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EPISODE 46! - Patriots vs Vikings joint practice!! Will Campbell. TreVeyon Henderson!
361 Plays25 days ago
Patriots vs Vikings joint practice coming this week. Reviewing the Patriots vs Commanders preseason game.
Will Campbell is a dawg.
TreVeryon Henderson is electric
enjoy!
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Setting
00:00:00
savageboston
Alright, what's up guys? Welcome back to the Savage Boston Podcast. ah We are here. it is Tuesday evening. I'm actually coming you from Southern Maine, the yeah the beautiful country of Southern Maine.
00:00:12
savageboston
ah We're just coming up on Patriots and Vikings double training camp practices.
00:00:12
Bret
Thank you.
00:00:17
savageboston
so ah My name's Scott.
Patriots' Preseason Highlights
00:00:20
savageboston
I'm the host of Savage Boston Podcast here with my friend Brett. And yeah, we're going to be covering some Patriots obviously tonight. um Yeah, I think... You know, the the Patriots obviously in the preseason game had, you know, a lot of successes in the game.
00:00:35
savageboston
I liked the game. it was It was a fun watch. I was there in person with with my older son. It's good time. um You know, thinking back on it, reading a lot about it, there was, you know, there's some negatives there too. it's not just It's not just, you know, not just positive. um But there there was a lot good to take from it.
00:00:52
savageboston
um The first thing I want to talk about is is Will Campbell, who obviously you know we were talking about last week kind of ranting. He's still like the third rail topic guy. um you know Will Campbell was the highest graded rookie according and the first round rookie according to PFFs.
00:01:08
savageboston
um out of all the first round rookies um he played a really pretty solid game aside from you know one um communication mistake with jared wilson where they gave up a sack and we'll get into that later but overall you know will campbell is a really ah you know kind of mean player in a great way like getting up to the second level pulling um pancaking multiple dbs and a linebacker
00:01:19
Bret
Thank you.
00:01:34
savageboston
You know, and just overall just really impressed by the way he gets after it and the way he moves. So, um Brett, why you start off just tell me about kind of your initial thoughts on how the game went and I guess just open up with ah Will Campbell.
Rookies Making an Impact
00:01:48
Bret
Yeah, I mean, well, let's Will Campbell, I think, good early signs. Yeah, he let up that a sack on the outside because he got kind of turned inside and didn't really good communication with him and Wilson, which you're going to get when you got left tackle rookie, left guard rookie, and it's kind of what you've talked about, putting rookie next to rookie.
00:02:05
savageboston
Yeah.
00:02:08
Bret
Um, so yeah, I mean, that's, that's what you get growing pains there. Uh, or as he likes to say, yeah he's not losing, he's just learning. Um, but yeah, I, I like the aggressiveness that he showed and I think he came out there with an intention, which was good.
00:02:08
savageboston
Yeah.
00:02:17
savageboston
Yeah.
00:02:27
Bret
But it's also preseason, right? you know We're not going against top flight guys.
00:02:30
savageboston
Mm-hmm.
00:02:31
Bret
We're not going ah full full go on certain pockets. So I don't want to get too up on it. But obviously, first time that we get ah a full look at him in a game environment, I thought it was good early indicator.
00:02:48
Bret
So I was glad to see that. ah The thing that stood out to me the most is Trevion Henderson, who continues to just absolutely shine here in camp. and
00:02:57
savageboston
Yeah.
00:02:57
Bret
You know, I've shifted my thought process with him as to, you know, initially we bring him in. He's he's a young guy, and, you know, he gives us that third down back explosive option. But I just look at him more and more as being like, is he just going to be that every down first guy out back?
00:03:15
Bret
And then they keep Gibson in that role afterwards or come up with other options. I mean, they just – they're utilizing everywhere. And then using him on the special teams, it's like – The guy is just brings a dynamic to our offense and to our team that we just haven't had.
00:03:31
Bret
So that is ah those are some big signs.
00:03:32
savageboston
Yeah.
00:03:34
Bret
And then you know when it comes to May, I thought it was good, not great. you know There's a few plays where I wish he did a little bit better, like that Hollins kind of out in the right side, go on kind of going up, and he just overthrew him like that.
00:03:51
Bret
Didn't really have, I wish I had saw more throws from that perspective and, you know, decisiveness there and what he was doing. But again, this is preseason. there Most of this stuff was in joint practices and in joint practices, the guy, you know, shined.
00:04:06
Bret
So it was good for us as fans to see preseason because we don't get the full scope here.
00:04:07
savageboston
Yeah.
Quarterback Evaluation: May's Potential
00:04:13
Bret
I thought good overall signs. I like the flashes with some of the rookies. That's what we need to see so that we can grow on it. And then, yeah we'll see if it translates. It'll be interesting to see now that we're going against Minnesota, which is another good team for us to kind of stack up against what it looks like.
