LIVE Patriots Daily: Bills Win Reaction + Mailbag w/ Alex Barth
Join Taylor Kyles of CLNS Media in a live session as he shares his immediate reactions to the exhilarating Patriots' 29-25 win against the Buffalo Bills this past Sunday. In this show he answers mailbag questions from Twitter and from LIVE viewers!
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This episode of the Patriots Daily Podcast Show is brought to you by:
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SportsTranscript
00:00 Alex Barth here on a victory Tuesday.
00:03 Been a minute since we had one of these,
00:05 but it's good to see the Patriots finally get a win.
00:08 We saw them start to kind of build on a good,
00:12 good but not great performance against the Raiders.
00:14 Obviously plenty of mistakes that led to them losing that,
00:16 but I think a lot of the bedrock of that game
00:18 and the things that were carried over into the Bills game
00:21 and allowed them to actually secure a victory.
00:24 They're gonna have to carry that momentum though.
00:26 A lot of work to be done next week against the Dolphins,
00:28 who were actually coming off a loss
00:30 against the Philly Elphi Eagles.
00:33 Oh my God, I'm sorry.
00:34 This is a win, I'm getting so excited.
00:35 But we're gonna talk about the last game,
00:38 preview a little bit of the next game.
00:40 Obviously mailbag, so we got some questions.
00:42 We're gonna be taking your questions.
00:44 But now that I'm done with my spiel,
00:46 Alex, how are you doing, buddy?
00:47 How you feeling today?
00:49 I'm good, I'm good.
00:50 It is nice, like you said, to kind of be covering a win.
00:52 It's been a couple of weeks.
00:53 It's a different kind of week after a win for us
00:55 and it's a little bit easier, so feeling good.
00:58 Yes, sir.
00:59 So one thing we're gonna talk about right before
01:01 we get into the mailbag questions,
01:03 Troy Brown, I don't know if he meant to,
01:05 but he let slip that Marcus Jones,
01:07 unfortunately out for the season.
01:09 Obviously cornerback, returner, offensive weapon,
01:13 wore a lot of hats for the Patriots,
01:15 but he's not gonna be around for the rest of the year.
01:18 This all came up while talking about to Mario Douglas
01:20 and his ability to be a punt returner.
01:22 Troy Brown gave him credit,
01:23 saying that it's not easy to be a punt returner as a rookie
01:26 because there's a lot of rugby style punts in college.
01:29 You don't see those in the NFL.
01:31 And also in the NFL, these guys are professionals,
01:33 so there's a lot more emphasis on hang time
01:35 and ball placement rather than just, you know,
01:37 kind of get it up there and do your best
01:39 'cause the skill level is obviously very different.
01:41 But what did you think about Marcus Jones's loss?
01:44 But also if you want to talk a little bit about
01:45 Pop Douglas and what he was able to do on Sunday.
01:49 Yeah, I mean, it doesn't surprise me.
01:51 We kind of heard what the nature of the injury
01:53 was gonna be.
01:54 It seemed like a stretch he'd be back.
01:56 If he was gonna be back, it was gonna be late in the season.
01:58 But big loss.
02:00 They're kind of starting to round it out of the corner now
02:02 with Jack Jones coming back.
02:03 Jonathan Jones is starting to look healthier,
02:05 so that helps.
02:06 I liked to Mario Douglas returning punts though.
02:08 I mean, you saw it on Sunday.
02:09 That was an impact play he made, returning that punt.
02:13 So the more they can get of him
02:16 just with the ball in his hands, however that happens,
02:18 I think is a good thing.
02:19 So not that Marcus Jones can't do that.
02:21 He's obviously missed and he's a guy
02:23 that can be a spark plug,
02:24 but if you're gonna lose Marcus Jones,
02:26 having to Mario Douglas,
02:28 it's not the worst plan B you could have.
02:29 It's a pretty good one.
02:31 Yeah, I feel like if the Patriots fed Pop
02:33 like 10 touches in a game and they lost,
02:35 everybody'd be like, "Hey man, it is what it is.
02:37 "At least we got our boy involved."
02:39 But yep, so without further ado,
02:40 we'll start taking mail back questions.
02:42 Amit, please and thank you, pitch us up.
02:44 Number one, would you kindly?
02:47 See what we got.
02:48 All right, so what happened with Mapu?
02:51 Feels like we haven't seen him much since the Miami game.
02:53 I can take this one first.
02:55 So yeah, Marte Mapu played,
02:57 I think about 10 snaps in the game.
02:59 His whole role this season has really been
03:01 kind of the third big nickel safety
03:03 against base personnel grouping.
03:05 So you think about base,
03:06 you're thinking only two receivers,
03:07 which means there's either multiple running backs
03:10 or multiple tight ends,
03:11 but it kind of puts defenses in conflict
03:13 where you're not totally sure
03:14 if they're gonna run or pass.
03:15 Changes from team to team.
03:17 I think this week we're gonna see a lot more Marte Mapu
03:19 as we did last time.
03:21 They played the Dolphins.
03:21 His usage spiked in that game,
03:23 kind of gone down based on the opponents they played.
03:27 And it's been hard for him to make a big impact
03:30 because one, he's been an interchangeable piece
03:32 with Kyle Duggar and Jabril Peppers.
03:34 When they're in there in that package,
03:36 they could be deep, they could be in the slot,
03:38 they could be in the box.
03:39 When Mapu's at linebacker,
03:41 you saw the physicality from him in the senior bowl,
03:44 and I think that's what caught a lot of people's eyes.
03:45 He was like throwing a shoulder
03:46 in the offensive lineman to win some of those blocks.
03:49 But now with the NFL level,
03:51 I think you're seeing that when guys get their hands on him,
03:53 he struggles to get off those blocks.
03:55 So I think that's one of the reasons
03:57 you're not really seeing him make a lot of plays.
03:58 And then when he's deep, in those positions,
04:00 it's really hard for you to make an impact play,
04:02 especially if it is a run.
04:04 So I wouldn't say he's been poor or anything like that,
04:08 but I do think that maybe going forward,
04:10 I'd like to see him get more snaps
04:12 in the deep part of the field where he can use his range.
04:15 But yeah, for the most part,
04:16 been a really interchangeable piece for them,
04:18 only in certain game plans,
04:19 but we'll see if he can make an impact this week.
04:21 - Yeah, to me, it's just more than,
04:23 I think that's a part of it.
04:25 Like the Raiders game, that's not a game
04:26 you're gonna play a guy like that a ton,
04:28 but he's a rookie and we know their hesitancy
04:30 to play rookies, it's well-established.
