Taylor Kyles and Mike Kadlick bring you a LIVE preview/mailbag edition of Patriots Daily! Tune in to get the latest on tomorrow's Patriots vs. Chargers game. Will Drake Maye continue to impress? Can the defense contain Justin Herbert?
************************************************
Patriots Content Brought to you by....
💰 Prize Picks - https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CLNS
Download the app today and use Code CLNS at PrizePicks.com/CLNS & Get $50 instantly when you play $5!
🎫 Gametime - https://gametime.co
Take the guesswork out of buying NFL tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime!
Merch Store - https://shop.clnsmedia.com
************************************************
Patriots Content Brought to you by....
💰 Prize Picks - https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CLNS
Download the app today and use Code CLNS at PrizePicks.com/CLNS & Get $50 instantly when you play $5!
🎫 Gametime - https://gametime.co
Take the guesswork out of buying NFL tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime!
Merch Store - https://shop.clnsmedia.com
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00I am joined by Robert Griffin, the third James Whitefield. Yes, Mina Kimes. All right. So
00:11first play, we're going to look at second into one of the Patriots first offensive plays.
00:18What's going on everyone? Mike Cadillac, Taylor Kyle's here for CLNS media back with another
00:22edition of the Patriots daily podcast powered by prize picks and game time. We're also powered
00:28by a Patriots game coming up on Saturday, 1 p.m. tomorrow. It's coming up fast. It just
00:33hit the 24 hour mark. So we're just under 24 hours until kickoff. So what we're going
00:39to do, you use today, Friday mailbag edition, since we didn't hit it with, with Christmas
00:44hit in the middle of the week. So we're going to do sort of a mailbag turned into a Patriots
00:48versus Chargers preview. But before we get to your questions, before we get to all that,
00:53a couple of, well, first of all, if you're listening and you have questions, you want
00:56to get answered, throw them in the chat. We'll try and get to those as well. We'll
01:00prioritize the questions given to us on Twitter. But before we get to our questions and comments
01:06on the game itself, we do have to talk about some, some Patriots news that came down because
01:12it's never a dull moment, never a boring day here, Taylor. We're thinking Friday, no media
01:16availability, Patriots are off getting ready, but we have some comments from none other
01:20than defensive and defensive tackle, defensive lineman, Keyon White, who spoke with Mass
01:26Labs, Karen Green yesterday in the Patriots locker room, and sort of was, you know, there
01:31were kind of some pointed comments questioning his, his future in new England. He was, he
01:37hasn't been happy with this play of late. He struggled a little bit down the stretch
01:40as has the rest of the Patriots defense. And basically said that he's going to try and
01:45get through these next two games. And now I'm reading from Karen's piece. If you haven't
01:48read the whole thing, check it out, masslab.com. Karen, as always does great work. And once
01:53again, doesn't hear, but Keon White basically saying, I'm going to try and get through these
01:56next two games and then figure out what my future is and see where the cards may lie
02:01for the future. And didn't, you know, again, didn't sound too confident about his future
02:05with the Patriots. So this is a guy who Taylor was, you know, lauded as a leader this offseason
02:11drug mail kept mentioning him. He came in, was obviously going to be a focal point in
02:15the future of this Patriot defense, but also was turning into a vocal leader as well. Not,
02:19you know, he was kind of quiet year one, didn't say too much started apparently to,
02:24you know, voice his voice, his leadership qualities, if you will, but has struggled
02:28down the stretch. So first and foremost, take all of this. What do you make of Keon's comments?
02:33And secondly, if he isn't happy here, could a trade be best at this point because he hasn't
02:39been playing great.
02:40So, you know, if you get the key on white edits as his current value, would you rather
02:44keep him? Would you rather try and make him happy and, you know, send them on his way
02:48your thoughts on the entire situation before we get into the mailbag portion of the show?
02:51Yeah, I just think the whole situation is kind of odd. I understand not wanting to lose
02:56and all that. I totally get it. But for a player like Keon white, who's been pretty
03:01inconsistent in his career, it just kind of feels like an odd comment. And he did acknowledge
03:05his run defense hasn't been very good. It hasn't been. And you've actually seen over
03:09the past two games since the by he hasn't made a ton of impact plays. He's had like
03:13his typical one or two key pressures a game, but you're not seeing any like consistent
03:18production where he did have a few weeks where he was really good against the run.
03:22We called him out for it because we were also saying early on when they were just getting
03:26gashed early in the season, they were playing really badly. And specifically, he was typically
03:30at the point of attack when they were giving up explosive runs. Now, obviously, they had
03:33like a few weeks where they got better against the run. And I think he had a lot to do with
03:37that. Now they've begun to regress again. They're giving up. It feels like 150 plus
03:41yards a game. And it's not always explosives, but teams can run on them pretty much at will,
03:45even if they're containing the really big place. So, I mean, with Keon, I think that
03:52it is disappointing because he was someone who seemed like he was stepping up as a leader
03:56and all that. And we know he's someone who really more leads from what he does on the
04:00field and necessarily being a vocal guy. But that's what the coaches were saying was in
04:04the classroom. He was being that leader because he was asking questions. He was being engaging.
04:08So, and then when it comes to his role, there's a difference between a player who can play
04:14all over the place and a guy who needs to play everywhere. You know what I'm saying?
04:18Where Keon White is best, like we saw in college on early downs and run situations, he's better
04:23on the edge because inside he has moments where he stands up to double teams very well,
04:28but he doesn't do it consistently. And sometimes he gets completely blown off the ball. So
04:31you really want to keep him on the edge. He has one-on-one matchups as a backside defender
04:35against tight ends, things like that. And he hasn't been great in that regard the past
04:39couple of weeks. Like there have been some big runs that have been with him at the point
04:42of attack. And then on the interiors where he really shines because he's been one of
04:46the best interior rushers in the NFL, like doesn't line up there as much as other interior
04:51defenders, but when he does, he typically gets pressure at a pretty high rate.
04:56So if he really wanted to move on and he wasn't happy being here, obviously I know Gerard
05:02Mayo wants to be vocal with his players, have conversations, relationships. Maybe they
05:06can have that conversation where if they do have a very active off season and they do
05:10try to build and get better, maybe that's enough to keep Keon here at least another
05:15year. Then you're in year three. If you want to get moved in the last year of your deal,
05:18we can make that happen. But it's really odd for a second year player to kind of be talking
05:22like a veteran like KJ Osborne. That sounds like what KJ Osborne was saying when he was
05:26asked these kinds of questions. And it was kind of like, I am where my feet are. It's
05:29like, that makes sense. You're on a one-year deal. You're right now like the fifth wide
05:33receiver. Sure. I get it. But Keon is one of the few building blocks you have on defense
05:37along with I'd say far more Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones. I hope Marte Mapu, but I don't
05:44really know if that's necessarily what it's going to be. So if Keon does want to move,
05:49I'm okay with it because he hasn't proven to be a consistent every down player for you.
05:54Very good interior rusher. But if a team's willing to give you like, obviously you'd
05:57like to get a second because you spent a second on him, but he doesn't want to be here.
06:00It's probably going to get knocked to like a third or some kind of package deal. If that's
06:04like a pretty solid pick, you can still get another role player who maybe can develop
06:08into something more. So you'd like to keep him because he is such a talented player.
