CLNS Media's Taylor Kyles is joined by DB/LB performance and skills trainer Coach Flight to discuss Christian Gonzalez and Marte Mapu’s rookie performances and what to expect from them in Year 2, as well as his thoughts on minicamp standout Alex Austin
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
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.
#Patriots #NFL #NewEnglandPatriots
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
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.
#Patriots #NFL #NewEnglandPatriots
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00What's going on everyone?
00:19Taylor Kyle's here coming at you with another episode of Pat's daily brought to you by our
00:23good friends at prize fix and game time got a special episode for y'all today offseason
00:29could be a time where there's not a whole lot to talk about, but we do have some fun
00:32news and a very fun interview talking about some expectations set for some of the Patriots
00:38second year defensive backs and to help me break it down.
00:41I got somebody who I personally learned a lot from and have used as an outstanding resource
00:46for myself.
00:47He's also an outstanding coach in his own right.
00:50Mr. Coach flight, defensive back in linebacker performance and skills trainer of the stars
00:55coach flight.
00:56How you doing brother?
00:57Thank you so much for joining the pod man.
00:59Thank you for having me doing good.
01:01Absolutely.
01:02Absolutely.
01:03All right.
01:04So before I get into the players and everything that you've been doing to help them out, I
01:07want everybody to know a little bit more about you.
01:09So as a coach, tell me about what some of your styles are.
01:12It's from your core philosophies are when you're working with these guys.
01:16So pretty much what we do is we work on only things that apply to the game directly.
01:20So, you know, I try to keep these guys mind sharp as far as what coverage is what to do
01:24in certain situations and things like that.
01:26Just making sure they're well prepared to perform on Sundays.
01:29Awesome.
01:30Fantastic.
01:31Now, when it comes to you and working with Christian Gonzalez and Marte Mapu, I know
01:34Alex Dawson's a new guy that you're going to be working with.
01:37So how did you actually end up connecting with those guys, especially Alex?
01:40Because again, I don't want to get too deep into what I know you haven't worked together
01:43yet.
01:44But how did you all end up working together?
01:45I'm sorry.
01:46Could you hear me?
01:47I'm sorry.
01:48I think I got a bad connection here.
01:49You're good.
01:50Can you hear me now?
01:52How are we doing now?
01:56Yeah, so.
01:59So as far as Christian, I've been training him since he was a freshman in high school.
02:03Going into sophomore year, working on him about with the little details and things getting
02:07prepared for that high school game and then the college game and so on.
02:11And then I actually met Marte this this past offseason.
02:15So, you know, Marte was down here with him.
02:19So then he happened to see me and was like, yo, I'm trying to get some work in.
02:22You know, after the first session, we hit it off.
02:24And he's one of the hardest working guys I've ever worked with.
02:27Marte, he's a guy you got to tell to kind of, hey, hey, like, slow down a little bit.
02:32And then Alex Austin actually works with a good buddy of mine, J'Cory Nichols, down
02:36in Houston.
02:37So he's going to come up to me and he's like, yo, I'm trying to get some work in.
02:40And I'm like, yo, I'm trying to get some work in.
02:42And he's like, yo, I'm trying to get some work in.
02:45And then Alex Austin actually works with a good buddy of mine, J'Cory Nichols, down
02:46in Houston.
02:47So he's going to come up and help with that DB retreat that we're doing.
02:50So, you know, he reached out and was like, hey, I'd like to like to get in on that.
02:53And I'm like, well, come on, man.
02:54You know, we'd be happy to have you.
02:55Heard a number of good things about him.
02:57You know, watch those last few games where he's put on a good show and kind of showed
03:01everybody what type of competitor he is.
03:03So looking forward to also getting with him as well and help sharpen his tools.
03:07And with Alex Austin again, still kind of new to him.
03:10But from what you saw on tape, what were some of your first impressions of him?
03:13His game, his playing style?
03:14Because what stood out to me, man, one of the ball skills like that play he made against
03:18the Bills on Josh Allen was crazy.
03:20But also he brings some swagger to that Patriots secondary, which you wouldn't expect from
03:23a guy who kind of bounced around as a rookie, finally found his place with the Patriots.
03:27So what did you see watching his tape?
03:29Man, just the same thing you said.
03:31It's a lot of confidence, you know, to make some of those plays.
03:33It's more than just like them just happening.
03:36You know, like you got to really be in the film room.
03:39You got to really have been working on your game and working on those situations to understand,
03:43you know, like you said, that play was amazing.
03:46Squeezed the post, happened to relocate over the outside shoulder, find the football again
03:51and make a play that he really wasn't supposed to make.
03:54You know, so when you know the ins and outs of the defense, that's just him going to make
03:58a real good play right there because that's a tough play for anybody.
04:01I don't care what corner it is.
04:03So that was a very elite play by him.
04:05And it just kind of showed you a little bit what he's about.
04:07You know, like some of these guys, sometimes all you need is a chance.
04:10You know, when you keep bouncing around from team to team and then the right fit,
04:13right scheme works for you.
04:15And one thing he credited after the game for that pick was how he worked with Mike Pellegrino
04:20and how he was actually prepared and knew what was coming on that play specifically.
