00:00How's it feel? We got camp starting today, and I have to be honest, I had to double check because
00:05I saw, I think it was Terp who reported a couple of hours ago, who we're going to have on
00:10with us in a few, that Christian Gonzalez set to speak around like 3.30, and I was like, well,
00:17hang on, that obviously means that he's there, right?
00:19And yes, Christian Gonzalez did indeed show up to camp today. Yeah, no surprise. Were you surprised when you heard
00:29that? No, no, no, no. I was not surprised he showed up. I'm curious, did he participate? So you can
00:34show up, but it's different than participating.
00:37He has a helmet. We have seen several stationary pictures from various reporters down to Gillette. So he's there, but
00:43not really. He doesn't want to get fined, so he's going to be there. It's just a matter of whether
00:48or not he's going to participate in practice. So that's what I'm curious to find out. But it is a
00:53good sign. I think that he's talking. I wonder if it's because they want to put pressure on him, like,
00:59hey, you're going to hold out or have a hold in?
01:02Then you're going to have to go up there and tell everybody, you know, what you're doing. Because he does
01:07not like talking to the media, I don't think.
01:09Or did his agent say, you speak and you talk? Maybe. You know, you rip the team or something. Right.
01:14Or here are a couple lines we'd like you to say.
01:16There you go. It could be that, too. It could be that, too. You know, I don't know. But I
01:21think it's a good sign that he's talking, not a negative sign. So I'm curious to hear what he has
01:27to say.
01:27Well, Vrabel spoke before practice today, and he addressed what he believed was going to happen. Let's take a listen.
01:33Are you also expecting Christian to be limited from the same reason?
01:36Yeah, I would say just like everybody else, everybody has a plan, and I got to make sure that everybody's
01:39working and getting what they need to get.
01:43Did he just say that he was limited?
01:45He basically was going to say. It hadn't happened yet, but yes. He's going to be limited, so is Booty.
01:50I mean, that was the...
01:51I didn't hear him say that. Did he just say that?
01:53The question, they asked the question, is he going to be limited? And he goes, yeah, sure.
01:59Are you also expecting Christian to be limited from the same reason?
02:04Oh, I mean, come on.
02:06Good at it, Steve.
02:08Well done. And there it is. Definitive answer.
02:11Yeah, yeah. I mean, listen, it sounds like he's going to end up being limited, and he should be.
02:16I mean, this is, as you said, a hold in.
02:18And so, you know, he's a guy, he's there.
02:20It is going to be very interesting what he says, because I believe this is one of those times, like
02:26you said,
02:26he sat down with his agent, and he's going to pick his words very carefully.
02:32So, Ted, if you were him, and you wanted to send the best message to the team that you wanted
02:37to get paid,
02:38but you are also, indeed, somebody who doesn't want to make enemies with them, what would you say?
02:44You love up, I love the fans here. I love this organization. Mr. Kraft, he's been great.
02:50This is the only place I'd ever really want to play. I don't envision myself playing anywhere else.
02:56But, you know, I believe in my abilities.
02:59And I think, you know, I think I'm one of the best, if not the best, cornerback in the NFL.
03:03And so, you know, we've got to try and figure this out.
03:06But there's no place I'd rather be than in New England and be a Patriot.
03:10I want to be a Patriot for life, and I hope that's what happens in this negotiation.
03:14Christian, why didn't you practice fully today?
03:17Oof. Yeah, that's a good one.
03:21Because that's all I've got to do, just ask him.
03:23You know, I have some things I'm working through, you know.
03:26Right, what's the excuse?
03:27Yeah, that's a good question. I wouldn't be, I wouldn't, I'd have to be prepared for that.
03:31Oh, my toes.
03:32Hammy? Is it like, you know, who is the basketball player that's got a hamstring?
03:39And he goes, which one? He goes, choose.
03:42Yeah, but that's, you're right.
03:44You better have an answer for that.
03:45Yeah.
