Taylor Kyles and Mike Kadlick from CLNS Media team up with MassLive's Chris Mason to answer questions from Taylor and Mike's mailbag!
Join Emily's Fight Against Colon Cancer: https://www.gofundme.com/f/join-emilys-fight-against-colon-cancer?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer
This episode of the Patriots Daily Podcast is brought to you by:
Prize Picks! 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! Go to https://PrizePicks.com/CLNS
Gametime! Take the guesswork out of buying NBA tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Last minute tickets. Lowest Price. Guaranteed. Terms apply. Go to https://gametime.co !
#Patriots #NFL #NewEnglandPatriots
Join Emily's Fight Against Colon Cancer: https://www.gofundme.com/f/join-emilys-fight-against-colon-cancer?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer
This episode of the Patriots Daily Podcast is brought to you by:
Prize Picks! 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! Go to https://PrizePicks.com/CLNS
Gametime! Take the guesswork out of buying NBA tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Last minute tickets. Lowest Price. Guaranteed. Terms apply. Go to https://gametime.co !
#Patriots #NFL #NewEnglandPatriots
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 [MUSIC]
00:10 What's going on everyone?
00:19 Taylor Kyle's and Mike Catholic here for CLNS media coming at you with another
00:23 episode of Pats Daily brought to you by our good friends at prize pigs and game
00:26 time.
00:27 We got another mailbag for you folks.
00:29 It's Monday, you know the drill and today joining us.
00:32 We have somebody making their debut on the show.
00:34 Chris Mason of mass live dude, we are so excited to have you on answering the good
00:39 people's questions before we get into the nitty gritty.
00:41 How you doing brother?
00:42 Welcome to the show.
00:43 >> Great pumped to be here pumped to have a mailbag episode to go back and
00:47 forth with the people.
00:48 So yeah, really looking forward to it.
00:50 >> Looking forward to it as well, man.
00:51 Also very nice background looks very classy looking like a mature adult.
00:55 And we got my funkos and everything but it was fantastic.
00:59 All right, wanna let everybody know in this show, we are trying to help raise
01:03 money for Chris's cousin Emily who is unfortunately going through colon cancer.
01:08 As we all know, don't need any reminders, cancer absolutely sucks.
01:11 But if you can find it in your heart and if you can afford it as well,
01:14 I know times are tough for everybody, but it would really mean a lot.
01:16 We have the link in the chat.
01:18 So if you wanna donate directly to her go fund me, you're more than welcome.
01:22 But also any donations in the super chat will go towards the go fund me as well.
01:26 So again, you're very encouraged to donate however you can,
01:30 however much you can, it really means a lot.
01:32 And Chris, I wanna give the floor to you before we get into it and
01:34 tell us a little more about Emily and the situation.
01:37 >> Yes, it's my cousin Emily.
01:39 She's just 42 years old, was having some stomach issues,
01:42 went to the hospital to get checked out.
01:43 They said it's actually stage four cancer.
01:45 It's starting to spread.
01:47 It's brutal.
01:47 It's just kind of takes the words out of your mouth.
01:51 You just don't like, how do you even respond to that?
01:55 It's just a tough situation, but yeah, the cancer spread.
02:00 She's had a few surgeries.
02:01 She's been in and out of the hospital for like two months now, but
02:04 things are starting to go a little better.
02:06 She's supposed to start chemo in a couple weeks.
02:08 So yeah, like Taylor said, anything helps.
02:11 Understand that these are tough times, but seriously, anything,
02:15 really appreciated.
02:17 >> Yeah, man, we're wishing the absolute best for you and your family.
02:19 All the love, we really care about you and we hope everything turns out well,
02:22 obviously.
02:23 So once again, everybody, the link is in the chat.
02:26 If you wanna donate to the chat, we'll take care of it and donate afterwards, but
02:29 whatever you can, it's really very much appreciated.
02:33 Now, getting to some questions.
02:34 Let's have some fun, everybody.
02:36 All right, first question of the mailbag.
02:38 With Justin Jefferson getting his contract, biggest contract in history for
02:43 a non-quarterback, man got paid.
02:45 Ricky was on it, by the way.
02:46 If you follow Ricky on Twitter, you want your scoops a little earlier than all
02:50 the big guys, he's the one to go to.
02:52 Should the Patriots be in a bigger hurry to get a wide receiver one or
02:55 rock with who they have?
02:57 I'm assuming we're talking about like a T Higgins, a Brandon Iuke,
02:59 maybe even a Devo, some of those big time names that have been flashed around.
03:03 So Chris, what do you think?
03:04 Does this create more urgency or
03:06 do you think in Patriots news this isn't really much of a shake up?
03:10 >> I think it creates more urgency to draft one.
03:12 [LAUGH] And get a cross control guy.
03:14 But in terms of the trademark or anything, no,
03:16 I don't think this really changes things for them right now.
03:18 Where personally, I don't like trading for Higgins or Iuke right now,
03:22 given what it's gonna cost.
03:24 Probably gonna be a first rounder for either of those guys if you read enough
03:27 of the reports.
03:28 And your first rounder could very well be a top five again next year,
03:32 maybe even higher.
03:32 So I don't like parting with a first rounder next year.
03:35 I think if you're gonna trade for one of these guys,
03:36 you should have done it before the draft last year.
03:38 And I don't see it happening now.
03:39 >> Yeah, I'm with you on the trademark, especially you mentioned to the first
03:46 round pick having to go up for sale, right?
03:47 I mean, you look at even what Mike Reese wrote about it yesterday,
03:51 sort of the ESPN football power index.
03:53 Like, again, those are numbers and analytics that you don't know what's gonna
03:56 happen this season.
03:57 But right now, they could be in line for the number one pick.
04:00 So if you end up trading that for a guy like T Higgins or Iuke who are great,
04:04 it's still a little bit, that's a little bit too pricey for me.
04:07 I do think though, you hope they draft one because those contracts go and
04:12 these guys don't hit the open market.
