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EPISODE 25 - What's next on offense for the Patriots???? free agency and draft!
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Patriots free agency!
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Transcript
Patriots Sign Garrett Bradbury
00:00:00
Savage Boston
Alright, what's going on guys?
00:00:01
Bret
Thank you.
00:00:01
Savage Boston
Welcome back to the Savage Boston Podcast. We are here today. It is March 18th, 2025 and we're about 8.30pm. Again, like the time stamp it. ah Had a little little tidbit of news today for the Patriots where they um they finally made another move.
00:00:14
Snooty
uh
00:00:18
Savage Boston
It's been like, I don't know, it's felt like a long, long time. We had that one massive day last Monday where they're signing people like crazy on defense. You're all excited. And it feels like it went totally flat since then. so ah Today they signed the center from the former center for the Vikings, Garrett Bradbury, um and who is like I think was a sheetepwoman like a shoe-in draft selection.
00:00:38
Snooty
that this
00:00:42
Savage Boston
um Or sorry, shoe-in signing, I should say. um But people immediately – here's ah here's a weird a weird thing with this, right? Immediately people were like, he's trash, he's garbage, worse pressure rate, he sucks.
00:00:56
Snooty
but Thank you.
00:00:59
Savage Boston
I'm like – like there's a lot of people, mind you, saying this stuff. um And so it was like we don't have a fucking center. They don't – they just released David Andrews because reports are, right, he failed his physical.
00:01:13
Savage Boston
And, you know, apparently that shoulder is not doing so hot.
Free Agency Strategy: Filling Gaps or Flashy Signings?
00:01:18
Savage Boston
So, you know, they signed Bradbury, who's a veteran, has played a ton of games. No, he had ah he had a bad pass protection year, was still really good against the run.
00:01:27
Savage Boston
They wanted to move on from the player because he hasn't performed up to what they want. But we don't have another option. So if you're going to put another guy in the room at center to compete with Cole Strange,
00:01:38
Savage Boston
to compete with Ben Brown. That's good, not bad. Competition is good. So I don't know where everyone is going today with this like negativity surrounding the signing.
00:01:46
Bret
Thank you.
00:01:49
Savage Boston
Yeah, what the fuck do people want? Who they want him to sign? So i don't know. What do you guys think about the the Bradbury signing to to lead off?
00:01:57
Snooty
But that's the thing. Bradbury, he's a solid piece. hes He'll probably start. right like I know he's not great, but he may be slightly below average.
00:02:03
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:02:06
Snooty
But like that's better than what you had before. Because Ben Brown came in really hot and then was really fading by the end of the year. I know got a little dinged up or whatever, but like it's competition if nothing else.
00:02:16
Snooty
Right. Every I've said this for over a month now, like people around here. And I think it's like ah it's a sports talk radio thing. It's a sports media thing where everyone was just like, oh, well, we just we're going to fix all these holes. and We're going to do all this shit.
00:02:31
Snooty
It doesn't work that way. Like you, eat it does not
Offensive Needs: Draft Strategy and Concerns
00:02:34
Snooty
work that way.
00:02:34
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:02:35
Snooty
You have to, it takes time to build a team.
00:02:35
Savage Boston
and
00:02:38
Snooty
You have to draft well. That's the most important part, but like quality, like true stud, like players don't hit free agency very often. They just don't. That's the nature of it.
00:02:48
Snooty
Like, so any player you sign free agency is going to have flaws. So what you're looking to do, and I think it's what all of us said on this, on this very podcast was you need to find, sign people,
00:03:00
Snooty
that can at least improve the overall quality of talent, overall level of talent on the team, right? Like, you're not going to be over, you're not going to be this loaded team overnight, but like, can you just improve the overall roster at a number of positions?
00:03:05
Savage Boston
yeah
00:03:13
Snooty
So next year, you're not, you know, a flaming tub of shit going into the season.
00:03:18
Savage Boston
Why are people anti-competition?
00:03:18
Snooty
You know what I mean?
00:03:20
Savage Boston
like what I don't get like, ah truly, what's the downside of that signing today?
00:03:21
Snooty
i
00:03:25
Bret
Well, i again, i would agree with Snooty that it basically comes back to the fact that I think people you know want more fireworks on the offensive side.
00:03:33
Snooty
That's early.
00:03:35
Bret
And you know that is the take that everyone's going with is we address the defense, and it's a defensive-minded coach, and this is why we fixed on the defense, and where's the splashes on the offense?
00:03:46
Bret
But the reality is is when you step back and look at it, I think there were a couple of moves where I would have liked them to go with, but like there wasn't going to be a lot of action on the offensive side. We talked about this at the beginning.
00:04:01
Bret
There's just not enough free agency there. And, you know, I mentioned the fact that I thought we'd improve on defense because I felt like there was going to be some players out there and there are, and there were, and we did improve on the defensive side.
00:04:07
Snooty
Thank you.
00:04:14
Bret
So I think by and large, the team is better today than it was when free agency started, which is always a win. And on top of it, like we are making moves with players of positional needs that we had.
00:04:30
Bret
So we're not like reaching or overstretching going into the draft, but basically, Teams are built through the draft. These are stopgap. These are like plug and play guys that are going to improve your immediate roster and start to build that culture, bring in professionals and bring in that grit.