00:04:29
savageboston
I mean, Travion Henderson being there in person and and having him take back the kickoff for a touchdown the first play was was wild. like it felt Like, it felt like a regular season game.
00:04:40
Bret
Yeah, what was the atmosphere like?
00:04:40
savageboston
You know, it felt like like people – Oh, it well, for that first play, for certain, it was it was wild. I mean, i would say the atmosphere, it was packed, first of all. For a preseason game, it was packed. The Brady statue reveal just happened, which, by the way, thought the statue looked fine.
00:04:56
savageboston
You know, is his head a little small? Sure, maybe. But, like, thought it was good. Give it a good 7.5 out 10. You know, not the best statue on planet Earth, but good job. You know what i mean? Like, I'm not, i don't i don't know why people are trying to crap on the statue. I thought it was fine. But, ah but yeah, like, the atmosphere was, I would say, pretty wild for a preseason where it's usually, like, incredibly subdued.
00:05:15
savageboston
Yeah. And he took back that kickoff, man, and people were like on their fucking feet, dude. Like people were jacked. And, and you know, it was really – you see the the extra gear from him quickly.
00:05:27
savageboston
Like here's another tidbit about that kickoff. Because there's going to be way more kickoffs in the field of play this year because they changed the rule, right? So their like an initial kickoff touchback moves to I believe the 35 now or something instead of the 30.
00:05:41
Bret
Yeah.
00:05:42
savageboston
Like they keep – it we used to be the 20. Like, they just keep moving it back, moving it back, moving it back. So on a positive note, you're going to a ton of kicks taken out this year, which is a very exciting football play and a play that the NFL needs and should have. I don't i think in person was confusing watching them line up with like those two lines again. And I was like, oh yeah, i remember like they changed the whole kickoff. You know, like for a second, I thought it was back to, you know, sprinting down the field. But um I'm very happy they they are going to have more kick ah kick returns in play.
00:06:18
savageboston
um So what's going to happen now, because it's becoming more of a consistent play designed for running backs, you're going to have Antonio Gibson who ripped off a 65-yard one.
00:06:28
savageboston
You're going to have Travion Henderson who obviously took a 100-yard one back. that you're going to get a lot more running backs,
00:06:32
Bret
Thank
00:06:34
savageboston
ah taking that initial
Team Dynamics and Coaching Influence
00:06:36
savageboston
kickoff. And I think you're going to have just an exciting football play again, which is the design of the kick return. so um So, yeah, so the atmosphere was really good. um And I thought Travion was excellent. But not only that, like I thought, like he was really, he was really like finishing runs, man. Like like they all were, right? They all seemed to have attitude.
00:06:57
savageboston
You know, they all were finishing. They all were, when they ran the ball, they they lowered their shoulder. they It looked like they took the game really seriously, the whole team. And again, was it like the best played game of all time by the starting offense? No, obviously not.
00:07:12
savageboston
But it's just nice to see them, um you know, really put a massive effort forward. So, um yeah, how do you feel about kind of or what do you think about, it you know, Mike Vrabel and the whole team effort thing?
00:07:20
Bret
it
00:07:25
Bret
Well, i would I think what you saw there and kind of what I was talking about with ah Will Campbell and kind of finishing the block and and burying guys at times, like it's an attitude thing for him.
00:07:36
Bret
And he's talked about that from the beginning.
00:07:38
savageboston
oh Yeah.
00:07:38
Bret
It's the way he carries himself and how he asks his team to do. And it's needed. So what's great is... Again, really super early, but we only can work with what we got. It's the team is showing that they're buying in and they're playing a Mike Vrabel style of football.
00:07:59
Bret
And it's the type of energy and aggressiveness that we've just been lacking in so many areas.
Concerns Over Team Depth and Injuries
00:08:06
Bret
And like you're looking on the defensive side of things like –
00:08:07
savageboston
yeah
00:08:09
Bret
We have a defense, and they're they're looking to get after it. you know like Milton Williams, like again, going against backups, but he's fucking huge.
00:08:15
savageboston
good player.
00:08:18
Bret
so like
00:08:19
savageboston
Yeah.
00:08:19
Bret
we just We just got guys that are out there playing with high energy, playing with some passion about it, which is great as a fan because that's what gets you jacked up when you got guys that actually should care and go through it, and they're not like...
00:08:29
savageboston
Yeah.
00:08:32
Bret
business-like methodical. like that's That was kind of the part about the Belichick era that sometimes it kind of got, i don't want to say boring because winning is not boring. And, you know, Julian Edelman talked about that all the time.
00:08:43
savageboston
Yeah.
00:08:46
Bret
But, like, it is a good change of pace. And it's a good thing to be able to see. And it tells me that the team is buying into Rabel with being a new coach in there and, like, changing the culture.
