00:00Adam Shepard, thanks for coming on, man.
00:01We really appreciate it.
00:02What's going on, guys?
00:03Well, listen, it is the time of the year, man.
00:06It's probably one of your busier times.
00:09And let's get right to it.
00:10What are you hearing, if anything, regarding the Patriots right now?
00:15I have not heard a lot, to be honest with you.
00:17That doesn't mean that they won't do anything.
00:19But you're hearing a lot about Jonathan Taylor, Josh Downs, Indianapolis.
00:24You're hearing about the New York Giants being intoxicated with winning.
00:28The Patriots just kind of business as normal.
00:30Like, if there's something that presents itself, maybe it does happen.
00:34But I have not heard them specifically linked to anybody in particular.
00:39Something that wouldn't shock me, but I have not heard anything in particular.
00:42Adam, on the other end, we've heard a report from Albert Breer here locally
00:46that they potentially are thinking about moving Christian Barmore
00:49and or Carlton Davis, their corner.
00:52Have you heard anything to that degree that they might be available to sell those guys?
00:57Again, you hear these names.
00:58I don't know how much there is or isn't to it.
01:01I'm not going to say there is something.
01:03I think in this day and age, when we get to the trade deadline,
01:06I've come to learn that anything's possible.
01:08You know, I don't know what – you never really fully know what's real
01:11and what's not.
01:13And really, the moment of truth comes Monday and Tuesday
01:16up until 4 o'clock Eastern on Tuesday.
01:19Adam, you've been covering the league for a very long time.
01:22And I'm just curious, have you seen any trends when it comes to midseason trades?
01:26It feels like it's always kind of been, of all the major sports,
01:29probably the least amount of trades at a trade deadline than any of the other sports.
01:34Is that still the case, or do you see it trending more –
01:38more teams are making more trades now than they did maybe 20 years ago?
01:42Well, I think there's been a dramatic reversal in the league.
01:46If you go back and look, the last five years,
01:48the league has averaged double-digit trades from October to the trade deadline.
01:52And, in fact, not only that, but each of the last two years,
01:57the last two years you've had 18 trades.
02:01So I think we've had eight so far this year.
02:04I've got to go back into my trade tracker.
02:06But I think it's eight this year.
02:08And I would expect that because it's eight and because we've gotten 18,
02:13it wouldn't surprise me if we got six, seven, eight, nine more on Monday and Tuesday.
02:17It wouldn't surprise me.
02:18So, Adam, it was a little disappointing when it was announced that A.J. Brown
02:23was having knee issues and didn't play this past week.
02:26Are you hearing anything about A.J. and what his condition is?
02:31Yeah, I think there were questions about his knee all along, which we've known about.
02:36I don't think this latest issue is related to his ankle injury that he had.
02:41I think it's a knee issue.
02:42That's my understanding.
02:44I think it's something of a setback.
02:46I don't know whether that sidelines him a week, a month, or what.
02:49I have no idea.
02:50I just know that it's not something that he aggravated when he missed time with that high
02:54ankle sprain.
02:57So, you know, these are the things you get with some older players sometimes.
03:01When he's healthy, he's an unbelievable player, but he's not healthy right now.
03:04So, you have to wait to see when he does get healthy.
03:06Looking back in the offseason, was this knee the thing that scared away many of the other teams?
03:13It was.
03:14Okay.
03:15And why do you think the Patriots were the only team that seemed to bite?
03:19Well, obviously, you know, you can do a physical before you trade for him.
03:23And there's a history there between Mike Vrabel and A.J. Brown.
03:26And by the way, I think there have been some questions about the knee all along.
03:30So, it wasn't something that came out of nowhere.
03:33I think that the Patriots were aware of it.
03:35They knew about it.
03:36And they were comfortable with it.
03:37For whatever reason, they were comfortable.
03:39And they moved ahead.
03:41So, Adam, a couple months ago, we talked about Tommy DeVito potentially being, you know,
03:45a trade interest for another team with all the quarterback injuries.
03:48And I think you correctly said it's hard to think they would do that, given, you know,
03:51it's the importance of the position and what if Drake May gets injured.
03:54I did see your colleague, Dan Graziano, suggest that they could receive interest, though, here for DeVito.
04:00What would it take to pry him away, do you think?
04:03Well, I guess my first question will be, you know,
04:06why would New England trade its backup quarterback and leave it so vulnerable there?
04:10Number two, why would you do that when, what would we guess,
04:15and I haven't asked anybody, the return on a player like Tommy DeVito would be?
04:21What would you guess?
04:22We were thinking maybe a fourth?
04:25Fifth, sixth.
04:26Fifth or sixth, yeah.
04:27Okay.
04:28So, okay, by the way, let's call it four, five, six.
04:30Let's call it a five.
04:31Let's just call it a five.
04:32That's probably fair.
04:34Why would you trade your backup quarterback for a fifth-round pick?
04:37Right.
04:38Why would you do that?
04:40Yeah, Ken.
04:41Yeah, Ken.