04:24I personally think Mike Pellegrino, Patriots cornerbacks coach,
04:27is one of the most underrated position coaches in the NFL.
04:30So what do you know about Mike Pellegrino and the kind of coach that he is in his own respect?
04:35Man, absolutely.
04:36I agree with you 100% on that.
04:37Very underrated.
04:39The knowledge of the game, I think that when you look at him making it from this last
04:43staff to this new staff, it's just kind of showing you the respect that he has
04:46around the building on actually developing these guys and working with them.
04:50So, you know, and I don't think Bill Belichick's going to bring in any guys
04:54that don't know the game to help coach positions.
04:56So, I mean, that alone tells you a lot that he was stamped by, you know,
05:00arguably one of the greatest coaches in the game to every coach.
05:03And then, you know, just from what I've heard and kind of the conversations
05:06that we've had, man, he has a real love for the players.
05:09He's all about, you know, doing what works for them.
05:12There's not a set mold to say, hey, this is the way.
05:15You only can do it this way.
05:16It's like, hey, this works for this guy.
05:18This works for that guy.
05:19So he lets the guys be themselves.
05:21And how uncommon is that actually to have a coach who's willing to work
05:24with a player's skill set?
05:25Because from an outsider's perspective, it sounds like something that would
05:28just happen naturally, but it sounds like maybe that doesn't happen as often
05:31as you think.
05:32Well, I mean, it all depends on the staff and, you know,
05:35like the philosophy of the staff.
05:36You know, I saw something the other day where, you know,
05:39a certain team was referring to how under one coach, you know,
05:44it was really relaxed.
05:45You know, they had a lot of fun.
05:46And it was like they played hard because of the love of how that guy
05:50treated them.
05:51And then now under this new staff, it's like a little more military
05:54stylish and, you know, like they're demanding excellence.
05:56So it's kind of like it depends on the philosophy of the head coach and then
06:00those guys that he brings in.
06:01Because some people understand like, you know,
06:03this is a forever changing game, you know,
06:05from year to year techniques have to change the rules change.
06:08You know, we can't really touch them as much as we used to.
06:11We can't really be as disruptive.
06:13So now it's all about being in the right place.
06:15So, you know, some,
06:16some techniques might not work in this new game that may have worked,
06:19you know, five to 10 years ago.
06:21And you're hoping this Patriots offensive staff,
06:24obviously a ton of changes.
06:26The defensive side does have some consistency.
06:28But like you talk about the Patriots used to be kind of more of a military
06:31style overall now going to more of like Gerard Mayo style,
06:34where you want the players to be accountable and feel like they have a role
06:37in the defense.
06:38It's going to be interesting to see how that plays out.
06:40But you mentioned you've been working with Christian Gonzalez since he was a
06:43freshman.
06:44That's pretty crazy for a guy who's such a crazy athlete.
06:47His whole family is a bunch of fantastic athletes.
06:49What's it been like working with a guy with like him who I'm assuming has
06:53always just been a mold of clay that you could try to turn into obviously
06:57the superstar that we saw kind of start to emerge early last season.
07:00Absolutely.
07:01Christian is one of those guys is good at everything he does, man.
07:05Like, you know, I can take a little to no,
07:08no credit for any of his success, man.
07:10Cause this kid, you know, he picks up a basketball.
07:12He looks like a guy that can go play in the NBA.
07:14You know, the other day I seen him.
07:16Well, he sent the video.
07:17It might've been last summer.
07:18He went to a golf range and I'm like, dude,
07:20when'd you learn how to play golf?
07:21And he was like, that was my first day.
07:23I'm like, dude, you're swinging like a professional.
07:26Like, you know, so I,
07:27I joked with him and say when he gets down here,
07:29we got to go to top golf and see what he really got.
07:31You know, but it's, it's just one of those things.
07:33Like he was a big time receiver when he was here at high school and
07:36arguably one of the best receivers in the country.
07:39And then, you know, that led to where it was like, Hey,
07:41my team needs me to play defense as well.
07:43And he just rose to the occasion.
07:45And then we,
07:46we kind of knew early on that defense was where he was going to succeed at
07:49long-term.
07:50And a lot of people thought he was a safety, but I'm like, man,
07:53this kid can run with anybody.
07:54He never really had been pushed.
07:56And the funniest story is, you know, in high school, Christian was, you know,
08:00he ran one year track and it was like, all right, well,
08:04I'm going to see what's up with this track stuff.
08:06And he goes to state and it's like, you just, and then I'm like, well,
08:09you're running the 200 meter dash.
08:11And then he's jogging the curve.
08:13He didn't know how to run it, you know,
08:15and then he just went and goes and got everybody on the straightaway.
08:19So I'm like, you know, just imagine somebody actually told him, Hey,
08:22this is a full out sprint, buddy.
08:23Like you got to go.
08:25He may have been a professional track athlete for all we know, you know,
08:29but he's just so talented, man.
08:31And, and, and he's, he's very attention to detail.
08:34So the minor D the minor things,
08:37like a mistake that he makes to the person who doesn't play the position or
08:41who doesn't train how we train, they go, Oh, that's a great rep.
