LIVE Patriots Daily: Post-Annual League Meetings Mailbag w/ Mark Daniels

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Taylor Kyles from CLNS Media teams up with MassLive's Mark Daniels to answer questions from Taylor's mailbag following the NFL's annual league meetings!  This episode of the Patriots Daily Podcast is brought to you by:  Prize Picks! Get in on the excitement with PrizePicks, America’s No. 1 Fantasy Sports App, where you can turn your hoops knowledge into serious cash. Download the app today and use code CLNS for a first deposit match up to $100! Pick more. Pick less. It’s that Easy!   Football season may be over, but the action on the floor is heating up. Whether it’s Tournament Season or the fight for playoff homecourt, there’s no shortage of high stakes basketball moments this time of year. Quick withdrawals, easy gameplay and an enormous selection of players and stat types are what make PrizePicks the #1 daily fantasy sports app!  #Patriots #NFL #NewEnglandPatriots

Transcript

00:00 [MUSIC]

00:10 What's going on everyone?

00:26 Taylor Kyle's here for CLNS Media coming at you with another episode of

00:29 Fats Daily brought to you by our good friends at PrizePix,

00:32 the exclusive daily fantasy partner of CLNS Media.

00:35 But more from them later for now.

00:37 I am joined by my buddy Mark Daniels of MassLive,

00:39 who had boots on the ground at the NFL's annual league meetings.

00:43 Got to chat with Gerard Mayo, Robert Kraft, get some insight into where they feel

00:48 the state of the Patriots is right now and

00:50 kind of how they're thinking going forward with the NFL draft.

00:53 Now, first, before we get into the mailbag,

00:56 you guys, as always, had some incredible questions.

00:58 A lot of them relevant to the event.

01:00 First, how are you doing, Mark?

01:02 And what were your big takeaways from actually being there in Orlando, Florida?

01:06 >> Yeah, I'm doing well.

01:08 I wouldn't say well rested.

01:09 The owners meetings, it's fun, but you're up really early.

01:12 Like to get to a, I'd say, 7.45 AM interview, we're probably around 6 AM.

01:18 You wanna get there early, you wanna get a seat at the table.

01:20 So I'm well, I'm happy to be back home, but

01:23 it was nice and warm in Orlando, unlike here in New England.

01:26 But honestly, my biggest takeaway is it sort of remains the same.

01:30 I believe the Patriots are all in with this quarterback draft class.

01:34 I really do.

01:35 And although Gerard Mayo made it seem like they're more open to trading down and

01:39 listening, which that's what they need to say.

01:41 I still feel like that was smoke, Taylor.

01:43 Honestly, I still think you hear the way Gerard spoke about Drake May.

01:48 I think that opened up a lot of our eyes, especially compared to the answer we gave

01:52 about Jaden Daniels, where he didn't really talk about him.

01:55 I think the Patriots are all on his man, honestly.

01:57 And I think they like Drake May, that was my biggest takeaway.

01:59 I'm like, all right, Drake May's there three men.

02:01 I think it's happening.

02:02 I think they would draft Drake May.

02:04 >> Makes a lot of sense.

02:05 I know we're gonna get into like the specific quarterbacks and everything.

02:08 I kind of read it both ways though with May, because one,

02:11 it's like he has no ceiling, which is like, all right,

02:13 we know what Ben McAdoo likes in his quarterbacks.

02:15 That makes a lot of sense.

02:16 And when he also mentioned the floor and that we all have to be on the same page.

02:20 Cuz he mentioned that later on about how Alonzo Highsmith told him.

02:23 All the bad picks that he feels like he had made in the past were because people

02:27 weren't on the same page.

02:28 And Tony Paulini, who's done a great job covering these prospects,

02:31 mentioned not everybody in the building is sold on May, which is completely fair.

02:35 If you wanna be honest about all the things that he brings and

02:38 all the exciting qualities for Drake May.

02:40 You also have to acknowledge there's things that need fixing and

02:43 there's no guarantee that they'll get there.

02:45 So definitely very interesting comments.

02:47 You know me, I'm pulling for Drake May.

02:49 I'm all on board, but we'll see how things actually play out,

02:52 especially as they actually get to meet with him today.

02:55 Before his pro day, I believe they met with him.

02:57 I'm sure that's gonna change a lot of things in terms of their internal

03:00 sentiments.

03:01 But let's get into the mailbag.

03:03 First question, with this new regime in place, how confident are you about

03:07 the Patriots having a successful draft and getting the correct and needed players?

03:11 >> I talked to this, let's say, NFL source at the combine, sort of about this.

03:16 And this is a guy who works in someone else's front office.

03:19 He's familiar with the Patriots.

03:20 And he said, honestly, it is easier to pick at the top of the draft.

03:24 It's just easier.

03:25 You have a higher chance of getting blue chip prospects.

