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00:00All right, now we get to the tough stuff.
00:01I'll be the a-hole to get things going here.
00:04Tom, does Mike Vrabel have an issue as the head coach of the Patriots
00:08within his job and his organization based on the photos
00:12and the report from the New York Post?
00:16You know, just taking it on face value,
00:19if you're a player in the locker room, and Ted can speak to this
00:22and I'm sure has, you know, there's different segments.
00:24Some people are going to read whatever explanation that he had
00:28with skepticism, and thereby it might make it more difficult
00:32for his messaging about putting family first or anything else difficult.
00:37Other people will certainly take it at face value and say,
00:39seems plausible to me, and move on.
00:43And then there'll be a segment that says, not my problem,
00:46not my business, I've got enough to worry about on my own.
00:50I just have to go cover this kick or, you know,
00:53process what this offense is trying to do to me.
00:56So I think it'll be all different.
00:58Within the locker room, different reactions.
01:01But it's certainly, you know, Mike talked about protecting the football team
01:06and minimizing distractions.
01:08And this is certainly a distraction that it has grown into.
01:12So, Tom, I enjoyed the latest Patriots Talk podcast with Albert Breer.
01:17I feel like I gleaned an awful lot about the offseason and the Patriots' plans.
01:21Thank you, bud.
01:22Yeah, no, always a pleasure.
01:24The stuff about A.J. Brown, I think I was today years old when I learned
01:29that Mike Vrabel wasn't actually upset and surprised about the A.J. Brown trade,
01:36but he was more upset about having to let a guy go that he liked so much
01:40because of the knee.
01:41Do we feel like that there is still any chance that the knee might be a hang-up
01:45before trading for a guy, like you said on the pod,
01:48that basically already has a locker set up at Gillette?
01:51Yes, I absolutely do, especially in the wake of the Max Crosby situation.
01:57If you're the Patriots and you've drawn up the framework of a deal and you say,
02:01okay, we're going to give you a first and a second or a first and a third for A.J.
02:05Brown,
02:05you know you're planning on two good years of him.
02:07You're also sacrificing if you're giving up a first and a second or a first and a third.
02:12One player who you would have five years of control with if it's a first-rounder
02:15and another player who you would have four years of.
02:19So that's nine seasons of two players.
02:21And if you're only going to get two seasons out of A.J. Brown
02:24and you're not sure the condition of his knee and the ability of it to withstand the rigors,
02:29then you might have to go back to the table because, as Albert pointed out on the pod,
02:34training staffs will share scans and they'll let each other know what their appraisal of
02:40and where things are.
02:42But it's not going to replace a doctor looking at his own scans, at his own examination.
02:49And if he comes back and says, from that level, I don't feel comfortable with this,
02:56the longevity of this knee, then the football people then have to make a decision.
02:59Are you giving up nine years of two unnamed players for two seasons of A.J. Brown?
03:07You don't know what level he'll be at.
03:09Now, hopefully, for the Patriots' sake, if it does come to pass, comes in, they go,
03:13yeah, it's pretty much what we expected.
03:14We're good to go.
03:15But if not, then do you go back to the table with Howie Roseman and say,
03:19yeah, we're not going to be able to give up a first.
03:21We can give you a second and a fourth.
03:23So that's, to me, what the hang-up would be.
03:25Now, how much A.J. Brown is in agitation in Philadelphia between now and June 2nd
03:32would remain to be seen.
03:33But, you know, as Albert said, maybe they've already looked at scans.
03:36Maybe they've gotten to that point.
03:37Maybe that'll happen in late May prior to that.
03:40But at some point, the Patriots are going to have to really bring it to their own mechanics,
03:44so to speak.
03:46Yeah, it's going to be fascinating.
03:47I mean, I haven't heard one of the, you know, experts or guys that follow the team say that
03:56anything less than 50% chance that he's not coming here.
03:58So I will be amazed if he comes here, but most people think he is.
04:02But, hey, Tom, I'm just curious.
04:04I mean, we're two weeks away from the draft, and it feels like compared to last year,
04:08I mean, the draft has been kind of just in the rearview mirror.
04:11But just, you know, we're almost there.
04:13And I don't know if your opinion has changed much over the course of the last two months
04:17on who the Patriots will draft.
04:19But just your thoughts on what they do with that 31st pick.
04:23Do they pick and stick?
04:24Do they, if they do, who do they pick?
04:27Or do you think they trade back?
04:28What do you think is most likely the Patriots' plan for that 31st pick?
04:33They have so many needs, Ted, believe it or not.
04:36They have edge, which we know.
04:38They have wide receiver to an extent.
04:40They could get by.
04:40I think wide receiver is further down the list.
04:42They have right tackle where you want to backstop Morgan Moses.
