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Oh but change is a foot with your football team in Foxboro ladies and gentle fans we’ve got coaches coming we’ve got players going tag you’re it or will the Patriots actually hold on to one of their players via the franchise tag there’s a dynastic docu series
That’s got the buzz of the nation and not just Patriots Nation the draft is quickly approaching could there be trades oh my gosh so much to discuss on the latest six rings of football things brought to you as always by Wei Odyssey in 2400 Sports and sponsored proudly by
The FanDuel sports book FanDuel make every moment more sign up today fanduel.com sl6 rings and I bet you are gonna find this to be one informative and action-packed podcast with your old Pals Nick Fitzy Stevens and Andy jumbo har produced as always by The Fabulous Justin Turpin Hart with everything
That’s going on right now as we as we head into the coaching announcements the veteran departures the franchise tag date and more uh I think it’d be fun to start the Pod off kind of like the way we do on the weekends when I ask you
Usually who won the week I’m gonna ask you pick a single adjective to describe the state of Patriots Nation right now oh I like this um could even just be a word yeah no I’m I I’m gonna Force this I’m not going to lie to you that’s my approach to most
Everything so I’m comfortable already hopeful interesting I’m gonna F because I don’t necessarily personally believe it but I think as Gerard Mayo announces his staff and as they begin to make decisions they are starting the process that they believe will hopefully lead to Improvement and growth obviously we’re
Going to talk about some transactions it looks like they’re getting younger as a football team in totality we’re going to talk about a coaching staff that there’s new faces new ideas new nepotism new whatever you want to call it in various areas oh my gosh um but in theory again
I don’t know if you believe it I believe it Joe Q fan believes it they’ve begun the hopeful process of the post bellich Patriots Yeah I was going to go my my two choices were familial uh because it’s a as they continue to uh as you said there’s a
Little nepotism aoy uh nepotistic probably wouldn’t have totally applied but there’s a lot of familiarity both in terms of nepotism and names and Legacy football personalities brought on to the new staff uh and I was also going to maybe go with evolving uh this is an evolving process for the New England
Patriots right now uh there’s so much turnover I think it’s it’s going to take days weeks months even for people to find their offices get their name plates established figure out what their roles are for us to come to learn who they are where they came from what their new jobs
Are and that’s just the people making the decisions let alone the players that are going to be coming because obviously turnover is at hand and when there’s change at the top like with a new head coach and a new front office there’s likely going to be change as well on the
Roster the sidelines in the locker room as we saw this week as well but first let’s help the people get to know their new coaching staff before we talk about whether they’re going to hold on to some of their players and at what value and who they’ve already decided to cast off
To the side let’s quickly get to know some of these new coaches as on Monday Andy the New England Patriots made their coaching staff Edition announcements and holy macaroni are there a lot of them um right here reading from the press release at patriots.com uh we know obviously Alex Van pelt’s your offensive
Coordinator Jeremy Springer is your special teams coordinator and Demarcus Covington is your defensive coordinator as of Monday people listen to get ready for this 17 editions to Mayo’s staff were announced they included offensive coaches joining Vell where Bob bnell as tight end’s coach Taylor Embry is your new running back’s
Coach never heard of him Tyler Hughes is your wide receivers coach I’m gonna have to lean on you for a lot of these guy Robert cougler sounds like he may have played Freddy uh could be like a Serial who knows that’s a off I like I don’t know like he’s an offensive assistant
Offensive line coach Ben mackadoo we’ve heard about previously senior offensive assistant Michael McCarthy offensive coaching assistant quality control TC McCartney is officially your quarterback’s coach Scott Peters who we’d mentioned before was the former assistant offensive line coach with the Browns now he’s in charge of the O
Taquan Underwood high top fades for all he’s the assistant wide receivers coach who’s going to be the wide receivers coach we’ll get to that in a second uh uh oh actually no we just got to that it’s Tyler Hughes who we’ previously not heard of defensively Vinnie DePalma is your defensive coaching assistant
Quality control uh Zeus high tower he’s inside linebackers Jamal let is your defensive coaching assistant Jerry Montgomery dline Drew Wilkins outside linebackers and then joining Springer on special teams Tom Quinn special teams assistant Kobe tippet special teams coaching assistant and then in addition Brian MCD was hired the assistant
Strength and conditioning coach and I do believe there is a a Mayo also joining the staff Andy as another strength and conditioning coach well he’s been the assistant actually and so he’s he has he’s elevating to the Head strength and conditioning coach so okay very good
That’s a that’s a lot of names right there oh and also Doug Kai told us on Monday Troy Brown will remain with the team in some capacity and wherefore art thou Brian bich who we had heard was not going to Washington with his brother but rather sticking around my God if
Everyone needs to like get up and like stretch their back or you know grab a snack after all of that that’s a lot to process Andy uh your first thoughts on the coaching changes and announcements um so people are gonna make a lot or much a do about like the numbers oh
There’s a lot of these guys belich had a small staff and now Mayo he’s got a big staff if you know what I’m saying no like I’m just saying um it’s what we do don’t think that that joke didn’t run through my mind last night when I this
Too it’s what we do here we make stupid jokes during this stuff this is um are we not people of course right and this is both meaningful and meaningless like every team has coaches like you’re going to have names some when you change coaches head coaches you’re going to
Have new names you’ve never heard of some you’re going to have heard of hey is that so and so’s son yes that’s Jack Bell’s son from your memory of Boston College like there’s gonna be some hey did that guy play for the Patriots yes he did and he’s got great hair well they
Both do actually high tower and um tawon Underwood both have great hair um Hughes is a guy Tyler Hughes a wide receivers coach which yes that say hey Troy you ain’t gots to go home but you can’t coach right here anymore push to the side um he was formerly with the
Patriots in a low-level role a couple years ago um so there’s some carryover there’s some as you said nepotism D Duron Mayo’s brother I mean Gerard Mayo’s brother donon Mayo gets bumped up not a surprise Miguel Cabrera was certainly a bellich guy mes caber right
