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EPISODE 41 - Stefon Diggs is all in. locked in.
218 Plays1 month ago
LFG
Diggs, Patriots, trades, Mclaurin, football.
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Transcript
Introduction to the Savage Boston Podcast
00:00:00
Savage Boston
Alright guys, welcome back to the Savage Boston Podcast. I'm Scott, your host from Savage Boston Sports, here with my friend Brett. Here to bring some some entertainment, some Boston sports joy to you in the in the dead of the summer.
00:00:16
Savage Boston
ah Honestly, like as we all know, it's still kind of dead time, and unless you're like ah massive Red Sox guy. ah you know This is kind of dead time for us, obviously, waiting for the Patriots to kick on.
Anticipation for Patriots' Training Camp
00:00:27
Savage Boston
It's been entertaining watch Red Sox a bit. But, um but yeah, we're we're kind of waiting. It's July 8th, and we're waiting for training camp, which kicks off on July 23rd. So a couple more weeks to go. um and just want to lead off today.
Stefon Diggs' Offseason Activities
00:00:42
Savage Boston
you know, what I've loved and seen is that we've got Stephon Diggs spending some time in the offseason, hanging out with a lot of other members of the offense. I've loved seeing him with Drake May, Ramondre Stevenson, Hunter Henry, Kendrick Bourne,
00:00:57
Savage Boston
It looks like Kyle Williams. They're all there hanging out. Like, again, they don't have to be there. Like Stefan Diggs does not have to be there. And I'm really impressed, honestly. And I think that's something where I didn't think that would happen. i didn't expect that. He's been touring the world with Cardi B. So, ah so yeah. So Brett, let me ask you that to kick it off. Kind of what's your initial take on seeing Stefan Diggs kind of what feels like putting in that extra effort?
00:01:22
Bret
Well, I think what's great about it is he's really connecting with the players and trying to build that bond. And, you know, here's the reality, right? You hear the reports that came out of the Texans, and they basically all talked about how they love the guy.
00:01:36
Bret
And then you watch him in camp this offseason and how he's interacting with the players, and they all seem to love the guy.
00:01:37
Savage Boston
Yeah. Yeah.
00:01:40
Bret
So... um obviously a good sign. You know, I obviously like seeing the offense of crew basically get together and it shows, you know, maze, I think leadership and the fact that these guys are all rallying around him to try and get better.
00:01:54
Bret
So, you know, those are all positive things because they got to build chemistry, right there. We've talked about it before.
00:01:59
Savage Boston
yeah
00:02:00
Bret
They're learning a new offense. Um, And some of them have never been in this offense before. Like a guy like Bourne has been in this offense, has a little bit of awareness, but like Diggs has never been in this ah offense.
00:02:12
Bret
Mays has never gone through this part. So, you know, this is going to be good for these guys to build that sort of camaraderie, obviously from a team perspective, but also just getting in sync.
00:02:22
Bret
And it's, you know, it's fun to watch them throw those connection passes or, you know, you had that video of –
00:02:28
Savage Boston
Yeah, yeah.
00:02:30
Bret
Yeah, you have that video of May out in the water on a paddle boat throwing a pass to Ramondre on a Sea-Doo. All fun stuff, right? That's all the stuff that you sit there and say, you know when those guys get to the you know ah days when actual season matters, you know they have that relationship build, it could translate.
00:02:37
Savage Boston
yeah
00:02:48
Bret
But I like seeing a guy like Diggs come in and really kind of get into the team a lot, and it seems like he's making the right connections. Yeah. you know that That wide receiver room needs a leader. They need someone to kind of lead by example. And if if Diggs could be that guy, then Diggs could be that guy.
00:03:06
Savage Boston
mean, you play the game of like people might do this on a radio show or something like big deal, no big deal. I forget who's who showed us that. but But, you know, in this context, I kind of feel like it's a big deal.
00:03:16
Savage Boston
and And, you know, it's all we got right now. I understand that from a Patriots perspective.
Diggs' Multifaceted Roles
00:03:21
Savage Boston
But, again, it's something where like i he was missing from a lot of the offseason activity for a while.
00:03:27
Savage Boston
And I'm sure that was all we knew about that. You know, we had the the weird pink drug story, which was the biggest story like on in the world at one point for like a hot minute.
00:03:34
Bret
and just ah just being a dare officer, that's all.
00:03:38
Savage Boston
Yeah, he was just looking out for the other patrons on the boat and saying like no one touches substance.
00:03:41
Bret
Yeah.
00:03:44
Savage Boston
I appreciate his vigilance.
00:03:44
Bret
Yeah.
00:03:46
Savage Boston
um But I'd say I'd say big deal. like I think this is it is a big deal. Like he's showing up. He doesn't have to be there. Dude's got his own YouTube. Like all these guys are multimedia marketers now. Right. They got like their own YouTube channels and clothing lines and he's dating Cardi B.