00:04:44
Bret
But like they're going to have to build it through their through the draft. They were not going to fix all of the gaping holes they had on offense. in a free agency. Like it wasn't going to happen. Now the goal is we get it through the first pick, hopefully two, that we actually find options there and we make a hit, but we were never going to do it through free
Evaluating Free Agency Moves and Market Dynamics
00:05:04
Bret
agency. And to think we were going to do it as fool's gold.
00:05:07
Savage Boston
yeah i think i wonder um i mean I think it would be a really good move to sign another stopgap tackle, ah a left tackle, obviously.
00:05:15
Snooty
Mm-hmm.
00:05:15
Savage Boston
i don't want to go into the draft having to select your starting left tackle. It doesn't add up. That's not what we want to do. That that is selecting for needs specifically. you don't and especially Imagine the pressure if you don't end up with the right guy in the first round, second round.
00:05:33
Savage Boston
and You got to take some dude in the third round be like, hey, buddy, you're the starting left tackle for the Patriots. Like, i think that's what and's a reach, and I don't want that to be the position there. And that's not what they want to do. Like, they don't want to come out and have to draft for need. They've said multiple times they want best player a available.
00:05:50
Savage Boston
So like if it gets to fourth overall, you don't want to have to say, oh well, I guess we got to take Will Campbell because that's just the best guy at that position. Even though he might not be the best guy, and he could be the exact same as Josh Simmons or Connerly or you know someone else, right? and so Or Calvin Banks. Like we don't know.
00:06:10
Savage Boston
you know We don't know who's goingnna be the best there, and it's it's not clear in my opinion. I still think that Will Campbell is going to be a really good guard, truly. like I think his wingspan makes a huge difference how how short it is. So I really don't want to go into the draft without a true left tackle.
00:06:24
Savage Boston
Tyron Smith is still out there. Yeah, he's older. You know, again, Cam Robinson is still there. And if we sign Cam Robinson, everyone's going be like, oh, he's a bum. He's this too. Like, he's an average NFL left tackle.
00:06:38
Savage Boston
You need a fucking tackle. You need a body out there at left tackle to play that's not Vidarian
Wide Receiver Targets: Smart Trades or Signings?
00:06:44
Savage Boston
Lowe. So, I just – people's responses today is like, I don't know what they want, man.
00:06:48
Savage Boston
Like, this this center signing, a competitive center signing should have been like a no-brainer today.
00:06:54
Bret
the most
00:06:55
Savage Boston
And hear about half the responses, be like, he fucking sucks. Like, I thought it was a little little much, to be honest.
00:07:01
Snooty
like I think there's occasions when your needs in the draft and the available talent pool lineup, and you can, especially when you're picking this high, like you can reasonably wager on you what the expectation of, you know, availability of of prospect there.
00:07:16
Snooty
This is not that type of draft for the Patriots. They need a left tackle. They need premier wide receiver, you know, like, and that's just not available. If this was last year and they had their quarterback, they could be sitting there going, yeah, we're going to get your wall to three.
00:07:28
Snooty
You what i mean? Like they could be like, yeah, we give the shit we're going to get our left tackle at three because, you know, quarterback was quarterbacks were going to go one and two, but it's not.
00:07:30
Savage Boston
Sure.
00:07:37
Snooty
So you're at a spot where if you were honest about where this team was and honestly looked at the market and were reasonable about what was out there, then you wouldn't come up with these ridiculous fucking takes. It's like you hear Bedard and even Beatles parroting it. And it's such a Felder and Mass thing where it's like,
00:07:55
Snooty
oh, they're taking a Belichick approach. No, what they're doing is reading the market and acting accordingly. Yeah, they're not throwing $90 million dollars at Dan Moore, who might be fucking worse than Vidarian Lowe.
00:08:06
Snooty
You know what I mean? like
00:08:07
Savage Boston
That's a ridiculous contract.
00:08:08
Snooty
You know what I mean?
00:08:08
Savage Boston
There's
00:08:09
Snooty
At least the guy the chief signed, like there's like reported upside about him. like Dan Moore is like, yeah, no, he's probably mediocre to bad.
00:08:12
Savage Boston
upside there.
00:08:16
Snooty
You know what i mean? And he just threw $90 million at him.
00:08:17
Savage Boston
and
00:08:19
Snooty
They're not doing that because that's a stupid way of doing it. They went, you know what? We'd rather spend you know, 26 million a year average on Milton Williams. Yeah. Because he has more upside and he's good, right? Like you have to go, you have to get talent where you can.
00:08:33
Snooty
and And in free agency, that where the talent was largely was on the defensive side of the ball. It is what it is. At least if you, you still need help defensively, you still needed help.
00:08:40
Bret
Throw
00:08:44
Snooty
And honestly, the signing I'm most, most excited about is, is, is Moses. Right tackle. Like, is it,
00:08:50
Savage Boston
He's a beast.
00:08:51
Snooty
Because it's like the he will be the, if as long as he's healthy, he will be the single biggest improvement at one position year over year from free agency.
00:09:00
Savage Boston
Mm-hmm.
00:09:02
Bret
out a question here.
00:09:02
Snooty
Easily.
00:09:03
Bret
what's ah So obviously, i think we're all in agreement that we like the moves they made, and we're not like overly critical
00:09:09
Savage Boston
Need to agree more. Continue agreeing. Everyone agree.
