Patriots Offseason Reality Check

Programming Notice And New Co-Host

Michael Marcangelo 0:06

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Missing the Point. I am your host, Michael Marcangelo. And before we get to tonight's show, I do just have to alert you all for a new programming notice. You may have been aware that over the last couple of months, there's been an absence of Bob Kelly and Ray Sean Buchanan. They are no longer going to be on the show as active members in terms of regular guests. They will be on hopefully in the future, whenever they can be. They've been part of Missing the Point and the Sunday Night Sports Rap since 2007. This will always be home for them, but we have to put out a show weekly. And in order to do that, we had to dive into our very deep bench here at Missing the Point. So for tonight's episode, I bring in the former voice of the LaSalle Laser. Is that right? LaSalle LaSalle Lasers. LaSalle Lasers, the former host of the often criticized but never ever trashed Gray Area podcast. Zachary Gray, who's also my best man. Zach, how are you tonight?

SPEAKER_00 1:08

I'm doing well. Thank you. That was a great introduction. Also, former voice of UMass Lowell Athletics as well. I do want to note that not hockey, they take that seriously, so they threw me on all the other stuff. And what else? Little League Baseball for some random games. I'm available for bar mitzvahs if you need me to emcee that as well. But obviously, if you need someone to do a best man speech, I'm your guide too. Because I do want to just put a note out there that I am a new voice on this show. You've guys had a regular rotation, familiar voices, so people are going to hear me and be very unfamiliar. So I just want to set the record straight that I, Zachary Gray, have never slept with an NFL coach for information. So I just want to throw that out there in case there are any trust issues with who this guy is. I've never had sex with an NFL coach.

Michael Marcangelo 1:57

I gotta be honest, I don't believe you. Number one, and number two, that doesn't actually add to the credibility you take away for this program. We would have preferred you sleeping with all the NFL coaches. It's fair enough. It's great to have you, but you are life family to me. And I'm really I'm really just interested to see how this goes. We talk shit, we've been talking shit to each other for how old are you? 34. 35? 35th year. Yeah, so we've been talking shit for uh literally I've been talking to you for 34 years. So this now that we get to record it on this episode, we're gonna take a break from the NBA playoffs. Although I am very happy with what I'm seeing, and I'm sure DK and I, or DK and whoever else is is gonna be pulled from the bench. We'll be talking about that soon, but we haven't really gone into the Patriots offseason. And to say that it's been an interesting off-season might be the understatement of the century. So I figure what we do tonight is obviously just talk a little bit about the expectations, especially with OTA starting of Drake May, talk a little bit about the key additions through free agency, how we feel about the draft. There is a little AJ Brown conversation that needs to be had. And then with the schedule release, we'll we'll talk about that, how he stands, and yeah, maybe we'll talk a little bit about Diana Rossini and Mike Rabel because I do love that shit, and we just haven't had the time to dedicate. Let's just jump into it. Drake

Drake May Year Three Standards

Michael Marcangelo 3:15

May, this is his third year. Obviously, the Patriots are coming off of a Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks. I think from a New England Patriots fan perspective, this is where the expectations have changed dramatically, right? It's no longer about the potential of Drake May and the Newman Patriot offense, it's about whether he can actually continue to be an MVP caliber town. My question to you, based on what we know right now, without talking about any more potential free agent updates, how do you feel going into year three for Drake May? And what do you think, what do we need to see out of him to feel like, okay, this might be the guy?

SPEAKER_00 3:54

Yeah, even show notes before you kind of mentioned Mahomes, the Allen's and Lamar's, but I think the name that really sticks out the most to me is Joe Burrow. He went to a Super Bowl his second year, immense talent, obviously number one overall pick, maybe at number three. But I also kind of see the crappy offensive line, too, and see the parallels there as well. So I am definitely looking for May to hopefully handle and know how to adjust to just really bad offensive line play. Just becoming a smarter quarterback, right? That's really what you want to see because the talent's there. He has the arm strength, he can make his reads for the most part for a second-year quarterback, I should say. But it's not gonna be a perfect pocket every time. He's not gonna be able to scramble and use his legs every time. He's gonna get popped, he's gonna have another concussion, maybe one that's actually recorded this year. So I think I think the thing I'm really looking to the most for him is how is he gonna play when the left side of the line starts to collapse again, which inevitably it will, and whether or not it's because of Will Campbell or whatever else it is, it's it's inevitably inevitably gonna happen. And he's gonna have to adjust and he's gonna have to mature. And that's about that's what you do as a good quarterback in the NFL is maturing and adjusting to the problems, especially ones that your own team makes.

Michael Marcangelo 5:13

How much of what you just said, because I actually agree with you 100%, is because of what we saw in that playoff room and less of what we saw during the regular season.

