LIVE Patriots Daily Mailbag Show w/ Taylor Kyles

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Joins Taylor Kyles from CLNS Media on Patriots Daily's latest episode. Taylor goes LIVE for a mailbag and answers questions about free agency, the draft, and more!

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Transcript
00:00:00 you. What's going on everyone.
00:00:28 Welcome back to another episode of C.L.N.S. Media.
00:00:29 Brought to you by our friends at PrizePix, the exclusive daily fantasy partner of C.L.N.S.
00:00:32 Media, but more from them later.
00:00:34 Right now, we've got another mailbag episode.
00:00:36 I'm coming at you solo, some one-on-one time, me and you.
00:00:39 We're going to have some fun today.
00:00:41 You guys asked some fantastic questions, as always.
00:00:43 Got some stuff booted up.
00:00:45 One thing I'm really excited to talk about, we're going to get to at the end, my dream
00:00:49 off-season scenario.
00:00:50 I like wrote down all the things I want from the roster, re-signings, free agent signings,
00:00:55 draft picks, all that good stuff.
00:00:57 A lot of really interesting topics to cover.
00:00:59 But before we get into that, we're going to have to touch on a couple of players who've
00:01:04 already re-signed with the Patriots.
00:01:06 The first of those today was exclusive rights free agent cornerback, Alex Austin, who the
00:01:12 Patriots acquired late last season.
00:01:14 Now, with exclusive rights free agents, like the couple of guys that we're about to talk
00:01:18 about, it's a pretty much a no-brainer.
00:01:20 As long as they're a fit with the team, you tend to usually see those guys get picked
00:01:24 up.
00:01:25 We saw with Miles Bryant recently.
00:01:26 We saw with Nathan Rourke, actually.
00:01:28 He was the first player to re-sign with the Patriots.
00:01:30 So, Alex Austin makes a lot of sense.
00:01:33 He came on pretty well for the Patriots when he did get some playing time late last season.
00:01:36 Obviously, they had so many injuries in different situations that went on at the cornerback position.
00:01:43 So Alex Austin slid in there, played some good ball.
00:01:46 Really the biggest thing you could really say against him was that he played some pretty
00:01:49 soft coverage at times, and that allowed for some easy completions and sometimes first
00:01:54 downs.
00:01:55 But overall, I think everybody remembers the play against the Buffalo Bills where he baits
00:02:00 Josh Allen into making a deep throw that Alex Austin ends up picking off.
00:02:04 You also saw some swagger, which you'd love to see from the cornerback position because
00:02:08 a lot of the guys the Patriots have at that spot are pretty low-key guys.
00:02:11 You got Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones.
00:02:15 Those are the guys you expect to contribute next season.
00:02:17 Then, if you want to throw Miles Bryant into that mix, if they re-sign him, they're not
00:02:21 really raw, raw, kind of pound-your-chest kind of guys like you had with, say, a Jack
00:02:25 Jones or even J.C. Jackson.
00:02:27 We still don't know what's going to happen with him.
00:02:29 But those are more two guys who they bring a fire and an energy to the defense when they're
00:02:33 at the top of their games.
00:02:34 Alex Austin kind of brought that a little bit.
00:02:37 And most importantly, the swagger and all the energy, that's great.
00:02:40 But the most important thing was his ability to be sticky in coverage.
00:02:44 He was really competitive.
00:02:45 And then you saw him, I think it was the last game against the Jets, where he had a couple
00:02:49 nice reps against Garrett Wilson.
00:02:51 Obviously, the weather wasn't great, but both players had to play in it.
00:02:54 So I was really impressed by him, considering this was a seventh-round pick.
00:02:58 This isn't somebody that anybody was expecting a lot of when he joined the Patriots, had
00:03:02 previously been with the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Texans.
00:03:06 So that's a pretty exciting one.
00:03:07 I'm excited to see what he can do under Mike Pellegrino's tutelage with another season
00:03:13 in New England.
00:03:14 Another guy we got to touch on is offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
00:03:17 Now, he didn't play a single snap last season after the Patriots traded Pierre Strong to
00:03:23 the Cleveland Browns to acquire him.
00:03:26 Another one that was kind of a no-brainer.
00:03:27 Now, while he didn't get to play last season, Tyrone Wheatley is a pretty skilled player.
00:03:32 Maybe not somebody who's going to compete for a starting job, but maybe in a backup
00:03:35 role, he'd be pretty interesting.
00:03:36 He reunites with Alex Van Pelt and Scott Peters, two guys who obviously had experience coaching
00:03:41 him in Cleveland, where he spent 2022 and the 2023 offseason.
00:03:46 So Alex Austin, Tyrone Wheatley Jr., two guys who are back in the fold for the Patriots.
00:03:51 That makes it three players that the Patriots have officially re-signed and will be on the
00:03:55 boat next year.
00:03:56 And of course, you also had Kyle Duggar, who they placed the transition tag on, but still
00:04:00 going to see what happens with his status.
00:04:02 Now moving on to the mailbag questions.
00:04:05 Let's get after it.
00:04:07 Can you lay out the important dates of the offseason, aka free agency, draft, signing
00:04:11 players, et cetera?
00:04:12 Absolutely.
00:04:13 I'm actually going to pull up a screen right now.
00:04:16 Hello, Commander Ray.
00:04:18 I'm doing well.
00:04:19 How are you?
00:04:20 All right, let's get this one up.
00:04:22 So we're going to go ahead and get ourselves into March.
00:04:26 So free agency begins March 11th.
00:04:30 That's when the legal tampering period begins.
00:04:32 You can't sign players, but this is when you're actually allowed to start talking to them
00:04:36 and trying to get deals done.
00:04:37 That's why when Monday strikes, you're going to see all the Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport
00:04:42 tweets just firing off saying they've agreed to contract terms.
00:04:47 But the important thing to remember is these are not official until contracts are actually
00:04:51 signed because we've seen over the past couple of seasons, sometimes at the 11th hour, you'll
00:04:56 see some players pull out for one reason or another.
00:04:59 Maybe there's contract language they don't like.
00:05:02 Maybe there's just another team that offers more and they make a last second switch.
00:05:05 So they can start negotiating with teams next week.
00:05:08 Going to be very busy.
00:05:09 Make sure you're locked on Pats daily and pray to its press pass.
00:05:12 You can get all the good news and updates that we're going to be providing you.
00:05:15 But yeah, so March 11th is when we're actually going to see a lot of that stuff start really
00:05:19 ramping up.
00:05:21 And then let's see what else we got here.
00:05:23 Negotiating period and respective unrestricted free agents to put into excuse content.
00:05:27 The league year actually begins on the 13th.
00:05:30 So when the 13th hits, that's when you get to see transactions and things like that actually
00:05:34 be made.
00:05:35 So that's when you can see players start getting traded.
00:05:37 That's when you're going to see these fragile contracts, at least the initial wave actually
00:05:41 happen.
00:05:42 And sometimes what you'll see is once those players get signed, there's obviously as Patriots
00:05:46 fans, people are going to be very familiar with this.
00:05:48 You see a different wave where it's more of the like second or third tier players.
00:05:53 Once the market is kind of set, people have a better idea of what certain players are
00:05:56 getting paid.
00:05:57 Then you see other guys start signing deals and those are more of the middle roster, bottom
00:06:01 of the roster kind of signings.
00:06:04 So let's see, we've got the first league year trading period.
00:06:07 So of course that's when players can start getting traded.
00:06:10 So teams can start initiating into talks and then if the Patriots want to add depth by
00:06:14 getting some veteran players or something like that, that's when that kind of thing
00:06:17 can start happening.
00:06:18 24th to the 27th, we're going to start getting the NFL annual meetings.
00:06:23 I think a lot of people remember the meme of Belichick drinking the orange juice.
00:06:27 That's what those are.
00:06:28 It's when a lot of rule changes and things like that happen, where a lot of the big picture
00:06:33 stuff for the NFL takes place, where you get coaches, you get owners, you get a lot of
00:06:37 executives.
00:06:38 They're going to be there deliberating basically the direction for the league in that year.
00:06:42 So then we're going to move up to April.
00:06:45 So this is going to be important for Gerard Mayo.
00:06:48 Obviously it's his first year as head coach of the Patriots.
00:06:50 Clubs that hired a new head coach after the end of the 2023 regular season may begin off
00:06:55 season workout programs.
00:06:56 So in prior years with Bill Belichick, the Patriots off season workout program would
00:07:00 have started around the 15th.
00:07:01 Now it's going to be at the beginning of April.
00:07:03 So they can kind of get an earlier jump because they have to cover more ground considering
00:07:07 this is going to be a brand new system that they're dealing with.
00:07:10 All right.
00:07:11 One of the clubs and test or conduct physical examination.
00:07:14 Yep.
00:07:15 So that's a pretty big one.
00:07:16 So obviously the draft is going to be at the end of April 25th to the 27th, but visits
00:07:22 can actually start on the 17th.
00:07:25 So that's going to be about the time where you start seeing a lot of these visits happen.
00:07:29 The top thirties.
00:07:30 Those are going to be very important.
00:07:32 You know, you start seeing like a senior bowl visits, hula pool visits, shrine bowl visits,
00:07:37 draft visits, or combine visits.
00:07:39 You know, those are interviews rather.
00:07:41 I'm sorry.
00:07:42 Those are important to a degree.
00:07:44 You know, it's a feeling out process, but the top 30 visits are the most important.
00:07:47 That's where you get a better sense of when these players or what the pay, I'm so sorry,
00:07:52 what the team's interest is in certain players.
00:07:54 So that's another really important date.
00:07:56 Let's see what else we got here.
00:07:58 Everything else.
