Does the situation make the QB work or vice versa? | Patriots Talk

Which factor is more important to winning a Super Bowl, the situation or the QB? Tom Curran and Phil Perry debate whether the Patriots should draft Drake Maye with the third overall pick or trade back.

1:00-Situations win Super Bowls, not QBs!
6:30-Is Mac Jones more of a finished product than Drake Maye?
12:00-Trade down if Maye is your option at #3
25:00-Ranking the Patriots’ offseason position priorities

CONNECT ➡️ Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@nbcsboston || Our website: https://www.nbcsportsboston.com || Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @nbcsboston

🎧Listen to our podcasts:
🏀 Celtics Talk: https://link.chtbl.com/RJkwuSSg
🏈 Patriots Talk: https://link.chtbl.com/I4lb7Oey
🔗 Next Pats: https://link.chtbl.com/nextpatspod

The official YouTube page of NBC Sports Boston. Home of the Celtics, Patriots, Red Sox, and Bruins. We connect fans with the teams they love.

[Applause] hey what’s up everybody welcome into Tom car’s Patriots Talk podcast joined as always by Phil Perry we got plenty to get to because free agency starts next week and the Patriots they’re hurting for certain at a number of different positions Phil just got a haircut we’re

Going to talk first however about the notion the Patriots have to get out out there and find themselves a quarterback who they can win a Super Bowl with okay do we have to go diving right for the Lombardi what about a simple kiss can’t

You find a guy you can win with Phil do you know how many quarterbacks in the 58y year history of the game of the Super Bowl have won Super Bowls do you know how many different guys have won it’s in it’s in the email I sent you so don’t answer correctly I’ll leave

That alone then uh oh let me guess though uh let me guess uh I don’t know Tom no 34 there’s only 34 of them Phil that’s that’s that’s a much smaller number than I would have guessed thank you and as of 2020 ESPN they did a story

Back then they said that they had 721 quarterbacks had started a game in the NFL at that juncture so more than that have started now I wasn’t going to start adding them up this morning but basically 4% or 04 per is that less more whatever 34 out of 750 or so have won

The Super Bowl I bring this statistic up because I keep hearing the Patriots need to find a quarterback they can win a Super Bowl with I heard treny say it on early edition because Dan orlovski said something about Drake Made needing time and zo went bananas about the fact that

You can’t sit a guy for a year or two and then treny said hey if you think you have a guy you’re going to win a Super Bowl with it does doesn’t matter how long you you sit him it’s you can’t pick a guy and say we’re going to win a Super

Bowl with him every team is looking for a guy they can win a Super Bowl with but you know who isn’t the guy who you can win a Super Bowl with so far Lamar Jackson Josh Allen Justin Herbert they haven’t even played in one Aaron roders has won one he’s been in the

League since 1941 my point is Phil you can say that you want that but there’s not some chromosome that 34 guys have and nobody else did these are situations not unicorns situations win Super Bowls John Elway might be the most talented quarterback in the history of the league

He didn’t win a Super Bowl until his situation came around and met his skill level which it actually declined so that’s where I am right now so you’re done I I I I I have more written down but well listen I I want to hear it all because all right good Jaden Daniels

Will need less to be in the right situation than Drake May will that’s my belief but if you give Drake May a great offensive line an amazing defense good coaching and a healthy roster I can see him up there kissing the Lombardi and you know handing it to to

Robert but you need all those other things Tom Brady had a shitty situation in 2019 and our station multiple people who do our job spent an inordinate amount of time saying that he couldn’t play anymore and he wins a Super Bowl the next year went to the playoffs two more

Times because of his situation Patriots won a Super Bowl in 2018 with a not so great team that was because of Brady the offensive line Jimmy develin good health a shutdown corner and their playoff opponents specifically the Rams the Chargers that’s why they won because they had the Unicorn you

Can’t find the Unicorn there’s only 34 of them in the 58-year history of the National Football League my point isn’t trying to find the best quarterback my point is my point is there’s no such thing as a Super Bowl winning quarterback or a guy that you can win Super Bowls with that you

Envision this that’s all okay I think you are crazy period new paragraph you need both is the is the right answer you need the unicorn and the situation the Unicorn needs to be in the right situation where his skill set can be fostered and developed and turned into a Super Bowl