00:09:11
Bret
Well, let's let's talk about things that we probably don't agree with. What's a move that we look at and say we should have been in on it?
00:09:17
Savage Boston
Right. Oh, that we should have been in on.
00:09:19
Bret
Yeah, like what should we have done? Like we've talked about Kopp.
00:09:22
Savage Boston
I
00:09:22
Bret
We've talked about DK. We've talked about, you know, you look at um that guard that just signed with the Chargers. Could have been another guy, you know? Like who
00:09:31
Savage Boston
i
Drafting Strategy: Positional Needs vs Best Player Available
00:09:32
Savage Boston
would say actually, i actually think, i think what Elliot Wolfe and Rabel, what they've tried to do have been, it's been right so far, what they've been trying to do. Like they tried, got okay, Godwin was the best ride receiver in the market. They tried to way overpay him.
00:09:32
Bret
is Beckman, right?
00:09:47
Savage Boston
Didn't want to come here. Okay. Ronnie Stanley was ah just about to hit free agency. Right. And he was going to be the best left tackle in the market.
00:09:55
Bret
Thank you.
00:09:55
Savage Boston
They were going to pay him a ton and go out, blow him out of the water. He didn't want to leave other than maybe to the chiefs. Right. He was only going to go to the Ravens or the chiefs. So those are two major T Higgins gets franchise tags and signed. Right.
00:10:07
Savage Boston
So sudden you get all these players that like those would have been all the right players to go in on and they couldn't lock them down. all sudden you're like, well, who the fuck is left on offense? Right.
00:10:18
Savage Boston
Like, yes, i think I think Cooper Cup, I would have liked to bring Cooper Cup in. i They didn't want pay him $18 year.
00:10:29
Savage Boston
Most teams didn't. he He got paid. He wanted to stay in the West Coast. Seattle giving, i thought he was going to get a lot less than he got. I thought he'd get two two years at 24 mil, you know, 12 a year. That was the contract I was going to predict.
00:10:40
Savage Boston
Not three for 45, which is a lot. And to be fair, he is he has like slowed down a lot and extremely injury prone. So, you know, that to me is a guy I would have liked here.
00:10:49
Snooty
But see, like, but but see what I'm saying is like, so my issue with Cooper cup is like, they should have fucking traded for him if they wanted them.
00:10:50
Savage Boston
You can go for it, Snudy. You can.
00:10:57
Snooty
And they clearly wanted them because they were clearly trying to bid for him, but they didn't want to pay him. Right. It's a prime example of all you wanted them at some level of value, dude, fuck value.
00:11:02
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:11:06
Snooty
You have way too much cap space to actually do. Even after signing people, you have, millions upon tens of upon tens upon tens of millions of dollars in cap space available to spend. You have more than you could possibly use, right?
00:11:18
Snooty
Who gives a fuck about value? You suck. and it it How many times?
00:11:22
Savage Boston
how I feel about Cam Robinson.
00:11:22
Snooty
How many times? How many times do they have to see? Well, Cameron Robinson is a little bit different thing. He's like Trent Brown, supposedly, where like you have to keep him motivated for him to be good.
00:11:31
Savage Boston
Can you just blow him out of the water, though, for one year for Cam?
00:11:31
Snooty
So.
00:11:33
Snooty
But he but but but see, but that's the thing like he.
00:11:34
Savage Boston
Can you give Yeah.
00:11:37
Bret
Thank you.
00:11:37
Snooty
and and it And the reason I think they're right is because he he hasn't signed yet, right? And we're not the only team that needs a left tackle. So I think he needs – he's like Trent Brown. If he's motivated, yeah, he's one of the – he's a top half tackle, right?
00:11:50
Snooty
But if he's not motivated and he's just got his big deal, then he's going to be like Trent Brown and in – well, I guess they were in – Oakland at the time, right, with the Raiders.
00:11:58
Savage Boston
The fat napkin.
00:11:58
Snooty
So, and, you know, he's going bad. My thing with Cooper Cup is, like, how many fucking times do you have to to not flip some, you know, a pick swap or a seventh round pick or something, right, to take on a contract, restructure the contract?
00:12:14
Snooty
You are going to have to pay him anyway, right? You're going to have to fucking pay him anyway. So, if you're offering him three, if if you're offering him anywhere close to $15 million dollars average, just fucking trade for him and restructure the deal.
00:12:26
Snooty
He didn't have any guaranteed money left on the deal. So it's easier to restructure.
00:12:30
Savage Boston
I don't know why didn't why they didn't do that. A few guys, again, I would i would right now, i would go for ah short year, higher incentive deal with Cam.
00:12:35
Bret
Thank you.
00:12:38
Savage Boston
I don't even care if you need to go up to $20 million, but just with loaded with incentives because apparently he wants something like $15 or something. like I just incentive, huge deal, let him work up to it. That's what I would do for a one-year stopgap.
00:12:50
Savage Boston
Tevin Jenkins, you're still looking at a guard. i don't know what's happening with his market.
00:12:53
Snooty
Yeah.
00:12:54
Savage Boston
He thought he'd apparently have a higher market and he's really like waiting now. Don't know what's that. Like Will Freeze took all the guard money amongst a couple other guys. So like, don't, ah don't know what's going on with Tevin Jenkins, but he's a guy I'm looking at.