04:32 And I think the role that he would play
04:34 being such a focal role,
04:35 I think they want a veteran in there.
04:36 So maybe as the season goes on,
04:38 he gets more experience in practice,
04:40 we start seeing him more, but when they drafted the guy,
04:44 this was kind of the big question.
04:45 Are they gonna be okay with a 230 pound linebacker
04:47 in the middle of their defense?
04:48 That's not who they've ever been.
04:50 And are they gonna be okay with that?
04:52 Or are they just gonna mix them
04:53 into rotation and safety?
04:54 And right now they're just mixing them
04:55 in the rotation and safety
04:56 and Jarrell Peppers is playing too good
04:58 to come off the field.
04:59 I think that's a big part of it.
05:01 They gotta start playing him a linebacker.
05:02 You gotta play him for what you drafted him for.
05:05 - Yeah, it's kind of funny
05:06 because they call him a linebacker,
05:07 but PFF kind of was like,
05:09 yeah, we're not buying that anymore.
05:11 I think now he's listed as a safety
05:13 because of how they use him.
05:14 Like linebackers aren't really playing
05:15 in the deep middle ever.
05:16 So if you're really going just by the ITIS,
05:18 that's what he is.
05:19 But I know also on your show,
05:21 98.5 before the game,
05:22 we actually talked about how much role is he gonna play?
05:25 And I mentioned, I think that Mack Wilson,
05:27 he's usually the spy
05:28 or has been for the past couple of seasons
05:30 when they play Josh Allen.
05:31 A lot of people, myself included,
05:32 were hoping to see Marte Montpau in that role.
05:34 But I think when it comes to certain things like that,
05:36 or as a true linebacker in sub packages,
05:38 that seems to be Mack Wilson's area,
05:41 especially now that he's bulked up a bit
05:43 and a little bit better
05:44 when it comes to the physical side of his game,
05:46 still has some trouble getting off blocks.
05:48 But yeah, he's kind of got competition in that role
05:50 of being a true sub package linebacker with Mack Wilson.
05:53 We'll see what happens as the season goes on.
05:55 But yeah, like you said,
05:56 more on the rotation is that third kind of
05:58 big nickel safety.
06:00 Yeah, let's move on to the next question.
06:02 What have we got, what have we got?
06:05 One, do you think they'll keep playing
06:06 in Winniwet Tackle finally?
06:08 Two, obviously the Bills were missing
06:10 two starting pass rushers.
06:12 How much should we temper our offensive line praise?
06:15 Alex, you want to take this one first?
06:18 - Yeah, they should keep on Winniwet Tackle.
06:20 I think not doing that pending an injury
06:23 is a failure on the part of the coaching staff.
06:26 Plain and simple, failure if they move him off of there.
06:30 Not only is he, so there's three levels to this.
06:33 He's not, he's their best right tackle.
06:37 He's probably their only NFL caliber right tackle,
06:40 especially well, Riley Reefer's heart.
06:43 And having him there makes other spots better.
06:48 This is something I've talked about, Taylor,
06:50 and I'm sure you've heard a lot of this
06:52 from offensive line people,
06:53 people who study offensive line play,
06:56 especially in the league right now
06:57 where there's like a shortage.
06:59 I don't know whatever 32 times five is, right?
07:01 The total number of starting offensive linemen in the league.
07:04 Let's call it tackles, right?
07:06 64, there's 64 starting tackle spots.
07:10 Are there 64 players in the NFL
07:12 that are starting caliber tackles right now?
07:14 I don't know, I don't think so.
07:16 I think you could say the same at guard.
07:17 I think there's less than 32,
07:18 but like guys have to be out there, right?
07:20 So there's this belief that's basically,
07:23 if you're good in four spots, you'll be fine.
07:27 You may not be the nineties Cowboys
07:29 or the early 2010s Cowboys, but you'll be fine
07:33 'cause you can cover up one spot.
07:35 What the Patriots had to do the first few weeks,
07:37 they're covering up multiple spots.
07:39 You move Mike Gwen-Wenu out to right tackle,
07:41 Cole Strange also played well.
07:43 So we'll give him credit where it's due.
07:44 I thought he had a good game.
07:46 And now you're a rookie at right guard.
07:48 Okay, you cover that up.
07:49 He's got David Andrews on one side,
07:51 Mike Gwen-Wenu on the other.
07:52 That's very doable.
07:54 So I think you have to, have to,
07:56 have to keep them at right tackle.
07:59 As for the Bills missing on defense
08:01 and how much that tempers the offensive line play,
08:04 they were mostly missing interior guys.
08:07 Greg Russo played, Vaughn Miller played,
08:10 you wouldn't know it, but Vaughn Miller played.
08:12 - They did put like five snaps or something like that, yeah.
08:16 - No, I think it was like closer to 20, wasn't it?
08:18 - Was it?
08:19 I thought I heard somebody on the Bills beat
08:21 something like five.
08:22 They have a big rotation.
08:23 The point is, yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly.
08:26 - Look, they're missing Ed Oliver,
08:28 which I think changes things on the interior.
08:31 It's not an unfair point to point out,
08:32 but in reference zone, Wenu,
08:34 he held up against starters and he was good.
08:36 So he deserves all the credit for that one.
08:40 We'll see what it looks like.
08:41 I mean, Christian Wilkins is better than Ed Oliver.
08:43 So even if, and I know some people might disagree with that,
08:45 I think he is.
08:46 Even if Ed Oliver had played last week,
08:48 we were still talking about a step up in competition
08:50 for the interior offensive lineman this week.
08:52 We'll see how that goes.
08:53 It's going to be interesting to watch,
08:55 but I think in terms of the tackle play,
08:57 they had the real test and they handled it.
09:00 - Yeah, see, Vaughn Miller played six snaps.
09:02 So clearly working his way back from injury there.
09:05 Yeah, that was sneaky though.
09:06 Like you said, it kind of seemed like he didn't play a ton.
09:08 - He played 20 like the week before or something.
09:10 - I think, yeah, I got it up right here.
09:12 It was 27 the week before.
09:13 Yep, you got it.
09:14 So yeah, and Wenu, I think long-term he's a guard.
09:18 I don't think that Mike and Wenu's
09:20 ideal career position is tackle,
09:22 but with the situation they have right now,
09:24 it's been a no brainer since the summer
09:26 that you don't have tackle talent.
09:27 It's not easy to find tackle talent.
