CLNS Media’s Taylor Kyles and Mike Kadlick take a look at New England’s defensive line group and determine sleepers, surprise cuts, trade candidates, and more.
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SportsTranscript
00:00What's going on everyone, Taylor Kiles and Mike Kadlik here with CLNS Media coming at
00:08you with another episode of Pass Daily, brought to you by our good friends at PrizePix and
00:12GameTime.
00:14Today we're starting a series where we are going to break down the Patriots' different
00:17position groups throughout this offseason where we don't have a whole lot to talk about,
00:21so might as well try to get in-depth with the team that we cover.
00:25Today we're going to be tackling defensive line, where the Patriots probably have the
00:30most depth on their team.
00:32Mike, before we get into some of your different categories, talking about sleepers, surprise
00:37trade candidates, all that good stuff, what's your general overview of this position for
00:41New England?
00:42Yeah, so I'll preface this whole thing as an exercise I started last offseason where
00:48exactly like you said, it's kind of the dog days of summer, right?
00:51You have like a month, a month and a half from in between the OTAs and the training
00:55camp where you're kind of looking for content, you're stretching for something, but it's
00:59a good time to really take an audit of the entire roster.
01:03So last summer, I started it when I was with WEI, position by position breakdowns of everything
01:08we've seen, or what to look for heading into the season, starting with an overview, who
01:13we're sleeping on, trade candidates, surprise cuts, and then a roster projection in a series
01:18that will be up on now on clmsmedia.com called Patriots Depth Projections.
01:22You can check that out.
01:23The defensive line is already up there.
01:25The overview on the defensive line, Taylor, is a room where you mentioned the depth, but
01:29it's also looks to me like a room that is trying to get younger, just like sort of the
01:34whole Patriots, excuse me, the whole Patriots team is doing.
01:39One of their first moves coming in as a new regime in the offseason was obviously cutting
01:42or releasing rather Lawrence Guy, Stallworth veteran who was on the defensive line for
01:47a number of seasons here, won a Super Bowl, was just a consummate pro.
01:50And they basically cut them loose and said, hey, we're sort of rebuilding.
01:55You probably want to go out there and either get paid or maybe try and win another Super
01:58Bowl.
01:59We're not in this position now.
02:00So see you later.
02:01So that tells me right off the bat that they are trying to get younger.
02:04Now you're looking at the elder statesmen in the room being Daniel O'Connell, who's
02:0830, Dietrich Weiss, Devon Godshaw, 29, and the rest are under 27, and obviously Christian
02:13Barmore, who is the star of the show.
02:15And then the other guys, Tristan Hills, Jeremiah Farms, Sam Roberts, Armond Watts, Keon White,
02:19all 27 or younger, like I mentioned.
02:21So a young rebuilding room with a lot of depth too.
02:25Obviously Barmore is the big guns, just signed the four-year $92 million extension.
02:29But Keon White is a second year guy who has a lot of potential.
02:33Armond Watts is a free agent signed in this offseason.
02:35Jeremiah Farms, someone who we'll talk about later, really came on strong at the end of
02:39last season after he's a two-year veteran out of Friends University, never really played
02:44in an NFL game, a couple call-ups last year, played pretty well, and then signed to the
02:47active roster, all of a sudden he can make an impact.
02:49So it's a room that it's, again, one of the, I think, better rooms on obviously the better
02:55side of the ball on the defense with a lot of potential and room to grow.
02:59So looking forward to sort of seeing what you think of my thoughts on the room and also
03:04where they can go and how they can grow heading into 2024.
03:07Yes, sir.
03:08So first, let's give some credit to guys who don't get a ton of attention.
03:13Let's start with your sleepers from this defensive line group.
03:16So like I said, or just a second ago, I think Jeremiah Farms is a massive sleeper on this
03:21team.
03:22And I think you kind of, honestly, we had a conversation last week on the show that
03:25kind of changed my view on Farms because he was a guy who I didn't necessarily think of
03:30him as someone who was going to, you know, frankly be on the team and contribute this
03:35year, even though he had success last year.
03:37But now looking at the situations, which we'll get to with Devon Gotchow's contract and sort
03:42of where the room is looking to go mixed with the rave reviews that DeMarcus Coventy gave
03:48last year, Farms is saying the reason he got on this team is because of what he's done
03:51in practice.