Moses cabero um I was G to say did we get Miguel cabero retired from Detroit and came to us awesome I take that um that’s the closest thing the Red Sox would get to doing something interesting this offseason he’s not wrong folks Cabrero was definitely a bill guy um both in
Professional role but also he was his personal trainer he worked bill out every single day for an hour they would do boxing and various things like they were tight so oh no kidding oh wow because you know when you’re watching the dynasty there’s a lot of footage of
Like belich doing his uh you know grease penciling game plans and watching film on the tread I think a lot of us knew that bill would do a lot of work on the even Trent Brown used to talk about like if you if he wanted to talk to coach the
Best time was hit him up on the treadmill because he was there early in the morning absolutely and Moses oversaw all his workouts and I think he trusted Moses I actually think this is a side topic here but I think there was some of the issues with um Guerrero that were
Sort of tied to bich was so tight with Moses Cabrera Moses Cabrera had a little bit more of an old school I think squatting program and I think that led to some of that clashing that was part of the breakup of the Dynasty and the demise of everything whatever yep um but
Like Kobe tippet yeah he’s Andre tippit’s kid he’s been at toughs he’s a aarian kid he played at URI really good football player tried out with the Patriots was that last summer he got a try out with the Patriots he’s a young guy um either last camp or the camp
Before I think it was last spring he got a try out with the Patriots um you know I I don’t really the nepotism has never bothered me it bothered me that people freaked out because Bill did it everybody does it every coaching staff in the league has nepotism every team in
The league every franchise and by the way if there weren’t nepotism we wouldn’t have a the Patriots wouldn’t have a director of player personnel and a g whoever those guys are you know you know those knowes Elliot wolf ever heard of Ron wolf Matt Gro ever heard of Al
Gro um I don’t know Kyle Shanahan did you watch the Super Bowl ever heard of Mike Shanahan uh everybody wanted a Shawn McVey disciple ever hear of whatever the hell his grandfather’s name was that I’m sure his grandfather was something he was no he was he he ran the
Bucks so like nepotism produces great talent hell Bill belich got his first coaching job because his dad put in a call he wouldn’t have gotten the job he was looking at real he didn’t get a single response from like all the letters he sent out as just Joe average
Dad made a phone call and it’s fine it’s the way the world works every hear the presidents George Bush might have heard of him had a son like how about joh John quinsey Adam I was just thinking I was going local as well uh and and thank you
For forcing me to Google something during the midst of your uh wellth thought out and highly articulated nepotistic diet tribe John McVey grandfather of Shawn mcy was the head football coach at the University of Dayton from 65 to 72 head coach of the Giants later in the 70s and most
Importantly GM of the San Francisco 49ers for the team’s five Super Bowl championships damn hm how about that so it’s part of the sport it’s it’s the it’s in the threads of the sport historically so I’m fine with it plus a guy like donon Mayo he was here with
Gerard he was here with Bill it’s not like he just got hired out of nowhere and he’s never picked up a weight before he’s been here hence my use of the word familial at the start of the podcast like like again like whether Andy it is the Patriots building a high floor
Organization with people like Elliot wolf and Alex Van Pelt Ben McAdoo who have been there done that before Alonzo heith stepping in in an as yet unnamed Personnel Department role uh and now a lot of these coaches as well whether it’s from nepotism or experience as well
You’re not going with a brand new unproven staff in in in many ways you’re going with a a bunch of people that have been there and done it before they’re just going to think about it and do it differently than bill bich has and that’s what makes things potentially
Exciting and also awkward for some that are loyal to the reign of bich and anytime you can get a big powerful Peters as your own o line coach you’re great that’s we’ll be right back ladies and gentlemen here on um no I’m trying to there isn’t a ton
Of excitement to this staff if we’re being honest like Dante hi Tower I think fans love the idea of him coaching just enough fan service to excite the nation I I do appreciate that yes but on the whole are you getting excited about Tyler Hughes or or Scott Peters or even
I’ve you know Alex Van Pelt doesn’t really excite me Ben McAdoo might be the most proven and experienced and successful in the crew and a lot of people kind of have negative feelings on him for the way it ended with the Giants so it’s not the most exciting staff but
Who cares we’ll find out you know if they if they draft the right quarterback third overall this staff gets remarkably better immediately if they take CJ Stroud every one of these coaches looks like a better coach now if they take Mitchell trabis every one of these coaches looks like a worse football
Coach like that’s the way it works it’s a talent-driven league if they have a great tag in free agency per perod and start laying the foundation and infrastructure for a new younger tough faster stronger football team then people are going to say yeah these guys hit the ground run and they did their
Homework if they crap the bed ins sign a bunch of people that spent half the season on IR or is it or or are as ineffective as half of the players were in the uncharacteristically aggressive spending spree of 2021 then people are going to say ah you should have just
Left bellich and Company in place in the first spot so and just to it does seem and it has been reported that uh Brian bellich Mike pelo and Troy Brown will be back I’m assuming in the back end of the defense you’ll have pelo and Brian bich
And Troy brown maybe as the returners coach or something also wouldn’t stun me if maybe he had a role in like football Ops could he be like Player Development in that world you know those are some of the options maybe um or Player Development slash returns coach
Returners coach something like that um I think think a lot it a lot of fans were soured on him based on the production and development or failure to develop of a lot of the young receivers or even the veteran receivers in recent years and it’s weird because he’s a beloved figure
Of the Dynasty and of the the whole organization it didn’t seem like it totally worked with him as the wide receivers coach to just sort of put it I don’t know softly gently I know in the yesterday when the Patriots made this official on Instagram I just always like
To quickly just comb through the comments to see what the uh the fans are are talking about and there were a lot of where’s Troy Brown where’s Troy Brown and then there would the replies to that would be like he’s a legend but he kind of sucked as a wide receivers coach and