06:13And I feel like he has the tools to be a pillar of this Patriots defense. But if he's going
06:18to be one of those guys in the locker room who kind of creates a stir, and now we all
06:22have to talk about it to like, to kind of put this into context, you don't really see
06:27everyone on the beat. Retweet the same article very often, unless it's something very serious,
06:32not serious, but it's something pretty significant. And everybody on the Pete was quote tweeting
06:37this being like, Oh, this is nothing. So if he's going to be that kind of guy and he's
06:43not happy with being on the team. Yeah. I say you move him because you're still very
06:46much in the midst of your rebuild, try to get more capital, get guys who are going to
06:49buy into your message.
06:50I was just going to say, as far as like, you know, the locker room goes and you know, where,
06:55where things stand as far as a dry mayor's future with the team. Now, I don't, I don't
06:59think that this is going to snowball effect into the locker and blowing up from the inside
07:04out. But these are the types of things that we've talked about over the last couple of
07:08weeks, where if dry mayo is going to keep his job, he has to hold the locker room together
07:11and he has to have everybody relatively on the same page.
07:15And, you know, in, in this article that Karen writes, he's asked about his mindset going
07:19forward. Does he need time to reflect? He said, no, it's the truth. I operate in black
07:23and white. I feel like I'm not playing good run defense. It's a multitude of reasons why
07:28it's an internal thing that we need to figure out. And this is somebody who really backs
07:34bill Belichick. And he was a big bill Belichick guy last year. And you know, it's funny, these
07:40things kind of happen.
07:41And I look back at, I'm getting like tweet notifications from my tweet from three months
07:46ago when he came in with the bill Belichick when he won that award on his show inside
07:51the NFL. He was talking about bill bill Belichick. He thought it was super cool. And he was somebody
07:56he's quiet. He played well here. There's been a transition. And, you know, clearly something's
08:03not clicking with this new with this new defensive, I guess, mindset, brain trust on that side
08:08of the football.
08:09So if, if these are the types of things that are continued to happen, I, again, I don't
08:14think this is going to, this isn't going to be the reason why the Patriots move on from,
08:17you know, Gerard Mayo or anything, but we taught, we've talked about the locker room
08:20is still behind them. This is the first sort of crack in that foundation that we've seen
08:25so far.
08:26Yeah. And this is what we kind of been waiting for is all right. No one's speaking out against
08:30the defensive coaching yet. So, you know, where exactly does the rubber meet the road
08:35when it comes to our players, just not doing what they're supposed to be doing. And at
08:38the end of the day, you can tell a guy to do something. And so you're blue in the face.
08:41He has to actually do it, be disciplined and be consistent.
08:44Keon hasn't necessarily been that, but at the same time, if he's not taking to the coaching,
08:48like Jerry Montgomery is someone that Christian Barmore has given all the praise in the world.
08:51He loves Jerry Montgomery. Obviously, Jerry Montgomery was also someone who survived multiple
08:56changes on the coaching staff in, in terms of yeah, the coaching staff in green Bay.
09:03So I don't necessarily think he's the problem. Drew Wilkins, you know, I don't, it seems
09:07like odd that it would be him. He's another guy who, you know, he moved around with, with
09:13who was the defensive coordinator, Wink Martindale was with him, with the Baltimore, with the
09:17giants, like he's pretty well traveled to Marcus Covington. He was like the only one
09:21in this equation where it would make more sense. And he was the defensive line coach
09:24last year. So it's still a little bit odd, but I mean, we have to take this obviously
09:29with a grain of salt to a degree, but we can't overlook the fact that this does sound like
09:33he's not very happy with how he's being coached.
09:36And obviously you can still leave it open. We don't know necessarily who he's talking
09:40about, but you know, based on, it seems like who's struggled among the defensive coaching
09:44staff, you probably fair bet that it might be. And you look at two, I think Evan tweeted
09:49this earlier today. Josh Huchet was the same way where, you know, when you're not necessarily
09:53allowed to just pin your ears back and attack the quarterback or do these types of things
09:56in this system, guys get frustrated with their role. And Josh Huchet did that earlier and
10:00he ended up getting traded to Kansas city. And that was obviously only a part of the
10:04reasons the other, you know, we signed a one-year deal here and clearly wanted to be here, but
10:08then it ended up being that it just, it didn't fit what they want it to do. So we'll see
10:12where we go.
10:13No, the thing is, I understand that sentiment, but you can't play that way in the modern
10:18NFL. There's too many quarterbacks that can make you pay for it. And we've seen that like
10:22Alan Murray got outside the pocket on Keon White. I think Josh Allen did too. You just
10:26can't play that way. It's one thing when you're in the interior, but when you're rushing from
10:29the edge, you can't go willy nilly. You do need to be disciplined. And Keon said earlier
10:33in the year, you know, he wants to be this wild horse where he's like, I'm going to go
10:36a hundred percent. I'm going to make mistakes, but I'm going to do it fast. And it's like,
10:39all right, sure. To a degree, I get that, but you also do need to be disciplined and
10:43draw people, call them out for it. Not him specifically, but said like, yeah, but you
10:47have to, you know, still do your job and fill your role. And how is that working out for
10:51Joshua Uche? I've looked at his pressures in his play in Kansas city. It's not like
10:55he's off the charts for like most of the games since he's been traded there too.
10:59Right. And the pressures that he has are the same as with the Patriots where he's giving
11:02up the edge so you can get frustrated and want to be used more as a pass rusher. And
11:06maybe if he wants to be inside more, I get that. That's something I would be a little,
11:10cause I think that's where he's best as a player, like line him up on the inside,
11:13let him pin his ears back. But yeah, when you're rushing from the edge dog, you can't
11:16just do whatever you want. And if that's what he's unhappy with, you know, I'm sorry. Yeah.
11:21I'm even more okay with moving on because if that's your mentality, that's not a team
11:24first mentality, that's a youth first mentality. And that's not the way that this Patriots team,
11:29at least from what we've heard is trying to operate.
11:31Exactly. So we'll see what happens there. Again, if you haven't seen it, haven't read it,
11:34Karen Grigian writes, uh, writes for mass lab.com today. Uh, Keon white questioning his, uh, his
11:40future apparently, uh, with the Patriots moving forward. One of the key building blocks on the
11:45defensive side of football. All right, let's get into Patriots versus chargers. Uh, we'll do this
11:49as a mailbag seven. We got your questions, but before we get into the questions, a quick word
11:53from our friends over at prize picks. We'll be right back. Prize picks is the best place to get
11:58real money sports action with over 10 million members and billions of dollars in awarded
12:03winnings. Prize picks has made daily fantasy sports accessible to all. You just pick more
12:08or less on at least two players for a shot to win up to 1000 times your cash, run your game all
12:14season long on prize picks America's number one daily fantasy sports app. They now offer master
12:19card as well for quick and easy deposits into your account this sport season. And they put their
12:25members first, all withdrawals are fast, safe, and secure. When your picks hit, you get your
12:30money in as little as 15 minutes. So join now because this holiday season prize picks is giving
12:34away two free picks in December. And they're also giving away 30 plus million dollars in rewards
12:40during pick miss think James cook. We'll get more than 60 yards next week. I think Joe borrowable
12:45pass for more than one and a half touchdowns, cook up your hot takes with your friends all
12:49season long on prize picks. And all you got to do is download the app today and use code CLNS
12:55to get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup. Download the app today and use code CLNS
13:01to get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup prize picks run your game. All right,
13:09thank you to practice a prize picks that's price books before we get into the questions Taylor,
13:12let's quickly make a price picks lineup for Saturday's game tomorrow's game against the
13:17chargers. A lot of Antonio Gibson on here with reminder, Stevenson, a little bit of a question
13:21mark as far as his role will go. So Antonio Gibson, will he have more? I'm sorry. Where are
13:28we? Yeah. Will he have more or less than 29 and a half rushing yards? I'm going to go that kind
13:36of time. It feels low. It does feel low, but he didn't do great last week. So I'm a little shaken
13:41by that. I'll go more. I'll go more. I like what Antonio has been doing. I think I'll bounce back.
