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Follow and listen to Reception Perception on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. All right Andy, now it's time for our final leg here on the latest six rings in football things. Podcasts are Patriots off-season positional previews. Pop. Continue this week. Last week we were on the offensive side of the ball. You happen to have heard we did it live. Live blanket. We'll do it live on The Rich Keith Show. Of course, you probably heard it here on the six rings in football things. Podcast feed. We're now sweet. That was the wide receiver position. I was hopeful. Andy said, I was optimistic or hopeful and you say competitive. You went back to the C word for the New England Patriots receiver room, which it's funny as we were just recently discussing ESPN's ranking of the Patriots rosters the 27th best. They said by far the most glaring weakness or the weakest spot would be receiver on the team. There's a chance I think receiver could- Which I don't get. What else do they have to do? Draft two kids. You got a bunch of jazz. I mean, there's a bunch of twos and threes, but is it that bad? Well, I don't know. Just like I don't know about cornerback. Like, if let's just say DiMario Douglas is really good in his second year after showing flashes as a rookie and let's just say somebody from the KJ Osborne, Juju Smishuster, Kendrick Bourne group has a really nice year. Isn't that the same as thinking Christian Gonzalez is going to be the best corner and Jonathan Jones is going to be good. Like, you have a rookie that you're hoping really overachives and blows up in year two who showed flashes and you have a veteran you're hoping to lean on. Like, it's weird. I'm starting to push back against how bad the wide receiver position is. It doesn't have a one and it's lacking that elite talent, but I don't know. I just sort of the way some of these positions are being assessed is starting to bother me a little bit. Well, this will be a very interesting one to assess because I don't think anyone really knows who necessarily aside from one or two people play this particular position. We're back on the defensive side of the ball. Today, we're going to take a look at the linebacker position. Andy, let's go ahead and do it the way we like to do it here. Let's start off with an adjective. What one single word would you use to describe the Patriots linebacker room heading into the 2024 season? Good enough. Wait, did you say one word? Yes. So this one of those like slang, good enough. Enough. How about what would adequate suffice? Sure. Okay. Adequate. Adequate. But I think when you put together guys like Joanne Bentley and Jolaney Tivai, like, are they underrated, by the way? Jolaney Tivai is underrated. Yeah. I think Bentley is sort of the classic. If you're good enough to be the starting middle linebacker, you're going to make a bunch of tackles. Like that goes with the job. Like you're going to get those opportunities. I still think athletically there's times where he gets exposed and is a little bit limited. But he's fine. Like, you can do much worse. You can be significantly worse at that position. And then Tivai has versatility. He's certainly evolved in his times to catch a lot of strays from Pat's fans the same way Miles Bryant did. And it was unwarranted. Like he's a pretty solid football. And I bet if you got Bill Bell check on the horn, right, he would probably tell you like, Oh, Tivai was one of my guys. I have a lot of cheap shot jokes in my head. I was just going to the Andy. Nope. Do not think of nope. Don't go 72 and 24. Right now he's currently involved in a matlight to tie law romance. And we'll just leave it at that. There were things in my mind that were like, is your dad home? Can your dad come to the phone? I got a lot of I got a lot of flack for saying what happens if Belichick and the young lady are ever out on an event he'd have to rent the car. He'd probably get a senior citizen discount. There's a lot of there's a lot going on. Anyway, we're going to move on linebackers. But I think that's it. I'm not subscribing. You disrespected the coach. Well, I mean, I think the coach disrespected the coach or the world around him or social norms or there's a lot of it. Her previous BF was 64. So she has a type. Anyway, it's not all his fault. Now we're finding it's not all his fault. But I mean, it is what anyway. Anyway, we don't like to live. Enjoy yourself. Six rings football things. Line backers. All right. So my Packers, but joining. Now, this is this is where it gets kind of nebulous, Andy, because who gently is you're like, he's like the one true linebacker. He's like your middle linebacker, even though he's listed as left inside linebacker on the depth chart. Joining him is July to Vi. Don't forget Rayquan McMillan still in the house. Poor guys had so many tornadoes. He's had more torn ACLs than he's had healthy seasons since he's been with the New England Patriots. You also have, and this is where it gets kind of like Marte Mapu listed on ESPN.com as a linebacker and Fernie Jennings. Now he's underrated linebackers. He just signed that three year 12 million dollar deal to remain with the Patriots. Free agent, Cione Taki Taki. No more than of course. And of course, July to Vi and Matthew Judon. Now, see, I don't think I don't know if Mapu's going to end up being a linebacker or safety. I don't think the team knows either. And also, like, I guess edge is a linebacker or can't edge also be a defensive like edge is that nebulous position that I just hate the high the fictionalized name. And in that case, when it comes to guys that are third down backs like an Antonio Gibson, he's not just a running back. He's also a receiver. So should he just be called like, whether he's called Bernard Robinson, O.W. offensive weapon? Right. Well, it's kind of like in college where some people are now recruited as athletes and they get to that school and then they figure out where they're going to put them because they're just a good athlete coming out