Like we don’t know it could have just been the talent maybe he’s sausage sucked yes I see that’s what I think like the ingredients he was cooking with I can’t imagine Troy Brown can’t figure out how to tell you how to play the wide receiver position considering where he
Came from and what he did over the course of his career but uh that’s one of the positions we hope to see turnover a plenty via free agency as well as the draft um yeah I’m look I don’t know who a lot of these coaches are yes some of
The names ring a bell like you like you previously mentioned I can go back and find out who Tyler Hughes is thanks to the magic of the Google Mach machine and search engines and I might get excited about it or at least if nothing else I’ll feel comfortable about the fact
That they have a bunch of competent people that have done these jobs before some of them getting slight elevations pay raises um and positional bumps okay okay um it’s not going to be an unmitigated disaster and quite frankly some of the positions like wide receivers where people underperformed quarterback room which was a
Dysfunctional mess and underperformed wildly special teams I mean can it get much worse no no it really can’t no and and I hate to be flippant but it’s the world they live in and we live in like these are people losing jobs or moving on because I’m not I haven’t heard a lot
About like where camic cord is going to end up or or some of these people and don’t I don’t take that lightly like they have families they have they also were making really good money as NFL coaches and if they’re smart they’ve made enough connections they’re gonna they’re gonna land on their feet
Somewhere um they’re gonna have opportunities I don’t think they’re going to be in the unemployment line so but I I I never take it lightly that somebody with a couple kids and a wife and a house and a mortgage and a car payments and those types of things is is
Looking for work but it’s a reality you know you hear all these coaches talk about you get hired to be fired basically it’s just correct long how long is the gap in between those two things and some of these guys here Bill belich others you know it was a really
Long time some others you join the staff a little late Adrien Clen or you know Billy Yates and some of these guys yeah what it is so Bill O’Brien moves on he takes will um L yep who was the tight ends coach last year to be his offensive
Coordinator at Boston College and now we get excit now I think everybody regionally is going to be infantes more excited about Boston College or at least has the potential to be much more excited and BC should improve within two years time for sure maybe even one thanks to the magic of the transfer
Portal um some of those guys like CL like you said Clen Yates oh boy that was a rough tenure and we’ll see where they go you wish them all the best Vin anderi Steve belich they make their way to the University of Washington so yeah it’s not easy because people have kids in
School and they have friends in the neighborhood and now all of a sudden they have to get uprooted and figure out what to do about the condo and does Dad move while Mom and the kids finish school then they rejoin him uh come summertime it’s it’s it’s a whole it’s a
Whole boond Dole but when we’re just if we just focus on the team at hand I’m excited about the fact that we do have a lot more coaches right now now you may say like that’s going to be one busy kitchen guys like we saw a pretty successful operation with fewer Cooks in
The kitchen but then we also saw Andy an operation where too many people took on the roles of others and should have delegated more or at least so we felt in the waning years of the bellich tenure here with the Patriots now you’ve got many other guys and they have very
Specific jobs and if everyone if we’re going to stick with the old Mantra of do your job then a bunch of people should just focus on their individual specific get a lot of assistant and quality control special teams offensive and defensive coaches here it should be a functional operation and it seems like
Gerard Mayo who continues to profess himself a big family guy and I it seems to me like he’s a big Family Guy bunch of kids had mom and the step stepdad who he loves to pieces at the thunder buddies intro um he’s setting up a big coaching family right here I’m looking
Forward to getting to know them I’m looking forward to seeing what they do and I’m also looking forward to seeing what kind of football team they build uh Pats people any thoughts on the coaching changes some of the new coaches brought in who are you sad to see go uh who are
You happiest about you can always hit us up he’s at jumbo har I’m at Fitzy gfy and of course this is your favorite Patriots podcast at six rings pod all right Andy as we move on here on the six rings pod we have to unfortunately Bid Farewell and leave some flowers um for
Some of the players that are already departing uh who have been given their free release Andor announced that they’re just no longer going to be playing football anymore uh on Monday we learn three members of the 20123 patriots who had been some of whom had
Been with the team for close to a decade one of whom is actually one of the the final Champion Championship holdovers um James ference announced his retirement a utilitarian uh swing guard center for the last several years of course uh son of Kirk ference one of the true fobs in
The Colgate coaching ranks and then there was the announcement of the release of Adrien Phillips safety who had played with the Patriots for four years coming off of a very successful six-year run with the Chargers and Lawrence guy Adrien Phillips had seen his playing time diminish significantly last year he went
From starting every game and every game to most of the games to only one game last year uh they’re obviously getting much younger at safety we’re wondering if they’re going to hold on to Kyle Dugger um safety is a position they’re obviously going to address an Nei free
Agency or the draft because they just let a 10-year veteran go and Lawrence guy I mean that’s a I mean he’s we’ve had the pleasure of interviewing him on Wei before what a great guy smart funny uh loves him some pop culture but like he played everywhere on the defensive
Line I think he played in uh like 110 games for the Patriots started 103 of them uh team captain Super Bowl CH played in two Super Bowls for the Patriots one-1 in Super Bowl 53 like that’s one of your rocks that’s one of your pillars of the the tail end of the
Bich tenure but it seemed like it was time for him to move on as the Patriots continue defensive Line’s obviously a strength but they’re looking to get younger so um yeah tough to see him go but that’s just the nature of the Beast huh yeah my first two reaction to this
First of all I believe Lawrence guy even though he’s a member of the all 2010s team um for his contributions late in that decade I think he’s arguably the most underrated player on the second part of the dynasty um I thought there were a couple years there where you
Could make a case he was their best defensive player most important defensive player also brought leadership um and I don’t know that his name just sort of rolls off the tongue even of patriot fans even of hardcores I think he’s sort of uh unfortunately forgotten