00:07:59 It's really big.
00:08:00 The fifth year option is going to be on May 2nd.
00:08:04 Obviously that's going to be Mack Jones for the Patriots.
00:08:06 They're not expected to pick up his option, so I wouldn't expect anything there.
00:08:09 And those are really the big ones that fans need to know.
00:08:12 So like we said, it's going back up to March for agency begins on the 11th.
00:08:17 The league year begins on the 13th, which is when transactions and things like that
00:08:21 can actually be made.
00:08:22 We had the owners meetings at the end of March from the 24th to the 27th.
00:08:27 And then Gerard Mayo and his players are probably going to have their beginning of their offseason
00:08:31 workout program at the very beginning of April.
00:08:33 Then you're going to start having visits then.
00:08:35 And at the end of April, the moment we've been waiting for, and that will be way more
00:08:40 exciting once for agency is over and that excitement dies down and we need something
00:08:43 else to kind of get us going.
00:08:45 Then we're going to have that at the end.
00:08:47 And then May 2nd is, you know, I don't know when exactly we're going to hear the news,
00:08:51 but by May 2nd is going to be the deadline for teams to use the fifth year option for
00:08:55 the Patriots.
00:08:56 Probably not going to happen.
00:08:58 Mack Jones is likely not even going to be on the team in 2024.
00:09:01 So not a big date in that regard.
00:09:04 All right, let's move on.
00:09:06 See what else we've got here first.
00:09:08 Let me get a good ratio.
00:09:11 Good aspect ratio.
00:09:12 There we go.
00:09:13 Okay.
00:09:14 Get the questions.
00:09:16 Is Calvin Ridley worth paying suck tax for?
00:09:20 This is kind of a complicated one because I think there needs to be a limit.
00:09:25 I think Calvin Ridley is the only one of the receivers on this market that really fits
00:09:29 with the Patriots need.
00:09:31 Now if you look at a statistical output, he wasn't one of the elite receivers and that's
00:09:35 probably what he's going to get paid like just because of the supply and demand.
00:09:38 And he is by far in his own tier on the open market.
00:09:42 That said, I don't want the Patriots paying something like north of 25 million for him.
00:09:47 That's legitimately elite wide receiver money, especially with Calvin Ridley being 29 years
00:09:52 old.
00:09:53 That is not a great situation if you're paying a guy that age, although he was explosive.
00:09:57 He was one of the better deep targets in the NFL last season.
00:09:59 That's really what you're hoping to get out of him and his ability to, well he can win
00:10:03 on one on one situations and you can use him in that backside role that we saw with the
00:10:07 Mari Cooper a lot with the Browns and Alice Van Pelt's offense.
00:10:11 I think he's a better option as a Z where you can move him around or in the slot where
00:10:14 you can create some maybe size and athleticism mismatches.
00:10:18 But it depends on how bad the suck tax is.
00:10:20 Again, if it's like 25 million, actually, if you want to see my interview earlier today
00:10:25 with Jeff, how we actually touched on this a little bit in Calvin Ridley situation where
00:10:29 I think there still has to be a limit.
00:10:31 You can't just give guys whatever they want.
00:10:33 Although I do think Ridley is a good player, a very good player, even he's not a great
00:10:37 player.
00:10:38 And when you sign players to certain deals and you overpay for them, it's not an overpay
00:10:42 if it's a great player, because at some point that deal is going to look like a bargain.
00:10:46 But if it's a good player or very good player, again, especially one like Ridley, where you're
00:10:50 probably going to sign them to something like a two year deal.
00:10:53 I'm just not sure you want to tie up that much of your cap space to guy like that.
00:10:56 At the same time, the Patriots are really tough position where they don't have a lot
00:11:00 of options on the free agent market for them specifically.
00:11:03 I think the second best option might be Kendrick Bourne.
00:11:06 So that kind of gives you an idea of what they're dealing with in that situation.
00:11:09 So will they have to pay the suck tax?
00:11:11 Yeah, sure.
00:11:12 But once it hits that 25 million per year mark, that's where I start getting a little
00:11:16 bit hesitant.
00:11:18 Which receivers from the current roster, Bourne included, should the Patriots keep?
00:11:22 Yeah.
00:11:23 So is Booty even allowed to play?
00:11:24 That's a good question.
00:11:25 I do not expect so.
00:11:26 I think these are going to be some pretty significant legal problems.
00:11:29 I don't believe the league has handed down any sort of suspension or anything like that,
00:11:32 at least not to my knowledge.
00:11:34 But I wouldn't be surprised if something like that comes up.
00:11:36 And also just given the situation surrounding Booty, I mean, I wish him the best, but I
00:11:41 just really don't see him having any kind of role on the team this year.
00:11:45 When it comes to Kendrick Bourne, I'd love to see him resign.
00:11:49 He's been very vocal about wanting to come back to the Patriots.
00:11:52 This could be a situation where they just want him to test his market coming off an
00:11:55 ACL injury where he was the Patriots top receiver last year, but the Patriots were in dire need
00:12:01 of a top receiver.
00:12:02 So how are teams going to view that situation?
00:12:04 So he hits the open market most likely, sees what his value is.
00:12:08 And as long as it's in a range that the Patriots are comfortable with, I would love to see
00:12:11 him brought back.
00:12:12 He's clearly a leader, brings so much energy.
00:12:15 And he's got size and we'll see how he is coming off of the ACL injury.
00:12:18 We all know Kendrick Bourne, he's working his butt off to get back.
00:12:22 But if he's lost a significant amount of explosiveness and is really just a possession guy who doesn't
00:12:26 give you a lot after the catch, that worries me a little bit.
00:12:30 But he's still a savvy route runner.
00:12:31 He knows how to set guys up and get open.
00:12:34 And he's physical, he's got good hands.
00:12:37 And with the other guys on the market, you're talking like Marquise Brown and Darnell Mooney.
00:12:41 I like Darnell Mooney a lot.
00:12:42 I will say that.
00:12:43 I love his explosiveness.
00:12:45 He's an exciting player, but he's also pretty slim.
00:12:48 And in Alex Van Pelt's offense, they're going to run the ball a lot.
00:12:50 And I know that Elliott Wolfe in the Packers system, they like receivers with some size.
00:12:55 So I'm not sure how well Darnell Mooney would fit there.
00:12:57 Marquise Brown, another guy who has inside out versatility, but he's also undersized.
00:13:01 And if DeMario Douglas is going to have a big role, are you really going to have two
00:13:04 undersized receivers getting a lot of snaps for you?
00:13:08 I don't see that as a great possibility.
00:13:10 So looking at the other Patriots receivers, Devante Parker and Drew Schuster, I think
00:13:15 the team is going to do what they can to try to trade them, save themselves as much money
00:13:19 as possible, likely by making it a June, a post June 1st designation.
00:13:23 I don't know what they're going to get back.
00:13:25 Maybe like a seventh for each guy or a sixth.
00:13:28 These are going to have to be teams that are willing to trade knowing that they are getting
00:13:31 these players at a discounted rate.
00:13:35 So not exactly great.
00:13:37 Let's see.
00:13:38 All right.
00:13:39 All right.
00:13:40 All right.
00:13:41 All right.
00:13:42 Type one Thornton.
00:13:43 Type one Thornton is an interesting one.
00:13:44 Second round pick, obviously, you know, you want to keep those kinds of guys around.
00:13:48 At the same time, he's really, really behind in his development.
00:13:52 So it's an interesting situation.
00:13:54 And obviously the injuries every year, it seems like that's a problem.
00:13:57 Now I will say the speed and the explosiveness.
00:14:00 I'd like to see if Alex Van Pelt can get the most out of him, probably more in a niche
00:14:04 role than maybe as a featured receiver.
00:14:07 But you know, I, I would like to see what they could do with Tycoon Thornton, at least
00:14:12 in training camp in the offseason program, see how he's utilized.
00:14:17 Maybe he can really get it together with Alex Van Pelt's offense, that West Coast system
00:14:21 really emphasizing route running with Troy Brown under his tutelage.
00:14:26 Type one Thornton actually told me that he had freedom in his routes and was using his
00:14:29 speed to set up defenders, which just to be totally honest, when I watched the film, I
00:14:33 didn't really agree with that mentality just because it seemed like there was a lot of
00:14:37 wasted movement.
00:14:38 He wasn't on the same page as his quarterbacks, which caused some issues where quarterbacks
00:14:41 had to hold onto the ball and there wasn't a lot of separation anyway.
00:14:45 So I didn't really see the benefit, but if he becomes more disciplined route runner and
00:14:48 really does understand how to use his speed without all the wasted movement, I think he
00:14:53 could get something decent out of him as like a wide receiver for option maybe.
00:14:56 And with, you know, as few options as the Patriots have, I don't think that's the worst
00:15:00 thing in the world.
00:15:01 And then beyond there, you've got a Demario Douglas, who obviously is probably going to
00:15:06 be one of the focal points of their offense.
00:15:08 Although you have to worry with his injury history and his size.
00:15:12 Do you really want him being a guy that goes over the middle as a slot receiver?
00:15:16 Probably going to be more prominent on like outbreaking routes where he's away from those
00:15:20 big guys in the middle of the field.
00:15:21 And then Jalen Rager, he's another guy where I'd be interested to bring him back, especially
00:15:25 maybe as a return specialist.
00:15:27 We really saw him thrive last season.
00:15:29 Later on in the year, he had that kick return against Buffalo.
00:15:32 That was fantastic.
00:15:34 And then he actually flashed at times with Bailey's happy.
00:15:36 I also think that at this point in his career, he is what he is.
00:15:40 I don't think he's going to take some big leap or anything like that, but he does have
00:15:43 good speed.