00:04:02
Savage Boston
So for him to come down and grind out a weekend and some routes and and throw, throw passes from Drake again, he's doesn't have to be there. I think that's a big deal. Do you feel like that falls in the big deal category?
00:04:15
Bret
Yeah, I mean, like you said, the guy doesn't have
Mike Vrabel and Patriots' Leadership Culture
00:04:18
Bret
to do it, right? He can check out if he wants to, but he's he's buying in, and that's what you need, right?
00:04:19
Savage Boston
No.
00:04:24
Bret
And you look at Rabel, he's turned over the leadership on the Patriots, really essentially anyone that was a former Belichick guy, and he's trying to change the culture there. And if you get a guy like Diggs coming in there with a reputation that's not always fitting there, who's buying in early, like hopefully it lasts, but...
00:04:44
Bret
you know We'll see. it it's still some It's promising signs. right It's trending in the right directions. It's the kind of thing that he doesn't have to do. You don't see every player do it, but he's doing it and it's obviously a good sign.
00:04:57
Bret
Take... you know take
00:04:58
Savage Boston
yeah
00:04:59
Bret
Take an example of what Vrabel said recently when he was talking about you know this offseason. He basically said you know the next five weeks are the most important to kind of lead up to where they're at and and essentially seeing what guys look like when they come back from kind of a break.
00:05:13
Bret
And it's good to see Diggs out there, right there in the mix of it, working out.
Ramondre Stevenson's Weight Loss Speculation
00:05:19
Savage Boston
Now, have you seen pictures, new pictures of Ramondre Stevenson yet?
00:05:23
Bret
I saw him. He looks thinner. Like he's he's lost a little bit of weight, yeah.
00:05:26
Savage Boston
Yeah. Like, I think he's lost like 20 pounds or so. It looks like he's probably about 220, not 240.
00:05:33
Savage Boston
But like, is that, yeah, he's going to be a little more athletic, a little more, I don't know, maybe more versatile. But does that kind of go against what you think Ramondre is about? Like he's supposed to be a bruising back? like Or you know is this just turning over new leaf, letting me get in shape? you know like how do How do we view this? Because I kind of...
00:05:33
Bret
Yeah.
00:05:53
Savage Boston
we the back room's getting a little crowded. And do I think Mondre is going to get cut? No, but there's a smidge of redundancy if he's going to just be Antonio Gibson.
00:06:05
Savage Boston
So I don't know. How are feeling about Mondre right now?
00:06:09
Bret
Well, I think he's not that thin. So I do think he's still going to be...
00:06:14
Savage Boston
No, no, but he's thinner.
00:06:14
Bret
um Yeah, so um at the end of the...
00:06:15
Savage Boston
He's thinner. he's thinner
00:06:20
Bret
It's going to come down to... is Well, we'll see what we get to see it when he gets back into camp and where it's at. um i think his contract relatively favorable. So if Rabel likes him, I could see him staying. But at the same time, you know to your point, like there are a lot of guys in the running back room.
Running Back Room Competition
00:06:41
Bret
And I think we're all on board with Henderson. So I think it's one of those things where you look at it and you're like, okay, well, Gibson, Ramondre... Those are solid. And then what do you do with some of these kind of you know camp guys and and see if any of them make the roster? so I mean, we'll see.
00:06:59
Bret
i haven't seen any signs that tells me that Vrabel doesn't like the guy or that the guy is not going to produce. But, i mean, he he should feel pressure because he's not worked good the last two seasons.
00:07:09
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:07:11
Bret
So he should feel the pressure and maybe decided to lean up a little bit because he felt like he wasn't able to you know be as explosive.
00:07:12
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:07:20
Bret
I don't know.
00:07:21
Savage Boston
Yeah. i Couldn't hang. I mean, I feel like at this point though, like I don't really want to see another meme. I know everyone there out there is like hungry for content. Obviously I'm always hungry for a good story, but like it sucks to force it.
00:07:34
Savage Boston
um But like, you know, I don't need another Efth and Chisholm or Lane Larrison's story right now. And that's fine. It's fine. I get it's already like a fun talking point and a fun story, but like they got to put on the pads.
00:07:49
Savage Boston
You have to put on the pads. Like if you, if
Training Camp Expectations and Player Hype
00:07:51
Savage Boston
Efth and Chisholm goes out and can't and is week one a favorite target of Drake's, hype hype train. like I'm all about it. Hype it up. He'll probably make the roster, honestly.
00:08:01
Savage Boston
But he might not stand out in pads, and you you just don't know what it is. like Will he? like i Let's see. But i just it's too early now, and there's still been some memes or people talking about, again, Land Larrison. What have we seen from Land Larrison that deserves some sort of hype right now? like like One thing other than like a cool catch on a highlight tape.