More than he should be I thought he was great as a revelation too when he arrived I didn’t know much about him you kind of read his bio look at his background with the Ravens and the Packers you’re like H okay and then a couple years later I’m thinking you
Can’t play defense without this guy like this guy is one of the most important 11 guys on the field um and then my secondary thing is both him Adrien Phillips even to a lesser degree um James fence like who are the leaders going to be on this team where is
Leadership coming from Joan Bentley is back as a leader in the middle of the defense the middle of the offense I’m assuming David Andrews will be back as a leader um but you’ve lost between Devin mccordi and then you lose Matthew Slater I’m assuming um now you lose Adrien
Phillips and Lawrence guy you have either captains or basically captains that are moving on and I know you got to get younger it’s a young man’s game we know that and Leadership has has to be a fluid situation it has to refill itself but some of that I don’t know where it’s
Going to you know for example you have a void at the quarterback position a couple years ago we probably would have thought well M Jones will be one of the centerpiece leaders of this franchise well M Jones probably not going to be part of this franchise moving forward
You don’t have that um and I just I kind of look around the depth chart even some of the great players I’m not sure what type of leader and this is not a shot this is just a sort of observation from afar because I know players get pissy
About this I remember when Alon Roberts attacked me like six months later after I questioned him being a captain and didn’t really wait hold on back oh back that back that ass up really oh yeah yeah yeah no he waited until they clinched uh the playoff spot I believe
Okay the seasons are all blending together whatever like his last year was here in December 2019 back when he was playing back when he was playing fullback because there was a need after Devin got hurt right in December when they clinched a playoff spot he was like
Hey hey you hey orange jacket because I had an orange jacket on so yeah it’s like the orange visor doesn’t surprise me yeah okay you the guy who said you didn’t think I was necessarily Captain material back in August and I was like wait you just clinched a playoff spot
And the first thing you thought of is come at Andy Hart whose name you don’t even know some random guy who said some random thing on either the radio or a podcast that’s your first um reaction thanks for making my point that you might not exactly be a leader and a true
Captain um so I I I wonder some of these like Christian barmore I don’t know that he’s Lawrence guy love Christian barmore very talented youthful energy work ethic seems to be good is he a is he a staple leader and Captain I don’t know I mean he entered the NFL with questions about
His commitment to Alabama and football and things back then so you know Christian Gonzalez is he a is he he’s a future great player I believe but is he a future Mainstay Devin mccordi type Captain I I don’t know and I think they have a Demario Douglas is he GNA be a
Leader and you know ra Andre Stevenson I don’t think he wants to necessarily be a leader and who knows he’s a running back on you know an expiring contract he could be gone so where’s where’s the leadership coming from I’ll say it’s going to come from
Guy like I I again looking at the social media quickly just seeing like who makes a point of immediately saying something like on a Lawrence guy retirement or departure post as he says thank you to Patriots Nation R Andre Stevenson first in Dietrich wise there’s one there’s one
Of the fellas I think is’s gonna be a post and pillar of the new Patriots does wise have a Super Bowl ring he’s been here this is year seven so yeah is this a 18 192 I think he does like so you got like basically him and Andrews left uh as
People that won rings and know how it was done back in the days when winning was something that you kind of took for granted because the Patriots did it so often and Andy as you make mention of people like Matthew Slater who we assumed was going to retire because he
Would be moving on we thought this to be his Farewell season just moments ago as we record here on Tuesday Morning February 20th 2024 Matthew Slater just moments ago making it official uh via social media that he is retiring he put together a beautiful long uh farewell announcement
Um that the Patriots have shared at Patriots official on social media um I’ll just quickly read some of the highlights uh to the craft family in the entire let me see hold on on wow there’s a lot to this Pat’s Nation it’s been an honor to represent the silver red white
And blue for 16 years thank you for cheering challenging and supporting our team each and every year to the people of New England thank you for welcoming my family and me into your community and allowing us to call New England home we are Beyond humble LED and blessed you
The fans making NFL players experience what it is thank you for supporting not only me but our great game uh he goes on to thank the craft family um he thanks his mother and father Annie and Jackie Slater of course Jackie uh an NFL legend himself as well once again Andy playing
Into the familial approach to the Patriots and nepotism as well but he has obviously earned his own Stripes over the course of that decade and a half plus he thanks his wife Shazad uh side note I’ve had the pleasure of actually getting know her a little bit um as she
Would often take in games uh in the suite where I would watch with our friends the former sponsors zudy uh she uh of the Patriots she is maybe the nicest person if you think Matthew Slater is the nicest person it just makes complete sense um what an Incredible family they have put together
Um he goes on to talk about how much football means to him it’s really beautiful it’s an emotional farewell um he talks about his faith and then um how do I feel about being a patriot for life oh yeah may God bless you all sincerely Matthew slater
Man that’s going to get right up in your Foxboro Fields right there andy you know we have a little uh side chat here uh text chain with producer Turpin as we record the podcast and I was glad um when he he bumped in there Slater officially retired I was like wait did I
Miss that when did that happen I’m glad yeah I was I was about to ask you like Andy how much longer do we have to wait he they Ed this out perfectly the new coaches come in before it’s time just as they start now having to make way with
Players and letting guys like Phillips and guy go um perfectly perfectly timed a day where he can just like no more changes will be announced by the Patriots Matthew Slater you get February 20th all to yourself and I’m guessing they’ll have a ceremony at some point at
The hall or or in the new uh whatever the hell that new thing is called that’s really cool at the end of the stadium um they that because he’s an all-time great I just retweeted it and said leadership will never be the same in New England he
Is a remarkable leader who you want to talk about Bill bellich wore too many hats or you know too much on his plate at times I thought they unfairly put too much on Matthew Slater’s plate at times and I don’t believe he ever complained and I don’t ever believe he dropped the
