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EPISODE 27 - Why wasn't AJ Brown a Patriot? Is Will Campbell really the guy?
225 Plays1 month ago
Also we touch on Rafael Devers. Enjoy!
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Transcript
April Fool's Day Tweet Reactions
00:00:00
Savage Boston
Hey guys, welcome back to the Savage Boston Podcast. We are here with you on April 1st, 2025. Happy April Fool's Day. ah It's like 848 at night.
00:00:11
Savage Boston
I think I only had one April Fool's tweet today and people get just irrationally angry. So give it I gave it one. It was supposed to be so fake on purpose that people can clearly tell it's an April Fool's prank, but you know some people would just get mad about it.
00:00:29
Savage Boston
That's fine.
AJ Brown vs. Nikhil Harry Draft Decision
00:00:30
Savage Boston
um Yeah, so I want to kick off the podcast and and start on a – before we get into Vrabel or Elliot Wolfe from interview stuff, i want to touch on – um This clip I saw on Instagram I just shared about AJ Brown um getting a signed Tom Brady jersey.
00:00:48
Savage Boston
And it just kind of it brings you back to like the decision to draft Nikhil Harry and how that took this franchise. And like we don't have to fully, fully revisit it, but like the story from Burt Breer last year,
00:01:05
Savage Boston
ah Just to remind people out there, and again, I just shared this article as well on Twitter. um Burt Breer wrote a piece that A.J. Brown and Debo Samuel were both kind of doing their visits with the Patriots and coming up and they had hung out all week.
00:01:18
Savage Boston
And they were apparently really comfortable and joking when they when they visited. And Bill Belichick, on I guess according to Breer, really didn't like how jokey they were.
00:01:29
Savage Boston
So he decided, in essence, he decided to pick Nikhil Harry in the draft that year at 32 instead of both A.J. Brown and Nikhil Harry, ah who went after Nikhil...
00:01:42
Savage Boston
No, sorry, and A.J. Brown and Devo Sanu, went after Nikhil Harry.
00:01:43
Bret
Thank
00:01:45
Savage Boston
So it just kind of felt like almost like a pivotal moment um because if you take... AJ Brown instead of Nikhil Harry, there's some hypothetical situation there that Tom Brady is not leaving this franchise.
00:01:59
Savage Boston
So big rabbit hole. I do feel like there's it's more than just one decision, but that is a linchpin decision that happened. So i don't know. Do you have any thoughts on the AJ Brown situation?
Patriots' Drafting Challenges
00:02:08
Bret
Well, I mean, I think it just ah speaks large to the larger issue, which was the fact that Belichick really sucked at drafting. And specifically, he sucked at drafting wide receivers.
00:02:20
Bret
But, you know, I think that's ah that's a clear story that Breer had last year that basically highlights the fact that he could never identify wide receivers.
00:02:21
Savage Boston
true.
00:02:30
Bret
And on top of it, like, he had really lost his his perspective and edge, I guess, on, like, finding the guys. Now, that being said, another like gripe I've had is like I hate the narrative that goes around where people say, well, the Patriots suck with drafting wide receivers, so we can't go in the draft and draft a wide receiver this year, which is so idiotic to me because for a you can't just stop trying. You have to continue to try to hit because eventually you're going to hit. And then B,
00:03:06
Bret
Those guys that were making the decision aren't there, right? That whole story that went down about A.J. Brown and Deebo Samuel getting picked and them going with Nikhil Harry was because Belichick made a decision said, this is what I'm going to do.
00:03:20
Savage Boston
And that was 2019.
00:03:20
Bret
bellachicks not making it Belichick's not making those decisions. So it's like, I hate that narrative that like, oh, because we can't draft them, it's going to be the case. Because like, it's just, it's a different group now making those decisions.
00:03:33
Savage Boston
Yeah. I mean, i it just reminds you again that the Polk selection last year, of how how bad of a selection that was. And it's like it just it's fresh in your mind again. Like, why did they why do they fail even recent years? I mean, like, we know that Matt Groh, who's still there, granted he's not doing as much scouting now, and he's doing, like, more contract negotiation.
00:03:54
Savage Boston
Even if they try to pump his tires in some public interviews, which was interesting. um But, you know, he was responsible for, like, the Taequann Thornton pick in the second round. Horrible selection.
00:04:03
Bret
Thank
00:04:04
Savage Boston
And then, you know we have you know, you trade down. Obviously, you don't don't get McConkie, and here's Jalen Polk. And which looks like a ah horrible selection. So I agree. You can't stop trying. You just hope someone hits.