04:15 That's why these guys get tied up like Jefferson.
04:18 It's relatively rare that these guys just get traded for nothing.
04:25 So try and draft one, you hope you hit one on one of these guys early with
04:29 Baker and Jalen Polk.
04:31 But even next year, if you have one of those high picks and
04:33 you're still wide receiver needy, you can use that pick on one of those guys.
04:35 So it does add urgency in terms of helping the room, but
04:38 I don't think they necessarily have to go spending a ton of capital on one of
04:42 the guys that are out there.
04:44 >> Yeah, I'm pretty much on the same page as you guys.
04:45 I feel like the paths are actually on track, kind of what we saw with Joe Burrow
04:49 where Burrow gets drafted and then they also take T Higgins.
04:52 I think Javon Baker can be that kind of guy where maybe he's a lower end one if
04:56 he hits his ceiling, but then the next year, maybe your record's not gonna be
05:00 great, but you'll be in range to get a true number one game changer type.
05:04 And then you're looking at a pretty stacked wide receiver core,
05:06 especially because I like Jalen Polk, I like to Mario Douglas.
05:09 I feel like this is a group that could be really good if they're allowed to grow
05:12 together and really get some chemistry going, but at the same time, yeah,
05:15 I just don't know how I feel about giving up capital for one of those guys.
05:18 And the contracts are always gonna go up.
05:20 I think there was a point made earlier today that you wanna pay these guys early.
05:25 If you do have a star in your hands, don't wait till the end of their contract.
05:28 And whenever it happens, you're paying a really great deal because by the time
05:31 they do reach the end of their contract, the price is just gonna keep going up and
05:34 up.
05:35 So yeah, not much of a rush to get necessarily somebody else,
05:38 just stick to your model.
05:40 That LA Wolf's been preaching draft, develop and find that guy and
05:43 then make sure that you don't have to give up extra capital and
05:46 use one of those high.
05:47 >> Or maybe it's David Wallace, maybe it's David Wallace who they signed today
05:50 because that true wide receiver number one for them, who knows?
05:54 >> Every time I hear David Wallace, I think of the office just like in my head.
05:57 >> [LAUGH]
05:58 >> All right, are there any remaining free agents that you think the Pats need to go
06:03 and get?
06:03 Now we've actually got a little list of some of the positions that they're
06:07 probably use a little bit more depth that are there any names on this list to jump
06:11 out to you guys as someone the Patriots need to target?
06:14 Now, Chris, you can go first.
06:15 >> In terms of need, no, but there are guys on this list that I would want,
06:19 at the right price.
06:20 I've been banging the Steph Gilmore drum pretty much all offseason where I don't
06:23 think I've ever come across an NFL team that's been like we have too much
06:27 cornerback depth.
06:27 We just have too many guys, that never happens at that position.
06:31 He's still out there, he said that he'd be willing to come back to New England.
06:34 I think he could be a great, great mentor for Christian Gonzalez.
06:37 Just basically show, take him under his wing, show him how to be a pro,
06:40 do all the right things.
06:42 Basically, how to grow into a Steph Gilmore type player.
06:45 So he's somebody the whole time that I've thought makes a ton of sense.
06:49 But I mean, there's also obviously a reason he hasn't signed yet, and
06:52 that's that the league must not see it the same way.
06:55 >> I look at the tackles immediately and I know Boxton,
07:00 he's coming off injury and hasn't been healthy for a while.
07:06 But someone like, depending on the price, Donovan Smith, Charles Leno,
07:11 those guys, I think are better options than two score for.
07:15 And maybe not the whole season or maybe not, I guess down the line, but
07:19 I still think that that position needs some help.
07:23 The left tackle and the line in general, I just, I don't know, I still,
07:26 I'm not 100% sold on the moves they made across the line.
07:29 And I think there's some solid veteran help that you could put on
07:32 the left side.
07:33 In terms of, I mean, I look at safety and looking at the list now,
07:37 Justin Simmons is a guy who surprisingly is still out there and
07:40 I think could help you a ton at the free safety position.
07:44 That's still a little bit of a mystery.
07:47 And I'm with Chris on Steph Gilmore.
07:51 He is basically what, obviously, you strive for Christian Gonzalez to be.
07:55 But even in terms of their personality, they're not the loud cornerback.
08:01 They're the kill you with kindness, don't really say much,
08:03 just kinda go out there and show you and just play ball.
08:07 And I think that you're right, Chris, he is someone who could literally show him
08:10 the ropes and potentially turn into a guy like that.
08:13 And I look at Jamal Adams, Patrick Peterson,
08:15 I'm probably all set on those guys.
08:18 I think they're a little bit just past what they're worth right now.
08:21 I think they're big names.
08:22 But yeah, I'm more so looking at left tackle than I am a cornerback, I think.
08:27 >> For me, a lot of these names really kind of break glass in case of emergency or
08:32 if the guys that you're kind of expecting more from don't pan out.
08:36 Like especially at the left tackle spot, you're either gonna have to put up with
08:39 injury or just the fact these guys are really old.
08:42 Frankly, Chupso Correfor, yeah, he's switching to left tackle, but
08:45 he's also a young guy who has a lot of starting experience in his own right.
08:48 And with Scott Peters, I think it's worth saying, okay,
08:51 is this a guy where we're in training camp and there are some serious problems where
08:55 he's just not making the adjustment?
08:56 And we can't afford to go into the season with this and
08:58 obviously the same for Caden Wallace, if you don't see enough from him.
09:02 That's where I'm thinking, okay, Woodbock, probably one aside from the rebuilding
09:05 team, maybe a Donovan Smith,
09:07 the guy who's kind of been a mercenary in terms of getting the Super Bowl rings.
09:09 Like he's been on the Buccaneers and the Cheekies.
09:12 I don't know if he wants to come to a rebuilding team.
09:14 Charles Leno's probably the closest guy who seems like an ideal fit in terms of
09:18 being a seasoned left tackle.
09:19 But again, he's on the older side and
09:21 I just feel like Chooks gives you more in terms of athleticism.
