Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:00:00
Savage Boston
 All right, guys, welcome back to the Savage Boston podcast. I'm Scott, your host with Savage Boston Sports. ah Got a special guest with us today. He's got his own pod. Happy he could jump
Sports Doldrums and Roster Enhancements
00:00:11
Savage Boston
 on with us. It's Joe from the Let's F and Go or LFG Pats podcast. How we doing, Joe?
00:00:18
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 We're doing good. Getting closer, getting closer to the ah dead season being over.
00:00:23
Savage Boston
 I know this is like I know it's like prime time and and it's even more prime time dead time because I It's like the all-star break even for baseball. So there's quite literally like nothing happening. I think tonight's yeah ah of is ah tonight's the all-star game. But to me, it it doesn't those just doesn't float my boat.
00:00:39
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Yeah, who watches that, right?
00:00:41
Savage Boston
 It doesn't count for anything. so um But yeah, i kind of wanted to kick it off um and just just just throw it throw it to you quick and throw it out there to the crowd.
00:00:52
Savage Boston
 Why do we feel like we have a reluctance situation? amongst the fan base to try to improve the roster um it by by trade, by any sort of, by a waiver pickup, by overpaying a player.
Receiver Contracts and Team Building
00:01:07
Savage Boston
 Yes, in free agency, people were hyped up. But now, you know, you get guys like like Terry McLaurin, who we're going to keep talking about, who's obviously disgruntled. He spoke today, not happy about his contract situation, wants to get paid as Ian Rappaport just reported. He wants to make over $30 million dollars a year.
00:01:25
Savage Boston
 And they throw it out there and and I got guys in all seriousness are like, dude, we don't need him. We got, we got booty. We got whatever. Like we got Baker. i had someone say, you got Baker. You don't need to trade for him.
00:01:38
Savage Boston
 So, so what is it like, Joe, you tell me, what is the obsession with, with the sticking with your guns kind of, instead of improving your skill position group?
00:01:49
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Yeah, it's it's really bizarre. it's And it's the same story with Jawan Jennings because, yeah, like, I get it. Jawan Jennings isn't even Terry McLaurin, right? But is he better than our second or third receiver?
00:02:01
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Probably, right?
00:02:02
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 it's like, so it's like you guys, you have to look at this and say, you can't we've let Kraft off the hook for so many years with Brady, right? Like, Brady literally left because we couldn't land the number one receiver for him.
00:02:15
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 And he's like, you know what? And it was there was more to it, right? there That's a whole other episode within itself.
00:02:21
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 But at the same time, it's like, how many years did we have the same problem with Kraft? Like, put on your Howie Roseman hat and get after it, buddy. Like, if you're not going to do it on ah offense, I get it. You signed Milton Williams.
00:02:32
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 But ah maybe we're just, you know, it's, you know, we go more into the season and more will happen. But at the same time, it does feel like there's a complacency with the fans that, you know, somehow, like you said,
00:02:44
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 These guys aren't needed. It's like, well, hold on. Isn't Diggs and Terry McLaurin and Pop Douglas, like, isn't that better? Isn't that better?
00:02:52
Savage Boston
 Sound pretty good.
Fan Perspectives on Trading Role Players
00:02:55
Savage Boston
 Yeah, i think I think fans get they get caught up in and what you and what they have. And it's kind of like the opposite of the grass is always greener phenomenon.
00:03:05
Savage Boston
 You know, it's like it's it's just – I don't know if it's a Boston thing. I saw there was a great – someone had a good argument about it on Twitter the other day saying that there was a – he thought it was a Boston phenomenon that people fall in love with.
00:03:16
Savage Boston
 He would put mediocre players. um I'm not saying – I'm not trying to call – they're all amazing talents. I'm not calling anyone mediocre. I'm just saying that like – when you fall in love with what's basically role players and even though you might have an opportunity to get someone like Terry McLaurin, who again, he didn't request a trade, but he could be potentially available.
00:03:36
Savage Boston
 Or even if you felt like you, you really see something in Juwan Jennings, right? And Juwan Jennings to me, i threw that out there thinking people were going to be all about that player.
00:03:48
Savage Boston
 Maybe I don't realize like nobody watches the 49ers or didn't see Juwan Jennings play, but he had an outstanding
Roster Improvements and Fan Reactions
00:03:54
Savage Boston
 season and was excellent last year.
00:03:58
Savage Boston
 And he's 28.
00:04:00
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Exactly. And then like, you know, you look at these guys like Kendrick Bourne, Matt Collins, like if you have faith in these guys, their ceiling is probably Jawan Jennings.
00:04:09
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 So it's like you could use get to get the ceiling right away. It's guaranteed.
00:04:15
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 And yes, so what? We're going to have to overpay him. But who who really gives a shit? Who gives a shit? What are we holding on to the money for? I know Kraft is probably you know swimming in it, but at the same time, it's like, guys, and improve the roster.