SPEAKER_00 5:24

In terms of, are you saying in terms of his success?

Michael Marcangelo 5:27

Like the Yeah, the success and his ability to manage a broken down pocket to make the right reads. So you mentioned that too. I think that there was such a significant drop-off between what we saw, the MVP candidate to that terrible postseason.

SPEAKER_00 5:44

Yeah, it was pretty bad. And not to it's not to make excuses for Will Campbell, but we do have to remember he was dealing with an injury in this four games going into that playoff run. Or he had come back just shortly before the playoff run. There is some leeway to give there in terms of a rookie left tackle coming back from uh injury during the season and then going deep into a playoff run, especially one that's a four-game, a four-game playoff run, too. I think we kind of have to give a little slack in that regard, but at the same time, yeah. I I do hope that I do hope that there's some learning there from last postseason and that they got lucky. They did get lucky as well. You have to we have to acknowledge that.

Michael Marcangelo 6:22

Yeah, we got lucky during with Brady too. I never forget the 2012 AFC Championship game when what the Ravens miss a field goal. I mean, yeah, we have no business uh swatting that that that pass down in the end zone, and then obviously we lose to the Giants. This happens. Look, luck. It's better to be lucky than it is to be good, but you keep mentioning Will

Will Campbell And Line Fixes

Michael Marcangelo 6:45

Campbell and his injury. The problem that I have with T-Rex is that his arms have not lengthened since the last time that we saw him. So how much better could he be at left tackle? Or do they make the decision to move him over to guard?

SPEAKER_00 7:02

Yeah, I mean, it it depends what they want to do with their the additions on the O line, right? With Caleb Lomu and Vera Tucker as well, however, they want to arrange those guys on the line and integrate them. From what it sounds like they want to stick to Campbell at left tackle. It they seem dedicated to doing that. And if that's the case, man, he better make sure his technique is going to adapt. You could say, oh, I want my office, everyone wants a huge offensive lineman. The same way everyone wanted a big six foot five quarterback like a Vinny Testaverdi was like quote unquote the perfect size quarterback, perfect build quarterback, right? Everyone wants someone who's built like Joel Alt, but you're not gonna get that. And sometimes the best guys don't produce who are that size. We've seen it here in New England. Like Joe Alt. Like Joe Alt, right? But we see here in New England where there's either undersized guys or players who don't look like they're gonna be star caliber players and they end up winning Super Bowl MVP like Julian Edelman. I yes, the T-Rex comment, sure. It's easy to point out, but if he can get his technique going and adapt, I said make that second year jump and adapt to offensive line play in the NFL as opposed to in college, then I'm okay with it. And especially I think the other aspect you gotta consider too is you have a you have him in that left tackle of his rookie season, and you want him to get acclimated with the position, and he's spending a full year learning the playbook at that position, which I'm sure it's not too difficult to switch to left guard, but what do I know? I'm just some schmuck. But you're getting him acclimated, you're coaching him for that position. I'm sure year two, you want to stick him there and keep him there and have him keep developing. So now you're just gonna switch him to left guard or inside the line because he had some bad games off an injury. That probably doesn't do anything for his confidence. And if you do believe in the guy, then I would just leave him there.

Michael Marcangelo 8:57

Okay, I hear what you're saying, but are you just saying that because they spent a top five pick on him? Let me ask you this question. If he was the number 27 overall pick, would you have sit just said what you just said about Will Campbell? Or you say, fuck it, let's maybe get somebody in there at left tackle who doesn't remind you of the last person to reach for his wallet when the check fucking comes.

SPEAKER_00 9:18

No, I would say the same thing. I think number three, twenty-three, thirty-three, whatever, he played well for most of the season. He wasn't a stud, and but he played fine. And if he they if they think he's this talent and they think he's gonna be a worthy left tackle for this team, then I'm fine giving it another year and a half to to prove it. But if he goes out, starts a season and sucks like he did in the postseason in Super Bowl, then you're really gonna have to start making adjustments or really looking elsewhere.

Michael Marcangelo 9:48

Yeah, it's never a bad thing to keep more offensive linemen on the roster, especially we know that that that that position is injury prone because it's I would say the most wear and tear on you throughout the course of the season. And

Post-Brady Support And Super Bowl Hangover

Michael Marcangelo 10:00

despite my inclination to always be negative on the Patriots, we do need to have just the conversation of is in your opinion, is this the best infrastructure that a young Patriots quarterback has had post-Frady? Meaning, would you rather have this team that you currently have on paper right now? Or do you think that's better than the 2021 team that Mac Jones had?

SPEAKER_00 10:27

So basically, would you rather have if you're a quarterback, would you rather be on this team or the Mac Jones rookie season? Yeah, yeah. Probably this team, right? Between are we including coach?

