After taking a big Xs/Os dive into the Patriots' new offense, Andrew explains why Drake Maye is a perfect fit for the system offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt has brought to New England. Later, he answers your mailbag questions on Eliot Wolf, the Pats' ongoing rebuild, front office changes, and more.
0:00: Rookie Minicamp Overview
3:41: How will Drake Maye fit with Alex Van Pelt?
8:36: Mailbag
10:56: Prizepicks
11:38: Mailbag
22:23: Gametime
23:59: Mailbag
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0:00: Rookie Minicamp Overview
3:41: How will Drake Maye fit with Alex Van Pelt?
8:36: Mailbag
10:56: Prizepicks
11:38: Mailbag
22:23: Gametime
23:59: Mailbag
Get in on the excitement with PrizePicks, America’s No. 1 Fantasy Sports App, where you can turn your hoops knowledge into serious cash. Download the app today and use code CLNS for a first deposit match up to $100! Pick more. Pick less. It’s that Easy!
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SportsTranscript
00:00 [MUSIC]
00:10 So while some in the Boston sports scene might let you down in their second
00:16 appearance this week.
00:18 Celtics playing basketball and wearing green.
00:20 God, what a sucky loss that was.
00:23 I will not hear Friday.
00:25 And I say that because you are not gonna get me for two times a week,
00:28 much more for the next couple of months.
00:30 We're heading into the dead period.
00:32 You will get full breakdowns on OTAs, mini camp, projections,
00:36 roster thoughts, all of that stuff, all the Intel, all the breakdowns coming up.
00:39 It's just gonna be once a week for the next couple of months per my agreement
00:42 here with CLNS, which has been fantastic.
00:45 Now that that and the Celtics bashing is out of the way,
00:48 I am here to tell you a couple things.
00:50 One, we are gonna talk about Drake May and his fit in this new offense.
00:53 I spent a lot of time this week outside of the garden looking at Alex Van Pelt's
00:57 offense in Cleveland, something I had already done.
00:59 But really, you get the basics down, let's dive into the nuance.
01:03 And specifically what he did with Joe Flacco, which I wanna be clear,
01:07 Drake May obviously is not cement footed 39 year old gray beard Joe Flacco.
01:12 But he is someone similarly armed with a cannon on his right shoulder,
01:16 who is going to be able to bring to life the deepest attacking offense
01:20 in the NFL last year.
01:22 Let me repeat that.
01:23 The Cleveland Browns with Joe Flacco tried to cover more yards through
01:28 the air on pass attempts than any other offense in the league.
01:32 So we're gonna talk about that.
01:34 We're gonna get to a lot of mailbag questions for you,
01:36 including some folks last week who didn't get their questions answered.
01:40 Emily, Joe, there's another podcast that's asking questions from their own account.
01:45 You guys are all gonna get your answers plus the folks who asked this week,
01:48 every single question answered.
01:49 So the housekeeping is out of the way.
01:52 It'll be once a week moving forward.
01:54 We're gonna talk Drake May.
01:54 The last thing is this.
01:56 Again, recording here Friday.
01:57 Rookie mini camp is underway right now as I record.
02:02 All the rookies including May arrived yesterday, acclimated, hey,
02:06 how are you, classroom equipment, playbook, all this different stuff in person.
02:11 They're practicing today along with the undrafted free agents,
02:15 along with other players who were just invited on a tryout basis.
02:18 I think the Patriots have one roster spot open right now.
02:21 If not, they have zero.
02:22 And they might have to shuffle things around if some of these guys impress them.
02:27 And then they're gonna practice Saturday.
02:28 It'll be short.
02:29 It'll be a practice in front of the media about an hour long drive.
02:31 Mayo's gonna speak, in my understanding,
02:34 he's got five or six rookies speak after that.
02:37 Just a word of caution.
02:38 You're as excited about seeing Drake May and Jayvon Baker and Jalen Polk as I am.
02:44 But, but, but, but, but, but, we cannot, again,
02:48 forget the context of its rookie minicamp with no pads and
02:53 practicing against dudes who are here on a tryout basis.
02:58 So Drake May might look great.
03:01 He might look like crap.
03:02 Jayvon Baker might drop two passes.
03:04 He could catch 200 touchdowns.
03:05 I largely don't care at this point.
03:07 It will be good to make an introduction.
03:10 This is a handshake.
03:11 It could be hard.
03:12 It could be soft.
03:13 But if you're sitting down in an interview or on a date, first of all,
03:15 hopefully you're not shaking hands at the start of the date.
03:17 Maybe your date's not mine.
03:21 But what matters is what happens after that.
03:24 The deeper you get into this relationship, the more time you spend,
03:26 the more things that you learn.
03:28 Handshake's important.
03:28 That's all this is gonna be, and that might even be overstating it.
