Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Wisdomous Wednesday: Patriots Draft Talk on our 1000th Episode — 2/17/2021

Episode Date: February 17, 2021

On Locked On Patriots’ 1000th episode, host Mike D’Abate is joined by fan-favorite Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy. The duo discuss the top offensive and defensive prospects for the New England Patriots in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft. They also give their thoughts on whether the Pats’ plans at quarterback will have an impact on their draft strategy.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 “LOCKEDON,” 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. 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 into the Lockdown Patriots podcast. It is Wednesday, February 17th, 2021. A historic day for Lockdown Patriots as today is our 1,000th total episode. And who better to help us commemorate a monster milestone than a monster guest here on your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots.

Locked On Patriots is presented today by RockAuto.com. Amazing selection, reliably low prices, all the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Happy Hump Day, Patriots Nation. Thank you so much for joining me here today on this milestone episode of Locked On Patriots, our 1,000th episode. And I am beyond honored, beyond humbled, and beyond grateful to be the host of this episode today, a red-letter day in the history 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

and very much encouraged. 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 L-O underscore Patriots.

Patriots fans, the offseason continues to roll on, and every day that passes without Patriots football, it's tough. I get it. I understand it. I feel the same way you do. Especially since we're coming up on the second weekend without football. But if we're being honest, this offseason is shaping up to be anything but boring. Several big name players might be on the move, a deep and talented class of potential rookies coming up for the 2021 NFL draft. And if we're talking about your New England Patriots, folks, there are a ton of questions on this team, a lot of roster holes, a lot of uncertainty, questions that need to be answered. And we've spent a lot of questions on this team, a lot of roster holes, a lot of uncertainty,

questions that need to be answered. And we've spent a lot of time on free agency, trade talk. Yesterday here on the pod, when my good friend Steve Balistrieri joined me, we dedicated almost an entire show purely to quarterback talk. But today here on the pod, we're going to take a page out of Monday's script. After all, Mondays are for mock drafts here on the Locked On Podcast Network. And from here on in,ed On Podcast Network, and from here on in, that will continue to be the case. But because we were off this week in observance of the President's Day holiday, we're going to get some solid draft talk in. And the draft talk

wasn't the only thing missing on Monday. I know, folks, you were all clamoring for a little hashtag Locked On Murph. After all, it's Monday. You wanted your green wisdom and counsel. I did as well. But fear not to all you Foxborough faithful, because joining me right here today is the wisdomest one himself, the master of disaster, the king of sting, the count of Murphy Fisto, the legendary Thomas Murphy is my guest here today on LockedOnPatriots. And today on the pod, Murph is bringing along his draft board. Murph will be providing his wisdom, counsel, and insight when it comes to his top two prospects

on the defensive side of the ball. But Murph's not stopping there. He'll also flip the script and tell us his top two prospects on the offensive side of the ball. Last but certainly not least, still a lot of rumors surrounding the Patriots quarterback position. What does Murph think of all this and what impact might it have on the 2021 NFL draft? Well, folks, the type of wisdom and counsel needed to answer questions as important as

these can only be green wisdom and counsel. And luckily for us, the only man that can provide it is the only guest here on Locked On Patriots with his very own branded hashtag. It's hashtag Locked On Murph Wednesday here on the Locked On Patriots with his very own branded hashtag. It's hashtag Locked On Murph Wednesday here on the Locked On Patriots podcast, and we'll get to our draft talk in just a minute. But again, folks, you heard me mention earlier that today is the 1,000th episode of Locked On Patriots. And this is a true milestone in every sense of the word. I know I sound like a broken record when I say this, but I am beyond honored, beyond humbled,

and so grateful to be the host of this podcast. Back in August of 2019, when our president and founder of the Locked On Podcast Network, David Locke, hired me to be the host of Locked On Patriots, he showed a great deal of faith in me and a rather unknown name in a very large media market. But the support that I've received from all of my colleagues here at Locked On, from my fellow colleagues in the Patriots Beat, and also, most importantly, from all of you fans out there of Locked On Patriots, it's helped to turn my dream come true of hosting a daily Patriots podcast into a reality. And each day that I take the microphone, it's truly a labor of love. I love my job. I continue to strive to be better at it each and every day, and I always will, to help bring you, the loyal listeners of Locked On Patriots,

