Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
EPISODE 82 - Patriots draft breakdown!!! Alex Cora fired. wild times (1/2)
208 Plays7 days ago
LFG
Recommended
Transcript
Welcome and Sports Rundown
00:00:00
Savage Boston
All right, guys, welcome back. We are here with the Savage Boston Podcast, April 28th, around 8.30 at night. Got lot going on tonight, too. Celtics playing, Bruins playing, Red Sox playing, just, like, full steam ahead. um We're going to, obviously, you know, there's a lot going on. Maybe we'll touch on some of the other interesting stories at the end, like Alex Cora getting getting canned and the Celtics as they play right now as we as we watch. But, yeah.
00:00:28
Savage Boston
you know, I'm not, I'm not doing, we're not going to do the whole like variable Rossini breakdown thing, not doing it, not doing it. So if you tune in, there's lots of drama, people talking about that all over sports radio.
Choosing Football Over Drama
00:00:42
Savage Boston
We're actually probably going to talk about draft picks and football and the Patriots. And just um again, like I think, There's just a lot going on, a lot of moving parts. It's getting pretty salacious and it's getting like very TMZ oriented. ah You know, it's taking pictures of people in airports and and it's just getting kind of a little gross, little gross for me. So, yeah, we'll probably go into football instead. So, um yeah, I'm here with ah Snooty and Brett, the OG crew.
00:01:12
Savage Boston
I had to miss last week because I was ah down in Florida, and but back now. So anyway, why don't we jump in and when before I get my take from rambling on. Snoopy, I'll kick it off with you.
Draft Positivity: Addressing Team Needs
00:01:25
Savage Boston
What's your initial just overarching view in the draft before we go into specific players? Like, how do you feel how do you feel about how the draft went?
00:01:31
Snooty
um I think that they kind of hit on you know a lot of the needs and everything that we expected them to draft. They did draft. um you know Slight concerns that I've heard it said, we kind of even said it real time, that they picked kind of the last player at the run of their position. um The only reason I don't feel bad about that is the draft was fairly deep at those positions. um And the players themselves were identified as you know kind of good prospects and good players at those positions. So it's it's not like drafting Caden Wallace after all the run of tackles. It's more like drafting the you know last first round type tackle ah thing, which truthfully people expected to not be the last tackle. So overall, I was pretty happy with the draft. I feel like they got some you know some good players there. um if
00:02:21
Snooty
If not, maybe as much day one impact as in previous years. But yeah, pretty positive overall.
00:02:29
Savage Boston
Nice. um If you had to grade it really quick, what what kind of grade would you give it?
00:02:33
Snooty
Uh, probably a solid would be Um, you know, cause a lot of it's kind of, you know, developmental or there's a little bit more like you're projecting Lomu to like the right side.
00:02:36
Savage Boston
Okay.
00:02:46
Snooty
And, you know, you got a pass rusher who, you know, we kind of said most pass rushers are going to be limited to a certain degree at that point in the draft, but you know, they, they still got, you know, players that fit exactly what they need and kind of, uh,
00:03:02
Snooty
Should have a ah role going forward.
00:03:05
Savage Boston
Yeah.
Diverging Views on Draft Picks
00:03:06
Savage Boston
So Brad, what's your, uh, what's your 30,000 foot view of the draft?
00:03:11
Bret
Well, I think going away from it is kind of the same feeling I had going in, which is it was a fairly lackluster draft, and I felt like the draft picks were fairly lackluster as well.
00:03:24
Bret
I mean, i personally wanted them to go edge before they went tackle. I understand why they went tackle there and got Lomu. I mean, we talked about if a tackle fell down into that spot, we could get a right tackle in that position, and you get a good value guy that could be your bookend for the next, you know, seven, 10 years, whatever, then you, you go ahead and you draft that guy. So they obviously think Lomu's going to be that guy. They were surprised he was even there. i mean, a lot of talk about how they didn't even have him in for the 30 man visit and,
00:03:58
Bret
We'll see. I mean, the measurables give good optimism. I mean, he's got a bulk up, get a little bit more meat on the bone, but he's got the right frame for what you want in a tackle.
00:04:09
Bret
So we'll see. And the benefit here is he's going to have an opportunity to develop behind Moses to be that right tackle. I'm glad they did get that end in Yakis. I thought that was a really good pick. Yeah.
