Early winners from Patriots 2023 training camp | Patriots First and Goal - video Dailymotion

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New England Patriots training camp is underway and Mac Jones and the offense are cruising in Bill O'Brien's returned offensive scheme. The defense looks as strong as ever. There's an underheralded rookie wide receiver that's standing out. Foxborough Football is back, baby!  Alec and Rich cover it all.  FanFanduel Sportsbook is the exclusive wagering partner of the CLNS Media Network. Visit FanDuel.com/BOSTON and start earning BONUS BETS with America’s #1 Sportsbook! Because right now, when you bet on a Super Bowl Winner, you can GET BONUS BETS EVERY TIME THEY WIN IN THE REGULAR SEASON!  21+ and present in MA. First online real money wager only. $10 Deposit req. Refund issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at fanduel.com/sportsbook. Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800)-327-5050 for 24/7 support. Play it smart from the start! GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234.

Transcript

00:00 - All right, hello everybody

00:01 and welcome to Patriots First and Goal.

00:03 I am so sorry that we are on video now

00:06 and you're not only forced to listen to me,

00:08 you are now forced to look at me,

00:09 but I guess the price of genius and expertise

00:13 is you move on up in the world, right, Rich Hill?

00:15 So here we are live and in charge.

00:17 - Yep, absolutely.

00:18 And hey, you got a pretty face, Alec.

00:21 It's all right, it's all right.

00:22 I'm glad to be able to see you

00:23 for everyone who has been listening to us for a while.

00:26 We always go camera off when Alec and I talk

00:28 just because we can't stand to look at each other.

00:31 But it's been a long summer.

00:33 Maybe we can look at each other once or twice

00:35 before we go camera off for the rest of this.

00:37 - And we unintentionally color matched our shirts today.

00:39 So we're off to a great start visually, Rich Hill.

00:42 - One of us has to change.

00:43 - That's right.

00:44 Good to be chatting with you, man.

00:46 I'm excited to break down 2023 and beyond.

00:49 2022 was kind of rough.

00:51 You and I had to slog through more than one podcast

00:54 and more than one appearance.

00:55 And we can kind of turn the page on that

00:57 and get right into training camp.

00:59 It's underway.

01:00 It's in full swing.

01:02 Let's get to it, Rich.

01:02 It is first down.

01:04 Training camp overview, overall vibes.

01:06 How are you feeling as a fan,

01:07 as a wannabe sports writer analyst?

01:09 Do you feel good about the Patriots

01:11 at this early juncture in the season?

01:13 - Honestly, I feel pretty good.

01:14 I feel pretty good.

01:15 I think way better than we did last year.

01:18 I feel like I just remember where we were at this point

01:20 last year with Matt Patricia leading the offense.

01:23 All of the reports were just, this feels disjointed.

01:26 It feels like the Patriots players aren't on the same page.

01:29 The defense is solid,

01:31 but what the heck is going on on offense?

01:34 And I think every single report that I've read

01:35 about the Patriots offense so far this year has been,

01:38 hey, they're improving.

01:40 Hey, they might not be good just yet, but there's optimism.

01:44 And that is all I need right now.

01:46 I think going back to the earliest Bill Belichick team,

01:50 I don't need them to be a polished unit

01:52 during the preseason by any means.

01:54 This is a team that always figures out its identity

01:57 over the first quarter of the season,

01:58 hones in on it for the next four games,

02:00 and then finishes the second half of the season

02:02 really strongly.

02:03 I think if they're laying the groundwork

02:05 and the players are feeling as enthusiastic

02:08 about the offense's potential right now,

02:10 I'm sold.

02:12 I'm already in.

02:13 This is gonna be a great defense.

02:14 The defense is really showing up in a very high way.

02:17 If the offense can be averaged, this is a playoff team.

02:20 If they can be a top 10 offense,

02:21 this team can go all the way.

02:24 All the way is a bold statement, and I like it.

02:27 I think Sports Illustrated made the Patriots

02:30 one of 12 teams that could win a Super Bowl this year.