Michael Marcangelo 10:40

Yeah, we're including coach. Okay. Then it's then it's obvious then. This coach doesn't hate the quarterback. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:46

Right. That's really a big part, is and if it was if it was Belichick 20 years prior, then I'm going whatever I'd even take.

Michael Marcangelo 10:54

Well, just the year prior when he when he was just filleting Cam Newton because he had him for a bag of fucking golf balls.

SPEAKER_00 11:00

Right. So I yeah, I would say if if it was a younger Bill Belichick, then maybe, but you know, regardless of the roster, but no, it would be this roster for this team, this setup, everything. It's moving forward. You can you can see it's there, and you can see that they the they they said the expectation about winning championships and all that crap and the alt uh interviews and press conferences and hype videos before last season. I'm sure they believe it. I'm sure they have those goals. I just no one thinks no one thought they were gonna do it the first year. No one, not even them. So it's a good start, but I do certainly worry about whether it's it's they're gonna have a huge Super Bowl hangover and by Super Bowl hangover, the bad one, the losing bad hangover. Because the winning the winning one, you can come back, whatever you messy, you're fine. But even the Bengals, like I mentioned earlier, what have they done since they went to that one Super Bowl?

Michael Marcangelo 11:52

They consistently get their quarterback hurt, you get turf tip and all the other shit that he got. However, I would just argue that the Bengals in that Super Bowl and the year after, they didn't try and solidify their line or their defense. They just thought we're just gonna run it back with Jamar and T'Ayggins. And it yeah, no, and I do think Tyler Boyd, who the fuck was the their third wide receiver.

SPEAKER_00 12:16

I so I do think that it is it is good, like I mentioned. Vera Tucker and Lomo adding into the squad is definitely a is definitely a boost how it pans out to be seen. But yeah, it's it's it I think they're definitely in a better place than say the Bengals were so far. There's still more to go to the offseason. We haven't touched it. I know we're getting the AJ Brown conversation, we'll get there when that gets there. But so far it's okay. We're kind of waiting for more pieces to fall into place. We're kind of waiting to see if they're gonna do a

Receiver Dominoes Around The League

SPEAKER_00 12:50

little more. Maybe Steph Diggs comes back, who knows? But overall, it's we're at an okay place right now. I think he's going to Kansas City. You think so?

Michael Marcangelo 13:00

Uh Rashid. Do you know something I don't? Rasheed Rice needs to take a fucking Uber for the rest of his life and maybe just not smoke pot before drug test. Okay. That's so he's gonna be in jail for 30 days. He's gonna miss some time in the regular season. He's been he had a great rookie year and has failed to live up to it the last two years. I think they're gonna get Tyree killed too, but I don't know when Tyreek's gonna come back. So why would the Chiefs have done what the Patriots have done over the last couple of years and just brought in a D Hop or Juju Smith Schuster, right? Or Hollywood Brown. So Steph Diggs, a year after Tear and his ACL put up a thousand yards for a team that wasn't expected to do anything, what does he do with Mahomes?

SPEAKER_00 13:48

Depends because Mahomes coming off a terrariated ACL this year or 20 ACL. He'll be there week one. I'm sure no, he will, but is he gonna be the same Mahomes running around like the dozen previous years?

Michael Marcangelo 13:59

Hope not. I don't I think if he learns, if he makes the transition from the Mahomes style, like Josh Allen style, into a here's a throwback, like a Steve McNair style when he was with the Ravens, when he could still get away, but it's not even his third thing that he's thinking to doing. He's just gonna rely on his arm. I think we could this could be a major problem for the NFL. I do uh and I would also just say Brady was the most mobile quarterback I've ever seen in the pocket, and he couldn't run a faster 40-yard dash than I could. Yep. So there are ways to be deceptive, and I just think Dais is so good, and he's got so many children that he needs to pay for that he's gonna produce every single fucking year. Yeah, give him a one-year $12 million deal. See what he does. When you say you're gonna produce every year, do you mean on the field or off on, doesn't matter. He's gonna need that money. Yeah, so I worry about that. I I really do. And I also think this is gonna branch out to a different topic, so I'll rein it back in. But it didn't work out with the Bears, but I think Keenan Allen on the Chiefs would be scared. That would be he's reliable.

SPEAKER_00 15:10

That would be yeah. To me, that feels like a better fit just from the one year with Diggs here. He not that Kansas City can't handle a personality or locker room type guy. They have Tyree Kill. And all the look at what Rasheed Rice just did. And Kareem Hunt. And Kareem Hunt, right? They've had their fair share of characters and off the field. Hell, even their tight ends getting married to one of the most famous women in the world.

Michael Marcangelo 15:34

They I think just for the sanctity of my marriage, I need to just to clarify that she's not one of the most famous women. I would say she is the most famous woman in the world. But go ahead.