of high school. I want to rewind to Mapu. Is a guy that normally I would think Andy Hart, me, would be like cynical of and like pessimistic. I found myself watching him run around in OTAs and mini camp. And I'm kind of becoming optimistic about him. Like, I just I'm not sure where it's going to work. But I feel like I'm going to want old school bill Belichick used to have like 17 starters on defense, basically. He would have all these guys that like their role players match ups week to week, whatever. And they all were going to play a lot. You weren't sure when, how, why, but it was going to happen. I feel like I want Mapu in that rotation. And I know you have a roster like ESPN and their ranking of the roster said their best position is safety because Kyle Dugger, Jabril Peppers is like a really Mapu in another world. If you didn't have those two guys or maybe if Jabril Peppers in a year or two is gone and ages out, maybe he's in that sort of big safety role that Adrian Phillips, Adrian Phillips, Jesus, I was going to call him Gonzalez. I was like, no, that's definitely not Adrian. Totally different. But I'm, I'm kind of buying in on Mapu. And then in a similar but very different fashion, if we're going to talk about these, where do they fit guys and athletes, my guy Keyon White, who I'm definitely buying in on has been standing up quite a bit on the edge of the defense. Now, I don't love that. I think that's probably, that's like an itch rolled. Let's not do that too often. I think a good offensive coordinator, if he figures out how to scheme that will expose the hell out of Keyon White, you're taking him out of his comfort zone. But both of those two guys bring blended athleticism to the linebacker room that I kind of like that I'm intrigued by. And now it's on the only man whose title is the same as his initials, the Marcus Covington. It's on him to figure out when they should be on the field and how to use them. But I'm intrigued. Well, there is the potential for the regular hybridization, if you will, of the Patriots defense. I also, my apologies, I left one out of the mix. And there's a bunch of names you'll probably never hear again, like Joe Giles Harris, Joe Thum Russell, O'Shane Zeminis. There's a lot of names on there that I steal. Oh, they got steel chambers. Yeah, I find steel chambers from Ohio State, coming out of the draft. Yes, I didn't even know chambers made it to the Patriots. Oh, happy day. No, he was doing a poem, actually. That's exactly why I wanted the name, why wanted the player shot in the porn industry. Oh, no, Josh Uche as well. And I see like, you mentioned, I see you mentioned Keyon White, he's listed as left defensive end, and listed as right defensive end is Christian Barmore. To me, Keyon White and Christian Barmore couldn't be more different as football players, if they had to, aside from the fact that they're both big strong and want to get after the quarterback. So I don't know, like, I don't think of Josh Uche as a linebacker. He's a pass rusher. Cioni Taki Taki has taken over for Mac Wilson senior this year as sort of the coverage guy apparently his coverage numbers last year in Cleveland were excellent. So we hopefully will be calling out his name early and often for another great pass breakup or holy smoke every numbers up your ass. What's that? I said, stick your coverage numbers up your ass. Way. Oh, come on. It's good. Coverage numbers are good. Pass breakups are good. Tight coverage is good. And it's just such a such an interest like it used to be. Here comes another back in my day. Here's your latest boomer moment on six rings in football things, but we definitely grew up in an era where there were four linebackers or three linebackers, usually the left side, the strong side, weak side in a middle linebacker. Now linebacker is a single digits either. And they've like the the fusion of safeties and linebackers and defensive ends and edge players and whatever. Basically, you just have a couple of fat guys, a couple of corners, and then you just got football players in the middle now, basically in an NFL defense. And I think the fact that you said you were interested in or higher on mop who than you were previously, that you're definitely in on Keon White. And we know you're unrequited man crush for Christian Barmore. Maybe it's the fact that the Patriots do have the potential for a diverse, interesting, and effective linebacker room like there that puts the Mina Kimes of the world saying that the Patriots have a top five, a potential for a top five defense this year. Because there does seem to be a bit more talent there than the I may initially glance and recognize. Yes, I think there is some of that. But just because I like watching them run short, he's probably not necessarily a director who had his growing pains last year. I know Daniel Jeremiah loved the player coming out last year for the Patriots, but like he had to get smoked by Tyree kill with J.C. Jackson and coverage like those are the things that are supposed to happen when you're a rookie. What does he make of his sophomore season? And and I think this is, you know, we all talk about the athletes on offense. Well, you need to match athletes at some level, you know, on the field, you need to match tight ends running back slot receivers, bully slot receivers like the very debos Samuel. What is he? How am I dealing with him? Like, and I know it's not basketball. So it's like man to man to get a match up everything, but it is in a sense. Like, you got to kind of keep the number of athletes somewhat even on the field. I think you can get exposed and these guys are athletes. Now you're right. Like Josh Uche to me, I've in my mind has become, and this is how they were sold coming in Jennings and Uche Jennings was more of a run player could set the edge play the edge. I thought he played really well last year. Indeed. Ray is your pass rusher who everybody lods. I don't think he's reached the potential people claim he has as a pass rusher. One year three million dollar deal. He did not have the market