03:28 In a way, it should be easier for the Patriots.

03:31 So in a sense, I am confident they're gonna leave this draft class with some

03:36 impact players and some starters.

03:37 I have heard the Patriots,

03:39 their goal is to add multiple starters from this 2024 draft class.

03:43 I like some of the things they have in place.

03:46 For example, on offense, you have a lot of guys with experience.

03:49 Alex Van Pelt, Ben McAdoo, TC McCarty,

03:51 our three coaches who have all worked with quarterbacks in the NFL.

03:54 I love it.

03:55 I think they're sort of trying to create an environment that can foster

03:58 a young quarterback.

04:00 So in that sense, I think they are set up to do that.

04:03 How confident are we?

04:04 Gotta be honest, though, I've never seen Elliott Wolfe pick anyone.

04:07 We're sort of in the unknown right now.

04:09 In theory, I think the Patriots are in a great position because all these draft

04:13 experts tell me, hey, quarterback, tackle, and receiver, that's where it's deep.

04:18 We know what the Patriots three top needs are.

04:20 We know it's quarterback, tackle, and receiver.

04:22 So hopefully they can land those players.

04:24 So I'd say I'm semi-confident because of where they're picking, but

04:27 a lot of unknown, man.

04:29 >> That's a big thing, it is unknown.

04:31 And if we're being totally honest, it's just,

04:32 Gerard Mayo talked about what he learned from Matt Jones.

04:35 And how it was really not just the supporting cast like we always talk about,

04:39 the weapons and the protection.

04:40 But it was also the fact he had a different offensive coordinator and

04:42 quarterbacks coach every single year that he was with the Patriots.

04:46 And then you also saw even branching out, especially last year,

04:48 how there was a lot of dysfunction.

04:50 Because there was just kind of a mismatch coaching staff with people that didn't

04:53 have experience with each other.

04:55 Well, now, as he mentioned, you got Alex Van Pelt.

04:57 You have TC McCartney, who doesn't have a ton of experience coaching quarterbacks,

05:01 but did play the position and has worked under Van Pelt for multiple years.

05:04 You get a guy like Scott Peters,

05:06 who is finally getting obviously a chance to lead his own room.

05:09 But his background with one of the best offensive line coaches of all time,

05:12 a guy who's even got his own company dedicated to helping guys technique wise.

05:16 Then if you wanna go to receiver, Tyquan Underwood and Tyler Hughes.

05:20 It's not just a lot of these places,

05:21 it's not just one person kind of running the show.

05:23 With quarterbacks, it's Van Pelt and McCartney with receivers, Tyler Hughes and

05:27 Underwood, and then offensive line again, Scott Peters and Robert Kugler.

05:31 So we need to see what the picks are.

05:33 But with so much talent at these premium spots, it's kind of hard to mess up.

05:38 As long as you make sure you're using these picks for those spots, and

05:42 you have the guys in place to develop them.

05:44 I am as confident as you can be with nothing to really base it on in this

05:47 organization's ability to support those young guys.

05:50 So it's gonna be interesting.

05:52 All right, next, what draft trade offer is too good for

05:55 the past to say no to, regardless of how they feel about the top three quarterbacks?

05:59 Personally, I don't think that's the thing.

06:00 If they like one of the quarterbacks, it's a no brainer.

06:03 Go that direction, because I think even when they were talking about free agency,

06:07 and how it was kind of, they wanted some guys, they couldn't get them.

06:10 Robert Kraft mentioned that the quarterback situation might have been

06:13 a part of that.

06:13 So it's great to say, we got a great left tackle, we got a great receiver.

06:17 But at the end of the day, people are gonna sign because it's like, all right,

06:19 if I go in with this quarterback, I know I have a chance to win.

06:22 But how do you feel about that?

06:24 >> I hate the trade down talk, honestly, I hate it.

06:26 I'm so on board with them drafting at three.

06:28 And really, I really think they're gonna draft a quarterback at three.

06:31 I don't think they'll trade out.

06:32 So what trade offer is too good to say no to?

06:35 If the Vikings come to you with something stupid,

06:38 here's 11-23 and Justin Jefferson.

06:42 Okay, you can talk to me about it.

06:43 If you wanna do 11-23 and multiple firsts on top of that,

06:46 it would have to be something so ridiculous the Patriots can't say no to.

06:51 And the thing with the Vikings hypothetical deals,

06:53 I hate trading out of the top ten, Taylor.

06:55 Now, right now, you could convince me to trade down to six with the Giants and

06:59 take Malik neighbors or Joel.

07:01 Like, if you're the Patriots, I would rather you get the top tackle, Joel, or

07:04 one of the top receivers, as opposed to going to 11,

07:07 where those three receivers are gone, Joel Holt's gone,

07:10 the top four quarterbacks are gone, I hate it.