Caliber player that’s that to me is how it works because you could have the situation that the Patriots had with Drew bledo you weren’t winning the Super Bowl Drew blitzo was a was a fine quarterback for a time he wasn’t by the time Tom Brady took over but he had been

Before he’d been to Super he’d been to a Super Bowl before a great example so you need both and I understand what you’re saying it’s so rare to even win one to try to Envision one of these guys that hasn’t even touched a pro field yet as

Somebody who can win one is a little lofty but what I would say just trying to boil it down to what do you need from that position to win a Super Bowl generally speaking you need to be healthy you need a good arm you need to

Be smart and you need to be able to perform in the most important moments of a football game and and I think by and large there are certain players that you can look at and say I can I can picture it with this guy they have a

Predisposition for that okay so but I think they’re really really rare like we can see JJ McCarthy can actually do some of the things at the latter end that Drake May hasn’t you know he can win a big game he can play with PO he can lead

A team back he can play in high leverage situations in front of 104,000 people same thing with Caleb Williams Jaden Daniels has a unique skill set that can win games on his own a lot of this is circling around Drake May because it’s coming clear to me that

The first two guys off the board are going to be Caleb Williams and Jaden Daniels and the Patriots are then going to confront a situation where they can take a quarterback who needs to be molded and fostered I mean M Jones was more of a finished

Product than Drake may do you agree with that Ma Jones more of a finished product than Drake may you have 4 seconds sure but the situations to your point Mr situation man were completely different exactly so you thought you were going to build a great situation around an average Quarterback in M Jones

And that’ll get you to the Super Bowl well your situation went to hell like Brock p is not somebody you’re gonna look at and say we can win a Super Bowl with that guy but his situation was so good you you almost could be sniffing around possibly winning a Super Bowl

With that guy just a few months ago and the year before before he got same thing with Jaylen Herz if Drake May is put into a crap situation you’re never going to realize the benefits that he would have given you so I guess my argument is becoming you got to make the situation

If you’re gonna get an average guy you have to make the situation pristine for him because if you have an average guy in the situation is shitty which is what we just saw for the last two years you are wasting a first round pick you want to do this all again in

2027 go ahead and take Drake May I’m oversimplifying but and I think listen we can argue over the actual evaluation of Drake May you’re 100% right you can’t draft an average Quarterback at three overall I’m sorry especially given the way that your roster is set up if they

Draft Drake M three overall they’re telling you this guy ain’t average this guy’s special and we ain’t being pressured into this just because the rest of the league thinks it’s a good idea it’s because this guy has size he has athleticism he has a very strong arm

And we have seen him do some special things on the football field that some of the best players in the NFL right now are currently doing to bail out their teams and to raise up their teams they might be in good situations but you still got to be the guy in certain spots

And you got to make a play you got to make somebody miss you got to make a tight window throw that nobody else can make and we feel that this guy in the right situation can learn to do that consistently enough for us to compete for championships that that to me is the

Thing Tom because when you’re talking about Super Bowl winning quarterbacks I think I would just I just want to be careful not to say well it’s so rare to win one don’t even think about that hoisting the Lombardi trophy but I think if you look at guys that have won the Lombardi

Trophy Tom you’re looking at for the most part bigger players very durable with good arms roll through them for for the hell of etc etc you’re right just roll through them you got Brady you got man Patrick Patrick mahes Matthew Stafford they’re not they’re not Giants

But they you know solid 220 is pounds right Tom Brady Nick folos big human being Payton Manning Russell Wilson outlier to me rless bger rothberger big strong dude healthy guy um Aaron Rodgers six two but again thicker Guy Eli Manning thicker guy like so McNair almost wins one Kurt Warner won one John

Brett Favre Troy Aman okay Joe Montana now you’re getting a little bit smaller but I would to me this this argues your point a little bit about Daniels over May if you’re thinking about winning Super Bowls there aren’t many guys that are built like jayen Daniels who have

Won Super Bowls no if any there are guys that that are built like Drake May that have won Super Bowls I think though there’s also the woods are full of long hitters that’s a quick golf quick golf seg but the woods are full of guys who

Fit the suit who just either were in a bad situation or couldn’t play and couldn’t play I guess would be a mitch trabis who had the nice combo a bad situation and couldn’t play so I think the Patriots situation is such that if you take Drake May and say if we