the very best show that I can provide for you each and every day. But Locked On Patriots would certainly not be in the position to celebrate this milestone today without the contributions of our former hosts, and I would like to thank each one of them for their support, and for setting an amazing table at which I

get to work every single day. Starting with the first host of Locked On Patriots, Jeff Howe, then of the Boston Herald, currently of the Athletic Boston, to my good friend and full press coverage colleague Chris Simino, and of course to my very good friend, my mentor, my predecessor Mark Schofield. Without your humbling support and without all of your amazing work, again, Locked On Patriots would not have reached 1,000 shows. So once again, to all of my predecessors, to all of my colleagues at Lockdown,

to all of the guests that I've welcomed here on these airwaves, and most of all, and again, most important, to all of you who listen to Lockdown Patriots each and every day, thank you from the bottom of my heart. But as our New England Patriots have said before, folks, we are not done. We've only just begun here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. Here's to the next thousand episodes and beyond, and we kick that pursuit off here today by welcoming my good friend, the legendary Thomas Murphy, here to talk some New England Patriots

2021 draft strategy when this 1000th episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, Locked On listeners, football may be over, but the NBA, college basketball, and the NHL are all in full swing. In fact, the NFL equivalent of the free agency hot stove is about to get red hot. That makes this the perfect time to test your prognostication skills. And if that strikes your fancy, and maybe you'd like to make a little on it, there's only one place that has you covered and one place we trust. BetOnline.ag. BetOnline is the fastest and easiest way to bet on all of

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Patriots fans, once again, today is the historic 1,000th episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast, and who else could match the moment as a guest today than the fan favorite himself? My benefactor in this business, the only guest in the history of this pod with his very own branded hashtag, the Count of Murphy Fisto himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy is back for his weekly appearance here on Lockdown Patriots. Thank you for coming to me today in friendship and for joining me, Don Murph.

Mike, Mike, Mike, what day is it? What day is it? It's hump day. And I hope I get you guys all over the hump, man. Thanks for having me. Anytime, buddy. You know, normally we share the mic on hashtag Lockdown Murph Monday. It's become a staple here on Lockdown Patriots.

But with the holiday week this week, it ended up working out well. We got a wisdomous Wednesday and a milestone show. And again, buddy, who else? Who better to join me on the 1,000th episode of this great podcast than one of its greatest guests of all time? My personal favorite, you know that. And I love sharing the microphone with you, buddy. So, you know what? Let's dive right into it.

I know that here in Foxborough, free agency, the trade market, they're the hot topics in Foxborough right now. But the 2021 NFL draft, Murph, might end up being one of the more important drafts for the Patriots in recent memory. And there are a lot of places on the depth chart where the Patriots can use some assistance. My friend, you have a knack of identifying not just the areas of need for the Patriots, but also the accurate prospects that could work well within this system. You do it very well, and something I don't think you get enough credit for,

but I'm going to pump your tires a lot on that today because you are good at this. Defense wins championships. So you know what? We'll start there. Murph, the Patriots front seven looked good at times last year, but there were times where it struggled, particularly against the run. One of the big reasons for the struggles was the Pats' difficulty in setting the edge. The secondary looked solid at times. I think that's probably the better of the two units

for the Patriots defense, but even the secondary could use some help as well. And we know that Bill's not afraid to use high draft capital on the secondary, even when it looks like the secondary is stacked. Buddy, last week here on the pod, we gushed about Quidipe. It's unlikely that he's going to be finding his way to foxborough but we were like-minded on that and and i like that i like that but today but today but you're the gm of the new england patriots again i have no authority to do this but i'm making you gm of the patriots for today you walk into the war room on draft day. Who is atop your leaderboard on the defensive side of the ball when it comes to 2021 draft prospects? Well, I mean, right at the top.

I mean, my wish list is the guys that I went over and took another look at for today were the guys that I would be ecstatic if they were there at 15 for the Patriots to pick. And also, these are the four people that I would actually trade up for in this draft that don't play the quarterback position. I completely left that out of this conversation, or the conversation that I thought we were going to have today. And at the top is Micah Parsons, the linebacker out of Penn State. I know we talked about Quiddie Payne last week, but I believe the linebacker room is still in need of more speed. It is still in need of more athleticism.