02:33 Take that for what it's worth,

02:35 but they can't do any worse than last year.

02:36 And it's funny to think that as last year,

02:38 as down a season as last year was,

02:41 it was like a Jacoby Myers brain fart,

02:43 a Vermondrae-Stevenson goal line fumble,

02:46 and a Hunter Henry catch non-catch,

02:48 away from like 12 wins, possibly.

02:51 So even in that down year,

02:53 they're still like a couple of weird plays away.

02:55 And as a revamped offense, like you said,

02:57 I really like the potential they're gonna have.

02:59 They're running the ball a lot.

03:00 There are a lot of 11-on-11 running plays

03:02 being run in the practices right now.

03:04 So hopefully that means they get back to the 2021 unit

03:07 that just ran the ball a lot.

03:09 Mac Jones didn't have to go nuts.

03:11 They just ground 'em down,

03:11 and allowed the defense to keep 'em close.

03:13 And that's where it seems to be.

03:14 And the fans seem really happy.

03:16 There seems to be really good energy at Patriots Place.

03:19 Bill O'Brien is doing his thing.

03:21 - Yeah, so overall, I mean,

03:22 we're all pretty excited as fans.

03:23 I don't think there's any fan

03:24 that's going to training camp being like,

03:25 oh God, you're terrible, season's over.

03:28 However, given just the overall vibe last year,

03:32 when we were all kind of spinning,

03:34 ah, they'll figure it out, this is what preseason's for.

03:37 Now our blatant fan hypocrisy can be used on other things,

03:41 like trying to justify keeping Jack Jones on the field,

03:43 even though he's in trouble for bringing a gun on a plane.

03:47 So I'm glad to get back to my roots

03:48 with my sports hypocrisy.

03:50 - Totally, totally.

03:51 And like, I'm looking forward to the team being boring

03:53 for all the good reasons.

03:54 You know, like I think that I could not stand

03:58 watching the team last year

04:00 because they were uninterestingly bad.

04:03 It was like the here's two runs up the middle,

04:06 and here's a failed third and long

04:08 that was going to go nowhere

04:09 because the play was drawn so poorly.

04:11 I'm looking forward to this team

04:14 playing mistake-free football,

04:16 which it sounds like by all accounts,

04:18 the players are saying,

04:19 this is what is being reinforced.

04:20 You know, Juju Smith-Schuster is just out there

04:23 saying all the right things, saying, you know,

04:25 it's just about making sure

04:26 that we're not the ones beating ourselves.

04:28 And that is what is the case.

04:30 Every year that the Patriots are successful,

04:32 to everything that you said about last year,

04:34 where the Patriots were making

04:35 completely uncharacteristic mistakes,

04:38 they cleaned that up.

04:39 They played their typical mistake-free football.

04:42 This is a playoff team.

04:44 And I think that they have, you know,

04:46 high upside based off of what this offense

04:49 could potentially become.

04:50 You know, all we need is Mac Jones

04:52 to develop a rapport with a couple players,

04:54 and they're going to go do just great.

04:57 This is a team that I want to be boring

04:59 for all of the good reasons.

05:00 And I feel very hopeful at this stage of the preseason

05:03 that they're heading that way.

05:05 - You say the word boring, Rich.

05:06 I think the word we used a lot

05:08 on the Pat's Pulpit podcast was unsexy.

05:10 But boring for the right reasons,

05:13 I think is what you want to see.

05:14 You want a really efficient offense

05:15 and a stifling defense.

05:17 However, Rich Hill, that's a great transition

05:19 into second down, into second in goal.

05:21 Let's stop being boring.

05:23 Let's get excited.

05:24 What about training camp 2023 are you most excited to see?

05:28 What are you looking for the most?

05:29 Is there a particular

05:30 limited training camp battle you're excited about?

05:31 Is there a particular player you're most excited about?

05:33 What's like the one thing that really excites you

05:35 the most about training camp so far?

05:37 - I absolutely cannot wait.

05:41 Simply cannot wait for my heart

05:43 to be broken by Demario Douglas.