09:25 Cornerback, I agree, I'm not gonna be mad if Stefan Gilmore is back in New England
09:29 sometime in the next couple months.
09:31 But I do think with so many young promising guys at cornerback like Alex Austin,
09:35 Isaiah Bolden, Marco Wilson's made some plays, obviously Marcus Jones.
09:38 And we'll kind of talk about corner more, but
09:40 I'd like to see those guys battle it out.
09:42 And if you decide towards once it gets deep into the summer,
09:46 these guys aren't really giving us enough.
09:48 These are only gonna be number threes, they don't need to be number ones.
09:50 But if you really are still nervous, I'm all for Gilmore.
09:54 With the safeties, I love Justin Simmons.
09:56 But at the same time, I think Jabril Peppers and
09:58 Kyle Duggar are gonna play every snap for you, really ideally.
10:02 And you don't really wanna take snaps from Marte Mapu either.
10:04 Obviously, he struggled last season, but this is a guy with a ton of athleticism
10:08 who I'd like to see with another year under his belt.
10:11 If the game slows down for him and he can really play to that athleticism and
10:14 that ball hawking nature that we saw at Sacramento State.
10:16 So I just don't see how Justin Simmons fits, that's a starting caliber guy.
10:20 He's not gonna be your third safety, you know what I'm saying?
10:22 So I just don't know that he'd wanna come here.
10:25 I like J-Ron Kurs honestly, is a guy where in that Cowboy scheme,
10:29 they also love to use three, sometimes even four safeties.
10:32 And he's kind of been in that type of system where he can be the third guy where
10:36 he's in and out, doesn't have to be a starter.
10:38 I'd be interested in him if maybe Mapu is not showing what they wanna see.
10:41 And then Edge, I mean, I really wanna see what Keon White's got.
10:44 I don't think that's a pressing need.
10:46 But I do like Yannick Ngakwe and Emmanuel Agba as role players in their scheme,
10:50 kinda guys that'll just rotate in.
10:52 But yeah, no one here where I'm like, you gotta bring this guy in.
10:55 I think it's more, again, like I said,
10:57 kind of break glass in case of emergency more than anything.
11:01 All right, we got a lot more for you guys.
11:03 But first, quick word from our friends at game time, be right back.
11:06 >> The NBA Finals are finally here.
11:08 And if I have any chance at all to find tickets to a game,
11:11 it's probably gonna be through Game Time.
11:13 An authorized ticket marketplace of the NBA,
11:15 which makes getting playoff tickets even faster and easier.
11:19 Prices on the Game Time app actually go down the closer it gets to tip off.
11:22 And with killer last minute deals, all in prices, views from your seat, and
11:26 their lowest price guarantee, Game Time takes the guesswork out of buying NBA
11:30 tickets.
11:31 Getting through the Game Time app is super easy, and
11:33 I really like their user interface.
11:35 All you have to do is go to the game or event that you wanna attend,
11:38 go through the venue to see where you wanna sit relative to the action.
11:42 Then you can actually get a panoramic view of your seat, so
11:45 you'll know exactly what to expect once you get your ticket.
11:48 Game Time's also great for
11:49 those weekends where you're not really sure what you wanna do with your night.
11:52 Because you can just scroll through, look at flash deals, zone deals, or
11:56 last minute tickets, and find a plan to spend the rest of your day or evening.
12:00 You can save even more with exclusive in-app deals on select seats ahead of
12:03 the game or event.
12:05 And your purchase is covered with the most flexible customer service policy
12:09 in the ticket industry.
12:10 Take the guesswork out of buying NBA tickets with Game Time.
12:13 Download the Game Time app, create an account, and
12:16 use the code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase.
12:19 Terms apply.
12:20 Again, create an account and redeem code CLNS for $20 off.
12:26 Download Game Time today.
12:27 Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed.
12:30 >> For the next question, kind words as always from old man mob, F Cancer.
12:36 Hopefully she gets through this and everything gets better for her.
12:38 Appreciate you as always, buddy.
12:40 All right, let's get to the next question here.
12:43 What do we got?
12:43 Okay, what should the Patriots do if/when Drake May is ready to play, but
12:48 they don't have an NFL caliber left tackle or guard?
12:52 And I guess we can kind of lump this in with the fact that do we think that they
12:54 do have NFL caliber left tackle or guards?
12:57 Obviously, things have to pan out and there's a lot of question marks.
13:00 But do we like the depth as it stands?
13:02 >> I, no, go ahead, Chris, go for it.
13:05 >> I'm with you, you go.
13:07 >> Well, the reason I jumped it was cuz I kinda also just said what I thought
13:11 about the idea of a core four on the left and that I'm not entirely sold on it.
13:15 And maybe they'll prove me wrong and maybe I'll end up eating crow.
13:20 But right now, I just look at, on one who I'm fine with.
13:24 And I know we're looking more at the left side, but
13:27 I wonder about the transition that he's gonna make.
13:31 And then if it doesn't work out,
13:33 then you might have to rely on a guy like Hayden Wallace.
13:35 Or I guess you could theoretically then move a Calvin Anderson or
13:38 someone out to the left side.
13:40 But long story short is it's no one that I love to be their left tackle.
13:45 So if they're struggling at that position,
13:48 I don't think you throw me into the fire.
13:50 Because this whole rebuild is contingent upon Drake May being the guy.
13:56 And it's contingent upon not having him go out there and
13:59 turn into what Mack Jones was towards the end of his career.
14:02 Which was a guy who was out there and sputtered and
14:04 it just didn't go well and for a variety of reasons.
14:07 You want the situation to be as perfect as possible around him.
14:10 And that's quality personnel who knows what they're doing.
14:13 That also includes keeping him upright and not letting him get sacked.
14:17 And so I don't see it.
14:19 And I don't see them doing that to him, but because I think they understand the,
14:24 I guess the magnitude of this decision.