SPEAKER_00 15:44

I would argue married. So the point being though, is I don't think they could not handle Steph Diggs. But like you said, I think Keenan Allen has definitely been just so reliable, so consistent. For the one year that he was in when he wasn't on the Chargers. Yeah, and every time I draft him on my fantasy team, too, but that's another story. Yeah, and it's also the Bears. There wasn't like last year's iteration of the Bears he was with Ben Johnson and Ben Johnson.

Michael Marcangelo 16:13

I think that would have been that would have been dumb. I think it would have been so dumb with him on that team.

SPEAKER_00 16:16

Yeah, they he would have actually performed if he was with the Ben Johnson Bears. Yeah, totally different setup. But yeah, him him in Kansas City with Andy Reid. Yeah, it it makes that would make more sense to me than Steph Diggs. But I don't know. You've seen all the stuff on Instagram with him commenting about uh coming back or insinuating or some of the other guys, what is it? Kyle Williams was gonna change his number and now he's not, which is more of he probably found out that you have to pay a fee in order to change your number, so he's never mind. But I don't know. I mean, would it be nice? Sure. I don't know. Do you want Steph Diggs back? Oh, are you saying that we get Steph Diggs and we don't get AJ Brown? And I guess that's the that's the outlier, that's the decider there, right? Is all about what happens with AJ Brown.

AJ Brown Versus Steph Diggs

Michael Marcangelo 17:00

Because I would rather have a younger, taller, stronger, and faster wide receiver who has more upside, but I do think is a bigger risk. I think AJ Brown is a bigger risk. But yeah, I'd rather have AJ Brown. And you can't have AJ, Steph Diggs, and Romeo Dobbs. I mean just based on what you paid Romeo Dobbs. And why do you say he's a bigger risk? Because we see what happens when he gets disinterested on the field. And I think that last year was a clear cut example of a guy that isn't yet 30, and as a wide receiver, when you're under the age of 30, you think you're gonna be playing forever. So that your on-field antics are still kind of ratcheted up. Like you're reading fucking books on the sideline, you're not going over the middle. He was a little like Randy Moss that year that he played for the Patriots, the Vikings, and the Titans, right? So I don't know what he's gonna do. I do believe that Steph Diggs is gonna give you everything until the wheels fall off again because he already lost a year a year of his career and the children. I just think AJ Brown has more talent. If you just compare it, what's left in the tank? I think Steph Diggs has had a hell of a career, but AJ Brown loves Rabel. Rabel loves him. And I think with May, he's the perfect compliment.

SPEAKER_00 18:18

And they haven't like there was there anything negative reported about AJ Brown's time in Tennessee before he got traded. I don't remember there being any sort of headlines with either on-field, off-field drama, like any stuff with the team at all. From what I remember, everything seemed pretty chill.

Michael Marcangelo 18:33

Yeah, everything, and that's because one of his advocates was the head coach, and I think that move is what catapulted for able to fight for more power to be like the head coach at the GMO with the Belichick thing. And then I'm sure his boat rides was what got him kicked out of Tennessee. But again, in the totality of their careers, I would say Steph Stiggs has been a so far more on the field, or it could be more of a disruption, but that's just because he's three years old.

SPEAKER_00 19:00

Yeah, for sure. And yeah, I agree. I think if you're gonna pick between the two or who you want, it's gotta be AJ Brown, man. It's gotta be like you you can't like you said, the size, you just the talent, the youth, youth comparatively, but I'm not worried. I am not worried at all about any of the on off field or on field the drama crap. It's Philadelphia, Nick Siriani. They won a Super Bowl two years ago. They're a very talented, good team, and yet somehow they get treated or act like a complete circus. It's in it is incredible how Philadelphia as a city, as a sports town, everything, just everything around those teams is just a complete clusterfuck all the time. And I again they won the Super Bowl two years ago. Like and they were in it the two years before that. Yes. How is like how is a team that's talented, that good, just such a clusterfuck? It doesn't make any sense to me. So I don't know. And they were calling for Siriani's head the year before they won the Super Bowl, and then then they go ahead and win the whole thing. So yeah, I I don't put much stock into that. I know it's I think a lot of character shows and how people handle certain situations. I get it, but not everyone's like a Larry Fitzgerald, where you're just on a terrible franchise your entire life, but you just go out and be one of the best receivers of all time. That's just not gonna happen. Sorry, football, like the NFL is entertainment. I know it's like we love sports for our teams and players and all that, but like it's entertainment, like the entertainers, they know it, they're getting paid to entertain. So he's gonna do some dumb shit sometimes, and like especially in Philadelphia. If I was stuck in that freaking city, I would do the same thing. It's fine. Like, I think he'd be fine in New England, I think he'd be fine, especially being back with very ball and a team that just wants to be professional in a fan base that gives a shit and is not gonna act like a bunch of buffoons.