05:45 I am so much looking forward to him being okay

05:50 during the first couple of preseason games

05:53 and then to go 150 yards and two scores in the third one.

05:57 And then to be the next coming of Brian Tims

06:00 and for not much to happen because that's how jaded I am.

06:04 But I am so excited about all the reports coming out of camp

06:07 where he was touted, you know, I mean, he's a six round pick.

06:10 There was not a lot of expectations he did on him,

06:12 but a lot of the draft picks that looked at his draft profile

06:16 that were reviewing the tape around him, you know,

06:17 he's got quickness,

06:18 he's got that NFL ability with his hands.

06:21 He seems like he's fitting in,

06:24 he's developing a good rapport with Mac Jones.

06:26 He's settling in as one of those top options.

06:28 I know that as it relates to the top team wide receivers,

06:32 they've kind of been in and out of camp,

06:34 but Douglas is making the most of his opportunities.

06:37 He has that inside track to be that last wide receiver

06:39 on the roster.

06:41 And I feel like it would just be the truest,

06:46 truest Patriots thing to have invested a second round pick

06:48 in Taequann Thornton last year,

06:50 for him to flame out, not even make the roster this year.

06:52 And for Demario Douglas, a six round, who knows,

06:54 to make the team and become a 500 yard receiver as a rookie.

06:58 - Oh, sweet, innocent, Rich Hill.

07:01 You just will not learn, will you?

07:05 How many receivers do I need to rattle off right now

07:09 that everyone was in love with in the preseason

07:11 that did nothing?

07:12 How many names do you need before you come around?

07:14 - It's an annual treat, let's be honest.

07:16 It's an annual festivity.

07:18 - Well, I will say this to your credit and defense.

07:21 He's lining up with the ones.

07:23 He looks great.

07:24 He's doing punt and kick returns.

07:26 They got him on jet sweep, seems like a gadget player.

07:28 So there's that.

07:29 And there's also like an undrafted guy

07:32 we were really excited about,

07:33 who's out playing Nikhil Harry a couple of years ago

07:35 named Jacoby Myers.

07:36 So it does happen.

07:39 But excuse me for not doing it this year.

07:42 This is the year I do not get excited

07:44 about a wide receiver in the preseason.

07:47 You heard it here first.

07:48 Cut to next week when I can't wait to see

07:51 somebody out there, but I am not going to get too excited.

07:55 Here's how boring I am as a fan.

07:57 When I'm really excited to see

07:58 and excited to continue to watch,

07:59 just like the linebacker depth.

08:01 I feel like a defense, they're pretty well set

08:03 at their top tier positions,

08:04 but like who's behind the starters?

08:07 I really don't know who's going to shake out

08:08 on those two, three rolls along the defensive line,

08:11 on the linebacking core,

08:12 what kind of base cornerback unit they're going to do.

08:14 I'm really like very curious what their base,

08:16 you know, that big nickel,

08:17 they go back to the three, four.

08:19 Who's kind of like the second tier guys

08:20 are going to be rotating in, in various packages.

08:22 I think that's where a lot of the good competition

08:24 is going to happen.

08:25 You know, beyond the starters,

08:27 beyond the guys we know who are going to be out there

08:28 day one blue chip guys.

08:29 There's a lot of really good talent

08:31 at the second level that will be contributors.

08:33 And I really want to see who's going to develop

08:34 in that respect.

08:36 - Totally. 'Cause I mean,

08:37 you can pencil Juwan Bentley in

08:38 at that middle linebacker spot,

08:39 but some player who has been standing out

08:41 is rookie Marte Mappu,

08:42 who's third round out of Sacramento state

08:44 is that he plugged in with the ones

08:47 and was leading the two minute drill on defense.

08:49 And he's got a,

08:50 I don't even know what type of player we'd compare him to,

08:53 like a Pete Jamie Collins type of athleticism

08:56 and just thumper ability where he's able to cover and rush

09:00 and just stick his own in the middle,

09:02 even though he's a little bit on the lighter side.