07:12 Yes, the Patriots have a lot of holes, but you know what they lack?

07:15 They lack legit talent, a legit Pro Bowl blue chip prospect.

07:19 And if they think that guy is at three and is a quarterback,

07:22 you have to take him, honestly, to the point where even if the Vikings were like,

07:25 hey, take a 24 and 25 first plus our two here.

07:29 If you're convinced that Drake, May, or Jayden Daniels are the guy,

07:32 you have to say no.

07:33 You can't kick the quarterback can down the road anymore and

07:36 have Jacoby percent on a one year deal and Bailey's happy.

07:39 Well, I'm not sure the team even likes, so I would need something stupid.

07:43 Honestly, I would need something stupid to get out of that spot.

07:46 And then even then I'd still want to come away with like,

07:49 Bo Nix or Michael X.

07:51 >> I totally agree.

07:52 I think it'd have to be like the two first this year, one in 2025, one in 2026.

07:56 And then probably another day to pick either this season or next,

08:00 just something that blows you away and you're like, all right,

08:02 we can get a lot of talent at this spot.

08:04 Like you mentioned, 23 at least I feel like they're still in the range to get

08:08 like a panic.

08:09 I don't know if he's gonna be more of a mid to late first round prospect or

08:12 a second round prospect.

08:13 But if you do go Roma doomsday or Joe Walt, I think you need to make sure you

08:16 have a quarterback who does have at least a high floor where you can plug them in

08:20 and they'll have success.

08:22 Doesn't have the ceiling as other guys like that.

08:24 But at least if you are gonna make that trade,

08:26 I think you have to get some kind of quarterback who you feel confident in

08:30 more so than like maybe I like Spencer Rattler.

08:32 But I also understand that he's got his very real limitations.

08:35 So yeah, if you like the guy, you gotta stay put.

08:37 There's even with all those first round picks, if you get like a Drake May and

08:42 he turns into somebody who's a top 10 quarterback,

08:44 I don't think you're really gonna care about how many future first you gave.

08:46 >> No, then you're set, honestly, you're set, you can build the team around it.

08:49 >> Exactly, and he raises all the floor.

08:51 So if your receiver position isn't great,

08:53 we've seen what he can do when he has half an offensive line.

08:55 Like he can still get stuff done.

08:56 So, quarterback raises all ships as they like to say.

09:00 All right, what's the bare minimum you take to move out of number three if you're

09:04 50/50 on the quarterback's world?

09:06 >> Bare minimum would have to be I think three first round picks.

09:11 So you're talking bare, like hypothetically,

09:13 I think the Patriots like Drake May.

09:14 And I'll be honest, I've talked to people in the building who told me they prefer

09:18 Jake May over Jaden Daniels.

09:19 I also talked to someone in the building who told me they prefer Jaden Daniels over

09:22 Drake May.

09:23 So the opinions are split over there from what I understand.

09:25 So bare minimum, say hypothetically though, Drake May's their guy.

09:29 He goes at two to the commanders and they're really unsure.

09:32 Bare minimum would have, still, would have to be three first round picks for me.

09:36 Like three, that's what it is.

09:37 You're a team that needs a quarterback.

09:38 You're in position to get one.

09:40 If you're sort of iffy about it, I'd say three first round picks.

09:44 We're talking bare minimum.

09:45 And as I just stated the question before, if I was really to move out of there,

09:48 it would have to be something so dumb that people would be like,

09:51 why did this team offer four first round picks to the Patriots?

09:54 But bare minimum, if you don't like Jaden Daniels or Jaden McCarthy, three.

09:59 Bare minimum.

10:00 >> I agree, and then especially with the Vikings,

10:01 they're probably gonna make their trade before the draft actually happens with all

10:05 these pro days and everything.

10:06 They're probably gonna wanna narrow down what they're looking at.

10:08 So I don't think that the first three is even gonna be on the table on draft day.

10:12 But if it is, I agree, whatever team's coming to make an offer,

10:15 you're gonna have to really shell out, especially if you're on the clock,

10:18 then the Patriots have a little leverage.

10:20 All right, as a general manager, would you fill a four win team with drafting

10:23 a top graded QB, top four, or take three to four upper grade players?

10:27 That's a lot of numbers for me.

10:29 I'm not a mad guy.

10:30 Late first and second round at positions of need.

10:32 So I think this just comes down to the same type of conversation we've been

10:36 having, would you rather get a guy who's gonna be a bona fide elite talent like

10:40 a Rome, like a Joe Walt?

10:42 Or are you saying, again,

10:43 I feel like this just comes down to how you feel about the quarterback.

10:45 But if there's anything else you wanna add to this,

10:47 we don't have to spend too much time on it.

10:49 >> I mean, at the end of the day, we don't know if the Patriots will ever be in this

10:52 position to draft a quarterback with this high of a ceiling.

