Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Wideout Wednesday: New England Patriots to ‘Aggressively Pursue’ WRs? — 3/10/2021

Episode Date: March 11, 2021

The New England Patriots are flush with salary cap space heading into the start of the 2021 League year. As such, many are expecting the Pats to aggressively pursue free agents on the open market. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Sara Marshall of Full Press Coverage and the Dear Pats Nation podcast. They discuss the Trent Brown trade, the possible quarterback for which he will be blocking, and New England’s top options at wide receiver and tight end on the free agent market.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON20,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus.Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. You are now locked in to the Lockdown Patriots podcast. It is Wednesday, March 10th, 2021, and it is Whiteout Wednesday, infused with a little tight end, quarterback, and offensive line talk here on your daily home for news notes and analysis, incorporated with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super

Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. Happy Hump Day, Patriots Nation, and thank you for joining me here on this Wednesday episode of Locked On Patriots. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, comments, and feedback are always welcomed, strongly encouraged. So share that feedback, send it to the internet by reaching out to me and following me on

Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there doing some Wednesday wandering through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Pats fans, one week from today, March 17th, 2021, is the official start of the new league year. All 32 NFL teams making moves, franchise tags being applied or not applied, cuts being made,

trades going down. It is a busy time for NFL media, an exciting time for all NFL fans and one of the most crucial times of the year for all 32 NFL teams anyone who says the NFL has an offseason in my opinion doesn't really follow the NFL it is a 12-month year-long grind and your New England Patriots are right in the thick of it and it might end up being one of the more important offseasons that we've seen up here in Foxborough in quite a while. Yesterday, the Pats made their first significant move of the off-season, trading a fifth-round 2022 pick to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for offensive

lineman Trent Brown and a seventh-round selection in 2022. Without question, it is a great start for the New England Patriots off-season, but it's only one move to be made amidst a lot of moves that have to be made. And for a few weeks now, we've been patiently waiting for the NFL to set the league cap. That will cause a lot of the dominoes for free agency, trades, all types of moves to fall.

Well, that wait is over, as this morning, the NFL announced that the league had set its cap at $182.5 million. And if that number sounds familiar, it's probably because you've been following my good friend, the Pats cap on Twitter. Miguel had nearly pinpointed this amount to the penny in his prognostications.

And once again, folks, my main man, the Pats cap was not wrong. And if it sounds like I'm singing his praises a little too much, well, I have two things to say. One, you can never praise Miguel Benzon enough. Two, there might be a method to my madness, and I'll fill you in on that in just a moment. But now that the league cap is set, we know what the Patriots will be working for. Again, courtesy of the Pats cap, approximately $64.5 million in cap space is now available to your New England Patriots. But how will they put it to use? Well, here today on the pod, we'll be discussing just that. How will the Patriots invest that newfound cap wealth?

Well, we're hearing that they might be unusually aggressive, especially at the wide receiver position. Which free agents out there might be the best possible fit in Foxborough for 2021? And if it's not a wide receiver, might they break the bank for a tight end? Hi, Claire. That's right, Countess. Keep a sharp ear open. We're going to be talking some tight ends today as well.

But I won't be prognosticating alone. Here on the hot seat today is my full press coverage colleague, Sarah Marshall. And Sarah and I will discuss her thoughts on the Trent Brown deal and what it means for the New England Patriots offensive line in 2021. We'll also be discussing who that line might be blocking. We know Saro loves to delve into the quarterback position, and we'll be talking not what the Patriots should do, not what we think they should do, but what they likely will do. That's right, a little Belichickian crystal ball gazing when it comes to the signal caller position in 2021 today.