13:45I think so too. And I also think that they're going to use it more with Stevenson at least
13:49like early on. So yeah, right. Oh my God. Yeah. I totally forgot. Stevenson might get
13:53made up bench, but he's at least probably not going to be the starter. So yeah,
13:56actually I'd lock that in. That seems like a pretty good bet. Yeah. All right. Let's have
13:59fun with this one. Your good friend, our good friend, Lad McConkey more or less than 72 and
14:07a half receiving yards on, on Saturday. Uh, less, less, you're going less or lad.
14:13I think the only way he has a really good game and I think he's going to make like one or two
14:17good catches. Cause he is good in those contested situations. Like that's something that's really
14:21surprised me a little bit more when he's now that he's been a pro. Um, I think that he'd have to eat
14:25against zone coverage over the middle and that is still a possibility, but I think the Patriots are
14:29going to play like as much man as possible. I think they'd rather, you know, get run on and
14:34have Justin Harper just be able to have a field day. And I think they can lock up all of these
14:37receivers. I really like their matchups. So yeah, I'm going to go with the less.
14:40All right. That's the past. They line up Antonio Gibson, more than 29 and a half rushing yards.
14:44Lad McConkey, less than 72 and a half receiving yards. We'll toot that out before tomorrow's game
14:49or monitor. If you want to play along with us, head over to prize picks, use code CLNS,
14:53get $50 instantly after you play that first $5 lineup. All right, now let's get to the good
14:59stuff. Like we said, Patriots three and 12 hosting the chargers nine and six LA fighting for their
15:05playoff lives. So we'll try and kind of we got questions that aren't charger specific. We got
15:11some that are charger specific. So we'll kind of get to the both of them and use it as a full-on
15:15mailbag, but also a preview mailbag. So let's start with this. You actually mentioned the other
15:20day on Twitter about building from the inside out, building up the trenches. So what's more of an
15:28urgent, I guess, need for the Patriots in your opinion right now, is it the offensive line or
15:32is it the defensive line? And I think this is good to mention and kind of dovetail off of what
15:36we just talked about with Keon White, because he's obviously going to potentially be a part of that
15:41rebuilding that defensive line. Yeah, I think it's the offensive line because Drake May and
15:46reminder Stevenson are two of your biggest investments. I know I keep kind of lumping
15:49Ramondre in there, but if you're going to pay a running back what they paid him,
15:52you need to make sure he's got good blocking and he has not over the past few seasons.
15:56And obviously Drake May, you want to protect the kid. Like in a lot of these games, you want better
16:00defense, but this is a quarterback driven league. Make sure your quarterback doesn't get driven into
16:04the ground, solidify that piece. But the defensive line isn't very far behind because you look at it,
16:08Christian Varmore, obviously hopefully regains form next season, but you don't know for sure.
16:14You really don't. And then Devon Gotjaw probably only going to be here for one more season.
16:18And Franny Jennings feels like he's being overused now that he's an every down player.
16:22He's a great run defender, but it feels like when it comes to containing quarterback sometimes,
16:26especially the really athletic guys, and also he's gotten runs bounced on him more than usual.
16:30And I'm not sure if that's just, they played some really fast running backs in his defense
16:34where they've just had the burst to get outside and would against most edge defenders. It also
16:38feels like maybe he's just kind of, there's more wear and tear on him now that he's playing so much
16:43more and already as a great run defender, you're taking on a lot of contact versus a pass rusher.
16:47Really you're more initiating contact. So I think the defensive line is still very close.
16:52You need at least two pass rushers on the edge next season. Like we talked about Keon White,
16:56who knows what his future is going to be. And I think the interior is another sneaky need because
17:00behind Devon Gotjaw, Christian Barmore, we've seen it this year. You don't have a ton of depth.
17:04I liked you, Quaylin Roy as like rotational nose type kind of guy, but I hope they bring in a Milton
17:09Williams, someone who may not be a consistent and great run defender, but at least, you know,
17:13you're getting some pass rush out of him. And that's what this defensive line desperately,
17:17desperately needs. Not only can they not stop the run, they also can't get after the passer.
17:21Obviously the linebackers, the safeties have been a part of that was run defense struggles.
17:26But I said on Twitter today, if you fix the trenches on both sides, I think the offense
17:30and defense look not a ton better, but I do think it would be a significant improvement. Like even
17:34if Barmore was back in the lineup, I think it means more negative plays. Teams may not be able
17:39to run as much because they're longer down in distance situations. So yeah, I think it's the
17:43offensive line, but you can't overlook the defensive line either, because when you look,
17:47especially if you look like three years down the road, it's not looking too good.
17:52Right. I think so too. I think it's more, you prioritize offensive line now this offseason,
17:57then sort of continue to work through the defensive line next offseason. Obviously
18:01Keon White adds a wrinkle into this, but I think if you can sort of hone him back in,
18:05get him to rebuy in, if you will. I'm not saying he's bought out, but obviously he has some
18:09questions about where his future, where his future lies. Christian Barmore comes back,
18:14hopefully healthy, obviously just cross your fingers there and see what's going on.
18:17But I do think as far as the offensive line goes, it's such a necessity because
18:22obviously you don't want Drake May getting beaten into the ground every week, but also he's somebody
18:26where I look at the O-line now as more of a priority, even over the weapons. Now we obviously
18:33want Drake to have some more guys to throw to and make his life easier, but he's been so good that
18:39I think he can make those guys better. He makes the guys around him, at least the pass catchers,
18:45running backs, things of that nature, that much better as a player. So get that offensive line,
18:49keep him upright, and he's going to continue to improve and impress there offensively.
18:54All right, let's go to our friend Courtney here. Why does this game against the Chargers feel
19:00winnable? The Chargers are an efficient team with top defense, but I don't feel like they're
19:04unbeatable even for this Pats team. We did our three keys to the game yesterday if you want to
19:09check that out on the channel, but if we can kind of just reiterate it and also look at this Chargers
19:15team where we've sort of talked about it since after the bye, where there's four games left,
19:21there's one game in the Arizona game that felt truly winnable, then there was this game that was
19:25iffy, and then it's the Bills and the Bills, which frankly they played the Bills the best
19:29out of all four of them so far. But what do you make of this matchup with the Chargers?
19:33How can they beat them, and why, at least according to Courtney, does it feel so winnable?