08:44And then to him, he's like, no,
08:45I got to do it again because my foot was this much out of frame or my arm
08:49went that much back too far.
08:51And I think that's,
08:52what's helped him kind of get to where he is today because he's never satisfied
08:55with like average or like just, okay.
08:58Or even just good.
08:59Like it has to be perfect, like great.
09:01And that just keeps pushing him to keep coming back and learning more things
09:04and working harder.
09:05And then, you know, I step it up for him every time, you know,
09:08just because it's like, I understand that that's what he needs to,
09:11to get to that next level.
09:13And that's what all the greats do, right?
09:15All those guys are crazy detail oriented,
09:17all this stuff that we might overlook.
09:19They're very, very particular about that.
09:21And I'm sure that pushes you as a coach,
09:23like how they talk about how Tom Brady, we would go into meetings.
09:26And it's like, as a coach,
09:27you got to be prepared because there's stuff that he's going to challenge you
09:29on. So guys like Christian, like you mentioned,
09:32how he was a receiver went to cornerback.
09:34I feel like that's something that could kind of fly under the radar because
09:37wide receivers, they get all the attention, they get the glory,
09:40but as a cornerback,
09:41a good game for you is if no one ever hears your name called.
09:44So what does that say about Christian? The person also being somebody who
09:47works with him,
09:48we know him as kind of a quiet guy who goes about his business,
09:51but what's he like maybe behind the scenes that might surprise Patriots fans?
09:54Oh man. It's, it's the same all the way around, man. You know,
09:58I spent years like to where we had a relationship where it was like,
10:02I'm trying to, I'm just asking little silly questions just to see if he'll
10:05talk. And then now it's to the point to where, you know,
10:07he's opened up a lot. His personality is definitely changing.
10:10He's a lot more comfortable speaking and asking questions,
10:14but he always was a question guy.
10:15It just wouldn't be a lot of our settings were always one-on-one or in small
10:19groups. So now it's like,
10:21you have guys who are coming in town to train with us. They're like, yo,
10:24what's up with this guy? Like, like, I want to know what he knows.
10:28I want to learn what he learns. And I'm like, yo,
10:30it's not what he's learning. It's how he's,
10:32how he's taking it and putting his own twist on it. So, you know,
10:36like he has a lot of things that he's really, he's really a funny guy.
10:40Like you guys got to like, once he opens up, man, he's full of jokes.
10:43You know, he, the smile is permanent.
10:45He smiles even when he thinks he's in trouble and he's messing up and smiles.
10:49Like it just, he's just one of those guys, man.
10:51We just so laid back and he loves the game so much, but you know,
10:55from the outside, it's easy to be like, man, this guy, is he even trying?
10:58Like, yeah, he's trying, but it's just that effort.
11:02And that's what excites me watching his tape, man. As a cornerback,
11:05would you make that look easy? Especially as a rookie,
11:08that's something you don't see a whole lot. There's no panic in his game.
11:11And I definitely want to get a little more into that success.
11:14He had obviously was only really on the field for a month,
11:17but had an outstanding month,
11:18won NFL defensive rookie of the month in September.
11:21But before we get into that quick word from our friends over at prize
11:24picks, be right back.
11:26You can win up to a hundred times your money on prize picks with as little as
11:29four correct picks. You can turn $10 into a thousand dollars.
11:33With the NBA finals over the hoops action doesn't stop on prize picks.
11:37Women's basketball is just heating up with stars like Caitlin Clarkson,
11:40Angel Reese, looking to make names for themselves alongside greats like
11:43Brianna Stewart and Asia Wilson.
11:45You can earn up to a hundred times your cash, watching them ball out.
11:49Prize picks is available in more than 30 States across the country,
11:52including California, Texas, and Georgia.
11:55I made my first $10 deposit and received an instant $10 bonus.
11:59If you have the skills,
12:00you can play for a shot at turning your $10 into a thousand dollars.
12:04I've got Caitlin Clark for more than three and a half,
12:06three points made and Brianna Stewart for more than 23 points for baseball.
12:10I've got Kyle Schwarber for more than nine hitter fantasy score and Bryce
12:14Miller for more than four pitcher strikeouts.
12:17Download the app today and use the code CLNS for a first deposit match up to
12:20a hundred dollars.
12:22That's code CLNS for a first deposit match up to $100 prize picks,
12:27pick more, pick less. It's that easy.
12:29So coach, when Christian Gonzalez was coming out of the draft process,
12:32also kind of leading up to the season,
12:34there was some skepticism about his toughness and his physicality and
12:37whether or not he'd be able to hang with guys in the NFL.
12:40And then week one,
12:41he's got to go up against guy like AJ Brown,
12:43one of the most physical players in the NFL.
12:45I was actually surprised to see him on the boundary from week one,
12:48cause I'm thinking, all right, maybe they'll try to ease him in.
12:50It was pretty clear that this team was like, no,
12:52we're not going to be able to do that.
12:53We're not going to be able to do that.
12:54We're going to put you on an Island and tough situations and see how you
12:57acquit yourself. And the dude was gangbusters. Like I said,
13:00NFL defensive rookie of the month, no small feat.