00:04:18
Savage Boston
At some point, hit. Someone hit. Like, you know, Gronk was really the elite focal piece of the offense with Brady's second second dynasty there, right? Like, that was Gronk. Gronk was the elite guy He carried the offense talent-wise.
00:04:32
Savage Boston
You know, and I do think there's a player, and I'm not advocating just drafting him.
00:04:34
Bret
Thank
00:04:36
Savage Boston
You know, this is a tangent. But, like, Tyler Warren...
Draft Strategy and Player Potential
00:04:39
Savage Boston
is a really, really talented young tight end who can block. He can he can run after the catch. He has a good catch radius, big kid.
00:04:47
Savage Boston
I think he's going to go somewhere and be a really effective tight end. um No, he's not going to be – Brock Bowers, to me, is just the new Kelsey. like Brock Bowers is an elite pass catcher, elite, elite.
00:05:02
Savage Boston
But Tyler Warren's a different player. Like he's going to really sit in there and block, like really block, not just run routes. So just a little tangent there. But I really, i don't know. how do you How do you feel about Tyler Warren? Do you like Tyler Warren as a player?
00:05:14
Bret
I love the tangents to jump off the pod, by the way. We're just like, I got i got a grievance to get off my back.
00:05:17
Savage Boston
I know. Sorry. I don't like it.
00:05:21
Bret
I got a
00:05:22
Savage Boston
Well, meant to like, well, like yeah, let's talk about Vrabel. And I'm now talking about Tyler Warren five minutes into the podcast.
00:05:26
Bret
yeah we're like, you know what? We're doing the whole like Peter Griffin, you know what really grinds my gears segment.
00:05:31
Savage Boston
Yeah. Just 30 minutes of me just being angry at things.
00:05:33
Bret
Well...
00:05:37
Bret
Here's my thing. I mean, and I would say this generally about tight ends. ah it's, I think it's good to have a good tight end on your team, but like when it comes to value position, it's really like Gronk's an exception to the rule. Right.
00:05:54
Bret
And in general, there's going to be like two to maybe three exceptions to the rule in the league at any given point in time for like a period of like five years or so.
00:05:54
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:06:07
Bret
So it, and That's all to say that I just don't think it's as impactful a position and that the hit rate is really low and we have so many needs that like, yeah, if it's best player available and you think it is in kind of the rounds that you're looking at, I'm okay with it.
00:06:24
Bret
But...
00:06:25
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:06:25
Bret
ah we got to get more into the position of needs. and ah We've talked about this with other draft picks and and how that shapes. There's going to be talented guys that are going to go in second and third rounds. like I'm almost more interested to see how that shakes because you know we'll see where the chips fall with the fourth pick, but I think it's basically going to be how it falls, whereas I think the second and third round is going to be like,
00:06:54
Bret
There could be some options. We'll see what they look at. They could go in in a lot of different directions. But the reality is is someone that they pick there or someone that goes in that rough like spot is going to be a ah good player long term. It's just historically going to happen. We just got to make sure we find guys.
00:07:10
Bret
So I'm glad we're doing best player available. the The team has talked about it. I think that's going to be the case going into the draft. To me, I look at it and say,
00:07:21
Bret
I just don't think there's going to be value in the tight end for a guy like Warren to warrant a like pick in those rounds, depending on
Risks and Preferences in Draft Choices
00:07:30
Bret
where he falls. But ah that, you know, that's just my view on tight ends and and how that fits in the scheme of what the Patriots needs really are.
00:07:38
Savage Boston
Well, that's like that's actually a really good segue right into kind of the first Patriots-related topic mostly i was I was going to discuss, which was Mike Vrabel the other day.
00:07:39
Bret
mean,
00:07:46
Savage Boston
They were asking him about the draft, right? And they're like, okay, um you know you really they're like, you really need a left tackle. You really need this. really need this. And then they're saying, but you've said best player available.
00:07:58
Savage Boston
So I forget. I don't know. It could have been Karen Gregan. don't remember who asked him the question. But he kind of ah he kind of said publicly, he goes, listen, like we need to marry together. best player available with need.
00:08:10
Savage Boston
And it's like, okay, yeah, like that that makes sense. That's how people draft. But don't get – we've discussed this before. like Don't get too caught up in the need thing because that's where Belichick did lose it in the last like four or five years or so.
00:08:23
Savage Boston
And I think Vrabel recently, especially he was referencing you know ah left tackle. And it seems as though he kind of was saying, or at least alluding to the fact that they're probably done in free agency involving the left tackle position.
00:08:37
Savage Boston
And they're either going to just ride right into the season with, you know, Caden Wallace right tackle. Viderian Lowe is going to be in the mix at left tackle and they're going to have a draft pick. And,
00:08:47
Bret
Well, they also got Moses right tackle.