00:13:07
Savage Boston
If you really want to improve the left guard position, I think they seem kind of content to roll with like Layden Robinson or Cole strange or whoever's going to be there. Even though those guys were were bad last year, they didn't lay in Robinson didn't play well.
00:13:14
Snooty
Did he so
00:13:19
Savage Boston
Um,
00:13:19
Snooty
different system though? And city. So did well with bill O'Brien. So I think there's probably some hope that he'll re that he'll rebound.
00:13:25
Savage Boston
So there's role with that role with that group.
00:13:28
Snooty
Yeah. I think they're, I think they're just trying to find one of those bodies without, you know, um, utilizing a ton of resources into finding the left guard spot this year.
00:13:28
Savage Boston
Well,
00:13:38
Savage Boston
yeah.
00:13:38
Snooty
i think they'd rather use those resources to find, you know, your tackle.
00:13:42
Savage Boston
By the way, Garrett Bradbury can actually run block. He had really good
Trade Scenarios to Improve Draft Position
00:13:46
Savage Boston
run blocking ratings. He just gave up a shit ton pressure. like He needs to work on the pass block scenario. But like um but he can he can run block pretty well, and he's quick.
00:13:54
Savage Boston
um but Two guys I think they should also still be in on now. I look to take in an aging vet at wide receiver, just like you should have kind of been in on Cooper Cup, even though maybe they didn't want him for that much money.
00:14:06
Savage Boston
Again, you look at Stephon Diggs. I know he's a diva. Don't really care at this point. I think they're they're being really conscious of not bringing someone in to, I guess, screw with Drake. I think Drake is a smart kid who's a well-adjusted kid. I don't think that's going to ruin Drake if you bring in fucking Brandon Cooks.
00:14:25
Savage Boston
you know or you're bringing Stephon Diggs for a year. like So I don't even know if those guys would come here, but I'm just saying those are those are guys, Brett, that I would be on, like a veteran wide receiver, draft wide receiver, stopgap left tackle. And I think you could maybe roll into the season and have a really hyper-competitive, aggressive defense, a really good defense, and I think you're going have maybe a serviceable offense.
00:14:51
Savage Boston
that's That's my hope.
00:14:52
Bret
Yeah, see, i I was never in on Cup. I've talked about not being in on a Cup. I like the concept of Cup, but for the right deal. And I'm fine not being in the market for a guy like that at three years, $45 million.
00:15:05
Bret
And you're right. All reports were that he wanted to stay on the West Coast, so I think it was going to be a hard sell to begin with. and We would have had to blow him away. And I just look at it and say, i don't want to blow away that guy.
00:15:11
Savage Boston
yeah but they like Nobody likes pigs.
00:15:14
Bret
I also, Diggs, no, I'm out on Diggs. I think it's pretty self-apparent. I think it's pretty self apparent why he's bouncing from team to team. Like, yeah, maybe he's not going to shake may, but he's still going to be a cancer in the locker room. So I'm out.
00:15:30
Bret
I'd be okay. If you get like a guy like cooks, I think, you know, get some assets there. Uh, I think wouldn't hurt. I'd be fully on board with trading for a uke. Uh, And I wished they were in on DK.
00:15:43
Bret
I would have been in on DK, but I guess reports are he didn't really want to come to New England, which I don't know why the fuck he didn't want to go there.
00:15:44
Savage Boston
Thank you.
00:15:49
Bret
Instead, he's going to a team that doesn't have a quarterback. But, you know, good luck, bud. I would have been more inclined to go in on DK, and I would have been aggressive there.
00:15:55
Snooty
Thank you.
00:15:59
Bret
um so I'm kind of surprised they weren't. That was the one that kind of bothered me the most. But right now, i mean i'd be working angles to try and get iuk i think is the best potential asset that you could look at and try to get in the in the building and get on a deal uh to stack up and like i said i don't i don't mind the idea of a guy like cook but again he's just giving a professional more option offense to may Because, i mean, our wide receiver room is just, like, not good.
00:16:30
Bret
So we're going to have to address something in the draft and hope the guy that we pick hits.
00:16:31
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:16:35
Bret
But that would be pretty much the only two outstanding that I'd look at would be Ayuk, and I'd be good with Cooks. I'm totally out on cup, and i'm I'm a little annoyed that we didn't go in for DK.
00:16:47
Snooty
I think, like, my the problem with Ayuk is he's out for at least half the year, probably. Right? and he's And there's no guarantee he's going to be fully right before basically next offseason. Right? Because he tore up his knee pretty late into the season.
00:17:00
Snooty
No? At least halfway through. And he did more than just Ayuk.
00:17:02
Savage Boston
who Who was it? i
00:17:04
Snooty
Yeah.
00:17:04
Savage Boston
He did it in, like, I think mid-October. Guys are really – people can recover from ACL surgeries.
00:17:09
Snooty
I thought it was late.
00:17:13
Savage Boston
I don't know where this is coming from where, again, lot of fear with this.
00:17:13
Snooty
I thought...
00:17:17
Savage Boston
lot of guys play with ACL repairs now.
00:17:19
Snooty
Sure. I thought he did more than just ACL, though.
00:17:21
Savage Boston
Yeah, his MCL, which is really common with an ACL, and so is medial meniscus.
00:17:24
Snooty
Sure.
00:17:25
Savage Boston
It's just like three three things. that It's called the athlete triad. These things happen together typically. but like But he can come back and play is all I'm saying.