00:08:23
Savage Boston
What have we seen?
00:08:25
Bret
Yeah, I mean, it's it's the look, right? That's what people like is the appeal of the freaking look, which is just stupid.
00:08:31
Savage Boston
Working class white man.
00:08:33
Bret
It's just stupid, but that's what we look for, I guess. I don't know. um But, I mean, that's a perfect example of something where i look at and it's just a guy in camp and they're looking for something flashy, something that pops with it.
00:08:45
Bret
But it's not going to really – we're not going to see that elevated until they come back and they get into the offseason to really see what happens. And then you'll get to see what he looks at – Reps, what team reps are he getting?
00:08:59
Bret
Is he doing anything in joint practices when those start? you know And essentially, we would know if this guy is going to start to trend in the direction of saying, yeah, he could potentially put pressure and make the roster, or is he not?
00:09:03
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:09:12
Bret
But this is just an just just an example of we're hungry for guys, and unfortunately, we don't have a lot of top-line talent.
00:09:13
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:09:19
Bret
We actually have very little top-line talent. So...
00:09:22
Savage Boston
Yeah. On offense, on offense.
00:09:23
Bret
So it's like one of those things where just kind of clinging, hoping that we're going to get something that pops. Whereas, you know, in years past, a guy like Len Larrison that was like on the Patriots would have never even like hit the newsreels because we have top guys in front of them that were like, but the fuck is this guy?
00:09:42
Bret
You know?
00:09:42
Savage Boston
Yeah. You're like Corey Dillon or you had, yeah, you had, uh, James Wyatt or even like Dion Lewis or something. they, they had they had a slew of excellent scat backs. Like Travion Henderson would have fit right in.
00:09:54
Savage Boston
Excited for that.
00:09:54
Bret
Mm-hmm.
00:09:55
Savage Boston
Um, But yeah, no, I think, it you know, we just got to wait and see. You got to put the pads on.
Patriots' Offensive Rankings Critique
00:10:01
Savage Boston
That's how it goes. And I mean, I'm obviously, I think the offense, like, is it, I think Phil Perry had their offensive skill player rank at 31 in the league at 32, which is, that's rough, but I didn't think it was crazy unfair, crazy unfair. I could have seen maybe a little higher.
00:10:21
Savage Boston
And he had their O-line ranked at 24 out of 32. And I'm actually still surprised that the O-line kind of even crept crapped up that high because I don't feel like it's that improved, but it is improved.
00:10:29
Bret
Yeah.
00:10:31
Savage Boston
So i don't know.
00:10:31
Bret
Wow. I was just going to say.
00:10:32
Savage Boston
How do you feel about those kind of – the skill position rankings at 31 out of 32 from Phil Perry?
00:10:36
Bret
Yeah. So first time hearing that one and you know, i'm sitting here making faces being like, well, i don't know about that one.
00:10:42
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:10:43
Bret
Honestly, i think O-line 24 seems high because you're right. We didn't make substantial improvements.
00:10:49
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:10:51
Bret
Like.
00:10:51
Savage Boston
It was also so bad last year that like it couldn't have been worse, literally. like It was a horrific moment.
00:10:57
Bret
Yeah. But again, you've got to look at it. I mean, it's a new year, but it's essentially what does our O-line depth look like and how stack up against the other 31 teams in the league?
00:11:09
Bret
And it's like... i
Trade Scenarios for Diggs and McLaurin
00:11:11
Bret
don't i mean I don't know. i mean we we don't know what we're going to get with Will Campbell. and i mean That's going to be the biggest question mark about that 24 ranking and how that fits. so To me, that seems high, and the skill position seems low.
00:11:25
Bret
like I feel like, okay, I understand Diggs is 31 coming back about an ACL injury.
00:11:27
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:11:32
Bret
like We'll see what we get from the guy, but he's i mean he's been a 1,000-yard producer every season other than last year when he basically blew out his ACL. So I'd expect him to do... like I don't think he's going to be elite top one, but like I think he's going to do respectable numbers.
00:11:50
Bret
I still think Henry's a respectable tight end.
00:11:51
Savage Boston
yeah
00:11:54
Savage Boston
yeah
00:11:54
Bret
Like, I think our running backs, while they're not elite, I mean, they're pretty solid throughout.
00:11:58
Savage Boston
I think they're a decent either.
00:12:00
Bret
So I think we got some depth there and and what we're looking at.
00:12:01
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:12:04
Bret
And yeah, I mean, our wide receiver room ah outside of digs is essentially a bunch of threes. So I think that's obviously where we take the biggest hit. But as a grouping for skilled positions, like, i don't know, 31 seems pretty bad.