00:08:49
Savage Boston
Yeah, I think of Moses is the right tackle, so I know where Caden Walls goes. but like So a left tackle, you know it obviously brings you right to the main focal piece, talking point guy, which is Will Campbell. Everyone just wants to talk about willcam Will Campbell and arms and whatever. okay you know Will Campbell, um I think as Mark Daniels has reported a ton of times now, he's probably put out this piece like five times, um that Will Campbell has fans in the organization.
00:09:17
Savage Boston
And he said a PCA there. He's like, there's fans in the coaching. He has fans in the scouting. He has blah, blah, blah. Like he like he some people in the organization like Will Campbell. But again, as we brought up, the risk of taking Will Campbell at four is that he truly might really not be a left tackle. And then you're going to end up having to get a left tackle still in like two years or one year.
00:09:39
Savage Boston
Again, la, you know, Skronsky for the Titans, right? And then like, why did the Titans need to go out and get Dan Moore Jr.? Right? Dan Moore Jr. is that guy that signed um an enormous, enormous contract.
00:09:56
Savage Boston
like we we And we were even in the mix for Dan Moore Jr. as well. But like he he got – I forgot what he got. He got 20 million year. He got a large contract for a guy who's like pretty much a mid – like literally a mid left tackle.
00:10:11
Savage Boston
Gets a massive deal. So you know you have to – they say they're all sure. They love his tape, all this stuff. But like you really better be fucking sure that he's your left tackle if you take Will Campbell at four.
00:10:24
Savage Boston
You know, like, you there's no – I don't want to hear in the offseason or next year, like, yeah, we're going to bump him down and we're back in the same problem. So, um I don't know. What's your take on, I guess, like, ah the Will Campbell situation now? That's what everyone's been talking about.
00:10:40
Bret
Well, the Patriots are definitely kind of hedging here, and they're basically giving the the tea leaves to say like where it might fall. they They would be okay with getting a guy like Campbell.
00:10:51
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:10:52
Bret
I think ultimately, you know if Hunter or Carter are at the top, then i think those guys for sure. But we'll see. I mean, there's a lot of smoke around where Sanders is going to go and how that's going to fall. But let's just say hypothetically they're gone, right? And you're basically looking at the board saying, okay, what do I do here? Do I go for Campbell?
00:11:16
Bret
Me, i would go for a guy like Banks, personally. I mean, I think he had a good preseason hype. He's a solid SEC left tackle out of Texas. like
00:11:26
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:11:26
Bret
He's got the build. He's got the size. So like I'm all for that. um And that would be the route I would go. But like obviously, if...
00:11:34
Savage Boston
You just like Banks better than Campbell as a player.
00:11:36
Bret
I do. i do. i And I'll go with the measurables. And I don't know if you you caught this, but like just to kind of pivot real quick to what Wolf had said when his interview with Felger, but like he made a comment out there about the fact that that
00:11:48
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:11:53
Bret
ah When he was asked about like arm length, size and historic numbers, and he basically played it off, played dumb and said like, oh, I don't, I don't know what you're talking about there.
00:12:04
Bret
I hadn't heard that that was the case, um which was surprising.
00:12:08
Savage Boston
but For arm length and tackles.
00:12:10
Bret
Yeah. Yeah.
00:12:11
Savage Boston
Weird.
00:12:12
Bret
So Felger felger had like called it out to him and basically said, do you have any concerns with his arm length, knowing that historically guys of his size have not panned out over the last 30 years or whatever he pencil like penciled it in.
00:12:27
Bret
And then Wolf was like, huh, I had not heard that.
00:12:27
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:12:30
Bret
or And he played it off.
00:12:32
Savage Boston
But
00:12:33
Bret
I'm going to be optimistic and say that Wolf just sucks at interviews and basically plays dumb as a default. So I'm going to say optimistically that's the case because if that's not the case and he really didn't know that, then he's really fucking like incompetent for his job.
00:12:50
Bret
and should you know And it's scary that he was making these picks last year and that he should probably not be longing for the job.
00:12:55
Savage Boston
but
00:12:57
Bret
So I'm going to say you know half glass full. The guy is just plays dumb because he's not a good interviewer, but he is good at identifying talent and he didn't know how to answer the question.
00:13:08
Bret
But...
00:13:08
Savage Boston
are these yeah and If it's like the Red Sox at all, like if these are data guys, like if these are data-driven guys, you know everyone in the Red Sox is data-driven, right? Like every time a pitcher gets the third third time through an order, they're extremely quick to pull or they pull them preemptively. They know that the the numbers dictate when you get a third time through a baseball order, you really fall off.