10:54 And I'm talking about Jaden Daniels too.

10:56 If Jaden Daniels is the guy, or JJ McCarthy,

10:58 I know the stories about him right now are sort of all over the place.

11:01 But I don't know if they'll be like, would you say Jacoby Brissett starts next year?

11:05 You can convince me the Patriots will be better and win six games.

11:08 But at six games, where are you, right?

11:10 Are you now what, between five and seven?

11:13 And if there's a quarterback who's gonna go one or two,

11:15 what you're gonna have to do to get up there, we know.

11:17 Taylor, you're gonna have to give them a bag.

11:19 So why give someone a bag next year when just take the guy this year?

11:23 Honestly, I'm all about the QB, man.

11:25 If you hit on Drake, May, or Jaden Daniels, you are set for the next ten years.

11:28 And then you can find pieces around them.

11:30 You can find your tackles and your receivers.

11:32 And here's the thing, if Drake May isn't ready to play,

11:35 you have a quarterback who is.

11:37 And even if you're in the top ten again next year,

11:39 you can find a receiver next year.

11:40 So yeah, I'm all about the QB, man.

11:43 >> Even with the elite wide receivers, now it's become, I feel like,

11:45 more clear that the quarterback does need at least one of those types of guys.

11:49 But it's not really the other way around,

11:50 where a great quarterback isn't surviving.

11:52 So if they're really good, they'll usually still make it work.

11:54 But we've seen great wide receivers like Garrett Wilson,

11:57 just not really be able to do much cuz he doesn't have anybody throwing him in

12:00 the ball with any consistency where he can maximize his potential.

12:03 So again, I agree, take your quarterback.

12:06 After the Gerard Mayo press conference, what are your thoughts on the Pats trading

12:09 back with the Vikings and taking JJ McCarthy or Bo Nix at 11?

12:13 I think you have to take those guys.

12:15 Again, different shades of the same thing, but more specifically to JJ or Bo.

12:19 How confident are you in those guys?

12:20 >> I'll say if Drake May is a mystery box,

12:23 I think JJ McCarthy is an even smaller one.

12:25 Because there's less that you actually know.

12:29 He's young, but Drake May is even younger than he is.

12:31 So I don't know, man, unless, again, you're getting a boatload of picks.

12:35 I don't love the JJ McCarthy signing.

12:37 And then Bo, I think is fine, but I don't think he's a good fit for

12:40 a team that still, like we've already said, has a lot of holes they still need to fill.

12:44 >> With JJ McCarthy, honestly, you'd probably have to trade to six.

12:47 Because it sounds like teams in that four to six range are gonna try to target him

12:51 right now.

12:51 I talked to a GM a month ago who told me he thought JJ McCarthy might be from four

12:56 to six and that teams might try to get him in front of the Giants.

12:59 So yeah, he might not be there at 11.

13:02 And Bo Nix, the thing that scares me is when I read a scouting report and

13:06 I hear point guard of the offense or more athletic game manager.

13:10 I'm like, didn't we kind of just have that?

13:13 I don't want a point guard of the offense.

13:15 And Bo Nix is 24, he's a little older, probably not the biggest arm in the draft.

13:20 I just, I don't know, I want high upside, man.

13:22 I honestly wanna swing for the fences.

13:24 Give me the home run.

13:25 >> I'm on the same page, buddy.

13:27 I like this, we're cooking right now.

13:29 All right, we're gonna take a quick break.

13:31 We gotta pay the bills.

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14:37 [MUSIC]

14:42 >> All right, we'll put some of the draft talk in the rear view.

14:44 I feel like we've hit all the different permutations that we possibly could.

14:48 So going with some offensive line talk, are the Patriots preparing for

14:52 a David Andrews-sized hole in the O-line next season?

14:55 Should they be prioritizing center or interior offensive line on day three?

14:59 Or do you think they already have his replacement on the roster?

15:02 I'm curious what you think about this.

15:04 >> So I mean, last year in the fourth round, they drafted Jake Andrews as center,

15:07 and that's where their backup center is, and

15:09 that's where their potential David Andrews replacement is.

15:12 I don't hate them adding another interior guy.

15:14 And what I've heard about this team is that right now there's uncertainty at

15:17 left guard, because they don't know when Cole Strange will be ready.

15:20 He suffered a serious knee injury last year, and

15:22 that's why they went out and signed Nick Leverett.

15:24 That's why they also signed, I believe his name's Michael Jordan,

15:27 to a futures contract.

15:28 So they have two backup guards who have started at left guard, and

15:32 the reason is because of Cole Strange.

15:33 So by that metric, listen, you're sitting there at rounds five, six, seven, and

15:37 you wanna draft a guy who can play guard and center, go for it.