00:04:22
Bret
But, I mean, and then after that, Reardon as a tight end, I i think he's okay. I just don't think he's going to be a dynamic tight end that can – kind of open things up for us. And again, to Snooty's point, everyone's making runs at these guys. So it's, we're kind of getting the back end of the best available when it was our turn to pick, but that's kind of what you get when you're in that position. At least we were a little bit aggressive using those picks to move up to get those guys. So we'll see where they produce. And then,
00:04:53
Bret
After round three, I think it's all kind of gravy on what ultimately could come about. I was a a little bit intrigued um with, I'm blanking on the guy's name, oh, Crownover out of Texas A&M as just another swing tackle, big body guy.
00:05:09
Savage Boston
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:05:12
Bret
i was a little intrigued by that pick late because I think that could be kind of one of those late rounds. Could find something, maybe not. He'll probably give Marcus Bryan a push. This offseason. But again, overall, I think it was just kind of like a ho-hum draft. There's really no one there that I'm like super excited about.
00:05:33
Savage Boston
Yeah. So, I mean, I think there's some good points there about how people are like, all right, did you kind of get the guys at the end of the run argument? You know, did you really get best player available or did you draft for need? And I think it got a little, i don't know, it got a little dicey there where you're like, all right, well, they knew they needed a tackle.
Lomu's Potential as a Tackle
00:05:51
Savage Boston
And um I'm happy about Loma. I think Loma was a good player. i think he's, they wanted Max, Iain, Iain Anker. I think that's who they wanted.
00:06:00
Savage Boston
The Steelers, ironically, who drafted him, didn't even want him. They wanted Makai Lemon and they got, what, jumped by, was that when they jumped, got jumped by Philly?
00:06:08
Bret
Billy.
00:06:10
Snooty
it was Philly.
00:06:10
Bret
Billy John.
00:06:10
Savage Boston
um Right. You remember that?
00:06:11
Bret
Pittsburgh is on the phone.
00:06:12
Savage Boston
So like they wanted Makai Lemon. They want a receiver. And all a sudden they're like, we just took an O-tack. Like, I don't think that's what the Steelers wanted to do. which was kind of a strange, I think they they're catching a lot of heat for that locally, but like we wanted max to me.
00:06:26
Savage Boston
Loma was the last, he's the last tackle at that run, like the seventh tackle in the first round, but still a good tackle, highly athletic. And he's a first round graded player.
00:06:37
Savage Boston
You know what i mean? So it's kind of tough. Like that's, it's a useful position. And what I like about the pick is that he doesn't have to step in immediately. you know I know people are saying that's a negative or whatever.
00:06:50
Savage Boston
Like, oh, you need a guy who's going to come.
00:06:51
Bret
Yeah.
00:06:51
Savage Boston
like you know He's 21 years old. He's at a premium position. like Offensive tackle is such a difficult position to find people. Yes, he has experience at left tackle. He's done some right tackle and I think did add some some preliminary draft stuff at right tackle. like He's clearly going to be their swing tackle if if and when Morgan Moses eventually gets injured because Again, you think it's hard to believe he gets through every single game this year. Lomo's there to step in. If Will Campbell gets injured, he's there to step in.
00:07:24
Savage Boston
If Will Campbell is a complete disaster, if that happens, then Lomo is there and you can see how he goes. Um, but I, so I think it's a good pick all around. And I think, you know, they probably had that in mind when they're talking about drafting a low tackle. I assume they had in mind that like, Hey, if Will Campbell, this maybe isn't their, their number one reason they drafted Lomu.
00:07:47
Savage Boston
Um, but that is a reason if Campbell is, is not great and, and struggles and, you know, can you bump him somewhere and and play Lomu? So, um,
00:07:58
Savage Boston
Yeah, I mean, more specifically, Snooty, how you feeling about Lomu as a tackle?
00:08:04
Snooty
i mean, he's big. He's athletic. His arms aren't like crazy long, but they're you know certainly long enough. Yeah.
00:08:10
Savage Boston
Mm-hmm.
00:08:12
Snooty
I think he's got really good footwork. He's a better pure pass blocker than um Campbell was last year, but he's not nearly as good a run blocker. And part of that is just his demeanor, um which I guess is like a negative.