00:04:27
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 like it's The whole thing is just really alien to me. I don't get it. It could be a Boston thing. But it's funny because I got a little Patriots chat with a few of my friends, my buddy who has season tickets, and we all kind of buy tickets every year. But we have this chat going, and whenever we sign somebody – he's the best player in the world. And whenever we release somebody, he was, he was never good.
00:04:48
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 So it's like, uh, we have like an overreaction thing going with everything like that. So maybe there's some bias there, right? Where people are just like, no, that guy sucks. He just like born. He's just, and then if we signed him, Oh, he's the best.
00:04:59
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 He's like, you know, like it's that overreaction, uh, you know, season.
00:05:03
Savage Boston
 Well, that feels more normal that you'd be hyped when someone comes in and you're like ready to let go when, you know, when, when they're out the door, that's like a normal thing. red Sox fans do, right? It's always like kick them out the door, right?
00:05:14
Savage Boston
 They were never good, but the Patriots like, again, it's like some, some deep
Wide Receiver Analysis and Team Needs
00:05:18
Savage Boston
 connection.
00:05:19
Savage Boston
 Somehow people will feel like they've developed with Kayshaun booty and Dave on Baker. And I can't, I keep going back to it. Cause like, yeah, booty was like a pretty serviceable wide receiver that had what, like 500 some odd yards last season.
00:05:33
Savage Boston
 Like, I don't, okay. You know, if that's your, that's your guy. Like, I don't know I don't mind booty. I don't think he's like a bad guy by any means. actually don't even think he's like necessarily the greatest character guy. He's had some questionable comments.
00:05:47
Savage Boston
 Um, you know, he's, he's criticized the room, criticized the coaching. So I don't know. like, to me, he's one of the first guys, certainly he's been on the trade block. Um, he was on the block as reported by Schefter, not just does not local stuff.
00:06:01
Savage Boston
 Like that's a Schefter report that he was on the trade block during the draft. So, you know, he's, he's he's been there.
00:06:05
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Yep. Yeah. Yeah, and it's it's funny. It's almost like it's a boomer bus kind of thing. like Everyone wants like, oh, we don't have a Justin Jefferson. We don't have like a top-tier alpha wideout.
00:06:17
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 We've had these conversations a million times in our Patriots chat on X. And it's like, to me, it's it's more about the sum of all the parts, right?
00:06:21
Savage Boston
 Yeah. Mm-hmm.
00:06:26
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 It's like Josh McDaniels is not really all about like singling out a guy and having him have 15 catches a game. He's more about thinking and dunking and working schemes and you know, scheming guys open through crossing patterns and pick plays and you name it, right? He wants you not knowing what he's doing.
00:06:44
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 And to me, the more sure-handed guys who can, let's get crazy, run routes and catch and and dependably catch the ball, right? I mean, this is like crazy talk. Like, Jawan Jennings, that's that's his that's the name of his game. He is like the master of finding the soft spot in the zone.
00:07:00
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 He's the master of, like, catching the ball. And he's a great red zone target. It's like, this is what you wanted when you saw when you signed Kendrick Bourne. This is what you wanted when you signed Matt Collins. And Matt Collins brings a little extra because, you know, he's said um he's an exceptional blocker. i don't think people realize that about him. He's great on special teams.
00:07:17
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 But, I mean, like like you said, Booty has ah has a, ah I guess, a breakout for Booty. But that could be his ceiling. That could be it. He could be a complete, and like, you know, you have a sure thing in Jawan Jennings.
00:07:30
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Terry McLaurin, to me, I mean, I've always been as a Terry McLaurin guy.
00:07:35
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 he got even before he got jayden daniels i'm like he was doing it he was putting up thousand yard seasons with complete nobodies and so to me you you man you got a lid lifter like terry mcloran you got you know digs working underneath kyle williams is also a lid lifter and a yak guy and then he got pop douglas and whoever else under the middle i mean this way you put a team out there like that and then it's like okay if drake may can't do it with this
00:08:00
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 then now there's other questions, right? But like, I don't know, give him everything he can to succeed. The second year for for a rookie, you know, the sophomore year slump is ah is a real thing. We saw it happen with CJ Stroud.
00:08:12
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 I just want to see him, you know, one guy, let's see if Diggs goes down again or if Kyle Williams or any of these guys go down.
00:08:12
Savage Boston
 yeah That's a good point.
00:08:18
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Now we're really thin. So we're
00:08:20
Savage Boston
 I mean, if Diggs gets hurt, I mean, man.
00:08:25
Savage Boston
 I mean, you're in a world of of trouble, seriously. I mean, like, cause we don't know what you got with Kyle Williams yet.