03:52And he, you know, he looks, looks like a solid player.
03:55Farms came in last year.
03:56He played 68 snaps, six total tackles, a fumble recovery.
04:00Doesn't sound like a ton, but you know, under the radar, defensive tackle isn't necessarily
04:03a stat position.
04:04That's what you see on the field.
04:05And he played pretty well.
04:07So I think mixed into the fact that they may move on from Gotchow, they may not, you know,
04:13re-sign him or extend him or do what have you with him.
04:16Farms is a guy who can actually make an impact depending on where the rest of it goes.
04:20And so I think I was sleeping on him.
04:22You mentioned him as somebody who played pretty well last season.
04:24I kind of dug into it more, looked at some clips and things like that.
04:27And he's someone who I think is going to end up making this roster given where they are
04:31with Gotchow and the rest of the room.
04:33Yeah, I agree.
04:34The thing with Gotchow, and again, we will get into him more later, but he's really just
04:38a run defender.
04:39He is a starter on this team, but he's a very one-dimensional piece.
04:42Jeremiah Farms flashed is both a run defender and a pass rusher.
04:45He's only 300 pounds, so he's definitely on the lighter side for a nose tackle, but he's
04:51stout.
04:52He holds his ground pretty well.
04:53He can stack and shed.
04:54And as a pass rusher, he's got explosiveness and he's really active with his hands, which
04:58really impressed me.
04:59There was a play against the Broncos where he had like a crazy spin move where he beat
05:03three blockers, which you wouldn't expect from a guy like Jeremiah Farms, who the common
05:07fan probably doesn't know that he exists.
05:09Not to be disrespectful.
05:10Again, he was on the practice squad, so just a very up-to-date guy.
05:14And you mentioned the fumble recovery.
05:15It was a more impressive play than you would just think looking at a stat sheet.
05:19He actually got buried on the play.
05:20I think he took on a double team and was on the ground.
05:23Then his motor, where he gets up, runs to the play, and then Dietrich Wise strips it.
05:28He ends up jumping on it.
05:29So I 100% agree.
05:30I think Jeremiah Farms is someone who's going to have a bigger role this season.
05:33We also saw in many camp and OTAs with Devon Gotchow out, Jeremiah Farms was a pretty significant
05:40piece of that defense when it looked like they were really working through their base
05:44packages.
05:45And he can contribute on passing downs.
05:46You never see Devon Gotchow on the field when you know pass is coming, but they did experiment
05:51with Jeremiah Farms in that way.
05:52So I completely agree.
05:54He's about 29, 30 years old.
05:56That's one red flag I have, but he doesn't have a lot of tread on his tires.
06:00So I'm really excited to see what he can do.
06:01I think it's, yeah, I think it says a lot that, again, with the new, since COVID, these
06:06practice squad elevation rules have kind of changed.
06:08I think it says a lot that he's a guy who they burnt all three elevations on, and then
06:13essentially, like, yeah, we need to sign you.
06:15A lot of times it's kind of reverts back to the practice squad.
06:19We'll just use another practice squad guy and not have to burn a roster elevation.
06:23But when Calvin Anderson went to IR, they end up signing Farms to a two-year deal, clearly
06:28showing that they have some faith in him.
06:30And I think what Demarcus Covington, who was the defensive line coach last year, now turns
06:35into the defensive coordinator, I think clearly he has some confidence in Farms.
06:38So again, a guy who I see making the roster and could make an impact, depending on what
06:42happens with the rest of the room.
06:43Yeah, because he was, I'm pretty sure he got elevated because Devon Gottschall got banged
06:47up at some point, like, midway through the season, and we were like, is he going to play?
06:51Is he not?
06:52And Farms got on the field, and he wasn't just a placeholder, like you said.
06:55He actually established himself and earned a role.
06:57Demarcus Covington, once again, gave him a lot of praise, so you don't want to beat
07:00a dead horse, but he really is an exciting player who I think more Patriots fans should
07:04have on their radar.
07:05Great call there.
07:07Let's move on to the not-so-optimistic end of the spectrum, surprise cuts.
07:11They feel like they happen every season at some position.
07:14Who do you think it's going to be along the defensive line?
07:16Yeah, last year when I did this, it was Lawrence Guy.
07:18I was about a season too early.