14:28 So if the line is not doing well around reset, but may looks ready,
14:33 I still think they should hesitate a bit on throwing him into the fire.
14:35 >> And it's not even like there's a tight end on the roster that you feel really
14:39 good about, they're just gonna match protect a ton, right?
14:41 And it's Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper are the two that are on the 53.
14:45 I still don't think you feel great about having a tight end that can essentially
14:50 erase that, but I do think tackles a huge issue.
14:52 And I think they've been a little too nonchalant with how easy they think it's
14:56 gonna be just to flip from the right side to the left side.
14:59 Or that's one thing I really appreciated the first time we talked to Chooks about
15:01 this, he was like, it's gonna take time.
15:03 This is something that's going to take time.
15:05 I'm an NFL player, I believe I can do it, but it's going to take time.
15:08 I thought it was so refreshing when he said that because it was the first time I'd
15:10 heard it since, everyone's, well, him and Wallace are both really athletic.
15:15 They can flip.
15:15 It's like when you've been doing everything right handed for
15:17 five years straight and you're suddenly asked to do it lefty.
15:20 That's not an easy thing to do.
15:21 So it's gonna take some time.
15:23 I don't love their plan at all, left tackle either.
15:25 It feels like they're just throwing a bunch of darts at the board and
15:28 hoping that one hits a bullseye.
15:30 And I don't think that that's a recipe for success with a rookie quarterback.
15:34 >> So I'm just, I know- >> Taylor loves it.
15:39 Taylor loves Chooks.
15:40 He loves it.
15:41 >> I definitely don't love it.
15:42 I would like if there was a left tackle other than Badarian Lowe,
15:44 who had extensive experience at the spot, 100%.
15:47 At the same time, if we look at the Browns offense last year, and
15:50 obviously there weren't anything to write home about necessarily.
15:52 But this is a team that started Jaron Christian at left tackle starting week 10
15:56 throughout the rest of the season.
15:58 And then most of the end of the season at James Hudson at right tackle.
16:01 And they still managed to make it to the playoffs.
16:03 They were six and four, I believe, if you include their playoff loss.
16:07 Obviously a great defense had a lot to do with that, but
16:09 Patriots have a pretty darn good defense on their own.
16:11 And I really do think this is a scheme where, you mentioned a mass protect.
16:15 I just think Hunter Henry and Austin Cooper just need dedicated chips.
16:18 I don't think they're gonna be necessarily blocking on an island.
16:21 I really think it's just gonna be make sure that these tackles can at least get
16:24 to their spots and be able to function where they're not truly on an island.
16:28 And this is gonna be a run heavy team, a team that uses a lot of play action,
16:31 a lot of screens, a lot of quick game.
16:33 I don't think if you put Drake May in there,
16:35 they're gonna put him in a lot of positions where it is just like, hey,
16:38 Chooks on an island, take this all pro edge rusher.
16:41 And Drake, sayonara sucker, figure it out.
16:44 I just can't see that really being the modest operanda.
16:48 Why did I say that?
16:49 I don't think I've ever said that in my life.
16:50 I don't even know if I said it right.
16:51 But I do have faith in Alex Van Pelt to protect the quarterback,
16:55 because we saw the Browns do it throughout last season.
16:59 And I still do have faith in Chooks.
17:01 This isn't last season where they literally did not have someone other than
17:04 Trent Brown at left tackle, who had started NFL games on a consistent basis.
17:08 It was really all backups.
17:09 And Chooks is still someone who has experience.
17:11 We'll see how it plays out.
17:12 And if we're looking into the preseason and neither Caden Wallace nor
17:16 Chooks is looking even decent out there, then for sure,
17:19 that's when you ring the bell and say, all right, Charles Leno, what are you up to?
17:22 We need to figure something out.
17:24 And at guard, I'm not totally sold on Nick Leverett necessarily.
17:30 But again, this is somebody who has experience on a playoff team in
17:32 the Buccaneers, was able to protect Tom Brady,
17:35 who helped a ton on his own with the quick release and all that.
17:38 But at least he has snaps under his belt.
17:39 And I do like Leighton Robinson, to be honest.
17:42 If Sidney So gets back and he secures that left guard spot, even Jim Nagy and
17:45 a lot of people who were studying Leighton Robinson and saw him up close.
17:49 We're saying that he is somebody who can start pretty quickly in the NFL.
17:52 So again, we will see.
17:54 But even if it's not a perfect situation, I think you can put Drake May in there
17:57 because we've seen him be able to play above the people around him.
18:01 And again, I think the scheme is gonna do a good enough job to make sure that he's
18:04 not putting stuff spots.
18:05 And then with his athleticism and just his instincts as a passer,
18:08 I think he'll be able to mitigate some of the damage that you would see
18:12 if he was put in a spot where he had to overcome some offensive line blows.
18:15 Anything else?
18:16 >> So you're giving them the shot then?
18:18 You're giving them the shot if even if the line is crummy.
18:21 >> Not if it's crummy, like if it's a turnstile over there, I don't love that.
18:24 But if Choops is solid, or he's fine, I think that's okay.
18:28 I don't think you need a great, it's huge to have a great left tackle.
18:30 It's a reason it's a premium.
18:32 But I don't think you'd like an all pro there to start Drake May,
18:34 if that makes sense.
18:36 >> All righty.
18:36 >> Yep.
18:37 All right.
18:38 Is it a make it or break it year or preseason for one player on offense or
18:43 defense, one player on defense and offense who would be a shot cut or
18:47 shock trade.
18:47 So I'll bring up the roster right now.
18:49 Hope everybody can see this.
18:52 I promise I did my best with magnifying it.
18:54 But first we'll start with make or break here for a player on offense and
18:58 or defense, whatever your heart's telling you.
19:01 And we'll start with Chris.
19:02 We'll start with Chris.
19:03 >> Off the top of my head on offense, Taekwon Thornton,
19:07 because if he doesn't show up this preseason, he's not gonna be on the team.
19:11 So he's absolutely on the chopping block if he doesn't show up.
