00:02Brought to you by Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey, another year of it.
00:06Big fella, Greg Bedard, Boston Sports Journal, again presented by Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey.
00:10Enjoy the game with the original triple distilled, triple blended, and triple cask matured Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey.
00:15Because when it's game time, it's Tully time.
00:17Please drink responsibly.
00:19Three players you feel good about heading into the season, three players you're concerned about going into the season.
00:23Simple as that.
00:24Is that all right?
00:25Yep.
00:25Who do you feel good about?
00:26Travion Henderson.
00:27I think he is in the right offense and with the right offensive coordinator in terms of figuring out a way to use him in a variety of different ways.
00:37You know, not just running back, out of the backfield.
00:39We'll see him probably split out, you know, quick game with him.
00:44I'll be very interested to see by the end of the season, like in terms of like his touches per game.
00:51Because I do think that's something you have to worry about with him.
00:54I know there's been a lot of comparisons to him with Jameer Gibbs when he came in with the Lions.
00:58I was just looking it up.
01:00Jameer Gibbs averaged 12.1 rushing attempts per game and 4.7 targets per game.
01:09I can see Henderson there in terms of the pass targets per game.
01:13I think 12.12 rushing attempts per game is a little rich for me right now.
01:21I would think he would be more around 8 or so.
01:25So, but I do, in terms of his mismatchability, big playability, I think he's the guy on the Patriots offense.
01:33And I think they're going to utilize that.
01:35Henderson, number one.
01:37And the workload thing I've said since the very beginning, I would say 15 touches, including special teams.
01:43Like if he's going to return kickoffs or whatever, like you add those in, 15 touches, no more than that.
01:49Sorry, two.
01:50Harold Landry.
01:51I was very impressed with his work this summer.
01:54He is now a year away from the surgery that he had.
01:58I see explosion from him.
02:00I see a creativity in terms of how to set up blockers.
02:06He's got really good bend around the end.
02:08He just knows how to play.
02:09And so, the combination of really Harold Landry and Chase on the other side, I really like what they have there.
02:17Hunter Henry.
02:18And I know he didn't play much.
02:19I guess that's the point.
02:21Yeah.
02:21I know what he is, though.
02:23And I think he's a guy that should be able to catch some balls on third down.
02:26And he's a totally serviceable, solid NFL tight end.
02:30Three.
02:31Robert Spillane.
02:32The middle linebacker.
02:33I really think he's the only real player that they have at linebacker.
02:38He's not going to be, if people think he's going to be this unreal tackling machine, sideline to sideline, that's not exactly what he is.
02:47There's a lot of games, when I went back and I watched this Raiders film from last year, there were a lot of games where you're just like, you know, he doesn't make many plays.
02:54If you're expecting a playmaker at middle linebacker, that's not him.
02:58But in terms of really solid, reliable middle of your defense, I feel good about him there.
03:06Carlton Davis.
03:07I know he only played just a blip at the end of the preseason, but I liked what I saw.
03:12He's rangy.
03:13He's not a number one corner, and it doesn't sound like they're going to have one.
03:16But I think in terms of his second corner, he's good.
03:19What do you mean it doesn't sound like they're going to have one?
03:20They're not going to travel?
03:22No, no, no.
03:23I mean that I don't think Gonzalez is going to play, is what I meant.
03:26We'll get to that.
03:27That's three players you're concerned with, Greg.
03:31Garrett Bradbury at center.
03:32I think he's the linchpin of the offensive line.
03:35I did not like what I saw out of him this summer.
03:38Pretty good in the running game.
03:40Gets overwhelmed in the pass game.
03:43If they've got enough to worry about on the edges, if they've got to start worrying about the interior,
03:48I would not be surprised at some point, we're saying week six, week eight, where he is not in the lineup,
03:56and a guy like Ben Brown is out there, or they're giving thought to put Jared Wilson in there.
04:01I'm scared to death of Garrett Bradbury.
04:03Christian Gonzalez is number one for me, because that thing has gone the wrong way, it feels like.
04:08And so to not be without him, and I think they're going to be without him,
04:11and maybe there's a chance he practices this week.
04:14But, you know what I mean, to not have him at the beginning, bad sign.
04:17I want to circle back to Gonzalez, number two.
04:20Milton Williams.
04:21I like Milton Williams.
04:22He's a good player, but in terms of...
04:24Is that a Bedard bomb there, Remar?
04:26Yeah.
04:27A lot of money spent on this guy.
04:29He's supposed to be a disruptor.
04:31Yeah, there's that.
04:32He's just not...
04:34He doesn't have a variety of pass rusher moves.
04:37Like, he's very much a power guy, and he certainly can do that at times.
04:41And he showed up at times during the summer.
04:43And also the preseason games when he played.
04:46But if you're hoping for Aaron Donald Light, that's not Milton Williams.
04:52And they need to be dominating in there.
04:54Is it going to be Barmore?
04:55Is it going to be Williams?
04:56He is a good player.
04:58They definitely overpaid for him where he is right now.
05:00You're hoping three years from now, he's going to be worthy of that contract.
05:03Or two years from now, be worthy of that contract.
05:06But right now, where he is, I think fans are going to be underwhelmed.
05:10Drake May.
05:11I mean, where he was in the preseason wasn't good enough.
05:14And if he doesn't play better at the start of the season, then I'm sort of looking at it as,
05:19so what, it's going to take him another half year to get up to speed in a new offense?
05:24So, to me, he needs to come out and play well as soon as possible.
05:27Three, Greg.
05:28Drake May.
05:28I mean, until he proves it, I can't not be worried about him.
05:33And I do think it's going to take time for him to assimilate into this offense.
05:40How much time is that going to take?
05:42Is he going to continue turning the ball over?
05:44These are all things that we don't have answers to right now.
05:48And until I see it for myself, then I have to be worried about the quarterback because
05:54he is the biggest reason why either the Patriots are going to contend for a playoff spot or not.
06:00But it's what Drake May does.
06:02And I think he'll get there.
06:03It's just a matter of how long is it going to take?
06:07Will Campbell.
06:08What we saw in the preseason, I mean, he suggested he's a guard, not a tackle.
06:11Now, again, it's a preseason.
06:13It's a small sample.
06:14It's early.
06:15All of that is true.
06:16But based on what we've seen up to now, he doesn't feel like a tackle.
06:20He feels like a guard.
06:21Greg, why are you not concerned about Christian Gonzalez?
06:25Because of his talent, I think he'll eventually be out there.
06:28And be fine.
06:30I'm not overly worried about it week one, maybe.
06:35But now I'm starting to, because they play at Miami week two.
06:40I know I was listening to the midday show on the way in.
06:44And, you know, Beatles saying, like, I'll just, you know, keep him on ice, you know,
06:47for a while until he's ready.
06:49But there's a ramp up to it.
06:52So if he's able to go out there, if he's healthy, he's not going to be able to play,
06:56you know, a full load in week one.
06:58But it would be beneficial to get him out there for whatever it is, 10, 15, 20 snaps,
07:05playing as the dime or a matchup guy on third down or red zone.
07:09There is a benefit to that because all of a sudden they got to go to Miami and play in
07:13September in that heat, which is just absurd.
07:16So I just think Gonzalez is talented.
07:22He's obviously missed a lot of time, but I'm not overly worried about it right now.
07:28Okay.
07:29I want to pick up on this on the other side.
07:30Any thought about the contract, his place in his career, business decisions, things like this.
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