00:17:29
Snooty
Right.
00:17:32
Snooty
Right, but it's again, like ah I know ideally you'd like someone who can get some work on timing in the offseason and things like that. um There's also varying reports on his attitude or you know whatever.
00:17:45
Snooty
He's obviously way better than anything we have right now, um so I'm not opposed to it necessarily, but I'm also not crazy opposed.
00:17:52
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:17:55
Savage Boston
I've heard nothing on Iick, by the way. I like I'm, I'm a hundred percent down to trade for Iick. A hundred percent. I think you can, you can get them for like a pretty fair draft pick. Cause San Francisco does not like his contract.
00:18:09
Savage Boston
They don't want to pay him this roster bonus. Like that's clear, but like, they there And I don't think there's many teams that want to pick up his $30 million. dollars The Patriots would be one of those teams, but I just haven't heard anything. It's like so almost like they need to make sure that he is 100% down to come play for Drake May.
00:18:28
Savage Boston
um But, I mean, talk about lack of smoke, man. Like, there is no smoke on Ajak.
00:18:34
Snooty
When's his bonus due?
00:18:35
Savage Boston
I'm looking.
00:18:37
Snooty
When's his bonus due?
00:18:39
Savage Boston
April 1st, $23 million.
00:18:40
Snooty
Okay.
00:18:42
Savage Boston
They don't want to pay it.
00:18:45
Bret
Yeah, and you could get him for cheap. Like, it's essentially, they're just looking to get, trade the asset, so, like, you could get him for, like, a fourth or a fifth round pick, and then you just pay him. And, like, that's a guy that I look at where I'd rather spend the money and overspend on a guy like that because if it pops, like, amazing.
00:19:03
Bret
But, like, if it doesn't, it's not, like, the end of the world that we're like, oh, my God, we're hamstrung to this guy. Like, I think i that'd be my that'd be my target. And I don't know why we're not in on it if it would be for like a fourth or a fifth, which essentially is what it would be.
00:19:20
Savage Boston
I think because the only reason they'd hesitate is they' they've literally reported – Tommy Curran had that report today where he's like, you know, the Patriots want guys that want to be here and they're skeptical of Diva wide receivers. Like they he claims that's why they weren't in on Devontae Adams and they weren't in on – he claims they weren't in on DK Metcalf. I don't believe that. There's enough sources that show that they wanted to trade for him.
00:19:43
Savage Boston
um And so, you know, is that a reason they don't want to, like, is I going to be a pill in the locker room that you're paying 30 million coming off an injury? Right. So I'm down to trade firm.
00:19:55
Savage Boston
I'm down to take that risk. Your room is in trouble. The wide receiver room is in trouble. There's this, it doesn't offer enough. You got, if we go out through the position groups on offense, you need to have a good position group somewhere.
00:20:07
Savage Boston
You need either the line to be a good group, the wide receivers to be a good group, the tight ends to be a good group. You can't have all the groups to be bad. And tight ends are pretty good.
00:20:15
Snooty
Sure.
00:20:16
Savage Boston
They're fair. The quarterback's a great young player.
00:20:17
Bret
The professionals.
00:20:19
Savage Boston
They're professional. The quarterback's a great young player. You can't have the whole line be a bad group and all the receivers be a bad group and the running backs be a fair group. it's one of the It's still one of the worst ah offensive rosters in football.
00:20:32
Snooty
sure
00:20:33
Savage Boston
So that's the that's the problem. Like you have to get talent in somehow.
00:20:37
Snooty
Well, so, and then I think this is kind of where we're going next. I think that leads to the draft, right? Like, that's where you're going to have to get the talent in. And, i mean, ultimately, that's that's how you get your offensive talent. And that's how you keep premier offensive talent is you draft well.
00:20:53
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:20:53
Snooty
yeah I have a developing opinion that everyone seems to assume that we're automatically going to be able to move down and trade down.
00:21:01
Savage Boston
Here, speaking of the mic, your volume just went down a little.
00:21:01
Snooty
Yeah. thing Everyone assumes we're going to be able to move down from four if Carter and Hunter aren't there.
00:21:05
Savage Boston
There you go.
00:21:10
Snooty
Right.
00:21:10
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:21:11
Snooty
And the problem is, is there's two blue chip players who expect one quarterback to go in the top three. That's a, that's is a very reasonable scenario that that happens at which point, You have to look at the teams that would then want a quarterback because those are the teams that would be likely to move up to four, right?
Potential Draft Picks and Team Impact
00:21:28
Snooty
Unless you find someone who wants to move up first for Will Campbell or Tett or whoever else is in that second tier. What teams are are there that are going to look to move up, right?
00:21:40
Snooty
the The easiest one that we had talked about, everybody talked about before was the Raiders at six. I don't think that's going to happen just either that they signed Geno or traded for Geno. right? The Jets at seven. Do you want to trade and say, give the quarter, give a ah franchise quarterback to the Jets? Potentially Panthers aren't going to do it. Maybe the saints at nine, maybe, but then the next team really, realistically speaking past you where you're like, no, they need a quarterback for sure. And would be looking is the Steelers down to 21.
00:22:08
Snooty
You want to move all the way down to 21. Then even second round pick this year.
00:22:11
Savage Boston
too far. Yeah.