19:16 So he's the first one right off the top of my head and
19:18 I start looking at this, it's like, yeah, it's Taekwon Thornton.
19:20 He needs to produce or else he's just not gonna be on the roster.
19:23 He's not gonna get the free pass that he has the last two years.
19:25 >> I will add somebody from the wide receiver room who I really think needs to
19:31 have a good preseason and it's Judith Smith Schuster.
19:34 And could he be, I mean, his contract situation makes it interesting,
19:38 cuz he still has two years left and a decent chunk of change.
19:42 But at the same time, I don't think anybody from or
19:45 who was signed during the Belichick regime really has any free passes right now with
19:51 this new front office.
19:53 I think that if they don't see him fit, I think they'll eat the money and
19:56 cut him if necessary.
19:57 And there's a lot of guys in that room.
20:00 They just added, what is it, a 12th today in David Wallace.
20:03 And not that he's gonna be necessarily bidding for a starting role, but
20:07 the room's crowded right now.
20:09 You brought in KJ Osborne, you re-signed Kendrick Bourne,
20:12 you drafted two rookies.
20:13 It's not a shoe in for
20:14 the guy who you signed to a big money deal last year to just make this team.
20:18 So he told us he's 100% healthy.
20:21 If it works out, great, but I don't see him as a lock for the roster whatsoever.
20:25 >> I agree there.
20:27 I'll go with a different position cuz I don't wanna go with Keishon Booty.
20:31 But you know what, we were already talking about receivers.
20:33 I'll go with Joshua Uche.
20:35 Now I'm rooting for him.
20:36 I would love to see him return to the form that we saw in 2022.
20:39 But the reality is also that if he does have a bad season or
20:42 isn't productive, then we're talking about one good season in five years.
20:47 And that's where you start to say, okay, it's kinda hard to defend the guy.
20:50 Like on my roster, I have him as a yellow, which pretty much means he's a backup.
20:54 I don't wanna put him there if he plays well, and
20:56 I think he's a quality role player.
20:57 And you look at him more like a pass rushing Anthony Jennings,
21:00 where yeah, he's one dimensional, but he's a lead at one thing.
21:02 And he's still a really valuable piece for you.
21:04 And I know that the scheme didn't help him last season.
21:07 He kinda hinted towards that where he played a lot of contain,
21:09 he couldn't pin his ears back.
21:11 They had him on the field for early downs, and
21:13 it just didn't really fit with his skill set.
21:15 Whereas in 2022, you're seeing he's really getting after guys being aggressive
21:19 with tackles, and that's where he's really in his mode.
21:22 So if he can really surprise, or not surprise, but regain that form,
21:26 I'm all for it.
21:27 I think that's when you see him stick around long term as a core piece and
21:30 designated pass rusher.
21:32 But if he doesn't, then I feel like it's gonna be hard to justify not bringing him
21:36 back on anything other than maybe like one more prove it deal.
21:40 Maybe he's not done in New England, but I think it kinda hurts his reputation,
21:43 cuz right now he's kinda gotten the benefit of the doubt.
21:45 Any surprise cuts or trades for you guys?
21:48 I can't, honestly, I'm having trouble finding one that would really be
21:51 surprising.
21:51 There's not a ton of guys here where I'm like, yeah,
21:54 you can't get rid of them unless they really do seem like core pieces.
21:57 >> Right, and I think Mike kinda nailed this with the juju thing earlier,
22:00 where I think maybe around the league that would be surprising if he was cut.
22:03 But if you're following this team closely and you're watching them,
22:05 and I don't think it would be a surprise to see him cut.
22:09 >> Right, I guess I can throw the Matthew Judon speculation into the mix.
22:15 Again, I don't think they're gonna move him, and I don't think, honestly,
22:18 with there being some speculation around it, I don't know how surprising it would be.
22:22 He's looking for a new contract, he's coming off an injury.
22:26 His participation and attendance has been spotty so far.
22:31 I think he wants to be here, and I think they wanna keep him here, but
22:34 nothing's happened yet.
22:35 So they could potentially down him for trade if they,
22:37 he's one of their older players, granted he's one of their better players.
22:40 But they may dangle him and try and get some draft capital if they can.
22:44 So it wouldn't necessarily completely shock me, but
22:47 he's also one of their quote unquote building blocks right now.
22:50 So we'll see what happens there.
22:51 >> I might go with KJ Osborne, and I've kind of talked about this before.
22:55 It's not that I want to see him cut or anything.
22:57 I think he brings a lot to the right receiver room, both as a leader and
23:00 as just a reliable veteran.
23:01 Especially with Kendrick Bourne's health kind of up in the air.
23:04 We saw videos of him running, and I don't think anybody can link that video and
23:07 have a lot of confidence in this guy being a core contributor as early as September.
23:12 As much as you hope he gets back, it just doesn't seem realistic.
23:15 But if these young guys emerge and they're saying, okay,
23:17 KJ Osborne's probably gonna be like a five for us.
23:20 Now this is assuming that you see Jalen Polk, Jayvon Baker,
23:24 really emerge as guys that contribute for you.
23:26 Demario Douglas is pretty much a lot.
23:28 And maybe like a Taekwon Thornton is someone where he carries the momentum that
23:31 we're starting to see from him into the preseason.
23:33 And you're like, okay, the pads came on and Taekwon's on the field and
23:36 he's not getting hurt.
23:37 That's I think something where we could see KJ Osborne get pushed off the roster,
23:41 because he's on a one year deal.
23:42 Like yes, he had a lot of guaranteed money.
23:44 But if there are younger guys that you think have a future on your roster,
23:47 I'm sure you're gonna eat the 3 million guaranteed.
23:49 You got plenty of cap space.
23:50 So I think he has every reason to make the roster.
23:53 But if we're talking about a shot cutter trade, I think maybe if someone else
23:56 emerges that we don't expect right now, because he does seem like,
24:00 right now he's the starting Z receiver.
24:02 So he's a starter.