Ball and I I don’t make light of this but you sign and then release Antonio Brown W Matthew Slater why don’t you go out there and talk about it for the team or like one of your teammates allegedly murdered somebody hey Matthew Slater why don’t you go out there and talk about it
Like there’s a scandal hey Slater why don’t you go out there and talk about like wait a minute I came here to cover kicks I came here to block for some punt returners I didn’t know I had to be the spokesman through some of the most difficult times of this organization but
He did it and did it well and I I personally will always um cherish seems over the top dorky but whatever the times when uh mut and I interviewed him on Monday nights and you could ask him anything and he would answer honestly not always totally over the top fourth
Coming because he’s a great leader and wasn’t going to throw anybody under the bus and wasn’t GNA adversely affect the team but he not once did he ever say like I can’t believe you just asked that or even just give you a bellich long pause and disrespectful answer Matthew
Slater answered every question ever asked to him with respect and as much honesty as he could as a leader of a football team and a member of an organization and that’s going to be missed just talked about it that’s a void let’s just say they hit some really
Crappy times this year who’s talking other than Mayo who who are the guys because no disrespect I don’t know if Diedrich wise as you brought up wants to do that David Andrews will be he’ll be one of those put out there and he’ll be one of those that’ll be leaned on and
You know he joked about it when he won the media good guy award that his wife criticizes him doesn’t think he’s as good at it as he could be and he’s like well you know I have bosses and there are tones that are set within the organization and I can’t always say what
I want to say um but this is another you know Talent is a question leadership and and pillars is also a question for this team and again I know that’s how it works in transitions like you’re leaving a certain era there’s a new era coming
You know guys got to step up next man up on the field next man up in terms of leadership but as bill bich would say no one man is replacing Matthew Slater on the field or in terms of leadership so that leaves a big void for this team it
Would be impossible to think that any one person any group of people could replace the personality the leadership uh the faith the effort just everything that Matthew Slater brought and you know I I’ve only had the I’ve had a chance to talk to him a couple times on the radio had a chance
To talk to him at a couple of charity events that the Joe andrewes of the world have run and he’s an absolute Delight there’s no it’s no show there’s not like ma there’s this Matthew Slater for the Patriots and in the locker room and for sound bites and at the podium
And the there’s this meth like no no no no no he gives you his all his everything he is a bright light in this world let alone in the Patriots community and on this team and yes even though we all expected him to retire now that it’s official it hits it settles in
You won’t see him wearing a uniform anymore I don’t know what role he’ll have going forward if he’ll coach I’m sure he’s going to be in the area for years to come he’ll be highly active he he should be visible uh I’m sure he’ll be doing a lot of charity work
Volunteering maybe there’ll be some foundation work who knows all I do know is it was a pleasure watching him it was a pleasure I mean how lucky is the team to have had him for over a decade and a half how lucky but were he to be able to
Watch him to talk to him and to to learn from him and be impressed by him along the way um yeah this just opens up and like again opens up another you some may say like that’s another hole they have to fill but in trying to stay Patriots
Positive as we’ve talked about you opened by saying hopeful as my word dour describing these Patriots this opens up another opportunity for somebody to take over as special teams Captain as a locker room leader and as a North star on the Patriots emotionally and practically um but yeah let’s let’s just
Make you know like make make no bones about it like that’s that’s a big loss that’s a hell of a career definitely gonna be getting his red jacket I think next stop Canton he definitely should be a special teamer that makes it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and I’m sure
The craft family and especially whenever Bill belich issues some words about Matthew Slater those should ring pretty heavily with the people in Canton Ohio one day to see if he can get a bronze bust and a yellow jacket that’s just and I don’t know whether he actually
Deserves it or not um I’m as big a fan as you could possibly have but I know some people think Steve Tasker was really great and they’d haven’t really put pretty damn good too he was pretty damn how that plays out and I’ve had people on the committee tell me they’re
Going to change some of the voting and maybe put in a guy like Slater and Tasker every three years as a separate type of um candidate on the ballot but I will say this it’s we always do this somebody dies you talk about how good they are they retire you talk about how
Great they were but all of it is true with Matthew Slater more so than almost any player I’ve ever covered and I would add to that I think he seems so perfect with his glasses and he’s well spoken and his uh commitment to his Christianity and his faith and God and
You’re like that guy’s probably phony and no no no and the best part is he wasn’t holier than thou you could also talk to him about normal stuff and not get like over the top slapped around by the Bible or whatever like he clearly spreads the
Word of God but my f one of my favorite interactions with him was when I told him about ma Jones we were just shooting the Poo I don’t even know how we cross paths we were just shooting the poo and I said thank you for doing the
Interviews I said it’s not always easy I said well look at your quarterback I think he struggles in that area I said he comes off as scared douchy he’s always afraid to say anything and Slater just starts cracking up going scared douchy that’s pretty good I’m GNA use
That sometime and I go whoa whoa whoa whoa you’re not using that tied to my name you’re Matthew Slater first of all yeah you don’t say doui second of all don’t tell Bill that Andy Hart said our quarterback is scared douchy you leave my name out of this um but you could
Talk to him about normal things he wasn’t like a person and yeah but he is a he’s a better person than you and I he’s a better Christian than you and I he’s a better ever leader than you and I he’s a better everything take a lot
There but he doesn’t he didn’t look down his nose on you and that’s what I liked and dude also underrated carved out of freaking Granite at the age of whatever the hell he is shredded with one of the great bubbles if we’re being honest in the history of football and for the
Uninitiated that means he has a big old powerful ass that was part of his successful athletic skill um that they used to talk about in The Scouting TR the core the tree yeah exactly oh my god oh and there’s a reason people buy a Slater Jersey as like you want to look