19:38I think it feels winnable because the Chargers just historically don't scare you,
19:42even with John Harbaugh, and I think a lot of that is because, yes, you have Justin Herbert,
19:46and the offensive line is better, and that's not nothing because their offensive line of the
19:50Chargers, just historically, it feels like they always get snakebitten where like multiple key
19:55players end up getting hurt. They're playing a ton of backups, and just the offensive line's
19:58been a mess. This year it's been solid. Now then the running backs have been hurt,
20:02and that's been a whole thing, and then you look at, I think it's the skill positions overall,
20:06because I don't think anybody can name anybody, but maybe Will Disley in the Chargers tight end
20:11room, wide receivers. Josh Palmer, solid player. I wouldn't mind if the Patriots were maybe
20:15interested in him this offseason. They wanted another quality veteran kind of guy, not high
20:19up on their priorities, but you know, maybe in like that second wave. Ladd McConkie obviously
20:23is a good player, but he's not like a huge difference maker. Like he's very efficient
20:28when he gets targeted. He's getting a lot of yards, but he's also not somebody that really
20:32scares you if you have a quality cover corner. So, and then obviously Quentin Johnston, you know,
20:36poor guy can't catch a cold. I hope that he figures it out. Seems like a really nice guy
20:40and all that, but you know, you need a little bit, I don't think. He's so up and down. I don't think
20:44I'm disrespecting Hayden Hurst. I really don't think I am, but I think it's because their skill
20:49players don't really scare you, and you're pretty much saying, all right, as long as Justin Herbert
20:54doesn't make a bunch of crazy plays, and the Patriots can be at least decent in run defense,
20:59they're not that intimidating. And then defensively, they've got their studs. We
21:03talked about that in our preview where Derwin James need to know where he is. You know,
21:07Joey Bosa is not what he used to be, but he's not a guy you can sleep on either. Khalil Mack,
21:11the guy's immortal. He's still getting after it. Tarheeb still has been outstanding as a corner
21:16that they got this season, but they don't have a ton of stars all over their defense. So it's like,
21:21yeah, no, we can definitely pick our spots and be able to have success if we don't get in our own
21:25way, if you're the Patriots. So I think that's why it feels winnable. And I was saying that
21:28before the bye week, that I didn't feel that the Cardinals and the Chargers were winnable the same
21:33way the Colts were, because I think the caliber and Justin Herbert are better players, and they
21:37have a little bit better supporting cast on both sides of the ball in terms of like those key
21:41players. But I didn't really, I wasn't really scared of the Chargers because every time the
21:45Patriots play the Chargers, they contain Justin Herbert. And it's not even because of him. It's
21:49because he has nobody to really throw to and not a really great supporting cast around him on
21:55So I think that's why it feels winnable. And I do think it is winnable. I think at the very least,
21:59this should be another close game. If it's a blowout like the Cardinals was, then that's,
22:03you know, that's going to be one of those two step back situations, because I don't think
22:07of the Chargers are nearly good enough for the Patriots get blown out, especially at home.
22:11Yeah, I think so, too. I think it's just the the optics of it being a, you know,
22:15late December game against the Chargers who have come in here. And again, last year,
22:21they win six nothing and they didn't play great. But it was obviously the end of season Patriots
22:25that were such a train wreck. And they've sort of had Justin Herbert's number. So I think every
22:29time you look at this Chargers team coming this way in December, it just feels, you know,
22:35more winnable than some of the rest. And it's funny, I think of the weather and I saw a clip,
22:40actually, Adam Schefter tweeted yesterday of Jim Harbaugh's answer to his team dealing with
22:45colder elements and if they're prepared. And I looked at the temperature and it's like a game
22:50high of like 42 game time high. I'm like, that's not even that cold. What are you talking about?
22:55So, you know, if they can't play in that, they have more questions to be answered,
22:59especially if they're going to try and make a playoff push here and have to go to Arrowhead,
23:02you know, in later on in January or something like that. But so yeah, again, we'll see what
23:08happens. I do think that ultimately they can win the game. And I think the way you kind of
23:12sum it up there is perfectly where keep it close, keep it respectable. Don't know if they win it.
23:16Charter's obviously playing for more down the stretch, but if you come out sloppy,
23:20like you did against Arizona, then there's going to be a lot more questions to answer
23:24after that game. So, all right, I want to talk Keishon Booty here, Taylor, two questions about
23:28Booty. I'm going to ask them at the same time. Is it realistic to think that Keishon Booty can
23:33have a Nico Collins type year three breakout? And on top of that, how can he become more consistent
23:40if there's an opportunity for him next year to carve out that number two wide receiver role,
23:43if they do bring in somebody who can't be a number one? Yeah, I don't see Nico Collins,
23:48because Nico Collins, we need to remember, like, he's big, he's fast, he has all skills. Like,
23:53it was just that in Michigan, I don't think he had a ton of production, because obviously they're
23:56very run heavy offense. I don't know 100%. I don't really remember him pre-draft to be totally
24:00honest. I was like, right before I really started to dig into the draft stuff. But I don't think
24:04that Keishon has Nico Collins ceiling. But I think to maximize him, one, he needs to be more
24:10consistent. He needs to have the hands that he told us he had, where he has the best hands in
24:14the league. But we haven't seen that. So you need to be more consistent there. I also think that the
24:18best situation for him would be playing Z. I think he's their best run blocker. I think that he's
24:23someone who shouldn't live on the line of scrimmage. And I think to maximize him, you want
24:27to maybe get him in space more. He hasn't done a ton after the catch in the NFL. And that's one
24:31thing that's been disappointing, because that's where I thought, really, he could be a dynamic
24:34talent. And we've seen the vertical chemistry he has with Drake May. He's the only one who's
24:38shown it with any level of consistency. That's not nothing, because the Patriots need that
24:42verticality. And it sounds like they work on it a lot. So maybe just that chemistry sometimes
24:46can elevate a player's ceiling. But yeah, for Booty, I think it's being more consistent,
24:51maybe a little sharper in your route running. And just being there for your quarterback,
24:54being someone he can trust in those man-covered situations. And I think he is,
24:58because a lot of the time when Drake does get those one-on-ones, it's typically Keishon,
25:02Booty, or Hunter Henry that he tends to look to. And even more than Mario Douglas, who gets open
25:07a ton against man, he just doesn't get the ball quite as much. So yeah, I think Keishon,
25:12not going to be a Nico Collins-type player. Honestly, I think he's more of a number three,
25:16to be totally honest. I think number two, he's like a mid-tier, probably lower mid-tier too.
25:24But he could still be a solid player for you who does a handful of things well.
25:28I want to loop these wide receiver questions in, continuing on a little bit altogether,
25:33because the conversation is important. Because it's not a good necessarily problem to have,
25:39but there's going to be a logjam at the position with Jalen Polk, with Javon Baker coming down
25:45here. And so David Jacobs asks here, do you think Polk will get more snaps this game?
25:50Or do you think they're going to start shutting him down for the season? And then looking at that
25:53too, if they do bring in a number one, they do bring in a Tee Higgins, or even go through the
25:57draft or something, then you have Keishon, Booty, who's coming on strong. Where does Jalen Polk fit
26:02in this mix? You talk about Booty being a number three, is Polk your hopeful number two at Z?
26:09I guess, how do you all envision it? And then I'll ask this too,
26:12all in one, who's a keeper and who's a goner in the wide receiver room right now?