03:31 So it'll be good to learn.
03:32 It'll be good to see.
03:33 Just remember, this is a non-padded practice, only rookies, and
03:37 then players who, as far as the front office feels,
03:40 stink worse than the guys that they drafted.
03:42 That's that. Okay, let's talk about Drake May.
03:45 I've spent a lot of time talking about Drake May.
03:47 I'm gonna spend more time talking about Drake May.
03:48 He's the quarterback of the Patriots.
03:50 It's the arm, it's the mobility, it's the talent, it's the fact that he's 21.
03:53 That's all why he's here.
03:55 He is also a really great fit for this Alex Van Pelt offense,
04:00 which doesn't have me, I would say, overly excited or enthusiastic or
04:05 confident from an X and O standpoint as far as the nuance.
04:07 But in getting to understand, again, beyond the basics of what he wants to do,
04:13 May is an unbelievable fit for what Cleveland was doing last year,
04:17 specifically with Blackburn, sometimes even earlier.
04:20 Because the defining characteristic of this offense is bombs away.
04:26 Play action bootlegs, standard play action, other movement throws,
04:30 stretching the sideline with three level concepts, short flat route,
04:34 a deep out, and then either a post corner, a corner, or just a go.
04:38 That will allow Drake to not only have simplified reads, but
04:42 read to get the ball, weigh the bleep downfield.
04:45 And so what I found, not only is just he's gonna be a fit for this,
04:49 able to run boots, throw across his body, be able to throw deep.
04:52 But the way that the Browns attacked certain corners, certain defenders,
04:56 putting them in high low, you think of a linebacker dropping in zone, right?
05:00 And underneath shallow, shallow cross, and then a dig going behind him,
05:03 very basic stuff.
05:05 The way that they attack different defenses structurally was more impressive
05:09 to me, honestly, than when I first did a deep dive into Alex Van Pelt,
05:12 just looking at the bones of the offense.
05:14 And so for example, and I wrote about this Thursday,
05:16 this is why we're talking about it here today.
05:18 Not only am I confident May is gonna be a fit,
05:20 it doesn't mean he's going to thrive immediately.
05:22 But they'll run, as we've all seen now for decades, these outside zone handoffs.
05:28 The offensive line's in unison going one way,
05:30 the running back is going right behind them.
05:32 You saw the Colts do this with Peyton Manning for years and
05:34 years against the Patriots.
05:36 And then he pulls the ball, and Peyton would usually just stand there cuz he
05:39 wasn't a bootleg quarterback.
05:41 But May is gonna be able to run a bootleg, a naked,
05:45 going back the other way with no blocking to help him.
05:48 And so in these cases, sometimes he's just throwing a straight goal ball
05:52 against certain corners, like an example I cited in my breakdown of
05:55 thebostonherald.com, please go find this, I tweeted it out as well.
05:58 They'll run a double move, so it looks like he's running a go,
06:02 then he makes a quick step to the sideline, and then it becomes an out and up.
06:06 So you're trying to get the corner to bite,
06:07 thinking maybe this is a comeback throw.
06:09 And in addition to, you're changing those routes, whether it's the corner,
06:13 whether it's the post, whether it's the go, the out and up.
06:16 They'll give him options underneath.
06:18 And so again, simplified reads that play to his strengths and
06:22 work with stuff that we know, again, for decades, with all the Shanahan offenses,
06:26 not talking Kyle, but Mike, that can, as long as everyone else obviously meets him
06:32 with their performance around him, we don't know how that's gonna go.
06:34 I'm just very encouraged by the fit, and there's a lot more to go.
06:37 Where it could be bootleg, it could be standard play action throws,
06:40 where you have Patriots and Josh McDaniels did this all the time.
06:43 A post on one side, so think about receiver goes 15, 18 yards upfield,
06:48 breaks at a 45 degree angle over the middle, on the opposite side, same deal.
06:52 Except at 15 to 18 yards, he's running a dig.
06:55 So you have a 45 degree angle, and then a 90 degree angle.
06:59 And I know the folks on YouTube right now are going, just show us the clip.
07:02 I gotta be honest, for a guy who's now covering the Patriots and the Celtics, and
07:06 now doing this as a side hustle, and I love it, and this has been fulfilling.
07:10 And we're gonna get better, we're gonna do more things.
07:11 I didn't have the time right now to draw up this play.
07:13 So bear with me in my hand gestures as I make a 45 degree angle and
07:17 a right angle 90 degree with a dig coming underneath the post.
07:21 The example I just gave about the linebacker having to deal with the shallow
07:25 cross and the dig behind it, it's the same idea up top with the safety.
07:29 The Browns did that on the first play of a big win at Houston,
07:33 that basically locked them up a playoff spot.