00:08:30
Savage Boston
 And I'm and i'm hopeful. I love this tape. I'm hopeful. But, like, we don't know can these guys separate at the at the top tier level. Like, you don't know that yet.
00:08:39
Savage Boston
 We got to see what they have. And i think it's it's obviously concerning, ah you know, and Diggs, you know, I hope stays healthy. He looks great. He takes care of his body. But Juwan Jennings is a big guy, and he's he's that contested catch guy. And Vrabel did say before the season that he wants to make life easier a little bit on Drake May and
Front Office Strategies and Financial Flexibility
00:08:59
Savage Boston
 have some big bodies who can make contested catches.
00:09:02
Savage Boston
 So, listen, I don't know. i mean, the the the lid's gotten tight on the Patriots locker room. Nothing squeaking out of there, even, you know, between Mike Reese's Sunday ah column. And, you know, there's not a whole lot of info sneaking out.
00:09:16
Savage Boston
 So, either they're being really, really quiet or, you know, they're just done for now. So...
00:09:23
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 It's tough. Yeah. Cause you'd like to think that, you know, cause what else is Elliot Wolf doing right now? Right. You got to think like Elliot Wolf is like in, in weekly or daily meetings, they got to be like, Hey, this just happened. Did you hear this?
00:09:36
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Yeah. We scouted it. We talked to them. We did this right. There's gotta be those conversations where they're either active conversations.
00:09:41
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Or they're like, no, we're we're not, we're not going in that direction or something. Right. So yeah like, there's no way that this, this comes into the media and one, they don't know about it already, or they haven't looked at it already.
00:09:53
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Or it's like, all right, maybe we'll wait and see what happens. Um, and, and see if he gets any other offers. Right. We don't want to overpay. um there's gotta be those conversations have to be happening. Like, I just, I can't believe that Elliot Wolf's like, we're going to sit tight and do nothing and not look at anything, you know?
00:10:09
Savage Boston
 There's just so much flexibility with the roster. And obviously they have like 61 million in cap next year. Ironically, they don't next year. They're a little, they're tight. They can, obviously they'll make decisions and the cap is what it is.
00:10:21
Savage Boston
 Like you can, you can change a cap.
00:10:22
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 You can fudge it. Yeah, you can do all kinds of stuff.
00:10:23
Savage Boston
 Yeah. You can fudge it. You can manipulate it. So I'm not concerned about that. um It's more like, Again, like i think I think come the summer, once the weight will get close to training camp cuts, they've got to be like on top of that waiver wire.
00:10:39
Savage Boston
 And I know they will, but like I want to see them improve the interior line this summer.
00:10:43
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Oh, yeah. Definitely. Yeah, the commanders, i it's funny you say that because like I feel like every year, like Belichick, was amazing at scouting the, uh, the joint practice team players.
00:10:55
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 And he always, always picked picked up at least one player
Running Back Roles and Performance Comparisons
00:10:59
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 off the, uh, off their cut list.
00:11:01
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Cause they, it's just obviously it's free scouting at that point.
00:11:04
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 But, uh, yeah, it, there should be, you know, this, this, like you said, this roster has a lot of flexibility. You know, we argue about, you know, I think you put up the, uh, the, the 32 locks out of the 53, right.
00:11:16
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 It's like, there's, there's a lot of flexibility in this roster. There's a lot of guys who are really fringe players on most teams. And so you have to look at it as like, that's upside to me. Like that's, that's like, Ooh, I can, I can improve. Even if it's a marginal improvement, like I would look to make all those kinds of moves.
00:11:31
Savage Boston
 yeah. Yeah, I mean, I did my i did my rough... lock list and, and you know, it's funny, like Twitter's so funny, man. Like just generally, it's basically, you can, um you can have something that takes a lot of time and effort to put, to put together and thought process.
00:11:48
Savage Boston
 And it gets like, you know, for me like 20,000 impressions or something like that. Like yeah not um not a ton for my account.
00:11:56
Savage Boston
 And then you or throw something stupid I'm saying like the Red Sox are back and it's like 300,000 impressions. Like, or you say something negative and it's like, it's the dumbest system. Anyway, I'm just, cause I was like, you know, you you're looking at the roster and I'm trying to put together exactly like, you know, who are we really, who's a lock lock?
00:12:15
Savage Boston
 Like who's actually a total lock on the roster? And I haven't been through it yet.
00:12:19
Savage Boston
 But, um, I came up with, like you said, I had 32 guys at a 53 that I thought were actual locks. Um, you know, meaning that there's still 58, you got 58 guys competing for 21 spots, which is tough.
00:12:33
Savage Boston
 That's tough odds. Um, and the, the controversial ones I didn't put on there, which again, I know everyone gets angry about it again. Again, we're got back to the whole attachment theory, right?