07:20I thought they might have just nipped it in the bud last year and said, you can move on,
07:23but they kept it around.
07:24I'm curious what you think on this one, too, but I'm going with Daniel Equale because of
07:29sort of the same reasons with the rest of the guys in that room at that position, where
07:33first off, like I mentioned, they're trying to get younger.
07:35They're rebuilding.
07:36This is a 2025 team.
07:38This isn't a 2024 team.
07:40Equale's 30, played only three games last season, is coming off a torn biceps.
07:45The year before, he missed two games due to a suspension, ended up coming in and playing
07:48well, don't get me wrong, but I just wonder if they do find a common ground with Gotcha
07:54and they do think Jeremiah Flames is an up-and-coming guy who can sort of, like you said, a little
07:58bit older, but less tread on his tires.
08:01If they can fill the room that way and Equale sort of ends up just being a guy that they
08:04can cut and move on and maybe keep another receiver, keep another special team, it comes
08:10down to those decisions where you have to decide between your third or fourth defensive
08:14lineman and your third or fourth receiver, depending on the strength of the defense,
08:18et cetera.
08:19You wonder.
08:20So I think coming off an injury, oldest player in the room, trying to get younger, all of
08:25those things kind of combined, I wouldn't be shocked if they end up cutting bait with
08:29Equale and just letting him walk at the end of training camp.
08:32No, I agree.
08:33I don't think he's going to get cut, but anytime I do roster projections, especially in the
08:37past couple of seasons, he's been the guy where I'm like, they could call him if they
08:41needed to, maybe sneak him onto the practice squad.
08:44At his age, considering he's put some good tape, or he's put up some good tape, I don't
08:48know if he'd actually want to be on the practice squad unless it was a situation where they're
08:51like, Hey, just for a week or two, we're going to elevate you and make sure you get playing
08:54time.
08:55I do think he's a valuable member of that room.
08:57He is depth at, again, a pretty deep position.
08:59Like if you look at the interior, he's a defensive tackle and nose tackle.
09:03I do like that versatility because you don't have that quite as much with some of the other
09:06depth pieces.
09:07Like Jeremiah Farms is more of a true nose tackle.
09:10Devon Doddshaw is more of a true nose tackle, although he's played some, you know, defensive
09:14and defensive tackle type in some of their odd fronts.
09:17But yeah, he makes the most sense because like you said, Arman Watts is a younger guy.
09:21Jeremiah Farms, not really younger, but a guy who seems like he's on the rise.
09:25And if they do end up keeping Devon Doddshaw, and it just turns into a numbers game where
09:28it's like, Hey, we got to get rid of somebody.
09:30He's the only one where when you weigh one, the fact that he is a depth player and the
09:34fact that he's older, it would kind of make sense if they did move on from him again.
09:38I don't think they will.
09:39I hope they don't.
09:40Cause I think he's a really fun player.
09:41Well, that's why it's a surprise.
09:43That's why it's not an easy cut.
09:44It's someone who, Hey, maybe it just happens.
09:46Right.
09:47But yeah, he does fit the bill very well for that.
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10:58All right, now we're going to continue with some guys who may not be on the Patriots roster
11:04looking at some potential trade candidates.
11:06Now I feel like, you know, with recent news, this one is kind of like a flashing sign a
11:11little bit, but let the people know who you think it's going to be and why.
11:14It is number 92, Devon Godshaw Taylor.
11:17It's a guy who we just did a whole video on it, which is also on the channel.
11:21You can go check that out right now.
11:22So we'll kind of rehash some things there, but I really do at this point think they could
11:26maybe dangle Devon Godshaw as a trade ship if they don't see themselves finding common
11:30ground or a contract.
11:31Godshaw last night tweeted that him and the Patriots are again, trying to find that middle
11:35ground and he wants to stay here.
11:37He wants to retire here, but it has to make sense for him and his team.
11:42Godshaw signed a two-year deal in 2021.
11:45Then he signed a two-year extension after the first season with a little bit of a pay
11:50bump, and now he's in the second season of that and is looking for some more guaranteed
11:54money because right now that guaranteed money is up.
11:57I think, again, every time I do this and I look at every room for the trade candidates,
12:03you have to look at the guys who are in the final year of their contracts because if you
12:06don't find something contract-wise, they end up walking and being a free agent, and if
12:11you lose them, you get nothing for them.