07:35 And that stuff that can work with Drake May right away.
07:38 Max protection, you're about the offensive line,
07:40 you're worried, are they gonna be able to hold up?
07:43 Just throw seven guys, eight guys in pass protection.
07:46 Send the two downfield, Javon Baker or Jalen Polk or Tyquan Thornton,
07:52 if you're an eternal optimist, downfield to go get that ball, KJ Osborne.
07:56 And let him just make the simple read of the single high safety.
07:59 Is he taking the dig that's coming up 90 degrees over the middle of the field or
08:03 will it be the post?
08:03 Cuz Drake may can make those throws.
08:05 That's why he was drafted.
08:07 And those are the things you can play to while he works on his rhythm,
08:10 his footwork, some of the quick game stuff.
08:12 And the Browns sprinkled in some RPOs and
08:15 easy quick game stuff that I think again is easily defined.
08:19 I'm just really encouraged for the time that I did get to spend this week,
08:22 diving deep into those concepts about what he's gonna be able to do.
08:26 Easily, clearly defined windows, deep throws, going bombs away.
08:31 That's what the kid can do.
08:33 And I think that's what they're gonna have him do here in this new offense.
08:36 All right, let's get to your mailbag questions.
08:39 Grand Jordanian is asking, quote, say the Patsy this is a two offseason rebuild.
08:47 Instead of reaching for a developmental left tackle in 2024,
08:50 they say we'll pick top 10 in 2025 and we'll grab a day one franchise left tackle.
08:55 Move Kane Wallace to right tackle, Mike Owenu to right guard.
08:58 With center responsibilities in AVP scheme,
09:00 maybe the Graham Cole strange to be a center in 2025, thoughts?
09:04 I appreciate the detail.
09:07 I feel like this is a question I would have sent in if I was on the other side of
09:10 this podcast because there's a lot of moving parts you're trying to look ahead.
09:14 And this is how the front offices are really working, right?
09:18 What's our plan now?
09:18 What do we wanna do next?
09:19 And how do we get there and beyond?
09:21 I would say overall, this is optimistic.
09:23 First of all, because the franchise left tackle there very well may be one.
09:28 And for example, this year was Joe Alt, right?
09:30 A guy that everyone agreed, draft, plug and play, can't miss day one.
09:35 Just set it and forget it.
09:36 The draft is still with guys like that, a hit or miss proposition,
09:41 which isn't to say again, I argued for Drake May to be drafted,
09:44 even though the odds of him hitting as a franchise quarterback are below 50.
09:47 You just have to take that chance.
09:49 What I would say is, Caden going back to right tackle,
09:51 we don't know if that's gonna be a success.
09:53 Cole Strange doesn't have any center experience in the NFL.
09:57 And if Mike Unwinu just got paid $20 million, and
09:59 some guards are getting paid close to that.
10:01 It wasn't exactly 20, but it was in the neighborhood.
10:03 20 million per year for Unwinu, just keep him at right tackle.
10:09 So for me, what I would say I agree with here is that it's a multi offseason
10:13 rebuild, there is some positional flexibility that they're gonna play with.
10:17 We don't know where those pieces are gonna land, and neither do they.
10:20 But I do love the part about this that says, as far as the roster looks right now,
10:25 if they don't sign one, and offensive tackles,
10:27 especially starters are really not traded for in the NFL.
10:30 You at least plan now to draft one day one or day two.
10:34 That's my favorite part about this.
10:35 I just think all of those things happening as you described them, and
10:39 hitting Strange to center Caden Wallace back to right tackle after he started at
10:42 left tackle in the NFL, and this day one rookie stepping in immediately.
10:47 It's not all gonna happen like that.
10:49 And half of it might not happen, but I think part of this is well thought out and
10:55 just a little bit too hopeful.
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11:37 [BLANK_AUDIO]
11:39 Proud Black Matt, I love this question.
11:44 Who impresses the most in preseason but doesn't make the team?
11:47 Let's call this the Austin Carr Memorial Award, okay?
11:51 The year before I got on the beat, my God, Austin Carr's gonna make the team.
11:54 He's catching all these passes, he's doing, he's the star of the preseason.
11:58 We had, it's gonna be a throwback, a running back.
12:02 He was late rounder on draft that at Ole Miss my first year in 2018.
12:05 He scored a touchdown in the ropener.
12:07 This is gonna kill me, so I'm gonna let it go now.
12:09 That did, everyone hyped up immediately because of what Matt is saying.
12:14 So who's gonna be that person this year?
12:16 Well, first of all, I would say the percentage that this player even exists is
12:19 lower than most years, right?
12:21 Because the roster is not as talented.
12:24 So the Patriots can't afford to be like, hey, Austin Carr, we know you impressed,
12:29 and you might not be that good, but we just can't take that chance because we have
12:32 to play what's left of Juju instead.