15:40 You can sometimes find gems, like for example, Ted Karras,

15:43 a six round pick back in the day, who's been a really good player in the NFL.

15:46 So yeah, I say right now the plan would be Jake Andrews if David Andrews leaves,

15:50 but I don't hate adding a late day three guy, yeah, go for it.

15:54 >> Yeah, and we already know they've been taking a look or

15:56 talking to some center prospects.

15:58 So there's CJ Hanson, there was the Florida center as well.

16:01 So I would like it to not be a center only type of prospect.

16:04 I know Jake Andrews did show he could play some guard later in the year,

16:07 just because they were so desperate at the spot in those last couple weeks.

16:10 But the sample size is so small, like with Jake, even in training camp,

16:14 we've mostly seen with the third string guys.

16:16 It was mostly David Andrews, then James Ferran, so

16:19 we didn't get to see a lot of them.

16:21 And with this scheme, taking the transition, likely gonna be more zone

16:25 oriented or wide zone oriented than a lot of the gaps up we saw last year.

16:29 It'll be interesting to see, all right, do we want a guy who maybe isn't as strong,

16:32 but is really more athletic?

16:34 I'm not sure about that, but

16:35 I definitely think that them taking an interior lineman on day three is on the table.

16:39 And in my mind drafts, I've been incorporating them more.

16:41 So do with that what you will.

16:43 Just throwing this out there,

16:45 this Taekwon Thornton had the ability to leap in year three and beat RX.

16:48 Now I'm the optimist here and I know it.

16:51 I'm completely acknowledging that this could be a take that gets laughed at later

16:55 on, but it is nice to at least see that he's bulking up.

16:59 Because the biggest thing with him has been injuries,

17:01 like we saw with the Packers joint practice where he catches the ball,

17:04 falls down.

17:05 And I think we were all just like, this is not gonna be good.

17:07 He landed very hard.

17:08 So I'd like to think that a little bit of body armor will help Taekwon under what I

17:13 think will go a long way in helping him fundamentally.

17:16 Because I think that's been the biggest issue was the route running wasn't very

17:19 good.

17:20 I even asked him last year, do you have freedom in your routes?

17:22 Because I'm thinking it's taken forever for

17:24 him to look at the quarterback when the quarterback's looking at him.

17:27 And he was like, yeah, I'm allowed to use my speed and kind of get creative.

17:30 And I'm like, that does not sound like what should be happening for

17:33 a guy who's played less than 1000 offensive snaps.

17:35 So what do you think?

17:37 Are you excited about Taekwon Thornton?

17:38 What we're seeing?

17:39 Are you just yeah, no, show me in camp if there's anything there to sell.

17:42 >> Yeah, I'm sort of a hard out and I think it's great that he's bulking up.

17:46 Because as you said, the last two years he started the season on the IR,

17:49 two years in a row.

17:50 That's horrible for any receivers development.

17:52 What makes me hesitant about Taekwon Thornton, it's great he's adding muscle.

17:56 But is he learning to run routes like you said,

17:57 can he come off the line of scrimmage?

17:59 Because whatever he was doing when the ball was snapped off the line of scrimmage

18:01 just looked really ugly.

18:03 It doesn't seem he's really polished as a receiver.

18:06 I asked someone in the building about him a month ago who just said,

18:09 other than straight line speed, we don't know if we have anything.

18:11 And that's why I like for me, other than gadget plays, I don't know.

18:15 I'm not gonna put any stock in the Taekwon Thornton until he actually does it.

18:19 Because last year he finished with less than 100 yards for the season.

18:22 I feel like that's hard to do when you're a receiver.

18:25 So it's great that he's bulking up, but he really needs to hit his routes hard

18:29 before he can show that he's anything other than that straight line,

18:33 jet sweep type guy.

18:34 So I'm not banking on it.

18:36 >> I agree, and I will make it clear, I'm not saying anything's gonna happen, but

18:40 I'm at least excited at the prospect of one of the young guys breaking out.

18:43 Pulling for him, but you put it perfectly, you gotta see what happens.

18:48 Sticking with receivers, what do you think happens with Booty?

18:50 He's the seventh on the depth chart in my opinion, maybe practice squad.

18:53 I thought it was interesting that Gerard Mayo,

18:56 obviously he's still on the team.

18:58 But I thought he would be a little more of the vein of yeah,

19:01 we're seeing what happens.

19:03 Cuz I don't even see how he's on the roster.

19:07 Kind of going into training camp, much less cut down day.

19:09 I know legally and everything, they still have to figure things out.

19:11 But I mean, is he gonna be able to do anything?

19:15 I really, I don't know.

19:17 >> Yeah, I mean, maybe the practice squad, I think that's a good way to put it.

19:20 I mean, I think it'll get cut at some point, maybe the practice squad.

19:23 He just, I don't know,

19:24 I feel like something was going on last year behind the scenes.