Give him the right situation we’re GNA win then you’re saying and we’re pretty sure we’re going to be able to make the right situation here you know why that and I don’t know if they can you need the right situation for everybody though Tom don’t think you don’t need the right

Situation for Jaden D you do you do you do you absolutely do but in order to Curry some interest and sway with the rest of the league and not look like a bottom feeder Jaden Daniels could win some games for you and be an exciting player I and again that’s neither here nor

There I’ve just made an observation that I I I look at I’m like who cares because no one does care I don’t want Mitch trabis or M Jones or Kenny picket landing on our Shores with Drake May and still be sitting there with your pockets turned

Inside out at wide receiver tight end an offensive line so my feeling is trade the hell down add your offensive lineman add your wide receiver you got tons of them you can even add a quarterback opposite Christian Gonzalez to make your situation that much better and keep your

Defense top here you could do that in the first 50 picks don’t worry about the quarterback don’t worry about it it will happen Phil the my my only push back to that is even if it’s Daniels who Falls to you at three he still needs receiver help he

Still needs line help Lamar Jackson has needed it and we don’t know if this kid can be anything close to Lamar Jackson that’s what you’re hoping for but Lamar Jackson’s had one of the best offensive lines and running games in football since he’s entered the league he’s a

Huge part of that but he’s had some Talent around him not so much at the receiver position a little bit better this year and he wins an MVP if you get that guy and and you’re able to add pieces around him the way the Ravens have been able to with Lamar Jackson

Recently that is a home run third pick selection but that’s what you need to do you can’t just say hey you’re our guy go get him buddy go win us some gam because it’s not going to work and and to pass on the quarterback all together is incurring massive risk

Because you’re taking the risk that this guy does hit if it’s Drake May or Daniels and you passed on him to build the rest of the roster and maybe be a mediocre team now you’re picking between 12 and 17 for the next five years you feel good about finding a franchise

Quarterback in that spot maybe and maybe you can teams have done it but the odds are usually less usually the best players in the draft go at the top of the draft and you can say that but you can also say that that guy who you might be this

Isn’t basketball this is not Michael Jordan and S buy this is different because the situation is so dependent and you can look at that guy who might turn into say Drake May ends up in Atlanta and they win a Super Bowl yeah you got it run sorry we’re not Atlanta

We couldn’t have given him bejan Robinson and Drake London and Kyle pittz in the offensive line and defensive um help that Drake has down there congrats but we don’t have that for him yet he would have been a lle it was best for us to give him up and let him flourish

Elsewhere but for every but for every Tom Brady and Brock pie and Nick FES guys that came out of nowhere found themselves in good situations and had success aren’t there also examples of guys like Joe burrow and pton Manning and other high first round picks that

Ended up seeing the other side of bad situations and and making their teams better as the situation around them improved let’s go through it by memory oh boy that’s always dangerous because I think there’s top 10 guys there’s Patrick Mahomes who a team that was the

27th best in the league traded up to get there’s Ben rothberger who went to a Steelers team that had been in the AFC Championship in ‘ 01 they drafted him in’ 04 so they were a pretty good team still he was a 10th overall pick I think generally

Speaking I mean Lamar Jackson went to a team at 32 so he’s not even a high pick Justin Herbert Eli Manning were the Giants good when Eli Manning went to the Giants they were better than San Diego right um but not very good no they were

Not very good but did Eli did Eli Manning win Super Bowls why did Eli Manning win Super Bowls well the first one that he won would be thanks to the defensive line largely and the second one and then the second one would be because they went up against the Patriots team that really

Wasn’t that good I mean Mayo himself would tell you that but the defensive line was dominant and he but he had to make a throw he and he and he performed well in the playoffs to say your point is awesome your point is awesome about finding the guy who can perform in a

High leverage situation with everybody looking at that’s why JJ McCarthy to me I’d have to look at his national championship game a little more closely that was really good Michael penck hell but Phil I’m all over the place but there’s some Michael penic I’m starting to like over

Here wouldn’t that go wouldn’t his performance in the national champ ship games kind of work against the point you’re making no he was his team wasn’t good enough his team is awesome he’s got three receivers who are GNA get drafted in a really good offensive line I don’t