09:04 And that frees up some other players,

09:06 Jelani Tavai playing a little bit of fullback now

09:09 just because the team doesn't have one on the roster,

09:10 but they have some solid depth.

09:13 As you said,

09:14 I feel like this team just recharged on defense.

09:19 You know, they lost Devin McCourty.

09:20 That was the big loss.

09:21 They're going to find a way to replace him,

09:22 but this team will and did need to improve

09:26 their defensive front.

09:28 They needed to be more consistent against the run.

09:31 And I think that they got stouter up front

09:33 with regards to drafting Mopu with drafting Keon White,

09:37 who's had a quietly a good camp as well.

09:39 They have some good talent that will continue to develop

09:41 within the roster.

09:42 Christian Barmore showed up really well last year

09:45 and he's going to continue to develop.

09:47 I think that this is going to be a very strong

09:48 defensive front and overall,

09:50 like, I mean,

09:51 I've already said at the beginning of this podcast,

09:53 I have really high hopes for this defense to be able to

09:55 replicate what it did last year.

09:57 And I say no reason why they can't do another top five,

10:00 top three type of performance this year.

10:03 They're going to need it, man,

10:04 because it is an absolute murderer's row

10:05 with the Patriots schedule.

10:07 (upbeat music)

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10:56 (upbeat music)

10:59 - I was looking at just the conferences.

11:01 It's amazing to me how much more stacked

11:03 the AFC is than the NFC.

11:05 It's just like, they should make like a separate playoff

11:08 for like the AFC and the NFC.

11:09 It's just, it's crazy.

11:10 It's basically the Niners and the Eagles

11:12 and then nobody in the NFC more or less.

11:15 - Who's the Niners quarterback, right?

11:17 - Yeah, I'm like, who's the Niners quarterback?

11:18 It's true.

11:20 And you've got just like the AFC East alone

11:22 is going to be really hard to get out of.

11:24 So that defense is really going to need to pick up

11:26 right where they left off.

11:27 You've talked earlier and how the Patriots

11:28 always kind of figure out who they are

11:30 the first four weeks of the season.

11:32 They may not have that luxury this year

11:34 'cause they could easily go like one and three

11:36 and be in a huge hole coming out of it.

11:38 But the defense does look to pick up

11:39 where they left off, like you said.

11:41 The offense is light years ahead

11:42 of where they were this time last year.

11:44 So again, a lot of reasons to be excited about that.

11:47 And I think even though boring is the name of the game,

11:49 I agree, but being excited is also important.

11:51 That is second down.

11:53 We'll get the third down right after this quick break

11:54 from our sponsor.

11:55 All right, Rich.

11:58 Third and goal.

11:59 Here we go.

12:00 What is the biggest surprise to you so far in training camp?

12:04 The biggest surprise to me is that you're excited

12:06 about a Patriots receiver no one's heard of.

12:07 However, I will give you the benefit of the doubt here.

12:10 What's the biggest kind of like, didn't see that coming.

12:12 Who's the guy standing out to you?

12:13 What are you kind of really, really surprised about?

12:15 - Yeah, I mean, I think the areas where I've been

12:18 expectedly happy with Christian Gonzalez

12:22 slotting in with the ones as expected,

12:25 playing as well as expected, you know, doing a great job,

12:27 going down to like the special teams unit,

12:29 Bryce Barringer, doing well, Chad Ryland, doing well.

12:33 Like all the players that the Patriots drafted

12:35 with like a specific role in mind,

12:38 they're plugging into them and they're doing well.

12:40 So like, I'm happy that there's no real surprises

12:43 on those fronts.

12:44 I think that for me, honestly, it's been

12:48 not even like the

12:51 mix of the Hunter Henry re-emergence.

12:56 You know, he had a quiet year last year.

12:58 He had a solid first year

12:59 and there was like a lot of hopes for him.

13:00 It seems like he and Mac Jones are money, all camp.

13:03 I'm very excited to see what that will bring.