00:12:44
Savage Boston
 I didn't put Ramondre Stevenson or Antonio Gibson on the lock list. Um, I don't know if they're going to the team.
00:12:51
Savage Boston
 all Is Ramondre going to make the team? Probably. probably will. i don't not I don't think he's a lock. I just don't.
00:12:57
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 I don't, I'm surprised. I mean, don't have as many followers as you, but if I did, I'm sure I've been very vocal about my Ramondre, not hate, but it's essentially like you've kind of pigeonholed Ramondre with who you have on the roster to like a first down grinder role.
00:13:12
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 And to me, like you said, like, you know, and I think, i don't know if who else posted this, but it was a good point.
00:13:17
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Like if they trade him, it's like a million in dead cap. And if they just cut him at 6 million in dead cap, either of those are feasible in my opinion, because,
00:13:26
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 You have Antonio Gibson, who might just be a better player. He might just be flat out a better player at this point, even though I think he's a little older. um But you got Antonio Gibson, and then you got Travion, who he spent big draft capital on.
00:13:38
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 And so to me, it's like, yeah, I just i don't see...
00:13:42
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 like he's He's really got to prove some things. He's got to be like LeGarrette Blount, in my opinion. He's got to like you know be a bruiser and like get a ton of touchdowns. And cause like, to me, I'm not having him in on third down.
00:13:54
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 I just, dont I don't get it. I don't understand why you would do that unless he's like,
00:13:57
Savage Boston
 i mean I mean, truly though, like how often, how many stamps is he going to play a game?
00:14:02
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 yeah, that's, that's, that's the real question. right That's what it comes down to. Cause if, if you're behind, he's not in, which I'm not saying we're going to be behind a lot, but then like two minute, he's not going to be on two minute.
00:14:13
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 why Why would you have him on on the two minute offense? You know, it doesn't make any sense or hurry up.
00:14:17
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Right? Like these, all these situations, which I would see as the season goes on and its in the offense gels a little more, but you're going to see a lot. Those are a lot more with, with McDaniels. He likes to keep people on their, their heels.
00:14:30
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 He likes to, ah to, you know, move the ball quickly and that you not let, not let people adjust.
00:14:34
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Right. And so as Drake may get confident, as the offense gets more confident, you, you, you would think that it doesn't make sense. Like, unless we're like ahead, how often are we going to be ahead?
00:14:46
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 um to the point where we're going to be grinding it, you know, run, run, you know, I don't know.
00:14:52
Savage Boston
 Yeah, i didn't no, I don't know. I mean, honestly, ah just to think about it, like the split breakdown, you know, you can carry four running backs on a roster. Like, that's not crazy. um So you could have the bit the main four with even Lane Larrison maybe making it.
00:15:06
Savage Boston
 Who knows, right? But um but basically, you know, Travion Henderson should be your third down back almost every single time.
00:15:14
Savage Boston
 He's your best pass blocking back. but He will be, bar none. And he's your biggest home run hitter, and he can catch the ball. So I don't know why he wouldn't be third down back all the time.
00:15:23
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Yeah, and and and Gibson had some of the most explosive plays last year, catching the ball.
00:15:27
Savage Boston
 Yep. He was a better running back last season.
00:15:29
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 He was a better, yeah, just flat out better running back last year. So this is where I i think this could be great because, you know, i'm put I poop on Ramondre all offseason, but he just dropped some weight.
00:15:32
Savage Boston
 Yes. Correct.
00:15:40
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 I mean, that's I actually look back at how often that does help, and it it helps with explosiveness. it doesn't it it It hurts their yards after contact. But it does help with explosive plays.
00:15:53
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 So it's like, okay, I could see that working in his favor.
00:15:56
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 But if he can't catch the ball and he can't, you know, make plays in space like that, like Travion can, or, you know, even close to
Wide Receiver Comparisons and Career Speculations
00:16:06
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 as good, then why? Like, I i don't know.
00:16:08
Savage Boston
 yeah I mean, he was ranked, ah according to PFF, he was their 31st ranked running back out of 47 qualifying last season, which, you know, is not amazing, but he's certainly not the player um he's not the player that people are are saying he's a lock on the roster.
00:16:26
Savage Boston
 That's all I'm saying.
00:16:27
Savage Boston
 like he's He's not that guy. And I don't know, you know, again, i I'll root for all the players. If you help the team, I'm root for you. You know, like I'll be happy to see you do well. But I just, there's there's an there's a chance he's not on the team. That's all I'm saying.
00:16:42
Savage Boston
 The other position grouping I thought was, yeah, so go for it.
00:16:42
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Yeah. it did I just going to say his player arc kind of reminds me of Lawrence Maroney. Like if you remember, dude, but early Maroney was like,
00:16:49
Savage Boston
 Yeah, and Mernie fucking killed me watching him.