12:35 We have to roll the dice with third year.
12:37 If you surprise, you play well, you practice well,
12:39 you're probably making the team for the Patriots.
12:41 That all said, my answer would be Jalen Rager.
12:44 Because I think the players that stay in our memory a little bit or
12:50 get more attention in the preseason, right?
12:52 Then Keishon Booty takes a simple slant against very soft coverage in Green Bay,
12:57 second week of preseason last year, to the house touchdown.
13:00 Everyone's like, my God, there he is, a six man receiver.
13:03 And to your credit, he made the team, he locked up his job.
13:06 I think it was a commentary on the rest of the depth chart, but that's an example.
13:09 Guys who make a splash in the preseason, receivers who score touchdowns,
13:14 defensive backs who gamble and get interceptions,
13:16 people who contribute on special teams.
13:18 Jalen Rager fits two out of those three boxes, okay?
13:21 He's got the speed, I just don't think there's a good reason to mess around with
13:25 him anymore.
13:26 I don't think he makes the team, but if he scored a kick return touchdown, or
13:29 he wins a 50-50 ball and pulls away for a touchdown, everyone's going, my God,
13:33 they finally did it.
13:33 This team got the best out of Jalen Rager.
13:35 He scored a touchdown last year against Buffalo.
13:37 I just, I can't make the case, I don't see it.
13:40 So that would be my top nominee.
13:42 Sneaky, I don't want to say dark horse, we're all very familiar with him.
13:46 Billy Zappi, not because they would cut him if he had a good preseason, but
13:51 because his trade stock at that point would be as high as it's been,
13:55 probably since the end of this past season.
13:57 And at that point, you just deal him, you stick with Joel Milton and
13:59 Drake May, Jacoby Brissett, and move on.
14:02 Waterboys, quote, do you have any idea why the Crafts refused to give the title
14:06 of general manager?
14:08 How does it benefit the team and or the Crafts by not giving out that title?
14:11 Good question.
14:12 This is one that I think we all ask of the Belichick operation too, right?
14:18 Like, why don't you just call Brian Flores, the coordinator?
14:20 He's calling the plates, he's leading the meetings.
14:22 Why don't you just do it?
14:23 This is frustrating.
14:24 It seems to be counterintuitive and counterproductive.
14:27 And at that point, Flores, 18, the only year he held that title.
14:31 No one really cared.
14:32 They had come off of two straight Super Bowls, they were going to a third.
14:35 But it becomes more of an issue when things are bad.
14:37 So I would say that's the first part of this.
14:39 The Crafts are struggling right now, certainly from an optics standpoint.
14:44 They're not doing good business, I think, with this sham of a GM search.
14:48 And so we question these things more, we care about them more,
14:51 because there's not winning to just deodorize the whole operation.
14:55 What I would say is, my understanding is, that they see the general manager title,
14:59 the position, the way it's heard and it's seen and it's viewed and accepted,
15:04 as this all-powerful being over football operations.
15:07 And they don't want that.
15:09 And if they do want that, as they did with Belichick,
15:11 you were the head coach first, and that's good enough.
15:14 It's understood, he's the de facto GM over time.
15:18 Whether that's right or wrong, you couldn't just say,
15:20 "Hey, the GM reports to ownership equally as a head coach will."
15:24 Which is going to be the setup between Mayo, the head coach,
15:27 and presumably Elliot Wolfe, who's the executive vice president of player personnel.
15:31 Which again, I, as someone who's going to have to type out that title a lot,
15:34 would prefer just GM, but it's not going to happen.
15:37 That belief, or their attitude towards this, that's the best way to put it,
15:40 their attitude is that, if someone's going to report equally as a head coach,
15:45 we don't want that title to seem more important.
15:47 And that's it.
15:49 Fuad, "Are there any names within the front office whose contracts are running out
15:53 that we could expect to leave the team?
15:55 And could we see an overhaul if and when Wolfe becomes EVP?"
15:59 I like EVP.
16:00 Thanks as always.
16:02 So here's the thing, you've heard me report, write, tweet, say in this podcast,
16:07 that there are multiple players, or players, maybe there are players in the front office,
16:12 executives, scouts, whose contracts are up at the end of this month.
16:16 And they are sitting here, waiting, hands clasped,
16:19 dwindling their thumbs going, "Do I know who my boss is?
16:23 Do I know if I'm even going to be able to stay?"
16:26 Because they don't right now.
16:27 And that's frustrating for them, dealing with their livelihoods,
16:30 and of course, their families.
16:31 What I would say is, if I started sharing those names publicly in this podcast,
16:36 that violates some trust in a way that I've been able to speak with people in that front office.
16:40 And when I say generally, that there are people who exist like that,
16:43 you know, it opens up the pool of people who might have told me that.