09:29 You could have either overpaid in free agency,
09:31 which I did not like.
09:32 Like if there had to be a play going into the season,
09:34 it's all right,
09:35 we haven't drafted somebody who can play tackle for us.
09:37 We're not gonna pay more than what guys
09:39 on the market are worth.
09:40 So I feel like on Wenu should have been at out of the edge
09:43 from the beginning of the season.
09:44 But of course, he was hurt.
09:46 Maybe they didn't want to put him in that position
09:47 when he was already kind of recovering from his ankle.
09:50 So whatever the case may be,
09:51 but this season you've got to put him there,
09:53 especially with Sidney So having a pretty good game
09:56 at the right guard spot.
09:57 I thought one, he's a pretty experienced guy.
09:59 He's a rookie, but he's played a lot of football,
10:02 especially in college.
10:03 So you saw that at times where there were moments
10:05 where Maffie, when he's in there,
10:07 he's just a tick late or sometimes very late
10:10 picking up blitzers and stunts and things like that.
10:12 And I thought you saw that Sidney's awareness
10:14 was much better in those situations.
10:16 It also plays a lot of power.
10:17 Like he had, I think he threw three guys to the ground
10:20 just in pass protection.
10:21 And then when he was comboing with David Andrews
10:24 and Mike and Wenu in the run game,
10:26 they were making a lot of people play pretty far
10:30 back off the line of scrimmage.
10:31 So that combo,
10:32 I'd love to see what they can continue to do there.
10:34 And Wenu, one thing about him is
10:36 because he is a natural guard,
10:38 you're gonna have a bit of an issue
10:40 when it comes to really good speed rushers around the edge.
10:44 Like I know I was looking at the tape
10:45 from earlier in his career
10:46 and that Judon actually beat him for a sec,
10:48 which is pretty funny back in,
10:50 and when he was rookie season.
10:51 But again, I definitely think this season
10:53 that's where he is best utilized.
10:55 And then the Bills, they were missing it Oliver,
10:57 but frankly, I think it all read like two pressures
10:59 and two games against them last season, I'm pretty sure.
11:02 Cole Strange handled him pretty well last year.
11:04 So I don't know how much of an impact
11:06 or how much of a difference he would have made.
11:07 Daquan Jones though, I will say like missing
11:10 both of those guys was pretty big for them.
11:12 Daquan Jones is a really good, well-rounded player,
11:15 but especially the offensive line is banged up as well.
11:17 Like sure, the Bills were missing people,
11:19 but Cole Strange, I don't think he's a hundred percent.
11:21 I don't think that Wenu's at a hundred percent.
11:23 Sidney So he's played a lot of football,
11:24 but he hasn't played a ton of NFL football.
11:26 So he's still kind of figuring his way
11:28 as a professional in this league.
11:30 So I think it was definitely
11:32 not just a strong first test for them,
11:35 but I think it gives you enough confidence to say,
11:37 okay, we can move forward against the Dolphins
11:39 and really continue to see what this group has.
11:42 But you know, there's always some risk involved
11:44 and there's also risk involved when you decide,
11:46 hey, I like the odds in this game.
11:49 I'm going to throw down some money and see what I can get.
11:52 And my favorite partner to use
11:55 when making such bets is FanDuel.
11:58 I actually think we've got a promo for him.
11:59 So I'll throw to that and we will be right back.
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12:38 - All right, so what do we got next on the docket?
12:48 While that loads, I will say Andre Dillard.
12:50 I saw that comment in the chat.
12:51 Andre Dillard is having a very, very difficult season.
12:55 So that move, I was saying,
12:58 if there was any move they were going to make a tackle,
12:59 I was hoping it was going to be him.
13:02 Looks like the Patriots actually made a much better move
13:04 than they got credit for at the time.
13:06 But next question, do you see technique or physical issues
13:08 when looking at Vidarian Lowe?
13:10 His three play series was horrific.
13:12 Coincidence, a turnover came.
13:13 Think not.
13:14 Of course, that's a joke.
13:16 With Vidarian, I would say there are physical issues.
13:19 Like when it comes to his punch, it's been very predictable.
13:22 And when you're going up against Max Crosby
13:24 and all these really, really good edge rushers
13:26 with a ton of experience,
13:27 if you have a predictable strike,
13:29 they're just going to wait for you to shoot
13:30 and they're going to take advantage.
13:32 When he gets his hands on guys,
13:33 results are usually pretty solid,
13:35 but really just a lot of quick losses.
13:37 In terms of the mental stuff,
13:38 I think it's kind of tough to come in cold as a left tackle.
13:41 I know he came on the field, obviously,
13:43 immediately got called for a legal man downfield.
13:46 So, you know, that's just a tough break.
13:47 I don't think mentally, really,
13:49 that's where his game has been deficient.
13:50 I just think that physically he's at a tough time
13:53 against high level competition as a player
13:55 who even coming out of college
13:56 is seen as more of a developmental prospect
13:59 where it's like, okay,
14:00 maybe if he gets a lot of experience down the road,
14:02 he could fill in for you, be a lower level starter.
14:05 But yeah, I think really with him,
14:06 it's more of a physical issue.
14:07 But what about you, Alex?
14:09 - I think it's some of both.
14:10 I think he's a raw prospect.
14:12 I think that's what he is.
14:13 I think he's a guy that needed to develop
14:14 an NFL body a little bit more.
14:15 I think he's a guy that just needed some more coaching.
14:18 I don't think the technique they were working on him with
14:21 in Minnesota suited best to his skillset.
14:24 So working through that and like,
14:26 you know, I look at him and this isn't a perfect comparison,
14:31 but he's a guy I would think should have had a career
14:34 process like Ted Karras,
14:35 where Ted was back up the first couple of years,
14:38 kind of rotated in,
14:39 and then he was able to really improve his game.
14:42 Ted Karras started playing regularly in year three,
14:44 was not the guy they drafted coming out of Illinois.
14:48 I mean, different players.
14:49 So Viderian Lowe's the guy that I think
14:51 if you'd given him a couple of years,
14:52 kind of in the background to work on his game,
14:54 he might've been able to give you something.
14:55 He's not ready.
14:56 He's just not ready to be playing in the NFL right now.
14:59 - Yeah. And you saw,
15:00 like he started because he had a solid game
15:02 against the Dolphins.
15:03 Left tackle filling in for Trent Brown,
15:05 where it's like, yeah,
15:06 if you just expect this guy to come in for a game,
15:08 he'll probably be pretty solid,
15:09 but definitely not somebody he won't going up
15:11 against some of the best addresses in the NFL.