13:02So from your perspective,
13:04what was it that allowed him to have such quick success?
13:06Obviously I know a lot of it was already, what was built into him.
13:08I think he was more of a dog than he got credit for,
13:10but what did you see from the tape and also behind the scenes?
13:12So they pretty much ran a similar scheme.
13:15I think he was more of a dog than he got credit for,
13:17but what did you see from the tape and also behind the scenes?
13:19So they pretty much ran a similar scheme.
13:21So they pretty much ran a similar scheme to what he ran in college.
13:25Like this, this was a perfect fit for him.
13:27You know, despite it being, you know, of course I'm going at 17,
13:31which, you know, we kind of, we w we would have wanted that back again,
13:34but you know,
13:35it was a perfect fit because they actually run an NFL style defense at Oregon.
13:39So it was a similar defense.
13:41He already knew the ins and outs of it.
13:45He already knew he physically came in as probably one of the better guys
13:48already. And it, I mean, it was just obvious that, you know,
13:51from what he did in college compared to that transition to the pros,
13:55there was like, he already was fit for the game.
13:58He already had the body, the athleticism, you know,
14:02the smarts and things like that.
14:04So it was more so of just us getting to actually see it.
14:08Not many people stayed up late and watch Oregon's games, you know,
14:11besides the primetime games and then, you know,
14:13how it is where they had a tough out of conference matchup,
14:16first game of the season against Georgia, where, you know,
14:18Georgia was the best team in the country and,
14:21and they showed it start to finish.
14:23And then you have from that point on,
14:25it was just pure domination for Christian, you know,
14:27and he went up against some pretty good guys.
14:30And when we look back on it, you know, like Romo,
14:32he had a really good game against him and Mike Penix and those guys that
14:36were kind of avoiding throwing at him.
14:38Cause they knew like, you know, he he's, he's a stud. And then,
14:41you know,
14:42the revenge game against Colorado just kind of showing like,
14:45like what he was about, you know,
14:47and what type of player he really was, how he can,
14:49he could find the football and make plays on the ball and things like
14:52that. So, I mean, I wasn't shocked with the AJ Brown performance,
14:57you know, or any of them that followed behind it, because I mean,
15:00like, you know, arguably he tested,
15:02had one of the better combines we've probably ever seen out of a
15:05defensive back, you know,
15:06well-rounded from as far as the athleticism to the drills,
15:09to catching the football, to tracking it.
15:11Like he showed us, he showed everybody, you know,
15:13coming up to that point that he was prepared for that.
15:16You mentioned it wasn't just AJ Brown.
15:17He was going against Devontae Smith,
15:19started the Dolphins game against Jalen Waddell,
15:21switched to Tyreek, Garrett Wilson, CeeDee Lamb.
15:24Like again,
15:25he was playing some of the best wide receivers in the NFL and never
15:28looked like he was out of place.
15:29Also funny, you mentioned the Washington game.
15:31We asked him about Jalen Polk and it was like, oh,
15:33how familiar are we with him?
15:34Obviously in the same conference, he was like, yeah,
15:36he had a good game against us.
15:37He had a touchdown, but that wasn't against me.
15:39He made sure we knew that was not on me.
15:41I was doing my job.
15:42That was really funny.
15:43So obviously his season didn't end the way any of us wanted to,
15:47unfortunately suffered a torn shoulder and missed the rest of the year.
15:50So I'm curious, you know,
15:51we don't really know how guys are able to, you know,
15:54continue to rise and grow as players when you're suffering through that
15:57injury.
15:58So what was he able to do behind the scenes to continue to grow?
16:01Obviously as he worked his way back.
16:03Well, he continued to work, you know,
16:05he went out to LA and got that taken care of.
16:07And just as soon as he was cleared, he was back at it, you know,
16:11and it was more so of like, you know, it was like a red shirt year.
16:15He's never, he's never missed a year of football.
16:17So this was the time for him to kind of, you know,
16:19get to know himself a little bit more and really find that,
16:22that more of that competitive fire that he already had,
16:24but just imagine how bad he's itching now to get back out there and,
16:27and kind of show everybody.
16:29Cause like you said,
16:30he started the year off at a is the NFL rookie of the month.
16:33And then the next month, you know, his,
16:35his buddy Devin Witherspoon went and got it.
16:37So, you know, it was, it was an open competition right there.
16:40We had two guys that are, you know,
16:42going to go back and forth all year, you know,
16:44and that hunt for the defense rookie of year, hopefully.
16:47And then, you know, injuries happened and, you know,
16:49it was a freak accident that happened with him and stuff like that.
16:52And he's going to be better for it this year.
16:54It's going to help them change his game for the better.
16:56He kind of knows what he can and can't do.
16:58And, and,
16:59and I think more of his strengths are going to come out this season for
17:02everybody to see.
17:03Yes, sir. And it's a testament to his work ethic.
17:05He's been on the field in the spring was active,
17:08was taking part.
17:09And that says a lot for a guy who, again,
17:11was trying to work his way back to get out there really quickly.
17:13Now talking about another guy who's shown some resilience, Marte Mapu.