Like you’re not sure which Jersey to buy yet from last year’s people who’s going to be the new quarterback draft picks Rocka Matthew Slater Jersey that will literally never go out of style that says that you care about like the the core the foundation the fundamentals I’ll never forget two things one like
That um just like the Joy on his face when he won his first Super Bowl Super Bowl 49 because he came aboard the Patriots as a wide receiver who didn’t wasn’t a great kick returner and wide receiver But ultimately found his role as a special teamer um in 2008 as well
Um that his him like dropped to his KN like celebrating the exaltation The Joy on his face when he knew his first championship just absolutely Unforgettable on a night of Unforgettable moments and then the first time I met him it was actually at the I
Think they call it a feast for 45 where Pedro Martinez does a fund uh a foundation fundraiser at Fenway Park and all these chefs come in and you pay a about of money and you wander around and you try all these different bites of food and Slater was there and I said hey
Matthew Slater and he he turned and looked at me he goes how come I know your face and I said I’m this knucklehead I I do a little work for the team but I do these YouTube videos where I profess my love for the Patriots a little too much with four-letter words
And he goes I know you he’s like yeah I can’t say those things but we know who you he’s like you’re that guy okay and didn’t judge me and it wasn’t like hey I can’t have anyone see me around the guy who drops F bombs on YouTube talking
About how much he loves grank and Brady and we chatted for five minutes and he was just a freaking Delight also the only man there in a sea of people wearing socks jerseys untucked polos and ratty t-shirts uh you know dressed like he just stepped off the set of a Brooks
Brother shoot um what a dude what a guy lucky us farewell Matthew Slater I am sure as is Andy as is all of Patriots Nation you will crush retirement and the days to come with your family friends and the community the same way you did special teams and being a patriot for 16
Seasons all right last leg here on six rings in football things we have talked about the new coaches we’ve talked about veteran departures and of course paid our flowers and due deference to the retirement of Patriots Legend Matthew Slater now let’s clean everything else up in Isle Patriots with a little pets
Perie we need production or some sort of official intro for that now we’ve been doing the segment for so long petur all right just record that turp that’ll be fine that’s what we got um uh yesterday you know as we anticipate the combine in Indianapolis coming up soon I
Actually watched a little because it was a holiday and the kids were home and uh during a lazy lunchtime I saw a caught the fourth quarter fourth period whatever you call it and overtime of the Boston Cannons winning the professional lacrosse league uh championship series that was awesome uh bringing another
Title back to Boston well done um and then I also saw some of the HBCU combine on NFL Network first time I ever saw it I never even heard of it before in complete ignorant profession um that for those not in the know that is the historically black colleges and
Universities combine um gotta say I saw some dudes out there yesterday who look like they have some Sunday Talent quarterbacks a lot of running backs who had like 1,800 total yards 20 touchdowns um there are four that were written up on NFL Network just some names I want to
Throw out there uh Florida A&M rattlesnake quarterback Jeremy Musa Dude Looks like he can Chuck it North Carolina Eagles quarterback davius Richard North Carolina AT&T A&T Aggie’s receiver tamon cook and Winston stum State Rams wide receiver RJ Moy those were the four offensive impact players from the combine yesterday um Andy have
You heard of any of those guys seen anyone else from that as well um and I can’t think of any stars of the HBCU combine who one day became Legacy Patriots or impactful players but maybe you can course correct me on that so I don’t I don’t know any um HBCU combine
Players but there’s been plenty of HBCU players in the NFL over the years I do think um the talent is getting spread out more over college football um and they’re always going to find the athletes whether it’s division three division 2 um or HBCU they’re going to
Find them um and this is a way to promote those guys I think Dion Sanders has brought some attention to that area um there’s a another former player who’s coaching a a a HBCU school right now that I’m drawing a blank on but they have definitely um trying to elevate the
Idea that there’s athletes there there’s athletes that can absolutely fill out an NFL roster or at the very least deserve to be invited to a 90 man training camp and compete in the preseason and in that way so I think you’re going to see more and more handful sprinkling of guys um
From those areas and it’s sort of the classic well we can draft a backup or we can sign a backup from like Oklahoma or we can bring a guy who was a star at one of these HBCU schools I might take a chance on the star you know we Kyle
Dugger you know he was at division two Lenor Ryan like these these guys and and all the players always laugh about it I remember mccordi always just say every time he talked about Doug like I always ask him like you’re one of the best all-around athletes I’ve ever seen how
Did you end up at Lenor Ryan a D2 school and like but the same true for the HBCU kids so it’s cool and they’re getting more and more opportunities they also have now like the regional combines in the spring um scouting combine so there’s some of that you don’t just have
To it used to be I think in the old days if you didn’t get to one of the bowls and you didn’t get to the actual combine it was like well the writing might be on the wall I think there are a lot more paths now to NFL opportunities which is
Great because just because you didn’t happen to you know you didn’t catch on at Alabama or because you weren’t in SEC ACC or Big 10 which is technically now the big 18 stud or standout doesn’t mean that you don’t have Sunday Talent or can’t catch on on a roster and uh
Ultimately you know showcase that you have professional football Talent maybe a lot you know and maybe this is something where more combines and maybe the NFL will be able to work with the UFL if that’s a success this spring and turn into a true feeder in developmental
League so that if you’re not ready that you just come out of a smaller school or an HBCU whatever and you definitely you you want to make football your life you’ve got the passion you think you can get be a fifth receiver a third a third
Down back a special teamer maybe you can go and workshop those skills for another year or two and then one day get your try out and make some impact I’d love to see it as well just because I can’t get enough football but it looked to me like
There was I wish I I apologize there’s a name jard Davian something or other this kid had like 18850 yards touchdowns Galore like he was one of the top backs in the country last year and I know he’s playing lower level Talent he’s not running into the teeth of the Ohio State