00:16:54
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 The first guy never tackled him. I'm like, oh, shit. Like, we have, finally, we have a bruiser that not the first person isn't going to tackle him.
00:17:02
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 And, like, this, you know, he made some plays. Season two, season three. i mean he literally went down a cliff. So...
00:17:09
Savage Boston
 I couldn't watch him play because every time I felt we were watching, and I remember this vividly, this was like, I forget what year, it was like 2008 or something. I forget he was on the team. But I remember watching him and he was like, he would always take the hand off and just go sideways.
00:17:22
Savage Boston
 Like he couldn't figure out how to run north-south, you know?
00:17:22
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Yeah, yeah.
00:17:25
Savage Boston
 And i remember being like, why does he just dance? Like it was one, it got really frustrating to watch versus like, for someone like LeGarrette Blount, you know, like who just,
00:17:35
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Or Dylan or any of these guys, right?
00:17:38
Savage Boston
 well, Corey, you know, you're my age. i Corey Dillon was a savant. I mean, watching him that one season was just um incredible.
00:17:44
Savage Boston
 He's the best running back season the Patriots have had in their history.
00:17:47
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Yeah, he's that guy.
00:17:49
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 I saw him in person twice and he He came over to the sideline. I i snuck down. I was really young. at I don't know how old i was at the time, but I was down near like the bench, and he just had a big run, and he came up to the sideline, and this woman spilled a coffee on Corey Dillon.
00:18:08
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 If looks could kill, oh my lord.
00:18:10
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 like He looked at her like, I'm going to fucking lose my shit. And then he just walk they turned around and walked away.
00:18:14
Savage Boston
 mean, that's a tough dude. And that, that, that dude was a monster.
00:18:17
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Oh, he's mean.
00:18:19
Savage Boston
 I actually really liked how Antoine Smith ran the ball, by the way, in the post season, like 2001, 2003.
00:18:25
Savage Boston
 We always called him good cold weather back. So it's
Media Narratives and Player Perceptions
00:18:28
Savage Boston
 We'll start Antoine Smith again, for anyone listening, if you're a young person, I'm so sorry.
00:18:31
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 so like Exactly.
00:18:33
Savage Boston
 um This is like, this is late thirties talk. Now go back to 2003. um but But yeah, man, you know, the running back role, I know they don't get paid well now. I know there's problems with like the meta of the running back position.
00:18:47
Savage Boston
 um But having a great running back can obviously change the offense. And it sucks for them that they can't get paid the way that, you know, I don't know, a fantastic wide receiver gets paid, I guess.
00:18:59
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Look at Garrett Wilson. Garrett Wilson has got, what, $30 million for four years?
00:19:01
Savage Boston
 ah He got 30. And then Sauce Gardner got 30.
00:19:05
Savage Boston
 You know, the Jets are paying their guys.
00:19:06
Savage Boston
 um You know, Garrett Wilson, though, is is a really good player. I got nothing bad to say about him.
00:19:10
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 ah he's special.
00:19:13
Savage Boston
 I think, you know, Sauce to Sauce has been good player. He took a step back last season.
00:19:20
Savage Boston
 um and But, you know, they don't have an option there. I mean, they're really – what are going Sauce walk?
00:19:24
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Nah, yeah, you fans would lose their mind.
00:19:26
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 like they they're both that like They're literally the the one and two.
00:19:30
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 like i mean you could You could talk about Quinn and Williams too, but when it comes down to it, the the fans are buying Garrett Wilson and they're buying Soska and Jarrett.
00:19:39
Savage Boston
 Did they re-sign Sherwood, the linebacker? Who signed Sherwood?
00:19:42
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 and I'm not sure.
00:19:44
Savage Boston
 Did they re-sign him? The Jets?
00:19:47
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 let me see.
00:19:48
Savage Boston
 oh Because he was the one... Let me see if the Jets...
00:19:54
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Chicken spot rack.
00:19:55
Savage Boston
 I think it's Jamie Sherwood, and NFL. i'm going to look this up. With the Jets?
00:19:59
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Three year, 45 million. Yeah.
00:20:01
Savage Boston
 With the Jets?
00:20:02
Savage Boston
 Yeah, so they had to pay him, right? So like basically, um he was he was the target.
00:20:08
Savage Boston
 I don't know if you knew this too. like There's a few guys we knew the Patriots were like heavy, heavy, heavy in on. Sherwood was there they're one of their biggest targets.
00:20:17
Savage Boston
 He was the number one over Spillane.
00:20:19
Savage Boston
 He was going to be the the, I forget, the red dot, blue dot, whatever the hell, the middle linebacker calling the plays.
00:20:23
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Green dot. Yeah, green dot.
00:20:25
Savage Boston
 Green dot, red dot, blue dot. Awesome.
00:20:26
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 With that dot, yeah.