00:12:21
Bret
i feel like I'd have to go through some rosters, but I feel like we'd have to be better than some of these people.
00:12:21
Savage Boston
I mean, if you would know who Yeah, it's that's pretty bad. i mean, he did. I read the list, and it's like, it's kind of, you know, it's not that off his take. um But I basically, you know, I saw Greg Bernard had this quote this is take the other day when he was talking about if the Patriots um had a number one wide receiver option to open up via trade that like Steph Diggs.
00:12:46
Bret
Okay.
00:12:47
Savage Boston
And he said this was like a very low, long shot, but he still threw it out there. i don't know why throw it out there if it's such a long shot, but he's like, they could maybe trade Diggs and then get a wide receiver like Terry McLaurin for Diggs, something like that.
00:13:00
Savage Boston
And to me, that's like a little too lateral, especially at Diggs is under a really good contract right now. um but like i don't know why he... Why'd he throw that out? He also implied they weren't happy with him, and I don't think that's true. i mean, I've heard Zolak talk about recently how he thinks the team is just fine with Diggs right now.
00:13:19
Savage Boston
Maybe they weren't happy with him after the pink drug stuff, but it was not like... I don't know. I would love to have some sort of trade scenario with Terry McLaurin and figure out a way to get a disgruntled wide receiver who's excellent out of that situation.
00:13:33
Savage Boston
i don't know how to make that happen, but certainly would not trade Stefan Diggs right now. That's that's my opinion.
00:13:39
Bret
ah Yeah, like you said, it's kind of a lateral. I don't know if you gain anything. It's not substantial. I mean, McLaurin, less injury prone.
00:13:50
Bret
equal output, right? I mean, it's kind of one of, he is one of like the most underrated, like top wide receivers in the league. I mean, the guy just produces year in, year out and think about like his wide, his quarterbacks have not been consistent.
00:14:00
Savage Boston
He's great. Yeah.
00:14:06
Bret
Right. You know? So you look at that and you're like, the guy's just a professional and a stud and I would love for them to go get them. um And I, you know,
00:14:14
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:14:17
Bret
it's It's one of those things where like, there's so much, like, it's just kind of crazy how they haven't signed him, how they haven't figured this thing out. So that is lingering out there. There's there's like a sliver of hope for me that.
00:14:28
Savage Boston
It keeps leaking out though. Like every week you got like Jeremy Fowler. Like you have someone's like Jerry McLaurin's not really happy. It's like every week. Like, I don't know how they let it get to this point. Like I get it. Nobody wants to fucking pay people somehow. It's a league where they have, it feels like infinite money and McLaurin's going to demand cash.
00:14:45
Savage Boston
So it's like you're scared of diminishing return for a 30-year-old wide receiver, and you want to commit $30 million dollars a year to a 30-year-old wide receiver. I understand that, but he's too important to the commanders.
00:14:56
Savage Boston
like i don't get i know their fan base is mad.
00:14:57
Bret
Oh, yeah.
00:14:59
Savage Boston
like He's too important, and if they lose that player in Jaden Daniels' number one guy, i don't really know. a tough pill to swallow from a commanders fan perspective.
00:15:10
Bret
Oh, yeah, I'd be bullshit because, I mean, they're knocking on the door of getting into the Super Bowl, right?
00:15:14
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:15:16
Bret
So they're trying to they're trying to get over the hump. The last thing you'd want to do is lose your number one targeted wide receiver and you're outside of Jaden Daniels being kind of a dual threat quarterback and he's your most...
00:15:31
Bret
explosive offensive player on that roster. So you can't afford to lose a guy like that, which is why I would love for us to pick him up. And when it comes to money, I mean, clearly we're the ones that are most suited to assign that guy and get, you know, get something up.
00:15:42
Savage Boston
Oh, yeah.
00:15:44
Bret
So like, and I also look at and I'm just saying to myself, and and I know we talked about this before, but Teams overvalue draft picks like insane, in my opinion, that I look at it.
00:15:53
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:15:56
Bret
I'm just like, okay, offer them a two next year. Like offer them a, you know, and you'd probably get it done. This kind of a guy, when he's this disgruntled, goes for like a five or six.
00:16:07
Bret
And I'm sitting there going to myself, like, i don't even know what possesses a team to basically trade that guy and do that.
00:16:08
Savage Boston
i
00:16:15
Savage Boston
He's too valuable for that, though.
00:16:15
Bret
Other than the fact that...
00:16:17
Savage Boston
like it It couldn't be that, but I agree with you. I think a guy in the final year of contract who's like aging but an excellent player usually is about a third-round draft pick. I would think like you know either Matthew Junon.