Or Michigan defense but like these dudes can play so it’d be great to see them catch on and get their opportunity um it is officially tag day Andy today is the first day of the franchise tag uh as we discussed on terrestrial radio over the weekend the Patriots have a number of
Candidats that uh could very well be tagged as do other teams so I will ask you a two-fold question for your analyses sir number one do you believe anyone will be tagged on the Patriots and who would it be and who would you like to see not get tagged elsewhere
That the Patriots can get after so I’ll start with the second first uh the not tagged I’ve been on the T Higgins train for a couple years now you know that um I think he said it’s getting awkward it it is um he’s the best opportunity in my
Mind to take a guy who’s a two and say you know what you deserve a shot to be a one and we’re going to throw some money at you and believe you’re going to elevate your game and Elevate our offense and our quarterback whoever that is doesn’t seem like it’s likely sounds
Like they’re trying to keep the band together I already saw like a lot of early Super Bowl predictions I think are being built off oh they’re gonna tag T Higgins Joe Burrow’s back maybe the Bengals are a Super Bowl Contender this year so I’ve seen some of those um
Bengals Packers seem or chiefs Packers Bengals Packers seem to be hot Super Bowl predictions if you’re in that early game which is a little weird since nothing is actually happened yet in the offseason but one point that they made this morning on hello good morning it’s football or whatever the hell I was
Watching in was um you know the Bengals because of they finished n even though they were nine and eight and like looked damn good enough to be a playoff team to me at the end of the season with Jake Browning at quarterback as opposed to Joe burrow um they did finish fourth in
The the AFC North which means they get a fourth place schedule this year oh and they get Joe burrow back and they have an S ton of salary cap money and a bunch of draft picks as well so that’s why you should watch out for Ben’s gals this
Year it’s weird when you have a franchise quarterback things seem to just fall into place even when you get hurt they kind of fall into place place it’s the damnest thing sets aone I mean a book it now I don’t know if if FanDuel
Has this as a bet yet I know you can bet futures for Super Bowl champion can I bet on the participants in the AFC Championship because uh it’s worth a Sprinkle to do a Bengals Chiefs runback right uh yeah probably I mean who knows you always get injuries or whatever but
Um yeah I well I think there’s you’ve now got I’ve talked about this and I love it the 4 QB rotation you got Mahomes you got burrow you got Allen and you got Lamar and like give me any two of those four and I feel like I’ll be
Excited to watch that AFC Championship game in January um so to talk about the tag from a Patriots perspective um I know there’s been a late Push by Mike Ree and others that they should tag Kyle Dugger um that leads me to believe that they are being told that there’s a
Chance they tag Kyle Dugger so I think Kyle Dugger is becoming maybe the front runner to get a tag and I think that numberers 16 and change um some nice I mean now with Adrien Phillips Gone you’re not sure what to do with mapu yeah my problem free safety it sets a
Tone you need a free safety and why are you tagging Dugger what exactly is the end game because if you pay him 16 and change this year then he’s going to want to raise from that next year when he hits free agency again you’re not going to tag him again because you’re not
Going to give him a 25% raise off of that and pay him 20 million dollar next year if you want Dugger I you can sell me on you want Dugger so do do a deal do a fouryear $60 million contract or whatever the hell the number
Would end up being um and do a deal I personally think he’s the least um enticing of the guys I’d want to retain uh I’ve talked about it with you it’s a big nut to get Hunter Henry on the franchise tag because it’s a 25% raise
Over last year um and I think you got to keep on wenu now I don’t really want to tag him I want to sign him um but if you do some sort of tagging to delay to give you the opportunity to sign him you guys aren’t quite close enough yet whatever
I’m for that but I would go Mike on Wen who’s my top priority Hunter Henry’s my second priority and I can I can take it or leave it with Kyle Dugger quite honestly yeah I know I it’s uh it’s funny I I I want them to like I oh when
We definitely need first and then after that I sort of get into like yeah I kind of want Anthony Jennings cuz he was pretty good last year in a back rooll I don’t want to overpay for Josh uch I I I haven’t seen I don’t think he’s three
Down enough for me and I think the you know Keon white will help you make Keon white will help you generate the pass rush that you may lose from uch and his situational work Dugger be great I don’t think he’s worth Jesse bat’s money and
If he’s gonna try to go get top of the market Derwin James money best of luck I’d draft somebody I mean Antoine Winfield’s also going to get paid as well we’ll see if he gets tagged or if he gets I know the Buccaneers have to figure out what they’re going to do with
Mike Evans and Baker Mayfield and Anan Winfield and they don’t have the financial latitude the Patriots do so you want T Higgins I understand that uh I want Tyron Smith because I just want a mountain of humanity at left tackle for a couple years draft some tackles help
Have them learn you know solder style behind the mat light if you will um Trent Brown adios Amigo farewell to you and best best of luck wherever it is you end up um and I’d get on W imagine if they if they sign a deal with on and
They bring in Tyron Smith all of a sudden now you’ve got 700 pound of excellent at your Tackle Spot so whoever’s playing quarterback Andy whether it’s uh jacobe brassette Russell Wilson Jimmy garoo uh bayy zappy ma Jones Andy Hart Thomas Stevens whoever like they’re gonna have a chance to make
A play and the Run game’s gonna benefit because you’ve got some dudes out there that can hold their ground so um that’s what I is thinking um I did want to ask you this so it looks like Kirk Cousins and the Vikings are at a little bit of a
Contractual stalemate now I know the Patriots are not a team that needs to jump in and get a quarterback immediately to compete this year uh the aspirations of just having a near 500 record should be the peak of what the Patriots hope for this season obviously
Not winning the AFC East but hey who knows anything is possible right so I’m wondering uh I’m wondering would there be any interest in like if the vi won’t give him a fully guaranteed contract and he wants to move on from there any interest here or I’m GNA ask a crazier
Question let’s say Kyle Shanahan’s like you know what damn it that’s it Brock you’re really good but I think I can get back to the Super Bowl and finally win it with KK cousins would you have any interest in maybe calling up the Niners and being like what would it take to get
A shiny little pry over here in the land of formerly Irrelevant in New England uh I would not okay um I would not have interest in cousins too much money too short term not ready that’s you know to me he needs to go somewhere like Matthew