13:05 I'm obviously not expecting like a 2011 gronk

13:08 kind of a season, but if Hunter Henry can go out there

13:11 and get, you know, 800 yards and eight scores, that's great.

13:14 Light years ahead of what they needed

13:16 out of their tight ends last year.

13:17 My other corollary surprise is that Mike Jacecki

13:20 has been pretty quiet.

13:21 We haven't seen a lot out of him.

13:23 He was someone that I also have high hopes for.

13:26 We just haven't seen it materialize thus far in camp

13:28 to a consistent level.

13:30 I know that he's been starting to score a little bit

13:32 in those red zone drills, where he'll likely get a lot

13:35 of play as that big target that the team has really needed.

13:38 But I would say that the relative emergence

13:41 of Hunter Henry and the relative quiet

13:43 of Jacecki is really throwing me a little bit.

13:45 So I'm expecting both of them to at least show up

13:47 in a, you know, a B grade kind of a thing.

13:50 I wasn't expecting there to be a split AC sort of a thing.

13:53 - Yeah, and we're seeing a lot of red zone work

13:55 in the early days of camp too.

13:56 A lot of red zone plays, a lot of red zone packages

13:58 and a lot of quietness from those.

14:00 Again, I think Jacecki's not really a tight end.

14:02 We talked about this in the off season a lot.

14:03 He's really more of a move receiver,

14:04 but he is a red zone target and he is going to be one

14:08 of the guys that's getting the touch there.

14:09 'Cause there's not a lot of size height wise

14:11 in the Patriots receiver room.

14:13 So there's gotta be somebody to go up

14:13 to get those 50/50 balls.

14:16 Speaking of receivers, my biggest surprise so far in camp

14:18 is how little I've kind of shaken out the running back room

14:21 and whose role is gonna be what.

14:23 Stevenson's obviously a number one guy.

14:25 He's getting a much lighter work in training camp

14:27 'cause they know where he's gonna be.

14:28 He's gonna be the workhorse.

14:29 But after Stevenson, who's the number two back?

14:31 I have no idea who that's gonna be.

14:33 Who's gonna be the Deion Lewis, Kevin Falk,

14:35 Shane Vereen receiving back?

14:37 I have no idea.

14:38 Is Ezekiel Elliott gonna be a Patriot?

14:40 Yeah, I have no idea.

14:42 So I thought that one of the most solid rooms

14:44 on the roster, it still is,

14:46 but I don't really understand how they plan

14:48 on utilizing all their backs

14:49 and what kind of the depth chart is at running back.

14:51 And I thought I have a better sense of that by now,

14:52 but I just don't.

14:54 - Yeah, totally.

14:54 I mean, I think that there wouldn't be a surprise

14:58 that both Devon Cook, Ezekiel Elliott,

15:00 like they have veteran running backs that could come in

15:03 and be a very strong number two to Raimondre.

15:05 And I think right now there's no need

15:08 to bring in that veteran.

15:09 If they're trying to figure out,

15:10 is it gonna be Pierre Strong?

15:11 It's gonna be Kevin Harris.

15:13 They've been okay.

15:14 I know Harris has gotten stuffed

15:15 at the goal line a few times.

15:16 Pierre Strong has shown up well enough.

15:19 To your point, I don't think either Cook

15:21 or Elliott would replace that James White type role

15:24 that the team really needs.

15:25 Montgomery has been the guy.

15:27 He's been one of those safety blanket guys,

15:28 but I would say that what the Patriots are doing,

15:33 which is a good choice, let the young guys play.

15:36 There's no need to bring in an Ezekiel Elliott

15:38 or a Delvin Cook at this point

15:40 while you're still giving those young players repetitions.

15:43 You wanna let them play in those live preseason games.

15:45 Maybe after the first game, second game,

15:47 you say, okay, this isn't it.

15:49 And then you bring in one of those veterans

15:50 and I wouldn't be upset about that.

15:52 I would expect those veterans to also be willing to wait

15:57 on that front.

15:58 And also, you don't need to give them that much time in camp.

16:01 They've played it before.

16:03 They're do it all backs.