Last but not least, we will take a look at a few free agent wide receiver options and determine which are the best fit and which are the most likely fit in Foxborough in the today. Last but not least, we will take a look at a few free agent wide receiver options and determine which are the best fit and which are the most likely fit in Foxborough in the upcoming season. And yes, Claire, we'll also be discussing some tight end options that would significantly upgrade the Patriots offensive production. An action-packed agenda on today's pod, so sit tight folks and settle in as Sarah Marshall will join me here on the hot seat in just a moment. But first, the Pats did make some headlines with the Trent Brown trade yesterday, but it wasn't the only move they made. Sometimes the biggest moves that you make in the offseason are omission

as opposed to commission, and that's exactly what the Patriots did yesterday when it came to the franchise tag. The Pats opted not to apply the tag to any of their free agents yesterday, meaning that anyone on their 2020 roster that was set for unrestricted free agency, like a Joe Tooney, David Andrews, Jermaine Illuminor, Cam Newton, Nick Folk, all will hit the open market. And of course, folks, not applying the franchise tag likely means the departure of Joe Tooney. And we hit on this a little bit in yesterday's pod. And of course, this accompanies Adam Schefter's Tuesday report

that the Patriots were in fact not planning to tag Joe Tooney and that he would hit the open market. And as much as I truly hope I'm wrong on this, and technically there is still a chance that Tooney returns on a multi-year deal, it's looking likely that another team is simply going to offer a lot more than the Patriots are willing to offer. MMQB's Albert Breer recently reported that the two sides are still far apart, basically as far apart as they were last year on this time when the Patriots did apply the tag to

Tooney. The only difference is now is that the Pats have Michael Wainu waiting in the wings. Wainu's performance in a lot of ways made Tooney expendable this offseason. And folks, I'm not comparing the two. Joe Tooney is a former second-team All-Pro. His experience, durability, versatility are things that the Patriots just simply will not be able to duplicate. Since the day he walked through the doors in Foxborough, Tooney has been a starter. He's played all 90 of a possible 90 games that he could have played over the first five years of his career. He is most comfortable at the guard position, but we've seen

him line up at center. We've've seen him line up at center. We've even seen him line up at the tackle position. He really is a Swiss Army knife along the offensive line, and he's about to make some team very happy in free agency. Unfortunately, folks, I just don't see it being the Patriots. If a deal between the both sides were possible, I think it would have happened by now. So if, in fact, Joe Tooney has played his last game in Foxborough,

and by all accounts, it's looking that way, folks, I want to wish him nothing but the best. Joe was a pleasure to cover up here in Foxborough. Again, not only one of the most durable players on the field, but also a great presence in the locker room and a true patriot. He essentially did everything and anything that he was told. And even though it hurts that it's likely not going to be in Foxborough, I wish him the best in his future endeavors. Whatever contract this guy gets on the open market, Joe Tooney deserves every penny of it.

A true class act in every sense of the word. But whether Tooney is back in the fold or not, folks, life will go on in Foxborough in 2021. And in just a moment, Sarah Marshall of Full Press Coverage will join me here on the hot seat, where we will discuss that potential future in Foxborough. Wide receivers, tight ends, quarterbacks, and a little offensive line talk as well when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, Locked On listeners, my esteemed colleagues here at the Locked On Podcast Network

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And don't forget to vote each and every day and check back to see who won today's matchup and who will become the best tasting protein bar from Built Bar. Locked On listeners, today on the Locked On Today podcast, there was a lot of player movement in the NFL on Tuesday. Who were the winners and who were the losers? Get more of the sports news you need in less time with the Locked On Today podcast. Follow the Locked On Today podcast on the Radio.com app or wherever you get your podcasts. Patriots fans, today I have the pleasure of welcoming back

one of the true stars on the rise in Patriots coverage and in sports media. She is my colleague and covers the Patriots for full press coverage, Patriots, and her weekly column on New England standouts is one of the best reads you will find anywhere, during the season most definitely, and she sprinkles in a little off-season flavor as well on that you can also hear her alongside ray routh and connor carney on the dear pats nation podcast sarah marshall once again joins me here today on the pod sarah thank you for joining me welcome

back to locked on patriots thank you i'm really excited i feel like i have so much to say about what happened just yes i'm excited that we get to do that. Absolutely. And it is an exciting time in the NFL. It's that time of year. One may say it's the most wonderful time of the year for Patriots fans, NFL fans. The league year is about to begin. All of the 31 teams, other than just the Patriots, are still gearing up for the 2021 season. And the league year officially begins one week from today, Sarah, if you can believe that or not. It really is amazing. Wednesday, March 17th.

