams believe this, too. We saw Adam Schefter's tweet go viral yesterday. A rival executive, and in my opinion, Steve, if this is really how this executive feels, I'm betting his team record includes a lot more L's than W's, but

the rival executive was basically saying that, oh, Bill Belichick is somehow manipulating this behind the scenes. Steve, I feel like a broken record asking you these questions, but am I being naive and thinking that these takes are nothing but pathetic grabs for attention? And if I'm not being naive, why do stories like this continue to have resonance because bill balachek is firmly in so many people's heads just like al davis used to be years ago with the raiders everyone always thought al was you know al davis was taping practices and you know he and davis loved to play that role. And Belichick, by not saying anything, I think kind of embraces that as well. Belichick's in everyone's head.

I mean, when I saw these tweets yesterday, I'm like, okay, so Bill is convincing, you know, a guy like Donta Hightower, who was due to make $8 million this year. So he's going to take a $7,650,000 pay cut so Bill can tank for Trevor Lawrence. Does that strike anyone just slightly ludicrous?

And same with Marcus Cannon. I think Marcus was due to make, what, $9 million this year? Yep. So, yeah, he's taking an $8 million, $650,000. Come on, people. I mean, the tinfoil in the league is running really, really strong with this. And, again, I think it all speaks to how deeply bill belichick's in everyone's head they're thinking he's manipulating this somehow to put the patriots in a better position and

it's not it's not even close to being true maybe that's the victory you know maybe that's the victory if the patriots are in teams heads to that level uh and, and the, the, the Patriot derangement syndrome just is in absolute full kick and players like our rival executives, like this guy that had the exchange yesterday with, with, with Adam Schefter seems to believe. And, and the Patriots are essentially winning the battle before they even take

the field. And maybe that is the victory, but I'm glad we're like-minded folks. And again, you know, I'm not criticizing anybody individually. There are a lot of takes out there. It's not just one person, fan takes. And, you know, it surprises me a little bit more when it comes from people that claim to be part of the respected media out there, the Blue Checkmark Brigade or whoever you want to, you know, label some of them. It really is disingenuous, I think, to think that Bill Belichick is somehow using out there, the Blue Checkmark Brigade or whoever you want to label some of them. It really is disingenuous, I think, to think that Bill Belichick is somehow using a global pandemic to pull the strings, like I said before, the godfather strings or

manipulate that to his advantage. Look, folks, I've covered Bill Belichick now for the better part of three years. Steve, you've covered him longer than I have. We know that Bill is all about, you know, winning, obviously, prioritizes that. He always wants to do what's best for the football team. But players that have played for him over and over again will tell you that Bill Belichick is always about players doing what's best for themselves as well. And I think he realizes the seriousness of what we're going through as a country right

now. And I think he told his team right off the bat, look, you have to make the best decision that is best for you and your family and their health and well-being. Yeah, I think there may be an element of him that would like to have seen them make their decision sooner rather than later. I think it's more beneficial for the Patriots to know in advance what's going on rather than wait till the last minute and have to scramble. But at the same time, I don't think there are any apron strings being pulled here or people, you know, trying to do what they need to do to bend over backwards for the better part of a team's evil behind-the-scenes scheme. It's just idiotic, folks. It really is ridiculous. And again, it amazes me that stories like this have resonance.

But you know what, buddy? That's why we bring you on, to bring the voice of reason here to Locked On Patriots and to help calm me down. And you did do that to let me know that I'm at least not off base and being naive for thinking that some of these stories are absolute hogwash. But what can I say? Thank you so much for joining me today here on Locked On Patriots. Once again, the floor is yours, my friend. Please let everyone know what you have coming in the pipeline, where they can follow you on social media, and the great work that is to

come from Steve Balistrieri. Well, thanks again for having me. As always, Mike, I mean, I appreciate the offer, and I always love talking football with you. And it is strange. A year ago today, we were standing down on the field in Gillette, and it was a very hot, sticky night. And we were watching the fireworks, and that was the Rodney Harrison day. And it's amazing how much changes in the course of, you know, once around the sun. But you can find me on Twitter at SteveB7SFG.

I write for PatsFans.com. I do the podcast for PatsFans as well, pages four through two. And as you mentioned earlier, I do the podcast with Murph. We talked with Mark Schofield yesterday. We were talking about much of the same stuff that we just discussed. And, yeah, man, it's going to be a crazy season, but they're going to have a season. I'm convinced the NFL is going to have one.

Yeah, Murph and I kind of ended our show yesterday wondering if maybe the season might look a little different than we had originally thought. I still think that's a possibility. But, folks, bottom line, I do believe the NFL is committed to bringing you football this year in some shape or form. And again, Steve and I might be covering camp and covering the Patriots a little different than we have in years past this year, but we're still going to be bringing you the best coverage we possibly can. And Steve, you're part of the familia here at Locked On Patriots.

You know you're going to be back on really soon to talk roster moves and whatever else we can muster up from the world of Foxborough as we move closer to the 2020 season. Again, my friends, stay safe, stay well. Thank you for always being there for the handoff when I need you. And we look forward to talking to you again real soon. Thanks for having me. And so, Patriots fans, we put a lid on this What Do We Do Now Wednesday episode of the Lockdown Patriots podcast.

And while it's true that the Patriots continue to have question marks at some key positions, I hope the discussion between myself and Steve today helped you to realize that your New England Patriots are more than confident to answer all your questions and solve all of your problems. But the fact of the matter is, folks, until the final roster is set, we really won't know exactly what we're dealing with when it comes to your 2020 New England Patriots. So until then, Locked On Patriots will continue to bring you the latest news, notes, and analysis from Foxborough, sprinkled in with the occasional opinion, of course.

And to ensure that you do not miss a single second of Locked On Patriots, make sure to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, follow us on Spotify, download us wherever you get your podcasts. And of course, don't forget that you can always listen to Locked On Patriots right on your very own smart device. And it's so easy to do it, folks. Just ask it to play the latest episode of Locked On Patriots.

Once again, I'm Mike DeBate. I thank Steve Balistrieri for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's pod. But most of all, I thank Mike DeBate. I thank Steve Balistrieri for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's pod. But most of all, I thank each and every one of you so much for listening and for staying locked into Locked On Patriots. Stay safe. Stay well. Continue to be the change you wish to see in the world.

Have a great day, everyone.