19:26 He just sort of disappeared and he didn't have a bad training camp.

19:29 Honestly, his training camp made me think, all right, he's a guy who can go out and

19:32 catch three balls for 45 yards in NFL game right now.

19:35 And it didn't happen.

19:35 And the Patriots needed someone like that to help them,

19:38 especially when Kendrick Bourne went down.

19:40 Like Tyquan Thornton was hurt, where was Keishon Booty?

19:43 You just, and add the gambling stuff to it.

19:45 I just, I don't know, I'm not gonna bank on him.

19:48 There's fine, keep him on the roster,

19:50 see what happens in that court case or whatever's going on.

19:53 But I think the Patriots are gonna draft a receiver.

19:56 Maybe they'll draft two this year and how they handle that position in the draft.

20:00 Tell us what they think about Keishon Booty.

20:02 >> And I will say, I think Keishon was put in a bad spot, like he's playing X.

20:05 I don't think anybody who watched him was thinking that was the best position for

20:08 him to be in.

20:09 We saw in the first week of the season, obviously still a rookie,

20:12 like not really holding that against him.

20:13 But we saw this boundary awareness is one of those things for

20:16 young guys where it's like, no,

20:17 he should be used over the middle of the field where we saw.

20:20 He probably made the roster a lot because that slant route he ran late in

20:23 the preseason where he goes and takes it for a touchdown.

20:25 It's like, all right, that's what we thought we were gonna see.

20:28 Not all the sideline stuff and having him be like a legitimate X,

20:31 which I thought was strange.

20:32 But yeah, with especially the off field stuff, and then you add on top of it,

20:36 all right, we can't even produce on the field.

20:38 My hopes there are not high, to put it lightly.

20:42 Who's your personal pick for a player to break out this season for

20:44 the Patriots?

20:45 More of a fun question here.

20:47 >> That's a really fun question.

20:49 You could argue this player broke out last year.

20:51 My prediction for the Patriots is that Christian Barmore will be the best player

20:54 on the team next year.

20:55 That's like, he broke out, you can say, yeah, the best season of his career.

20:58 But I think Christian Barmore goes to all pro, pro bowl potential.

21:00 He's so good.

21:01 Same with him, honestly, is he has to stay healthy.

21:03 He's had a knee issue the last couple years, but

21:05 he's in a position to get paid a lot of money next offseason.

21:08 As Gerard Mayo said, they are working with him right now on a contract extension.

21:12 But honestly, I think he's gonna take it up a notch, man.

21:14 Get that first pro bowl honor, get maybe all pro conversations.

21:17 But a game record as a defensive tackle man, Christian Barmore is my guy.

21:22 >> I like that.

21:23 I'm gonna stick on the defensive side of the ball.

21:25 Christian Gonzalez, I mean, obviously, it's one month.

21:29 He still won defensive rookie of the month.

21:30 And it's not even like he was just playing a backside role where he's not really

21:34 covering.

21:35 No, they were putting him in positions where they were like, all right,

21:38 if the best receiver is isolated, we want Christian there.

21:41 Which tells you all you need to know.

21:42 This is a guy who got thrown into the fire against AJ Brown and

21:45 Devontae Smith and was making key plays in the fourth quarter.

21:48 Then you see, they had Marcus Jones on Tyree Kill.

21:50 They had to switch that during the game.

21:52 He goes from following Waddle to following Tyreek,

21:55 gets that crazy interception when they're playing zone.

21:57 I think you saw all the flashes.

22:00 And a lot of the critiques that he had going into the season were all his

22:02 toughness and his tackling and all that.

22:05 I think he heard it because he was plenty tough.

22:07 He wasn't really out there missing tackles.

22:10 He was a force in the run game.

22:11 He was flying up to be involved.

22:13 And he wasn't letting anybody get behind him.

22:15 That's on top of the fall skills and the natural athleticism and

22:18 the fact that he looked as calm as a guy who'd already been in the league for

22:21 several years.

22:21 So, Barmore, I do agree, is probably gonna be just by nature of the position.

22:25 If you're a great interior lineman, it's impossible to avoid you because you're

22:29 right in the heart of the defense.

22:30 Even if they move you around, it's tough to stop those guys.

22:33 And a cornerback, it's harder to make as much of an impact because they can

22:35 completely ignore you.

22:36 But that in itself is a pretty impactful role.

22:39 So I like Christian Barmore.

22:41 I would have used it if you hadn't taken it, but Gonzalez is my top pick.

22:45 All right, kind of getting back to the quarterback situation.

22:48 With that set to play out his contract in Dallas,

22:51 would you consider loading up on weapons or stealing it from and

22:54 then stealing for the Cowboys with a huge deal?

22:56 Now, this is one that I don't like banking on what's gonna happen with

22:59 quarterbacks in the future.