00:22:13
Snooty
That's a long fucking way away. Right? So everybody's just operating at all.
00:22:16
Savage Boston
and
00:22:17
Snooty
We'll just move down and take, you know, whoever. I'm not comfortable taking them at four, but I'm comfortable taking them at, you know, nine or 10. Hey, what if you can't get back there? You may be stuck going, you know what? Here's the the top guys are gone. There's a quarterback. And then there's this whole big group of like eight to 12 players there that are like in that second tier.
00:22:36
Snooty
And you may look and go, well, you know what? It is what it is. We're going to have to take Tett at four or Campbell at four or whomever ja ah was it Javon Walker, whatever at four.
00:22:46
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:22:46
Snooty
And you may say, well, he's not, mo he may not normally be worth the fourth overall pick in a typical draft, but that's where you are. You need a trading partner. Who's going to give you, and then further, like let's say you move, you want to move down to the Steelers and they're willing to give you like stuff for next year. It's like, okay, but now you're going to miss out on a player this year and you have to be okay with that.
00:23:07
Savage Boston
Yeah. They, they, i mean, I think you could like try to still do your own order of operations where it's like, You know, as you know, Carter or Hunter at four, I think that's clear.
00:23:18
Savage Boston
I think you have to take both those guys just from a talent perspective, even especially if if if Hunter comes off the board, I'm taking an elite edge rusher. I don't know who's a blue chip guy. I'm taking that. I don't care how sick the defense is. They're going be ridiculously nasty if they draft Abdul Carter too. That D-line is going incredible.
00:23:35
Savage Boston
Like I'm doing that all day. Hunter's there. I'm taking him all day. If those two aren't there, I think you just have to find a partner. and And like you said, the Saints, and like I don't know. Like who who would trade up though? What if Hunter's there? and or yeah, let's say they're both gone. Shadur's there.
00:23:53
Savage Boston
Who wants Shadur? His agent's working hard. People are trying to sell that he's going to be top four. don't know. i don't think he's that great. I don't know who's going to trade up for him if they can be convinced.
00:24:07
Savage Boston
Like you said, maybe the Saints. i There's no way.
00:24:10
Snooty
But like,
00:24:11
Savage Boston
i think I would move to nine and then draft like Mambo if he's the available. He might not be
00:24:15
Snooty
right. but then, but then what, like, what if the Saints are like, yeah, we'll move up to four, but we're not going to give you much.
00:24:22
Savage Boston
Well, they'd have to still give you like their second, but if it's only like you're the third, then it's just not enough draft capital. I'd rather stick and pick at that point.
00:24:31
Snooty
Right.
00:24:31
Savage Boston
Or like if there's really your guy is not there or you don't give a shit between 4 and 12, then just take an extra third. Why not? But I mean, usually you should at least get a second. Let alone first next year.
00:24:43
Savage Boston
but alone like a first next year
00:24:44
Bret
Or futures. Yeah, futures. I was going to say futures would be the the same thing. So I don't know. I mean, obviously, like things are trending a little bit more that it looks like Hunter may fall.
00:24:55
Bret
And like when I look at it, it's the teams above us need quarterbacks. And teams always get desperate for quarterbacks. So originally, I was thinking we're going to get in a position. We're going to be stuck and...
00:25:10
Bret
where either will Campbell or take a pick or make a trade. And now I'm thinking to myself that I think one of the, I think it's going to be Hunter available, but in this situation, Hunter's not available.
00:25:24
Bret
Yeah, I'm with Snooty. I'm skeptical. I just think there's just there's not going to be a trade partner there to kind of go up, and you're going to slide just too far back to be able to do it.
00:25:34
Savage Boston
Thank
00:25:35
Bret
But if we found it, great. I think that would be the best-case scenario because we need more assets to make more picks, and I'm not sold on Will Campbell.
00:25:46
Bret
And I think like anyone we pick essentially at that position is going to be, like, in all other draft considerations, a reach.
Influence of Coaching and Scouting
00:25:53
Bret
And it's like, I just don't want to be putting ourselves in a position where we have the fourth overall pick and we pick someone that just doesn't produce there. But that being said, like I said at the top, it's starting to trend that way where it looks like Hunter could fall, which would be obviously best case scenario for the Patriots.
00:26:12
Snooty
Yeah, I mean, again, it's kind of similar free agency. It's like you have to you have to operate within the market, right, and the constraints of the market, which is to say, look, like, maybe they have Tyler Warren as their, you know, fourth best prospect or whatever.
00:26:27
Savage Boston
Mm-hmm.
00:26:27
Snooty
Is he worth the fourth overall pick in in a typical draft? No, but... You know, like ideally you'd like to trade down and then, you know, trade down a little bit and then take him or Banks or whomever, but you, that might not be of an option.
00:26:42
Snooty
You're going to have to sit there and you may look like you're really reaching for someone. I have a feeling that on draft night outside of Carter or Hunter, whoever gets taken really realistically anyone that gets taken from four to like 10 there's going to be a lot of like quote reaches which is all just bullshit anyway because it's all about where you know Kuyper and everybody else has them ranked according to whatever but you still have to select people it's not like you can just like bypass picks to just slide down a little bit and just you know what mean like someone still has to go forth even if they're not worth fourth
00:27:15
Savage Boston
i think me I think Membu is going to be like the the stud, stud tackle in this class.
00:27:21
Snooty
Can he play left?