00:08:58
Bret
Like these are all good early indicators.
00:08:59
savageboston
Yeah.
00:09:02
Bret
And on top of it, I'll just throw out when you're like deficient in talent, you have to win with effort. And I think that's the kind of mindset he's trying to build with them.
00:09:12
savageboston
How many more wins do you think the Vrabel buy-in culture, the effort culture, how many more like actual tangible wins can that get you? You what I mean? Like talent aside.
00:09:24
Bret
Yeah, I mean, I'm sticking to my prediction. said nine games. I still think nine games is where they're at.
00:09:29
savageboston
That's a fair, that's fair.
00:09:30
Bret
i I haven't... I'm not going to go above that at this point. Like, I'll reserve the right after, like, week two to be like, okay, maybe there's something else more here.
00:09:41
Bret
But I still think there's... My overriding concern is, like, we just don't have depth. So, like, what happens if Will Campbell goes down is injured?
00:09:54
Bret
Like, we're fucked, but you know?
00:09:56
savageboston
Yeah, ah that would be awful.
00:09:57
Bret
like Like, Stefan Diggs, like, if he can't go 100% and, like, just one more guy gets banged up, like, we don't have depth.
00:10:07
Bret
We don't have enough you know continuity amongst the team. There's so many new pieces that it's like the whole idea of like next man up, it's like they just haven't had the reps to be able to do that at an efficient level. So ah really, I think health is going to be even more of a factor here because of the lack of depth.
00:10:28
Bret
But i to me, it's nine wins. i I'm sticking with it. I think it's ah a fair assessment. I think it's a fair bump, right? you know You're more than doubling what you've done the last two years.
00:10:38
Bret
ah so
00:10:39
savageboston
Mm-hmm.
00:10:40
Bret
you know, that's, that's kind of where I'm at.
00:10:43
savageboston
I feel like the – I kind of feel like the injury bug has gotten them a tiny bit. Like, you know, cross your fingers, it hasn't been you like a massive, massive injury yet. You know, hopefully not.
00:10:54
savageboston
um But it's getting them a little bit, right, with both Gonzalez and Carlton Davis, both their starting corners of it, like their nursing injuries. Land Larrison, who was going to make the roster, you know, he's gone for the year.
00:11:06
savageboston
Jalen Polk was going to be potentially not going to make it. Now he's hurt again. And um again, like from people I've talked to so far, no word on that. But I would I would think you're going to hear soon that he's either going to be stashed on the IR or I'm sure they're talking about it now just outright releasing him.
00:11:16
Bret
Thank
00:11:25
savageboston
um and it's probably be one of those two options but again like you know i haven't heard anything yet like they're being a little hush-hush about polk probably because they're they're really trying to just figure out how do they actually want to handle the polk situation um because again this is only year two for a second round pick and like mike frable hypothetically right he doesn't care that he's a second rounder but It kind of sucks. I mean, like, Ellie Wolfe is aware, you know, it sucks taking a guy in the second round and just have a total bust player really blows. And, like, um I'm sure he worked really hard, Polk, you know, and so I feel bad for him if he obviously doesn't doesn't make the roster. But there's some potential he just gets put on the IR and see you next season.
Wide Receiver Strategies and Special Teams
00:12:08
savageboston
You know, compete again next season.
00:12:08
Bret
Yeah, have they, do we know the extent of the injury? I mean, i' yeah.
00:12:12
savageboston
Not at all. Shoulder, shoulder went down on it.
00:12:15
Bret
Shoulder, to our right arm, you right arm, you know.
00:12:17
savageboston
Yeah. Could be separated like AC joint, could be broken clavicle, you know, he just went in with a towel over his head, obviously with a hurt shoulder. So you're just not going to know yet. But because it's taking so long, like they didn't come out there. i got Like Lane Larrison was hurt in the same game, right?
00:12:33
savageboston
Hurt his foot, probably broke his foot. um That's what i heard. And um he's gone. Like all year, you know, probably all year.
00:12:39
Bret
Yeah.
00:12:41
savageboston
I don't think they designated him to return. um He's just on IRC next season. You know, and and it's like, okay, there he goes, right?
00:12:47
Bret
yeah
00:12:48
savageboston
But you had depth there, and and he was your depth guy. And then here's another caveat. Ramondre Stevenson, he's he's missed two practices in a row after the preseason game. Don't know where he is. No one's saying anything. The team is not like Mike Reese has reported on this.
00:13:03
savageboston
There's, there's no, the team has not come out and said anything about Ramon or Stevenson's injury. The team has not come out and said anything about Jalen Polk's injury. So they're being incredibly close to the vest on, on the injury stuff.