00:08:25
Snooty
But, you know, they said the same thing about Gonzalez. And they said, you know, sometimes that gets overrated by the NFL. Sometimes the NFL is just a bunch of fucking meatheads. And they don't understand that, like, you don't have to be a raging psychopath to play football.
00:08:37
Snooty
Sometimes you...
00:08:38
Savage Boston
quote unquote glass eater and we're saying glass eater.
00:08:39
Snooty
Yeah, like so like, yeah, like, I get it, but, you know, I think you raised some, you know, some valid points that, like, it's obviously not the primary thing they're looking for, but, like, if they, it does ensure against Campbell being, you know, I don't think Campbell's going to fall apart, but if he does and he plays guard or if he plays right tackle, then, like, okay, you know, like, you have another shot at tackle. I just don't, guys like Loma who are 6'6", 6'7", that, you know, move like he does, like,
00:09:09
Snooty
At that weight and stuff like they don't grow on trees, right? They're very hard to find. You never are able to sign them in free agency. So if you get a chance to take one, take one again. I said it before, but this isn't two years ago where they reached badly on Caden Wallace because he was the last guy left. Like this kid was a legit first round talent.
00:09:29
Snooty
Like they expected him to, everybody expected him to be gone before, where'd they trade up to?
00:09:29
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:09:35
Snooty
21, 25, whatever it was. um Everybody expected be gone before that point. So it it's, I like him as a prospect overall. I wasn't overly familiar just because I didn't think he was going to be there.
00:09:47
Savage Boston
Yeah, I mean,
00:09:47
Bret
He was – yeah, he was – they thought he'd be in the top 25. He was picked at 28.
Veteran Mentorship's Impact
00:09:52
Bret
So he was slightly below. Yeah, I mean, again, we'll see. I think it was one of those situations where he's he's a potential guy and and you're going to put a bullet in the chamber and try to see if you you know get someone that can be a tackle. Because like we've talked about, you're just not going to get someone like this in free agency, you're going draft a tackle.
00:10:14
Bret
If you're going to get a guy in free agency, it's going to be like a Morgan Moses on borrowed time. You're going to get him for a year, maybe two, and then that's it. And you're back in square one and you're paying typically, you know, higher dollars than what you would play pay if you drafted a guy. So your best bet is to find these players in the draft, especially at a tackle position.
00:10:36
Bret
And I'm of the camp where, you know I'm going to continue to defend big country, and I think he's going to have a really solid year ah because I think by and large last year he he played well until that injury, and then he obviously was not the same.
00:10:53
Bret
So I'm going to go ahead and say he's going to come back in year two come off with the sting of what happened last year with ah a good approach, and he's going to be productive. And I think it's going to be a good opportunity for a guy like Lomu to play behind Moses, who seems to be a really good mentor in that locker room and ah helping these young guys out.
00:11:15
Bret
And I think he's going to be a great person that's going to help recognize the fact that, hey, I only got a year left. And then I can teach this young kid to do what I'm supposed to do. So we'll see. He's just he's got to get but he's got to put on a little bit more meat.
00:11:28
Bret
he's He's slightly undersized from a weight standpoint, but he's got the frame for it. So I think it's it's a good move there.
00:11:34
Savage Boston
and then how much How much do you think that the campbell potential Campbell move factors into you know drafting go tackle there? like did that How much did that weigh in in their minds?
00:11:48
Snooty
I think very, very little, to be honest with you.
00:11:49
Savage Boston
Thanks, Al.
00:11:50
Bret
Yeah, I agree.
00:11:50
Snooty
Yeah, because I think i think you don't draft a kid at four, and then he has like a few bad games, and all of a sudden you're like, all right, now we're going to change You know what I mean? Like, I feel like they're going to give them this year. i don't think there's any question they're going to give them this year, particularly from a variable standpoint. Like, i I just don't think they're going to do that. So I think it's more of like ah look, if you draft two tackles in two years and they're your bookends for five to 10 years, like it's a fucking home run, man.
00:12:16
Snooty
If in three drafts, you can
00:12:17
Savage Boston
Oh, no question.
Yakes: A Promising Second-Round Pick
00:12:18
Snooty
get your quarterback in both tackles, like sold.
00:12:21
Snooty
You what i mean?
00:12:22
Savage Boston
I agree though.