23:01 But if there is an argument, considering this situation does look like the Cowboys

23:05 are just gonna completely bungle it, I find it interesting.

23:09 At the very least, I find it interesting.

23:11 >> I mean, I'll say this.

23:12 This would take an unbelievable amount of tampering, right?

23:14 Because if you were to bypass a quarterback because you think a guy might be

23:18 available in a year, you really have to know.

23:20 Because the worst thing that could happen is he's not available in a year.

23:23 We can't bank on Dak Prescott until we actually know he'll be a free agent.

23:26 So in that point, I would say do not do that unless you're literally talking to

23:31 him and his agent right now and you're doing something sketchy behind the scenes.

23:34 And I'm not saying they should do that.

23:35 I think they should draft a quarterback as I've already stated.

23:38 But it's really hard to plan for something that might happen next year, but

23:42 it also might not.

23:43 It's like, Gerard was even like Robert was saying this past week at the owner's

23:47 meetings, well, players could become available after the draft or

23:50 guys, we might be able to sign people if they get released.

23:54 Yeah, but it's just also hard to build your team that way when you don't know

23:58 who actually will get released or you don't know who will be a free agent.

24:00 Like hypothetically,

24:01 you could say the same thing about the receiver class next year.

24:04 CeeDee Lamb, Brandon Ayoub, Justin Jefferson, Jamar Chase, T Higgins.

24:08 If all those guys are available, yeah, man, don't draft someone and

24:11 sign those guys.

24:12 But what are the odds that CeeDee Lamb and Jamar Chase and

24:15 Brandon Ayoub are free agents?

24:17 So it's hard to plan for that a year from now.

24:19 >> Yeah, that's totally fair.

24:20 Those guys, as we saw this offseason, those guys don't really hit the market

24:23 unless the team is just trying to get picks.

24:26 And even then, it's not them actually hitting the market.

24:29 It's just franchise tagging them so

24:30 that you don't lose out on potential compensation.

24:33 But yeah, I think that it's fair to say, okay, if they do load up in the future,

24:37 like Trevor Lawrence is somebody who might be an option down the road or

24:41 something like that.

24:43 But I agree, man, you're banking on something that may or may not happen.

24:44 And who knows if you're even in a spot where somebody wants to come and

24:47 sign with you, regardless of how many weapons you hit on.

24:49 So yeah, that's a much riskier strategy.

24:52 There's not much room for

24:54 defensive rookies to find playing time outside of starting corner.

24:57 Should New England even bother drafting developmental defensive guys this year,

25:02 or just restock in 2025?

25:05 >> So I was thinking about this question earlier today.

25:07 And I think there are a couple spots that I could see working out.

25:10 One's free safety.

25:11 I know they signed with Jalen Hawkins.

25:13 But there's a spot for a day three free safety to come in here and

25:17 actually play because think about it.

25:19 They lost Jalen Mills and Adrian Phillips.

25:22 They brought in Jalen Hawkins.

25:24 Kyle Duggar might play on the transition tag.

25:25 I mean, there's room for safety to come in here and play eventually,

25:28 even if someone's to come in and give Hawkins some competition.

25:32 So I think free safety is a spot they could draft.

25:34 Another one, it would be cornerback.

25:36 They lost Miles Bryant.

25:38 They do have Marcus Jones, but he's coming off a season ending injury.

25:41 Jonathan Jones is one to sort of watch for just because he was hurt basically all

25:44 last year and he's getting up there.

25:46 And when you have a cornerback, you start, gets close to 30, you have a plan.

25:50 So yeah, and I think cornerbacks another spot.

25:53 I could see them drafting a guy like the fourth round.

25:56 That wouldn't shock me if maybe even the third, third or fourth round,

25:58 if they drafted a cornerback, that wouldn't surprise me.

26:01 >> Yeah, I think if they really hit on those first three picks, if it's like,

26:04 all right, we got a quarterback, a left, maybe.

26:06 There's not really a lot of left tackles, I think,

26:08 outside of the first round that are gonna start for you very quickly.

26:10 But at least you're saying, all right,

26:11 we got a really good developmental left tackle,

26:13 receiver who can immediately contribute.

26:15 Now, okay, the other holes aren't as glaring, especially with tight end,

26:19 like a lot of that depth is more in the mid to late rounds.

26:21 I like a lot of these mid round cornerbacks like Chris Abrams Drain,

26:25 somebody that they, I believe, met with recently.

26:27 He's got a lot of Jack Jones in him with that wide receiver background,

26:30 kind of undersized, really good athleticism.

26:33 Josh Newton, guy at a TCU, Max Melton out of Rutgers.

26:36 There's a lot of really interesting names.

26:38 And I agree, especially with Miles Bryant no longer being on the team.

26:42 Cornerback, I don't think it's really set yet.