15:13 And great point, as you mentioned,
15:15 I actually asked him about that shortly
15:17 after they acquired him,
15:18 what his technique was with the Vikings.
15:20 'Cause I noticed he was getting beat inside a lot,
15:22 which with a packet passer like Matt Jones,
15:24 is no bueno.
15:25 You don't want to see that.
15:26 And he was saying, yeah, with the Vikings,
15:28 they were teaching him to be more kind of attack
15:31 and really be the aggressor in those situations.
15:33 And also to protect outside in,
15:35 which is odd considering Kirk Cousins
15:36 is also a pocket passer.
15:38 I don't know why they're teaching that technique.
15:40 I haven't heard of any other offensive line coaches
15:43 who teach you to protect outside in,
15:45 but he's literally learning a different style
15:47 of pass protection with the pass.
15:49 So like you said, I think he's more of a spot starter,
15:51 somebody that you want his depth.
15:53 And I think that fans would appreciate him much more
15:55 if he wasn't going out there every week.
15:57 And like I said,
15:58 going up against some of the best competition in the league.
16:01 But you know, fair question, fair question.
16:03 What else we got on it?
16:05 The Patriots win against Miami.
16:10 How should that change our strategy at the deadline?
16:12 What if we lose?
16:13 I feel like this is a good one to set you up for.
16:16 - Yeah, if they lose, it's sell, it's still sell.
16:19 If they win, yeah, all right, you're three and five.
16:21 You got two week games coming up.
16:23 I still don't know.
16:27 It'd be really interesting to know how they feel
16:31 inside the building about those first couple of losses.
16:34 'Cause they may be sitting there and saying,
16:36 we're like three plays away from being five and two.
16:39 And if that's the case, they may sit there and say,
16:42 look, for the most part,
16:43 the hardest part of our schedule is behind us.
16:45 We can rebound.
16:46 It's not like 1% of teams, 1.4% of teams
16:48 to start two and five, make the playoffs.
16:50 So you're significantly up against the odds.
16:52 If they win against Miami,
16:54 just knowing Bill Belichick's nature,
16:55 I think they do stay hesitant.
16:56 I don't think they should.
16:57 I think selling is important
16:59 because adding that draft capital
17:01 is gonna help you in the long road.
17:02 If they lose though, I mean, you're two and six.
17:05 You're not making the playoffs.
17:07 You gotta start selling players
17:08 'cause they need the flexibility
17:10 to move up and around the draft board in the spring.
17:12 They just do.
17:13 'Cause they have targeted needs.
17:15 They need to be able to address them.
17:17 - I agree.
17:18 I think that you sell,
17:19 Josh Uche is somebody that I brought up a few times.
17:21 I think you kind of sell on him regardless
17:23 just because they had their second best
17:26 pass-thrushing performance of the season last week.
17:30 And he didn't even play.
17:32 He was out, Keon White was out.
17:34 The Bills, they didn't have a great game
17:37 against the Patriots pressure packages.
17:38 That was a really big part of it.
17:40 But when you got somebody like Barmore,
17:41 when you got someone like Jennings
17:42 who has really good rush discipline,
17:43 and then Dietrich Weiss as well,
17:45 I think it's kind of tough to justify
17:47 not moving on from Uche when he struggled.
17:49 He hasn't been the designated pass-thrushing presence
17:51 you hoped that you would get from him
17:53 with Matt Judon going down.
17:54 And I think he's in a position
17:55 where he could get you some really good draft capital.
17:57 Outside of that, if they win against Miami,
17:59 I think you definitely are a little more conservative.
18:02 Like I think if they really were in not tank mode,
18:06 but were moving on to next season mode,
18:08 I think maybe you would have seen
18:09 some of the more key pieces.
18:11 Like maybe a Kendrick Bourne, say somebody like that.
18:14 Maybe even, I hope they don't move on from Duggar,
18:16 but maybe even a Duggar.
18:18 See them entertaining offers.
18:19 But if they think that they can really make a push
18:22 after kind of turning a corner last week,
18:24 I think that there's still, like I said,
18:26 Uche's on the table,
18:27 but I think that they're gonna have a harder time
18:31 moving on from people.
18:32 Especially with the AFC East being in the condition
18:34 it's in, like the bills are inconsistent,
18:37 wildly inconsistent.
18:38 This is the first time-
18:39 - They're kind of consistent, Taylor.
18:42 They're kind of consistent.
18:43 - Consistent in a certain way.
18:44 Consistent in a certain way.
18:46 But it makes the division interesting
18:47 where going into the season,
18:48 everybody thought the bills were gonna run away
18:50 with the division,
18:51 maybe with some competition from Miami.
18:52 But we're seeing that Ibo Josh Allen
18:54 has poking his head up a lot recently.
18:57 And then all the injuries that they've got on defense.
18:59 Like two of their best players out for the entire season.
19:01 So you really don't know where the bills are gonna go
19:03 for the rest of the season.
19:04 The Dolphins are in pretty good shape.
19:06 Their defense is good, not great.
19:07 Their offense has a ton of firepower,
19:09 but that offensive line is shot right now.
19:11 Toronto Arms said is out for the season.
19:13 Major, major loss for them.
19:15 I think we're gonna see the Patriots front
19:16 have another really solid day
19:18 because I think Isaiah Wynn's gonna be out as well next week
19:21 and he had a really good game against them.
19:23 And now it's really kind of Robert Hunt against the world.
19:25 He's a fantastic guard,
19:27 but the rest of their offensive line isn't really great,
19:30 doesn't inspire a ton of confidence.
19:31 So you wonder how they're gonna finish the season.
19:33 And then the Jets, they've been more competitive.
19:35 That defense is nothing to play around with.
19:37 But this is a division where
19:39 if you only drop a couple more games throughout the season,
19:42 you really don't know what kind of position
19:43 the Patriots are gonna be in.
19:44 So I think it's an interesting conversation where
19:47 even if they do lose to the Dolphins,
19:50 if it's still a competitive game where you're saying,
19:52 okay, like you said,
19:53 where we were maybe a play away from winning that game,
19:56 I think that they say, yeah, we're still in the hunt.
19:58 And I think that this is far from a lost season.
20:00 So it's a conversation.
20:03 - I'll say this.
20:03 If you were to tell me,
20:05 we're going back to August,
20:06 you were to tell me, hey,
20:08 first trip through the division, Patriots went two and one.