00:13:29
Savage Boston
and we And we know this by stats, right? And so that's why baseball has changed.
00:13:32
Bret
Yep.
00:13:34
Savage Boston
So the same thing with football, though. Like, we have numbers, and and there was I wish I wrote them down, but it was on, you you know, Beatle and Zoe the other day. They did great numbers from their stat department. with A certain percentage of players that have under, like, 34-inch arms to tackle or 33 inches a tackle And Kelvin Banks' arms, I don't think, aren't that big either. there's Frankly, everyone's kind of in that 33-34 range.
00:13:57
Savage Boston
But a lot of guys in that range, the 33 range, there's a large percentage of them that get bumped down to guard or center. A very large percent. So much so that it's hard to ignore. You're like, okay, well, if this just keeps happening, same with like wingspan, right? If this keeps happening, well, then something's going on here.
00:14:16
Savage Boston
If these guys can't hang at the pro level. So that's kind of the concern is is like, It seems to be happening. Clearly, like Will Campbell could genuinely be an outlier.
00:14:26
Savage Boston
He's extremely athletic and a tough kid, and he could really be an outlier. Or he still has a 77-inch wingspan, 33-inch arms, or thirty two seven eights whatever, and he's going to get to the pros and just have difficult time with leverage.
00:14:42
Savage Boston
And then they're going to be like, hey, man, like you're going to be a super elite left guard, which, again, is probably a fail for Will Campbell people because you're you're telling me he's a left tackle. If he becomes an all-pro left guard, yeah, I'll be happy we fill that position, but just so much less of an impactful position and so much easier to fill the guard position than the than like a left tackle position.
00:15:04
Bret
Yeah, which is the same thing I was just alluding to with tight ends. And that's why I wouldn't go with a guy like Campbell at the top because I'm going to go with historical reference there and say that, you know, historically speaking, the odds are significantly in the favor that the guy is not going to make it as a tackle.
00:15:08
Savage Boston
yeah
00:15:21
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:15:21
Bret
He's going to end up as a guard. And to me, even at an all-pro guard, putting it number four, i wish they would make an investment somewhere else and identify the guy. Now, if they clearly don't think a guy like Banks is the guy – then find the other person, right?
00:15:36
Bret
I mean, this is their job, right?
00:15:37
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:15:38
Bret
And we're we're lucky because we get to criticize them, but at the same time, we're fans and we demand them to be able to make that pick.
00:15:41
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:15:44
Bret
So, i yeah, I'll tend to lean towards historical, which is why I lean towards going with a guy like Banks if... ah Hunter and Carter are gone. But, yeah, we'll see.
00:15:55
Bret
I just, I don't know. I don't know where it's going to fall. And it's just crazy that we got to wait an additional, i don't know, three, four weeks to get there.
00:16:03
Savage Boston
Getting there. and close but Yeah.
00:16:05
Bret
Three and a half weeks, maybe, something like that.
00:16:07
Savage Boston
It's funny that, you know, yeah, our jobs as critics or fans or whatever, you know, whatever you want to call it. Right. It's like our job is a lot easier, man. It's so much easier to be negative. Even online, or you post a take and was like, oh, you idiot. idiot you know It's just so easy to be negative rather than just create your own solution. like How much easier is it to be critical of the decision making for the Patriots in the draft rather than present your own opinions and your own kind of like draft order of operations that you want?
00:16:37
Savage Boston
it's a lot harder to present information because you leave yourself exposed to criticism and like, you got to get used to having that. So like, I try to put out stuff consistently that I'm like, all right, here's what I want to see.
00:16:48
Savage Boston
I did even an order of operations the other day. I was like, all right, Travis Hunter there. I want him. I'll do Carter's there. I want him. If neither there, I want to trade down. You know what i mean? Like if, if you can trade down, let's say to nine,
00:16:58
Bret
Let's see.
00:17:01
Savage Boston
You you can either get, you know, Ted McMillan and then you trade back in the first round for for a tackle or draft Will Campbell. You trade back in the first round for a wide receiver.
00:17:13
Savage Boston
Then it's like we're down to eight or nine is just stick and pick Will Campbell at four. So like that's that's like my flow chart. I don't want to just stick and pick Will at four. I will do that, and I'll be like, all right, here we go, if that's what they think is best, because that's the easiest solution for them. They know Will Campbell's going to be there. They could just say, yeah, we're just going to take Will Campbell. Here we go. He's our starting left tackle day one.
00:17:37
Savage Boston
and And they might decide to do that, but – I'm still holding out hope.
00:17:40
Bret
Thank you.