00:13:17
savageboston
for whichever reason they want to do that, whatever, you know, it is what it is. So um I think there's a lot of decisions to be made. And i know some people were hopeful for Jalen Polk to come back and um just rooting for him because he was such a high draft pick. But I think, like, unless they feel like taking up an IR spot and stashing him for the entire year, it just might – we might be saying goodbye to Jalen Polk, you know.
00:13:44
Bret
Yeah, so i I was kind of in the position that I thought they were probably going to move on from him. I said it was going to come down to him and Chisholm.
00:13:51
savageboston
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:13:53
Bret
And Chisholm has looked better than him to this point. So I think that would be the continuing leaning on that area.
00:13:56
savageboston
Mm-hmm.
00:14:01
Bret
And, yeah, it sucks for a guy to get injured when he's fighting for a spot and he knows he's fighting for a spot. ah So I could see him go, he's... he's ah he's still an NFL caliber wide receiver, I think.
00:14:14
Bret
And the guy, like, he, ah by all accounts, second round is not a bad spot for that guy. So there's potential there. So I really, i think it's going to be one of those things where it's like, well, obviously, what does Mike Rabel and Josh McDaniels think of the guy? And can they make it work for him? Because if they can, then they can stash him on the IR and,
00:14:38
Bret
giving him opportunity to like and i'll learn and basically redshirt him, even though it he was in sophomore year, ah see if that would work. I think it's going to be a combination of the extent of the injury and where they're at, but I've been leaning towards him not sticking around, so I'm going to stay in that way, and I think it just sucks for a guy to have it happen because of injury, but I guess you know it happens.
00:14:59
savageboston
Yeah.
00:15:05
savageboston
i feel like um i feel like now i could see them keeping seven wide receivers, um which I think would be interesting because, you know, the seventh would really be at this point. um Javon Baker would be the seventh, and there's a lot of hype about him as like a gunner, like a special teamer. He's played pretty well.
00:15:22
savageboston
You know, not not really crack the field in any meaningful way a wide receiver, but, you know, it's still value there. If you got a good special teamer, good gunner that you can also keep and develop as a wide receiver, like there's nothing wrong with that.
00:15:35
savageboston
um But like Efton Chism, go for it, go for it
00:15:36
Bret
yeah I mean...
00:15:40
Bret
Well, I was going say, any wide receiver that you take when you're getting up to seven like has to be serviceable in special teams. Whether you're doing returning, gunning, punt, kickoff, whatever you're doing...
00:15:50
savageboston
Yeah, yeah.
00:15:53
savageboston
And by all reports, he's done that. You know, he's been good on special teams.
00:15:57
Bret
Yeah, you got to find a way to make your spot. like That's what people talk about. i mean, ah players do that all the time when they're fighting for a spot and there's something there that the coordinator and the coach think, like, I could probably work with this guy, but he's not there yet.
00:16:11
savageboston
Uh-huh.
00:16:11
Bret
So I'm going to take a guy with his skill set and put him on a special teams and earn a roster spot. And see if they can kind of produce there, which they do all the time for guys that are on the edge cut line for wide receivers.
00:16:22
savageboston
Yeah.
00:16:26
Bret
So that one, i you know, I could see him sneaking on there. And if he does, that's good to me because that tells me that they think they can produce something with him, which would be great because you don't want to waste another pick on a guy young guy like that.
00:16:37
savageboston
Yeah.
00:16:42
savageboston
Yeah.
00:16:42
Bret
see. mo say
00:16:44
savageboston
Yeah, and I, i you know, Efton Chisholm, obviously, I've hyped him up a lot online and so have a lot of other people. But, like, he played really well. He had a really good game. I mean, when he gets opportunities, he's played well.
00:16:58
savageboston
Runs good routes. He's not the fastest person in the world, but he's very quick, catches the ball, um Good effort, works hard. Like, he to me is a great just backup for Pop Douglas.
00:17:09
savageboston
And if you can find more ways to get him the ball, great. um Love to see him get reps with Drake May more.
00:17:12
Bret
Well,
00:17:15
savageboston
But, like, i don't know. He like he had a really great game. He was really productive. um So, yeah, i'm love I'm loving the possibility of Efton Chisholm, you know, making
Drake May's Development Challenges
00:17:24
savageboston
the team. I think that's a great story.
00:17:26
savageboston
um I think Lane Larrison probably would have made the team too as a fourth running back, but obviously he's hurt. um But yeah, like how what did you, what'd you think about F and Chisholm's performance?
00:17:33
Bret
it doesn't... jim's Chisholm's our white hope, right? ah he yeah He's the guy that fits the mold that we're traditionally seeing in our Patriots uniform, right?
00:17:39
savageboston
Oh yeah.
00:17:42
savageboston
We've been talking about that for months. ah
00:17:46
Bret
But hey, he also made like, ah you know, in joint practices, made that crazy like catch of the day on the back shoulder going to the the know left side left post and the for touchdown.