00:16:28
Savage Boston
you know If you have someone who's going into a contract year but is a little younger, more explosive, you could use a framework of the DK Metcalf contract. and I got in a ah bit of a tissy and this guy, Lifshats, who's on 98.5, is all over Twitter.
00:16:42
Bret
Yep.
00:16:43
Savage Boston
He was arguing a lot the other day about he didn't want to trade for McLaurin. And I was like, yeah he's like ah trading a second and booty was too much for McLaurin. And I was like, you know it doesn't feel that way to me, especially a second next year is going to be ah middle.
00:16:58
Savage Boston
Hopefully should be like a mid round traffic, like 15 to 20, something like that. or if you make the playoffs, but he was not for it. And he even commented something like, um you know, about, about that trade too many assets. Like, listen, we have the framework right here. DK Metcalf, who's yeah, he's probably a little bit younger.
00:17:14
Savage Boston
um Just was traded. I think it was 52 overall. You'd have to look it up, but it was traded to the Steelers for a second round draft pick. I believe it was 52 overall. um And it was like a pick swap and they got like a late round pick, something like that, which means virtually nothing.
00:17:28
Savage Boston
um But they got DK Metcalf for a second on a contract that was running through 2025. And then boom, then they hit him with like a five year, $150 million dollars contract, something like that. Like, so they they hammered him gave him big money.
00:17:40
Savage Boston
But that's the framework if you want to make a trade for a guy who's perceived as a really great option. And to be fair, Terry McLaurin, probably a better pure wide receiver than DK Metcalf. T.K.
00:17:51
Bret
Yeah.
00:17:51
Savage Boston
Metcalf freak show. I get it. Like, can run fast, run straight, you know, but like, I think Terry McLaurin is just a fantastic player. But so, yeah, so long story short, i think the framework's there. If you want to make a deal, the value's there. You're going have to give them, like, they would probably wouldn't take a third. But if you give up a second in booty, are you going to do that deal?
00:18:12
Bret
Yeah. i I mean, I just said a second I would do it, and I would have done a second this past year, which would have been higher than 52 that Pittsburgh gave him ah to get DK.
00:18:16
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:18:22
Bret
ah Again, like I just looked...
00:18:23
Savage Boston
You just got to get the talent there, you know?
00:18:24
Bret
i I just look at it across the board. I'm just like, we constantly look at these draft picks and it comes down to money and they're like, we're going to outsmart them.
00:18:33
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:18:33
Bret
But the reality is, is like money is not the problem right now. The problem is we don't have enough talent.
00:18:39
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:18:40
Bret
We have money to put at these guys.
00:18:40
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:18:42
Bret
We tried to throw money at guys in the off season and they chose not to sign with us. So money's not the
Draft Picks vs. Proven Talent
00:18:48
Bret
problem. And when it looks at it, you go, okay, well, yeah, draft capital is still draft capital.
00:18:54
Bret
But, like, if you can get a proven guy like Terry McLaurin who has been pretty much healthy his whole career and you can get that guy in there who just produces year after year after year, like, you just elevated your 31-ranked, you know, offense that Phil Perry's telling you all the way up to, like, probably the teens.
00:19:00
Savage Boston
Mm-hmm.
00:19:13
Savage Boston
Yeah, no, that would be – I mean, if you if your top billing is McLaurin, Diggs, and Kyle Williams and Pop Douglas or something like that, like, don't know.
00:19:13
Bret
Because...
00:19:22
Savage Boston
That's – it's Kyle Williams, your four to me is like great, and then Pop in the slot.
00:19:22
Bret
Yeah.
00:19:26
Savage Boston
Like, all of a sudden you got like a pretty fantastic set of weapons, and you'd still have a problem on the offensive line. not Not to be negative, but they still have an issue on the offensive line. I'd love for them to make a trade for and for a player in the O-line or maybe someone gets cut because their salary is too high and during camp and you've got to swoop them up big time. But I'm hoping, like people mentioned this too, like I'm not sure their left guard's on the roster.
00:19:50
Savage Boston
And forget if was Doug we were talking to, Kyde from the Herald, they're like, you know, There's flexibility still coming. There's things still coming. Like this roster iss not set. I think they need – hopefully Jared Wilson can maybe come in the rookie from Georgia and play center.
00:20:04
Savage Boston
But the left guard might not be on the roster. There's no one jumping out. They don't like Sidney Sow or Leighton Robinson right now. They haven't popped out. They had like Tyrese – I think Tyrese Robinson on left guard. Cole Strange is in the mix.
00:20:16
Savage Boston
It's not a set crew. And you've got a 34-year-old right tackle. who could get injured, right, and has been injured. So there's some concern there, and is we have to see how it plays out.
00:20:28
Bret
Yeah, but I mean, the best thing to aid an offensive line like that is going to be quick-ride receivers that can get open, like a Terry McCorn and a Stephon Diggs.