00:27:23
Savage Boston
I don't think – I think he might just be Penesul. Like maybe not that good, but like –
00:27:28
Snooty
Or like lane johnson Lane Johnson was like fourth overall, third, fourth, something like that.
00:27:32
Savage Boston
Well, but la Lane Johnson is incredible. I mean, first of all, he is humongous.
00:27:35
Snooty
Sure.
00:27:37
Savage Boston
I mean, have you seen his arm length like –
00:27:39
Snooty
I wasn't suggesting Membu's going to be that caliber of player, but like they took a right tackle at, you know, top five or whatever.
00:27:45
Savage Boston
Yeah, listen, if if you think, mean, we have Morgan Moses. So, like, I mean, if you want to try to flip-flop Membu or something, like, i don't know if I'd recommend it, but I think Membu is a great player. And I think his tape is the same or if better than Campbell's. I think his measurables are better than Campbell's.
00:28:01
Savage Boston
um and he's he's stronger than Campbell. Like, there's a lot I like about about Membu. Same with Kelvin Banks. Kelvin Banks is still a good player too. Like, he could be a really nice tackle. But, like, you could probably trade back into the teens and get Kelvin Banks.
00:28:15
Savage Boston
You know, like, or you could trade back up into the first round and get that rider. I'm still – I'm a fan of the double dip this year, and I really hope draft night we're talking about double dipping. Like, I really want them to trade back up with that extra third package, your second and third.
00:28:29
Savage Boston
and and move up back in the first and take Matt Golden, if he's there, probably won't be, or Egbuka or Tet, like take a wide receiver weapon. that's what That's what I'm hoping.
00:28:40
Savage Boston
Or if you you you do go Hunter at four, then you trade back up and get that other tackle option like Josh Connerly.
00:28:47
Snooty
You honorly yeah
00:28:48
Savage Boston
Right. Like you could target him back there. And so I think there are guys that you're you're going to be able to target or you wait, stick and pick and get Ursary or Donovan Jackson or like some of the guys that you maybe, be you maybe are high on, but like, I don't know. I don't, do you trust their evaluation skills?
00:29:05
Savage Boston
Like you, you know what I mean?
00:29:05
Snooty
ah
00:29:05
Bret
I don't know.
00:29:06
Savage Boston
Like, do you trust them?
00:29:08
Bret
It's hard to say. I mean, I would say based on track record right now, no. But I think it's also worth noting the fact that they didn't fully build up the scouting department like they needed to. And it was like bare cupboard when they took over for Belichick. So...
00:29:24
Bret
that's why ah we talked about earlier i'm okay with like another run with wolf like scouting scheme and understandably like brable's calling the shots and he's got stretch kind of helping to you know give some insight and count and whatever so like
Building Team Chemistry and Strategic Planning
00:29:41
Bret
i think there's some new voices in the room with new visions but i i do want to see what that scouting department can produce so long and short of it is Do I trust it?
00:29:52
Bret
No. But am I writing them off to say, like, I absolutely think they're going to botch the thing? No. I think there's, like, to be determined, and and I'd be okay giving them this draft.
00:30:03
Bret
And to me, ultimately, like, I look at it and say... I feel like you list off all of those offensive linemen, they're not all going to suck. Someone's going to be a really good professional lineman, and someone could be like pro bowl caliber lineman.
00:30:19
Bret
These guys can't all suck. like It's not that desolate of a talent pool. So like I look at it and say... I think we still have a chance that come second round, like there's going to be a guy there that we could pick.
00:30:32
Bret
And if we pick the right one, then we're going to fucking off and running because we've gotten our guy and we're in a good position. Like it's not unheard of. So imagine we're going find, you know, a left tackle in the second round at the top of the draft. So I'm good there. But when it comes to the scout, yeah, like I said, I can't say I'm confident in them, but like I'm not going to say they're going to be absolutely shitty either.
00:30:54
Snooty
I'd say I'm not as down on them as everybody else seems to be simply by virtue of kind of what you said. Like, i don't know. I mean, last year, every time, you know, every time a draft, like you scout the draft, the the full year before that.
00:31:07
Snooty
Right. So like by the time they took over last year, basically the hay was in the barn. Right. Now that being said, they still passed on Vlad McConkie and things like that.
00:31:13
Savage Boston
Mm-hmm.
00:31:16
Snooty
So does not really, you know, inspiring much hope on that front, but yeah,
00:31:20
Savage Boston
the
00:31:21
Snooty
It's also their first one. you know Generally speaking, general managers get you know a four or five-year run before they you don knowt get the boot or whatever. But i mean you don't need like all pro-level offensive linemen.
00:31:34
Snooty
like You can get them. You can find them in the draft. It's on you to identify and coach and develop them. Same with receivers. You don't need... you know, Jamar Chase and Tee Higgins. That's why I think the Bengals are stupid.
00:31:47
Snooty
Like, but you can find players like that. You can find productive receivers, especially with the way the college game is played right now. Fucking everybody has a receiver. Everybody has seven fucking receivers on the field at the same time, right?
00:32:01
Snooty
Like, then they sub where they constantly rotate guys in. Like, they there is talent out there at receiver pretty much every year.
00:32:09
Savage Boston
Steph, if you're the Patriots, you can't identify it apparently.