00:17:57
Bret
Like, he's made plays when he's had the opportunity, which is what you need to do.
00:18:00
savageboston
Yeah.
00:18:02
Bret
You know, and...
00:18:02
savageboston
Yeah.
00:18:03
Bret
Obviously, with that sort of dynamic, it's it it reminds you of an Edelman-esque type guy, like a journeyman guy that's just fighting to make a roster, willing to do ah anything to make it and do special teams if he has to whatnot.
00:18:19
Bret
But when the opportunities come up, makes a play. And he's the guy that's out there trying to do that and making plays.
00:18:25
savageboston
Yeah.
00:18:26
Bret
So we'll see. at you know
00:18:28
savageboston
yeah
00:18:29
Bret
Like I said at the top with depth, that's going to be critical because, ah You know, you could lose a guy like Diggs and you got to rotate things around and like Chisholm could be playing real ball during some point of the year.
00:18:42
Bret
You need him, and you need to develop these guys.
00:18:42
savageboston
Yeah.
00:18:44
Bret
like I don't think he's ever going to be an elite guy that's going to catch 100 passes season.
00:18:45
savageboston
Yeah.
00:18:51
savageboston
Yeah.
00:18:52
Bret
He's just never going to do this. We're talking about bottom-of-the-end roster, but like these are the guys we need to fill out because we just don't have enough talent there to make it up, and we need to just do it by numbers and effort, and if we can do it with a guy like that, then...
00:19:08
Bret
Sure. I'm all for it. And if the guy can make a fucking play, make a play.
00:19:10
savageboston
yeah
00:19:11
Bret
We need more guys that make plays.
00:19:14
savageboston
That is true. And um now that we're 19 minutes into the podcast, um we can address Drake May. So with Drake May, you know, this has been, i thought it was funny. Like I was waiting, people were, I'm on vacation, so wasn't, I wasn't um wasn't like ramped to go watch Felger and Maz at 2 p.m. Like I was on the beach, you know, but like.
00:19:33
savageboston
you know, typically I'd either be doing some work or whatever, but like at 2 PM, I was interested, what was going to be that first take, you know, what's the hot take. And everyone was making jokes, like, you know, with all the positive stuff, they're going to come out and just smash Drake may off the bat. And it was actually great to see that they didn't, they decided not to do that, which is, I thought, which was great. Cause it's so much nicer just to be like, why don't we talk about Travion Henderson how dynamic he is, you know, before you go into Drake, but like,
00:20:01
savageboston
You know, Drake may have to figure out these these turnovers. And I know this is preseason.
00:20:05
Bret
Yeah.
00:20:07
savageboston
that's the This is the point. It's the point of preseason to do stupid shit like this, I guess. But, like, my take is when you're playing the Vikings, right, who have a really good – Flores is a great defensive coordinator.
00:20:20
savageboston
He's a really good DC. disguises defense. he's His defenses are always good, always tough. And so – I think Drake, if he's probably going to play, I would guess about the first half, because this is probably going to be the higher volume preseason game.
00:20:35
savageboston
We need Drake to have a half of football where he doesn't turn the ball over. And that's what I'm looking for. And that's going the biggest takeaway. I mean, not to mention just they have two days of joint practice, which is going to be awesome and going to be really, really competitive.
00:20:51
savageboston
Right. um But you you need Drake to, to not turn over the football. And especially like if it's a tip or something, like there's excuses, but he certainly can't do whatever the heck that was.
00:21:04
savageboston
You know, that that's, that's drawed Mayo football. Do you know mean? Like, that's not, that's not like variable football. Like, the mix up on the line and then him going and and throwing off his back foot and having like, um you know, fumbling in the, you know, it was just a, such a dysfunctional play.
00:21:20
savageboston
So obviously you need Drake to to come out and you need him to have a much better performance in the first half of the game. So that's going to be my initial, my initial takeaway is I, need him to, i need him to play mistake free football for like a half.
00:21:33
savageboston
So know how you feel about that.
00:21:35
Bret
Yeah, I mean, it's going to start with the turnovers. It's probably going end with the turnovers with him. ah Not good to be fumbling it. And any time he's turning the ball over, it's just not a good look.
00:21:46
Bret
I think the other thing that gets to me is like the scrambles and and rolling on his feet. It's good, and I want them to build in that as part of the offense with some intention there so that we are you know doing it and utilizing his feet. The problem I see there is at times you know he had a throw, and I want my quarterback to be a pocket guy first that's going throw, not a guy that is going to be scrambling constantly going out and then just kind of bailing out on that to make a play.
00:22:20
Bret
Because it's not going to work all the time.
00:22:21
savageboston
but
00:22:22
Bret
And on top of it, that's what got him fucking concussed last year. You know, it's the concussions and what he's doing.