00:17:41
Savage Boston
Shadir Sanders goes to the Giants. It sounds like the Cleveland Browns are out on Shadir at all. or you know It sounds like Cleveland is just going to trade for, um what's his face, Kirk Cousins from the Falcons, and they're probably going to take out Bill Carter.
00:17:55
Savage Boston
And it'll be up to the Giants to see if they want to take a risk at Shadir Sanders or draft Travis Hunter.
00:18:00
Bret
Which is, by the way, like crazy. You get the Browns story where it's like, you know, a couple weeks ago they're talking about, oh, they're in on Dak Prescott and we'll see what happens there.
00:18:05
Savage Boston
Yeah. Yeah.
00:18:10
Bret
And now all of a sudden it's like, oh, they're in on Kirk Cousins and see how that shakes.
00:18:14
Savage Boston
yeah
00:18:15
Bret
Which to me, like right away from the top, I was sitting there, i was like, man, you got Kirk Cousins and Deshaun Watkins' like salary. Like I wonder what the hell that even looks like.
Patriots' Management and Leadership Changes
00:18:25
Bret
Yeah.
00:18:26
Savage Boston
yeah
00:18:27
Bret
on the team. So that was just insane. But I think it's a good example of like, when you fuck up the draft and you don't make the right signings, it throws your entire franchise into turmoil and throws it all off, which to me, i feel like some of the encouraging things that have happened come out of this offseason so far is is there's definitely a new approach to what we've been doing for the last five years, right?
00:18:53
Savage Boston
Mm-hmm.
00:18:53
Bret
And I i like the way they're investing in the team and how they're getting the right players. I feel like, you know, Kraft and Vrabel are saying all the right things there ah that kind of give me some encouragement that you know, Crass owning his mistakes. He's owning the issues that he has. And, you know, he even commented on the yeah PA, NFL PA issues in the survey and basically the opportunities they have.
00:19:20
Bret
And, you know, I think Kraft, he's like, he obviously wants image means everything to the guy.
00:19:27
Savage Boston
Mm-hmm.
00:19:27
Bret
Think about how much he's done. So like, i think what's been good is, is he as an owner is hearing the fans and everything say like, Hey, what the fuck's going on? Like, this is horrible.
00:19:38
Bret
He's owning it and he's making the changes and trying to get things corrected. So that's good because that means he got an invested owner, right? who like realizes things didn't go well.
00:19:49
Bret
He's willing to take it on and move it. Unlike you get like a guy like Henry for a while who didn't really do that. Didn't really matter.
00:19:57
Savage Boston
Yeah. I mean, Robert Kraft is invested and he loves the Patriots, which is all, that's what you want. First step of an owner is you want the team to actually be a winning team. And Robert Kraft absolutely wants that.
00:20:09
Savage Boston
I think he was genuinely blindsided by the last couple of years. Like I think he thought two years ago, he thought Bill Belichick could write the ship and was going to change something and and make it work. And then it just turned into this horrific mess With Mac Jones, I mean, it was awful.
00:20:28
Savage Boston
And then it's like, all right, well, we need the QB, and you you find the right QB.
00:20:28
Bret
Thank you.
00:20:32
Savage Boston
But then, i mean, last year with Wolfe and Mayo, they had one of the worst free agencies I've ever seen in my life with a ton of cap space. and you're like, they couldn't bring a soul in here. then Mayo with obviously an extremely disorganized and and ridiculous locker room, you know, it just made no sense. So, like, I think also in those last two years, Kraft just said,
00:20:53
Savage Boston
What is going on here? Like he gave all this control to Bill and then he ah he really believed in Gerard Mayo. He thought Gerard Mayo spiritually was the next guy. Like here's my guy. I'm getting him young. He's cheap.
00:21:07
Savage Boston
like A lot of people felt return that quickly and and just going to young guy to cheap. Yeah, that's true. I'm sure he was a lot cheaper. But I really do think Kraft believed in him and wanted to farm or groom this guy into the next great coach here.
00:21:21
Savage Boston
But he was such a fuck up. that Vrabel comes up and he goes, fuck this. like I need an adult. I need the real coach in the room. And i totally support his decision.
00:21:33
Savage Boston
think he made the absolute right decision. And now they have real leadership. They have real coordinators. And, I mean, already the defense looks really high level.
00:21:44
Savage Boston
And the offense is better. It's not amazing. It's better. Stephon Diggs is better. You know, like – Morgan Moses is better.
00:21:56
Savage Boston
Is it crazy better? No, but it's it's certainly, it is better. Drake may is going to grow every year too. So there's a lot there.
00:22:02
Bret
Yeah, and the thing that I look... 100% agree with regards to the coaching. And if anything, like the coaching has been the most encouraging aspect for me because Mayo is such a train wreck.