00:20:38
Savage Boston
That helps.
00:20:39
Bret
So you don't have to worry about protecting the quarterback for five seconds.
00:20:41
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:20:44
Bret
You can get him down in three-second release, right? So, no, I mean... If I was Washington fan, I'd be pissed about Terry McLaurin because you're right there on the edge.
00:20:55
Bret
As a Patriots fan, i would fucking love if they could somehow pull it off. And if it only cost us a two in booty and then we sign and extend him, like i don't see what's the loss there.
00:21:00
Savage Boston
Mm-hmm.
00:21:08
Bret
So I have no idea what some guy like Lipschatz is thinking in that regards. And i just don't. I don't see why you wouldn't go out there and get a guy like that if you could. And then, like you said, we'll see what happens in the offseason.
00:21:22
Bret
You typically get some vets guys that get cut kind of later on, and then they kind of pick up elsewhere. The only challenge that has um happens in that situation is a lot of those guys typically go to contenders.
00:21:34
Bret
They don't as much go to you know another team that's going to pay top dollar. And I don't know if we would
00:21:39
Savage Boston
you you'd have to, you'd have to trade. I mean, you have to trade for him and have him agree. Right. So it's a trade.
00:21:44
Bret
Yeah.
00:21:44
Savage Boston
So he'd have a little bit of say, cause he could just say like, I'm not signing an extension with you. And then vis-a-vis we don't trade for him.
00:21:51
Bret
Yeah.
00:21:51
Savage Boston
Right. So like you, but so he has a little bit of control over that regard. So he can't just like with DK, DK is like, I'm not signing an extension in New England.
00:21:59
Bret
Yeah.
00:21:59
Savage Boston
So we're like, well, I guess we can't trade for DK. Right. And so he has some control, but in reality, he just is upset about getting money. Right. So it's like, it's not like Godwin who came out. We're like, nah, we got, let's pay Godwin and pay him 30 mil. And then he gets like 22 million. And he took that to stay in Florida.
00:22:18
Savage Boston
Right. he wouldn't take our 30 million. So it's not like that. Like McCall, but cause he stayed cause he didn't value the money like that. McLaurin, I think wants to be appreciated and paid.
00:22:28
Savage Boston
That's what's clear. He's not happy about his contract. This is a pure contract dispute, which sucks.
00:22:33
Bret
Yeah.
00:22:34
Savage Boston
And it sucks for the fan base. i like I don't know how tight they are to the cap, but you can free cap up. Go to one of those those players. like Also, they shouldn't be fucking around. You have Jaden Daniels on his rookie contract. You just made the NFC Championship.
00:22:46
Savage Boston
Why are you fucking around that with that team?
00:22:48
Bret
Yeah. I mean, it's money. They're tied up against it. um
00:22:52
Savage Boston
It's poorly managed franchise.
00:22:54
Bret
Yeah, that too. But i can't I'm looking forward to like DK basically squabbling in Pittsburgh because i mean I just don't see that panning out at all.
00:23:07
Bret
I think that's just another train wreck waiting to happen. and Have fun, buddy.
00:23:13
Savage Boston
What a weird team. i mean, what a weird team. I'm going to go that game, Pittsburgh week week three. Weird team.
00:23:19
Bret
You're awesome.
00:23:20
Savage Boston
I don't know. Rogers and that whole dynamic with DK. And then they still got the Pittsburgh defense, which gives them a shot every game. But like it feels like that offense is going to be weird.
00:23:30
Bret
Yeah.
00:23:31
Savage Boston
And inevitably something's going to blow up. Someone's going to have a problem. Like watching Roger. I don't get how if you're Pittsburgh, you watch Rogers with the Jets for a couple of years be heinous.
00:23:44
Savage Boston
And like he improved at the end, but really like disruption, pure disruption in that franchise.
00:23:48
Bret
Yeah.
00:23:48
Savage Boston
And you're like, that's our quarterback.
00:23:50
Bret
All our eggs in that basket too. h Like just all in.
00:23:53
Savage Boston
they've no They have no one else. And he's going to retire after this year. like They have to draft a quarterback now. And to be fair, coming up next year, it's a better quarterback class.
Pittsburgh Steelers' Quarterback Strategy Speculation
00:24:03
Savage Boston
they They are – if they – they really should – I know they're not going to, but like they should tank.
00:24:05
Bret
Yeah, but...
00:24:10
Savage Boston
And there are good QBs. And I don't know if Arch Manning is going to come out. He might wait another year. um But there there are some – I don't want to necessarily look at this deep dive 2026 NFL draft already because we'd be – to do that without Snooty here would be almost blasphemous.
00:24:21
Bret
For Pittsburgh Steelers...