00:22:26
savageboston
Absolutely.
00:22:27
Bret
So you you don't want to see, you got to get a young guy like that to learn early. You can't turn the ball over, and you can't rely on your feet to take you out of the position because you can ah run these guys because you're going to get injured, and we need you to stay healthy. So those are kind of like the two big areas that I'm looking at from Drake that we need to see him – grow leaps and bounds this year, like this is the stuff he needs to do if he's going to be successful. Because I have no doubt in my mind his ability to make throws. like i you know I shit on the throw that he missed, but like he's going to figure that stuff out. And there it's timing with these guys just as much as anything else.
00:23:07
savageboston
Mm-hmm.
00:23:07
Bret
But the guy's got the arm to be able to do it. He's got it between the years to be able to understand the offense, and he's making the right reads at time. I just think the two things for me is he tries to make a play, and he's going to run. It's like, no, you've got to make a play with your in the pocket, make a throw first, so you're not getting yourself injured and relying on that. And then secondly, you've just got to protect the football.
00:23:31
Bret
It can't be fumbling the football. like That's what kills your teams.
00:23:36
savageboston
Well, it's such a – I mean, that's just a pure – that whole play was not a fucking skill issue. None of it. Like, everyone's like, oh, sack phone, but, like, no. Like, between Campbell and draw and Jared Wilson, who apparently Jared Wilson, um because I read Bedard's article, not a great game. He hadd like, five minus plays when Bedard was, like, really looking at the offensive line.
00:23:57
Bret
Yeah.
00:23:57
savageboston
umm Not a great game. You know, he's a rookie. um But between the two of them, like, that is not a skill issue. That's a mental error. And then Drake having someone wrapped around his feet deciding, I'm going flop and throw it and screw around and throw it backwards. Like, again, that is not a Patriots football play.
00:24:13
savageboston
And that is something where Mike Vrabel, like, that's why he came out after the game and went to the podium and said, you know, Drake knows better than that. You know what mean? Like, he's like, listen, he knows, you know, that's not ah that's not a Patriots play.
00:24:27
savageboston
That's not the plays we make on this team. Like, protect the football. That's number one. I mean, Belichick preached that for 20 years. Protect the fucking football. And so, I think he learned a lot of really shitty habits last year with such horrific coaching. Can't stress enough how bad the coaching was last year.
00:24:44
savageboston
I'm sure Alex Van Pelt did some positive things with Drake, but overall the coaching was just terrible. So... Drake has a ton of natural ability, but, mean, he's got to, they got coach out those, like, real, like, he was going to go down getting tackled, thought he could fling, don't even know where he was going with the football.
00:25:02
savageboston
Like, he was trying to throw that football.
00:25:02
Bret
Yeah.
00:25:03
savageboston
i don't even know where he's going. But, you know, was ridiculous.
00:25:05
Bret
No, that's the stuff where he's four yeah he's forcing it up, and... It's just this, it's right. It's the stuff that you cannot do. I'm glad ah Mike basically, like Vrabel basically stuck out for the guy and moved on.
00:25:20
Bret
Like, he knows it too. Like, there's no way the guy is going to go back and sit on the sideline and not get ripped about it or not recognize he fucked up.
00:25:23
savageboston
Of
00:25:27
Bret
Like, you obviously know when you fucked up and you fumbled the ball.
00:25:28
savageboston
course.
00:25:30
Bret
Like, that's an easy giveaway. But even if he didn't do it and he, like, got away with it, he would realize the fact that, like, I just fucked up. Like, I cannot do those plays. So, so Yeah, I just, I think, again, the the concern I have are basically going to be the turnovers and then him starting to lean in, you know, scrambling, and then he gets himself freaking injured again.
00:25:53
Bret
It's the young stuff that they just, that has to be taken out of him. And yeah, we'll see. You know, obviously, like you said, I anticipate more playing time and against Minnesota and see where that produces. It's good to get another team in there. I'd like getting some feedback that you get from these joint practices and and what that looks like.
00:26:16
Bret
So hopefully he can continue to develop and get a quick learn here on this and we can move forward to get him where he needs to be because, ah fucking team but like leans on this guy.
00:26:28
Bret
We talk a lot about everyone else, but like it's all going to come back to Drake May and whether this guy is legit and can develop to be a franchise caliber quarterback or is he not.
00:26:39
savageboston
Mm-hmm.
00:26:41
Bret
And we all think he is.
Upcoming Joint Practices with Vikings
00:26:43
Bret
we just We're going through growing pains. Those are the kind of things you've got to see less and less of.