00:12:22
Bret
And then,
00:12:22
Snooty
Like,
00:12:22
Savage Boston
People also said that this is a real Elliot Wolf first round pick. you know, versus a Vrabel quote unquote first round pick. I hear that talking point. It's kind of weird. It's hard. You can't just say like, it's this guy versus this guy.
00:12:34
Savage Boston
Like that's hard to do, but I guess philosophically because they're saying that because he's not the quote unquote glass eater, but this is clearly like a development, like it's a premium position. Like that's what I like about it.
00:12:45
Savage Boston
I wanted to tackle before the draft happened. I had convinced myself to get, Oh, tackle should be taken in the first round because it's such a premium position. It's so expensive. And if you can really draft and develop there, it's, it's, it's really important.
00:12:59
Savage Boston
It's massive. So.
00:13:00
Snooty
if If you look at their O-tackle depth, like the guys that they've had that they've had like the past few years, have been it's just been horrid.
00:13:01
Bret
Exactly.
00:13:07
Snooty
Now they're going to have Campbell, Lomu, Bryant, and Moses as four tackles. right like that's That's pretty decent depth in terms of the NFL at offensive tackle.
00:13:16
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:13:20
Snooty
like That's not bad. Um, and then, I mean, I don't think Caden Wallace is going to make the roster, although he might, they didn't draft a guard all fucking weekend. Um, so.
00:13:31
Savage Boston
he's real borderline dude like yeah um anyway as was overall good pick i i give it a solid b solid b b plus maybe for lomu i think like
00:13:33
Snooty
Oh, entirely. Yes.
00:13:45
Savage Boston
Very young, very athletic, lot of potential. And he could turn out to be a really good player. He's going to put on a lot of weight um and strength. But but yeah, not not a bad pick. The pick, I think, is everyone's or a lot of people's favorite is Ackes.
00:13:58
Savage Boston
I like Yakes saying Yakes, but I guess it's just Ackes in the second round. And again, for both Lomo and Ackes, you traded up, right? You gave away real assets, like fourth round picks.
00:14:10
Savage Boston
which you could have taken like a guard like Jeremiah Smith or – sorry, Jeremiah Wright, I think his name is from Auburn. Not Jeremiah Smith, the wide receiver.
00:14:17
Snooty
Yeah.
00:14:19
Savage Boston
i
00:14:19
Snooty
A year early.
00:14:20
Savage Boston
In the fourth round. um
00:14:22
Bret
Thank you.
00:14:22
Savage Boston
But, yeah, so going to Ackes, right, they had to trade up again for him. They gave up a lot, but they knew he was going to go. And I think they basically got to the point where they said like – we're fucked if we don't like he's, he's our, he's our guy we want. Like we're fucked if we don't pick up this edge player. Like we don't have, um you know, Zion young went, you know, he was a real, like they were trying to time it out. And I, and I think they timed it out. Well, I, you watch his tape, his productivity, people don't realize like, he's not just a Like a speed guy. Like that's not his game. Like he put up 225, 30 times.
00:14:55
Snooty
yeah
00:14:55
Savage Boston
Like he's a power, he's a powerful kid. And he's a mean kid. Like I'm, I'm, I'm into the, I'm into the draft. I think he should be a real three down player and a, and a force. So I like it. I like the Ackes pick. Snooty, what would you give the Ackes pick?
00:15:10
Snooty
ah The Akers pick is... I mean, I hate saying this, like I like the old tackle more, but like he might be my favorite pick just because like he's so violent. Like his game is Matthew, Matthew Judon's game.
00:15:22
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:15:22
Snooty
Like he's just a violent, strong man, speed to power.
00:15:25
Snooty
Like that's his game. He's not, but that's the type of DN that like does well here and in this system, right? Like it's, it's, you, you can't just, you know, run up field and, and beat the tackle that way.
00:15:37
Snooty
Like you have to have multiple moves and I think he can develop into that. I'm also less concerned with giving up assets in this draft because after the third round, the draft really kind of fell off a fucking cliff just from ah a depth and talent standpoint.
00:15:51
Snooty
um But again, this is a type of player that was, I saw some people draft him late in the, or mocked him late in the first round. Like, you know, he was considered, yeah.
00:16:00
Savage Boston
Atkins? Yeah.