00:32:10
Snooty
Maybe not... Well, that's the, yes, but I'm going to go back to, well, and then that makes me feel bad about McDaniels being here, but like, you know, i' it's a new system. It's and it's it's new. So i'm goingnna I'm willing to give it a chance.
00:32:25
Snooty
Not hopeful, but I'm willing to give it a chance.
00:32:27
Savage Boston
McDaniels is good. He's a good coach. He can run a good system. he needs a solid quarterback to run it. That's been established. He needs a good quarterback to run it. I think he's going to work really well with Drake.
00:32:38
Savage Boston
He is a good coordinator. he has a crazy amount of experience. Vrabel is a great head coach. Like the, the, the coaching staff is very strong. No matter what, this is an upgrade over AVP no matter what.
00:32:50
Snooty
Yes.
00:32:50
Savage Boston
And so, but McDaniels does well with some, like a bunch of solid mid tier receivers. Like you don't need crazy elite. You don't need it
00:32:59
Snooty
Well, well, and this is, to me, this is constantly overlooked.
00:32:59
Savage Boston
um
00:33:05
Snooty
Yes, but they, but like they had Gronk and Gronk was the game changer.
00:33:09
Savage Boston
That's true. They had one very, very – I mean, and also like you could try to try to consider Edelman. I mean, you're not going to say he's elite, but he was an extremely reliable pass catcher for many years with Tom.
00:33:19
Snooty
Yes. Yes. He wasn't a Jack.
00:33:22
Savage Boston
Great rapport.
00:33:22
Snooty
He was...
00:33:22
Savage Boston
And then between Hogan and Amendola and like a few other options
00:33:23
Snooty
Yeah.
Conclusion: Future Strategy and Planning
00:33:27
Savage Boston
and their running backs into the scheme and then Brady elevating everyone, you all sudden have an offense that scores 30 game.
00:33:34
Savage Boston
you know But like we are so much of a far cry away from that offense that ah you know it's it's it's amazing how far away we are. Especially so last year when you're watching this discombobulated offense that can't fucking do anything.
00:33:48
Savage Boston
And you're like, what are we trying to do? The whole year, it's like, what are we? i think we had our you know family party all together. And it was the game where um you know that was Miami on the road.
00:33:59
Savage Boston
And we're trying to watch the game. And I think by half, was like thirty nothing or something Miami. and And I was just like, what are we what are we doing here? Like, what's this is the worst team I've ever seen in my life, I think, that I've ever watched. and But there's been so many of those moments the last two years, and they've won eight games in two years.
00:34:18
Savage Boston
It's like anything has to be better. They have to advance. They have to improve. Because truly, like, they actually can't get worse.
00:34:26
Snooty
But like, but see, that's the thing. Everybody hear this sometimes too. I'm not saying you said this, but like when people go, oh it's been five years since Brady. We don't have to like, we don't have the patience. We can't, we can't afford like a three year rebuild. It's like, well, no, like they've been trying to rebuild. They've just been fucking blowing it.
00:34:44
Snooty
Like it still takes three years to like truly build a team.
00:34:44
Savage Boston
yeah
00:34:48
Savage Boston
One good Felger and Maz take. I'll give them this one amongst many bad ones, including today when Maz quote-unquote said, can Travis Hunter even play receiver?
00:34:59
Savage Boston
um great Great quote, Maz. One take, you know, oh my god, now I just totally slipped the way the fuck I was going to go with that take. What were just talking about?
00:35:12
Snooty
ah
00:35:13
Savage Boston
Oh my god.
00:35:13
Snooty
Basically that it takes like, you can't like, it takes three years to build it. Like you can't just like, Oh, you can't factor in the fact that like the five years before variable got here that like they've been bad.
00:35:24
Snooty
Like it, it, it, you can't, it's like, Oh, you, you we don't have the patience for,
00:35:24
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:35:27
Savage Boston
Oh, I remember. Sorry. It's the Buccaneers. They look at the Buccaneers post-Brady and they're like, why did the Buccaneers rebuild post-Brady so much better and faster than you?
00:35:40
Snooty
Because they had a better underlying level of talent than you did at the end when Brady was here.
00:35:45
Savage Boston
But they've had a reset too. Like they've, they've changed. Like, yeah, they still at Evans and Godwin who have still played through this, but like their defense has reset. They were able to reload with a better quarterback, you know, with, with Baker versus you couldn't, you had Mac and then Zappy and then, you know, Brissette.
00:35:59
Snooty
I mean, you you want you want the real answer?
00:36:00
Savage Boston
Right. So,
00:36:02
Snooty
If they had a better beginning level of talent than they've drafted substantially better than you have for five years.
00:36:08
Savage Boston
Well, that's what it comes back to, right It's all about the draft. Again, we all keep but i'll keep returning to the fucking draft.
00:36:10
Snooty
yeah
00:36:13
Savage Boston
If you don't draft well, you're fucked, basically, unless you have Tom Brady and you can keep picking off the edges of free agency.
00:36:20
Snooty
Yeah. No, I mean, if you don't draft well, you're fucked. it's It's pretty well established, right?
00:36:23
Savage Boston
Yeah. All well, that will conclude the Savage Boston podcast for tonight.
00:36:24
Snooty
Let's see.
00:36:27
Savage Boston
Thank you for tuning in. We appreciate your time. We'll be back next week. See
00:36:32
Bret
Peace.