20:11 I'd be like, wow,
20:12 they must be like one of the best teams in the AFC.
20:14 They must be right.
20:15 Everybody has a five, six win team,
20:17 two and one in the division.
20:18 Obviously not the case, but there's a reason.
20:22 People roll their eyes when bell check and the players like,
20:24 oh, you know, what do you think of playing Buffalo?
20:25 What do you think of playing?
20:26 Oh, it's a division game.
20:27 It's big.
20:28 And like your four games behind them,
20:29 people roll their eyes.
20:30 No, they're big games.
20:31 They are legitimately big games.
20:32 And there is,
20:33 if these two wins were against like the Saints
20:35 and the Raiders, it looks a little different.
20:37 Being against the Bills and the Jets.
20:39 And then if you beat the Dolphins,
20:40 you know, three and one in the division,
20:43 that is certainly notable.
20:44 - Yeah.
20:45 And also correction on my part,
20:46 Armstead is on IR.
20:48 He is not out for the season.
20:49 That's my bad.
20:50 But yeah, gonna be interesting to see
20:52 how the rest of this year plays out in the division.
20:54 Especially the Dolphins.
20:55 They're probably a drive away.
20:57 Like that was a really good final drive.
20:59 They put together, get sacked a couple of times
21:00 and then it all, you know,
21:02 kind of falls out of your hands.
21:03 So we'll see what happens.
21:04 But I do think that even with the loss,
21:06 I think they're still in the mindset
21:08 of we can win this season.
21:10 Yeah. What else we got?
21:11 We'll take one more from the mailbag we had going in
21:13 and then we'll start taking some of your live questions
21:15 as well.
21:16 Thank you all for tuning in.
21:17 Obviously always appreciate you.
21:18 You talked about Taekwon,
21:19 not needing to be more involved,
21:21 but want Douglas on the field,
21:22 despite Douglas being in the same boat,
21:24 TT is in terms of reps.
21:25 He's young, second rounder,
21:27 got to get him game reps.
21:28 I do not think they're in the same boat.
21:30 Demario Douglas was repping with the starters
21:32 almost immediately in training camp,
21:33 which is something you do not see.
21:35 It took Gayshaun Booty a long time
21:37 to start even kind of getting in that mix.
21:39 Taekwon Thornton wasn't getting reps with the starters
21:42 until right before I think it was Green Bay practices,
21:46 the joint practices, like it took him a while.
21:48 So there's clearly some,
21:49 either a lack of trust from Mac Jones,
21:50 a lack of trust from Bill O'Brien or both.
21:53 I don't know what's going on behind the scenes,
21:54 but I think it's very clear based on not only the way
21:57 that they were in training camp
21:58 and then obviously Taekwon Thornton being out for so long
22:00 and missing so much valuable time,
22:02 but also what we've seen in the games.
22:04 He hasn't really been a featured player.
22:06 He got a target on Max Protect Play Action
22:09 where Mac tried to hit him deep.
22:10 Wasn't a pretty throw.
22:12 And then they gave him a jet pass,
22:13 but he hasn't really been a big factor.
22:15 So while he's got a skillset that's interesting,
22:17 he's got rare speed.
22:18 I'd love to see that integrated,
22:20 especially with Bill O'Brien having success
22:22 with a guy like Will Fuller,
22:23 who wasn't great against physicality,
22:25 similar to Taekwon Thornton,
22:26 but had burners and could take the top off.
22:28 You'd like to see him fall into that role,
22:30 but I'm really not buying stock in Taekwon Thornton
22:33 until I see more from him on the field.
22:35 - No, I'm right there with you.
22:37 And they need to win games and Taekwon has not proven
22:39 he can help them win games.
22:41 And that's just the reality of it.
22:43 You're to the point where if he gets a chance,
22:45 he'll get a chance,
22:45 but DeMario Douglas is gonna help you win games.
22:48 Kendrick Bourne is gonna help you win games.
22:49 You know who is good?
22:50 Who's been like sneaky good.
22:51 I'm not saying claim a ton,
22:52 but Jalen Rager, if they can get him on the active roster,
22:56 he's been better than Taekwon Thornton at this point.
22:58 I don't know if you disagree, Taylor,
22:59 but I certainly feel that way.
23:01 So you gotta put the best players on the field.
23:04 'Cause the reality is you also have to be still,
23:07 no matter what happens long-term,
23:10 you have to be developing the quarterback.
23:12 And putting a non-competitive wide receiver on the field
23:14 doesn't help develop the quarterback.
23:16 I said this back in the summer.
23:18 - Yeah, you did.
23:19 - You shouldn't be in a spot
23:23 where you have to pick one or the other
23:26 to focus on the development of Mac Jones or Taekwon Thornton,
23:29 but they are in that spot.
23:30 That's just where they've gotten to.
23:31 And when you get to that point, it is a no brainer.
23:34 Mac Jones development is monumentally more important
23:37 than Taekwon Thornton's.
23:38 You gotta put guys out there
23:39 that have chemistry with Mac Jones,
23:40 that can work with Mac Jones, that can create,
23:42 that can get big plays.
23:44 That's Mario Douglas.
23:45 That's Mario Douglas.
23:47 It's Kendrick Bourne.
23:48 I mean, really, it's just those two guys right now,
23:51 at least at the wide receiver position.
23:52 We'll see what happens when Juju comes back.
23:55 Maybe Rager takes another step,
23:57 but those two guys have to be on the field.
24:00 And last week, they did go to a skill package quite a bit
24:04 where it was Douglas Bourne and Rager.
24:08 And I like that.
24:09 I like that package in 11.
24:11 There's good speed there.
24:13 - Yeah.
24:14 - Now, if they can't get Rager on the roster,
24:16 I'm not opposed to putting Thornton out there
24:18 and using that as the speed package.
24:20 But he has to be competitive.
24:22 Everybody acted like,
24:24 and I think this is a big misconception
24:26 about these like burner receivers.
24:27 Everybody's like, oh, when you put him on the field,
24:29 he's gonna run deep and they're gonna have to,
24:31 you know, have a deep safety
24:32 and they're gonna have to play split safety to respect him.
24:35 Well, if they don't throw him the ball,
24:37 or he's just like not making,
24:40 if they're not throwing him the ball down there,
24:41 or he's not making plays elsewhere,
24:44 no, they don't have to respect it.
24:46 They'll keep covering him one-on-one.
24:47 This was the problem with Nelson Aguilar.
24:49 It was, all right, fast guy on the field
24:52 who's gonna run deep.