00:16:01
Snooty
Like he was considered like a, you know, I know he's like probably the last end that went right. But like, again, this is a very like draftable player, very like highly highly or fairly, fairly highly regarded prospects. So it's not like it's, you know, some random guy they just reached for. Like this is an actual player that they, you know, had targeted and were mocked to a lot. So, um,
00:16:24
Snooty
Overall, i'm very, very happy with this pick. I think he's going to make a strong contribution from the very beginning, just from his play style.
00:16:31
Savage Boston
Yeah. What do you think, Brett?
00:16:32
Bret
Yeah, I love the size for this guy. um You know, he's six four like 275 or something like that. um He can set the edge. Like, he's not just a pin them back and go after it. Like, he can actually set the edge and and help with rumble ah run defense, which is good. You know, which is a difference than Chason. Like, Chason was definitely one of those guys that was going to go try to sack the quarterback, but he wasn't great on run defense. Whereas, Jakus, I think he can kind of – move around a little bit and be creative with him. And he's not, I agree. I don't think he's going to be that third down specialist guy. Like I think he's going to get a real run here and we'll see. This is probably the pick I'm the most excited about. Cause again, I wanted an edge. I like the play style of this guy has an edge.
00:17:22
Bret
uh because he has that size and it can be so versatile and i think that just creates a lot of options for us so love the pick and yeah i mean when he was doing all the interviews and talking about emulating his game off of matthew judon and such like immediately starts winning back on the crowd and everyone resonates back to when matthew judon was doing what matthew judon was doing with the pats and you're like wow if we could get that guy in the second round in this draft Like, let's go.
00:17:49
Bret
And Edge was one of those positions that we knew it was a deeper position in this draft. So there's a good chance that this guy is going to have that level of talent to carry through. So I'm happy about this one. I think this is a good pick.
00:18:02
Bret
I hate the narrative of, like, this is Elliott Wolfe draft. This is a variable draft guy, et cetera, et cetera. Like, Vrabel was there on the first two nights. This is not a decision that was made without Vrabel.
00:18:16
Bret
So when it came to Luomu, like Vrabel definitely signed off on that. When
Focusing on the Trenches: Vrabel's Strategy
00:18:21
Bret
it came to Yacchus, I mean, that seems like a Vrabel guy.
00:18:21
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:18:24
Bret
And the way I look at both of them is Vrabel's a winning in the trenches type coach. Like he's he's focused on winning in the trenches first, which is where we think he should be focused on. So these are two picks that are trench guys.
00:18:37
Bret
And I think it makes perfect sense.
Reflecting on Draft Strategy
00:18:40
Savage Boston
If you guys like had an option and had other guys in mind at the end, the first and second round, like how would you have done the first and second round differently? Like, do you guys have any idea, like, what you would have done differently at that first round? Would you have waited and traded down or get an edge rusher? you know i mean? Like, how would you have done that differently?
00:18:59
Savage Boston
You guys have any thoughts?
00:19:00
Snooty
I don't think I would have changed the first round because actually I don't think I would have either of the first two rounds because just the way the board fell. Uh, I mean the Steelers at 21 took IACOR, right?
00:19:08
Bret
Mm-hmm.
00:19:12
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:19:12
Snooty
And at that point you're like, that's a lot of capital to move up to that range. They could have done it, but it would have cost them like their third round pick.
00:19:16
Savage Boston
Oh, yeah. yeah
00:19:20
Snooty
So I'm glad that they, I'd rather stay. and I'm, I would take the tackle over an imperfect D end in the first round. um That's just me. um So I'm glad they went there. And then again, Akis is like, he fits the system. He fit, you think he he's, he fits. I think he's almost the exact same measurements that Rabel was like, he's like that type of player.
00:19:44
Snooty
um So I think he, I think he was, he was a good fit and he was there. so you had to move up a little bit to, ah to secure him. But again, I would stay at those two positions because I don't think that any tight end that you were going to get at in the second round was going to be,
00:19:59
Snooty
worth taking in the second round at that point.
00:20:02
Savage Boston
I mean, I like i definitely, the Akis, I feel like it's a really good fit.
00:20:02
Snooty
speak
00:20:04
Savage Boston
I like that fit a lot. um Again, I wish maybe you had Max Ian Aker instead of Lomu, but that wasn't possible.