00:24:24
Bret
Well, I love how we're diverting into like a Pittsburgh Steelers 2026 draft prospects, but the reality the reality is, is like they like you just said, like oh they should tank to try and get the guy, but I'm like, they just put in Rodgers, so so'll probably like they'll probably be a middling team.
00:24:39
Savage Boston
and I know they can. It'd be like nine and eight.
00:24:44
Bret
Yeah, they're going to probably have like pick number 15 or 14 or something like that, and you know they're not going to get the guy. No, there's they're dumb franchise for doing it, but they love to middle.
00:24:54
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:24:57
Bret
That's their way, whereas I'm good with the reset, and I like the direction we're going.
00:24:57
Savage Boston
Yeah. Um,
00:25:02
Savage Boston
But, i mean to be I mean, again, to be fair to them, and um again, this is not too bad of a deep dive, but in 2026, I don't necessarily think Arch Manning is going come out. I think he's going wait another year and have two full years at Texas. But, like, Garrett Nussmeier, Klayd Kubnick, Lenora Sellers, Drew Allar, Nico, Iam Oliva, Sam Levitt, Carson Beck.
00:25:23
Savage Boston
Basically, it's it's way, as of we think right now, way better than what this past draft was.
00:25:31
Bret
yeah
00:25:31
Savage Boston
right This pass drive with Shadar. Cam Ward, I think, is legit, but like the Shadar thing was insane. and like Some of these QBs fought. Tyler Shuck, let's see how that goes. New Orleans, like it could be a disaster.
00:25:43
Savage Boston
I think next year's class is going to be another very good class like Drake, May, Caleb, and Jaden. like twenty I think 2020 with Jordan Love and that crew. so
00:25:53
Bret
it It could be, but I just don't see Pittsburgh being in the mix for any
Drake May's Potential and Development
00:25:58
Bret
of those guys. I just...
00:25:58
Savage Boston
They'll just miss out on, like, the top one no matter what.
00:26:01
Bret
i just I'm just happy we got fucking Drake May. i'm really lucky
00:26:05
Savage Boston
The Steelers.
00:26:06
Bret
I'm really looking forward to Because like the other thing like i keep looking back on is like just how shitty of a position that dude was in on this team.
00:26:17
Bret
And he still like made things happen. like It's just it's so reacquering.
00:26:21
Savage Boston
Yeah. You got to see the leap forward this year, though. You got to see the leap. That's it.
00:26:26
Bret
Yeah, I mean, obviously, like this is the year two growth, and what does that look like? But the guy just, what I saw last year is he was a playmaker who just had a knack for trying to find winning plays.
00:26:41
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:26:41
Bret
Now, unfortunately, it didn't produce into wins because the team sucked.
00:26:44
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:26:44
Bret
But, like, I mean, he just, he competed, and he raised the competition level of the team. And they all kind of raised with it. So, I'm...
00:26:53
Savage Boston
I hate that argument. This has been this has been so stupid. People said because May went like one nine one to nine or something,
00:26:59
Bret
Oh, I know.
00:27:00
Savage Boston
like They're using that against him. They're like well, Brady's first year, he won the Super Bowl. like in First, that was the second year in the league. Second, you had Bill Belichick with multiple Hall of Famers on his defense and a much better roster, and they added a lot. It was a way better roster than what um May had with Mayo.
00:27:18
Savage Boston
So there's just no comparison to Bill Belichick and Drodd Mayo in terms of coaching. It's such a fucking laughable comparison between those two teams. It can't be made. So...
00:27:28
Bret
Well, I think what's happened is there's enough people like us right that are just kind of anointing the guy as being the next big thing, the next franchise guy, when in reality, no, he hasn't proved it.
00:27:36
Savage Boston
Yeah. Yep.
00:27:41
Bret
but I just think we're not overstating when i like what I just said is not an overstatement. The team was like abysmal. They had no depth on the team, and he still found a way to produce and make winning plays.
00:27:55
Bret
The problem is didn't result in wins, which is where people just point to right away and say, well, if he made so many winning plays, why didn't he win more games?
00:27:55
Savage Boston
Yes.
00:28:03
Bret
Why didn't he... you know The offense didn't get that much better with him than when they were playing with Percet. And I'm like... just use the eye test. Like, that's all you got do is use the eye test and tell you where it's at.
00:28:15
Savage Boston
yeah
00:28:16
Bret
So, no, it's just people playing devil's advocate and, you know, it's just an easy out when they kind of do that, which I always love when we're able to prove them wrong, which I'm hoping our boy may does.
00:28:27
Bret
He's got to prove those haters wrong.
00:28:28
Savage Boston
yeah Honestly, it's like, it's just, it's so much of this season and the future of the Patriots just hinges on his development.