16:47 But these are trusted sources.
16:49 People who I've built relationships with, and listening them off,
16:52 would not do that any good.
16:53 That said, people in the front office talk, people in the coaching staff talk,
16:56 they know this about one another, who's up and who's not.
16:59 What I would just say is, as specific as I'm willing to get on this,
17:03 is that the range of positions, if you think about a scale of, you know,
17:08 like a hierarchy, right within the front office,
17:10 there are people at the top, there are people in the middle,
17:12 there are people at the bottom, from a personnel standpoint,
17:16 whose contracts are up at the end of this month.
17:18 So yes, there are people.
17:20 And there are people within other teams who have asked me,
17:23 "Hey, who are these guys' names?"
17:24 So I'm not just holding out on you.
17:25 And I told them, "Look, if you want to know, go ask them,
17:29 but I'm not here to tell you because that was not information
17:31 specifically volunteered to me that I was allowed to move forward with publicly."
17:36 I can generalize, as I have and will tell you now,
17:39 but that's as specific as I can go.
17:40 They're near the top, they're in the middle of the front office,
17:42 and they're near the bottom.
17:45 And will they overhaul?
17:46 I don't think they'll totally overhaul the front office.
17:50 I think they're going to keep people in place.
17:52 It's a younger front office.
17:54 You think about a guy like Cam Williams,
17:55 who's I think around 30, Director of College Scouting,
17:58 ex-football player, he's local to New England, played at Ohio State.
18:02 He's risen up the ranks really quickly.
18:04 Even Matt Groh has.
18:05 I mean, he's not a young guy, but his inexperience is...
18:09 You would describe his experience as inexperience at this point,
18:12 given his trajectory and how quickly he climbed up the ladder.
18:15 I think there's talent to develop there.
18:17 And if Elliott trusts the people around him in those roles,
18:22 maybe they do stick.
18:23 But guys who've been around longer than say Cam Williams,
18:26 who I think is in his early 30s,
18:28 might be just 30 and that's it, or 29.
18:32 Those guys who say, "Okay, my resume is longer.
18:34 I can go somewhere else and get an executive title."
18:36 Those might be the people to leave, but I don't know.
18:38 We'll find out.
18:39 Mike, thinking about new kickoff rules.
18:42 Is Marcus Jones still the return guy?
18:44 Or is a player like Jaheim Bell,
18:46 seventh round tied to Edna at a Florida State, fit the mold?
18:49 I like your thinking, Mike.
18:50 And I think if I'm reading your question right,
18:53 this is your kind of jumping off point here,
18:57 was Belichick's comment during the draft,
19:00 or maybe it was on McAfee, it was before the draft.
19:03 And it was a great point.
19:04 Still the greatest coach of all time, very smart.
19:07 Smarter than me, obviously.
19:09 And he made the point that on special teams,
19:11 the way that you have the setup now,
19:13 the focus is going to be less on speed
19:15 due to who can run down the length of the battlefield
19:18 and get there first.
19:19 It will be more on size that when you get there,
19:21 because there's less room to cover,
19:22 you need to be able to block and destroy blocks.
19:25 And Jaheim Bell is obviously a lot bigger,
19:28 stronger than Marcus Jones.
19:30 What I would say is though,
19:31 even though he's not lined up immediately
19:34 with those blockers and would be tacklers
19:36 and coverage players in this new kickoff rule.
19:38 Again, guys standing up,
19:39 I think it's 10 yards across from each other.
19:40 And that's it, the returner is behind them.
19:43 You need a combination of short area quickness
19:45 and long speed.
19:47 How can I get through the hole and then take off?
19:51 And I think Marcus Jones is still your guy.
19:52 There's a little bit of vision.
19:54 It's in a shorter area,
19:56 like you might have for a running back,
19:58 starting in the backfield and then goes,
19:59 reads the line and makes a cut.
20:01 I wouldn't want Jaheim Bell at running back.
20:03 That's the simplest way I can put this.
20:04 You would still prefer a Marcus Jones
20:06 who might be a little bit too small,
20:07 but he's not going to get 20 carries.
20:08 He might get four or five kickoff returns.
20:10 And him being smaller, honestly, in my opinion,
20:13 and we'll see how this goes in camp,
20:14 maybe I'm totally wrong.
20:15 Maybe Jeremy Springer, new special teams coordinator,
20:18 just goes, that is the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
20:21 And he puts Jaheim Bell back there.
20:22 But I see it as, I want a smaller guy in that hole,
20:25 be able to avoid tacklers,
20:27 be able to move quickly in space,
20:29 because it's really going to be one cut and go
20:31 on these returns now,
20:32 not weaving through, looking and hitting your long speed
20:36 right as you get into the action.