Know I just like the velocity he throws it harder than freaking Drake May Drake May’s got a big arm we need we gotta get we gotta find you the right and I don’t know what it is watch the cut up the right we got to find you the right tape I don’t know

What which one that is but it’s we got to find you the right one with with the big arm because everybody in the league seems to think he has a big arm well I’m not the only one who’s has reservations we talked about it the other day with M

Hodge and Lewis rck and now off the top rope comes our friend Chris Sims from NBC Sports and here is what Chris Sims had to say this week when doing his first rankings of quarterbacks and he had Drake Bay not one not two not three not four not five but

Sixth sixth among the quarterbacks Chris said you watch the best games in his career and yeah you’ll see a few of those great throws but for every one of those throws there’s five of like what the hell is that throw there’s no way EV valuers coaches are going to be able to

Get behind Drake May and go oh yeah he’s ready to go he should be number two or three in the draft there’s no way I’m trying to do Chris s’s voice there there are too many things about his game that need to be polished better improved

Proved he also added Chris did I think there’s potential here that’s where it’s tough there are some things where I go yes but I don’t think it’s anywhere near right around the corner this would be like hey he needs to sit on the bench a little bit and needs to work on some

Real mechanical issues that he has going through reads I don’t think he’s in the same class as the guys we talked about and I mean all of them I think they all go through it and do it quicker in the pocket he’s the worst in the pocket the

Worst and even in my limited time watching the guy I just he doesn’t spend any time pre snap evaluating what what he’s going to do and when the play starts there’s guys who are uncovering that he seems not ready to throw it to because he’s scooting around and his

Feet aren’t in the right place again oh does that happen with every single play Tom because he’s the third pick of the draft from by most people so apparently you’re the only guy noticing this no there’s some good throws again it’s warranting of three he he has in terms of some of the

Evaluations and some of the critiques footwork you know is his upper body connected to his lower body you know little bit scattershot at times a little bit too much herob ball like these are a lot of the things that were said about Patrick Mahomes at the time and I’m not

Comparing the two and I’m not saying that’s what he’s going to be but a lot of these guys have issues because of the situation that they’re in and if Drake May is not surrounded by amazing talent and he’s got a coaching change and he’s got a scheme change that he’s going

Through and these are things teams are considering right now that I’ve been told are factors when it comes to his Valu ation you know pictured pictured Drake May two years from now older wiser bigger stronger and playing for LSU with two first round receivers what would it look like he

Wouldn’t have the rushing stats no question wouldn’t have the rushing stats that Jane Daniels had this past year but that’s but that’s what Jane Daniels is he’s 23 years old playing with two of the best receivers in this year’s draft and Drake May is not and he’s two years

Younger so and and just and I love Chris Sims I do I love him he’s part of the peacock family that’s not the only reason I love him I love him because he he does have takes that that differ than a lot of the crowd generally speaking

And he was he he was really good last year in having CJ strout ahead of Bryce young he also had both Bryce young and henden hooker ahead of Anthony Richardson a couple years ago he had Zack Wilson ahead of Trevor Lawrence few years before that he had

Josh Rosen ahead of Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson I’m with him on that one still like Josh Rosen and I listen I’m not saying that to what an arm on Josh Rosen though I’m not saying that to belittle him by any stretch because if I more misses I would have way more

Misses than Sims does and he knows what he’s talking about but everybody everybody misses when it comes to this position and so it doesn’t surprise me that that Drake May is the subject of a wide variety of opinions right because he’s the he’s scary for the Patriots is that the

Opinions are so wide yeah and it’s scary for the Patriots because he is so unpolished and when you bring an unpolished player into a chaotic Over States it but more chaotic but less organized than perhaps any other team in the league because there’s so much that they’re building

From scratch in this offseason because the offensive roster is so trash you you say well it’s great they’ll all grow together you could say well that’s not great he’s going to go out there and the buck stops with him when he gets on the field and he’s gonna

Be putting the crosshairs the same way M Jones was M Jones was fine with all the support around him M Jones was not fine and we all freaking knew this before it began we all talked about high floor low ceiling so you pull the floor out from under the

Guy and it’s not going to be good it was willful mismanagement and that’s why the Patriots are picking a quarterback again this year the willful mismanagement of a player who needed to have around him and you actively took things away from him so that’s why do they double