17:17Now there's been a lot of debate about where he's supposed to play.
17:20Gerard Mayo said, he's kind of like a bigger safety, bigger slot,
17:23corner, smaller linebacker.
17:25I have insisted that he is a safety in their scheme because the way they
17:28use those safeties, you know,
17:30you can line up literally anywhere depending on the package and what the
17:33play is. But from your perspective,
17:35is there a certain role where you think Marte would really thrive the most?
17:39I think Marte is going to do a lot of great things in coverage this year.
17:44We spent a lot of time this off season working on feet, hips,
17:47his coverage ability, and Marte is actually just a very big safety.
17:52So no matter whether that's him playing in a nickel position,
17:56him playing in at a, you know,
17:58a star or whatever, you know, these guys want to call it,
18:01he's essentially doing the same thing in different packages under different
18:05names. And, and Marte is a competitive man. And he's another one that's like,
18:09Hey, we finished the workout. He's staying after, you know,
18:12close to 45 minutes to an hour where they'd be stretching.
18:15I've seen him today coaching up a former teammate, you know,
18:19him and him and another teammate were out there.
18:22He got to play for the Patriots last year and they were just going through
18:26some footwork stuff. And he took the time to like, Hey man,
18:28let me help you out real quick.
18:29And let me show you kind of what I've learned. And that's just him.
18:32You know, he, he,
18:33he had a time where he brought like four or five guys from his college down
18:37here to Frisco to work out with us and made sure those guys were working and
18:41made sure that, you know, that he, he kept them in line and showed them,
18:44this is what it takes to get to where we're at.
18:46Like they don't just hand these, these positions out.
18:48You got to go get them. And, and, and I have a ton of respect for Marte,
18:52man. I think Marte is going to build on this rookie year.
18:55I think he's going to earn a lot more snaps.
18:58And I think his versus his position versatility is going to really help that
19:01defense grow because you're,
19:02you're adding speed essentially to a linebacker position that now we can play.
19:07He he's plus one in the run game. He's big enough to cover tight ends.
19:11He's smoothing up the cover slots, you know? So, and then he also, if,
19:15you know, if Duggar wants to come down and play that,
19:17Marte can go to the post and be the post safety.
19:19So he's bringing a lot of versatility to that defense.
19:23Yes, sir. And I'm not just saying this because you're here, but truly,
19:25Christian Gonzalez and Marte Montpel were two of my favorite picks from the
19:29Patriots last season.
19:30One because I thought it would really allow them to expand what they did in
19:33coverage. You saw that with Christian where the year before that,
19:36they didn't really have that one corner who they could put on the boundary and
19:39say, you are going to be the guy we put on an Island and maybe allow other
19:42people to do what they do elsewhere. And like you mentioned with Marte,
19:45the fact that he could light up in a bunch of different positions is huge for
19:48the defense. And as a rookie,
19:50I did not expect him to be the third safety on a team that uses a lot of third
19:55safety packages.
19:56So obviously may not have been the year that he necessarily expected.
20:00I mean, obviously you're in the NFL playing as much as he was playing.
20:03I also feel like playing in the post,
20:05maybe it was a little different for him. Like when we spoke,
20:07he mentioned that that was something he was still learning about,
20:09but it was only the first year in a very complex defense playing a difficult
20:13role. I can't emphasize that enough.
20:15So what do you think Patriots fans can expect from Marte in year two?
20:19Now that he's got a season under his belt and maybe a little more comfortable
20:22in this defense.
20:24I sense an expanded role.
20:26I think that I think they will be using that,
20:29that three safety package more than often.
20:32I think that it's going to be something that's going to be like a staple for
20:35that defense as the D line has gotten better.
20:37You know, we're going to see guys like, like Keon step up and,
20:41and do some things. And then, you know,
20:43we're going to get the edge rusher back from last year than this half a season.
20:48And then, and then from there, yeah. And Judon. And then it's like,
20:51if these guys stay healthy, they can be a top defense in the NFL.
20:55Like one of the top, there's a lot of guys that can do a lot of good things.
20:58Secondary has a lot of moving pieces in it with guys that can come in and come
21:02out. So what's up for one another. And I mean, I, I just,
21:07I really have confidence in the scheme.
21:09I think Mayo and Belichick going to do some good things over there.
21:12Well, Mayo specifically, excuse me.
21:17And it's going to,
21:18it's going to do some good things with that defense as far as maximizing the
21:21talent that they have, you know, like, just like you mentioned earlier,
21:24a guy like Gonzo being able to come in and play the boundary is huge because
21:27you know, that allows them to do some more things to the field. You know,
21:31if you don't have to shave coverage over your rookie,
21:33you can really move around and do some things. And you know,
21:35the same thing goes when you bring Marta in and he's picking up the playbook
21:39and he's flying around making those plays,
21:41it makes it easier to not have to feel like we have to get a guy to learn
21:45the nickel package or get another linebacker to,
21:47to learn how to play Sam when you can have one guy that can do both.
21:51So he could be a three down guy at that position and not have to come in and
21:55out the game.
21:56I think that's what's going to make it just vital for that defense is to add
21:59more speed, add more, more, more skills to that defense.