And that's where I truly focused my thoughts. I believe what we talked about last week, Bill is going to, I don't want to say cheap out, but he's going to look to somebody that is more established in the league, guys that are going to be on the free agent market, guys that aren't on the free agent market yet to fill that role, to find a run stuffer in the front. You know, another big fat guy in the lineage of so many that have been here

and been able to stop the run. I think that's the way he's going to go. In the draft, he is my number one pick in this draft. I think he's the best all-around athlete at this position that I've seen in a very long time. A lot of us were oohing and aahing just two weeks ago over Devin White in the Super Bowl and seeing what he has. Micah Parsons is that kid that's in this draft,

and I think that putting him here would reestablish the middle linebacker role for the New England Patriots for a very long time. Yeah, no question about it. I mean, Parsons is a really, really highly touted draft prospect without any question about it. He would fill, I think, one of the Patriots' most pressing need on defense. The linebackers right now are at a premium, and even if Dante Hightower does indeed return, which we're getting indications that a lot of these guys are ready to return, that most of the Patriots' opt-outs are willing to give it a go this season,

and I think that's great news for the New England Patriots, but you can always use some extra help, and the Patriots look like they needed some help last year. Parsons is a kid that definitely, you know, fits that bill. And then some, I know a lot of people are, you know, projecting, you know, him to be top 10. This may be someone that the Patriots would need to, you know, to, to really, you know really trade up to get. I know there's been some character questions at times, but that's true of a lot of players. You don't know if that may drop him in some projections,

but talent-wise, definitely he's got it. I think the positional value that he would provide would be a logistical fit for the New England Patriots in that regard. Well, at this point, Murph, you we know your ideal fit here for the New England Patriots in 2021 on defense. But let's say and there is a good chance based on our discussion right now that Michael Parsons is off the board or unavailable to the Patriots at 15 or they can't swing a trade to trade up to get him. You know you want to use early draft capital to shore up the defense as GM of the New England Patriots. Who is your next best fit in

Foxborough on the defensive side of the ball? Yeah, and I'm going to stick with the same position as Z to get younger, stronger, and faster. And if my first selection isn't there, Collins is the man. A lot of people did not know about him going into this year. He had a fantastic junior season. Linebackers just don't develop with the type of size and speed that Collins possesses. You know, you look at him and you almost think, you know, well, there's Gronk, but he's a more athletic Gronkowski. He almost looks like a tight end, a swolled up tight end when you get out there. He's a thick guy. He's a fantastic athlete with, I don't want to say,

the same kind of speed that we see in a Devin White or in a Micah Parsons, but he's quick. He has a very fast first step and even a second and third step. He can drop into coverage. He can play in any scheme that you want to ask him to. This is my next guy on the board that I would be happy with at 15. Very good point. And Collins is actually someone that Steve and I discussed a couple of weeks ago

here on Locked On Patriots in terms of that starting linebacker that if he's given the opportunity and the right system can rush the passer, he can drop into coverage. Like you said, he can play downhill. He can play in space. I think in 2020, we saw him really demonstrate some notable growth. I think he became more of a complete defender, make some high impacts of clutch plays. You saw him make those repeatedly almost each and every week for Tulsa. And that really, I think, is what's going to have a lot of defensive minded coaches looking at this kid and saying, this is an opportunity for us to really upgrade at the linebacker position.

It can project as an impact player in the NFL that I think can play in a variety of ways. We've mentioned that I like his size. I like his length, his power, high football IQ too. He can even cover running backs out of the backfield. This kid has it. He keeps getting better and better and better. He has not plateaued and give him the right coaching. We know that at the linebacker position, we've got that here.

I think he can just keep growing and growing. He can. And the thing that I like about his fit in New England is that New England plays multiple alignments that gives him the opportunity to be able to unleash a lot of what his skill set is. So that could be a hand in glove fit. See, once again, my friend, you've identified a target, and I like it. I do.