24:03 But yeah, I just feel like people would be surprised if it happened, but
24:07 it would take those young guys really stepping up and
24:10 showing us something that we haven't quite seen yet.
24:12 All right, we still got much more to come.
24:14 But first, quick words from our friends at PrizePix.
24:18 Be right back.
24:18 >> PrizePix is America's number one fantasy sports app with over 5 million
24:22 active members.
24:24 Get in on the daily action with your friends and
24:26 become part of the PrizePix community today.
24:29 The finals mean more on PrizePix and so do the star players.
24:32 You get boosted payouts on select basketball stars that you won't find
24:36 anywhere else.
24:37 When the finals are over, the hoops action doesn't stop on PrizePix.
24:41 Women's basketball was just getting started.
24:43 With young stars like Caitlin Clark and
24:44 Angel Reese looking to make names for themselves alongside greats like
24:48 Breonna Taylor and Asia Wilson,
24:50 you could win up to 100 times your cash watching them ball out.
24:53 This week on PrizePix, I'm looking at the basketball board and
24:56 I'm taking Jalen Brown's overs on points and
24:58 rebounds cuz dude has been absolutely killing it.
25:01 I'm also gonna take Caitlin Clark for more than three and
25:04 a half three-pointers made and Breonna Stewart for more than 25 points.
25:08 Download the app today and use code CONS for a first deposit match up to $100.
25:13 That's code CONS for a first deposit match up to $100.
25:17 Pick more, pick less.
25:19 It's that easy.
25:20 [MUSIC]
25:24 >> All right, next question.
25:27 Ideally, as in best for the defense and best for Jonathan Jones,
25:30 where does he take most of his snaps this season?
25:32 Mike, I'll start with you.
25:33 >> Ideally, I think he is your slot cornerback and
25:39 you have one of the younger guys step up at the outside.
25:42 I think that he's better in the slot than he is outside.
25:45 And I think that also means that you have a younger guy, call it Alex Austin,
25:48 call it Isaiah Bolden, who proved that he can handle himself and you don't need to,
25:52 like we talked about earlier, break glass in case of emergency and
25:56 sign a step on Gilmore.
25:57 So ideally, I think that's how it shakes out, but
26:00 realistically, I think he's gonna end up playing outside for them.
26:03 I think it's gonna be him on the outside.
26:04 I think it'll be Marcus Jones who takes some snaps as their nickel corner,
26:10 barring his health.
26:11 So I think that's realistically how it shakes out.
26:14 I like Alex Austin, I like Bolden, I like Marco Wilson, but
26:18 I feel like it's a little, I don't know how I wanna word it, but
26:22 I think that it's, I don't necessarily see them taking a big enough step going into
26:27 this year for them to be a bona fide starter on the outside opposite Christian Gonzalez.
26:32 >> Yeah, I think ideally, it's Alex Austin takes another step and
26:37 grabs that CB2 spot where he's someone that has actually impressed me early on in
26:40 OTAs, where obviously he finished the year strong.
26:44 And at OTAs, we're not seeing a ton of Gonzalez, we're not seeing a ton of
26:46 John Jones or Marcus Jones, which on one hand,
26:49 it's alarming that the wide receivers aren't doing a little more.
26:52 But on the other hand, it's giving you a good look at the young rookie defensive
26:55 backs, and I thought Alex Austin has showed up.
26:57 He tipped the ball, led to an interception at the second OTA.
27:02 He's just been around the ball a lot, and I think if he keeps ascending,
27:05 then yeah, you can bump John Jones into the slot where when he's there,
27:08 it feels like he's the best slot corner in the league.
27:10 And when he's on the outside, he's a good boundary corner, but
27:13 I think the slot is his natural spot.
27:15 So best case is Alex Austin really shows up this summer and forces him inside.
27:19 >> Yeah, I agree.
27:21 I think John Jones' best spot's inside because that's a spot where we saw with
27:25 Miles Bryant, for all the crap that he got, he wore a lot of caps for that defense.
27:30 Like, when I asked Kyle Duggar, sometimes they have this package where Duggar will
27:34 be the slot in cover two looks when they're in their nickel package, and
27:37 then Miles Bryant would back up.
27:39 And I'm like, is it a certain look or
27:40 what is it that kind of prompts you guys to do that?
27:43 He's like, yeah, it's just a feel thing.
27:44 Sometimes it's just like, yeah, I wanna do this.
27:46 And that's something that takes chemistry, it takes reps.
27:49 Marcus Jones doesn't have those.
27:50 And even when we saw last summer,
27:52 he wasn't really getting a ton of reps in the slot.
27:54 He was there sometimes, but he was outside a ton.
27:56 So I just don't know if I feel comfortable with him being their full time slot guy,
28:00 whereas Jonathan Jones knows his defense like the back of his hands.
28:03 So that feels like a more natural spot for him.
28:06 And also with Marcus Jones' health,
28:08 I just don't think he's someone you can rely on.
28:10 I kinda see him as more of a bonus wherever he's healthy, awesome.
28:13 If he's not, it's kinda to be expected.
28:15 With Alex Austin, he's a guy who's had a clean bill of health,
28:17 like you guys said, had a really strong end of the season.
28:20 I was impressed with how few mistakes he made,
28:22 especially on top of just the big plays.
28:24 And then you get Mark Wilson,
28:26 who's been competitive anytime we've seen him with the Patriots.
28:28 And Isaiah Bolden, who has a ton of talent, but
28:31 pretty much had a Richard season last year.
28:33 And we wanna see him continue to develop.
28:34 He had a play as well in the last OTA that we saw.
28:37 So yeah, I'd rather see one of those outside guys emerge.
28:39 Maybe have John Jones as your big nickels outside corner,
28:42 where when you want Peppers or Duggar down in that slot role,
28:45 then Jonathan Jones plays outside.
28:47 When you get into more of your true nickel or dime looks,
28:50 then John Jones can be where he's at his best in the slot.
28:52 Especially as he gets older and
28:54 he's kinda losing some of his speed, he can still hang outside.