00:15:44 He's got some size to him.
00:15:46 So if the Patriots just want to see what they can get out of him in camp and, you know,
00:15:49 maybe he does well and they can trade him or something like that, that'd be interesting.
00:15:53 But I'd be interested in them bringing Rager back just to see how he fits in the system.
00:15:57 Similar to like a Taekwon Thornton, they're explosive guys who have time already on the
00:16:01 Patriots.
00:16:02 They understand a locker room.
00:16:04 They're familiar with the place.
00:16:05 So, you know, I would be interested, but they're not really significant needle movers for me.
00:16:10 All right, let's see what else we got here.
00:16:14 How fun would it be to add another massive human blue chip player to the defensive line
00:16:19 and for agency?
00:16:20 Oh, that'd be a ton of fun.
00:16:21 I would love to see that.
00:16:22 Obviously, if you're talking, you know, just people that are on the market currently or
00:16:26 will most likely be on the market, Chris Jones is at the top of that list.
00:16:29 He's a game wrecker.
00:16:30 I will say that he's not someone who plays 100% all the time.
00:16:34 You see that in his run defense stats, where I think he had like 10 tackles against the
00:16:37 run last year, which is pretty unacceptable for somebody of his caliber.
00:16:41 He does unfortunately take plays off, but at the same time, I mean, he was beloved in
00:16:45 Kansas City.
00:16:46 I'm still beloved in Kansas City and is a dominant pass rusher.
00:16:50 This is a guy who's probably going to go into the hall of fame three times Super Bowl champion,
00:16:54 who I think you could argue is as valuable to that defense as Patrick Mahomes is to the
00:16:58 offense is somebody who is just such a dominant presence.
00:17:01 They can completely take over games on his side of the ball, but at the same time, I
00:17:06 think he actually posted earlier today something kind of cryptic where it was a picture of
00:17:10 him and Andy Reid after the Super Bowl celebrating and an hour long phone call with the chief.
00:17:15 So he may be going back to Casey, but the most realistic option would be Christian Wilkins
00:17:20 from the dolphins.
00:17:21 Maybe he reunites with the bond.
00:17:23 Gotcha.
00:17:24 On the inside is like Lawrence guy replacement, obviously not just in terms of that niche
00:17:28 role, but as that kind of other defensive tackle that's heavy in the rotation, you could
00:17:32 use him and Christian bar more in a significant role.
00:17:34 Those are your top two guys.
00:17:36 And then you have the bond.
00:17:37 Gotcha.
00:17:38 Maybe playing more on early downs and also when they're five man fronts.
00:17:41 I really like Christian Wilkins.
00:17:43 I do think he's more of a penetrator than a space eater and someone who you want to
00:17:46 gapping a lot.
00:17:49 But that said, I mean, he can execute multiple assignments.
00:17:51 He's not somebody who's really scheme dependent.
00:17:54 He does get moved off the ball by double teams, which worries me a bit.
00:17:58 But at the same time, if you want, you can limit his role a bit.
00:18:00 He played a ton of snaps in Miami with the Patriots.
00:18:03 We know they like to rotate pretty heavily, so maybe that would help a little bit.
00:18:07 You put him in some more advantageous situations, but him and bar more inside.
00:18:10 I mean, I think that sets you up pretty well.
00:18:13 And I also understand there was some trepidation about obviously Christian bar more is a candidate
00:18:18 to get an extension and he's probably going to make money near or at the top of his position.
00:18:22 Probably not at the top because Chris Jones is about to get paid.
00:18:25 He's not going to make a Chris Jones money.
00:18:26 I think he wants to be paid like the highest played the highest paid defensive lineman
00:18:31 maybe in league history.
00:18:33 But again, I'd like Wilkins next to bar more.
00:18:36 I think they'd be a really good duo.
00:18:37 And if you do sign the books, big contracts, I think you just adjusted that by maybe on
00:18:41 the edges.
00:18:42 You're not paying big money for those guys.
00:18:43 Kind of like we've seen from the Patriots on the edges.
00:18:46 You really are going to want guys who are better at contain and a really disciplined
00:18:50 rushers so that when that havoc is wrecked inside and quarterbacks get a little antsy,
00:18:55 you can compress the pocket and not give them anywhere to go.
00:18:58 But I love that idea.
00:18:59 If you're talking about big bodies, you could add to the defensive line.
00:19:02 Another guy is to Neil Hunter.
00:19:04 He's an older guy.
00:19:05 He's 29 years old, but was one of the most productive defense or edge defenders in the
00:19:09 NFL played in Brian Flores, a system which of course is pretty similar to what the Patriots
00:19:14 do.
00:19:15 Although he is even more aggressive.
00:19:16 I think to Marcus Covington mentioned that he would like to be more aggressive this season
00:19:20 or that was just reported one or the other.
00:19:22 The scheme shouldn't change too much, but it's a Neil Hunter can fit in that system.
00:19:25 I think he could fit with the Pats maybe in a role more like a Dietrich wise, where in
00:19:30 their four down fronts, he plays as a defensive end with his hand down.
00:19:33 Although he can stand up, that's not really where he thrives though.
00:19:36 And then in certain pass rush fronts, you could bump them down inside, create some mismatches
00:19:40 against interior offensive linemen.
00:19:43 Now Hunter isn't the most explosive edge defender you're going to get on the market, but he
00:19:47 can contribute against the run in the past, which is big.
00:19:50 You're not going to have to be, he's not going to be a guy that you have to take off the
00:19:52 field depending on the situation.
00:19:54 He's savvy, he's disciplined.
00:19:56 He can take advantage when offensive linemen's technique isn't very good.
00:20:00 I'm curious how much money he's going to ask for.
00:20:02 I'm not trying to pay top dollar for him, but if he's someone you can have at a decent
00:20:05 price, maybe like 10 million or less somewhere around that market, I think that could be
00:20:09 decent for a guy who could play every snap for you.
00:20:12 And he was actually voted a captain for the first time in his Vikings career.
00:20:17 He spent his entire career in Minnesota, but first year captain.
00:20:20 So you get a little bit of that leadership in the building as well.
00:20:23 And actually, if you want a bit of a deeper dive into the Neil Hunter, I released a piece
00:20:27 this morning on the top free agent options for the Patriots.
00:20:30 They want to add that elite defender, as we've seen reported.
00:20:33 To be honest, it's not a whole lot of elite defenders left, but there are some guys who
00:20:37 can at least be game changers and impact players for you.
00:20:40 So yeah, Chris Jones, Christian Wilkins, Daniel Hunter are kind of the guys that are at the
00:20:44 top of the list for me.
00:20:45 If you're talking about those high impact, bigger guys that you could add to the trenches.
00:20:50 Actually, we're at the 20 minute mark, so I've been going on for a long time.
00:20:54 Let me throw it over to our friends at prize fixed.
00:20:56 So them some love.
00:20:57 Be right back.
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00:22:06 All right, so I do see some comments saying, you know, I'd rather extend you on over Hunter.
00:22:10 I completely understand that.
00:22:11 But remember the Patriots have $100 million in cap space.
00:22:16 I'm not going to say they can do whatever the hell they want.
00:22:18 They can kind of do whatever the hell they want.
00:22:20 And it's also a pretty depreciated market in terms of, you know, the high impact players
00:22:24 you can get.
00:22:25 So I agree, you know, I wouldn't put Neil Hunter at the top of the list by any means.
00:22:28 But if they're talking about wanting to add, you know, that kind of talent, I do think
00:22:32 he's someone who's in the mix.
00:22:33 You can extend you on, you can still do that and sign to Neil Hunter.
00:22:37 Just kind of depends on who is actually an option.
00:22:39 You know, who ends up coming off the board, who they really want to pay for, or maybe
00:22:43 not overpay for certain things like that.
00:22:45 But again, I understand.
00:22:46 I wouldn't put the Neil Hunter is like a priority or anything like that, but he is one of the
00:22:50 few truly consistently impactful players left on the market right now, specifically when
00:22:55 you talk about the defensive line.
00:22:57 All right, now moving on, let's get another question in here.
00:23:01 Would you rather go tackle or wide receiver at the top of the second?
00:23:04 Obviously it matters who's there outside of the guys who need to resign.
00:23:07 Who are your favorite free agent targets?
00:23:09 So I kind of touched on that with the free agent wide receivers.
00:23:12 Calvin Ridley is the only guy that I really, really like.
00:23:15 Darno Mooney is really intriguing because he's so explosive, but again, I don't love
00:23:19 his frame.
00:23:20 One thing I noticed when watching him is that defenders tend to be able to get into the
00:23:24 catch point because he doesn't have a lot of weight on him.
00:23:28 So that's one issue.
00:23:29 We also kind of struggle with drops and fell off a bit towards the end of last season.
00:23:32 That said, he is an outstanding separator and Boris skinnier, more slim frame guy.
00:23:37 He does a good job getting defenders hands off of him and separating both with his stem
00:23:42 and in his release and also making sure that he can get himself clean at the top.
00:23:46 And he does have good hands.
00:23:47 He can make catches outside of his frame.
00:23:49 So pretty spectacular ones as well.
00:23:51 But there is some inconsistency there because of his size.
00:23:53 So really it's Calvin Ridley and I guess Curtis Samuel, you could put him in there as well.
00:23:58 He's a pretty consistent guy, really good hands, another good route runner.
00:24:02 It was successful for the commanders, has viral injuries.
00:24:05 So there's that to consider as well.
00:24:07 But yeah, for the free agent market, it's just not looking really great.
00:24:10 Now getting back to the beginning of the question, would I rather go tackle or wide receiver?