00:26:49
savageboston
I mean, if they're putting him on the Josh Allen track and they think, okay, he's going to be Josh Allen. That's who we want him to be, right? Like Josh Allen had a pretty mediocre second year. Like that was not his come out year. His come out year was his third year where he was like really dynamic. I think he – I forget where he finished MVP voting, but he was ridiculous. So, you know, there's a lot of upward – upward movement here still still to be made lot of room to grow and um I think like that you gotta just try to follow the Josh Allen track but like he obviously has to make better plays and there's so many other quarterbacks in the league that like it's a hard position to play it's hard to play at a really really high level all the time and that's why we talk about how there's basically what feels like four elite elite quarterbacks in the football right now
00:27:38
savageboston
And then there's like a couple big tiers of players that you're like, all right, we don't know where these guys fit. You know, obviously, you know, you got Allen, you know, Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and and and maybe Burrow, and then people throwing like Jaden Daniels or Jalen Hurts in there.
00:27:53
savageboston
But after that, it's like, You know, there are some really great players, but they they don't seem to put it together. Like, it's a very, very difficult position. So um I think by the end of the season, I'm hoping Drake may is considered a top 10 quarterback.
00:28:06
savageboston
That's what I'm hoping. I'm hoping he somehow sneaks in there, and he and I think he can do that. Like, I think he can play well enough to be a top 10 guy, and his natural ability is there. Um, so that's, that's how I'm feeling. But, uh, let me throw it out to you. Are you, what are you, uh, what are you looking forward to anything specific during the, uh, Patriots and Vikings joint practices before the preseason game on Saturday?
00:28:30
Bret
ah Well, I'd like to see more digs. I want to see them start to use him more.
00:28:34
savageboston
Yeah. Yeah.
00:28:36
Bret
I want to hear more about him integrating the offense. That's the part that I'm questioning, right? Because we're we got all hyped because they're like, he's off the pop. Like, oh my God, he's going to be out there week one.
00:28:46
savageboston
Yeah.
00:28:46
Bret
And then he's just been quiet during the week first week of joint practices.
00:28:49
savageboston
Yeah. Yeah.
00:28:51
Bret
And I look it and say... If you're really getting him ready for week one and he's going to be full go, he needs to start showing, you know, we need to hear it and see it in minicamp. So that's the thing that I'm going to be watching the most right now because that's the area where I feel like it didn't happen in the first joint practice that I want to start seeing as we kind of get closer and closer to the season.
00:29:13
Bret
So for me, it's Diggs and hearing and seeing him be part of the offense and, and,
00:29:14
savageboston
yeah
00:29:18
Bret
ah part of either joint practices. Like, I don't care if the guy plays in the preseason. I'd love to see him. But, like, if I'm seeing him consistently utilized in joint practices, well, then that gives me ah better feeling that he's going to be ready for week one.
00:29:32
Bret
Right now, I'm on the fence.
00:29:34
savageboston
I mean, one thing I understand about Mike Vrabel is, yes, he values the preseason, as do most coaches, especially they value joint practices because it's the competition just steps up and you can kind of figure out, like, who do you got? You got dogs. You got people who's high effort. You know, when the lights come on, they get better.
00:29:52
savageboston
um so i appreciate that about Mike Vrabel. But one other aspect of Vrabel people got to understand is, He will be lenient with you if you are a proven veteran and you're a little banged up.
00:30:03
savageboston
So I think that is clear. So one of one of them or two of the new players we have, which is Carlton Davis, who he's just letting cruise through this hole in this whole preseason. Whatever you want you want to do, Carlton, you go for a buddy. Just be healthy for a week one because he knows he's had some injury stuff. So, yeah, get healthy.
00:30:21
savageboston
Same with um Morgan Moses. Morgan Moses, get healthy, bud. We don't need you. Marcus Bryant, he's a rookie. Let's let him play right right tackle. You know, like he's just letting him cruise. So, and I think, you know, Christian Gonzalez is actually, you know, getting better, better, but there's a lot of this aspect to veteran players with variables. He, he, because he played, he understands what it's like. And he's like, this is preseason. These guys are proven vets.
00:30:46
savageboston
They don't need to come out. and be grinding, you know, like some of these players trying to make the roster. Like if you're Anthony Jennings on the, you know, the third string plane in the fourth quarter of the preseason, like that's not Carlton Davis, you know, like, so that's all I have say is that, you know, for digs, Stefan digs in particular,
00:31:05
savageboston
Vrabel no reason to try to like force him out there. And people asked him questions. I think the other morning on Hillman, they said, you know, why isn't Diggs playing? Why was he late to practice? Blah, blah, blah. And Vrabel's like, coach's decision.
00:31:19
savageboston
It's my decision. You know, I don't think Vrabel does the shit. He's like, he'll be ready week one. We have lot of practicing to do. And I think you will see them out there full force week one.
00:31:25
Bret
Thank you.