00:20:28
Savage Boston
 Brain fart. um But yeah, he's basically, he was going to be the play caller in the defense and he's an extremely athletic guy. So um it's too bad that he fell through the cracks. He would have been a great Patriot.
00:20:38
Savage Boston
 Obviously, you know, Spillane was the the next option and and I'm sure hopefully the fans love him. We got to, you know, you got to see what you have there. I don't, I don't know yet what you have in Spillane, but.
00:20:48
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 He seems like a gritty guy. He seems like he's ah and he's a high-character, gritty guy. I mean, he's like – you could say it's about all the Vrabel signings. like they're just He picks the same type of player, and he seems like he he sells out.
00:21:02
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 like He just sells out hard in all of his tape that I watch. high um High motor, all these you know buzz buzzwords come to mind.
00:21:08
Savage Boston
 Yeah, Jim Rat.
00:21:09
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Yeah, Jim Ratt, there you go.
00:21:10
Savage Boston
 Jim Rat. High motor.
00:21:12
Savage Boston
 Yeah, Grindr. Real meathead. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:21:15
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Comes in early, checks out late, and all this stuff.
00:21:18
Savage Boston
 No, yeah. I'm excited to watch him play. Yeah, I think um I saw another thing online today. I thought it was an interesting interesting argument, and I i sided with that the Diggs side. It's basically the question was, you
Anticipation for NFL Training Camp
00:21:32
Savage Boston
 know if you had your choice between Diggs and Cooper Cup, who are you choosing?
00:21:36
Savage Boston
 ah for this season. And I feel like it's a pretty, I feel like the risk reward, it's a pretty obvious digs is the right answer.
00:21:44
Savage Boston
 um Cooper cup to me has just been in a absolute steady decline with many soft tissue injuries.
00:21:51
Savage Boston
 And he doesn't have, I can't believe he got a big deal too. Like, I think he got like 20 million year or something, which is way more than I thought he would get. Cause I thought statistics would say he's washed.
00:22:04
Savage Boston
 Um, but maybe, you know, stats and football are different than baseball where again, they project you out further in baseball and football. They're just like, what can you do for me now?
00:22:13
Savage Boston
 Um, but yeah, how do you feel about digs versus cup?
00:22:14
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Yeah, he got three years. I think you're right. I see Cooper Cup um kind of ending his career kind of like ah you know Julio Jones, Calvin Johnson-esque, where it's like his legs are just giving out on him. They're just not there anymore. Even Edelman kind of was like that right towards the end.
00:22:32
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 um So yeah, I think Diggs, yeah.
00:22:35
Savage Boston
 I'm sorry, he got three years, 45 mil. So it was less than I thought.
00:22:39
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Yeah, three years, 45 mil. Looks like there's some outs. ah cap hits are pretty big in 26 and 27. Wow.
00:22:45
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 But yeah, no, i think you're right. i think you're spot on. um I would take Diggs. I feel like Diggs has more to prove. i like, I don't know, I just like Diggs, kind of what what he brings to the team a lot more.
00:22:56
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 um And, you know, I think he was on pace for what? I think he was on pace with the Texans for like, either 90 or a hundred catches and like close to a thousand yards and like eight or nine touchdowns.
00:23:09
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 And it was like, that's like what he's averaged his whole career.
00:23:13
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 And he looks like he's coming back.
00:23:15
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Like, i don't want to say stronger, but I feel like he's got a lot to prove. I don't know. I did it it to me. It feels like he has more of a chance to, you know, pump out another year or two.
00:23:27
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Right. he made, you know, who knows what happens this year, but, or next year, but I think this year,
00:23:32
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 I feel pretty confident about him producing. Whereas cup, like you said, a lot of nagging injuries, a lot of things that, you know, he doesn't play games. It's like, no, either digs plays or he doesn't like, he doesn't seem to like, kind of like linger on the whole on, on the, uh, you know, injury.
00:23:48
Savage Boston
 I also digs has been a really consistent player. He's played a ton of games almost every season. He's been really pretty durable until the ACL. So, and he, to be honest, he's in fantastic shape.
00:23:56
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Right. Right.
00:24:00
Savage Boston
 Like that's what you want to see too. He's not one of these guys who looks like he's kind of limping into training camp. I mean, he's, he's working, you know, and and he's training. I know quarterback's a different position, but it's not like Patrick Mahomes where he's getting like heavily criticized by his own Kansas city media.
00:24:16
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 I love it.
00:24:17
Savage Boston
 Cause he looks fat.
00:24:17
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 I think it's hysterical. and It's funny because of everything that guy does.
00:24:21
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 I mean i think i I retweeted it or something.
00:24:24
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 It's like, this guy goes out there and he gets absolutely destroyed. i mean for what that the Even just what the Eagles did to him in the Super Bowl. And this guy plays through so many injuries.