00:24:14 So if you saw my mock draft, another shameless plug, go check that out on CLNS media if you
00:24:19 already have.
00:24:20 I actually did my first mock draft of the offseason, had a lot of fun with that.
00:24:24 But there I actually double dipped a tackle for the first one.
00:24:27 I went with Kingsley Suamatea out of BYU in the second round.
00:24:31 He's only 21 years old.
00:24:33 He was a team captain.
00:24:34 He's cousins with all pro right tackle for the Lions, Pines Sewell.
00:24:38 It's pretty good resume.
00:24:39 Now he is someone who's still pretty raw.
00:24:42 So he's probably going to have to sit for a year.
00:24:45 And that's kind of where last night I actually spoke with Alex Barth and we did our best
00:24:49 damn show of the week, best damn day of the week show.
00:24:52 When we talked about college football, he kind of talked me into the idea of a receiver
00:24:58 in the second round of the draft.
00:24:59 Initially, I was really hesitant and I was saying, all right, get your quarterback, get
00:25:03 your offensive tackle, and then get as many weapons as you can find after that, that you
00:25:06 like.
00:25:07 But at the same time, more likely than not, they're not going to be able to get an offensive
00:25:12 tackle who can start right away.
00:25:13 And we're really going to have a better understanding of what they're feeling like the direction
00:25:17 is at the offensive tackle spot, what's free agency is.
00:25:20 Are they going to sign a Jonah Williams or Donovan Smith or re-sign Trent Brown?
00:25:25 Super unlikely.
00:25:26 But if they sign a veteran, they're likely going to want that tackle to develop.
00:25:30 And I think there are some guys later on in the draft, I'll touch on this more, that I
00:25:33 do think they could pick up who could potentially be starters maybe within a year, maybe within
00:25:38 a couple years where you sign a veteran to that contract and you just let them grow and
00:25:42 develop.
00:25:43 So if you're going to have them on the bench anyway, I think it does make some sense in
00:25:47 the second round to try to get a receiver that can be an impact player quickly.
00:25:51 Someone like a Ricky Pearsall, for example, or like some guys that might go in the second
00:25:56 round, like an A.D. Mitchell or someone who may fall to them at that spot because they're
00:26:00 so early in the second round.
00:26:01 It's almost like getting guys right at the end of the first.
00:26:04 So I am pretty open to the idea of a wide receiver over an offensive tackle because
00:26:08 I don't think that offensive tackle would be a contributor right away.
00:26:12 Whereas a receiver, even if they're in more of a niche role or rotational role, you'd
00:26:16 still be able to get something out of them immediately.
00:26:18 All right.
00:26:19 Good question.
00:26:20 No comment.
00:26:21 Let's see.
00:26:22 Oh, this is a fun one.
00:26:28 You say you like Jaden Daniels.
00:26:29 Yet whenever you talk about him, you don't acknowledge his value being the same as May
00:26:32 and often say you'd like it better if the Pat's traded down.
00:26:37 So I've seen a couple of comments about this on my Twitter.
00:26:40 I have been very vocal.
00:26:41 I like Jaden Daniels.
00:26:42 I like Drake May.
00:26:44 I like them for different reasons and I dislike them for different reasons.
00:26:47 Now Jaden Daniels obviously had an outstanding season where he went from someone who wasn't
00:26:51 on most people's radars in 2022 to a Heisman winner in 2023.
00:26:56 He can't argue with his success.
00:26:58 The guy who's the best deep ball passer in college football, you put him in pennants,
00:27:02 kind of in that same category, and he is an electric runner.
00:27:04 He's going to walk into the NFL as maybe the second or third best running quarterback in
00:27:09 the league behind like Lamar Jackson or Justin Fields because those guys are just absolutely
00:27:13 different.
00:27:14 I do think Jaden Daniels has some elusiveness to his game more than he sometimes gets credit
00:27:17 for.
00:27:18 You know, some people think he's just a straight line guy.
00:27:19 I don't think that's necessarily true.
00:27:21 But at the same time, his deficiencies do scare me.
00:27:25 And that's really why, you know, I try to mention the value.
00:27:29 I mean, the value is out there.
00:27:30 You don't need me to tell you that they're the top.
00:27:32 They're two of the top three quarterbacks in this draft.
00:27:35 And everybody knows that that's what the buzz is.
00:27:37 That's what NFL teams are saying.
00:27:39 You know, it is lying season, but this momentum has been building for a while.
00:27:42 It's not really anything too surprising.
00:27:44 But that said, Jaden is an older prospect.
00:27:47 I'm also scared about his frame because we've already seen like everybody likes to make
00:27:52 the comparison to Lamar Jackson.
00:27:53 I don't think it's great outside of their athleticism and the fact that they both kind
00:27:56 of entered the league with slimmer bodies.
00:27:59 But look how many times you've seen Lamar Jackson get hurt.
00:28:01 Like through his career, he's had to build more muscle so that he can withstand more
00:28:04 hits, even though he does a pretty good job protecting his body.
00:28:07 And Jaden Daniels does not.
00:28:09 Can he learn to do that?
00:28:11 Maybe he takes one big hit in the league and is like, I can't do this anymore.
00:28:13 Sure.
00:28:14 But we also saw him do that against Alabama, a team that is full of NFL caliber players.
00:28:19 Like usually a lot of the NFL players end up coming from Alabama, a lot of the best
00:28:23 ones.
00:28:24 And, you know, he takes that big shot.
00:28:26 Sometimes he ends up not even finishing the game because of the hits he takes.
00:28:29 Those kinds of things do scare me.
00:28:31 Other things that scare me.
00:28:32 And when I spoke to Jeff Howe this morning, he mentioned that teams aren't really worried
00:28:36 about like the hand size and the arm strength.
00:28:39 I understand that those guys are smarter than me, but I can only give you my opinion.
00:28:43 And with Jaden Daniels, I got to say the fact that he struggles so much on drive throws,
00:28:47 like we know he has success throwing deep, but he is hitting outside the numbers on like
00:28:51 fades where Mac Jones can hit those as well.
00:28:54 It doesn't take crazy arm strength to hit receivers downfield on things like go balls
00:28:59 and fades and rocks like that, where you really see arm strength is really about like 20 yards
00:29:04 or deeper when you're trying to hit like a comeback or an out route where you really
00:29:08 need to put the ball on a line and fit it into tight coverage.
00:29:11 That's where I see Jaden Daniels just doesn't have the arm of a guy like Drake May.
00:29:16 So get the arm strength.
00:29:17 You have the size, you have the age.
00:29:19 Those are all concerns for me.
00:29:21 There's also he's got some happy feet in the pocket.
00:29:22 I don't, you know, it's not the worst thing in the world because he will stand in there
00:29:25 and take a hit.
00:29:26 His pocket presence is good.
00:29:27 I don't want to knock him for that or anything, but the happy feet do kind of scare me because
00:29:31 they can lead to some inconsistencies.
00:29:33 And then you look at Drake May.
00:29:34 Now, Drake May is full of inconsistencies.
00:29:37 No one is saying he's not.
00:29:38 He does have a tendency to not be able to just let a play die and live to fight another
00:29:42 down.
00:29:43 His footwork can just be a mess where you'll see multiple wide misses in a game that are
00:29:49 admittedly very alarming.
00:29:50 I'm not trying to sugarcoat it in any way.
00:29:53 He also tends to drift towards his target when he's throwing and is that kind of ties
00:29:57 into the choppy footwork and the inconsistent footwork.
00:30:00 And then he ends up drifting into pressure and getting himself in trouble.
00:30:04 That said, the concerns I have for Dane Daniels are concerns I don't have with Drake May.
00:30:08 The age, the size, the arm.
00:30:11 He's got those things in spades.
00:30:12 He's the youngest quarterback in this class.
00:30:14 He's got a massive arm where you see a lot of the best quarterbacks can make that throw
00:30:18 where you kind of drift back and he's lollipop that thing in the air and it travels like
00:30:22 50 yards and it's just easy.
00:30:24 Drake May has that kind of potential.
00:30:26 He can also just put the ball wherever he wants.
00:30:28 Again, it isn't consistent, but he has moments of outstanding deep accuracy.
00:30:32 Now on top of that, he's 230 pounds.
00:30:36 Like it's very different when JD Daniels is going to say, I'm going to put my shoulder
00:30:39 down against a small linebacker or a safety versus when Drake May does it.
00:30:43 I also think that Drake May is the second best running quarterback in this class.
00:30:48 He's got a good sense for when he needs to scramble, when his receiver options just aren't
00:30:51 very good.
00:30:52 He can be used on design runs.
00:30:53 I think he's somewhere where the entire playbook is open to you because he's got good mobility
00:30:58 and he's even got some elusiveness in space where sometimes guys just don't really want
00:31:01 to hit him and didn't want to hit him in college because he was so big.
00:31:05 And he's kind of nifty.
00:31:06 He's not going to juke a bunch of guys out of their shoes necessarily, but he does a
00:31:09 pretty good job of making guys miss in space.
00:31:12 I also like his instincts as a passer.
00:31:14 I've had people ask, what the hell does that mean?
00:31:16 What are instincts?
00:31:17 Well, his pocket field, he does have a good sense of how to evade pressure when it comes
00:31:21 and navigate the pocket.
00:31:22 I think he does a good job of anticipating when windows are going to open or knowing
00:31:26 what certain defenders, the way they move in coverage, how it affects different windows.
00:31:31 He's outside of structure playmaking ability where he can reel it in at times, of course,
00:31:37 but I mean, you can say that about a lot of young quarterbacks who have similar skill
00:31:40 sets where in college you can get away with a lot of things.