that he turned down much more elsewhere. He said much more, much more because people do that all the time. They turned down large sums of money to be a questionable rotational player on a bad football team. Always. Always. Oh, let's see. You just you could have just left it out there. People turned down lots of money for someplace they say their heart is invested in, but you had to say rotational player on a bad football team. I like to say, you know, a moveable part or a multifaceted piece on an evolving football team. You can put lipstick on the pig. How does lipstick taste? By the way, when you make bacon, I've never been up very good. So again, like, I can't like, I can't tell you exactly what the linebacker room is going to be. I can't tell you exactly who's going to make it. I think this is like, John Bentley and Jelini to Vi will play the bulk of the snaps and talky talky as well. And Jen, but see, we'll see about talky talky. I don't just, I'm not like Bill Belichick late in his career. I don't just give jobs away. In my football world, you got to earn your job. You got to earn your playing time. You got to get in where you fit in, and you got to find a way to fit in. So we'll see Mr. Talky Talky. This is the two of us talky talky for almost an hour on a Tuesday morning. Yeah. So I'm going to say, Andy, my, my assessment and my final, so we open with adequate saying, like, it's an adequate room. Like, it's a, it's a good room. It's not great. Has the potential to be something else. I'm going to say that my projected single, like at the end of the season, like we did with a lot, like wide receivers at the end of the season, I can't give you an adjective to describe the Patriots right now. Like, I'm going to give them a big fat TBD because I don't know exactly what the room's going to be like because of its hybridization. And the fact, you know, I don't know how Demarcus Covington is going to deploy a lot of these guys and what their positions are going to be. Yeah, positionless defense is the way of the future, bro. All right. That's fine. Maybe that's the nature of playing linebacker in the modern NFL, but I can't tell you exactly what I think it's going to be right now. So I'm going to go TBD trending upward. Of course. So is that positive little spin? I like it. Appreciate it. Be here and boy and boy. Listen, fanboy lane doesn't occupy itself, bro. I am going to say evolving. I think that's a good word. And we should mix in also an interesting position that is being coached by two of the better players at its position in the last 10 to 15 years with Mayo as the head coach still working with the linebackers. Dante Hightower figuring out who he is. Right. Coach working with the linebackers. So that's that's a value. We'll see if that's a positive. I hope it is. I know Hightower was very honest in that like this has been eye opening, you know, jumping into the coaching ranks and like being able to run an hour and a half meeting and not being prepared the first time was like, I don't really have enough enough ready for these guys for an hour and a half meeting. Why don't we take a break? Why don't anybody want coffee? Hey, you guys watching that show the boys on Amazon? No. All right. But I'll say evolving because I do think you're right. The position is evolving. I think they're getting more athletic. I like seeing them get more athletic in an ideal world. And this is going to sound harsh. You're you're more athletic than John Bentley really provides. So that's an evolution at some point probably. But for now, he's your leader. He's your captain. He's your green dot. He is your mainstay. And he's going to probably try to stay that way. What kind of season will we get out of Matthew Judon as he looks for that one final big payday in the NFL? Can Anthony Jennings be the edge-setting runstopper that he was last season in the post Belichick era now under drawd Mayo and Demarcus Covington? What does Cione Taki Taki make of his opportunity taken over for Mac Wilson? And will he shove it up? And he's you know what? Because Andy said he could shove or we could all respectively shove our past coverage numbers. And what about Marte Mappu? Where does he play? Does Josh Uche have a career year setting himself up nicely for free agency next year as well? See lots of questions here in the evolving TBD LB room for your New England Patriots. What do you think Pat fans? Are you bullish on the Patriots line backing core? Do you think it's a work in progress? Are you down on it? Is this something they should have addressed further? Holler at you guys, Fitzy and Hart. I'm at Fitzy GFY. He's at Jumbo Hart and this has been the latest at six rings pod. Thank you guys for listening. I hope you guys enjoyed our Rushmore discussion, the latest chock full of Pat's Peri and of course our off-season positional Patriots preview. We'll be back tomorrow on Wednesday with a what if Wednesday live across all of our respective and the WEI socials. Andy's off next week. I'll have a bunch of Pat's pods for you. So don't you worry. We will keep your football listening tuned in and ready to rock for Fitzy for Turp and everyone else involved in helping put this together. Rather I should say for Hart, I am still Fitzy. I think it's been an hour. It's a lot of talking. It's a lot of moving pieces. We're good now. All right. This has been six rings. Have a great day. Everybody will talk to you tomorrow. Good day. God bless. And as always, Andy can go out for himself and you guys go pets. All star closer. Ken Lee Janssen, we have a question. What's the best podcast of all time? This boy isn't boring, baby. I'm Rob Bradford and every single day I'm sitting down with the biggest names to show you this great game is the greatest game. It's my podcast. It's my passion. It's a cause I started more than two years ago and is now the most prolific national daily baseball pod. There is another fact. So jump aboard the BIB Express. Follow and listen to baseball as I'm boring presented by Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.