We are like-minded when it comes to this, and I think Collins could be a good fit here in New England. But, you know, right now the fan base is listening to this, and they're going, no, no, defense, no more defensive players. We need weapons with the C. That's how they do it. That's how they're clamoring for it. They want the shiny

new toys. And folks, the GM of Murphy Fisto here has given us a glimpse into his draft day crystal ball. We've talked defense and some pretty impressive prospects there, but I know a lot of you are hoping for those shiny new weapons on offense. Will it be a wide receiver? Will it be a tight end? Hi, Claire. Will it be an offensive lineman? Murph has the answers, and we will discuss them when this Locked On Patriots podcast continues.

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Pats fans, the legendary Thomas Murphy joins me here on this 1,000th episode of Locked on Patriots today, making a little history, my friend, and I love it because you are the man that's making history right along with us. And Murph, we're taking a look at what draft day would look like if you ruled the world or at least ruled the New England Patriots. And it's no secret that the New England Patriots struggled on offense this year. Now you can blame up and down. You can blame play calling. You can blame lack of competence at the skill position players, whether it be the wide receivers or the tight ends. You can blame quarterback play. You can blame the coaching staff. There's a lot of reasons. You can blame Robert Kraft for not stepping in and bringing back Tom Brady. I've

seen it all. But I think there's really a perfect storm of the reason why the Patriots struggled this year. And I think it's a combination of all the things that I just mentioned. When you look at this draft board and you look at potential impact players that could come in immediately, make the Patriots more potent on offense. Buddy, I asked you the question in the previous segment. I'm going to ask you the same question now. Who is on top of your leaderboard on the offensive side of the ball and once again we are leaving out the quarterback position correct this is a guy that that that is is you know sits high in many councils um on on mock draft days and a lot of people around here forgotten about him because he simply he opted out of this this year's festivities in college football, which

is another reason why this draft is so important and you can't miss. And the one guy, the weapon that I think is, there are two guys that I think that are weapons that are absolutely cannot miss, and the first one is Jamar Chase, wide receiver out of LSU. This is a man that we all heard last year, the Patriots, nobody can get separation. This guy could be in another time zone before you blink. He has hands that are almost glue-like there are plenty of playmakers

in this draft but Chase is the playmaker he's the best playmaker he's the guy who makes turns quarterbacks into Heisman Trophy winners and MVPs at this level if he is there or if there's an opportunity to move up a few spots

and grab him while everybody else is chasing the next great quarterback that is not going to work out, this is the guy that I want. Yeah, and it's hard-pressed to say that I can argue with you or tell you that you're wrong on that. Look, his 2019 season was a thing of beauty set the single season sec record for receiving yards 1780 of those by the way folks touchdowns 20 um you know his route running technique to me is what sets him apart this is one thing that I loved about a guy like Justin Jefferson last year just the route running ability

reminded me so much of Stefan Diggs and it's ironic that he ended up in Minnesota filling that role. And even though Diggs has gone on to great heights with the Buffalo Bills this year, Justin Jefferson projects to be that type of player, maybe even better as he progresses along. But Jamar Chase has that ability. He does have elite route running, great hands, great ball skills. I like what he can do after the catch. He's a yak guy, Murph, so I'm not surprised to hear you say that you like this kid. And I think he's actually shown some pretty good opportunities to block.

He is a guy that's not afraid to get his body in there and do what he needs to do. We've seen him do that at LSU a little bit. His size, his athleticism, they're definite assets. I wouldn't say they're elite. That's something that he may have to project a little bit or maybe compensate for in the NFL. But I think that Chase really can fit into all schemes. And I think he would be a guy that comes in, immediately makes an impact on this Patriots offense. And let's face it, wide receiver is an area where the Pats did need some help, and they will continue to need some help into the 2021 season,

regardless of who is throwing in the football. And we will get into that, folks. But Murph's not done yet with his leaderboard. We wanted the top name. We've got the top name. So now, buddy, keep your GM hat on for just another moment jamar chase off the board not possible someone else took him broke your heart but you've got to regroup and now you're committed to making this offense better in 2021 who's your number two man on the board for

the patriots at number 15 or if jamar Chase is off the board even sooner than that, who's the guy you might even be willing to trade up for that's a can't-miss prospect that needs to be in a Patriots uniform in 2021? I'm sorry, folks, but I've been brainwashed. And it's, you know, our good friend Evan Lazar has done this to me. And I dove into the tape in a huge way on this guy trying, trying to be able to pick him apart and go back. Because I love having a good time with EZ. He's got a good sense of humor. And we go back and forth and do this almost every year during the draft.