Of course, we all know the legal tampering period takes place a couple of days in advance. And we all know that there's legal tampering going on right now. But you know what? Whatever. We'll stick to the schedule according to what the NFL puts out there. Moves are already being made. The Patriots made a pretty big move yesterday in all facets. Any type of interpretation of that phrase, folks, you can apply to the move that the

Patriots made yesterday. And before we get into the Patriots offseason as a whole, Sarah, what was your reaction to the acquisition of Trent Brown? And do you think this could be a real difference maker for the Patriots offensive line in 2021? Well, I think most people woke up to the news yesterday, maybe me a little bit later than most because in Phoenix, I was so excited when I saw that yesterday morning, when I first opened Twitter and I saw we had Trent Brown at first, I was like, is this real? I think, yeah. I think when he left, you know, most people believed that he was going to leave because he had such a great season with us in 2018. And we figured he'd be chasing the money and he had every right to do

so of course a big loss I think most of the Patriots fans would agree it was probably one of the only times that Patriots fans agreed on something that losing Trent Brown was upsetting so it's pretty awesome that he's coming back and I think it's going to be huge for the offensive line. He's huge himself. And I think that's going to be a huge benefit to the running game, which was already doing well last year. I think this is just going to add to it. that um what i think you know if we hadn't signed someone like trent brown that would be a bigger loss but i think adding trent brown and walking or watching toonie leave is you know it's it's unfortunate but i think it's going to be fine um and this opens up a bunch of options for them on the offensive line so you know they can switch around people they can have their set roles but then they can rotate people which is going to be a little bit more of a set line than there was last year with so many rotations and people coming in and out and every single week or even a different like every other play so um but i was really excited he was excited too trent brown was super

excited too which i thought was really awesome it's kind of you know um knocks down the narrative that no one wants to play in new england so that's a great point i'm glad that you said that imagine imagine someone that actually enjoyed playing in new england he might even had a little bit of fun playing in New England. Apparently, I was under the impression, just like you, that playing in New England was no fun. All kidding aside, I know we're taking swipes, but you know what? It's well within our realm to be able to take swipes every now and then.

No, all kidding aside, this was definitely a great addition for the Patriots. Low risk. They're giving up a fifth-round draft pick, obviously, in 2022. But the return that they're getting, they're getting a seventh-rounder as well as Trent Services. And to me, he's going to be a difference maker on this offensive line for a lot of reasons that you just said. Joe Tooney has not been saddled with the franchise tag.

He's free to hit the open market. And he's going to command a huge deal, a very lucrative deal out there in the franchise tag. He's free to hit the open market, and he's going to command a huge deal, a very lucrative deal out there in the open market, and he's probably played his last game in Foxborough, which a lot of us had predicted. I know I was hoping against all hope that things would change and that he would be able to come back, but apparently he will be moving on. And it does raise an interesting question with me when it comes to Isaiah Wynn.

Isaiah Wynn, obviously, you know, is their starting left tackle, played very serviceably for the last couple of years in that role. But he's had his injury history. He's had his problems staying on the field. To me, I think this move is more about insurance at that position than it is about Trent Brown moving him out of his natural position, meaning Isaiah Wynn. I think Wynn is still going to be their left tackle this year, assuming he's healthy. To me, the thing that would make most sense is slotting in Michael Wainu on the left guard position. He takes the place of Joe Tooney. Obviously, I really want to see David Andrews be re-signed. I hope he comes back. I'm optimistic that he will be from what I've heard. But again, you don't know for sure.

There's so much that can change between now and that legal tampering period and him hitting the open market. But if Andrews is indeed back, now you're looking at a left side that is Wynn and Uenu. That's a pretty solid left tackle guard tandem. And then on the right side, now you're looking at Shaq Mason, and you're also looking at now Trent Brown. And maybe Marcus Cannon is the odd man out.