00:31:43 And there's not a lot of guys who have that ability, but do it in more of a confined space
00:31:47 where like Caleb Williams and Drake are both in that kind of category.
00:31:50 I don't think Drake puts the ball in harm's way nearly as much as a Caleb Williams does.
00:31:55 Although Caleb Williams does have a higher ceiling.
00:31:57 And then you look at like a Jaden Daniels where he does run at times to throw, but more
00:32:01 often than not, he's running the run because he knows how electric he is.
00:32:05 So those are all the things I like in Drake may.
00:32:07 And the concerns are things I feel like you can fix.
00:32:10 Like we're not talking about these, these guys are not going to be the same quarterbacks.
00:32:13 Hopefully if they're in the right systems and have the right tutelage, they're not going
00:32:16 to be the same quarterbacks coming out of college that they are in their third season
00:32:20 or at the end of the rookie deals.
00:32:21 Like you're hoping that you can purge some of the weaknesses of these guys and then try
00:32:25 to bring out the best in what they have with Jaden Daniels.
00:32:28 A lot of the things I don't like about his game are things you cannot fix.
00:32:32 You know, the progression stuff, I think he got better at that and can continue to.
00:32:35 So I've seen him knocked for that.
00:32:37 But like Drake may, I'm like, Hey, you know, good coaching.
00:32:40 I think that's something that can be worked out at some point.
00:32:43 Also take some effort from players to put in the work and be able to do all those things
00:32:46 and make it better.
00:32:47 And I think all I think Jaden Daniels and Drake may are both going to be outstanding
00:32:51 leaders, high character guys who work their butts off and try to be the best they can
00:32:55 be.
00:32:56 But I think Drake may has a much higher ceiling.
00:32:58 And I think that if he's able to sit and kind of develop and hone his skills a little bit
00:33:02 more and refine that footwork, I just think you're going to get a lot more out of him
00:33:05 when you're looking at three years down the line that you will from Jaden Daniels.
00:33:09 Although I'm also sure he's going to have an outstanding career.
00:33:12 So I hope I put that to bed.
00:33:13 I like both guys.
00:33:14 I just like Drake may ceiling a lot more than I like Jaden's.
00:33:18 Although I think Jaden's going to be able to contribute sooner.
00:33:20 And I do think he's going to have a very successful NFL career.
00:33:23 A lot of comments.
00:33:25 Let me make sure I didn't miss anything related to this specific topic.
00:33:29 Anything, anything?
00:33:30 No.
00:33:31 OK, we'll move on.
00:33:32 See you next question.
00:33:33 If the Patriots sign an outside receiver like Calvin Ridley, do you think they draft another
00:33:41 in day two like Tess Walker or Brendan Rice?
00:33:44 And for a veteran offensive tackle, what do you think of Donovan Smith?
00:33:47 Oh, yeah, I think the Patriots are going to take a wide receiver on day two, regardless
00:33:50 of what happens in the offseason.
00:33:52 There's way too much talent in this class.
00:33:54 And when you talk about I'm not a fan of Tess Walker personally, I just is way too inconsistent.
00:33:58 I don't like the drops.
00:34:00 I think drops are an overrated kind of quirk with some receivers or a weakness.
00:34:04 Rather, if you're a good player, you know, drops are going to happen.
00:34:07 We've seen with Tyree kill.
00:34:08 We've seen it with Edelman.
00:34:09 I think the bigger thing is more when the drops happen.
00:34:12 That's more important than just dropping.
00:34:13 It's like, all right, if you're dropping, go ahead, scores and you know what could be
00:34:16 50 yard plays.
00:34:18 That's scary.
00:34:19 But some a lot of players have the ability to make up for those mistakes.
00:34:23 But Tess Walker, especially seeing him at the senior bowl, that really made me nervous
00:34:27 because that was a showcase.
00:34:29 What's your last opportunity to show teams what you can do in a really competitive setting
00:34:33 with the pads on against other players that are familiar with you.
00:34:36 And it felt like any time somebody was on his hip or any time there was contact, he
00:34:41 just got shook.
00:34:42 He was shook, shook, shaken all the words.
00:34:48 But yeah, he just kind of makes me nervous.
00:34:49 I'm not a big Tess Walker guy.
00:34:51 I do like Brendan Rice.
00:34:52 I thought he had a good showing at the senior bowl where the first day I remember seeing
00:34:57 people say like, oh, he's not getting separation.
00:34:59 And it was because guys were holding on for dear life trying to cover him.
00:35:03 But he still was able to do a really good job of fighting through contact and still
00:35:06 making the catch, which says a lot.
00:35:07 I love receivers who fight through contact.
00:35:10 I also think he's got underrated speed.
00:35:13 He's not his dad or anything like that.
00:35:14 But I will say that I think, especially for a bigger guy, who's probably going to be more
00:35:19 of an ex, I think he's got enough where if he can win in the route, he can create enough
00:35:23 separation where he can get behind defenders.
00:35:24 Although I don't think he's going to necessarily be a field stretcher, but I do like him a
00:35:28 lot.
00:35:29 And I mentioned Ricky Pearsall, Xavier Wiggetts, another guy I really like.
00:35:32 He was a team captain, a guy who's overcome a ton of adversity, have a lot of respect
00:35:35 for him.
00:35:36 He told me that he had a meeting with the Patriots and that he really liked them.
00:35:40 The vibe was great and that went well.
00:35:42 Yeah.
00:35:43 I like Wilson if he's your cup of tea.
00:35:44 I love him as a blocker.
00:35:45 He's an explosive target, probably going to be more of a Z slot kind of player at the
00:35:50 next level.
00:35:51 So I think there's a ton of talent on day two at wide receiver.
00:35:53 So absolutely, I would be stunned if they don't end up getting a receiver either in
00:35:57 the second or the third round.
00:36:00 In the veteran offensive tackle, if the Patriots, if Trent Brown is not an option and then they
00:36:06 try to get Jonah Williams and it doesn't work out, I think he's the best left tackle option
00:36:09 on the market for them.
00:36:11 I would say Donovan Smith is the next best thing, but he has won Super Bowls and back-to-back
00:36:17 seasons.
00:36:18 So like he got, not back-to-back seasons, but he's a two-time Super Bowl champion.
00:36:22 You have to have a lot of respect for what he's been able to do.
00:36:24 He is a very good, been a very good player.
00:36:28 Trying to find a nice way to say this, but the past few seasons, he's steadily declined.
00:36:32 I think you really kind of saw it in the Super Bowl.
00:36:35 He's not the player he used to be.
00:36:36 He's getting up there in age.
00:36:38 He also probably wants to keep playing for a contender unless he really just wants a
00:36:41 last payday.
00:36:42 I mean, when you get that itch, like we've seen in the dynasty series, you get that itch
00:36:46 and you really start liking winning championships.
00:36:48 It's kind of hard to go back on that again, unless you're just trying to get paid.
00:36:51 So I'm not sure how realistic an option he is.
00:36:53 I also think that you can do better, but if you're just looking for a bridge option who
00:36:57 it's like, all right, this guy's not going to be an active liability, then Donovan Smith
00:37:01 is probably a good backup plan to Jonah Williams.
00:37:04 Again, if they decide that they don't want to bring back a Trent Brown, let me see here.
00:37:15 Anyway you see the past draft bazooka, Joe, Joe Milton, the Tennessee.
00:37:19 Sure.
00:37:20 I mean, if they decide they want to double dip, I'm not sure how good of an idea it is
00:37:25 to double dip.
00:37:26 We saw it with RJ three and Kirk cousins, obviously, but it could create a weird situation.
00:37:29 Of course, if it's a first round quarterback in a fourth or fifth round quarterback, Joe
00:37:33 Milton's probably going to go in the fourth.
00:37:36 It could create a weird dynamic.
00:37:37 I think it really will be dependent on the quarterback coach and the offensive coordinator
00:37:42 to make sure that it's a healthy relationship.
00:37:44 And that's what Alexander Pope's known for, right?
00:37:46 He's a glue guy.
00:37:47 He's someone who brings a great energy to the offense, especially if you get somebody
00:37:50 like Jacoby Bursette in the room in free agency, where he's someone who can, again, bring those
00:37:55 good vibes, make sure everybody has perspective and is working together rather than feeling
00:37:59 like they're working against each other, like we saw with Matt Jones and Bailey Zappi.
00:38:04 But yeah, with Joe, there's so much talent and we know that Ben McAdoo likes his traits.
00:38:10 We have seen some steady progression from Joe Milton at times, like in the senior bowl,
00:38:14 we saw that he was more willing to take some underneath stuff and not just nuke downfield.
00:38:19 Although he, as we saw in the combine drills where he's like taking his drop back, pausing
00:38:25 and throwing 70 yards in the air, like that's insane.
00:38:27 So I wouldn't be surprised to see them take a guy like Joe Milton, who has so many traits
00:38:31 that you maybe want to build on.
00:38:32 He's got the size, he's got the personality.
00:38:34 I thought that really showed in the senior bowl, the way that he was attentive with his
00:38:38 coaches and he was helping his teammates out, making sure everybody was on the same page.
00:38:42 Love the personality, love the skillset.
00:38:44 I don't love his game right now, but he's going to be a developmental prospect.
00:38:49 So yeah, yeah.
00:38:50 Wouldn't be a total surprise.
00:38:51 I could definitely see that.
00:38:52 All right.
00:38:53 And then my last one, it's my favorite part.
00:38:56 Dream offseason plan.
00:38:57 I got you.
00:38:58 I took some time.
00:38:59 I thought about it.
00:39:00 I went through all the different phases of the offseason.
00:39:03 So I'll pull that up and let's go through my dream offseason.
00:39:07 Make sure this is big enough for you guys.