22:03And you mentioned Keon White. So now I got to ask nothing too crazy,
22:06but what are your thoughts on him?
22:08Cause he's another guy adds a lot of versatility,
22:10especially that defensive front play inside, outside hand in the dirt,
22:14standing up.
22:15What are your thoughts on him and maybe what Patriots fan can expect from him
22:18in his sophomore season?
22:19I think this is going to be a huge year for Keon, man.
22:21Keon is such a freak show. Like he's strong. He's a big,
22:25he's a nasty guy. You want,
22:27you want your D line to have some nasty guys, man.
22:30Keon is a guy that's not going to shy away from contact, man.
22:34I think he's going to intimidate and impose his will and a lot of,
22:37a lot of old lines this year, man. And that's another piece there.
22:40Another young guy that came in, I feel like they got to steal out of,
22:43you know, I thought he was a surefire first round guy. And, you know,
22:47they get a steal out of them in the second. And man,
22:49I just feel like that's going to be a big impact player for that D line.
22:52Talk about somebody who doesn't back down.
22:54I know you were at that Packers joint practice last year where you saw that
22:57Keon was not backing down from any of those boys.
23:03Yeah. Anybody, man. And that's, that's just him, man. That's him.
23:06Like, and it's, it's just pure raw energy and, you know,
23:09and it's good to have guys like that, that balance out with your, you know,
23:12Gonzo Marte kind of chill, chiller guys, you know, you know,
23:16they got the whole West coast thing going on with it. But I mean,
23:20when the lights are on, man, and it's game time,
23:22those guys all show up and contribute in their own way.
23:25Yes, sir. All right. I got a couple more questions before you get out.
23:27Gotcha. Before I get you out of here.
23:29But first quick word for our friends over at game time, be right back.
23:32Nothing says summer quite like a live baseball game.
23:35And whenever I want to check out a Red Sox game at Fenway,
23:38I'm using game time. The best place for last minute deals on tickets.
23:42Game time is an authorized ticket marketplace for major league baseball,
23:45which makes getting tickets faster and easier prices on the game time app
23:49actually go down. The closer it gets to the first pitch with killer,
23:53last minute deals, all in prices,
23:55views from your seat and their lowest price guarantee game time takes the
23:59guesswork out of buying MLB tickets with game time.
24:02It's as easy as finding the game you want to attend,
24:05getting a view of the entire stadium to see what prices look like in different
24:08areas.
24:09And they actually do you a favor and show you both the cheapest tickets
24:13available and the best deals.
24:15You can also get the view from the seat that you pick and between their lowest
24:19price guarantee event cancellation protection and job loss protection.
24:23There's really no better option than game time.
24:25And with game time's lowest price guarantee,
24:28the Apple actually credit you 110% of the difference.
24:31If you find a cheaper ticket elsewhere,
24:33take the guesswork out of buying MLB tickets with game time,
24:36download the game time app,
24:38create an account and use the code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase
24:42terms apply again,
24:44create an account and redeem code CLNS for $20 off download game time today.
24:50Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed.
24:55All right, coach. So any player, no matter how long you've been in the NFL,
24:59this time of year, it's really about trying to improve. All right.
25:02So for guys like Christian Gonzalez and Martin Mapu, obviously,
25:05they've only been in the league one year.
25:06So there's still a lot of places to grow.
25:08What would you say for each of those guys or maybe some of the biggest area
25:11improvements where you're looking to see them grow in year two?
25:15So we touched on it earlier a little bit.
25:18Christian with just his physicality.
25:20Like I think that since he's so naturally gifted,
25:24he doesn't have to be as physical as others.
25:27You know, he can run with anybody. Like I said, jump with anybody.
25:30He's got ball skills out of this world, but sometimes it's okay to, you know,
25:33impose your will on guys.
25:34So I think we're going to see him be a little bit more aggressive this season
25:37and kind of show us like, you know, Hey, I'm, I'm, I'm a true shutdown corner.
25:43I think there's going to be a very big year for him.
25:45This is a great schedule to show once again, just like last year was,
25:49you know, start the year off against some,
25:51some very talented guys and just show that we can, we got, this is who I am.
25:54This is what I'm going to be.
25:56And then with Marta,
25:57it's just going to be able to show that coverage ability. You know,
25:59he flashed Kansas city chiefs game made a big time play.
26:02And I think it's going to be a lot of that this year,
26:05because you got a guy once again, that's his size to cover tight ends.
26:08That's a game changer. You know, not,
26:10not every team has a guy that's going to be big and quick enough and strong
26:14enough to neutralize the tight end.
26:17And I think that if, if, if he can show people what he can do with that,
26:20it's going to probably change the way that a lot of teams draft and play
26:23going forward, because, you know, let's be honest, you know, in,
26:27in the NFL,
26:28a lot of these offenses in the AFC have pretty solid athletic tight ends,
26:33you know, like we're talking about the Kelsey's, the Mark Andrews, the,
26:37the joke, who's, you know, like these guys that can really run and,
26:41and, and get open. So, you know,
26:43you need an eraser or a guy like that who can come in and, and, you know,
26:47put hands on a guy like that and take him on in the run game and,
26:50and things like that. That'll, once again,
26:53it gives you an unaccounted for a guy that's going to be able to make place,
26:56help, help out your D line, help out your linebackers,
26:59help out your safeties by having a guy like that.