Maybe they look at him in the offseason, and they decide that maybe he's worth keeping around as a depth piece if, in fact, Wynn has difficulty with some injuries. They can move Trent Brown back over and then maybe they can use Marcus Cannon at the right tackle position. Gives them a lot of flexibility, a lot of room. But ultimately, I think this is going to be a big game changer. And if Brown can show that he can be healthy and happy in New England, one thing that I

would keep an eye on, folks, is right now Isaiah Wynn is scheduled for his fifth year option to be renewed, and the Patriots have until May 3rd to decide. That option would include $10.4 million for Isaiah Wynn. That's a pretty big number, and I'm not as optimistic about it being picked up as I once was. So this could be interesting when you look at the ripple effect that these moves can have, not just on the line itself, but on the Patriots' future moves into the better part of the next few years. So always a lot of fun, always a lot of fun, and it always keeps us on our toes, right, Sarah? There's always something to talk about in Foxborough and all over the NFL.

Staying on that subject for just a moment, though, the offensive line is ultimately as valuable as the players they protect. And yes, they block for running backs, folks. They block for the skill position players. But we know what I'm talking about here. I'm talking about quarterbacks. Sari, you've been a staunch advocate for Cam Newton's return to Foxborough. I think you've made very good, very lucid and very sound arguments for

camp to remain in New England, but that's just one option that the Pats are apparently considering the word out there from sources that I talked to is that there's a lot of options out there. Several options are under consideration for the New England Patriots at this point, putting aside what you and I think the Patriots should do, even putting aside what the Patriots should do, what might be best for them, what do you think the Patriots will do with the quarterback position moving into 2021?

That's such a complicated question. It's hard. I don't believe that they're i don't believe that they're going to go out and spend a ton of money on a quarterback i don't like you know there's there's the idea of russell wilson somehow becoming available um deshaun watson wants a trade i don't i i mean it would be silly of the patriots to not express any interest in them, of course, because they're the top quarterbacks in the league. Just I don't want to pay that much money. I mean, as we've seen, they didn't want to pay Brady for the 2020 season.

And they paid Cam Newton, the veteran minimum. So they're definitely the guy i just don't know that there is the guy for them if that makes sense like i'm not sure that there's anyone that they're really invested in or that they want to necessarily build their future around i think that the free agent market um if we're looking at only the ones who are actually available, I don't really see much there. That's why I always a familiar guy. They had him last year. They really liked him in general. We heard Belichick's been raving about him in the off season. There's rumors that they're interested in Jimmy Garoppolo.

So that's, that's possible, but yeah, I just, it's hard to say exactly what they will do because there are a lot of options, but none of them I think are necessarily possible, nor are they desirable. good point and you know just because an option is possible doesn't necessarily make it desirable and that's why i'm in agreement with you i think ultimately the patriots look at what's available out there what is what's realistic for them and then they make a decision based on that i still think cam newton coming back is their most realistic option i think it's probably their best option and i think it's their most likely

option now that being said there are other options out there jared stidham is still on your roster he is still a backup quarterback right now jared had an awful lot of light on him after tom's decision to leave last year and i can't believe we're coming up on the one year anniversary of that date. That's going to be a hard day for Patriots fans, but it seemed like immediately things started kicking into gear that Jarrett was in fact, the guy they were looking to hand the keys to the car to in 2020, he was going to be their guy prior to cam being available. I think the Patriots were content to do that. They didn't draft a quarterback last year, and it raised a lot of eyebrows, myself included.

I thought for sure the Patriots would bring in a quarterback, someone to press Jarrett, and then have a quarterback competition between those two. Ultimately, it was Cam Newton that they brought in. But Jarrett still has the qualities of someone that could start in this league. You wonder if he's able to put it all together. There have been some question marks about his dedication to football. I can't really speak to that. I really, from those that I've spoken to, I've heard a lot of mixed things when it comes to that. So I'm willing to give Jarrett the benefit of the doubt in that regard.

But he's still an option, and he's still someone that I think a lot of people aren't talking about. I call him the forgotten man in the quarterback hunt there may be a reason for it folks but there also may be a better reason for it maybe the Patriots do see something they're trying to keep that off the radar in terms of also rant options uh and I don't mean that disrespectfully folks I really don't but you're looking at guys like Marcus Mariota, Gardner Minshew, players that the Patriots could bring in via trade. That's likely. That's a possibility. Jimmy, I know, is the common name that everybody loves to throw out there. People love to think of Jimmy Garoppolo reuniting with Bill Belichick and leading the Patriots to prominence. One reason I don't think that's possible is I don't think