00:22:12
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:22:14
Bret
But not only that, it's just been... It's been like this for years. I mean, it's like... Patricia was our fucking offensive coordinator, right? Like, what are we doing out here as a team when we're getting ourselves into this position?
00:22:29
Bret
And they're trying to, like, figure this shit out on the fly. Like, it has been a painful, like, five years since Brady's departure that we've just had to, like, suffer through as fans to watch just absolute shit show after shit show when it comes to you know coaching staff and what the product looks like on the field, the players that they're picking, the development, just like the comments coming out of the locker room and all of that disconnect. like
00:22:59
Bret
It's been an absolute train wreck for five years, which has put us in the position we're at where we're picking top five the last two years. It's no surprise we got here.
00:23:10
Bret
But you look at and say, i think a lot of us feel we got the quarterback. I think a lot of us are confident in what we get with Brable. I think a lot of us agree that they've made some good coaching hires to get competent coaches in there.
00:23:24
Bret
Love a guy like Stug Marone coming in there, fix the offensive line. Great. joip Josh McDonald's, like, clearly a historically good guy, like, it knows how to run and ah competent offense in the NFL, and I'm really looking forward to what he can do.
00:23:39
Bret
Like, brings in good front office guys to be able to see what they can build in. All positive stuff. Then they go out there and they spend the money, and and yeah, they overspend, but... That's what happens a free agency. You always overspend. You never sign a free agent and say, wow, that was a bargain deal.
00:23:54
Bret
Like that just doesn't happen. But you you made the right advancements.
00:23:56
Savage Boston
Mm-hmm.
00:23:58
Bret
So we'll see. I'm hopeful they're aggressive in the draft. They make all the right picks. But like ah there's a lot of buzz around this team. There should be a lot of buzz around this team. I think they're making the right moves.
00:24:10
Bret
And I'm excited to see where they go with it.
00:24:13
Savage Boston
Yeah, certainly um it feels better than last year. I feel like we were, you know, for for every ah for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction, right? It's like naturally the seesaw of pleasure and pain ah has to teeter-totter.
00:24:32
Savage Boston
So we had an extreme amount of pleasure for two decades, right? And it's like you knew something was going to drop. And only in rare times there's no extreme drop.
00:24:44
Savage Boston
I think the Steelers are a good example of a team that just for some reason has just been able to string together these 10-win teams every year. But, you know, even them, like they just – they haven't won a playoff game I think in in eight or nine years.
00:24:56
Savage Boston
And they just can't push through, right? Because they won't let themselves dig that hole. It's like you have to ebb and flow with – like the Celtics of did this to perfection. The Celtics were perfect with how they traded away assets, got all – Danny Ainge did it, rebuilt it all, got Tatum, got Brown, and boom, get a championship, right? so With the Patriots, it is what it is.
00:25:17
Savage Boston
They hit the bottom. They hit rock bottom for a few years in a row. It was really trending down. Mac Jones just started looking horrible, and just he helped contribute to bury the franchise for a few years. And they combined the fact that you couldn't draft well, so we don't even have players to do extensions for right now.
00:25:33
Savage Boston
They have tons of money. they don't They don't have anyone to spend it on. Literally, they don't have players to spend the money on, which is insane. Like, you couldn't even draft. That's not something that should that should happen, so.
00:25:45
Bret
No, you were, as a fan, you I felt like over the last five years, I was like artificially trying to hype myself up into thinking like things are really going to be good.
00:25:45
Savage Boston
um
00:25:56
Bret
and Like Mac Jones is going to be a ah surprise us all. And he's got the intangibles because he did.
00:25:59
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:26:01
Bret
But like deep down, like gun to your head, you're like, nah, it's not going to work. but You just knew it.
00:26:08
Savage Boston
Yeah. Yeah. was I mean, the problem is everyone convincing themselves online. you know, that Mac Jones was the guy. And like, you can say it. And even a few years ago, i was like, all right, I'm going to hype it up. Yeah. Mac Jones, this ah offense, it's going to work. And then it just, when you're consistently proven,
00:26:24
Savage Boston
It's not going to work over and over and over again. I think with Max last year, it was like, guys, this is really not good. They need to tank.
00:26:31
Bret
Well...
00:26:33
Savage Boston
people finally bought in eventually. I don't know which game it was. Like you said, maybe was the back foot interception against the Colts when he just had – mean, it was the worst interception I've seen in the playoffs.
00:26:43
Bret
Loaded it out. i'll
00:26:46
Savage Boston
was
00:26:47
Bret
I'll wear a badge of honor knowing that I never fell into the zappy fever in all facts.