12:13So at least in this situation, you have Godshaw under contract for a year.
12:17A team that's looking for a veteran run stuffer could easily just kind of say, hey, we'll
12:23give you, call it even a seventh round pick, right?
12:25Now, I'm not saying that that's what he's worth, but I'm saying if you're not going
12:29to pay him, he's going to stay on the team, he's going to hold out, do his whole thing,
12:32and then he just walks after the season, you get nothing for him.
12:35It kind of seems like it doesn't really make sense on that front, especially when you're
12:38a team that's trying to rebuild.
12:39So they extended him two summers ago.
12:42If they don't, again, find that common ground, I think it could be reasonable.
12:46Like they're not just going to cut him.
12:47You might as well try and get something for him.
12:49So I think they could dangle him and maybe get something back for him.
12:52Yeah, I agree.
12:53Especially because next season, he's not like a DJ reader type really where he's a true
12:57speed seeder.
12:58Like he's kind of on the relatively smaller side for those big nose tackles.
13:02So even if he left, I'm not sure he'd sign a contract that was big enough to really factor
13:06into the compensatory pick formula unless it was kind of like a really late seven type.
13:12Before the Godshaw news and this whole development, I probably would have said Matthew Judon begrudgingly
13:18so, because I really do think he does like Godshaw want to retire in New England.
13:22But I also think that Judon gives you every down flexibility that Godshaw does not.
13:27And that's really where the lines kind of drawn for me.
13:29Like I said, I like the depth they have with a quality with farms, but on the edge, it's
13:34much more of an unknown because you're Keon White obviously has gotten praise from drive
13:39Mayo stepped up as a leader.
13:41When we're there at practice, he clearly is going to have a big role, but you don't know
13:44what you're getting quite yet.
13:45The name for the Jennings elite run stopper, it doesn't give you much in terms of pass
13:49rush and Joshua who's a very talented pass rusher, but we still have to see how he fits
13:53into this new scheme.
13:54There's way more questions there and less every down capability was in the interior.
13:58I think there's more room for you to be kind of situational, especially considering the
14:02often use those three down fronts and pass rush.
14:05So you don't need quite as much depth on the inside as you do outside.
14:08So yeah, I hate that.
14:10I can't give you any pushback on any of these, but you're killing it.
14:13That's so he doesn't make the most sense.
14:15God.
14:16Yeah.
14:17I will add with, with Uche and Judon and this is where the lines get blurred on like positionals,
14:22things like that.
14:23Like edge rushers edge.
14:24But like, I just have them as linebackers cause that's technically what they're listed
14:27on the roster.
14:28So we can talk about them more in our, on our linebacker depth projection of whether
14:31Judon will be a reasonable candidate.
14:33I agree that him look at when you look at that again, when you look back at our video
14:38on Godshaw, we pull up the five highest paid Patriots, right?
14:42And Judon is number one, Godshaws number three, both of them don't have any guaranteed money.
14:47So like it makes sense to trade those guys.
14:49So I think Judon is just as much a a potential trade ship as, as Godshaw.
14:54We can just get that into that a little bit when the linebackers, I understand that some
14:58you look at edge, you look at the line and things like that.
14:59That's just a sort of a gray area here, but I do think that he could potentially be a
15:03trade candidate.
15:04Yeah.
15:05All right.
15:06So we went through sleepers, went through surprise.
15:09We went through trade candidates.
15:10Now, what is your roster projection?
15:12Who do you think is actually going to end up on the 53?
15:15Obviously way too early, put that asterisk all the time, but just based on what we know
15:19heading into training camp.
15:21So like I said before, wait for verdicts on not that Uche and Judon won't make the team,
15:26but you won't hear their names because I have them in the linebacker category.
15:29Same with guys like Anthony Jennings, but in, I have six players on the defensive line
15:34and that is Christian Balmore, Devon Godshaw, Jeremiah farms, Jr.
15:39Arman Watts, Keon White, and Dietrich Weiss out Bradley, William Bradley King, Daniel
15:45Kuala.
15:46Surprise.
15:47Cut is actual cut in here.
15:48Tristan Hill, John Morgan, the third Sam Roberts and Jonathan Russell.
15:52So, um, one thing I'll add is I do think they're going to end up getting something
15:58done with Godshaw.