28:57 But I felt like, especially against the Raiders,
28:58 you kinda saw he's not that crazy speedster he was back in the day,
29:02 where it's like no one's getting behind John Jones.
29:03 So yeah, I totally agree with you guys on that one.
29:06 All right, let's wrap this one up.
29:08 Unless we got any questions in the chat, if you do,
29:10 feel free to throw them in there.
29:11 We'll try to get to them before we close out.
29:14 Wait, that's the same question.
29:15 I am so silly.
29:16 Okay, which second year defensive player do you see is most likely to have a breakout
29:21 season other than Gonzo?
29:23 Chris, I'll go with you, Mike, I see you got your hand.
29:26 >> Keon White, this feels like a absolute, there's the alley, there's the oop.
29:30 [LAUGH] I think it definitely is Keon White.
29:33 And Gerard's already singled him out as somebody who surprised him with
29:35 leadership.
29:37 I mean, at this point in the calendar,
29:38 I think any defensive lineman showing up for these.
29:41 Like all of them, that's like a form of leadership just being there because I
29:44 think there's not a ton to be gained from early OTAs if you're a veteran defensive
29:48 lineman.
29:49 But I think he came on strong down the stretch last year.
29:51 He's another guy that was playing really well at the end of the year.
29:54 I mean, looks great, looks like he spent the off season in the weight room.
29:57 I think he's gonna be a little more, he was still a little raw last year.
30:01 I think that there's a little more refining there now.
30:04 And I think he's primed for a breakout.
30:06 So thank you for this layup.
30:08 >> I was gonna say, yeah, thanks.
30:09 For some reason, I think he cabas on.
30:11 I still have cabos in my head and I don't know why Keon White didn't come to mind,
30:14 especially like you said.
30:15 >> Monday.
30:15 >> What Gerard told us last week.
30:18 So I'll add Marte Mapu into the mix.
30:20 It's another, I guess, obvious one cuz they were the three top defensive players
30:25 they took last year in Gonzo and Keon and him.
30:28 But with them, and again, I keep saying they're looking for
30:32 someone to fill that Devin McCourty true free safety role.
30:35 And realistically, Peppers was fine last year.
30:37 I think he's gonna play that majority of the time for them.
30:39 But I still think that you wanna give the young guy some looks and
30:42 I think he's gonna have more opportunities to do that.
30:45 He's also gonna have more opportunities to play linebacker.
30:48 He's a dual position player for a reason.
30:50 They drafted him in the third round for a reason.
30:52 He's athletic, he can make plays.
30:54 And he's gonna get more run next this year than last year naturally,
30:58 as a second year player.
30:59 So I liked what I saw from him early last year.
31:02 Struggled a bit towards the back end of the season, but we'll see what happens.
31:06 I'm excited to see what they can do with him in the defense.
31:09 >> Yeah, I'll just go with someone different cuz we kind of hit a lot of
31:11 the second year guys.
31:12 I'll go with Alex Austin, just bring him back up again cuz we talk about
31:15 opportunities.
31:16 If he sees the job, he's the only one of these guys who's never gonna leave.
31:19 And we saw it even towards the end of last season.
31:21 He wasn't a rotational corner where sometimes you saw with Sean Wade even,
31:24 like they didn't really want him on the field all the time.
31:26 They kind of switch guys in and out.
31:28 Alex Austin was, I think it was only Myles Bryant was the only defensive back
31:32 towards the late stretch that had more snaps than Alex Austin did.
31:36 And that shows you they really valued this guy and saw something in him.
31:39 And especially, I can't get that Josh Allen play out of my head.
31:42 The fact that one, obviously Mike Pellegrino,
31:44 one of the most underrated position coaches I think in the league,
31:47 put him in position to know that it was coming.
31:49 But also for him to diagnose it, know that it was coming live, and
31:53 actually make the play, I thought was really impressive.
31:55 He also brings a fire to the cornerbacks that they don't really have.
31:58 I feel like Marco Wilson and him are two guys who were gonna get fired up and
32:02 really let guys hear when they make a play.
32:04 We saw when he had the batted pick, Alex is kind of getting people's,
32:08 not getting people's faces, but he's boisterous.
32:10 There was one play, I remember he was kind of overzealous and
32:12 looked like he might have tackled somebody to the ground.
32:14 But you don't wanna do that, but still you can see the passion he plays with.
32:17 I feel like he'd be a great fit in that secondary.
32:20 And again, with the talent and the opportunity, I feel like that could
32:22 combine and we could potentially see him have a really impressive season.
32:26 But I mean, still, it's gonna be hard to out produce someone like Keon White and
32:29 Marte Mapu, who have all the God given talent.
32:31 And although they will be more rotational players by nature of their positions,
32:35 I also think they're probably just gonna be put in position to make more plays,
32:38 especially Keon White.
32:39 So a lot of good options for
32:40 the Patriots to maybe have a breakout season from one of those guys.
32:43 All right, last question from our good buddy Los.
32:46 Which wide receivers do you predict to lead the team in targets,
32:49 receptions, and touchdowns?
32:51 And I assume we can have some flexibility if we wanna kind of split these up
32:54 between different players.
32:55 Mike, no thinking cap for you this time, you're going first, bud.
32:59 >> Pop Douglas targets, Pop Douglas receptions, Hunter Henry touchdowns.
33:03 I think Hunter Henry still is the red zone guy for them, and
33:06 I think he's gonna lead them in touchdowns.
33:07 >> It's really tough just because when is Kendrick Bourne gonna be back?
33:12 If he's ready to go early in the season,
33:14 then I like him for that touchdown stat.
33:16 But otherwise, I don't know.
33:18 But I do agree that I think Pop is gonna lead him in targets if he stays healthy
33:22 again, I think inherently he'll lead him in receptions.
33:25 Touchdowns, go Jayvon Baker.
33:28 >> How about that?
33:29 Let's go, get your popcorn ready.
33:31 >> You do that one just for me?