24:52 Defense is gonna have to respect it.
24:54 They can't stand the box, stack the box.
24:56 And basically, defenses started going,
24:58 all right, we're gonna cover Nelson Aguilar one-on-one.
25:00 Go ahead, throw it out there.
25:01 Do it, you won't.
25:02 And they didn't.
25:03 And it can't be the same thing with Ty Quon,
25:06 and that's kind of the issue right now.
25:08 - Yeah, and it's difficult
25:09 because he doesn't have an ideal position,
25:11 I think, in his offense.
25:12 So if you wanna put him in X,
25:14 he doesn't have an X body type.
25:15 And I naively kind of thought
25:17 that maybe he puts on a little more weight
25:18 when he gets to the NFL,
25:20 and it doesn't look like that's gonna happen.
25:21 He kind of is who he is.
25:23 And I don't know if he can beat that physical coverage.
25:25 I don't know if he can take the top off
25:26 against press consistently.
25:28 Jalen Rager and Devontae Parker
25:29 just have more NFL experience
25:31 and closer to X body types
25:32 'cause they're a little bulkier,
25:33 and then they have the speed.
25:35 So it's like, okay, do you really,
25:36 it's kind of fitting a square peg
25:37 in a round hole with Ty Quon Thornton.
25:39 I like him maybe at X in certain packages,
25:41 but definitely not like 20, 30 snaps there.
25:44 And then, okay, you wanna move him to Z.
25:46 Well, that's Kendrick Bourne's spot.
25:47 Are you taking Kendrick Bourne off the field
25:48 to put Ty Quon Thornton on?
25:49 Because Kendrick Bourne and Mac Jones
25:51 have plenty of chemistry.
25:52 Like, they love each other.
25:53 They talk about it all the time.
25:54 They're really good friends.
25:55 That matters.
25:56 And I don't know if it helps you taking someone
25:58 that he trusts off the field.
25:59 And then in the slot, you got to Mario Douglas.
26:01 And we saw some of Ty Quon in the slot last week.
26:04 And then while Ty Quon does give good effort as a blocker,
26:08 he's not the best blocker on the roster either.
26:10 I think Jalen Rager's been solid as a blocker.
26:12 Kendrick Bourne is their best blocker.
26:14 So it's just, he doesn't give you enough
26:16 where it justifies taking some of these other guys
26:18 off the field.
26:20 And in the positions where you're saying,
26:22 okay, maybe you could start mixing him in more
26:23 like the X position.
26:24 He's just not a great fit there.
26:26 So I don't know,
26:27 but I'm sure he's hungry for an opportunity.
26:29 And I'm pretty hungry for lunch.
26:31 And I'm actually gonna have someone else
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27:39 - All right, so now we will be taking your live questions.
27:45 So feel free, put them in the chat
27:47 and we'll do our best to answer.
27:49 With all the news with Belichick's contract,
27:51 how long do you think he will be
27:52 New England's head coach and general manager?
27:54 We actually talked about this one in the bus
27:56 on the way to the stadium.
27:58 So I wanna give you a chance
27:59 to tell the people what you think.
28:01 - Well, it's been a little more reporting since then.
28:04 The whole multi-year thing,
28:06 what was the other term that was used?
28:07 It was multiple years and then
28:09 some other magnification of that.
28:14 Not lucrative, but yes, lucrative contract.
28:16 I'm gonna guess through 2025.
28:18 I think the rest of this year, next year, and one more.
28:22 And that kind of times out, that's the Mac Jones timeline.
28:26 So either Mac Jones, one way or the other,
28:29 Bill Belichick is gonna leave with them.
28:31 Not necessarily being set at quarterback,
28:33 but he's not gonna leave with the position unanswered.
28:36 Either Mac Jones gets an extension and they're good there,
28:40 or he might be drafting the next guy
28:44 if it's next season, which is an interesting thought
28:49 that he'd draft the next guy and walk away.
28:50 But I still think it's two to three years of Bill.
28:53 - I'd agree.
28:54 I think one age has to be a consideration
28:57 and how much longer he actually wants to coach.
28:59 Now, we don't know that, but also thinking about,
29:01 all right, how long does Bill usually give
29:02 his older veteran players contract extensions?
29:04 It's usually one to two years.
29:06 So I think it's pretty fair to assume that, yes,
29:08 this year and then the next couple of years after that,
29:10 I know it was reported that it was only gonna be
29:12 through 2024.
29:14 And then Albert Breer kind of pushed back on that and said,
29:16 if that was what it was, it would be phrased differently.
29:18 So yeah, I think it's pretty realistic to think
29:20 it's just gonna be a couple of years.
29:21 'Cause three just kind of sounds like a lot,
29:24 especially kind of on their current trajectory.
29:26 But things have changed since then.
29:28 But luckily we saw their turnaround
29:30 because I was a little bit hesitant
29:31 and my stomach kind of dropped when I saw it
29:33 just because it looked like they were heading nowhere fast.
29:36 But we saw in the locker room,
29:38 like the video they released where Pep was saying,
29:41 or Jabril Peppers was saying, every week, baby, every week,
29:44 like that energy in the locker room,
29:46 those guys are still buying in.
29:47 And that was kind of a big question mark was,
29:49 is Bill still relating to these players?
29:51 And he's still bringing out that competitive fire in them.
29:53 Clearly that's still going on.
29:55 So I think, like you said,
29:57 a couple more years is probably realistic.
29:59 - I'll say this about that locker room speech,
30:01 kind of a tangent here.
30:02 Is Jabril Peppers a cornerstone player?
30:05 I think he might be. - I said 2024 captain,
30:07 Jabril Peppers, man, he's gotta be.
30:09 - I'm getting to the point now where it's like, it sucks,
30:12 but Kyle Duggar's not a free safety.
30:14 And I'm worried that they've kind of stunted his development
30:17 trying him there.
30:18 Let him walk, make Peppers the lead box safety,
30:21 take that money you would have given Duggar,
30:23 use some of it to extend Jabril Peppers,
30:25 use the rest of it to go out and get a real free safety
30:28 and go back to the Devin McCourty single high defense.
30:30 I wonder if that's the route.
30:32 - I'd like to see them just use Marte Mapu or Jalen Mills.
30:36 I don't know if they're gonna, actually, no.
30:37 I was thinking about the Eagles,
30:38 but they just got Kevin Byard.
30:39 We saw them use Jalen Mills much more as a free safety
30:43 and get Peppers and Duggar back in the box.