he's leaving San Francisco. I personally don't see a better option for the 49ers other than the trade for Deshaun Watson, which I think is an outside possibility. But if that happens, then all of a sudden, Jimmy may become available. But if he doesn't, I don't see the Niners having a better option. So I see them hanging on to him. Ultimately, we'll see. We'll find out in another few days and i think the patriots will make a decision on this matter sooner rather than later

from what i'm hearing so keep a sharp eye out there folks patriots may have something irons in the fire in terms of being able to dictate what they may want to do with the quarterback position and ultimately that may be one of the bigger dominoes to fall for the Pats in this offseason. Sarah, it's always fun talking football with you. And folks, we are only scratching the surface when it comes to our discussion today. When we return on Locked On Patriots, Sarah Marshall and I will continue to delve into the Patriots offseason. Amidst reports that the Pats will be uncharacteristically aggressive this offseason, which players might be in their crosshairs? Find out when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Locked On listeners, the NFL games on the field might be over,

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to talk prospects in the upcoming draft. Get everything you need Wednesdays on Locked On NFL. Subscribe to Locked On NFL wherever you get your podcasts. Patriots fan Sarah Marshall joins me here today on the Locked On Patriots podcast. And Sarah, in the previous segment, we talked about Trent Brown's return, what it means for the Pats O-line. We even offered our thoughts on who that O-line might be blocking for in 2021. But as I've said several times here on the pod, quarterback, just one of the positions for which the Patriots have a need.

There are several positions on this roster that need to be addressed. And I alluded to this in the previous segment, but today's announcement from the NFL indicates that the league salary cap for 2021 has been set, $182.5 million. Meaning that, and a big thanks to my man Miguel, who will be tomorrow's guest here on Locked On Patriots, folks. Miguel pinpointed that number over a month ago. He also has projected that the Patriots now will be expected to have approximately $64.5 million in available cap space.

That's not including Trent Brown's deal, folks. But New England has money to spend, Sarah, for the first time in a long time. And one would have to think that the Patriots are likely to spend that money on upgrading offensive skill positions, meaning wide receivers, and to some degree, meaning tight ends. Hi, Claire. I'm contractually obligated to shout out Claire when it degree, meaning tight ends. Hi, Claire. I'm contractually obligated to shout out Claire when it comes to mentioning tight ends, folks. I'm sorry.

But we will get to the tight end position in a minute. Let's start with the receiver position, Sarah. Allen Robinson, Chris Godwin, off the market. Both tagged by their respective teams. A-Rod going to the Bears. Godwin remaining with the Bucs. But there are still a lot of options out there, and there are some free agent wideouts that might interest the Patriots

on the open market. I have some thoughts on the subject, but what say you, Sarah? First, how aggressive do you think the Patriots will be in pursuing a wide receiver, and who, if anyone, has caught your sharp eye this offseason i think they're definitely going to be aggressive but i don't have very few people who i i never got on the alan robinson chris godwin train because i knew that they just weren't going to be available to the patriots whether that was because they would get france tags or uh you know they were some of the top receivers that were going to free agency. So they were going to be expensive. And I just didn't see the Patriots being willing to pay it. Or, you know, I don't know that to really choose to go to the Patriots.

I mean, that's a that's a whole conversation in itself. i i definitely think they're going to be aggressive but i'm kind of on the um i believe that the best thing that they should do go for two like number two receivers instead of bringing in one big name you know if alan robertson or when we're available i would i mean i wouldn't be mad if they brought one of them in but i like the idea of bringing in two guys because one, you know, their, their insurance for each other. If you bring in one guy and they go down, you have basically what you had last year. So, um, you know, Kenny Galladay is still available, but we saw a report yesterday, I believe it was that, uh, the lions offered him a deal and it was worth 18 million a

year and turned it down. So I, I don't know that I like the idea of the Patriots spending that kind of money on just one guy. So I I'm really hoping for like a Curtis Samuel, where I think he's kind of like a mid tier guy, but I, I don't know that the parents will have a clear number one, but I like the idea of bringing in a couple number two, number three guys, because Julian Edelman will hopefully be back. Fingers crossed. I hope he's going to be okay. Jacoby Myers, if they can develop him, some guys that compliment him, I think that's their best option. That's interesting. You could be onto something there, because I too have my doubts about the Patriots making a huge splash in free agency at the wide receiver position.