03:45You better have an answer for that.
03:46And I bet this is something that he and his agent have sat down,
03:49and they've practiced exactly what they were going to say.
03:52And, but I'm interested.
03:53I want to hear what he says.
03:54I was shocked when I found out that he was going to be speaking.
03:58And that's going to happen at 3.30.
03:59Kayshawn Booty is there as well.
04:01And there is no indication as to whether or not he has been practicing,
04:05been out there as well, or whether this is a hold in.
04:07I think he should be.
04:08He should.
04:08It looks like he should be.
04:09He should.
04:10Well, the only thing with Rabel said, it's not fair since he missed OTAs,
04:13to throw him in for like 20 reps.
04:14So he said they're going to basically work him in slowly if they do.
04:17So my guess is Booty's not doing a lot today.
04:19By the way, Gonzalez, several other members of his draft class that are unsigned.
04:23Witherspoon, we know.
04:24Jameer Gibbs, B. John Robinson, Bryce Young, Jalen Carter, Jay Flowers.
04:28So this is like, this is kind of the way of the NFL now.
04:31But if training camp comes, we're still, he's still standing there.
04:34That's a different story.
04:34There's three guys that have been signed to extensions that were drafted in the same
04:39year Christian was in the first round.
04:41So, you know, there's 31 players that were drafted in the first round in 2023,
04:45the same year Christian was drafted.
04:48Smith and Jigby was one of them, right?
04:49That's right.
04:50Exactly.
04:51And down, was it Hunter down there?
04:53Maybe Will Anderson.
04:54Will Anderson down in Houston.
04:55Yeah.
04:55So there's only, and then one more.
04:57I forget who it is.
04:58So it's, you know, it's not unusual for him not to be, you know, not be signed at this
05:03point.
05:03So you have Vrabel talking about Kayshawn Booty.
05:06You said, all right, let's take a listen to this.
05:07Kayshawn Booty, has he been expecting to participate fully here?
05:12I don't know if he'll participate fully, just because I don't think that's fair to him to
05:16just say, hey, you know, go run, you know, 20 reps.
05:20Again, I think the part of this is about evaluating where guys are, getting them, you know, re-acclimated
05:26to what the new stuff is that we're putting in the red zone.
05:28And then based on how he does and looks, I think that that could certainly change.
05:33But, you know, again, we want to be smart with everybody that we have.
05:38And, you know, for the guys that we haven't seen, I think it's only right to, you know,
05:42make sure that they're, you know, where everybody else is based on how we practice.
05:46Why isn't it fair to him?
05:48Like the beginning, I don't think it's fair to have him out there fully practicing.
05:51He's just having his players back.
05:53I think that's all he's doing.
05:55No, I love the fact that Vrabel's doing that.
05:57I mean, God knows if you're a player, you want to hear that.
06:00I think he's exaggerating a little bit.
06:02You know, you think they're trying to convince Booty to stay instead of being a problem?
06:06Like, depends on what they're over.
06:08My guess is, I mean, did we hear any reports that they were trying to trade him?
06:12I mean, I think he wants out.
06:14He wanted to be traded.
06:15There was some report about that.
06:16I'm just curious if there was any attempts to get him traded and that nobody was interested.
06:22Like, so they got to love the one they're with.
06:24If he can't trade the kid, then you got to figure out a way to make it work with, you
06:29know, this team.
06:29So maybe, just maybe, if that's the case, they got to get his head in this place where it's like,
06:35hey, you know, your future, your contract's going to be here.
06:40You're going to be playing with us.
06:41So you need to make sure that you get mentally engaged because you're not going anywhere.
06:45Well, there is one question that I know that we were throwing out there,
06:48and I think we felt like we all agreed on,
06:50and that was that whether or not the team would go after Stefan Diggs,
06:52seeing that Stefan Diggs doesn't have a home yet.
06:54Mike Reese was actually asked about that today, and here's what he had to say.
06:57Stefan Diggs.