30:45 I am of the camp of you need to keep Duggar,
30:48 but I think between Jalen Mills and Marte Mapu,
30:51 I think you've got enough,
30:52 maybe not this year for Marte,
30:53 'cause he's still adjusting
30:54 and I talked to him before the season
30:55 and he mentioned that free safety
30:56 isn't something that he's super well versed in.
30:59 But during the off season, you're like, yes,
31:01 train in this specific role,
31:03 'cause I think that's where he's best utilized
31:04 with his range and his ball skills.
31:06 I do think that Jabril Peppers is a cornerstone
31:10 and that you just need somebody else
31:11 in that free safety role.
31:12 I like when they kind of rock the coverage
31:14 and you don't really know who's gonna drop deep,
31:15 but at the same time, they had Devin McCourty
31:17 as the very obvious free safety for a long time.
31:19 Worked out pretty well.
31:20 All right, what do we got next, Amit?
31:23 (mouse clicks)
31:25 How should the Pats game plan against the Finns?
31:27 Specifically, building on what we were able to do
31:31 against the Bills.
31:32 You got any thoughts on this one?
31:34 - I don't know about like game plan stuff.
31:36 I got it, that's kind of what we're gonna be doing today,
31:38 going back and watching the Dolphins
31:40 and kind of how they've changed since that first game.
31:42 But you gotta keep a lot of what you did against Buffalo
31:45 in terms of DeMario Douglas playing as big a role as he did.
31:48 Mike Owen went with right tackle.
31:50 And then you gotta tackle better on defense.
31:53 That's another big one.
31:55 It ultimately didn't burn them, it probably should have,
31:58 but too many missed tackles for a team that coming in
32:00 was a top five tackling team in the lead
32:02 by most major metrics.
32:04 The one thing you cannot do against Miami is missed tackles.
32:09 Can't do it.
32:10 - Yeah. - Cannot,
32:11 'cause that guy gets out of the grasp,
32:13 nobody else is gonna catch him.
32:14 Whoever it is, I say that guy,
32:16 I don't need to specify which guy it is on their offense,
32:18 'cause it's all the guys.
32:19 Gotta tackle better this week against the Dolphins.
32:22 - Yeah, and run defense needs to be better.
32:24 It was tackling and run defense were both issues
32:27 for the Pats last time they played the Dolphins.
32:29 And we saw the run defense has gotten significantly better,
32:32 I'd say, over the past few weeks.
32:34 Raiders are a great rushing team anyway,
32:36 but I think the Bills have been a pretty good one.
32:39 And they gave James Cook couple of positive carries,
32:42 but for the most part, I thought they did a better job.
32:44 But yeah, the tackling for the past few weeks
32:46 has been kind of alarming.
32:47 You don't expect that from the Pats.
32:49 So still need to dig in and see
32:50 what exactly the game plan is, but I would agree.
32:52 And also just try to lean into the running game
32:54 as much as you can, 'cause we saw a kind of drive
32:56 towards the end of the game last week,
32:59 but I think if they can consistently have that
33:01 in their arsenal on top of the quick game,
33:04 then you mix in some downfield stuff,
33:06 intermediate passes for Mac
33:07 to get some chunk plays off play action.
33:09 I think that's recipe for success.
33:10 But the biggest priority,
33:11 and why I mentioned run defense especially,
33:13 has to be getting the Dolphins in third and long.
33:17 Like they already can convert in those situations,
33:19 but you wanna put Tua in those less than ideal conditions
33:23 where he can't just get the ball out
33:25 in less than two seconds.
33:26 Like he has to hold on for a tick more.
33:28 He can make big throws.
33:29 We saw that on the pass to Braxton Berrios
33:32 where they were right near scoring territory.
33:34 He stands in against the blitz
33:35 and just floats a perfect pass.
33:37 He can do it, but he also has his mistakes
33:40 where you see plays like the interception
33:42 where Christian Gonzalez had,
33:43 where it's not a great throw, it hangs up there
33:45 and you give the other team a chance.
33:46 I think Tua's gonna give you those.
33:48 You just can't let them always be ahead of the chains
33:51 and kind of have the ball
33:52 or the script of the game under their control.
33:55 That's where this offense is really scary.
33:57 - And it takes out their ability to run RPOs,
33:59 which is what's killed the Patriots
34:02 the most against this team.
34:03 So you can limit those, that's big.
34:05 - Yep, and not those like little dink it in space
34:07 and then the guy gets seven yards on first attempt.
34:09 Like you just gotta, as much as you can,
34:11 get them out of that head space.
34:12 But good question.
34:15 What else we got here?
34:17 Tackler wide receiver in the first round.
34:21 What are you thinking?
34:23 You're the draft guy.
34:25 - I mean, we got a long way to go.
34:27 We got a long way to go before that.
34:29 I'd probably take Marvin Harrison Jr.
34:34 And this is right now, this can change.
34:36 I'd probably take Marvin Harrison Jr.
34:38 over either of the top tackles,
34:41 but I would take the top tackles
34:44 over any of the other receivers.
34:47 And I don't know that they're gonna,
34:49 like Marvin Harrison Jr. is gonna be a top three pick.
34:52 So I also, at that point, if you have a shot,
34:56 like a real shot at Fashanu or Alt,
34:59 I don't know that I'd overextend and trade up for Harrison.
35:02 I think I'd probably take the tackle in the first round
35:06 and then get a receiver somewhere,
35:08 one of the other receivers somewhere else in the top 100.
35:09 I think this is a deep wide receiver class.
35:12 - I have nothing to add.
35:13 I completely agree.
35:14 I'm not even gonna pretend like I have
35:15 this utter glaring take.
35:17 That's pretty spot on.
35:18 All right, we'll take one more live question
35:20 before we get out of here.
35:21 Ahmed, give us a good one, please.
35:24 I mean, they're all great.
35:24 You're all great.
35:26 Everybody gets a trophy.
35:27 All right, if they do keep Nwenu at right tackle,
35:29 do we resign Nwenu because he's our tackle?
35:32 I said this earlier.
35:34 I don't think that Nwenu's ideal NFL position is tackle
35:37 so I think he's got a guard's body and skillset
35:40 but has the freak athleticism at his size
35:42 to survive at tackle.
35:44 And obviously great in the run game, wherever he lines up.
35:47 But in pass protection, I just think there are some matchups
35:49 that are gonna be really tough for him.
35:52 Like you said earlier though,
35:53 there's not a lot of starting tackles in the NFL period
35:56 and Nwenu just is a freak and can fill in in that role.