00:24:35
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 like to to To talk about his like stomach fat is absolutely appalling. It's ridiculous.
00:24:41
Savage Boston
 I'm sure that dude, and especially in Casey, I mean, like I know everyone wants to pretend they're Mike Felger, but like everybody in Kansas city, they're not, they're not the same as here, dude. Like the criticism up here in the Northeast is different.
00:24:52
Savage Boston
 Like it's every day people trying to come after players, like down there, man, or in the Midwest, just a nicer breed of people.
00:24:59
Savage Boston
 They're just like nicer, more polite.
00:25:02
Savage Boston
 um so that's shocking to me that they were on a local station come after Pat Mahone's the, the savior. Um,
00:25:08
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Yeah, got to be something. There's got to be some some science behind it where like Felger is like, oh, yeah, we've got to go this route. And then like, you know, they've caught wind of it. And it's like could be an analytics thing, right? Like, hey, this is the play.
00:25:18
Savage Boston
 Well, yeah i did honestly like, um you know, we talked about it, but like negativity sells, right? Like the hardest part is if you don't want to be negative and you just like from, for myself personally, like you just want to cover the paths and have fun and do your pod and, and, and enjoy, enjoy the team right in the season.
00:25:38
Savage Boston
 And you don't necessarily want to be negative all the time. The tricky part is, that again, Twitter and the internet benefits you from being an a-hole.
00:25:47
Savage Boston
 Like that's the benefit. Like they want you to be an a-hole and then they promote it promotes your material.
00:25:53
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Yeah, it's true. it's It's like, yeah, the rah-rah stuff is kind of like ho-hum. It's like, yeah, so what?
00:25:57
Savage Boston
 Yeah, everyone's rah-rah.
00:25:58
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 You're a homer.
00:25:59
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Yeah, yeah. ah
00:26:00
Savage Boston
 Yeah, another homer. You know what I mean? Like no one cares about that. Like either, know, so I find that kind of discouraging, right? So you don't want to be, you know, if you don't want to be in a negative place or negative mood all the time, you know, your accounts not going to get the same clicks.
00:26:15
Savage Boston
 And it's just how it goes. But I know, that's the internet, you know, that's where we're at. But
00:26:19
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 yeah i i Yeah, I am definitely more on the positivity side. I don't know. I don't know if it's me trying to manifest things or what. But like when when I see things that does' that don't make sense to me, like i don't know.
00:26:32
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 I feel like for me, if i like for Andre, that's my big you know negativity thing this year. And probably, um i don't know. I guess the whole craft thing pisses me off too. right there's There's a few things that will really like stick to me. And it's like craft not spending money.
00:26:49
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 and in remandre so like i don't know i'm not gonna force that i i feel like you know it feels inauthentic to me and i just i don't know no i'm saying like people being negative for clicks like i i just i don't feel like i'll do that i feel like i'm just gonna stick to it if i think something is negative i i will go that route i'm not just gonna say something just to get more clicks
00:26:57
Savage Boston
 what do you mean like people saying that craft won't spend money yeah
00:27:11
Savage Boston
 yeah not just doing it on purpose yeah I mean, you know, again, like, i don't know who was the first one to figure out, figure out that algorithm or, or how that's supposed to go, but the 98 five, the sports hub.
00:27:23
Savage Boston
 And again, i applaud Felger and Maz and the, and the magic they've had for, you know, 14, whatever, 15 year run of dominating ratings and which I'm hearing and might be shrinking now.
00:27:36
Savage Boston
 um But, ah but they've dominated and because they figured out you could just make people angry and they would tune into your program.
00:27:44
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 I mean, it makes sense.
00:27:45
Savage Boston
 and Exactly.
00:27:45
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 We're talking about them right now, right? and and And whenever ah me and Mike, you know, my co-host on LFG PassPod, whenever we're talking, we're like, you believe what this guy said today? And like, we're like, no, let's don't, we can't talk about it. Don't even bring it up.
00:27:59
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Let's not.
00:28:00
Savage Boston
 true. I mean, it's not like they need the publicity or it's not like they're going the next show.
00:28:01
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 No, I know. its But it's, you feel like you're, you're, you know, you're feeding the bees.
00:28:06
Savage Boston
 Yeah. Well, in some regard, we are, you know, and in some in some way. But I don't think I think it's ah such a ah macro level. But but yeah, I mean, we got what training camp is in eight days now.
00:28:18
Savage Boston
 um You know, and I feel like we're like, it's so tangible. And once it hits, man, we're we're off
00:28:26
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Oh, yeah, we're just mainlining it the whole time at that point.
00:28:28
Savage Boston
 We're like mainlining football. And because like, I know we'll all be on it and everyone will on it. And I'm psyched, man. I'm excited to get into it. And I'm excited to go down there a couple of times and check out how the team looks.