06:58Yeah.
06:58Because he hasn't found a home yet.
06:59Is there a possibility he could be coming back?
07:01So I would be surprised myself.
07:03No one has told me this, Steve, but my feeling when they moved on from him
07:08was that both sides said, this was great for the year.
07:11Let's go our separate ways with the idea that, look,
07:13we're not going to necessarily close the door and say it can't happen.
07:17He was looking for $20 million.
07:18And I don't think, and Steve, I can tell you there won't be that, you know,
07:21but my hunch is that he's just waiting for around the league for opportunity,
07:27and I don't know where that might be, but for a player of his caliber,
07:32like he might be more inclined to wait into training camp.
07:35Again, I don't know what he's thinking, but it would just,
07:38it would surprise me based on what I felt like both sides were saying
07:43at the time that they moved on from each other in March.
07:46Would that piss off A.J. Brown, do you think,
07:49if they were to bring Stephon Diggs back?
07:50If you were A.J. Brown, would that piss you off?
07:52It shouldn't.
07:53It shouldn't.
07:54If you're the alpha, you're in the alpha amongst the alphas.
07:56No, I think A.J. Brown looks at himself in a different tier
08:00than where, you know, Steph Diggs is now.
08:01Well, did you hear what A.J. Brown wrote on the wall of the Eagles facility
08:05when he left?
08:06No.
08:06That just came out today?
08:07No.
08:08He wrote, according to Ian Rappaport,
08:09and I'll track down the sound in a minute here,
08:11but he wrote on the wall, I was the best player that ever played here,
08:16dot, dot, always open.
08:19Yeah.
08:20True.
08:20Okay.
08:21All right.
08:21And the best quarterback you'll ever play with is in New England.
08:24Is in New England.
08:24Take that.
08:24That's right.
08:25Suck on it, Philly.
08:26Look at you trying to go viral again.
08:29You know what?
08:30You have a lot of young guys.
08:31You profile as a young at that position group.
08:34I just think you don't want to bring two kind of, you know, bulls in.
08:38I just think, you know, all you need is just one top dog,
08:41and that's A.J. Brown.
08:42What is interesting is our competitor across the street kind of reported
08:45they were going to bring Diggs back last week.
08:47You know, Zoe was, like, basically hinting at it.
08:50Oh, it's not a done.
08:51And then that went away quick.
08:52So, and then now Booty's back.
08:54So, I wonder if something changed in the last week.
08:55You know what I mean?
08:56Like, they thought about it, and then, you know what?
08:58We're better off doing what Ted said and just bring Booty back.
09:00Or it never was going to happen.
09:02Or it was never going to happen.
09:02One of those two.
09:03One of those two.
09:04Or we're playing sports talk and just throwing crap out.
09:06But I do think Ackes not being there is weird, the second-round pick,
09:09because Ted is down on this defense, which kind of scares me,
09:12and pass rush, I think, in particular.
09:14You got this guy.
09:15He's supposed to be help.
09:17I don't know how much help you're counting on in year one.
09:18He's just a rookie.
09:19But he's not there.
09:20And Vrabel was very kind of evasive when talking about it.
09:24I don't know if we're going to hear some of that.
09:25Yeah, quickly, because we have to break.
09:27Okay, so he was asked, is he here?
09:28And they're like, oh, you're right.
09:29Not everybody's here.
09:29Gabe's not here.
09:30And then here was the follow-up.
09:31Do you attribute his absence to last year we saw a rise in second-round picks
09:35hold out until they sign their contract?
09:38Do you attribute it to that?
09:39I don't attribute to anything other than, you know, he's not here
09:43and that he's not under contract at this current time.
09:47And then it got awkward.
09:48It was like a full exchange of awkward.
09:50When we come back, I can explain to you what's going on with the second-round draft picks.
09:54This is a trend that started last year that's kind of interesting
09:57that people might find interesting.
09:59So I think I have an explanation why he's not in camp.
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