36:00 But yeah, if you resign him,
36:02 I think you say we are going to put you at guard
36:04 and unless something crazy happens, we will not move you.
36:07 And I hope if he's healthy and we see him be more consistent
36:10 and not have to, like we saw at times this year,
36:13 leave the game early because that ankle's bothering him.
36:16 He did play all of last week, which was huge.
36:18 I wanna give him credit for that.
36:19 If that continues, I hope they resign him
36:21 and stick him at guard unless it's a worst case scenario
36:23 like what they've got now.
36:24 - Yeah, I gotta disagree there.
36:26 I think if there is a shortage of tackles
36:29 and you have a guy that can play tackle
36:31 at a starting caliber level, you keep him.
36:33 I would also say in terms of him being a guard,
36:36 and I think he is a good guard,
36:38 drafting three interior offensive linemen
36:41 in the top 150 last year,
36:44 only to resign Michael Nwenu
36:45 is massive asset mismanagement.
36:47 But that's just what it is.
36:49 You could have taken a tackle with those picks.
36:51 You could have taken a pass catching back
36:53 with one of those picks.
36:54 There's so many other guys you could have taken
36:55 in those spots.
36:57 I would resign Nwenu.
36:58 I'd keep my right tackle.
36:59 The other reason is it's hard to add a tackle.
37:03 It's not that easy.
37:04 We're talking about Joel Olufesano.
37:06 These are top 10 picks or a guy like Orlando Brown
37:10 or a guy like Mike McGlinchey,
37:11 who you are paying a significant portion of the salary cap.
37:15 Yeah, that's not to say you can't add tackles.
37:18 You have to, but it's a big undertaking.
37:20 That's generally when you add a tackle,
37:22 it's a highlight of your off season.
37:24 It's gonna be one of the biggest contracts
37:26 you give out in free agency,
37:27 or it's gonna be a top 50 draft pick
37:30 if you're adding like a real starting tackle,
37:32 not a project player.
37:34 Now imagine having to do that twice in the same off season,
37:37 'cause Trent Brown sounds like he's testing free agency.
37:40 He made that very clear a couple of weeks ago.
37:42 So do you really wanna add two tackles in one off season?
37:47 This is why I stress so much they should add one last year.
37:51 It's not just so it doesn't,
37:53 the offensive line doesn't look like what it's looked like,
37:55 but now you get into the spot
37:57 where you have to add two of them in one off season,
37:59 and that's a massive ask.
38:01 So if you can bring on Wendell back,
38:03 it just, it frees you up to be able to do,
38:07 whether it's going out and trading for an elite receiver
38:09 or drafting a guy like Marvin Harrison.
38:12 Maybe it's a little easier
38:13 if you know you have Michael and Wendell at right tackle
38:15 and you're good there,
38:17 maybe you can take Marvin Harrison or Jared Verse
38:21 in the first round,
38:22 and then take your tackle in the second round,
38:24 'cause you know, all right, well, we got strange Andrews,
38:27 maybe Siddy So comes through on Wendell.
38:28 We know we're good in those four spots.
38:31 If you let on Wen who walk
38:32 and you have to replace both tackles,
38:34 that's a massive undertaking for an off season
38:36 where the Patriots already have a to-do list
38:39 that looks like a CVS receipt.
38:41 - I think you bring up a lot of good points.
38:45 And to be fair, I think there's a lot of things
38:47 that need to get figured out before we even get there.
38:49 Like, is David Andrews gonna continue to play this?
38:51 - Right now, right.
38:52 Maybe on Wen who sucks at right tackle
38:55 for the rest of the season, it completely changes.
38:56 I don't think that'll happen,
38:57 but weirder things have happened
38:59 and it completely changes the conversation.
39:01 - Yeah, but like, depending on how the season even ends,
39:03 like how high is their pick gonna be?
39:04 If you have a top 10 pick,
39:05 then I'm much more comfortable with, okay,
39:07 if you need a tackle, you got the capital to do it.
39:09 We don't know if David Andrews
39:10 is gonna be around next season or not.
39:12 So I know they drafted Jake Andrews,
39:15 but frankly, I would love to see Cole Strange
39:17 move to center.
39:18 I think that is where he would be best in the NFL.
39:20 I also like the idea of having his athleticism
39:22 and his toughness with two big bodies next to him.
39:25 They also have Siddy So,
39:26 and the plan for him was to play tackle.
39:28 And I think he may have a little bit more
39:29 of the athleticism to play there.
39:31 He was still adjusting to NFL speed.
39:32 We saw it in training camp.
39:34 We saw it in preseason.
39:35 He didn't look good, but we also don't know
39:37 how we can develop, give him an entire off season
39:39 and say, you are gonna be a tackle for us.
39:41 I think they got some flexibility.
39:42 And also just, I think they do sign, re-sign Trent Brown.
39:46 I don't think he's in a hurry to leave.
39:47 He said plenty of times that, you know,
39:49 he will test for agency.
39:50 And I think that's smart just to see what he's worth
39:52 because he's been here for so long.
39:54 But I think continuing continuity
39:55 and putting him back on the offensive line
39:58 will be huge.
39:58 So if you sign him to a lot of money
40:00 and you're gonna sign Nwenu,
40:01 I'd rather you give Nwenu guard money
40:04 and let him play in his best position
40:05 and then try to either use the draft
40:08 or use somebody who's already on your roster,
40:09 like a Siddy So, to try to show up that right tackle spot.
40:12 But again, there's so many different things
40:14 that have to happen before we have any idea
40:16 of what the offensive line situation
40:18 is even gonna look like in 2024.
40:20 But yeah, I guess in my head,
40:21 can I gotta say, I would like to see Nwenu stick at guard
40:25 and maybe you get somebody with a higher ceiling
40:26 at that tackle spot.
40:28 If you have either the draft capital or the money,
40:30 which they will have him for agency,
40:32 if there are another more pressing needs.
40:35 Anything else you got to add before we close this one out?
40:37 - I think that's it for me.
40:40 - All right, thank you all for joining us.
40:42 Obviously, Alex Barth, member of the CLNS Media family
40:45 can also catch him on 98.5, the Sports Hub.
40:48 Does a great job wherever he is, all the time, always.
40:50 Everything, everywhere, all at once.
40:52 Alex is fantastic.
40:53 Thank you all so much for tuning in.
40:54 Appreciate you always, especially in the middle of the day.
40:57 It means a lot to us.
40:58 Take care of yourselves, take care of each other,
41:01 and we will see you next time.