20:38 Where obviously you wouldn't want Jaheim Bell
20:39 because he runs four six.
20:40 Marcus Jones does not.
20:41 Marcus Jones quickness and size,
20:42 I think is still an advantage in the way
20:44 that you wouldn't want a bigger return.
20:47 IG77, if Wolf is named the EVP,
20:51 Executive Vice President of Player Personnel,
20:54 as everyone expects,
20:54 would you expect Alonzo Highsmith to take over Wolf's
20:57 former role of Director of Scouting?
20:59 Good question.
21:00 I have no idea.
21:03 I think at this point, when we talk about titles
21:06 and the frustration over the GM part,
21:08 and why doesn't Wolf have it yet?
21:10 Why don't you just call in the GM?
21:12 What is the whole point of this?
21:14 We start to conflate the significance of the title
21:18 with the significance of the job, right?
21:20 Like, what are you doing?
21:21 This is Belichick's point all along.
21:22 If he's doing coordinator jobs,
21:24 that matters much more than what I call him
21:26 in the media guide.
21:27 Now there are reasons titles are more important
21:29 than he ever gave voice to, but setting that aside,
21:33 whatever Alonzo Highsmith title is,
21:35 he is going to be in Elliot Wolf's inner circle
21:38 as someone with decades of college scouting experience.
21:41 And he will use that experience to help the Patriots
21:44 in the draft process.
21:46 And at some point, crossover and do some more
21:47 pro scouting stuff.
21:48 But whether he's the Director of Scouting,
21:50 whether he's a Senior Personnel Executive,
21:53 whether he's a College Scouting Director, it doesn't matter.
21:56 The man is a made man.
21:57 He's in the inner circle.
21:58 He's gonna be helping.
21:59 And to me, I don't know how effective he'll be
22:01 in this role.
22:02 People I've talked to like Alonzo,
22:04 they weren't as effusive in their praise
22:06 as they were for Elliot when I wrote that profile
22:07 of him last month.
22:08 But I would just say, I wouldn't focus that much
22:10 on the title.
22:11 And if you do, sure.
22:12 Director of Scouting, absolutely could be in there
22:15 because that means you have a little bit of your hands
22:17 in pro scouting and in college.
22:19 And Highsmith has been around long enough
22:21 to be able to help him do that,
22:22 even if most of his background is in college.
22:25 Okay, so the draft is behind us,
22:27 but that means the best is still ahead of us.
22:29 I'm talking playoff games, Celtics, Bruins,
22:31 and I'll be there covering the Celtics with the Herald.
22:33 We lost our guy, Steve Hewitt,
22:35 which brings me to my real point.
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24:01 Here comes the question from the podcast.
24:04 Pyramid the podcast is asking, quote,
24:06 "Hey, Andrew, love the pot, love the pats, love the beer."
24:09 No beer today, but there will be some this weekend.
24:11 B's and C's are making me nervous.
24:13 "I've been looking at this year as a reset year,
24:15 which encapsulates this year's drafts,
24:17 and trades, and next year's free agents,
24:18 and next year's draft.
24:19 Thus the draft process is really 14 to 16 picks,
24:21 so they don't need more picks.
24:24 Please discuss."
24:25 It's hitting me now, we might've done this last week.
24:27 Again, there were a couple of questions I didn't get to.
24:29 If I did, I'll make this quick.
24:31 If I didn't, we're still gonna go quick
24:33 for the people who listened last week
24:35 to me answer this question.
24:38 What I would say is you always want more picks.
24:41 And that is whether you are the Patriots of old,
24:43 the Patriots of today, or the Patriots of tomorrow.
24:45 Because when you have these draft picks,
24:48 again, you're throwing darts.
24:50 You don't know, unless you're great at darts,
24:52 where they're going to land.
24:53 But I know my chances of hitting 20, or a bullseye,
24:56 or that outer ring of the bullseye,
24:58 which might be part of the bullseye.
24:59 Can you tell I've never really played darts?
25:02 Will be higher of me hitting any of those areas,
25:05 the more that I throw.
25:06 And so you want those picks.
25:08 If I bring them in and then we're seventh round picks,
25:10 and they're on the 90 man roster,
25:11 and they don't cut it and can't, whatever.
25:13 But if they do hit, if they're an undrafted free agent,
25:16 then I'll have to tell you, Malcolm Butler,
25:17 JC Jackson, Jonathan Jones, David Andrews.
25:20 These aren't draft picks, but you bring them in anyway,
25:24 because the payoff is such that it's worth your time.
25:27 It's worth the investment.
25:28 So what I would say is, yes,
25:29 the idea that this is a reset year, a rebuild year.
25:32 And then next year,
25:33 you're really going to start to build on this.
25:35 And the draft is two drafts.
25:37 I would argue it's really going to be three drafts.