Michael Marcangelo 20:53

I agree with you again, which is uncomfortable, but I will say, I just want to knit this in the butt if you this becomes a regular occurrence that you and I are talking about the New England Patriots and the fan base. Um we are, they are, we are the New England Patriot fan base, are the biggest bunch of fucking pussies that I've I've ever seen. And I I said this, not that worked, I I would have got kicked out of college, but I said this on the air in 2007. We became the Yankee fan base. We looked down on everybody else. Everybody, I mean you saw what happened. We went through, and DK Sizzle will attest this. We went through three or four years of mediocrity. And that place was empty. Philly shows up regardless of whether they suck or not. They throw fucking batteries at Santa Claus. So I just want to pump the brakes here and that we're a professional fan base that aren't buffoons. I think I think a few more years of losing would have helped the fan base to come back to reality. I'm glad that they didn't keep losing for all that time because I am a fan of this football team. But I don't love Patriot fans. I had a lot of Patriot fans for.

SPEAKER_00 22:00

very long time. Oh, I am in no way. Me listen, I'm I me saying that the Philadelphia fans are terrible doesn't mean I'm saying that the Boston fans are good or the New England fans are.

Michael Marcangelo 22:13

Well you did you piggybacked it by saying like fan base that's not full of buffoons.

SPEAKER_00 22:18

I just say we might I would say it would be like a strong 47% buffoonery, maybe even like 58% buffoonery in Boston, which is probably more of 85 than 90% in Philly.

Michael Marcangelo 22:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 22:34

Fair. So it it's it's just a little less. So it's not I'm not blowing smoke out my ass about the about the New England fan base and how great they are. It's not like the how St. Louis Cardinal fans look at themselves.

Michael Marcangelo 22:49

So I'm not it's not that Midwest in law so I'm not gonna touch

Trade Price And How Likely

Michael Marcangelo 22:54

that.

SPEAKER_00 22:54

So I think what I want to ask you is if they trade for AJ Brent is a first round pick too much no I don't think do you think anyone else is offering a first round thing maybe I'm sure there's a a team out there that would I could see I don't know if there are that actually do it but I could see like a team like the LA Rams doing it. We've seen them give up all their draft picks for players.

Michael Marcangelo 23:24

I would chew glass if they got AJ Brown if they if Puka got his life straightened out and came back and then they have Devontae Adams as a number three wide receiver. I would literally chew glass.

SPEAKER_00 23:34

Yeah you have to do in the next show we're on I yeah I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility I I think people put a lot of value into first round picks a little more than they should unless it really does depend on the draft class and how desperate the team is and everyone's team's needs are very different. Yeah I I don't think a first round pick is crazy. I think if you do multiple first round picks you're out of your mind but no like a first round pick and a late round pick I don't think that's crazy and I think you're Philadelphia I think that's a good return to as well he's a 30 year old rather he's almost almost 30 right it's in his 30th year yeah yep so a wide receiver in his 30th year of existence on this planet yes I think that's a fair trade off for both sides there.

Michael Marcangelo 24:21

And listen if you're telling me that the first round pick that we give to Philly turns out it's Cole strange yeah fuck yeah I would give five of those. All right well if Cole strange is supposed to be like a fourth round pick is it's is it DK Metcalf then I I don't know. But I or it could be not it could be Nikhil Harry. Which is the Cole Strange wide receiver equivalent. Right. So I'm all for it. The only problem that I have I I wonder if you feel the same way since the draft it's been predetermined that AJ Brown was coming to the Patriots. It's almost like they're telling the world that it's happening so that they could increase what we're gonna have to pay. What we learned from the Max Crosby trade is that even when a trade is done it's not really done in the NFL so how confident are you that we actually land AJ Brown on June 1st or in the early part of June? Not confident at all.

SPEAKER_00 25:12

No I I I have no confidence in this actually happening now. The name we I brought up earlier Larry Fitzgerald like that was name tied to the Patriots for Bill was the GM and Bill would was offering like two sevens and a fucking boat in Nantucket. But again like that was a name that was forever tied with a coming to the Patriots and that just never happened and we kept hearing that year after year. So was Ochocinko and he came he saw nothing yes he came right at the very end and he was horrible so it did nothing he he led the receivers in receiving the Super Bowl but it's fine.

Michael Marcangelo 25:43

Again not great.

SPEAKER_00 25:46

One catch yep so I have no faith in it actually happening. It's sh every I think because of how out there it is because of all the rumors and all the chatter and everything going out there I'm just expecting it not to happen. And like I said just get ready for the LA Rams to just come out of nowhere and just throw it out there. Something like that.

Michael Marcangelo 26:07

That's my expectation just some wildcard teams just gonna I don't throw the bag out there I don't love that you threw the LA Rams out there because I could definitely see that happening.