00:31:28
savageboston
Obviously, we all want the content. You know, we all want them out there um because it's it's fun. It's fun to watch. But clearly there's um there's still um ah what like a month
00:31:41
savageboston
roughly, like, 20, 25, 26 days to go. So that's, you know, that's that's a good amount of time you still have left to for everyone to get healthy. So my focus is just get everybody healthy for week one.
00:31:52
savageboston
Of course, I want to watch an exciting preseason game and watch guys play. But, like, I'm really – this is the time for, like, the Efton Chisholms. You know, this is who we're watching. Like, I want to see Efton Chisholm ball out so we can be like, hey, he's – let's give him some time in the regular season, right? Like, this is Javon Baker's time.
00:32:08
savageboston
But, like, for Diggs, like – You know, if he needs to get healthy, let him get healthy. That's all I'm saying.
00:32:15
Bret
Well, i'll just to push back on that, those other guys you mentioned aren't coming off of a major yeah ACL surgery.
00:32:15
savageboston
So.
00:32:23
Bret
So it just its it's something where when you're coming off a major surgery like that, that's that's something that's for me.
00:32:25
savageboston
That's fair.
00:32:30
Bret
And the other component that I'll say is, you know I understand like the continuity component, right? yeah Obviously, with Morgan Moses coming in, like he needs to be able to communicate with the new right guard and be able to figure it out so you don't end up like what happened with ah Campbell and Wilson where they basically just did a cross, defense did a crossover.
00:32:42
savageboston
me
00:32:49
savageboston
they should know They should know how to block that, by the way.
00:32:50
Bret
and
00:32:52
savageboston
Like, they actually should know how to block that.
00:32:52
Bret
Correct. Oh, that's basic.
00:32:54
savageboston
It's a fucking, like, end tackle stunt. It's like, you pass a guy on, like, it's, they really shouldn't have fucked that up.
00:32:57
Bret
That's basic.
00:33:01
savageboston
So, that's a clear mental
Offensive Line Improvements
00:33:03
savageboston
error, but, you know.
00:33:03
Bret
Well, and that was on Campbell. and And that's what I'm getting at.
00:33:07
savageboston
Yeah.
00:33:07
Bret
But you're making my point, right?
00:33:09
savageboston
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:33:09
Bret
So while there's benefits to Moses getting in, it's like basic. Like you've been doing it since like high school. You should be able to understand how to fucking do this and realize whose responsibility is what when those things come at you.
00:33:21
Bret
When you're looking at a wide receiver to quarterback, it's just different. It's just the timing it has to be like really in sync.
00:33:25
savageboston
Yeah. Yeah.
00:33:28
Bret
It's just so many subtleties that they do ah to kind of let them let them know what they're thinking and what they're seeing out there. So ah that's the part where I'm going to stick to saying I really want to see Diggs out there just for those kind of reasons.
00:33:36
savageboston
yeah
00:33:42
Bret
That tells me that he's going be ready for week one and that they're working those things out because if they don't, I'm less optimistic that he's either a going to be ready for week one, or if Rabel's keeping him off because he says, ah, he'll be fine, I don't i don't like that. I want him out there getting those reps.
00:33:59
Bret
I mean, at least do it in joint, at least do it in some capacity.
00:34:00
savageboston
Yeah.
00:34:03
Bret
like He's got to build that up with May because you know we need playmakers. He's doing it with Travion Henderson, who's obviously a rookie coming in there. I get it, but it's like you need to be able to do it.
00:34:15
Bret
So I want to see Dix.
00:34:16
savageboston
yeah Well, I mean, you know, i would say final point for me is that I've heard a lot of people talk to on how Cam will, like, for for some reason this week, people were like, you know, he's still probably going to eventually be a guard. I don't think he's a tackle. I think he's still a guard. Like, I understand the argument for argument's sake, but until he proves he's not your left tackle...
00:34:40
savageboston
Like, let's just pencil him in at left tackle because he's by far the best left tackle you have on the roster right now. Period. There's no one else who plays that position, like, who's even moderately as functional as Will Campbell right now.
00:34:54
savageboston
Not to mention, he actually could be like an elite run blocker. Like elite. I think he can be a really, really good run blocker. And people are going to see that. Especially those mean dudes. Like he plays mean.
00:35:06
savageboston
And that's what you want. you It's like Logan Menken. It's like you want that attitude guy who wants to bury you. And that that brings a lot of that toughness to the line that clearly they didn't have last year.
00:35:18
savageboston
I mean, last year they had like the 32nd ranked line and the 32nd ranked wide receiver group. It literally can't get worse. So if you move up to the 20th ranked line, awesome.
00:35:25
Bret
What?
00:35:28
savageboston
So I think there's a lot that they've improved on. So, all right, going wrap it up here. Appreciate you guys tuning in. We'll be back. Check in next week after joint practices. And we will talk to you guys then.
00:35:42
savageboston
Peace.
00:35:43
Bret
ah