00:39:11 All right.
00:39:12 So first up for the free agent re-signings for the offense, you got to bring back Mike
00:39:16 and Wenu.
00:39:17 I think that's just, that's a non-starter.
00:39:18 Like if you're going to bring anybody back, it needs to be your versatile offensive lineman
00:39:23 who has worked his butt off for you, who's still young, emerged a bit as a leader last
00:39:27 season and with their offensive line situation, there's no excuse not to bring Mike and Wenu
00:39:32 back.
00:39:33 If you got to pay a premium for him, you got to pay a premium for him.
00:39:35 You also got to send a message in the locker room that you're going to reward your homegrown
00:39:39 players who develop, play well, and do the things that you want to see out of them.
00:39:44 So Mike and Wenu should be, you know, even if he tests the market and gets a better idea
00:39:48 for his value, Patriots better match it.
00:39:50 That's all I got to say.
00:39:51 Kendrick Bourne, like I mentioned earlier, not going to go too much deeper into this,
00:39:55 but the wide receiver market is not good.
00:39:57 He's someone who can be a vocal leader.
00:39:59 He brings such great energy, big fan of Kendrick Bourne.
00:40:02 I think they got to bring him back, whether it's as a wide receiver three, four, whatever
00:40:06 it is, as a rotational player, you know, as he kind of comes back from the injury and
00:40:10 gets back to full speed and full strength.
00:40:12 I really do think they need to bring him back.
00:40:15 Hunter Henry, another leader.
00:40:16 He was a captain for the first time with the Patriots last season.
00:40:19 He also actually was also a captain with the Chargers.
00:40:21 So it was his first time being a captain, just the first time being a captain in New
00:40:24 England.
00:40:25 He isn't explosive anymore.
00:40:27 That's just kind of the reality.
00:40:28 He's not slow, but really he more wins with being nuanced and with route running more
00:40:33 than he does with explosive ability.
00:40:35 He doesn't give you anything after the catch, but he's a good enough run blocker.
00:40:39 He's not a people mover, but it'll do his job.
00:40:41 And with all the changes that are going on in the locker room, I think retaining a leader
00:40:45 like him, especially considering he's probably going to make like half of what he was making
00:40:48 on his 2021 salary where he's averaging like 12.5 million.
00:40:52 I believe Brad Spielberger of PFF has been making about like 6.5.
00:40:57 That's much more reasonable for a player where the knee issues are consistent.
00:41:01 He missed time with the Patriots for the first season last year, ended up getting placed
00:41:05 on IR.
00:41:06 There's a lot of things where you don't want to commit a lot of money to him, but you definitely
00:41:10 for the Patriots, I think he's more valuable to them than he would be to anybody else.
00:41:14 And then Farrell Brown has experience in Alex Van Pelt's offense spent last year in New
00:41:18 England can be a dominant blocker at times.
00:41:21 Also, you know, chip in a little bit as a receiver.
00:41:23 He's a tough tackle.
00:41:24 So he made some plays underneath, made some plays down the seam as well.
00:41:28 It's just a big body who has strong hands.
00:41:30 Love to see Farrell Brown back.
00:41:31 And it sounds like the Patriots are making some progress in that department.
00:41:35 Now on defense, we've got Kyle Duggar obviously received the transition tag with all the moves
00:41:40 that have gone on today or over the past week, all these safeties that are getting released
00:41:45 to save money.
00:41:47 It seems like it's the running back market where nobody really wants to pay safeties,
00:41:50 especially older guys who are in the thirties.
00:41:52 Now Kyle Duggar is 28 or either will be 28 or is 28.
00:41:56 So he does have a bit of leverage over those guys.
00:41:58 But you know, Miguel Benzon, friend of the show, Pat's cap on Twitter mentioned, Hey,
00:42:02 I'm Kyle Duggar.
00:42:03 I'm signing that right now, trying to get my $13.8 million to make sure the price tag
00:42:08 doesn't get any lower.
00:42:10 I think he has a pretty good chance of being retained.
00:42:12 Plus the Patriots have his rights.
00:42:14 So they obviously have right of first refusal, but if he goes somewhere else, they don't
00:42:17 get any compensation, but I think he'll be back.
00:42:20 And Freddie Jennings was one of their best playmakers on defense.
00:42:24 He was really second in the NFL and tackles for loss.
00:42:26 No game among edge defenders behind like Max Crosby.
00:42:30 And that's just someone who only plays in run situations.
00:42:32 So he was really good.
00:42:33 Doesn't give you a lot as a pass rusher, which depreciates his value.
00:42:37 And I think it'll keep him in a range where the Patriots will be comfortable.
00:42:40 And again, rewarding your homegrown guys.
00:42:42 You didn't give him a lot of playing opportunities during the early part of his career, although
00:42:46 he did show up in those run situations and flash when he did get those chances.
00:42:50 But now with such an impactful player who can get offenses behind the chains and create
00:42:54 obvious passing situations, he's so valuable to them.
00:42:57 I'd be surprised if he ends up elsewhere, unless somebody just overpays for him, which
00:43:01 for a run defender, I don't think that's very likely.
00:43:04 Miles Bryant, I'm not sure if Jalen Mills is going to come back to the team.
00:43:08 So somebody like Miles Bryant who can play slot for you, he can play outside.
00:43:12 He can be a safety as we saw when they had injuries at the position, which are real peppers
00:43:16 late in the season.
00:43:18 And he's got experience.
00:43:19 He's well respected.
00:43:20 He's so tough.
00:43:21 He works hard.
00:43:22 Bill Belichick just raved about him.
00:43:24 Any opportunity he got.
00:43:26 As long as he's affordable, you know, comes at a team friendly price.
00:43:29 I think it makes a lot of sense to bring a Miles Bryant back, even if the Patriots try
00:43:33 to go in more of a youthful direction and give those younger guys more opportunities
00:43:37 in the defensive backroom.
00:43:39 But even still, even as a rotational guy, as somebody who's on field for early downs
00:43:42 when they're playing zone coverage, we try to protect him from those man coverage situations.
00:43:46 I think Miles Bryant, somebody that you really want to bring back.
00:43:49 Josh Gucce, this one may surprise some people.
00:43:52 I really thought long and hard about it, but looking at the market, the options are really
00:43:56 to resign Josh Gucce or like overpay for someone like a Bryce Huff, who's not going to be an
00:44:00 every down player for you, but is still going to command a little under $20 million.
00:44:04 I think it's going to be something like 16 to 19 million, something like that.
00:44:08 I just think that's too much money for someone who's not going to play a heavy role.
00:44:12 And as we know with the Patriots, if they do bring back Jennings, you got Matthew Judon,
00:44:15 you got Keon White, you're going to have Jennings.
00:44:18 That's a lot of mouths to feed already.
00:44:20 And I think as you'll see later in the list, that they're also going to bring in potentially
00:44:24 a younger player to add some depth and more youth to the position, which they don't really
00:44:30 have outside of Keon White.
00:44:32 Even if he ends up being Judon replacement, he'd like somebody who can maybe contribute
00:44:36 on every down, even if early on, they're just a rotational pass rusher.
00:44:40 So Josh Gucce on a one-year deal, we're in this new system with Drew Wilkins.
00:44:44 Maybe he can get his groove back, get back to that 2022 success that we saw from him
00:44:48 because it was just a funky year last year.
00:44:51 We saw him break out in 2022.
00:44:52 And then whether it was because of the scheme where he was asked to play more contain, there
00:44:56 was a foot injury mid-season that may have had something to do with it as well.
00:45:00 He just wasn't as productive.
00:45:01 So bring him back on a modest one-year deal, see if he can get back to those heights and
00:45:05 then maybe work from there.
00:45:07 We got Mack Wilson Sr. who the team admitted they didn't use him properly during his first
00:45:13 season with the team in 2022.
00:45:15 Then we saw him use as more of a coverage linebacker.
00:45:17 He also added some weight and muscle, which I think was huge because you saw him get off
00:45:21 blocks much more effectively than he was doing in his first season with the team.
00:45:25 And even in prior seasons in the league.
00:45:27 So one, I think he can maybe be not an every down contributor because Jelani Tavay is the
00:45:31 early down linebacker.
00:45:33 But in that passing situation role where he's either inside as a coverage player or bumping
00:45:38 down at the line of scrimmage as a pass rusher, which is a skill set we didn't even know we
00:45:41 had until last season.
00:45:43 It also sounds like he's reportedly one of the players that not only do they want to
00:45:47 sign, but re-sign, but somebody wants to come back.
00:45:50 I think he had off season surgery as well, which was incredible that he even played through
00:45:55 that.
00:45:56 I think he was playing through an injury for months.
00:45:57 Yeah.
00:45:58 So he seems like someone that definitely bring back.
00:46:00 And then Jalen Mills, I don't know how realistic it is.
00:46:04 This is my dream off season.
00:46:06 So I would like to see Jalen Mills back.
00:46:08 Great personality.
00:46:09 You know, he did whatever he was asked to.
00:46:11 He did have that comment last season saying where it seemed like he was not happy with
00:46:15 how little he was being used.
00:46:16 But after that, it seemed like his role did increase, had some inconsistencies in main
00:46:20 coverage, but I like what he did bring as a rotational player.
00:46:24 Really good in the slot as a blitzer and as a run defender.
00:46:26 He's just so aggressive and so fiery.
00:46:28 So Patriots can bring him back.
00:46:30 I'd love to see it, but I could also see him potentially leaving for a full time role elsewhere.
00:46:35 Now go into the free agent signings.
00:46:37 Top of the list.
00:46:38 Got to be Jacoby Brissett.
00:46:39 I don't have to talk about this one too much.