04:46They have interior line where you might want to backstop Michael Wendell
04:49if you don't want to continue with that.
04:50They have defensive line.
04:52Where Milton Williams is a longtime Patriot, I can guarantee you that.
04:55The cap of Christian Barmore's guaranteed salary this year makes him quite likely
05:01to begin the season.
05:02But next year, his cap number is 23-6.
05:04The following season, it's 24-6.
05:07They don't really have anybody on the defensive line to replace Tonga.
05:12And a Farmore is only here for one year.
05:14So that's another position.
05:15Tight end.
05:15I've talked about it every week.
05:18We have a chance to for two years straight.
05:20That's another position.
05:21So I think that you want to stick at 31 and take whichever player at those positions
05:26is the best fit for you.
05:29But I think that you have enough spots to fill where you don't have to start
05:33trading away picks.
05:34Now, if in the second round you didn't get a tackle or defensive end,
05:39and it's deep in defensive ends this year, maybe you can wait on the defensive end
05:43and go ahead and take the best tackle there.
05:45But they have enough needs where this is an important draft for them,
05:49in my estimation, to not only for front line guys, but for depth or positions
05:54where guys have to apprentice to overtake, for instance, an Uenu or a Barmore.
06:00Tom Karn, NBC Sports Boston, here with us on WEI Afternoons.
06:04Tom, Ted just kind of alluded to it, and I don't know if it's just because
06:08we went from having top five picks a couple years in a row to picking 31st,
06:13but I am as distant from this NFL draft as I've ever been in my life.
06:18And is that a Boston thing?
06:20Is this not a sexy draft?
06:22Is it lacking?
06:23I mean, I know a quarterback's going to go number one overall,
06:25but even that guy some people have doubts about.
06:27What do you think about the general buzz of this draft?
06:30Is it kind of a downer year?
06:33Yeah, no, I agree with you.
06:34I think locally, for the reason that you mentioned, you know,
06:392021, Patriots needed a quarterback, so we were all in on that,
06:42and they took one of 15.
06:44So there was scrutiny that we devoted to that.
06:482022, was that the – no, that was Cole Strange at 29.
06:51So we didn't talk a lot about – we weren't over the moon about that draft.
06:54It was Cole Strange at Trent McDuffie.
06:55Probably should have taken Trent McDuffie.
06:57The next year was, you know, rebounding from a bad 2022,
07:02and they went and took Christian Gonzalez, which was drafting at 17,
07:07and then they were at three and four.
07:09So when you're in the top 20, there's going to be a lot more conversation.
07:13I think there's a presumption and perception,
07:16because of where the Patriots got to, that they're kind of all set,
07:20and they're just burnishing the roster and filling it out.
07:23I don't think that's the case.
07:25I think they have many more needs on the front line than we're really giving it credit to.
07:30I think the secondary is all set.
07:32I think quarterback's all set.
07:33I think running back is somewhat all set.
07:35And I really think wide receiver, you can, with a straight face,
07:38go into the season with the guys you have, and even more so if you add A.J. Brown.
07:42But everything else is kind of under scrutiny and definitely needs attention.
07:48So another thing that caught my ear that got me thinking as well on the pod, Tom,
07:54holy smokes, Albert suggesting that Gonzo could ask for 40?
07:59Floating that number out there per year, I mean, I thought maybe 35,
08:02resetting the market would be something else.
08:04Do you think that could possibly ever enter the calculus
08:08between Gonzo and his reps and the Patriots?
08:11Sure.
08:12I think it could.
08:13But as we talked about last week, you know,
08:15he's asking the Patriots to come to the table early.
08:18So what concession does he make?
08:19Does he get more than, you know, any other secondary player in the league?
08:23And as I said on the pod, you know, Albert mentioned quarterbacks are in their own tier,
08:28but you see wide receivers like JSN or T.J. Watt at defensive end
08:34or Hutchinson at defensive end, they make more money.
08:36And my contention in that is those guys ruin plays or score touchdowns.
08:43Cornerback, you can avoid a cornerback.
08:45They're not going to wreck a play for you necessarily.
08:48You just have to avoid them.
08:50So I would have a hard time if I was a general manager saying that I'm going to pay you
08:55as much as the best defensive end in the league when that defensive end can ruin a game
09:00the way Michael Parsons does.
09:01So I think you could ask for it, but if you're coming to the table early,
09:06you want to outpace the highest guy if you're asking to come to the table early.
09:11But he's making $4 million this year, which is a tenth of what he could command next year.
09:18That's crazy.
09:18So he does have every reason in the world to say,
09:21I can't in good conscience take the field until we've got something done.
09:27So that's why I think this – do you agree, Teddy?
09:30I was just going to ask you that question.
09:32Is his personality – do you sense he's a guy that will do a – I mean,
09:37the hold-in is what players are doing?