Down on making sure the Situation’s better for the next guy by passing on him entirely and building it up and building yeah like I said we’re not ready 2025 or 2026 we’re not ready for you it’s not you it’s us we’re not ready for you sorry we’re gonna take Spencer Rattler oh

Boy I will just say just as a little tease a little cross promotional opportunity here if I may please in our most recent mock draft on NBC Sports boston.com it may or may not be published by the time people are listening to this particular podcast I will have the Patriots trading

Down and doing what you want them to do Tom and they’re going to go to Six overall with the Giants who get aggressive move up for their quarterback that’s there at number three which is Drake May Patriots move back to six they pick up a future first round

Pick of the New York Giants and they take left tackle Joe alt joal joal joal I don’t Notre Dame he is he’s a freak he’s a stud he also just so happens to be the Prototype as I’ve come to learn for a lot of teams I’m sure but

Especially for these Ron wolf connected organizations over time some of his closest physical comps are Eric Fischer who is the number one overall pick of the Chiefs he started a lot of games kind of worked out was never a superstar player but the chiefs were at the time a John

Dorsy le organization who was a Ron wolf disciple Reggie McKenzie drafts for the Raiders Colton Miller a few years ago that’s another one of Joe Al’s closest cops um so Big Joe Thomas long no no Joe Thomas I just wanted to throw Joe Thomas out there because than Joe Thomas Joe Thomas um

Was an undersiz by any means but this guy’s six’ n we should get Joe Thomas on excuse me we should get Joe Thomas on he’s great yeah he’d be able to talk about the Merit of an offensive lineman you know what’s is I thought Sebastian vulmer might do that for me and we’re

Going to put that podcast podcast out Rec uh in the near future here he didn’t he was like ah offensive line you can figure it out if you got the right quarterback that’s awesome great what do these guys know they only played in the league all right there’s a million

Examples of that there’s a million examples of us being dumb and of players who played in the league not being that sharp on stuff we got free agency startings Phil so we’ve talked quarterbacks plenty in the last couple weeks but and we’ve talked plenty of quarterback inury agency let’s dip into

Real quick some of the other positions um and go through them we’re gonna start at wide receiver and when I did my roster reset I had the Patriots at a five on a scale of one to five needing wide receiver help just to roll through really quickly they only have Demario

Douglas as a slot receiver who would be somebody you say that’s our guy they can resign Kendrick Bourne they can dip into free a agency and the draft they have Devonte Parker and JuJu Smith Schuster on the roster still and both are a little bit difficult to move on from

Contractually so they could take Marvin Harrison at three even wait for him at five excuse me at six he’s widely regarded as the number two Prospect in the draft or they can go for a guy like Tyler Boyd in free agency um um a player

Of that ilk but what they do in free agency would be an indicator Phil agree or disagree with what they’re going to do in the draft um I think it will I I also think at certain positions like tackle and receiver where you are so bereft of highend talent that you should probably

Double up and take a tackle of free agency if not two and then figure out a way to add one on draft weekend you know if you if you only get one then maybe you are looking at it in the first or second round if you get two maybe you’re

Willing to wait until the third or fourth but like that’s how thin you are at a really hard to find position I would say the same for receiver to me if you get a Tyler boy or say even get a Calvin Ridley Tom who’s a gonna be a

Higher priced option and all like I still would be willing to draft a receiver in the second round and just make sure that I feel much much better about that position overall especially if I’m bringing a Young quarterback in yeah you have a boatload of average if

You if you don’t go highend you can’t because last year they had a boatload of average and hoped that it would work out and it did not that’s what that’s what would worry me if I especially again if I’m using that third pick on a quarterback and I

Plan for that guy to play play early I want him to feel comfortable when it comes to you know floating it up in contested situations I want him to feel like he has guys he can trust that he he has guys that he looks at in the Huddle

And says man this guy’s a stud I know on Third and long he’s getting open so if I if I’m a one read quarterback because it’s my first year and I’m scared to hell like I’m going to look at that guy and if if he’s not there then I’m gonna

Start running but I need to trust that that guy’s gonna be open because right now that guy is Demario Douglas and he’s very small and it is hard to have a quarterback under duress looking at somebody who’s the size of a thimble and saying I gotta hit him because he’ll