Stafford goes to the Rams Brady goes to the bucks with the idea like this is a pretty good team I can put them over the top and the 49ers obviously make sense there Brock pie to me I think is a second tier quarterback and you’re certainly not built with the weapons and
The opportunities The Playmakers that the 49ers have represented for him the last couple years but the name you didn’t mention oh some reports out of Tampa that the bucks May franchise Antoine Winfield and therefore Baker Mayfield if he’s not signed first because obviously they could just flat
Out sign the guy to whatever contract they they’re working on but Baker Mayfield could be available he is the veteran quarterback that I would at least consider given his background with Elliot wolf and Alex velt his upside now do I feel great about it do I feel like I’ve just
Entered the conversation as one of those teams in the AFC with a true franchise quarterback I do not but if you’re going to sell me on a different plan than taking a quarterback at three whatever the different plans are I don’t hate the baker Mayfield plan because when he’s on
He’s fun to watch and maybe Alex Van Pelt is the right guy to have him on more often than not I also think the the travels and trials and tribulations to go three TS three example style like Bill Bel and Nick Fitzy Stevens um Baker Mayfield been through some crap
In the NFL and you know we’re coming off a quarterback who went through crap and fell apart absolutely turned to a puddle of Goo I think Baker Mayfield might be a guy you could hit your wagon to and say at the very least he’s GNA handle himself he’ll he’ll he’ll keep it
Together mentally emotionally no matter if we bought him out a little bit we’re not quite ready to rebound and start going the other way so of the veteran quarterbacks or uh non number three overall pick quarterback options I would listen to the idea of Baker Mayfield I
Would too I would I would love the only thing is like if he’s going to cost you know if he and the Bucks can’t come to some sort of agreement and he’s going to cost like three years $110 million like do you want to spend that much of your
Money on do you want to spend that much of the money on Baker Mayfield right away like and is he doing business I know it is it’s most definitely the cost of doing business um so I wanted to draft a guy if you want cheap draft a
Guy if you want to go in a different Direction and maybe quicker whatever then you’re going to have to spend a lot of I mean it’s going to be more than that for kurk cousins KK cousins North a year and he wants it fully guaranteed as
Well what’s um let me real quick just share this so Mike click and Rick strad who we’ve all become familiar with because we got to know Rick because he covered the Bucks and continues to do a good job covering the bucks um for the Tampa Bay times and he was like the
Brady Whisperer down that he was like the the Curran for Tampa um for all those years Brady was there um so he wrote an Winfield likely candidate to receive franchise tag CAD quote tweets that and says this would mean Baker Mayfield is set become an unrestricted free agent in March connections like you
Pointed out with heith Van Pelt and Wolf come to the Patriots stad then quote tweets that and says I wouldn’t bet on it they won’t have to use a franchise tag on Baker to sign him to a long-term deal both want to get something done in
Tampa Bay so are we just sure but sometimes you want to get something done and then it doesn’t get done you don’t get done right and then maybe the guys maybe the guys at first just looking for leverage right that’s the other thing oh you guys wanna you guys want a nickel
And Dy me I’ll go visit the Patriots I’ll go visit my old boy Alex Van Pelt and uh Elliot wolf and then all of a sudden you get here and he’s like huh I was kind of using this as a leverage play but I kind of like these guys and
Maybe this is a legitimate you know what I mean stuff happens like we think you know God you know we plan and God laughs or whatever kind of thing but you never know maybe regie white if if God can tell Reggie White to go to Green Bay
Maybe he can tell Baker Mayfield to go to New England good point and that was a reasonably successful stop on the Reggie White professional football tour absolutely just ask uh just ask Max Lane how that worked out Max is a very nice guy I mean no disrespect to Max he’s a
He’s a solid good he got his ass kicked it’s not I mean it’s all there for all the world it’s Reggie White what are you gonna do for God’s sakes it’s not like he get his ass kicked by you like that’ be no that would be that would be a
Tragic I mean maybe on the golf course but not on the football field regie it is what it is jeez R um and no love uh what about what about the handsome one what about the two game suspension for James Garoppolo um any interest lukewarm um interest I guess uh
It I do think they need to add a veteran a rookie whoever those guys are the the level I mean I guess if you add Baker Mayfield the rookie is a much lower level rookie um so I would listen to Jimmy Garoppolo and and there’s obviously a connection like to you know
He played with Dante hi Tower like this organization is aware of what Jimmy Garoppolo represents um I wouldn’t it wouldn’t excite me I feel better about Baker Mayfield than the upside I mean Jimmy garoppolo’s career has taken a downward turn of late now he’s turning brutally yeah kids stay
Off the drugs uh handsome Jimmy will tell you I don’t know what the heck he took Beauty obviously has its price I’d be curious to see if mayo and Company have the same level of interest that Josh and bich did years ago as well we’ll see I’m all for at least a veteran
And a rookie coming through the door that could be the kind of who knows you know maybe if you sign a Mayfield then you take a Spencer Rattler in the second or third round or someone else that you can sit on for a year or two at least
And you know find out if he pans out because you’ve got a plus level starter coming in as Mayfield showed last year that when you surround him with some talent and competent play calling Dave Canales is now the head coach of uh Carolina for God’s sakes he did such a
Good job with Baker uh and it helps when you have Chris Godwin and Mike Evans and Rashad white at running back as well so we shall see my word Andy it’s almost an hour’s worth of pod right there the people got their money’s worth and then some on this spectacular edition of six
Rings and football things the latest is always the greatest with Fitzy and heart any thoughts please share them with us you know the socials at Fitzy gfy at jum heart and at six rings pod Andy and Mike cathic will be back with a one-off Wednesday coming up in just one day’s
Time we’ll have some more later in the week and of course if there are any tags signings releases and more stay tuned we could have an emergency pod just like that like that that’s it so always stay tuned keep your alerts set like share smash that subscribe and tell everyone
The best community around to talk all things Patriots is six rings for TP for HART for Fitzy this has been six rings of football things pleasure as always everybody good day God bless keep in touch and go pets