SPEAKER_00 26:16

If we do get him are we the favorite in the AFC you know what I'm not gonna hold it because it's too early should they be considered the favorite in the AFC all things considered they should be right the when it comes down to it they are the defending AFC champions so just in that regard itself you should be the favorites also mighty Jar Jarrett Stedham good for us. And that's that's obviously the asterisk there is the playoff run who you beat it's it should be the expectation they should be but you're always gonna have the Chiefs you're always gonna have even the Broncos again if they're healthy yeah they could make another run at it but we'll see what happens I'm just trying to pull up the the exact the Super Bowl odds here just to see who the favorite you know the Bills.

Michael Marcangelo 27:08

So it's right up the Bills and Ravens are both plus plus a thousand 10 to 1 odds to to win the Super Bowl and then the Chiefs well the Ravens have never met a lead that they don't love giving up and Lamar Jackson has never met a playoff game that isn't like fucking up so I'll never worry about him.

SPEAKER_00 27:21

Right and then the Chiefs Chiefs are plus 1500 and then the Patriots come in right after them at plus sixteen hundred to win the Super Bowl never I look at it from a betting perspective having worked in the betting industry that I think that sounds about right but like you said if they get AJ Brown if these the additions work out in terms of like you mentioned Romeo Jobs the offensive line support as well then it should work out and they should be the favorites they should be right back at least in the AFC championship. I do think I would say after last year and the improvements they've made I think not reaching the AFC championship would be a disappointment.

Michael Marcangelo 27:59

Oh that's a hell of a take on it am I wrong? Probably but I'm it's too early to tell I think so why would that be wrong? A team that goes to the Super Bowl and on on the second easiest schedule in the last 35 years. Yes I think but you're gonna say you can only play the you play and they would have control over that. I understand all of that the end of the end of the day though CJ Shroud had the worst performance I've ever seen from a from an NFL quarterback when they came against us you beat Justin Herbert in the playoffs so you and every other team that's ever played him in the playoffs did the same thing. Yep and Jared Stidham so yeah listen I think that the Patriots are on the up and up 100% yeah for sure I think the problem with making the Super Bowl last year is you get an overinflated self self sense of worth yeah I think I said that but you saw what happened in the Super Bowl what what the Seahawks did to us tells us exactly where we were and where we are we are a team that should that will beat all the bad teams and that's and then if you do that anything can fucking happen. So I would say if the Patriots don't make the divisional round yeah it's a disappointment if everybody's the AFC title game I don't know man I'll you if mahomes is back if Bo Knicks is playing the same way and I hate I fucking hate Bo Knicks and I hate I I hate that head coach too but this the AFC has some dogs and that's not even talking about Jill Burr and the point about Mahomes too like the Chiefs were very bad even when he was healthy.

SPEAKER_00 29:40

They were not playing well they were still projected to miss the playoffs before he tore his ACL. Now I know they they added Kenneth Walker and they're obviously gonna probably add Steph Diggs as you said or maybe someone else but Tyreek Tyreek will be a chief so they're gonna improve their team of course but again they weren't doing well last year. And I'm not gonna I'm not saying that they're going to miss the playoffs again but the schedule's gonna be easier it will be easier for sure but it's you're gonna have a good quarterback recovering from a torn ACL and a team that just again wasn't good when their star quarterback was healthy and they had all their pieces and Kelsey's coming back again and who knows how he's gonna look too is he even going to be a true number one tight end like how is how interested he's is he gonna be how there's a lot of there's a lot of questions for the Chiefs and that was a team that we kind of thought would be really just a a no-doubter every single year. And I think after last year it showed like you have a there's a lot of questions to be had and let me tough to say and just like a last point on it like it's it's tough to really I don't compare them to the Patriots because the Patriots had the easiest division in for 20 years. They actually have a competitive division outside of Las Vegas having the chargers having like it's fucking chunk yeah or having and having Denver too like that's an actual good division so yes like it's realistic they could miss the playoffs just naturally from the competition there but but they did take a step back last year.

Michael Marcangelo 31:15

Yes I agree again however what I would say is would you rather play a 14-3 team in the first or the divisional game of the playoffs led by Lamar Jackson or would you rather play a fucking 9-8 team led by Patrick Mahomes because I tell you what I would never want to fucking play Mahomes in the playoffs I don't I don't want without Brady I just don't want to do it.

SPEAKER_00 31:41

Yeah no it's a fair take for sure but again they didn't really scare anyone during the regular season last year and then they fell apart.