26:17So looking at last week, he's had three snaps. I don't think that's insignificant. He had fewer
26:21than Javon Baker. I don't think that had happened before. So I see him as, in terms of long-term
26:28solutions in the receiver room, I think everyone's replaceable. I think you can upgrade every single
26:32spot. I really liked Mario Douglas, but I think his issues against zone, the fact that they're
26:37continuing is pretty alarming. And just really, it feels like this year you really see he is a
26:41niche player. I was, even though he is so good against man coverage, that makes me feel he's
26:46more of a high-end role player, where if you're playing a man heavy team, then yeah, you want to
26:49get him involved for sure. He can be a gadget guy and all that. But I also think you could get a guy
26:53who's more consistent and gives defenses more trouble on an every down basis. Like I said,
26:58Keishon Booty is probably better as a Z. I still don't think he's like a really good number two,
27:02I think Jalen Polk and Javon Baker can be the kind of complimentary, very good number twos,
27:07who you can actually win with. But obviously they need to take the skills that we saw in college,
27:12translate those to an NFL field. I don't know that we're going to see more of Polk than we
27:16necessarily did last week. Also, it's so hard to guess because so much of this is based on practice.
27:21Practice well, then yeah, we'll probably get more opportunities. But Javon Baker got open a couple
27:25of times and had opportunities to catch the ball. He just wasn't targeted. So it's hard to know how
27:30it's going to shake out. But obviously I think we can confidently say after last week, him having
27:35so few reps that Polk's stock is probably on the decline right now, unfortunately.
27:39It's kind of strange you think, because I mean, you listened to Mayo's comments with Tom Curran
27:44at the bye week and that sit down he did. And it's we want to see what these young players have.
27:48We want to see what they can do. But also you mentioned practice. If you're not getting it
27:52done in practice, you're not going to get a shot in the game. So the Jalen Polk thing is really
27:57disappointing. And I know it's we continue to hit on it. We continue to do it on the postgame
28:02show with John and we try and hit it here. But, you know, the people are curious and rightfully
28:06so because, you know, they spent a second round pick on the guy and he just hasn't produced.
28:10And so looping it back into this question, who's a keeper? Who's a goner? Like.
28:18I look at Javon Baker as somebody who fourth round pick. So and we've talked about fourth
28:24round picks off the air where they're they're kind of dart throws in that middle round where
28:29somebody you expect them to be, maybe a backup could turn into a decent level starter. But
28:34is Javon Baker expendable? Like if you can bring in somebody else? Obviously, I think he is Jalen
28:39Polk a little bit different because he spends a little bit more draft capital on him with the 37
28:44pick. But if you could sort of rebuild this room and then I see in the comments as well,
28:50Carlos said Bourne would be the odd man out at that point. I wonder about that,
28:53too. Like how does this thing ultimately shake out? It's kind of I hate to call it a mid off.
28:58I hate to be disrespectful, but it's kind of a bunch of like so so players that kind of just
29:03there's too many guys in the middle. Yeah. Yeah. All right. You're right.
29:07Well, it is what it is. I mean, I don't even think that Bourne is the odd man out because he's
29:11actually doing things for you. Right. If you were next summer and after all training camp, Javon
29:15Baker still hasn't caught on. Yeah. Fourth round pick. You call around, see, hey, will somebody
29:19give me a sixth form or something like that? Or you cut him. If two years in a row, a young
29:24receiver is not producing and you took him on day three, I'm sorry that you are expendable.
29:28Jalen Polk probably has like three years unless he completely bottoms out or something. And another
29:33team calls saying, hey, I think I can fix him. I'll give you like a fourth. Then maybe. But
29:37I know Kendrick is getting older and all that. And he's been inconsistent as well. Every week
29:41he has one glaring play where you're just like, I don't know why you did that. I don't think you
29:45know why you did that. And it's weird that veterans are making those kinds of mistakes
29:48every week, but at least he's on the field and contributing. So like I said, I think everybody
29:52can be upgraded, but I think like DeMario, Kendrick Bourne and Keyshawn Booty are the
29:57only guys in that room where I would expect them to be on the team next season for sure.
30:01And then poke for reasons that I said earlier, because they're actually on the field doing
30:04something. And maybe with more time with Drake may obviously get the whole off season to train
30:08together. If you want to, then you got the summer, which I feel like, especially on defense, we're
30:13seeing that if you miss the summer, it's not nothing. It really, really hurts your development.
30:17So if you end up missing that time, that's tough, but if you get it and Drake may is the starter,
30:21he's getting all those reps. It's not splitting at 50, 50 or 70, 30, whatever with Jacoby,
30:26that's all Drake may time. Maybe those guys can take a step forward, but yeah, I think that
30:30probably Jayvon Baker is the most likely odd man out. I think so too. That's my answer.
30:35I think it's Baker. He hasn't been able to clearly get on the field or make an impact as much as they
30:40would have liked him to. And I think you can't move on from poke just yet. You're kind of
30:44hamstrung to him because of the draft capital you spent. There's also potential there. It's one year.
30:50Uh, obviously even said that he was like, yeah, it doesn't always click for guys in their first
30:54season. Dane Brubler came on the pod and said it as well. Like I understand that it's very
30:59uncommon for a receiver to not be very good or be terrible in year one.
31:02And then actually have a solid career after that. But those are two people with a lot of experience
31:07in the league who are pretty, you know, guys you can trust who have said, yeah, sometimes it just
31:11doesn't click. So I am not ready to give up on these cats. Let them just, you know, they have the
31:16whole, especially because one other thing, I'm sorry, I'm kind of going on. I feel like people
31:20don't understand how hard it is to transition from, uh, as a rookie in the NFL. And when guys do,
31:25it's incredible because like, think about what you're doing leading up. You're not focused solely
31:30on getting better as a receiver. You're focused on getting explosive, getting, adding weight,
31:35losing weight, doing all these things for the combine. We're doing interview prep, like very
31:40little of what you're doing before you get to an NFL team is actually making you better as a
31:44football player. So that's why Gerard Mayo said that year two jump is huge because now it's like,
31:49all right, you don't really have an excuse put on added weight. If you need to get faster,
31:53get more explosive, refine your technique, learn the playbook. So everything's automatic and you
31:57can just play fast. That's what year two is. That's why I just, some guys, you know, it can
32:01be a lot for them mentally, this West coast offense, the verbiage alone is difficult, much
32:05less the adjustments you have to make, making sure you're in sync with the quarterback. When a lot of
32:10college offenses aren't that strict. So I just think you need to take one year, give these guys
32:16till next summer. Let's see what they can do. A hundred percent. Now you look at, I mean,
32:19the Nico Collins comparison from earlier, I'm not saying he's Nico Collins skillset wise. It's a
32:24different player, different thing. But just as far as the development, he started off slow.
32:28He was a third round pick for Houston, and now he's turned into one of the better wide receivers
32:31in football, Jalen Polk, second round pick, same thing. Give it time. See what happens. Someone who
32:37came in as a, obviously a solid player and can do a little bit more and has the skillset. So we'll
32:42see if he can continue to develop that. All right, we're going to continue on here in a second,
32:46but first a quick word from our friends at game time, we will be right back. It's the holiday
32:50season. And that means it is also the best time to watch and attend your favorite sports games.