25:39 They're going to make or break this next era.
25:41 This year's next year's in 2026.
25:43 But you just want more picks.
25:45 'Cause we're all loving up on Jay Von Baker right now.
25:48 Right?
25:49 Some of the media.
25:50 I will say my expectations are,
25:52 there's a super high ceiling.
25:53 There's also a super low floor.
25:55 We don't know, we're all going to find out.
25:57 But I don't want to bank on this year's draft
25:59 and just next year's draft to fix it.
26:01 'Cause maybe you miss,
26:02 or maybe you have horrible injury luck,
26:04 and Drake May, God forbid,
26:06 tears his ACL in August,
26:07 and you have to wait another year.
26:08 Get more picks.
26:10 Build in some more, you know,
26:13 protect yourself, insulate yourself against that risk.
26:15 Okay?
26:16 Manage it with more picks, more players
26:17 who might be able to build your roster,
26:19 whether it's for this season, next year,
26:20 or the year after.
26:21 So give me all the picks.
26:23 Joe, if May is quote unquote ready,
26:26 but the O-line is not,
26:28 do you see them holding him back
26:29 to protect him both physically and confidence-wise?
26:32 This is going to be,
26:33 I mean, it already has been, right?
26:36 A talking point around the whole Drake May experience
26:39 that we're about to step into.
26:40 He's stepping into right now.
26:41 Again, they're practicing down there in Foxborough.
26:43 Not allowed to the media today, by the way.
26:45 That's why we're not all down there.
26:47 I'll just refer to what Deb McCourty said
26:52 in this podcast last week.
26:53 Someone who had spoken to John Mayo,
26:55 sat in his office, chatted with Matthew Slater.
26:57 They want May to have a stable environment.
27:01 If it's unstable, and it's at least a close competition
27:06 between him and Jacoby Brousset this summer,
27:08 that might be the instance where I've said,
27:10 "Hey, the tie is going to go to the kid.
27:11 "It's going to go to the runner.
27:12 "It's going to go to Drake May."
27:14 They might pull back on that.
27:15 But what is their definition of unstable versus stable?
27:18 If it's just one spot and they say,
27:19 "Oh, we can scheme around left tackle.
27:21 "We can, you know, again, RPO, quick game,
27:23 "run at it, boot the opposite way,
27:25 "double team, slide, chip, whatever,
27:27 "all of these solutions, we can make it work."
27:30 Fine, it doesn't mean it will work,
27:31 but the coaches talk themselves into stuff all of the time.
27:36 Okay, in the same way you and I do
27:37 in other parts of our lives.
27:38 They just do it on Sundays,
27:39 and we all find out whether they were right or wrong.
27:41 So I do see that they could hold him back.
27:44 I just don't know what the threshold is of that, right?
27:47 Does it have to be a complete disaster,
27:50 if May performs well, for them to go,
27:52 "Look, you won the starting job,
27:54 "head to head with Jacoby Brissett,
27:56 "but we can't risk running you out there, as you said,
28:00 "at the chance that we might ruin you."
28:02 Their definition of this will ruin him
28:06 might be much different from mine,
28:08 it might be different from yours.
28:09 We don't know, and we'll find out.
28:10 Hopefully we don't find out, right?
28:11 Things just go well.
28:13 Guys are healthy, they perform.
28:14 I'm not saying I want them to win
28:16 every single game next year.
28:17 It's just to say that you get a chance to find out.
28:20 If things are somewhere in the middle,
28:22 or lean towards worst case scenario,
28:24 we might not find out anything.
28:25 May might not play, and even if he does,
28:27 he's in an environment that has us going
28:29 like we were after year two of Mac Jones,
28:31 being like, "Was that him,
28:33 "or was that on the supporting cast?"
28:36 And I got to tell you, having done that podcast,
28:38 having had those conversations, that gets tiresome.
28:41 That sucks.
28:42 So I want to find out one way or another.
28:44 Last one.
28:45 This is from Emily.
28:45 Definitely didn't do this question last week.
28:48 Quote, "Overall, I would give the draft to B."
28:50 Hey, me too.
28:51 "They definitely improved the offense,
28:53 "and I'm thrilled with May.
28:54 "A little disappointed about not getting
28:56 "legit left tackle or true number one.
28:57 "Any insights on why they passed an A.D. Mitchell,
29:00 "Texas receiver who went to the Colts?
29:02 "Aside from what we've already heard,
29:04 "how bad could he be that he went 52nd overall?"
29:08 So a couple things on this.
29:11 One, I would tell you,
29:12 actually, it's gonna be three things.
29:14 It wasn't just the Patriots who passed an A.D. Mitchell
29:16 at 37, and at 34, right?
29:19 They trade back, deal with the Chargers,
29:21 come up, get Latt McConkie, the Patriots take Polk.