Simply because I look at what's available now, and I wonder if paying top dollar to some of the guys that are available out there might be a little bit too much. Maybe the Patriots are better off spreading that wealth around a little bit. Now that Alan Robinson, Chris Godwin off the board, you have to think that Curtis Samuel is probably the jewel of everyone's eye. I know a lot of Patriots fans love this guy. And look, there's a lot to love. He's got a great skill set.

He's great making explosive plays before the catch, can really make yards after the catch. He's got some great speed, pretty good hands. He'd be the guy that you want to bring in. But I wonder if the Patriots might look at the NFL draft and see some guys with similar skill sets and choose to go that route. I know that Bill doesn't have a great track record when drafting wide receivers, but there are a lot of guys out there in the draft that do mimic his skill set, so I wonder if breaking the bank for Curtis Samuel is something that's a smart thing for the Patriots to do. Don't misconstrue what I'm saying here, folks. I'm not saying that Curtis

Samuel wouldn't be a good signing. I'm not saying he's overrated. I'm simply saying that the Patriots to do. Don't misconstrue what I'm saying here, folks. I'm not saying that Curtis Samuel wouldn't be a good signing. I'm not saying he's overrated. I'm simply saying that the Patriots might look at his skill set and decide that they can allocate those funds elsewhere. If they do decide to bring him in, the Patriots would be getting a stud. I'd be all for it. But today has been an interesting day for wide receiver Sarah. We've seen several players that reportedly are either on the trading block or have been cut loose outright Emmanuel Sanders down in New Orleans how much does he have left in the tank Patriots have pursued him in the past might they be willing to give him a one or two year deal if the price is right don't forget Sanders is at his best in the slot and I think that Jacoby Myers has really evolved into that next slot threat, so I really like him there.

I think the Patriots this time around, unless the price is great on Sanders, might choose to pass. Another one of those cut-loose wide receivers that raised my eyebrow was John Brown of the Buffalo Bills. Brown is very good in a vertical-type offense. I think he could work wonders here in New England, might have to adjust his game a little bit, but this would be a great revenge signing, if anything else. If the Patriots wanted to get under the Bills' skin a little bit, bringing in John Brown, you can definitely bet that he'll have a little bit of a chip on his shoulder, and he'll have something to prove this year. One of the players that you mentioned in Kenny

Galladay is interesting. I know everybody's looking at his skill set, and a lot of fans, and even members of the media are salivating over this guy. Galladay is a true stud on the field, no one's denying that. From what I've heard on Galladay, he wasn't too keen on playing in a Matt Patricia-led system. Now, Matt is back here in New England, he's playing a more behind-the-scenes role, I don't think that would deter him from coming here to New England just on its own. There is something to be said about Matt Patricia learning from Bill Belichick, and we heard Matthew Stafford not wanting to come here, maybe for some of those reasons. If that's the

case, you'd have to think that Galladay's asking price would be a little bit higher for New England than maybe some of the other teams. Based on that, I'm not sure the Patriots go above and beyond to sign him. I know Corey Davis is another name out there that a lot of Patriots fans are throwing around. Davis is another stout vertical threat that I think would be a little bit more affordable for the New England Patriots. Keep a sharp eye on this one. Davis may end up being an intriguing option here. And lastly, to round it out, one name that I'm surprised hasn't been mentioned a little bit more here, and I think it's because he's a restricted free agent as opposed to unrestricted, is the Denver Broncos' Tim Patrick. The Patriots would have to forfeit a draft pick in order to sign him,

because it would be through an offer sheet. If the Broncos select a second-round tender on Tim Patrick, I absolutely don't see this one happening. I don't think the Patriots would spend that type of draft capital to bring him in. But if it's a lesser tender, I think this is a great fit. He played very well against the Patriots last season. Four catches, 101 yards. He's got great size, a pretty good catch radius. And again, he's one of those players that can produce yards after the catch. My good friend and colleague, Cody Roark, host of the