00:28:37
Bret
yeah
00:28:37
Savage Boston
And I think you just have to believe in the kid and believe in the coaching and McDaniels to help develop him. And I think he will. And I think, i don't know the expectation is this year.
00:28:49
Savage Boston
and don't have any amazing expectations that he's going to put together some Pro Bowl season. Like, ah or, you know, not fake Pro Bowl, like real Pro Bowl season. and Not like the seventh edition, you know, or like have 30 TDs and seven, like, I don't have any crazy statistical goals. I know people want to come up with stuff. I just want to see him be better, turn over the ball less and run an offense and have a continuous offense.
00:29:15
Savage Boston
One of the problems with watching Mac Jones for those couple of years is it always seems like he just couldn't couldn't do it when it counted.
Drake May's Turnover Reduction and Comparisons
00:29:22
Savage Boston
He would drive a little, sputter out, he couldn't score, and then at the end he was an absolute disaster. But before he was a disaster, he just had crucial, critical mistakes all the time. Like Mac Jones stopped being able to play well and he didn't have the tools.
00:29:36
Savage Boston
Drake's got the tools. He's got every freaking tool. He's got the whole box of tools. He can do anything. He can run on, throw on the run. He's got so much more talent than Mac Jones, but it's just stop making turnover worthy plays as much as possible.
00:29:50
Bret
Yeah.
00:29:50
Savage Boston
Run the ah offense, use the weapons you do have. Again, Travion Henderson is going to be a weapon this year on third down. That dude, is explosive. He's going great third down back. I'm crazy high on him, more than probably any other draft pick.
00:30:04
Savage Boston
So I think there's just a lot here, and we just need to have Drake leap forward into that second year. And then maybe by year four, you're looking at a dynamic, excellent quarterback top five.
00:30:16
Savage Boston
Like that's the trajectory you need, but he's got to grow. He's 21 years So
00:30:20
Bret
yeah This year, i think it's going to come down to the turnovers and like not turning the ball over in critical spots because that's an area... i mean And that's been the knock on the guy from a bit like from the start, right? i mean...
00:30:37
Bret
you know Everyone basically kind of used a Josh al Allen comparison when you talk about drak allen Drake May. And basically, Drake May's ceiling would be a Josh Allen you know MVP caliber, which would be fucking amazing.
00:30:52
Bret
But early on in Josh Allen's career, was turnovers. And you look at a guy like Drake May, you look at how he did last year, it was turnovers. That being said, i also look at it and say the guy was trying to make plays in shitty spots because they were put in shitty spots. So some of those turnovers aren't on him.
00:31:08
Bret
And then we talk about some of the turnovers he's had in this camp. And like people jumped on them early when he threw those like four picks. And it's like, well, sometimes you have a guy like Christian Gonzalez making you know a play because he's an all-pro caliber cornerback who's just going to make a play.
00:31:22
Bret
like And you know maybe Drake's out there testing trying something out where he's throwing a ball that normally in a game he wouldn't throw. So I'm i'm a little bit... um that's the one area I want to see to make sure it's there.
00:31:36
Bret
But I look at where we're at historically with him on that, and i'm I'm a little bit kind of like, I don't see it as much of a problem as other people see it. But at the end of the day, i think that's going to be the telltale sign this season is, you know, can he protect the ball? Can he not turn it over it and make dumb plays with it?
00:31:55
Savage Boston
and And Josh Allen in his second season, people got to go back and look at the stats, but he was not a world burner, you know, and, and and not every quarterback develops into Josh Allen, but when you got all the tools like Drake does and, and Josh obviously, you know, has ridiculous tools.
00:32:10
Savage Boston
Josh Allen to me is the other than Lamar Jackson, right? He's the best quarterback in the league. He does everything for that offense and carries. I think people argued that's Josh won the MVP, but but As people argued, Lamar just has a lot more around him, which is kind of true. you know Lamar's got a really good really good team, lot of talent um throughout that roster. And so I think Josh just carries that franchise. Without him, i mean, that he he is the franchise. And to be fair, maybe so is Lamar.
00:32:39
Savage Boston
And that's why they're great players. So anyway, we're hoping for Jake to develop. I'm going cut it here. Quick pod. We'll keep it quick. ill Be back next week. We'll be, I don't actually know it's going to Brett, are you here next week?
00:32:50
Savage Boston
I have no idea.
00:32:51
Bret
I'll be here.
00:32:52
Savage Boston
right, Brett will be here next week. Who knows what Snooty is doing, if he's still on vacation um in the tropics somewhere sunbathing in his Speedo. We'll see what Snooty is doing.
00:33:02
Bret
Yeah.
00:33:03
Savage Boston
All right, take it easy, guys. We'll talk to you next week. Peace.
00:33:07
Bret
Jason.