Save me which brings us now actually to another position if you can’t fill it at wide receiver if you want to fill it elsewhere and that’s running back because the Patriots have not had a subback of any note for a few years now rre Stevenson does catch passes he’s not

A subback same thing with Ezekiel Elliott they’re not space backs who can catch the ball in space and make people miss and move the chains who was James White was Kevin faul was Danny Woodhead was to an extent but he also was a first in second down back in times there’s

Also hybrid backs like Rex Burkhead he was a hbd back playing alongside Sony Michelle who was not a pass catcher right now the Patriots have one guy under contract and that’s rre Stevenson they can bring Ezekiel Elliott back who actually had a better and more productive year than Stevenson who’s

Entering the last year of his contract but they still need a pass receiving back Clyde Edwards ell he’s a former first rounder he has fallen into disuse in Kansas City he’s 57207 it’s a very lean year for running backs in this year’s draft but there is

Some depth to it so would you be interested in Clyde Edwards or even Austin Eckler at 29 for a bounceback season not super interested in free agent running backs uh unless you feel like you’ve got a guy that you could bring in on third down he’s gonna be a

Lock down pass protector and again if the idea is to surround your Young quarterback with as many Dependable options as possible then sure I’d be okay with it you have enough money that it’s not like paying a veteran running back is going to make or break you but

And there are a couple interesting names I mean Sequon Barkley’s out there Tom you already have it in Zeke it’s like you got a guy who falls forward who produces who catches the ball who busts his ass and pass Pro right just resign him and don’t worry about

It wouldn’t be a bad idea I mean the one thing that you know that Kevin faul or James White I think would have on Ezekiel Elliott is just the ability to get open and you know run those little angle routes and I’m not saying he can’t do it

I just I think those guys were pretty special where he felt like they were going to get that yard of Separation that they needed no matter what Ezekiel Elliott’s obviously a bigger dude um in later in his career yeah he’s just not gonna be as sudden um as those other

Guys tight end meanwhile as we look toward free agency it’s another five on my priority scale that’s means it can’t be ignored Hunter Henry is a free agent Pharaoh Brown is a free agent Mike jiki is a free agent it’s not a good tight end crop in

Free agency Henry viewed by Pro Football Focus as the number two option at the position behind Dalton Schultz who I believe was franchised was he I thought he signed a uh I thought he signed a deal with Houston all right who signed a deal with Houston

But you bring back Hunter Henry his last contract was three and 37 and a half with $25 million guaranteed he turns 30 in December keep it simple bring him back I wonder what Hunter Henry is looking for when it comes to salary I find it really interesting because his

Last deal paid him 12.5 per year and it’s not like the Patriots did him a whole lot of favors by put him putting him in the situations that he was in the last couple of years so he’s you know doesn’t have Gody stats he doesn’t have

An opportunity to you know make as much money as dton Schultz will is my guess we actually had Brad Spielberger from you just mentioned Pro Football Focus Brad Spielberger does the the pre- agent rankings for Pro Football Focus and is great at um pegging their values in

Particular on the open market he has Hunter Henry looking at possibly a a contract that pays him on an average annual basis half of what he was making here in New England six and six and a halfish per year so it’s coming off the ACL it’s the lack of production it

Doesn’t take into account the value as a leader and the poop sandwich that he had to eat with that offense if if it’s even if it’s eight or nine a year Tom and that’s way above Market to bring him back and provide some of those things

You just mentioned I think it would be more than worth it because you have a dire dire need there I do think they’ll probably bring Pharaoh Brown back he’s sort of one of those under the radar lower level resigning that I could see happening soon yes and he’s a blocking

Tight end which they don’t have otherwise but I I think Hunter Henry’s their third most important free agent this year behind Douger onwenu yes um I will tell you this the tight end crop in the national football league’s annual selection event is bursting and as I’m prone to do I just

Jumped on YouTube and started looking at names and highlights and I came up with uh Ben sinot and Cade Stover those are third round pass traffic catchers who are stalky built uh meanwhile offensive line also a five Patriots are expected to make a run at Tyron Smith who’s been

With the cowboys he’s 33 he only plays sometimes Jake Matthews um of Atlanta he might be a comp for what Smith would look for he signed a threee $55 million extension when he was 30 so Tyron Smith he had a lowbudget contract for one year last year with the Cowboys he might be expensive do you want to go after a 33