But I can't do it. I can't pick the guy apart, man. It's Kyle Pitts, a tight end out of Florida. And yes, folks, I know, we drafted two third-round tight ends last year. I don't care. I don't give a hang. It makes no difference to me, and believe me, it makes no difference to Bill. Kyle Pitts is the next best game changer in this draft. He can play inside or outside.

You can move him anywhere. He has a wide receiver's speed and length and the prototypical tight end body to be able to go inside and line up on the line of scrimmage. The man is a red zone weapon like no other that I've seen in maybe four or five drafts. He's not covered. You can't cover him. You can have two people around you, and he's not covered. He can reach up. He can reach back. He can reach around people and pick balls out of the air. His catch radius is off the chart.

He'll go over the top of defensive backs and snatch balls for them. Tom Brady would love this individual, and so do I, and so does EZ Lazar, so I've got to give the tip of the cap to him. But this is my second man on my wish list to go in the first round at 15 or even at 10. If they could trade up just five spots and grab him, I would be thrilled, overwhelmed with joy. This kid is—you want a playmaker? This is a playmaker right here. Well said. And the more I look

at film on Pitts, the more I warm to him as well. You mentioned Evan Mazar. Our good mutual friend Mark Schofield loves this guy. And absolutely, we've talked, Mark and I have talked several times offline. We've talked online here on Locked On Patriots about his love for Kyle

Pitts and how he'd love to see this kid in Patriot blue. He's a mismatch for everybody. For everyone. He's a mismatch. Linebackers, safeties for quarterback. You can't

stop him. It's sick. It's actually sick to watch this guy play football. And you guys know me. I don't watch college football. I don't. This man made me – college football exists simply to provide me with game tape for this time of year. Watching him play football in the tape that I've watched made me rethink my religion.

Bless you, my son. But in any case, Murph, I agree with you. I mean, the more I watch on him and the more I really absorb what Kyle Pitts can do, he's a can't miss prospect. And you can't say that about that many guys. I know that's thrown around and it's done for sensationalism. I get it. It's a part of what we do in our business, but this kid really is a can't miss. And Claire, I know you love you some Pat Fryermouth and I do too. I think Pat Fryermouth is someone that can be a good fit in this system as well. But Kyle Pitts is that one guy that I would move up to get. And look, one of the big problems or one of the issues, I shouldn't say big problems because he really doesn't have any red flags,

but one of the issues that I had with Kyle was his ability to block. I looked at him more as a Travis Kelsey than a Rob Gronkowski. I've seen certain circumstances in games with Florida where he was more than serviceable as a run blocker. So, you know, you want to talk about dominant in the passing game. This guy is definitely that six foot six, great size. He plays as big as his size indicates. Reminds me of Rob in that regard. He's not too big for his size. He's not too small for his size. He's just right. He knows how to utilize it to his advantage. And that's something that I think is going to make him a great option in the NFL this kid can line up all over the place you mentioned he can line up outside he can line

up in the slot which we've seen Gronkowski do several times he's one of the better tight ends of being able to do that he can place his hand in the dirt he can get in the muck with everyone else he can line up as an F tight end because he's got that combination of size, athleticism, and hands. Joker, Joker, Joker. Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, he can do things as a run blocker right now. We've seen him do it as a one-on-one. He's not afraid to get his hands dirty.