16:04 They would be able to plug in

16:05 as a nice number two to Raimondre.

16:08 And so long as Stevenson's okay,

16:10 I'm not worried about that room.

16:12 - I'm not worried either.

16:13 But again, I think one of the biggest,

16:14 I mean, underspoken or less talked about storylines

16:17 that really plagued the Patriots last year

16:18 was Ty Montgomery going down.

16:20 And they had no third down back, not one.

16:23 And in the entire Bill Belichick tenure in New England,

16:25 from Kevin Falk to Shane Marine,

16:27 Deion Lewis, James White, to Rex Burkhead, to Brandon,

16:29 but they always had somebody back there

16:32 in that third down back role,

16:33 picking up blitzes, outright receiver.

16:34 They didn't have that.

16:35 They need that.

16:36 That's part of the Belichick offense.

16:38 So hopefully they figure that out.

16:39 I think they will,

16:40 but I still don't know who that's gonna be.

16:41 And especially with the limiting of the full pad practices,

16:45 the contact getting limited now,

16:47 you don't want guys getting hurt

16:48 and then running back to the ones

16:49 you're gonna be getting pounded on the most.

16:50 So I'm totally fine with the lack of reps.

16:52 I just really hope we'll see some interesting packages

16:56 and guys catching passes out of the backfield,

16:57 particularly with the first preseason game happening

17:00 a week from today, Rich Hill, I believe.

17:02 It's fourth and goal.

17:04 It's really, really early.

17:06 First preseason game coming up.

17:08 Let's not really get too deep into it

17:09 'cause it's the preseason.

17:10 However, and we'll do a full,

17:11 much more full breakdown on our next week's podcast,

17:14 getting into the actual game itself.

17:15 We have more training camp to get into,

17:16 but we're coming into these last few practices

17:19 before an actual full pads game against another team.

17:22 What do you wanna see in this first preseason game

17:24 besides nobody getting hurt?

17:25 - Yeah, totally.

17:26 So Patriots hosting the Texans next Thursday at 7 p.m.

17:29 The offensive line, we're gonna go with the unsexy

17:34 sort of pick here, but they're pretty banged up.

17:38 Trent Brown, not really been practicing,

17:40 been in and out of it.

17:41 Michael Nwenu on the pup.

17:43 Cole Strange dealing with his injury.

17:45 This is a unit that is already in a bad spot.

17:50 They were struggling a lot.

17:51 Riley Reif was there to play a little bit

17:54 on the right tackle, but due to the challenges

17:57 with Trent Brown kind of being in and out of it,

17:59 they've swung him over to the left side a little bit more.

18:02 They've just been testing them all over the line.

18:05 This is a unit that is not anywhere near ready

18:09 for the regular season due to the injuries

18:10 to all the starters.

18:11 They plugged in our fan favorite Bill Murray

18:15 a little bit there, and he hasn't been too and too hot,

18:17 but he was like the next man up

18:18 behind Michael Nwenu at right guard.

18:20 I don't have a lot of hopes for this unit,

18:24 and I do think that the offensive line

18:26 is one of the most important units of any part of the roster

18:30 'cause they will only go as far on offense

18:33 as the offensive line can take them.

18:35 Mac Jones can be a superhero, and he will still struggle

18:38 if that offensive line is a sieve.

18:40 So I would love to see some sort of a consistent production

18:43 from this offensive line.

18:44 I would love to see some semblance of a starting unit.

18:47 And also, as you said, no more injuries.

18:49 I would love for there to be, you know,

18:52 here is our five, and we'll feel comfortable

18:54 moving forward with them, but right at this point,

18:56 I don't think we're there.

18:57 - No, we're not.

18:58 What I like about the preseason with the offensive line

19:01 is you get a lot of different formations in there.

19:02 They really swap guys out a lot.

19:04 It's really important that unit plays so cohesively,

19:07 and it's a good chance for the depth guys

19:08 to see who could be.

19:09 And I pointed earlier about the linebacker depth,

19:11 who's gonna be the guy that steps in

19:14 when someone goes down, because someone's gonna go down,

19:16 and it happens every single year.