32:55And you can do so right now with the game time app game time is focused on togetherness this
33:00holiday season. And that means when you bring people together at live events, the experience
33:05is that much better. And it's the perfect holiday gifts. They also have the new feature called game
33:10time picks. It makes getting tickets to live events, even easier. It filters out the fluff
33:15and shows you only the incredible deals on great seats. So you don't have to waste your time
33:19searching through thousands of tickets, game time, picks best feature. They also have all in pricing.
33:25You toggle it on and it shows you the exact price you're going to pay at checkout. No fees,
33:29no garbage, just the price right there on the app. They also have seat views. It gives you a panoramic
33:34view from your seat in the app before you buy your tickets. And they also have their lowest price
33:40guarantee or game time will credit you 110% of the difference. So take the guesswork out of
33:46buying tickets today with game time, download the game time app, create an account and use code CLNS
33:52for $20 off your first purchase terms apply again, create an account and redeem code CLNS for $20
33:59off. Download game time today. What time is it? Game time. Let's go. There we go. That was great
34:05timing. Head over to game time. I'm so glad I'm gonna cut it that way. Use code CLNS $20 off that
34:11first purchase terms do apply. If you want to head down to Foxborough tomorrow, it's going to be a
34:16beautiful December day. It is still Christmas holiday break for a lot of people. So if you
34:21want to head down there, $45 is the low price right now on the game time app that is the all
34:27in pricing feature toggled on so that is exactly what you will pay. Nothing more than $45 to watch
34:33Drake Bay and the Patriots take on the Chargers. But let's get back to the good stuff here. Taylor,
34:40a couple more questions before we get out of here. Let's talk about this one I found kind of
34:46interesting. Jacoby Reset talked to Mike Reese last week, a couple weeks ago rather kind of not
34:53sure about his future here, has been the backup quarterback here for most of the season. Drake
34:58May has talked very highly of him. New Royal Rooters however asks, do you think the team could
35:03maybe let Joe Milton serve as the backup for the last couple games to get him that experience? And
35:10it was interesting to me because I understand the premise where he's someone if Jacoby isn't here,
35:14he would be a candidate to sort of take on that role next season. But at the same time,
35:19I think right now you kind of let it play out as is. Jacoby's been at least inside the building in
35:25that quarterback room, the consummate professional. And I think if they did have to turn to somebody
35:29else to kind of run the offense for the rest of the game, they would much rather hand it to
35:33Jacoby Reset. Now I do think putting a little bit more weight on Joe Milton's shoulders here,
35:39game prep, having to worry about the actual opponent, getting those number two reps in
35:44practice. And then if push came to shove, he did have to go in the game where obviously the win
35:48loss column doesn't really matter right now. I think that would be a little bit valuable to his
35:53development. I just don't know if they actually do it, but what do you make of the idea? And what
35:56do you think of the question? Do we know if the emergency third quarterback gets a headset so
36:01they can listen to the play call and everything? I believe they do. Okay. I was just going to say,
36:04if that was the only difference, that would be a pretty good reason to maybe do it. This is a
36:08really good question. I didn't even consider this. I also don't really know how much things would
36:12change. Obviously you don't want Drake May to go down anyway. So hopefully Jacoby and Joe Milton
36:17are never going to see the field in 2024 or in any year in the next 10, 15, whatever.
36:24Yeah. If there were more that would change in his routine, I would say, yeah, do that. And I'm not
36:29even really against it because I kind of do like the idea of Joe Milton getting an opportunity to
36:33maybe get some reps. Like in the case, it was a blowout. Maybe then he can get a series or two.
36:37You see what he's got. Like, I think that would be a pretty cool idea. So if they did that,
36:40I wouldn't be shocked. But also we've seen, you know, Drodd Mayo, I think the comment about
36:45wanting to see the young players, it kind of feels like the burdensome cash comment,
36:49not quite as egregious, but it's like, okay, but yeah, but we're also seeing there are some
36:53players that clearly aren't. And some of it is justified because they're just not playing well
36:57enough to deserve those opportunities. And everything we've heard about Joe Milton in
37:01practice is that he's awesome. Like he's simulating all these elite, you know,
37:05crazy dual threat quarterbacks and he gives them great looks. I don't know how much opportunity he
37:09gets to actually run their plays. So if that's too much of an hindrance and they're like,
37:13from what I understand, right. So if he's not really running their playbook a ton,
37:16it probably isn't a good idea because you're throwing him into the fire a little bit too much.
37:20Um, but I think it is a good question and it is interesting. Maybe something we can ask on like a
37:24Friday, um, uh, you know, in the next game, you know, again, because we'll get one more. Yeah.
37:31Yeah. If Drake may hangs like 35 and the bills somehow don't score a point in week 18, you know,
37:37would you want to get Joe Milton out there? So yeah, no, this is, this is a really good question.
37:40It's interesting too. You met like on one hand it's, yeah, you don't want to throw them into the
37:44fire, but at the same time it, I hate saying the games don't matter, but it's like, this is the
37:50time to do it where you can't even really, uh, duplicate that in preseason as much because for
37:55the majority of it, it's installed and you're working on almost all of your own stuff. And so
37:59there isn't a ton of game planning for a third string quarterback that can happen in the regular
38:04season because they use them so much on the show team. So an interesting idea, maybe just put more
38:10on his plate. And I know that's tough because then he also has to worry about your offense and
38:15running your plays and practice. Then here he's also the show team guy. So it would be a lot for
38:19him to take on, but I think it's like you said, it's an interesting question as far as how they
38:24develop a third string quarterback behind the pros pro and the starter and Drake may, as well as
38:30being, they're not, um, I don't want to say stepping on the toes, but sort of messing around
38:34with the depth chart too much. But if you're going to do something like it, this is the time to do it.
38:38So we'll see where that goes. It is an interesting question. Maybe we'll ask it next Friday with
38:42Gerard before the bills game. All right. Let's talk about the defensive coaching staff. Who are
38:47you, or how much are you inclined to keep DeMarcus coming to next season? If some of the defensive
38:51staff goes to UNC, what do you make a Rex Ryan or Matt Uberflues as options on the defense side of
38:56football? Because now out before you flip out freaking out because of the Pellegrino part,
39:02I think it's like a really sad, and this is a good question. I just, I don't, I don't like to
39:06think of a world where my Pellegrino is not on the Patriots. Okay. I thought you were freaking
39:10out more about bringing in Rex Ryan or Matt Uberflues because those are guys who are good
39:15defensive minds. Obviously Rex is a different breed as far as the persona and the personality
39:20he brings, but he was obviously a great defensive coordinator and a solid head coach until he wasn't
39:25in New York and with the bills. I wonder about that overshadowing Gerard Mayo a little bit.
39:30Same with, I mean, Uberflues is different. It's like, cause you look at a guy like Matt Nagy,
39:34who was a good offensive coordinator, was a terrible head coach. Same with Josh Bertaniels.
39:39And then it goes back and he's still in Kansas city right now as their OC and doing a good job.
39:43So these are guys, the retreads who come in and can be assistant head coaches of value type guys.
39:49I wonder if who, if you know, guys like those would be options here, but also as far as the
39:54Covington question too, like if Mike Pellegrino goes, then you're, you're completely rehauling
39:58this entire staff. So I guess, what do you make of the defensive changes coming up?
40:03Honestly, I I'm indifferent on Covington. If he stays, I want hell actually, I'm not indifferent
40:09because if he stays, something needs to change. You can't just say Covington, welcome back.