And this kid can work on that. And with the proper coaching here in New England, which he will get, he doesn't shy away from blocking. He's just not good at it. Right. Exactly. He's just not excellent at it, and he can get better. You know, the bottom line with him, though,

is that he caught 43 passes for 770 yards, and he had 12 touchdowns, and he only played eight games. Right. Eight games, people. You know, he's it. The man doesn't drop anything in the red zone. 12 touchdowns, and he only played eight games. Eight games, people. You know, he's it. The man doesn't drop anything in the red zone. I think EZ tweeted that out a few weeks ago,

and somebody else said it and took credit for it yesterday. But he has not dropped a red zone pass in his life, in his college life. It's sick. It is. Go get me this man, and I will do cartwheels from here to Bangor, Maine. It's sick. It is. Go get me this band, and I will do cartwheels from here to Bangor, Maine. Yeah, absolutely. And you know what? I'm on the Pitts train right now myself,

so we got Easy, we got Schofield, we got you, and I've hopped along that bandwagon too, folks. I say this is a kid that the Patriots could really do some amazing things with. But you know what, bud? Bottom line, whether it's Jamar Chase, whether it's Kyle Pitts, there are other options out there as well.

People talk about Devontae Smith out of Alabama. I've heard a lot of different options. I've even heard Terrence Marshall out of LSU as a possibility, people that the Patriots have their eyes on. But regardless of what, these guys are going to be as good as the quarterback throwing them the football.

And we've shied away from the quarterback position in the draft. And I'm kind of glad we've done that. Steve and I went pretty heavy on quarterbacks yesterday, whether it be Justin Fields, whether it be Mac Jones, or whether it be Kellen Mond. We talked a lot about those guys. But Murph, thank you very much. I appreciate that. But bottom line, we're hearing more that the Patriots are going to be going the veteran route, that they're going to be looking for a veteran, someone that they may use mid round draft capital to bring in a guy that we trust implicitly, uh, with the NFL network, uh, went on WEI radio yesterday and said that he believes that there's about a 38 to 40% chance

that Cam Newton comes back and is the signal caller for this team. We're hearing a lot of analysts. Uh, I'll be honest with you. That's some of the rumblings I'm hearing in the people that I talk to close to the team. Again, that's not coming from the team, folks. That's coming from people that are close, friend of a friend type deal. So I don't want to worry anyone or panic anyone here because certain members of the fan base are ready to break out in a cold sweats when you mention Cam Newton coming back. We've also heard recently Scott Zolak had something to say about Jimmy Garoppolo being the primary option. But when you look at the quarterback position, what's going to be your ideal fit for the Patriots? Where do you think they're going to go from here?

And what impact could this decision have on the draft coming up? I don't think it's going to have much impact on this year's draft unless something out of the blue happens and you get one of these, the top two quarterbacks falling, or even the top three falling down the draft board in the way that only Dan Marino did. And I can't see that happening with these guys. I do believe that it's going to be a veteran.

I believe everything that Mike Giardi has ever said. So you have to put that as a possibility. Personally, I believe that Bill is doing Cam a solid. He wants to help him get his next job. He likes Cam. He likes Cam a lot. But he also knows that you can't put Cam Newton under center here in New England and not have people burning down star markets over it.

I don't think he's going to be coming back. The guy that I want to see them give up some mid-round draft capital to go get is Gardner Minshew. You know, Minshew is a name that I don't hear enough of. I mentioned it in the special edition that we published over the weekend here on Locked On Patriots about guys that could possibly be a fit, a one-year stopgap type deal, maybe someone that could come in, learn the system, and maybe be a better quarterback here than anyone ever thought. I'm surprised this has not gained a little bit more traction.

It makes a lot of sense. If the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to go with Trevor Lawrence, and I think it's almost a foregone conclusion that that will happen, you can't imagine that Gardner's going to stick around and be the backup when he knows he can start in this league. That could be an option. So keep a sharp eye on that, folks. And, you know, I do agree.

I know it's been argued by me, the defense, Vincent LaGuardia Gambini over here, that, you know, Cam Newton maybe with a full arsenal, maybe with a full offseason, with a full training camp, with, you know, another couple of guys to throw to. And, you know, if the man can't – I'm sorry, bud. I'm sorry. The man can't throw anymore. He can't hit a screen pass.

I can't get a wheel route out of the backfield. He made White irrelevant last year. I can't do it. I can't do another season of it. I just can't. No, and you know, I think that's a good point on White, by the way. I was actually a guest on Locked On Giants here on the Locked On Podcast Network. My good friend and colleague Patricia Trena does an amazing job of covering the New York Giants, has for years. And one of her questions about James White was what was the reason for the dip? Because she is of the like mind of me that the Giants are at least going to try to kick the tires on him.