00:26:51
Savage Boston
Oh, yeah. What were we doing? I mean, it's fun to get hyped up. Like, I get it. Most people are, to be honest, joking online. like yeah Like, I think, like, especially with Zappi. ah No point was anyone like Zappi is the franchise. Like, yeah, some crazy people calling the radio station saying stuff. Like, and people calling out, say, trade Drake.
00:27:10
Savage Boston
And you got Joe Milton.
00:27:11
Bret
Keep Milton.
00:27:12
Savage Boston
You saw Joe Milton play one game against the backups in a game they're trying to lose and you want to trade Drake May.
00:27:12
Bret
Yeah.
00:27:18
Savage Boston
Like, let's use your brain. Like, use your fucking brain.
00:27:21
Bret
right.
00:27:21
Savage Boston
I don't – like, people are ridiculous, man, with these takes. ah It's funny, but it's it's insanity. um I just wanted to also, really quick, before we end the pod, I just want to touch on the Red Sox for a hot minute because we've been tuning in.
Raphael Devers' Performance Issues
00:27:36
Savage Boston
um And just especially, like, Raphael Devers, think but at the time of recording, he's like 0 for 19 with 15 strikeouts. And, like, I'm not Mr.
00:27:45
Bret
Thank you.
00:27:46
Savage Boston
Baseball, but something's pretty fucking wrong. And, you know, they they either kind of send him down for a stint, like an injury stint, right? You say, okay, he pulled his lat. Whatever you need to do and you work his swing out down there.
00:28:02
Savage Boston
I think apparently Cora wants to have him in the majors and work his swing out. But, like, this is – his swing and miss rate is the worst in baseball and something is very wrong with his swing.
00:28:12
Bret
Oh, it's it's a train wreck. ah And this, I mean, the guy didn't show up for spring training, got like late at bats, late into spring training. So he just, he hasn't had enough ABs.
00:28:28
Bret
And that's so apparent. But like, I think... Like, may I'm going to spin it a little bit and say this is going to help him rebound faster because, like, he's taking a moral hit, right?
00:28:41
Bret
You know, it's like a pride it's like a pride thing but at this point.
00:28:42
Savage Boston
Oh, yeah. yeah
00:28:45
Savage Boston
He feels like shit.
00:28:45
Bret
he so he like He's swinging like shit. He looks like shit. All these strikeouts. He's it's out of shape, right? And he's going up there. And this is coming from a guy who was just bitching about it and giving throwing like ah essential essentially a tantrum.
00:29:00
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:29:01
Bret
And it's one of those things where the Red Sox just sit back there and like anyone that knows anything about baseball knows that Bregman is going to be a third baseman. He's a better fielder than you are. So like get your shit together.
00:29:15
Bret
But like he threw it he threw a freaking tantrum, didn't get his A-Bs, and he looks like absolute dog shit coming out the bat out the top.
00:29:15
Savage Boston
Mm-hmm.
00:29:23
Bret
And it's so apparent. So like to me, I look at it and say – I think this is going to help him rebound quicker because a guy like Cora realizes that and he's going to give him support and he's not going to, do I don't think he would put him down on the minors because I think you you might lose the guy if you do that.
00:29:38
Savage Boston
Well, that's not this's not really what I mean. you know you Basically, you say he's injured. I mean, you'd have to be like, yeah, he's hurt. You know what mean? he Like, that's fine.
00:29:46
Bret
But even that, even even that, I think, you know, the guy, like there's no way that he's going out there and struggling like he's struggling. And then all of a sudden coming back and still being pissy and moaning, saying, like, I'm struggling because they're not giving me what I owe. And I have this historic, like, that's probably not the case. Like, he I'm sure he's probably hearing it and feeling it.
00:30:08
Bret
And Cora's probably just going to ride it out and support the guy. until he gets his you know bat but right, because he's going to get his bat right. He's shown through his career he knows how to hit the ball.
00:30:19
Bret
He's one of the best hitters in the league. like He'll figure that part out, and it's going to have him bounce back a little bit better, knowing that Cora supported him through it and that he's like taking a pride hit because he sucks. But that's me spinning it optimistically, hoping the guy realizes he really fucked up because he really fucked up.
00:30:39
Savage Boston
I think that's why people are so mad about it right now, though. They're mad because they felt he was really whiny in spring training. and He was putting himself ahead of the team. And I think he didn't want to be perceived that way either.
00:30:52
Savage Boston
But, like, sorry, Rafi. You know, that's what he said at the end. He's like, he feels bad. He was perceived like he wasn't doing well for the team. That's what he said in a quote towards the beginning of the season. And it's like, well, you really should have actually thought about that. I know the Red Sox didn't handle the situation perfectly. But Rafi's got to be aware he's one of the worst third basemen in baseball defensively.