09:38I mean, do you sense that that might be coming and that's something that he would do
09:43is do the hold-in thing?
09:45I just don't know him well enough.
09:47He's so quiet.
09:48And the limited conversations I've had with him, he hasn't really opened up.
09:52But I do think that he's cognizant of his value.
09:57And he has the same agent as Witherspoon in Seattle.
10:01And those are two guys who are up.
10:03So I would imagine you defer to your agent and say, what should I do here?
10:07Well, until one of these teams gets something done,
10:10you can't play for one-tenth of what you're going to be worth next year.
10:14So you have to force the Patriots.
10:15So that's the hurdle the Patriots are going to have to clear with Gonzalez
10:18is how do you get him on the field without an extension?
10:23Or have you already – and we don't know this to be the case –
10:26they've at least articulated that they are – have him on the front burner.
10:31Are they already down the road and it won't even be an issue?
10:34Yeah, maybe they already have parameters kind of in place
10:37and it's just a matter of dotting I's and crossing T's kind of thing.
10:40But, Tom, you mentioned quarterbacks are on their own tier.
10:43And we all agree with that.
10:44But are these two connected in a way where if you blow up the market
10:48at cornerback, if you give him 25 – what's 31 million for McDuffie,
10:53whatever that is, if you give him like 25% more, you know,
10:56$8, $9, $10 million more, does that affect Drake May?
11:00And he's like, well, you reset the market significantly there.
11:03I want to reset the market in a similar fashion.
11:06So are they tied in in that way?
11:08Yeah, that's a great question.
11:09And I think May is such a teammate that conversations, you know,
11:16that often took place between Tom Brady and Robert Kraft away from Don Yee
11:20and Steve Dubin would allow them to make their case as to why he should take less.
11:25And I think that May, if he wants to maximize his earning, which he should,
11:32because, you know, the NFL is not making less money.
11:36And this CBA is very important.
11:38It comes up in 2031 because they're probably going to –
11:41the owners are going to come back and go, yeah,
11:4350-50 gross revenue split is not working for us.
11:46So when May signs a contract in 2027 or 2028,
11:51he has to understand that the next one might not be as robust.
11:55So I would leave my agent, Jack Mills in Ted's case back in the day,
12:00I would leave him completely in charge.
12:02And when somebody sidles up to him and says, hey, you know,
12:05we really can't do that, say, that's why I hired an agent.
12:09I just want to play football.
12:11So, Tom, the Patriots Hall of Fame put out their nominees this week.
12:15And with all appreciation for Logan Mankins,
12:18with the respect and admiration for a true GOAT at his position, Adam Vinatieri,
12:25I mean, why don't we just give Rob Gronkowski the red jacket now, right?
12:29Yeah.
12:30I mean, it's – I would say it's a source of embarrassment.
12:36It doesn't necessarily have to be.
12:38But on the face, when people go, Adam Vinatieri's in the Pro Football Hall of Fame,
12:42you can't get in the Patriots Hall of Fame?
12:43Yeah.
12:44And I understand the disconnect.
12:47And the disconnect is that there's one guy who gets in each year
12:50and that the fans vote on it.
12:53And last year when we went through the process of nominating people,
12:57you know, I said, Julian Edelman has to be nominated.
13:00And it was expressed that, well, fans who don't appreciate what Adam Vinatieri did
13:04are just going to vote for Edelman.
13:06And I said, that's not for us to decide.
13:08We can't game the system and not put Julian Edelman on
13:11because he's going to get in for a guy who's borderline in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
13:16But that's the disconnect.
13:18It's one a year.
13:19Should they go to two a year?
13:21Because you're going to have players like Hightower is boxed out.
13:24Now Welker continues to be boxed out.
13:28DMACC.
13:28McClater will be up.
13:29McCourty will be up.
13:30Right.
13:30So there's going to be so many individuals.
13:32Bill Belichick will get in in 2028 or 2020.
13:36Yeah, 2028, I believe, which will be an event unto itself.
13:41But that, they didn't anticipate when they started the Hall to have this celebrated a franchise.
13:50They have to, I think, somehow figure out a way to shorten the line.
13:56All right, Tom.
13:58Appreciate you joining us.
14:00Now you can get back to your golf coverage.
14:03And who do you have, Tom, who do you think is going to win?
14:04Who do you have?
14:05Who's your master's pick?
14:07Sam Burns.
14:08Sam Burns.
14:09Oh.
14:10Just because he's lighting it up right now.
14:13You front runner.
14:14Jump on the bandwagon.
14:16All right, Tom.
14:16That's right.
14:17Enjoy the tournament.
14:18Enjoy the weekend.
14:18We'll talk to you next week.
14:20All right, guys.
14:21Thanks so much.
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