26:44 It would be great if Alex Austin could continue to develop and

26:46 become a guy they end up relying on.

26:49 But even in the slot, you're relying on a lot of guys with either significant

26:52 injury histories or who are coming off injured reserve.

26:54 It's only like Marco Wilson and Alex Austin are the only guys that were really

26:57 healthy. So yeah, I agree.

26:59 I don't think that starting cornerback is set by any means.

27:02 And I think the secondary could use some help in terms of long term starting

27:06 caliber talent.

27:08 All right, last one.

27:09 Which draft elbow non-quarterback receiver or

27:12 offensive tackle do you see as a good fit?

27:15 >> I love this question, and I'm gonna steal a guy that you really like.

27:18 His name is Tip Raymond, tight end from Illinois.

27:21 I love him.

27:22 So this is a guy, I don't know where he's gonna be drafted, right?

27:24 Fifth, sixth, seventh round pick.

27:26 I do this thing where I take past combine averages from every prospect

27:30 the Patriots have drafted over the last 24 years.

27:33 Tip Raymond is my top athletic fit at tight end.

27:35 He hits every mark other than the vertical and

27:37 he misses the vertical by half inch.

27:39 Like this guy has the size, the athleticism.

27:42 He's a former walk on turn captain.

27:44 I'm sold.

27:45 Draft him.

27:45 Six rounds, fifth round, go for it, man.

27:47 Tip Raymond's my guy.

27:49 Also, I went to the University of New Hampshire.

27:51 So Dylan Lauby, running back/receiving prospect.

27:54 Also, that's my guy too.

27:55 So those two guys right there, I'll be rooting for

27:57 the Patriots to take one of them.

27:59 >> Would you say that we still have a good shot at hitting Lauby now with

28:02 Antonio Gibson?

28:03 Because for me, my Lauby dreams were kind of shot after that.

28:07 But at the same time, I mean, similar skillset, but both dynamic players.

28:11 >> Yeah, I agree.

28:12 I mean, I can see the Patriots drafting a running back, but

28:15 it'll probably be more of a hard nose, north-south runner now.

28:18 But Lauby, you're right, Lauby's my dream too, but Antonio Gibson is a good

28:22 receiver.

28:23 >> I'm gonna go through my mock drafts and see if there's anyone who really jumps out.

28:27 Bub Mee, no, he's already receiver.

28:29 Damn, I was trying to go with somebody who's kind of under the radar.

28:32 >> He's on my list too, and I saw Tycoon Underwood was there.

28:35 Obviously, he coached him, but he was there at Pitt to watch him work out.

28:37 But Bub Mee is another one, I'm with you, I like him.

28:39 Athletic guy, day three receiver, bring him aboard.

28:43 And his name is Bub.

28:45 >> Okay, so I would go with Isaac Garendo.

28:48 He's really exciting for me.

28:49 Now, I think the backfield, they're pretty well set right now,

28:52 Ramondur Stevenson is kind of the thunder.

28:54 And then you get a little bit more of the lightning kind of aspect,

28:56 although Antonio Gibson's really big as well.

28:58 But Garendo, man, one,

28:59 I think this is gonna be a team that wants to run the ball a lot.

29:02 Both by the fact that they kind of have to if they're gonna have a young quarterback,

29:05 even if it is Draco Bieber's set.

29:07 And the fact that just what we've seen from Alex Van Pelt,

29:10 he loves play action, he loves especially the run schemes.

29:13 Where it looks like you're trying to run a gap scheme or

29:15 something with somebody pulling, and then you go out and throw it over their heads.

29:18 So I think a guy like Garendo, one, he's explosive.

29:21 And that's something this team really needs.

29:23 I think that he gives you a lot of big playability.

29:25 And as a rotation in that backfield,

29:27 I think that'd be a really good three-headed monster back there.

29:31 He's a guy where I really wanna do more tape study, but

29:32 everything I've seen from him, I'm like, yeah, no.

29:34 This is a guy who can really add some juice,

29:36 add a position that we're not really talking about at the time.

29:38 >> So in terms of my Patriot athletic fits, the thing I do,

29:42 he's actually my number one.

29:43 He hits the most marks out of every running back of the combine,

29:46 in terms of what the Pats have looked for in the past, those athletic testing, yeah.

29:50 >> Well, looks like we're on the same page yet again, my friend.

29:54 This was a fantastic time.

29:56 Thank you so much for giving me your time.

29:57 Now, please let the people know where they can find you,

30:00 what excellent stuff we can look forward to coming down the pipeline.

30:03 >> You guys, you can find myself at masslive.com and

30:05 on Twitter @bymarkdaniels.

30:07 Thanks, man.

30:08 This was fun.

30:09 >> This was, we'll do it again.

30:10 Thank you so much, and thank you all, as always, for watching.

30:13 Now, take care of yourselves, take care of each other.

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