00:28:41
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 And the dealer is also dropping off a little taste of the Forge and Fox Bar on Friday, too. So we got our little taste coming on Friday for all you addicts out there that love ah football and treat it like a a street drug.
00:28:54
Savage Boston
 You know, is that going to be an hour and a half long again?
00:28:57
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 I don't know. i thought it was going to be a weekly thing. I'm like, oh, cool, every Friday.
00:29:01
Savage Boston
 I was shocked.
00:29:01
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 like So I don't know shit, apparently. I guess I don't know anything about Forge and Fox Bar.
00:29:05
Savage Boston
 They put out like a movie. i guess like that That was wild. It was really long.
00:29:09
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 You would think, I mean, they they have a lot of material right now, right? You would think that they're going to get, I would say, at least an hour out of it. But who knows?
00:29:19
Savage Boston
 I wonder if you can gleam anything from that. Like, like for instance, Jabril Peppers had a clip today. They launched a preview for Forge and Foxborough Episode 2. And a lot of it is narrated by Jabril Peppers.
00:29:30
Savage Boston
 And then you're like, all right, like does that mean like he's kind of a lock? like Is he one of those guys that – you know what I mean? Because to me, I thought maybe either one of Peppers or Duggar are one of those guys not making the roster.
00:29:43
Savage Boston
 you know One of them traded or one of – do we not like Duggar's cap hit? Can you get trade value for Duggar? Because they might be redundant. and You need more of a a second free safety. you know like so I just find it interesting that Peppers was kind of narrating the preview today.
00:30:00
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Yeah. There's, you know, there's there's definitely going to be some reading of the TVs, right? Because like, you know, we we all know we're all starving for information. There's not a lot out there. There's a lot of other teams, you know, with ah some drama going on.
00:30:12
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 And I, you know, there's definitely some time for us to kind of look at it and say, okay, well, what does this mean? And, you know, I think we're already looking at peppers and we're looking at Duggar and we're saying, we need both you guys? You know, and, and, and, you know, so I think there's a lot of that going on already.
00:30:26
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 And then if you add in this episode where we're we're all starved, um yeah, it's going to be interesting. And then that'll bleed into, you know, training camp. And then we're like, oh, wow. Okay. And then, you know, so maybe, maybe just there'll there'll be some things that we connect there.
00:30:39
Savage Boston
 Nice. so which ah so you're So we're all going to head down there for training camp a bit. I'm going to be down there. I'm trying to plan on that first Saturday. And then um there's a season ticket holder ah practice on August 1st that I'm excited to go to.
00:30:55
Savage Boston
 That's on a Friday night. So I'll get a little secret season ticket holder, a little sneak preview practice there, which would be really cool.
00:31:01
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Yeah. I texted my buddy the picture from the, when the Patriots posted that, I don't know if I'm going to be able make that. I think my dad's coming into town that weekend and I'm starting a new job that week.
00:31:11
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 it's the only thing that sucks is like, I'm going to hit it hard next week. I'm going to try to be there as many days as I possibly can next week. And then just knowing that,
00:31:19
Savage Boston
 Take videos if you can, take videos.
00:31:20
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Oh, yeah. Oh, it's well. So I think we're going to end up doing something post um the Thursday, the 24th, because I think Pete and Divish from Foxborough Fellows are going to be there along with Scotty B and the 12th Musket and a few others. So we might do some kind of like after practice parking lot kind of podcast.
00:31:40
Savage Boston
 ah that's That'll be really fun.
00:31:41
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 So we'll see.
00:31:42
Savage Boston
 Well, if you do, that'll that'll be cool.
00:31:43
Savage Boston
 i'm sure you guys will have some ah some clips or videos or or show something. That'll be really fun.
00:31:48
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Yeah, we got a gimbal coming in and we got some lapel mics. so we're definitely going to get some some footage and we're going get some people's impressions. I think it'll be fun.
00:31:56
Savage Boston
 Nice, man. All right. Well, i appreciate you coming on. And I know that ah you know this is this is like calm before the storm, man. This is this is it. this is I'm stoked. We got eight days and and then it's we're off.
00:32:08
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Yeah. And then we get more and now we're going to have like an overflowing of content. It's going be great. like Yeah, yeah.
00:32:13
Savage Boston
 Yeah, it's actual things to talk about, which is which is nice. But i i try I try to keep it going weekly through the dead zone. Even though other people being on vacations, everything, try to keep it going, which I think was worth it. It was worth doing. so
00:32:26
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 Hell yeah. Well, I appreciate you having me on, Savage.
00:32:28
Savage Boston
 Yeah, all right, man. Take it easy. Stay oh stay on stay on the computer. Don't sign off yet. All right?
00:32:33
@JoeLFGPatsPod
 All right. Sounds good.