I'm not saying that's going to be his preferred destination, but there's a familiarity with Joe judge. He knows the value of guys like James white. And she wondered why the production happened this year. And obviously you can point to the, you know, the problems that, yeah.

And you, and you can also, you know, point to the difficulties that, you know, he had off the field as well, but that all factors in. And the fact that he was not utilized in that role as effectively as he has been, folks,

does not mean that James White has regressed. I don't believe he has at all. And whatever team he goes to in 2021, I would love to see him come back here, but I don't know, buddy, I just don't see it happening. Whatever team he goes to in 2021 is going to find that out very quickly. James White is the real deal, and I think he's going to show you that again. I think the Giants will kick the tires. You'll see Tampa Bay kick the tires.

You'll see Miami. And here's my sleeper one on James White, Tennessee. Tennessee could be an option, and I'm surprised that doesn't come up enough as well. Mike Vrabel loves guys that know his system and know how to win the way Patriots know how to win, and that would not surprise me. I think he could throw Green Bay into the mix as well. I'm not saying that's going to be his destination, but that's a guy that could really help Aaron Rodgers, especially on third down.

You could really see him fitting very well into that offense. Right, but I think James wants to get, even if not stay here, which is home, get closer to home. So look to Miami and look to Tampa. And, you know, those are concerns that he's going to have. And another thing, you folks can go back and look at it. I've said for years, guys in their contract year, their play time and their utilization here in New England goes down. Yeah, absolutely. It just does.

Yeah, there is empirical proof to prove it, buddy. As much as I would love to tell you you're wrong and I would love to get on my litigating soapbox and try to prove the converse, it's hard to ignore the black and white evidence. Buddy, what can I say? You lend your wisdom, your counsel like no other. That's why your family here at Locked On Patriots, the 1,000th episode has you as the guest, and I could not be prouder of that.

I thank you so much for joining me today. Folks, you should already be following this man, but for the benefit of our new listeners, which we continue to get on a daily basis, and I'm humbled by that, folks, please follow my good friend, the Count of Murphy Fisto himself on Twitter, at TeamMurph207.

Never miss Murph's monster keys. You will continue to see them throughout the offseason, especially when it comes to draft profiling. As I like to say, they're point, click, learn, enrichment material. Always makes you a better football fan, a more informed football fan. And, of course, those are proudly found on diehardbostonsportsfans.com. And I would be remiss if I told you to never miss an episode of One Patriot's Place with my good friend Murph,

yesterday's guest, our resident voice of reason, Steve Balistrieri, and, of course, the Countess of class herself miss claire cooper buddy thank you again i'm always honored always humbled by your presence no thank you bud and you know i i love the fact that karma put it this way but you know being the 1000th guest on this show for the 1,000th episode of this show. It's touching, it's humbling, and I appreciate it. But I'll be back any time you want me. Oh, our pleasure. And you know you're going to be back on Locked on Murph Monday here

coming up to talk more draft, more news notes and analysis from Foxborough, anything and everything related to our New England Patriots. You and I will have it covered, and I always love kicking off the week with you. So thank you for joining me here today on this episode, and we look forward to talking ball with you again next week. In the meantime, stay safe and stay well, my friend. You too, bud. You too. Just like that, Patriots fans,

we are now more than halfway through your work week. And if you enjoyed today's 1,000th episode of Locked On Patriots, then I'd say it's a pretty safe bet to say that you're going to love episode 1001. Pat's Pulpits' Taylor Kyles will join me here tomorrow, fresh off an appearance on WEI Radio. Taylor has had some very strong opinions on the Patriots quarterback situation, and you can bet we'll talk about that, and also some off-season strategy when it comes to your favorite team in Foxborough.

So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, download and subscribe to the Locked On Patriots podcast on platforms such as Spotify, Radio.com, Google Podcasts, Apple 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 Thomas Murphy for joining me here on this 1,000th episode of the pod. I thank him for his time, his insight, and his appearance. But most of all, I sincerely and humbly thank each and every one of you for continuing to

make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Here's to the next 1,000 episodes of the pod, folks. And until tomorrow, Foxborough faithful, stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.