29:23 Teams passing him at 38, they passing him at 40,
29:25 they passing him at 42, and 45, and 46, and 47,
29:28 and 50, and 51, until 52, and the Colts celebrated.
29:32 Like Chris Ballard, who I said before,
29:34 might be the most overrated GM in the league.
29:36 The Colts have not won a division title
29:38 since he's been there, seven years.
29:41 And so the Colts are happy.
29:42 And hopefully, again, A.D. Mitchell hits,
29:44 we all reach our potential and stay healthy.
29:46 But to me, that should tell you something.
29:49 It wasn't just the Patriots passed on him.
29:51 It was at least half of the league did, twice,
29:55 including the first round.
29:57 And Mitchell was not beloved by,
30:00 I would say, the analytics community,
30:02 that you could see on Twitter,
30:03 as far as his yards per route run,
30:05 yards per snap, right?
30:08 And Texas had other weapons.
30:10 Again, these stats do not fully encapsulate
30:12 any player's production, or ability, or potential.
30:14 But painting that, along with questions about his health,
30:19 and as someone who has diabetes,
30:21 not an expert, stepping away from this immediately,
30:23 but as a factor for teams and weighing,
30:25 well, do we wanna just take Jalen Polk?
30:27 Do we wanna take Ladd McConkie, or roll the dice,
30:28 and this kid who's, you know, we all saw at the Combine,
30:31 big, fast, incredibly acrobatic and athletic.
30:35 But what's the long-term upside here?
30:37 And he was also a player that you bet on upside.
30:40 And so I don't know how the interviews went.
30:42 I think that is definitely a part
30:44 that doesn't get discussed,
30:45 and partly rightfully so, right?
30:47 Like if I'm throwing out, oh, there's character issues,
30:49 and I'm not saying this about Mitchell,
30:51 I better be able to tell you why.
30:53 There better be a police report,
30:54 there better be examples of coaches who can explain
30:57 he didn't show up to weightlift, or do all these things,
30:58 not these nebulous, vague, this guy's kind of a jerk,
31:01 when I don't know him, okay?
31:03 The same as I would hope anyone would do
31:05 for someone that you don't really know.
31:06 So we don't say that.
31:08 But what I would say is,
31:09 when a player slips a little bit more than expected,
31:13 that might be the reason why.
31:15 Because folks like me in the media,
31:17 or teams wanna stay quiet
31:18 about their impression of the kid's character.
31:20 Again, I don't know if that's Mitchell,
31:22 but when you take into consideration his deeper numbers,
31:25 again, that I just cited from college, right?
31:27 Not the raw stuff, you know, how efficient are you
31:29 when we throw you the ball, when you're just on the field?
31:31 And those numbers are way behind
31:33 a lot of other receivers in this draft.
31:34 You know, some health questions,
31:35 and maybe, possibly, maybe not, character concerns.
31:39 That would all add up to me, to why he went,
31:42 again, not just top 40, didn't even go top 50,
31:46 but went 52.
31:48 And that wasn't the Patriots making that decision,
31:50 it was a series of other teams.
31:51 That would explain it to me more
31:54 than a single bad interview,
31:56 or a single bad analytics profile, or even a bad medical.
32:00 'Cause teams disagree on that stuff all the time.
32:02 But when it's all of those things together,
32:03 that, to me, would explain why he fell,
32:05 you know, I don't know,
32:07 let's say, conservatively, 10 spots,
32:09 but probably closer to 15 or 20.
32:11 And that's the best I got.
32:13 But I get it, I know why people liked him.
32:14 I know why people wanted to take that swing,
32:16 and I know why Chris Ballard was so excited,
32:18 because his highlights are as good
32:20 as any receivers in the draft,
32:21 but the consistency, the production, the deeper numbers,
32:24 and possibly some off-field stuff, I don't know.
32:26 You know, didn't stack up, and that was evident.
32:30 Okay, so we will see you.
32:32 Once a week, moving forward,
32:34 I would say close to training camp.
32:36 When we do see you each week, there will be guests.
32:40 We will have mailbags, we will bring back the mail.
32:42 Fan, this is the first episode.
32:43 I wanna say close to three months we haven't done that,
32:46 and I wanna thank you for donating
32:48 to Boston Children's Hospital,
32:49 listening, watching, just being a part of this,
32:51 because we've raised thousands of dollars in this podcast
32:54 for kids who are sick, and the people that help.
32:56 And I write a lot of stories, I do a lot of podcasts,
32:59 I do some TV, but that is something that I am most proud of,
33:03 I would say, over the last 12 months,
33:04 and that's not possible without you.
33:06 So thank you, we will see you next week.
33:09 Take it easy, enjoy the weekend, and yeah, I can't wait.
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