Michael Marcangelo 31:49

So I just think we could be in in the midst of a revenge tournament I remember when Brady Torres ACL he comes back they win 10 games again fucking clobbered by Baltimore and Ray Rice. And then the next season he had an MVP season so it could take a little while but I just don't ever trust the Chargers don't I ever trust a team whose quarterback is justin Justin fucking Herbert. I can't

Draft Strategy And Trenches First

Michael Marcangelo 32:14

we've covered AJ Brown draft I kind of want to spend just a couple minutes on because I've heard both sides of the spectrum here I've heard people say this draft was clearly about sustaining the championship window around May. And I've heard others say they just threw bodies right we don't know how these picks are going to turn out they use what six five or six of their seven picks what do you think about KaylaMuh gave is it Jacus or how do you say his last name the edge rusher from Illinois Jacus sure yeah yeah we'll do that it's JCS for those that are eager to correct me how do you feel about the draft do you think that they did what they're the what they were supposed to do in the draft yeah I didn't look at any of the picks and wonder what the hell they were doing I did because they didn't draft a wide receiver because they're under the assumption that they're going to get AJ fucking Brown and that could backfire.

SPEAKER_00 33:08

Yeah but I also don't think you need I don't I really don't think they need to go and draft it'd be great to have AJ Brown it'd be great to you know get Steph Diggs back and all that but the wide receiver core wasn't anything crazy spectacular last year and they're fine Drake May was fine with them. Again I look at offensive line to me is the it will always football always begins and ends with offensive line and Super Bowl showed it and it got to a point where it was just unbearable to watch because of offensive line play. So T Rex I T-Rex. So if they can go ahead and get some big bag of milk looking offensive tackle from Utah then yes go ahead and do that and then throw those bodies up there it again it's it seems like they're gonna leave Campbell a left tackle I'm fine again I'm fine with what's you have to you have he spent he was what the fourth overall pick right Campbell was third overall. Yeah yeah I was pulling up the Lomo stats here yeah he's six foot six three hundred and thirteen pounds so that's huge yeah he's huge so yes I'm fine with I'm fine with that I get some protection for for May they also not that I'm really putting much stock into six round picks but Demetrius crown over the offensive tackle from AM six foot seven three nineteen love that 35 and 38 inch arm length just huge a big body even if they rotate this guy in as a swing a swing tackle for third down plays I'm cool with that I think they're just building up they're building up guys for clearly their offense right even look at what was who's the name the guy there that the defensive tackle would come in and play fullback once in a while there Tonga yes tires so you look at how they integrate a guy like Tonga into their offense for certain plays and if they can do that with true offensive linemen and really kind of develop their offensive game game plan and with these big body guys and maybe really integr I believe they they gotten a fullback or are looking more to integrate a fullback into their system too. So yeah so I'm cool with it. I'm cool with just getting these big body guys to go up front and protect me and create holes for the running backs and keep it pushing from there. I'm not I'm fine with not getting a wide out it doesn't bother me especially getting Romeo because they got Romeo Dobbs and their wide receiver core is fine. It's yes AJ Brown I know AJ Brown the expectations get AJ Brown is Romeo Dobbs a number one wide receiver Zach for the depth chart right now sure that's all I asked you said is he a number one yeah an actual number one so he is literally a number one but no he's listed as a number one yes he's he is listed yes he is listed as a number one ride receiver so that answers one part of the question if you want me my opinion of if he is a number one ride receiver probably not he's not a stud superstar but but look he was a solid guy in Green Bay he just went out made plays didn't put he didn't put up he didn't put up massive fantasy numbers but he he wears a crash helmet he gets injured all the time so the guy cares about his brain so that tells me he cares about football he cares about being on the field so we're the crash helmet he can't do that he can't do it he's injured there's not been one year where he has not missed games has he missed the Super Bowl every year never been in one so I would say yeah every fucking year well I agree they bought they got they brought in the big bodies because Morgan Moses is on the last year of his contract he's older and they want to figure out if they can get if one of these guys can play right tackle as as long as they don't have to play left tackles care with you.

Michael Marcangelo 37:03

The fullback cool like whatever it just feels to me what they're putting all of their eggs into the AJ Brown basket not to beat this fucking dead horse here beat it baby but if it if they don't get him now they and they don't get digs they've now replaced digs with Romeo Dobbs and I'd rather have a 32 year old Stefan Diggs in there.