27:02They can do plenty of things, man.
27:04Yep. We're already seeing them lock up tight ends this spring.
27:07So already make a little bit of that impression.
27:09And you mentioned that pig against the chiefs.
27:11I never got a chance to ask him.
27:13It looked to me like he was baiting the home because I'm like,
27:15he's standing there. I'm like, he knows this ball's coming out.
27:17He's just waiting for that thing to let it fly.
27:19That was one of my favorite place for me.
27:21Absolutely.
27:22It's one of those things where it's like, man,
27:24you see it on film so much.
27:25So then when that happens in the game, it's like,
27:27he's not really going to do this. Is he like, he has to see me here,
27:30but you know, it's just like the same way we watch tape, they watch tape.
27:33So I'm sure Pat probably saw something that,
27:35that looked like a green light to him. And,
27:37and Marty made a hell of a play, you know,
27:39it's appealing peeling out of a spot and jumping in front of that and
27:42taking that ball away from somebody else. You know, that, that's a play that,
27:45you know, it's not as easy as it looks like we've, like we discussed,
27:48you know,
27:49like a lot of these plays that are being made or super hard plays that
27:52these guys are, you know, they're putting the time in, in the off season,
27:55they're watching the film,
27:56they're studying to be able to be in the position to make those plays.
27:59Yes, sir. Now it's also, so fans have a better understanding.
28:02This is a part of the year where it kind of seems like summer break,
28:05but it's not for players. They're still trying to get better.
28:07So when it comes to your coaching and what you're doing with these guys,
28:10what are you looking to accomplish during kind of this break period to get
28:13them ready for training camp and, you know, the entire season?
28:16The goal is to have them prepared to walk right in,
28:19right in passion conditioning test, be able to contribute right away.
28:23We're already in shape. We're already ready to go.
28:26We never take these long breaks, you know, for that reason,
28:29because like this, this is your job.
28:31It's your job to make sure that you're, you know,
28:35you know, it's cool to get your vacations in and stuff like that,
28:38which they do, they take their vacations,
28:40but then they're also working on these vacations. So, you know,
28:43this is the final, the final, you know,
28:46last couple of weeks where we're able to actually, you know,
28:49sharpen our skills before we go back.
28:51And then the next time I see these guys will be next off season.
28:54Well, as far as for training purposes,
28:56we'll get out to games and stuff like that and check them out.
28:59And we can always talk ball and stuff like that.
29:01You know, during the week, but this is huge for these guys, you know,
29:04cause I mean, I see a lot of guys, you know,
29:07me to make an off season or break an off season here.
29:09Some of the vets are just now kind of starting to ramp it up, you know,
29:12because they've been in the league so long where it's like, Hey,
29:15now some guys just putting on cleats for the first time this off season.
29:18Like, Hey, I need to the next three weeks.
29:20I'm going to hit it hard to get ready for what's taking place, you know,
29:23in, in, in August. So, you know, for us,
29:26we're going to have to get ready for that.
29:28In August. So, you know, for us, the goal is to come in, you know,
29:32if you're not a starter, you know, we're coming in challenging starters,
29:35we're coming in and we're going to try to find a way to force our way onto
29:38the field, you know?
29:39So I'm looking forward to some of these young guys stepping it up and,
29:43you know, like, like just how we discussed with Alex Austin, like,
29:46it's an opportunity, you know, everybody's starting it from scratch.
29:49I believe that, you know, Gonzo's probably solidified his spot,
29:52but that number two corner spot is, is,
29:56is a lot of guys to lose. And, you know, so, you know, I mean,
29:59there's some good guys over the Joneses,
30:01all the guys last name Jones that they have that are,
30:04that are really good, you know, and, and I think Alex is good.
30:07And I think Alex has a chance to really go in there and,
30:09and solidify himself as a, as a, as a corner in the NFL that, you know,
30:14and just find that role, find, find his identity in the defense.
30:17And then, you know, same thing with Marty's like, Hey,
30:20we're expecting more snaps, but we still got to go get them.
30:22They got to go take them.
30:23They're not just going to give you anything you don't work for.
30:25So I'm, you know,
30:26I'm knowing he's going to go in there and do what he has to do these next
30:29couple of weeks. Well, we're already locked in. Like I said,
30:31we started back today and he's talking about going five, six days straight,
30:36you know, so we have recovery days built in there. We've got, you know,
30:40certain days we're going to do different things just to help get them
30:43prepared, you know, get them prepared. I mean, it's,
30:46it's a hundred degrees out here in Texas, you know what I'm saying?
30:48So, yeah, we got, we got some one-on-ones and one-on-two days.
30:52And before they get back, it's going to be like 108, 109 certain days.
30:55So, I mean, these guys are out here working, they're hydrating,
30:58they're making sure they're going to be in shape.
31:00I'm going to do my best part to make sure they all show up camp ready and
31:03healthy. And, uh, and we're going to roll from there.