15:59I don't think they're going to end up training.
16:00I do think they'll find that common ground.
16:01I feel like it's probably just going to end up being guaranteed the money, keep them around
16:05for one season.
16:06Uh, and then you let them walk at the end of next year, bar more obviously makes the
16:10team Jeremiah farms.
16:12Uh, I think we're sleeping on him.
16:13I think he's going to end up making the roster, uh, over a guy like Daniel Kuala.
16:17And then Arman Watts just signed Keon White, second year player Dietrich Weiss becomes
16:22the oldest player in the room, him and Devon Godshaw together.
16:26Those are, you know, end up being the leaders moving us into the next sort of, uh, generation
16:30after you cut Daniel Kuala.
16:32So, uh, that's my, uh, that's my projection.
16:34I think again, bar more Godshaw farms, Watts, White, and Wise, uh, are my six defensive
16:40linemen who make the team.
16:42Yeah.
16:43Mine was pretty much identical except I had Daniel Kuala on.
16:46I just really like to have depth on the interior and we saw it was already tested last season
16:50where Daniel Kuala went down against the jets, then Godshaw gets hurt.
16:53And then again, you have to start elevating somebody from the practice squad until he
16:56earns a role.
16:57So I really do want to keep him around.
16:59And then in terms of the defensive line, I kind of consider Dietrich Wise and, um, Keon
17:04White as defensive ends because sometimes he ran in the dirt.
17:08Sometimes they stand up, they kick inside.
17:10I just, you know, they're not like Judon and Uche where it's weird.
17:13It's a, it's a, yeah, right.
17:15It's all, they're all kind of like on my roster breakdowns, just certain stuff where it's
17:20like you end up this amount, you're this, if you, you know, all that kind of stuff.
17:23So yeah, I pretty much agree.
17:24Um, it was just hard for me to cut any of these guys.
17:26I think that depth is very valuable and I think those are talented guys.
17:30Keep the rotation fresh, like all the best defensive lines we see, you know, obviously
17:34that a lot of them have their bar more of their Chris Jones type, or it's a guy that
17:37you really don't want to take off the field.
17:39Then you surround him with like a hockey team where you can just keep sending out waves
17:43of guys.
17:44And then in the fourth quarter, that's what makes offensive line so hard is you can end
17:47up playing someone who's only been on the field for 10 snaps, but they're still fresh.
17:50Um, so I really do like the depth there.
17:53We're going to prediction, no prediction.
17:55I want your prediction right now.
17:57What happens with Godchild?
17:58Do they trade them?
17:59Do they cut them?
18:00Do they sign them?
18:01What happens?
18:02I think they keep them.
18:03I think it's not that hard to guarantee his money for one year.
18:04Like I don't see them, you know, trying to get Brandon Iuke or make it some crazy trade
18:08where they need that much money or traffic's already signed.
18:11And then you also need to put money aside for in-season signings, but those usually
18:15barely move the needle.
18:16I think they find something with Godchild, at least for this year.
18:19Um, cause I'm just not sure if they're prepared to lose someone of his magnitude.
18:25Again, I do like the depth of the quality in Jeremiah farms, but I also think that Godchild
18:29just gives you beef at a position where, you know, you'd like some pass rush upside, but
18:33also he eats space better than those other guys.
18:36Um, so yeah, I think he sticks around for at least a year.
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20:03All right, buddy.
20:04Great.
20:05The Patriots defensive line.
20:06What do we think?
20:07Again, this is one of the deeper positions on the entire roster when you talk about not
20:11only the top end talent, but also the amount of guys they can put in and actually get some
20:15quality production out of.
20:17So what do you think?
20:18I give him a B and I think B's are good, right?
20:23It's it's out.
20:24You hear B and it's like, oh, why don't you give them an A?
20:26They're supposed to be like, no, B is good.
20:28They're not a great room.
20:30Heavily held down by Barmore.
20:32He's obviously a star teacher twice is very consistent.
20:35But you still have, you know, after that, God shot just to just to run stuff for not
20:40really a pass rusher.
20:42Keone White solid last year, but we're sort of expecting him to grow and be that leader
20:47and, you know, have more of a dominant presence.
20:50And then Jeremiah Farms, the guy we're relying on, who, again, had like three good games
20:56last year.