00:31:12
Savage Boston
Like, you got to be aware, like, this is not a strong position for you. The defense in the Red Sox has been the worst in baseball for, like, a couple years, I think. So, like... that's a really a clear way to improve your ball club. And so, yeah, get why he's mad.
00:31:27
Savage Boston
I get why they needed to move him. But like what he could have controlled better himself was just saying, you know what? I'm going to do what's best for the team. And he could have done that. He's got a massive money contract, fully guaranteed. He's not going anywhere.
00:31:42
Savage Boston
So like, let's figure this out. So that's what I think pisses off fans ultimately is like, He had all that drama, all that crap, and then he comes in and he looks lost. like he cannot He's not even close to the baseball.
00:31:55
Savage Boston
so um So it's a legit problem. you know It's a problem.
00:31:58
Bret
Oh, it is. It is. And like I said, he's out of shape, too. Like, he's visibly of sync.
00:32:02
Savage Boston
Yeah, he's like 20 pounds overweight. and Yeah. i you know People don't like the weight conversation either, but he looks massive. He's like 245. He's not built quite like David Ortiz. David Ortiz was big everywhere. He was big guy.
00:32:17
Savage Boston
Graffi looks like he should be a little leaner.
00:32:17
Bret
yeah
00:32:20
Savage Boston
like That's how he looks, and I don't think that's going to hurt his swing, getting a little bit leaner than he is. So...
00:32:26
Bret
i think I think Ortiz got skinnier as he got older. Like, he got healthier.
00:32:31
Savage Boston
just a big guy, though. You know mean? He's just a really big person. Like, he's always broad shoulder.
00:32:35
Bret
Yeah, but like she like she if you ask me, I think he slimmed up through the years to later in career because he wanted to prolong his career. But no, like I look at Rafi and I'm like, don't go the route Pablo Sandoval where he just came in like a fat fuck and like took his payday and like absolutely sucks.
00:32:51
Savage Boston
That was awful. Yeah, yeah.
00:32:54
Bret
like But like that's that's the fear, right? You get a guy like this that just can't get the wake up. So like I'd say...
00:33:00
Savage Boston
He has too much pride that. He's got too much pride for that.
00:33:03
Bret
Exactly. that's That's my feeling. Now, if we're having this same conversation like three weeks from now, then, yeah i'm I'm kind of on board with saying, send him down. like This guy is like clearly doesn't fucking get it, and like I'm okay sending him down to get him off, because...
00:33:21
Bret
The roster's got potential to actually make waves this year. And, like, you don't you don't need a going and, like, striking out constantly in your lineup.
00:33:26
Savage Boston
Oh, yeah.
00:33:33
Bret
Like, it's just...
00:33:33
Savage Boston
People have aggressive takes and they're like, oh yeah, you got to do like the Nomar thing, addition by subtraction, like sell them off.
00:33:34
Bret
it
00:33:39
Savage Boston
And it's like, you know, not close to being there yet.
00:33:40
Bret
Not there yet. Not there yet. Right.
00:33:44
Savage Boston
Rafi is like, he's a great player and i he's not the superstar people want him to be. He's not the face and like going out and doing interviews and commercials. That's not who he is. It's not who he's going to be, but he's good teammate. People like him and he can match the baseball.
00:33:58
Savage Boston
And that's, that's what you want out of a player. So I think, you know, just got to get him on track. And I don't know, maybe is this all mental? He's just has no confidence. Is this truly like, is it?
00:34:08
Bret
No, it's just he he just hasn't had enough reps.
00:34:09
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:34:12
Bret
It's just reps, dude. And like the reality is, too, and you're starting to hear people talk about it is he's he's starting to get contact during these at bats where like he's following them off, which shows that he's starting to trend back in the right direction.
00:34:14
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:34:30
Savage Boston
yeah
00:34:30
Bret
But his swing is still like very off. His timing is very off.
00:34:33
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:34:35
Bret
So to me, it just comes down to he just hasn't had enough reps. And it's like you're not going to replicate any of that any different if you go up or down. like He just needs the reps.
00:34:46
Bret
So I say you keep him up here. You support him publicly and throughout. And I think he'll start to turn it around because it's a pride thing.
00:34:55
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:34:55
Bret
And historically, this guy, like he's proven that he knows how to hit the baseball. So I think he'll come back around.
00:35:00
Savage Boston
He'll get He'll get there. All right, I'm going to hang out now. Thanks for tuning in, guys, and we'll hopefully be back next week.
00:35:07
Bret
Peace.
00:35:08
Savage Boston
Peace.