31:06I thought the 90s over here in Massachusetts was rough.
31:09They will be plenty ready going at it in a hundred degrees, man.
31:12That's crazy.
31:13And Alex Dawson also he's been in the mix for that number two corner spot.
31:17And he's been competitive.
31:18I've been saying since before they put on the pads yet before they got on the
31:21field,
31:22I really thought he could be a guy that took a step forward and really
31:25solidified a spot.
31:26So I'm excited to see what happens after you guys get to work with him,
31:30really hoping to see all these guys take a step forward. Of course.
31:33And before I get you on here, kind of a fun question to end on.
31:37What's the misconception about playing defensive back that you wish more NFL
31:42fans or just football fans in general had a better understanding of?
31:46I don't think people understand that the defensive position of,
31:52of playing a corner or a safety, it's pretty much all reactionary.
31:56So, you know, we, we don't have the luxury of guessing a lot.
32:00I know on TV,
32:01it looks like a lot of these guys are guessing and they guess, right.
32:04But I'm like, man, one wrong guess on a, on a,
32:07on a double move or something, those are touchdowns, you know,
32:10at this level. So, you know, you gotta be very sound.
32:13Your eyes have to be very elite to play on Sundays.
32:16You have to have elite eyes and you have to have elite skill speed,
32:21all that type of stuff. So like, I mean,
32:23contrary to what it looks like on TV, man,
32:25these are some of the best athletes in the world playing a defense.
32:28Cause it's all reaction to be able to be able to move backwards fast and then
32:33plant and change directions and go forward. You know what I'm saying?
32:36Like, like we always, we always joke around and I tell the guys,
32:39like the offensive guys know where they're going. You know,
32:41they can run a straight line, cut out, cut in, you know,
32:45everybody knows there's a pattern. You know,
32:47we talk about route patterns and concepts on defense. It's like, Hey,
32:50we gotta try to have a perfect play to stop whatever they're doing.
32:54We don't know what they're doing when they break the huddle,
32:56they break the huddle with four wide receivers.
32:58They can still run the football, but you know,
33:00so every, every call is designed to try to stop every play. So,
33:04you know, you gotta have, you know, you're running whatever coverage,
33:07whatever coverage that covers is designed to stop it, run past deep,
33:10short, all that type of stuff.
33:12So we got to go through a whole process to point of, okay, is it a run?
33:15No. Okay. Get my eyes back to my guy. Is it a short pass? No. Okay.
33:19I got to speed up. Is it a long pass? Yes. Like,
33:21like there's a lot of processing that goes through each play.
33:23So you look like we got to give these guys some grace, you know,
33:26younger me used to used to be on the internet, just mad at all.
33:29And then like the older I've gotten, I'm like, man, you know,
33:34once you get to, once you get to that college level,
33:36and then, you know, like some of these guys going to play pro,
33:38you figure out like, man, this, this defensive playbook is tough.
33:41Like there's so many adjustments to everything.
33:44You got to learn just as much as the offense, you know,
33:46even though it doesn't look or sound alike,
33:48but you got to learn just as much. There's a lot of auto checks.
33:51There's a lot of different concepts, not to mention if you switch a team,
33:54you know, you got to learn a whole new scheme, sometimes a whole new
33:57philosophy. So, you know, I mean,
33:59these guys have to be intellects out there as well as elite athletes.
34:04Yes, sir. I mean,
34:05cornerback is the hardest position to play physically in the world.
34:08And I will die on that Hill. And then you throw in also the mental side.
34:12Like you said, I mean,
34:13quarterback obviously is kind of in a realm of its own,
34:16but cornerback is right there. Thank you for some of that context.
34:19I'm going to clip this and use it at some point in the season.
34:22When I got fans on Twitter mad that somebody gave up like a 10 yard curl,
34:26I'm going to come right back to this.
34:27So coach,
34:28Hey,
34:29you better be thankful for the 10 yard curl give ups and not a,
34:32not a 50 yard bomb or something like that. You know,
34:35it matters like a lot of people are like, Hey man, you know,
34:3910 yard curl. We live to see another down.
34:41You give up too many of them deep shots, man.
34:44You might be on the waiver wire the next week.
34:46That's what I'm saying, coach.
34:49Thank you so much for your time and perspective.
34:51This has been an absolute blast.
34:53Please let the people know where they can find you.
34:55If they want your insights,
34:56if they want some training down the road and also anything else you just
34:59want to let people know before I let you out of here.
35:01Gotcha.
35:02So I'm on Instagram and Twitter at flight skills with the Z at the end
35:06for all the young DBS out there. We have an app.
35:10So you go to my Instagram, it's in the book.
35:13Now section of my Instagram,
35:15there's an app that we have dropped to be able to share behind the scenes
35:18information from, from our sessions,
35:20working on some online training type things like that to help the guys that
35:24are not here in Texas. But if you got the time,
35:27come to Texas and get that work. Yes, sir. Awesome. Once again, coach,
35:31thank you so much for your time and thank you all as always for watching.
35:35I take care of yourselves. Take care of each other.
35:37We will see you next time. Peace y'all.