00:46:41 I've talked about it in like every show this week.
00:46:43 Everybody loves Jacoby.
00:46:44 He played really well for the commanders in limited time.
00:46:47 Last season has experience in Alex Van Pelt's offense.
00:46:50 It's kind of just a no brainer signing.
00:46:52 Coming back either Zach Moss of the Colts or Antonio Gibson of the commanders.
00:46:56 Now Zach Moss had a lot of success before Jonathan Taylor signed and returned to the
00:47:02 Colts kind of in the middle of last season.
00:47:04 He was one of more productive backs in the entire NFL, showed good vision.
00:47:08 He was a tough tackle.
00:47:09 I think he'd be a really good one to punch with Ramondre Stevenson.
00:47:12 I'm just not sure if Ezekiel Elliott comes back.
00:47:15 I also think that Zach Moss gives you a bit more juice than you got from Ezekiel Elliott,
00:47:20 although I have a ton of respect for him.
00:47:21 He was a great guy to cover and have in the locker room.
00:47:23 I just again think that Zach Moss gives you a little bit more because he's younger.
00:47:27 But if Zach Moss doesn't work out, I'd also like to see someone like Antonio Gibson where
00:47:31 you maybe have him as more of a receiving back.
00:47:33 He's really well known for previously being a wide receiver who turned into a running
00:47:37 back and he's someone where you can target him downfield.
00:47:39 You can have him on option routes.
00:47:42 He's someone that gives you a little bit more versatility, but I don't want him running
00:47:45 the ball a ton because his vision isn't really great.
00:47:47 He likes to bounce runs a lot, which Patriots typically don't like, even if the Patriots
00:47:52 are incorporating more of an outside zone scheme or a run scheme where they try to hit
00:47:56 the perimeter more often.
00:47:58 I don't see him having a heavy role as a runner, but as a receiver, I think he could be that
00:48:02 third down back that the team's been lacking for quite some time.
00:48:06 Calvin Ridley is a receiver.
00:48:07 I already talked about that.
00:48:08 I'm not going to get too much into that.
00:48:10 Noah Fant.
00:48:11 I really wanted Dalton Schultz.
00:48:12 I really wanted Dalton Schultz.
00:48:14 I thought he was the best option, not only just in the free agent market, but around
00:48:18 the league in terms of the guys who had any shot of being available because he's one of
00:48:22 the few true dual threats in the NFL.
00:48:25 He's a good run blocker, dominant even at times where he had some pancakes last season.
00:48:31 He's also a really athletic and dynamic pass catcher, and he can line up both in line and
00:48:36 off the line of scrimmage.
00:48:37 You can flex him out.
00:48:38 There's not a lot of guys in the NFL who can do that.
00:48:40 That's also why you saw him get paid by the Texans.
00:48:42 Noah Fant is someone who's more of a flex.
00:48:44 He doesn't have the same kind of versatility, and he's also been pretty underutilized in
00:48:49 the teams he's been in.
00:48:50 He was at Denver where there's an offense that doesn't throw to their tight ends a whole
00:48:53 lot over the past few seasons.
00:48:55 And then last year with the Seahawks, I mean, there's just so many weapons on that team.
00:48:58 It makes sense that he wasn't a featured target, but he's got a lot of juice where you hit
00:49:02 him underneath.
00:49:03 He can turn it into a big game if you give him a runway.
00:49:06 He made some pretty crazy catches last season as well.
00:49:09 He's got really good hands.
00:49:10 Not the biggest guy, but he's got good enough size and a wide catch radius where he'll go
00:49:14 out and try to make catches outside of his frame.
00:49:17 So if the Patriots are looking to add a dynamic athlete at tight end to kind of compliment
00:49:20 Hunter Henry and Pharaoh Brown, who we know aren't really the most explosive athletes,
00:49:24 I really like Noah Fant in that role.
00:49:27 Left tackle, mentioned it before, Jonah Williams.
00:49:29 If you can't get him, bring in Donovan Smith as just a stopgap while you try to develop
00:49:34 a younger offensive tackle that you get in the draft.
00:49:37 And then Graham Glasgow.
00:49:38 Now this one may kind of throw people off.
00:49:40 Backup interior linemen for the Detroit Lions over the past few years.
00:49:44 The Patriots really struggled last season with their line depth, largely because the interior
00:49:49 didn't have any veteran backups.
00:49:51 You had James Ference, but we saw him get put in the game and then quickly get pulled out
00:49:56 because as we saw, he retired.
00:49:58 You just didn't have it in him anymore.
00:50:00 And then you had to have guys like Antonio Maapi, who probably shouldn't have played
00:50:03 at all his rookie season.
00:50:04 I liked what he was showing at times, especially against the Cowboys, but then he kind of just
00:50:09 fell off a cliff.
00:50:10 He's got a lot of work he's got to do.
00:50:11 I'm excited to see what Scott Peters can do to help him develop because he is a converted
00:50:16 nose tackle.
00:50:17 He's still learning the position, but I think they could really use a veteran presence on
00:50:22 the interior of the offensive line to kind of help out if somebody goes down.
00:50:25 I think Graham Glasgow is the best option on the market.
00:50:28 And then on defense, I mentioned Christian Wilkins, fingers crossed.
00:50:31 I would love to see him kind of slide in as another one of their top interior defensive
00:50:35 linemen and Dane Jackson of the Buffalo Bills.
00:50:39 Another guy who isn't really talked about very much, maybe slides under the radar, but
00:50:43 I was impressed with his tape watching him.
00:50:44 I think he does really well in man coverage.
00:50:46 I think he's got some fire as a run defender as well, and he's going to come cheap.
00:50:50 I think that PFF has him projected to make less than $3 million on a one year kind of
00:50:55 prove it contract.
00:50:56 So I do like, you know, Alex Austin.
00:50:58 I hope that maybe he can seize a role, a large role in the defense, maybe as a starter opposite
00:51:03 Gonzalez.
00:51:04 You also got Isaiah Bolden.
00:51:06 Marco Wilson's under contract with the team.
00:51:07 They do have a lot of bodies, but if they want someone who's got some NFL tape, has
00:51:12 experience Marco Wilson kind of fits in that category, but I think Dane Jackson's a little
00:51:16 bit better.
00:51:17 So if he's inexpensive and in that bill scheme, they run every coverage in the book.
00:51:21 They're very multiple.
00:51:22 So he's clearly a high IQ player.
00:51:25 I would like him as kind of a veteran presence where worst case scenario.
00:51:28 If you like what you got from your young guys or who who's already on the roster, you can
00:51:31 cut them and you probably save money and don't really have any repercussions from that.
00:51:36 Moving on to draft picks.
00:51:38 So day one quarterback, Drake May is my number one.
00:51:43 As I said earlier, Jaden Daniels, no slouch as my second favorite quarterback in this
00:51:49 realm.
00:51:50 Now I put JJ McCarthy.
00:51:51 If the Patriots decided they didn't love Jaden Daniels or, you know, something happened where
00:51:55 they ended up wanting to trade back, that's where you're probably going to get more into
00:51:58 JJ McCarthy territory.
00:52:00 I don't like him early in the draft.
00:52:02 Like I don't really agree with the whole talk of him being like top five.
00:52:05 I think that's pretty ludicrous.
00:52:07 I understand there's a QB tax that's a little rich for my blood, but I see the tools.
00:52:11 I understand why people are excited about him.
00:52:14 And if you're talking about potentially sitting a quarterback for the season, I think JJ McCarthy
00:52:17 is a guy who could really benefit from that.
00:52:19 And with me, we know again, McAdoo likes his tools.
00:52:23 I think JJ McCarthy has some.
00:52:24 He's fast.
00:52:25 He's got a big arm and he can really show some credible accuracy over the middle of
00:52:29 the field.
00:52:31 Does have issues throwing to his left.
00:52:32 Nate Tice did a great job breaking that down in his scouting reporter, you know, entire
00:52:36 breakdown of JJ McCarthy.
00:52:38 So there are things to be concerned about for sure.
00:52:41 But if the Patriots end up trading, I do think he's probably their best option a little later
00:52:46 in the early part of the first round.
00:52:48 Day two, I want to see them go wide receiver.
00:52:51 Xavier Leguette, Ricky Pearsall, Brendan Rice.
00:52:53 I touched on those guys.
00:52:55 One of them, there's a lot of people, maybe somebody slips because there's just so much
00:52:59 depth on the offensive side of the ball.
00:53:01 Some positions can end up having guys to get pushed back.
00:53:04 So you know, whether that's like an AD Mitchell or one of those Texas guys, something like
00:53:07 that.
00:53:08 Maybe not Xavier Worthy.
00:53:09 I love his speed and I think he's a good player, especially in his routes.
00:53:12 But I don't really love the size.
00:53:15 The Scott, the size scares the dickens out of me.
00:53:18 So I don't love him there.
00:53:19 But some day two wide receiver you think can make a pretty immediate impact on the team
00:53:24 and then a tackle on day two, whether it's the third round or the second round, whichever
00:53:28 a Kingsley, Suamite, like I said, Patrick Paul, Kieran.
00:53:32 I'm going to try to pronounce it.
00:53:33 I'm sorry if I butcher it.
00:53:35 A Megag, I think that's how you pronounce it.
00:53:37 I can't.
00:53:38 I'm sorry if I don't.
00:53:39 I'm out of Yale.
00:53:40 I think those are some guys who are probably going to sit their first years.
00:53:43 Maybe they come in if there's injuries or something like that, or you try to get them
00:53:46 some time so they get experience.
00:53:48 But I think those are guys who have really good floors and ceilings.