Locked On Broncos podcast, always had glowing things to say about this kid. I'd be interested to see if the Patriots might sign Patrick to an offer sheet. If they do, the Broncos might not match it. So the Patriots do have a chance here. I'm not saying it's their best option, but keep a sharp eye on the name Tim Patrick in the coming days and weeks, folks. Last but certainly not least, Sarah, again, as we've said many times here on the pod, the Patriots need production at the tight end position as well. Okay, Claire, you can pay attention again. We're going to talk tight ends here. Sarah and I are going to go through some options. I will admit that I was a bit surprised

to see that the LA Chargers did not apply the franchise tag to Hunter Henry. I think he's probably the free agent that I covet most, and that's going to raise some eyebrows, I'm sure, among our listeners, at least on offense. He's the guy that I would love to see here. Now, the stat stands out there are going to point to four touchdowns they're going to point to injury history i can tell you from personal experience i've seen this kid in practice i know his reputation in the film room he can flat out play and he's a good locker room presence and someone that can study this playbook and learn it very quickly henry might not end up being the fit that i'm hoping for here in new

england for two reasons he's seeking a pretty high-end lucrative deal again the pats can sign him for that but can they get better value elsewhere that remains to be seen the other is wanting to play with a top flight quarterback and you and i both have a lot of faith in cam newton or you know maybe some of the guys that the patriots are bringing in but unless unless it's Deshaun Watson or Russell Wilson, there might be better fits in that department for him out there on the open markets. So who does that leave? It leaves guys like John Smith.

It leads guys like Gerald Everett, Kyle Rudolph. I think Smith is a cut above those guys. I think Everett and Rudolph right now would probably be maybe tier two if John Smith is tier 1A. Bottom line, Sarah, my question for you is going to be twofold to bring it all home today. First, who do you see as a potential Patriot in 2021 at the tight end position, either from the names that I've mentioned or from someone you've been looking at? And do you think that the addition of a tight end could end up being more effective in improving the Patriots offense simply from a point scoring standout than a wide receiver could be? I, yes, I feel like the, the offense has definitely been hurting a bit since they lost Gronk, you know, there basically hasn't been another tight end on the Patriots that has really

done anything really since we lost Gronk. They've obviously, they've had some tight productive as Gronk was and, you know, asking a lot someone to be like Gronk but um I think it's definitely hurt the offense the last few years um of course I like Hunter Henry and Johnnie Smith the most um I did could bring in Hunter Henry um I think that they were thinking he would want around 12 million a year something that's as important as tight end not that bad um i i think that you know check has really liked hunter henry over the years so i wouldn't be surprised interested in that but of course we have to remember too that just because he won't franchise tag doesn't mean that the chargers are not interested in signing him to a long-term deal. So he's not on the table, but not. New Smith too.

I think, yeah, he's the other name that's out there. I don't know exactly his market B, but the tight end pool, it might be a little bit higher than, than some people would hope. But I think should definitely bring in somebody that's good, a good blocker. They need somebody who's a veteran player so that they can help the ends that they have in Aussie Aussie and Dalton Keene, as we saw, they didn't do a whole lot last year either. So that's a little bit worrisome. And I still do like the idea of bringing in like two number two wide receivers and then bringing in a good tight end. think that would be the most beneficial and also the most cost

effective the only problem I would say with the tight end stuff is it's a little bit scary I guess I don't know the right word but they did draft two receivers or two tight ends last year so you don't want them to necessarily go like super all-in on on a tight end pay them a ton just because you would like that they did draft you don't want them to both be draft busts so definitely think that you need to bring someone in to help develop them but i don't know that they necessarily need to bring in a top tier guy just someone that's good a good blocker can catch the ball and can you develop them so that maybe they can be that guy i think you make an interesting point on the tight end position look obviously there's an affinity that I have for Hunter Henry for obvious reasons I've covered him in Los Angeles I would love nothing

more to be able to cover him here in New England but I think it's going to be a little bit out of their range I think there will be teams out there that will step up really wow Hunter Henry and give him the option of you know making that type of move so I think he might be a little out of their range. Jonu Smith is someone to me that could be a good fit here in New England. You look at his 2020 season, and again, statistics that don't necessarily leap off the page, but the things that he does very well are the things that the Patriots are lacking. He had 41 catches, 448 yards, eight touchdowns last year. But he's one of the best tight ends I've seen with yards after the catch.