40:13Everything's going to be exactly the same. I understand the injuries have been an issue and
40:17it's put so many guys in difficult positions. I get that. I'm empathetic to that and how tough
40:22that must be as a first year defensive coordinator, but I have yet to see him put a stamp
40:26on this defense in a positive way. I don't really, it's the same question with Gerard,
40:29where I'm saying, what do you bring as a defensive coordinator? Cause I'm just not seeing it. And
40:34it's not like we're hearing players go to bat for Covington. Like they do it for Mayo and they
40:39aren't asked to specifically. The only person I've heard say like outstanding love for Demarcus
40:45Covington has been Christian Barmore. And that was obviously too, when he came back from the
40:49blood clots and he was asked about it, he was like, Covington has been great. Mayo has been
40:53great. So there was a little bit more than just on field stuff. There was definitely a personal
40:56aspect to that, but you're right. Besides that, there hasn't been a ton of outward support for
41:01Demarcus Covington from the players. Yeah. And I I'm sure he's a good relationship guy. And I know
41:06I feel like he and Gerard Mayo were in lockstep, but it's one thing to be a relationship guy.
41:10When you're the CEO and coach, it's another, when you're leading the entire defense,
41:14I don't think that works. I think you need a clear vision. And I just don't know what that
41:18vision is. It feels like they're still the Patriots that we've known, but like we talked
41:22about in the bi-week pod where it's like, okay, well, we talk about what are they different?
41:26They don't blitz as much, but they only get pressure when they blitz. I'm not saying it's
41:29necessarily bad. I understand. You don't want to put yourself in bad spots at times. Sometimes
41:33blitzing to get the pressure isn't always the best move against certain quarterbacks.
41:36As we've seen, then you've got that the secondary sure they play more split safeties,
41:41but they're not any better playing split safeties. If anything, they're worse when they play cover
41:45two. So I just don't know how he makes them better. So if he comes back, get him some kind
41:50of help. Um, if he leaves, I'm cool with that. Just get somebody, I think with an established
41:55track record, um, Rex Ryan, I don't love, honestly, I just think he's such a big personality.
42:00Right. I just, I just don't love it. And he's been out of league for a while. And I feel like
42:04that's for a reason. You know what I mean? For sure. But I don't want to necessarily compare
42:08him to his dad. Cause I think that's unfair, but I always think when I think of Rex Ryan,
42:13former head coach, as like any type of assistant role, I think of buddy Ryan on the, uh, bears
42:20when basically the defense in the year, they won the super bowl, let a mutiny against the offense
42:24because they were like, we're doing everything in this office to do shit. So like, and they
42:29literally like he, I think, um, I think Mike Ditka and a buddy, right? Oh no, that was when he was
42:33with the Eagles. They got me. He punched, like, I think he punched the coach, his own head coach.
42:38He punched him on the sideline. So I always think of that and I'm just like, Oh, I don't know.
42:44In terms of Rex Ryan, having been someone with a lot of power being in the background, I don't
42:48love that. I think he's kind of in that category of guys who are much better when they have a
42:53certain role than they are as head coaches. Like Ben McAdoo, another kind of disgraced coach who
42:58was in a pretty big market who is good at a role and is why he became the head coach, but obviously
43:03flamed out in that role. I don't love the whole relationship stuff where players quit on him at
43:08the end. That's a really bad look. I feel like that stench might take a couple of years to wear
43:12off. So I don't love Iberflues, but I'm all for change. Just please keep Pellegrino if you can.
43:17Oh my gosh. He's like the one coach whose room consistently doesn't feel like a liability. And
43:22I know we can point to like John Jones against the Rams. We can point to Marcus Jones against
43:26Garrett Wilson and Jalen Waddle, but like, you can point to a game. You can't show me like four
43:31games where the cornerbacks have been the problem. I can say that about the safeties. I can say it
43:36about the linebackers. I can say it about the defensive line. I can't say it about those guys.
43:40So don't you dare deprive me of my Pellegrino. I was going to rip us off with two more quick
43:45ones that came from Twitter. But first we have a live one from our friend Zach Ventola. If Covington
43:50is out, what do you think of Pellegrino getting the promotion to defensive coordinator?
43:55I don't know. Honestly, I feel like I just, it's kind of like defensive line in a way
44:03where your vision is kind of hampered. Like obviously in the slot, it's not the same, but like
44:07safeties, linebackers, those are the coaches who often become coordinators because there's so much
44:12communication. You have to understand what's going on at every single level versus a defensive line.
44:16You're kind of just dealing with the defensive line. You're shifting and everything, and maybe
44:19making some adjustments and calls, but you're not seeing the whole defense. And unless you're a
44:23nickel corner, you're not really moving around the defense as a cornerback either and seeing
44:27everything and you're hearing calls, but you're not really making calls. So I don't love the
44:31idea of a cornerbacks coach becoming a defensive coordinator. To be honest, I don't know of a lot
44:35of examples of that happening. I'm also a Patriot-centric person. I don't have a great
44:40tap on the rest of the league. So if there is, maybe, but yeah, I typically, especially at this
44:45whole Covington situation, I would much prefer to have defensive coordinators be guys who either
44:49have a track record of being coordinators or guys who have coached safeties or linebackers.
44:53Yeah. I'm with you. I don't know if he ends up going to UNC with Bill. I feel like he'll
44:59probably stick around here. I feel like the obvious one is Brian because he's his son.
45:04It's not even just Bill, it's Steven because that's who you're really going with. With Bill,
45:08it's a year or two. It's like, are you going to be with Steven for like a decade or something
45:11like that? And Steven's going to be the DC, so he's going to be pretty much your boss there as
45:16well. Obviously, everything runs up through the head coach, but you're going to be working more
45:19hands-on with him as well. So it'd be interesting to see if they end up poaching anyone.
45:24All right. Two more quick ones before we get out of here. This one I love. Who is a luxury pick
45:29or signing that you want the Patriots to make this offseason? And take out necessity, need,
45:35where the Patriots are. Just someone who you would love for the Patriots to bring in. Either
45:38a signing or a draft pick. I'm looking right now. Draft pick is Travis Hunter. It's not even close.
45:43Okay. Me too. That's my answer. Because I'm sorry. I want the trenches to be better. I'm
45:49even lower on tech than I was. And also, somebody gave me crap on Twitter earlier for
45:54saying that I was more open on Travis Hunter and also saying they need to improve the trenches.
45:59You can be okay with multiple options at pick, especially in the top 10.
46:03A lot of good players. There's debate for everybody. And there's so many different
46:07rhyme or reasons or ways this thing could go. And it's okay to be able to talk yourself into
46:11any of them. That's what this time of year is for. Sorry. Go ahead.
46:14Exactly. And as we learn more about players, I haven't even watched the tape yet for a lot of
46:19these guys, but then we're going to have the bowl games. We're going to have the bowl practices.
46:24We're going to have the combine. We're going to have interviews. We're going to have reports.
46:28There's so many things that we're going to learn about these guys in terms of draft picks.