33:33 [LAUGH] All right, so targets, I agree, it's Pop.
33:37 He's established just by nature that slot position.
33:40 Although Jalen Polk could kind of compete for that just because Pop is more of
33:44 a role player because you don't really want him on the field in those base
33:47 packages where it's just two receivers.
33:49 Like we've already seen it,
33:50 anytime there's two receivers there's no Pop to be found.
33:52 As soon as there's three, obviously he's your guy.
33:54 So I'll actually switch it up and I'll say Polk.
33:56 Just kind of something for fun for targets and receptions.
33:59 Although receiving yards instead of receptions, I think that could be Jayvon
34:02 Baker, just cuz I feel like he's gonna be one of your chunk play guys,
34:06 Polk in the same category.
34:07 But I think one on one matchups,
34:09 I love Baker as that guy who can exploit it better than anybody else.
34:12 And we saw with Drake May and Tess Walker, he loves him some one on one matchups.
34:16 He will attack them when he can.
34:18 So I feel like as long as Baker can continue to show the kind of stuff we saw
34:21 in OTAs, where he has two crazy catches from Jacoby Brissett,
34:25 I do think he has a good chance of being the receiving yards leader.
34:28 And touchdowns, yeah, I'm gonna have to steal yours, Mike.
34:30 Like Hunter Henry, again, a reliable guy where you know where you're gonna get from.
34:34 And he's been such a red zone monster, even last season through it.
34:37 Everything was terrible, but as soon as they got in the scoring territory,
34:40 whose name are you usually hearing?
34:42 It's Hunter Henry, that was a really good one.
34:44 >> And I think- >> Questions which wide receivers,
34:46 you guys are picking a tight end.
34:48 >> That's fair, okay, okay, touchdowns, I'm gonna go with Polk.
34:54 I'll go with Polk.
34:54 >> I'll take KJ Osborne.
34:56 I know Taylor already has him off the roster, but I'll take KJ Osborne.
35:00 And I'll leave him at touchdown.
35:01 >> Good, okay, I'll do one more, one more.
35:04 We got a good question in the chat.
35:06 I did wanna ask, will Maze reps be amped out as we get closer to training camp in
35:09 the preseason, or is he still behind Jacoby Brissett?
35:12 This is a good question.
35:14 Mike, we kind of talked about it in our OTA preview, and
35:16 how these reps might get divvied up as we get towards the end of OTAs,
35:20 and when the change will happen.
35:21 Chris, what do you think?
35:22 Do you think that maybe in this practice we'll see something different, or
35:26 do you think we're gonna have to wait a little while for more of a training camp?
35:29 >> I think we'll have to wait till training camp to really see, and
35:31 even then, I think it's all gonna be Drake dependent.
35:33 I think it's gonna depend on how much he pushes and how good he looks to
35:38 how many of those reps he essentially starts stealing.
35:41 Because I don't think they have it charted out right now,
35:43 that on August 14th, Jacoby's gonna take this many reps and Drake's going to.
35:47 I think it's gonna be dependent on how far along he is, how quickly he's learning,
35:51 and how fast he can steal some of those reps and make them his, and
35:55 just force his way in there.
35:56 >> Yeah, I'll push people to the channel, Taylor,
35:59 to give us a quick view on the OTA preview that'll be posted later.
36:03 But no, I'm with you on that, where I don't think they have it charted out.
36:07 I think it's dependent on where Drake is, and I think that'll go through not only
36:10 the remainder of the preseason, but also into the year when they ultimately decide
36:14 to turn this thing over to him, so.
36:16 >> Yeah, I've been kind of in the same bandwagon.
36:18 I think OTA, it's just gonna be veterans first.
36:20 I think because they're on a kind of real live bullets flying,
36:23 they really just wanna make sure things are done smoothly.
36:25 And I think that's why we really see the veterans.
36:27 And even Gerard Mayo told us that they kinda wanna whittle it down to
36:30 three quarterbacks.
36:31 I think that tells you a lot of what you need to know,
36:33 where training camp is when the real competition begins.
36:36 Completely agree, if Drake May earns more reps, Drake May will get more reps,
36:40 especially when it comes to players.
36:41 Like Gerard Mayo knows better than anybody.
36:43 If one player is significantly better, like last season with Malik Cunningham,
36:47 when guys in the locker room were saying, why is he not playing?
36:49 Why are we putting Matt Jones in when he's not giving us anything?
36:52 At some point, I feel like the players are gonna make it known if they think
36:55 Drake May is the better quarterback.
36:56 Like, hey, maybe we should put the young guy in because he's clearly making all
37:00 these crazy plays and he's gotta learn at some point.
37:02 But yeah, that probably won't happen until we actually get to training camp.
37:07 That was a lot of fun, guys.
37:08 Chris, thank you so much for joining us, brother.
37:10 Appreciate you so much.
37:11 Once more, I'm just gonna put it up on the screen.
37:13 You can't click on this link, obviously.
37:15 But if you look at the promo for this show, you can find the link there.
37:19 Feel free to donate.
37:20 It is much encouraged.
37:21 And before we get you out of here, Chris, please remind the people where they can
37:25 find you, what great stuff you got coming down the pipeline that we should be
37:28 looking out for.
37:29 - You can follow me at buychrismason, masslab.com/patriots for
37:34 all of our coverage there.
37:36 It's gonna be full of stuff, especially next week, minicamp starts ramping up.
37:38 So yeah, follow along there.
37:40 - Awesome.
37:41 And I know you did a really great piece on Drake May where you actually went
37:44 to town to Carolina and got some in-depth info.
37:48 So make sure to check that out.
37:49 Thank you so much for joining us, buddy.
37:51 And thank you all, as always, for watching.
37:53 Now, take care of yourselves, take care of each other.
37:56 We will see you next time.
37:57 Peace, y'all.
37:58 ♪ [music] ♪
38:01 ♪ [music] ♪
38:04 ♪ [music] ♪
38:07 (upbeat music)
38:09 [BLANK_AUDIO]