And that's something that the Patriots did not get out of the tight end position last year. They got very little to begin with. Sorry, Claire, I know you love your Ryan Izzo. I said the kid did the best he could, but they need more in that department. And Jono Smith can do that. I think he's an intriguing option. Bill Belichick has had glowing things to say about him in the past. That could be an option there.

Gerald Everett is someone that I keep coming back to. He was the number two option with the Rams behind Tyler Higbee. He hasn't played more than 50% of his offensive snaps in any of his four pro seasons, but he's a talented athlete. He can really be a factor with the ball in his hands again much like John O'Smith this is a kid that is very good with getting yards after the catch so if you miss out on Henry and as much as it pains me I think the Patriots might miss out on Hunter Henry John O'Smith Gerald Everett definitely two good options there maybe Smith is a little bit of

a cut above but Everett would be a very solid consolation prize, and I certainly would not be unhappy with him. Kyle Rudolph and Jared Cook, I know, are popular names out there when they were pried loose last week, but they're still available. I think that they would be good, solid veteran options. blocker along being a good mentor in the locker room maybe cook could be that type of player as well they could be maybe secondary options uh out of the tight end position but ultimately i like them going with a veteran here i think they've got enough youth uh they've got assi assi they've got keen let's see what these kids can do with a full off season uh full rookie mini camp and them being able to grow into their role maybe they uh round into what they're hoping for unless it's kyle pitts on the board available at number 15 i don't see the patriots going the uh the draft route so interesting and i think that uh this really is the position that i'm intrigued on i like what you said about two number two wide receivers and a solid tight end

coming in for value that could be what the Patriots a best option would be but again we're hearing overly aggressive might they break the bank and shock everyone this time around we'll find out in a couple of days always expect the unexpected in Foxborough and we consistently do Sarah thank you so much for taking the time out to join me here today to talk a little Patriots offseason as we move toward the beginning of the league year. This time next week, the league year will officially have begun. And a lot of the questions we have today might have been answered for your knowing one Patriots. Sarah, for the benefit of our new listeners, please let everyone know where they can find you on social media,

what you have coming up in the coming days and weeks when it comes to not only the great written work you provide for full press coverage, but also the great podcasting and the great vocal work that you do for the Dear Pats Nation podcast and beyond. Well, on Twitter, you can find me at smarshxo. I'm always on Twitter. So follow me on there.

And then every Tuesday, I'm on Dear Pats Nation on YouTube where you're live to answer all your questions. I'm on there with Ray and Connor three times a week. I'm hoping to do a little bit more, maybe post some of my time to get into more podcasting. So hopefully you'll be seeing me a lot more everywhere. Absolutely. And we all look forward to that again, folks. I tell you, Sarah is a true rising star, not just among the Patriots media, but also among media in general. Her articles are always well thought out, well-researched. I read them with as much enthusiasm as anyone in this business and never miss an opportunity to check her, Ray and Connor out on the dear Pats nation podcast.

One of the more underrated out there. All three of you do an amazing job, big, big fan of the show and big fan of the work that you guys do. So folks, please be sure to check that out. And Sarah, again,

please stay safe, stay well, continue to put out the great content. And we look forward to talking Patriots with you right here on locked on Patriots very soon. And just like that, Patriots fans, we are more than halfway through your work week now, but we still have a ton of Patriots coverage to come. And tomorrow here on the pod, a very, very special treat.

We are following that Patriot blue brick road, and we are off here on the pod, a very, very special treat. We are following that Patriot Blue Brick Road, and we are off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Benzahn, my good friend, the Pats cap himself, Miguel Benzahn is my guest here on the pod. And we'll be discussing that new cap number for the NFL, what it means for the New England Patriots. Everything and everything cap related will be discussed here tomorrow. So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, subscribe to and download the Locked On Patriots podcast on platforms such as Spotify, radio.com, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts.

Just make sure that you're staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank my good friend and colleague, Sarah Marshall, for her time, her insight, and her appearance on today's pod. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for continuing to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until tomorrow, Foxborough faithful, stay safe, stay well, always be the change you wish to see in the world, and have a great day, everyone.