46:31And then free agency, obviously, is going to completely change what their needs are. So,
46:35my opinions are going to change. Buckle up. I'm not going to stay in one lane just because,
46:41I don't know, to satisfy some section of our followers. I'm going to make sure that I say
46:46what I feel in the moment based on the information we have. I am open on Travis Hunter more than I
46:51was, but I still think he is a luxury pick. Because when you need help in the trenches
46:56and you've got good cornerbacks, I think they're going to re-sign Jonathan Jones,
46:59who's healthier, has been playing better, Mike Pellegrino pointed out. He seems like a lot to
47:03be re-signed unless he retires. And wide receivers, you need upgrades, but Drake May is doing pretty
47:07good with the guys he has. I'm sure they'll find some veterans that are going to help that room
47:11out a little bit, but I just don't think Travis Hunter is the kind of player you need with a team
47:15that has so many holes. So, draft, it's him with bullet. So easy. Next question. Free agency,
47:23in terms of realistic options, I'm not going to say Khalil Mack. I don't think there's any
47:27chance he would come here. I would say Javon Holland, I think, is the luxury pick because you
47:36already have two safeties who are going to be around for a couple more years. Marte Mapu,
47:40I think, with a full summer under his belt, I hope, I'm not going to say I think, I hope,
47:43can really get it all together, be more fundamentally sounding consistent, and then just
47:47be the playmaker and maybe increase that while making fewer mistakes. And then Javon Holland,
47:53it's like you have to commit, basically, to playing three safeties because you're paying
47:56all these guys unless you were just going to really bite the bullet and say, hey, Duggar,
48:00you're either going to have a reduced role or we're going to move on from you or whatever.
48:03But yeah, so in the draft, it's Travis Hunter. And free agency, it's Javon Holland because I
48:07don't think you need him. And honestly, he hasn't been as much of a playmaker as he has in the past
48:12either. So it's, I really wonder what his market's going to look like. Like if he gets tagged or I
48:16don't think he's getting tagged. I don't know if they have that kind of money, but if he signs
48:19a one-year proven deal and a lot of money so he can make maybe a long-term big money deal,
48:24especially the safety market we know has not been very good, even though he is 24.
48:28So yeah, those are my two luxury picks. That was a fun one. I like that one.
48:30Yeah. I'm going Travis and I'm going T. T. Higgins as well because that's relatively
48:35reasonable too, I think. We mentioned-
48:39Yeah, because it's still like a, I guess-
48:42I feel like it's a must. If he hits the market, I don't see how you don't sign him.
48:46Yeah, I guess that's fair. Okay. So maybe, maybe not, but well, then I don't have an answer.
48:53Maybe, honestly, maybe Trey Smith, when you talked with Evan about this,
48:56how like they have three guards right now already and like signing one probably isn't
49:01the best allocation of resources, but also he's a great player and you know exactly what you're
49:06getting out of him. It's not like you're going to roll the dice late. It has been better,
49:09but you still don't know if he's a pro bowl caliber player. You don't know.
49:13Cole Strange is probably going to have to play center long-term.
49:15Siddy So hasn't been very good this year. He's taking a step back with better coaching.
49:20I always forget Siddy So is still on the Patriots. That's crazy.
49:24I don't think you're the only one and it's so disappointing, man. And I know everybody
49:27gets on Scott Peters for that, but I'm just like, I don't think it's a coincidence that when he
49:31wasn't being coached very well and was kind of doing whatever he wanted, he looked better. And
49:35now when he has structure, he looks worse. I just think his head's spinning and for like,
49:38for better or worse, he's also a fourth round pick. Like that's where I'm at. Cole Strange,
49:42obviously first rounder, that's disappointing, but Leighton and Siddy were both fourth rounders
49:46fourth round picks. You're hoping are either going to be maybe starters or very good backups.
49:52It's not like they're locked in and you can't move on from them, you know?
49:55Yeah. So I kind of took you under there. I'm sorry.
49:57You're totally fine. I like the idea of Trey Smith though. That makes sense because it's,
50:01it's a need. It's a position where you kind of have what you think you might want there,
50:05but also, you know, effort for us to throw a bag at him and then you figure out the rest later. So,
50:10all right, let's close it out with this expectations for 2025. And would you be
50:15happy with like a seven to nine win season? And what are you, I guess, not happy with?
50:21I'll add to it. It's so early. I can't really give expectations to be honest. Like
50:25literally one free agents, like them signing T Higgins could very much change how I see this
50:30offense. Cause it's like, Oh, you got an explosive receiver where I don't think there's a whole lot
50:33of places to get those in free agency or the draft, to be totally honest. But next season,
50:39if they make the improvements, like if we leave the off season saying, okay, Ellie,
50:43we'll like how we felt when he resigned the core guys. And I think pretty unanimously at the time,
50:47people were like, yeah, that was a smart move. You'd like to see him sign more big names off
50:51the market, but at least they did that. And it seemed like there was a consensus there.
50:55If there was another consensus after the draft and after free agency, we were saying they did get
50:59better. I think you'd like to see at least nine wins. I know that's a big jump, but we've seen
51:04that with teams that have the quarterback. Once you get more pieces around them and solidify,
51:08you can make a pretty big switch. Um, but honestly, even I guess seven's not the worst
51:13cause you haven't had a seven one season in years, but I really think you're hoping to be more than
51:17that, like eight to nine win range at the very worst because you got your quarterback and you
51:22should take a step forward and be able to mitigate some of the mistakes he makes. Obviously might
51:26take some steps back as well, just being realistic. Um, but yeah, I think you're hoping to
51:30hover somewhere eight to nine, if it's 10 or more, Holy crap. Oh my God. That's insane. And
51:35you really turn this ship around, but I feel like seven is like right on the cusp of not being
51:40disappointed. I think seven is the minimum drive. Mayo needs to keep his job again.
51:45Yeah. And again, there, there will be other factors, but I think that's like the minimum
51:50you need is keep building, even if it's slow, but there's more promise and things just don't
51:55go your way and you end up seven and 10. Like, okay, that's again, that's it's not,
51:59you're not happy with it, but that's the minimum. I think the realistic expectation is
52:03eight, nine, 10 is sort of a, the goal, a comfortable ceiling slash goal.
52:09Um, yeah, yeah, yeah. But, uh, yeah, again, I, I, it's hard to, like you said, it's hard to give
52:16it cause you don't know what's going to happen, but as far as the trajectory of this rebuild,
52:20I think that's the appropriate sort of way to look at anything under seven wins,
52:23reset it again outside of the quarterback and go from there. But, uh, that's, uh, I guess that's
52:28where we're at. So we'll close it out with that Patriots three and 12 welcoming the chargers
52:32to Foxborough tomorrow. Uh, me and Taylor will be there for CLNS. Uh, we will have Patriots post
52:38game after the game. Uh, no John Zanis, we will be on the field, myself and Taylor freezing our
52:43butts off, but we will get you a recap somehow some way. Uh, and we'll see where this thing
52:48goes. Chargers fighting for their playoff lives, Patriots, hopefully looking to play spoiler.
52:53We'll see if they can notch another wind in the wind column. So that is going to do it for us
52:58this week. We will be back. Obviously, like I said, with post game Saturday,
53:00but then we'll have Pat's daily again as well, breaking it down and getting you ready for the
53:05final game of the season. Patriots taken on the bills the following week. So until next time,
53:10thank you guys for joining. Thank you for the questions. Thank you for the interaction. We
53:13appreciate it as always. And until next time, take care of yourselves, take care of each other
53:18and we'll see y'all soon. Peace out, everyone.