Year old who sometimes misses most of the Year waiting just 17 games in the previous three years combined um before playing in 13 this past year uh or you build it with Joe Al Joe Al I’d rather take the quarterback of the draft so you’re not going to get

Yourself a Joe alt in the first round I’d be okay with Tyron Smith on a short-term deal I just don’t know if that’s what he’s looking for are there going to be fouryear deals out there for him he’s he is coming off of a a really really good season uh but you’re right

He’s he’s older he gets hurt quite a bit maybe may be hard to depend on that moving forward but you’d obviously feel like it’s an upgrade if you’re the Patriots and so you’ve got money to burn you know if it’s only a couple years I I honestly I wouldn’t mind paying that guy

Near the top of the market because you know if he healthy he can he can do it he can get it done what about bringing back Trent Brown and thinking that a change in leadership will help it’s gonna be a not from you Doug um how about Mike and wenu resign him

Because that’s actually your priority in free agency you have to resign Mike and Wen my theory as to why the Patriots would transition Dugger and not franchise or transition on wenu is when you you’ll have more capability you’ve got a fixed cost against your cap with Dugger

This year at 13.8 you can give on wenu a bigger deal and still end up being able to drop his cap number for 2024 down in 2024 so you can give him a $60 million contract over four years or whatever it is five years whatever three I don’t know I don’t know

Probably closer to three and 60 for him um but you can bagle it so that you’re dropping his number down so you’re probably seeking more flexibility with the Unwin contract than you are with the Dugger contract anyway you have to prioritize him would you ever think about say hey flip on

Wenu to left tackle and bring in Jonah Williams from the Bengals at right tackle or is it not really is it a non-starter to make went to a left tackle I well I think because Jonah Williams has played left tackle before Oh I thought he was only a right guy so

He played right last year because the Bengals had just signed a left tackle and he actually wasn’t very happy about it he wanted to remain at left tackle and so he I I like him as a Patriots option in free agency as at left tackle if if

Tyrant Smith’s too banged up and too old and too expensive Jonah Williams to me is probably I I don’t think he’s going to get to that 20 million doll a year figure he’s going to be less than that and and the play is going to be a little

Bit less than what Smith would give you when healthy but as long as it’s capable I’m okay with it and if you could get now does awu want to play tackle would he rather play guard where do the Patriots really view him if they end up

Paying him Tom 15ish a year that’s a guard that’s a strong guard contract you might be looking at a guard tandem of City so and Michel wenu and you know get back to us when you know you’re feeling better Cole strange and then you’re looking for a right tackle

Fulltime the whole strange pick is a tough one because he had a tel attendant injury that he decided not to have surgery on last year tried to get back and play on it he didn’t play at a high level and then eventually did need the surgery anyway and he’s already what we

Would call a marginal first round pick at best he’s a serviceable left guard perhaps with potential as he gets old and more experience but he’s not a top tier guy and he’s one that even as a first round pick in 2022 you’re already looking to say maybe we can upgrade

Maybe we can upgrade so that’s a tough place to be in with a first round pick especially on the heels of a first round pick in 2021 that is already useless and no first round pick in 2020 and a first round pick named nil Harry in 2019 I

Could keep going I’m rolling downhill here Lee Gonzalez is good which brings us to secondary and we’re going to wrap it here on secondary with your free agent preview because free agency is going to start on Tuesday and we’re not going to get into the line linebackers I

Me come on um you need a boundary Corner opposite Christian Gonzalez Jonathan Jones uh always answers the bell and he did it a little bit last year but he’s better suited inside as is Marcus Jones who the Patriots did lose last year they got excellent secondary

Play uh throughout but I think they need a boundary corner on the other side because Jack was a putts and he had to go elsewhere same with JC Jackson bring Stefon Gilmore back or bring travius white in Phil or these too much of Big Ticket items who are going to command

Money to the Patriots on willing to there’s a guy named Marcus uh excuse me Marco Wilson Marco Wilson on the roster too Phil he’s under contract he was a starter they got him late last year very physically talented guy sort of didn’t work out with uh the staff there in

Arizona I believe is where he was prior to to the Patriot started 11 games but he had the worst um QB rating against in the league had a very fun I believe shoe throwing incident in college um f got got a found a shoe on the on the ground