19:17 There's nothing you can really do about it.

19:19 Someone I haven't talked about all preseason,

19:21 I haven't really heard much about him.

19:22 People were kind of excited about

19:23 what he brings to the table.

19:24 Maybe he's a Julian Ellman kind of quarterback conversion.

19:27 The Patriots have been using him as a receiver.

19:30 He'll probably get some time maybe under center.

19:33 Malik Cunningham, Rich Hill,

19:34 you see him getting some late snaps at quarterback,

19:36 or is he just gonna be like one of those weird

19:37 gadget receivers who gets practice squatted

19:39 and never hear from again?

19:41 - Yeah, I feel like, I mean,

19:42 they gave him enough guaranteed money

19:44 that he does have a fair shot at the roster.

19:47 They're using him as a gunner.

19:48 His path to the roster is through special teams

19:50 and as that emergency backup quarterback thing.

19:54 Is he gonna outplay Trace McSorley?

19:56 Possibly McSorley has that Bill O'Brien alignment.

20:00 He could be that Brian Hoyer-esque.

20:01 He just knows the offense so well

20:03 that he's going to be there to impart his wisdom

20:05 on the others as they're continuing to pick it up.

20:07 But I think Malik Cunningham's pathway

20:09 is through special teams, same way it was for Edelman

20:12 back in '09 when it was when he was a rookie.

20:15 So I think he does have a clear path as a gunner on it.

20:19 I think that he has been doing well.

20:20 He's been standing out for it as a gunner.

20:23 And I believe he also has been doing well enough

20:26 as a receiver that he beat Christian Gonzalez.

20:28 He won both of his one-on-one reps on Thursday.

20:31 So I don't know, there's definitely a lot of potential there.

20:35 He is one of those players, just like a Julian Edelman,

20:38 where he was so productive in college

20:40 that there's some spot for him in the NFL.

20:42 And I think it's worth seeing if he can do it with the team.

20:47 And as you said, preseason's the time to test

20:49 in all those different spots, see if he can make it.

20:51 - No, it is, and we won't have to wait much longer.

20:53 It's kind of fun that there's gonna be

20:55 a football game a week, starting next week

20:58 until hopefully late January.

21:00 Playoffs, I think, are a minimum this year for the Patriots.

21:03 They need to win a playoff game this year.

21:05 I think that is the expectation for this team,

21:07 which is going to be hard to do,

21:08 just given the AFC East and the AFC as a whole.

21:11 But again, off to a great start with training camp.

21:14 Rich Hill, this is our first kind of livestream podcast,

21:17 hybrid video thing.

21:19 Any final preseason thoughts

21:20 as we also get into our midseason form?

21:23 - Yeah, as I said, do you remember back in 2014,

21:27 I believe was when we did our original ones on YouTube?

21:30 Back then, it was like our very, very first iterations

21:33 of the "Pats Paul" podcast.

21:35 Technology has advanced a lot.

21:36 I feel like it used to be just like,

21:37 oh, whoa, you can get multiple videos in on the same thing.

21:41 This is very smooth, so excited to do more of these with you.

21:44 - Yeah, I mean, technology's come a long way,

21:46 and we haven't, so I don't know what the hell's wrong with us.

21:50 Hopefully this worked out well,

21:51 and y'all had some fun with it,

21:53 and it all recorded effectively so we can get this up.

21:56 Otherwise, we just wasted our time, Rich.

21:58 There's nothing we can do about it.

21:59 - Yeah, yeah, and I can't wait to come back

22:01 and just make random references

22:03 to the early 2010 "Patriots" with you.

22:05 - That's right.

22:06 - All right, well, Alec, thanks for watching.

22:08 Until next time, you have a good one.

22:09 - You do, buddy, see ya.

22:11 (upbeat music)

22:14 (upbeat music)

22:16 (upbeat music)

22:19 (upbeat music)

22:21 (upbeat music)

Early winners from Patriots 2023 training camp | Patriots First and Goal

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