20:57And I think we're sleeping on him.
20:58I think he's going to be pretty good.
20:59But there's a lot of if not definitiveness in the room outside of guys like Barmore in
21:05teacher twice.
21:06So I think it's a B. They are good.
21:08Like I said, they're deep depending on a quality, what you think of him and where he's going
21:12to be.
21:13But I do think that if Keone White can take that next step, if Jeremiah Farms can be a
21:18consistent presence, then you're talking, you know, you're talking towards the end of
21:21the season.
21:22This is a B plus a minus type of room that really holds down the front of the defense.
21:27So yeah, I give him a B.
21:28I think there's room to grow.
21:29I don't necessarily think there's anything bad about the room.
21:32There's just things that there's two what ifs and two consistent players that kind of
21:36brings me to a B. I hate that.
21:38I don't think I've disagreed with you once, but I'm going to say B plus.
21:42But honestly, I do think he is fair because, yes, Barmore holds it down.
21:46But I feel like this group is made up of a lot of guys where you can be optimistic.
21:50I think there's more reason for optimism and pessimism.
21:53Definitely.
21:54Where Matt Judon, is he going to come back healthy?
21:57Can Joshua Ucce be that elite situational pass rusher that he was in 2022?
22:02Can Keone White take that step and really be a true leader in that room and take over
22:06for you?
22:07And Frannie Jennings, I think you know what you're getting out of him.
22:09Devon Gottschall, you know what you're getting out of those guys, both high end run stoppers.
22:13But then there's not a lot of guys who give you every down versatility.
22:16I think Jeremiah Farms, you could kind of put in that mix.
22:19But even still, how much can he produce if you actually have him on the field for significant
22:23snaps every single week?
22:25Daniel Laquale, really good role player again.
22:27Dietrich Wise, I really like him.
22:30One as a person, he's hilarious.
22:32He's a great leader.
22:33He's a captain, clearly a valuable guy there.
22:35Gives you versatility.
22:36And he's far from a bad player.
22:38But I think he's more solid than he is like the good player that he used to be.
22:44In terms of run defense, I've never really been a strength of his.
22:47So you know, he's, I think, solid there.
22:49But as a pass rusher, I feel like he hasn't been quite as consistent as he was in years
22:53past.
22:54Part of that could just be due to the fact that he had such a heavy workload in 2022.
22:58Felt like they kind of took a step back on that in 2023.
23:00Maybe that had something to do with it.
23:02But yeah, I think this is a group where they're definitely on the up.
23:04There's a lot of young or maybe relatively inexperienced talent and a lot of guys who
23:09have promise.
23:10And you're just like, let me see how they perform on the field under this defense and
23:14the circumstances.
23:15And then we'll really have a definitive statement.
23:17But I think B's totally fair because there is a lot of talent, but I need to see them
23:21improve it before I start getting in that B plus A minus range.
23:25I think that's a good point.
23:26It's the same system, but it might be a little different.
23:29They've talked about being a little bit more aggressive.
23:31That's sort of been hinted at.
23:33DeMarcus Covington goes from their position, you know, their position group leader to now
23:37their coordinator.
23:38So they might change things up a little bit.
23:39So I think you're right, too.
23:40That's a good way to look at it is a B. There's again, the what ifs that are in the room as
23:45players.
23:46There's also a what if with the defensive coordinator and how they sort of change the
23:49scheme and how they want to do things moving forward.
23:52Yep, absolutely.
23:53All right.
23:54This was fun.
23:55Mike, what are we doing for the next position group?
23:56Give people a little tease.
23:57Yeah, we are going to hit the offensive line next.
23:59So we're going to go.
24:00That'll be up on Thursday morning, CLNSMedia.com, another depth projection with the offensive
24:04line.
24:05And then we'll be back here on press pass to to go over it and give all our grades and
24:09things like that for the offensive line.
24:11Going from the top position group to arguably the one sitting at the bottom.
24:15That's going to be a very fun discussion.
24:17To be fair, I do think there that's another room where maybe there's more room for optimism.
24:22I'm not saying they're going to be great or anything, but there are some options where
24:25this could be a solid unit, but we'll save that for the next time.
24:29In the meantime, y'all make sure to take care of yourselves.
24:32Take care of each other.
24:33We'll see you next time.
24:34Peace.