00:53:53 I'm sorry, more ceiling because the floors are a little limited by their inexperience
00:53:56 and need to gain a little bit more refinement.
00:53:59 But I do like them as guys who could potentially start at left tackle for New England.
00:54:03 Moving on to day three.
00:54:05 I like the Patriots a double dip at offensive tackle because they kind of ignore offensive
00:54:08 tackle outside of like the sixth round and later for quite a few years.
00:54:13 And I think not having a lot of young players at the position has really hurt them.
00:54:17 We saw last year where they had to keep kind of throwing veterans at the wall to see what
00:54:20 sticks and that did not work out.
00:54:22 It made sense for that season because I think taking offensive linemen, you could argue
00:54:26 they could have taken one in the first round, but I'm not going to argue against taking
00:54:29 Christian Gonzalez.
00:54:31 But even then, I think a lot of those guys were more guards who could play a tackle,
00:54:35 but they just put themselves in a bad situation because they didn't have any depth or developmental
00:54:38 players at the position.
00:54:40 So here, Javon Foster, Roger Rosengarten, Travis Glover, those are guys I thought had
00:54:46 some good moments at the senior bowl.
00:54:48 I'd be really intrigued to see what they could do under Scott Peters with some more refined
00:54:52 technique while they get to sit for a year or two and then get to slide in and maybe
00:54:56 make some contributions either as backups or as eventual starters.
00:55:00 Then also the tight end position.
00:55:02 There's a huge drop off after Brock Bowers, you know, Brock Bowers, then you got Jatavian
00:55:07 Sanders is in the next tier.
00:55:09 It's not particularly close.
00:55:10 And then there's a pretty steep gap, but the day three guys are nothing to cough at.
00:55:15 I think that's the phrase.
00:55:16 I don't know.
00:55:18 But these are some legit dudes who I think like the receivers can contribute from day
00:55:22 one.
00:55:23 They may not be starters for you, but I think that they can make quick impacts like a cage
00:55:26 so route Ohio State.
00:55:27 Theo Johnson, who had one of the best relative athletic scores in history, scored a nine
00:55:32 point nine nine.
00:55:33 Only Zach Koontz of the New York Jets had one that was better.
00:55:36 So he is another guy just that Penn State legacy of freak athletes.
00:55:40 He'd be an interesting piece.
00:55:41 Ben Sonnott, who had some really nice moments at the senior bowl as well.
00:55:45 He's a versatile piece.
00:55:46 Shaheen Bell, who's more of like a flex option.
00:55:49 You move him around the formation, try to create mismatches, maybe put him in the backfield.
00:55:52 I think he could be a fun piece if you can get good value for him.
00:55:56 And AJ Barner, he's a guy I think could contribute as a blocker immediately.
00:55:59 I also think he's got underrated receiving ability.
00:56:02 Now, he was more of a second tight end for Michigan and obviously a very run heavy attack,
00:56:06 which is why you saw how good of a blocker he was.
00:56:10 But beyond that, I think that there were moments where you really saw, OK, he's got some receiving
00:56:14 priorities.
00:56:15 He can pluck the ball in gear.
00:56:16 He's got good hands.
00:56:17 He's got good movement ability.
00:56:19 Not the most explosive guy.
00:56:21 But I do think if he double dipped the tight end as I did in my mock draft this week where
00:56:25 I got Stover and I got AJ Barner.
00:56:27 I think if you're looking three years down the line, those are two guys who can be pretty
00:56:30 significant contributors for you and potentially starters.
00:56:33 You kind of run the offense through.
00:56:34 I think that'd be pretty exciting.
00:56:36 So day three, I'd love to see them get some of those talented tight ends.
00:56:41 Running backs.
00:56:42 The Patriots have a lot of bodies at running back right now behind Romandre Stevenson.
00:56:46 Not a lot of guys to get super excited about, though.
00:56:48 Yeah, Kevin Harris, who had some nice moments, especially against the Bills, although he
00:56:52 did have that one bad play.
00:56:55 But beyond that, it's just nothing really exciting like Michael Hasty, who never even
00:56:59 got to play, probably because he was still picking up the system.
00:57:02 They had somebody else, Kenyon Barner, I think it was Kenyon Barner.
00:57:06 Yeah, just not great depth at the running back spot in terms of quality players who
00:57:11 want to get on the field.
00:57:12 And I think on day three, they can find that running back spot.
00:57:15 Dylan Lauby.
00:57:16 Lauby, Lauby, I don't watch a lot of college football in season, so a lot of these guys,
00:57:21 I read their names.
00:57:22 I've never heard them said out loud before.
00:57:24 But he is someone who has met with the Patriots.
00:57:26 I love his versatility.
00:57:28 I love his burst in college.
00:57:29 You see so many times.
00:57:31 He just loves that gap scheme, he told me.
00:57:33 He likes to run the gap scheme that UNH ran more often in his last season, where he'll
00:57:39 kind of press inside and explode outside.
00:57:42 And then defenders, so often you see them take the wrong angle and then he rips them
00:57:46 off for big plays.
00:57:47 But even more than that, I think he's going to make his living as a receiving back where
00:57:50 you can split him out, put him in the slot, you can keep him in the backfield, and he
00:57:54 creates some serious mismatches due to both his route running and his exceptional hands
00:57:58 and ball tracking ability.
00:57:59 But then you got Isaac Guerrero out of Louisville.
00:58:06 He's another really exciting guy.
00:58:07 He's a big back with really good speed.
00:58:09 He's an intriguing guy who blew up the combine, kind of got on people's radars more.
00:58:13 Ray Davis out of Kentucky.
00:58:15 Dylan Johnson, who got hurt later in the year for Washington, but was really good for them
00:58:18 when he was healthy.
00:58:20 And Frank Gore Jr., who's really an interesting guy out of Southern Miss.
00:58:23 He actually played quarterback at times as like a super back because they had some injuries.
00:58:28 So he's got some experience throwing the football.
00:58:30 I think he had like seven touchdowns to one interception, something crazy like that.
00:58:34 Like his dad, he's got really good patience and vision as a runner.
00:58:37 No nonsense, not a lot of wasted movements.
00:58:39 You see that translate to his route running as well, where not the biggest guy, not the
00:58:43 most explosive athlete, but he's efficient.
00:58:45 And I think that's really important.
00:58:47 These are guys I think that could play all three downs for you.
00:58:51 Maybe not to the same degree as others where a guy like Dylan Lobby may not be someone
00:58:56 you want playing early downs a lot, but he has the ability to.
00:58:58 And I think that's going to be really important for this Patriots backfield where they want
00:59:02 to be able to be multiple.
00:59:03 Finally, the day three edge defenders.
00:59:06 Like I mentioned, I'd like to see the Patriots add a bit of youth, especially like a young
00:59:10 pass rush specialist where they're not necessarily tied to a Josh Uche longterm.
00:59:15 Nelson Cesar, Cedric Johnson and Muhammad Kamara.
00:59:19 Some guys that's a pretty impressive showings.
00:59:21 I had to combine it at the senior bowl, like different guys succeed at different places,
00:59:25 but they're versatile.
00:59:26 These are guys you could put all up and down the defensive line who can start as pass rush
00:59:30 specialists and also have the ability to contribute on any down once they kind of get more refined
00:59:35 and get better coaching with the Patriots having Drew Wilkins, who has a good track
00:59:39 record, coach Matt Judon to his first Super Bowl, first Pro Bowl actually.
00:59:44 And then you also have Joe Kim, who's so good at teaching hand fighting and technique and
00:59:47 things like that.
00:59:48 I think getting one of those edge defenders on day three to serve a rotational role and
00:59:52 potentially growing to something more down the line could really be beneficial for New
00:59:56 England.
00:59:57 All right.
00:59:58 I went on for a while, but that was a lot of fun.
01:00:00 All right.
01:00:01 Let me just check the comments, see if you guys had anything that I maybe missed.
01:00:04 I want to make sure I'm not missing out on you guys.
01:00:08 Let's see.
01:00:14 And if anybody has a last minute question, feel free to throw it in the chat.
01:00:18 That's what we're here for.
01:00:19 New OT signing.
01:00:20 Oh, let's see.
01:00:21 Okay.
01:00:22 I guess they signed someone.
01:00:23 Sorry, I was on screen share.
01:00:26 Let me see.
01:00:27 All right.
01:00:28 The beauty of a live show.
01:00:33 Who did they sign?
01:00:34 Oh, they signed Shook Okorafor.
01:00:37 Okay.
01:00:38 That's interesting.
01:00:39 I haven't done a ton of work on Shook.
01:00:40 I'm not going to lie to you.
01:00:42 I think he's been solid for the Steelers, though.
01:00:44 I can't really say whether he moves the needle a ton for me quite yet.
01:00:48 Let's see.
01:00:49 The cab would post a little clip here.
01:00:51 I do know he's a bigger guy.
01:00:53 Again, I need to watch the tape on him.
01:00:56 I'm going to be more of a swing tackle option, if I'm being totally honest.
01:00:59 I don't think he's really someone that you're going to expect to be a starter, especially
01:01:03 if you're looking at this new era of football.
01:01:05 I think someone like a Jonah Williams, maybe not a Donovan Smith necessarily.
01:01:09 I don't think he's the best option if you want to plug him in at the offensive tackle
01:01:13 spot.
01:01:14 Definitely interesting.
01:01:15 I'm going to hop off here, actually do some film study and get a little bit more info
01:01:18 on Shook.
01:01:19 Thank you all for watching.
01:01:21 Obviously, appreciate you so much.
01:01:22 This is a lot of fun.
01:01:24 I love doing these mailbags with you all.
01:01:26 But until next time, take care of yourselves, take care of each other, and we'll see you

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