04:42Jerk.
04:43Dan Graziano said it.
04:44I'm just, you know, I'm asking the same question.
04:46I don't know.
04:47It's a good question.
04:48I don't know.
04:49And beyond that, who do we know that's willing to give up a fifth-round pick for Tommy DeVito?
04:55Like, how many quarterback-needing teams are there out there right now?
04:58Yeah.
04:59And we saw two moves today, right?
05:00Or while Jacoby Brissett moves, and you had that report,
05:03and Joe Milton's going to get the starting job in Philly.
05:06Yeah.
05:07I mean, I just, I don't, I don't see an obvious landing spot.
05:11I don't see a team that's willing to make that trade.
05:13I don't see New England being willing to give up its backup quarterback on a team
05:17that's had some questions about its depth at certain spots, like linebacker,
05:22like offensive line, like, so we're going to go trade the depth we have
05:26at the most important position on the team for a fifth?
05:30I mean, that doesn't make sense to me.
05:32Yeah, no doubt, no doubt.
05:34Adam, I'm curious, it was announced that Robert Kraft is one of the five nominees
05:41for the Hall of Fame this year as a contributor category.
05:46Your thoughts on him getting in, and do you see it that,
05:50I know it's going to be tough with the other candidates,
05:53but do you see an opportunity for Robert Kraft to get into the Hall of Fame this year?
05:59I've seen it every year.
06:00It hasn't happened.
06:02To me, it is overdue.
06:03It should have happened a while ago.
06:04I don't like the process.
06:07I don't agree with the process.
06:09I think it's flawed at best, and I can't, I mean,
06:16I would have thought he would have gotten in before he didn't,
06:18so it's hard to say he's going to get in now.
06:20I would hope he would, but to predict that group is very difficult to do.
06:27So this is an interesting weekend with the Patriots playing the Green Bay Packers.
06:31On the Packers, Josh Jacobs is there, and it seems like they're sticking with him,
06:36despite there being additional allegations of physical and verbal abuse against women
06:40over the past several years.
06:42And then last week he did that touchdown dance, which it looked like he was pretending he was handcuffed
06:49and doing what they call a perp walk.
06:51Do you believe that the Packers are going to continue to stick up for this guy and keep him around,
06:56or what do you see happening in the future with Josh Jacobs?
06:59Well, they have said that so far.
07:00They said that they support him and stand behind him,
07:03so for the time being that's going to be the case now.
07:05I don't know whether there's additional evidence that surfaces that they are uncomfortable with,
07:11but what they've heard so far and the way they've acted so far
07:17tells me that right now they are, or they've said that they're comfortable with him.
07:28I know it's hard to grasp all that, but that's where they're at right now.
07:33So, Adam, Mike Vrabel spoke earlier today, and he said sort of cryptically
07:37he's contractually obligated to speak to Tom Brady on Zoom prior to the game.
07:41He just seemed very cold about the potential conversation with a former teammate.
07:45How do you think the relationship is with Brady and Vrabel and the organization
07:49as he comes back for the Fox broadcast?
07:52I was unaware that there was an issue between Tom and Mike at all.
07:57That surprises me to hear that at all.
07:59And I didn't hear the comments that Mike made,
08:02but I would imagine that it was just like, I don't know.
08:06I can't believe he's got any issues with Tom.
08:08Well, Mike, I hate to interrupt, but Mike Vrabel believes,
08:12or said he probably believes that Tom Brady helped the Seahawks
08:18in the Super Bowl this year.
08:20I forgot about that.
08:21I forgot about that.
08:24Well, you know what?
08:25If he feels that way, then I wouldn't want to go help a friend
08:29who I felt compromised me.
08:31If that is indeed true, that's how he feels, and that's true.
08:34Again, we're throwing a lot of hypotheticals here.
08:38But if all that is accurate, I understand that then.
08:43Okay, I've got to ask my weekly token question about Bill Belichick here.
08:48He's 4-4, almost beat the number one ranked team,
08:52Miami Hurricanes, last week.
08:54He's gotten maybe rid of some of the riffraff that was weighing him down.
08:59Do you think, after what you've seen so far,
09:02that he would have an opportunity to maybe present itself in the NFL?
09:06No.
09:08Ted, you can ask me that question every week from now until then
09:10until I hear something that's going to change my mind.
09:13I don't see any.
09:14Like, again, you know, I think he was disappointed with the process.
09:20He had been out there a couple of years.
09:22The lack of interest, the lack of genuine interest, I think,
09:25surprised and disappointed him.
09:27And I think, again, until something changes, that would be the way it is.
09:32So I don't see anything changing right now, but I'd love to be wrong.
09:36I will not ask you a Belichick question for the rest of the season.
09:40I'm just – that was my last one.
09:41You can.
09:42You can.
09:43My answer's not going to be much different.
09:45All right, Adam Schefter from ESPN, thank you so much for joining us.
09:48We appreciate it.
09:48Thanks, Adam.
09:49Thanks, guys.
09:49Have a great day.