Oh that guy and threw it yeah I’m pretty sure that was him um I like that competitiveness yeah I mean listen you lose your shoe it’s not my fault shouldn’t have been there um might have done that at the rack once or twice during a Wednesday night

Basketball game when we were up by four uh so I don’t I you know what I really like your idea with Stefan Gilmore I really do because I think he understands where he’s at at this point in his career which is still totally serviceable totally useful but he would also understand okay they

Spent a first round pick on this guy who actually is kind of seemingly wired a little bit like Stefan Gilmore a little bit understated with some quiet confidence about him but bigger body who makes great transitions I mean there’s a lot of there’s a lot of similarities between these two guys Gonzalez and

Gilmore maybe he would feel as though he could take Gonzalez under his wing a bit and and teach him the tools of the trade we know how smart he is as a corner we know you know all the little nuances of playing that position that he understands and is able to to execute

Still even at this point in his career so I really like that idea um travius white I liked and and we talked about this a little bit on early edition last night uh I like him a lot you know him well from the division he’s coming from

A scheme that’s more zon heavy than Man heavy and the Patriots are Man heavy defense and so maybe D Mayo would say thanks but no thanks what about zaven Howard would you be interested in zaven Howard because he’s free he’s available he’s he’s a longer he’s a longer corner

He was a shutdown Corner he’s an expensive corner but he’s 30 now he is 30 I think one interesting aspect of this is you’re going to have to time whoever you bring in as a free agent if you go big ticket with you’re GNA have to time it up with

The fifth year option of Christian Gonzalez which you’re done definitely going to pick up just based upon what we saw in four games you’re gonna pick up the fifth year option on Christian Gonzalez so by 20203 four five six by 2027 which is closer than you think folks they’re GNA

Be paying 25 to30 million on Christian Gonzalez so you have to balance that and look it’s not my money I understand that but you do is report on the team have to try and balance where you going to expend your money who you going to look at and that’s why having a rookie

Quarterback like a drake May and that’s why they it’s so mind-numbing that they blew it with M Jones you had a rookie quarterback on a rookie contract you could shop elsewhere now they have to shop everywhere but yeah I think xaven Howard would be is he got good length I do

Believe he does right six1 yeah so you know he’s a man corner he he’s a he’s a dog he he’ll lock up on the outside that’s been his Mo that’s what the Patriots like that’s that’s how they like to play that’s what they’re looking for on the outside so I

I think that’s an interesting option too all right we’re gonna be back at you on Tuesday as free agency begins we’ll probably be getting to you later in the day because why do a pod at 10: am and then have the skull crusher pop it out

There at two so you guys can sit there and go how come there talk about the fact the Patriots just got CL Edwards haere so we’re gonna avoid that by doing the Pod probably later in the day probably after Early Edition around 7 o’clock so um but that’s you know that’s

That’s just on the table Phil what’s going on with the next Pats busy over at next Pats we just posted that podcast uh that I mentioned that we had with Brad Spielberger we talked about Hunter Henry but also Kyle Dugger mik wenu what those guys will be

Looking for in all likelihood long term so if you’re interested to to hear about their prospects in free agency whether it’s here with Patriots or elsewhere good conversation there we’re also gonna be talking to Bucky Brooks oh nice later this week about the Packer way he is a

Ron wolf disciple himself that’s how he came up in scouting obviously was a player but then a scout uh and so he gives us some good Intel as to what the Patriots might do at three overall based on Elliot Wolf’s background and the the thoughts and philosophies that he

Probably shares with his dad so Bucky was a great guest for us was watching him on uh NFL Network last night and he was doing three-word summations on each of five quarterbacks he did not do Drake may but when he did Caleb Williams one of the definitions he used was sloppy

Was one of the three words sloppy and with Jaden Daniels he said slim he really and again it’s the last thing you watch he really likes Michael penx so that’s why I’m a Michael penx guy this morning I think he called him classy oh or classic look

Atck I like him I like you do too I do he’s just the knee history is a little scary and he’s not super mobile which I I think you have to be not not super mobile but you have to be able to make guys miss and that’s not really his game

Either well if they can’t win a Super Bowl with him why draft them you speak my language stop it all right good stuff buddy thank you very much bye bye you