SPEAKER_00 37:29

Yeah I'm not saying again I'm not saying this in the in terms of the old patriot obnoxious fan who and Bill we trust all this guy's gonna be great but I don't look at it as much of a drop off between going from Diggs coming off an ACL and all that to Romeo Dobbs. It's really not that have you have you have you ever seen you know what I it's I know it's a very stupid statement by me. I am fully aware by how dumb I mean I'm here for it but but for the yeah but again I it's there were there was realistically one game last year where Stefan Diggs was just absolutely lighting up the field and that was in Buffalo a revenge game. Yeah he was gonna go off but he was a solid player the rest of the year I know he was a great locker room presence if you want to go about like that then sure yes you're gonna lose a guy who was immensely popular with his teammates and if that's like a big thing that you want to put your stock into a fair player then yes absolutely then if you want to just rate it based on that then yes I'd rather have Steph Diggs as a locker room presence than Romeo Dobbs. But again Steph Diggs had one massive game last year that you said this guy's playing like a number one wide receiver and it was only because he played his former team in Buffalo. Otherwise he was a solid guy all year he made catches he made plays he did have some standout plays where I'm like holy shit this guy's still incredible. But it's not like he was putting up these crazy wide receiver one numbers so I'm fine with a spread offense with all these guys getting the ball but again I'm not saying that I don't want AJ Brown. That would be lovely that would be great but I'm again if we're just strictly saying that AJ Brown's not going to be an option and you're saying Steph diggs the Romeo Dobbs it's really not that different to me.

Michael Marcangelo 39:12

Okay because she said that and then you double down on it and go on here's what we're gonna here's what we're gonna have to do. Okay. Okay. So Stefan digs last year again one year after coming off of an ACL and his only year with Newman Patriots 85 catches a thousand yards four touchdowns okay okay statistically not even one of his top five seasons now again he's 32 soon to be 33. Romeo Dobbs had his best year last year 55 catches 724 yards six touchdowns I don't know Zach it feels like he has a higher touchdown percentage thank you he has higher touchdown you weren't gonna say that okay sorry he has more touchdowns yeah for sure on less catches what you're saying is he's more likely to catch a touchdown than Steph Diggs what I'm saying is that in 55 tries 55 attempts he caught 55 balls and six of those were for touchdowns seven his average was 13 yards a catch so against Steph Diggs whose average was 12 yards a catch but if you're talking about you want someone that can spread around the ball and spread around the offense and not just be a number one ball hawk doesn't isn't the argument that Steph Diggs did that last year with higher volume with more yards he was a more of a safety blanket for a young quarterback than Romeo Dobbs was for his young quarterback yeah you could make that argument.

SPEAKER_00 40:56

I just did so what would you say to it I would also say that I think Drake May this kind of ties back to Drake May's year three development as well I think you have the rookie season you have your second year where you reach the Super Bowl and you're getting acclimated with the offense and Josh McDaniels and excuse me and I think this is part of that year three leap where you're not necessarily going to be having your safety blanket like we've talked about so I I don't want to put all my if I were the Patriots I wouldn't want to put all my eggs into Drake May the Drake May basket and rely on him for everything here but I think at the same time it's the ex for a quarter for a number three overall pick quarterback and you're a franchise guy and MVP runner up I don't think having to rely on Steph Diggs should be the option.

Michael Marcangelo 41:55

I agree it should be AJ Brown but what I'm just saying it just feels to me like in a year where you now you have higher expectations your schedule is going to be exponentially harder which we're gonna talk about next you don't necessarily downgrade your number one wide receiver and just say we're gonna have four number twos and that's the way that we're gonna win because that doesn't usually translate to winning the schedule was released by tradition by every traditional NFL metric which is combined upon a winning percentage from the previous season the New England Patriots have either the fourth hardest or the sixth hardest schedule and we'll call it the fifth and the hardest first 10 games in the last 30 years. The winning

Brutal Schedule Odds And Rest Edge

Michael Marcangelo 42:39

percentage based on last year's that is now 531 when you compare that to their schedule last year it was 391 do you now that you've already mentioned that you it you'd be disappointed it would be a disappointment if the Patriots are not in the AFC tech the Patriots go against the AFC West this year. So we have the Chiefs your your chargers your broncos and then it's the wait why are they my chargers and my broncos because you said oh the NFC West they have such a hard hard division I never claimed them but okay I'm just saying they're not mine. The Broncos have been good for two years the chargers have sucked for every year. The NFC North the Lions the Packers the Vikings the Bears how can you look at this schedule and say you know what they it would be a disappointment if they're not in the AFC alleging if they make the playoffs then if anything goes at that point.

SPEAKER_00 43:40

Right? Yeah put it this way do you expect them to make the playoffs? If everybody's healthy, yes. Okay. So I think once they get to the playoffs they should win two games. I understand like they might not even win the AFC East. That maybe not but I don't fear Buffalo. I don't know if I should. I don't fear the I don't fear Buffalo either. But I think that you could have you could slip up the same way Buffalo did in a few games, and then all of a sudden the Bills win the division either by a tiebreaker or by one game. It could very much happen, but then you have Josh Allen crap his pants again in the playoffs. But it as long as the Patriots make the playoffs, I think the expectation should be to make the AFC Championship. Yes, I fullheartedly agree, and I fully acknowledge that yes, it's a tough schedule, and it's going to be a tough schedule. But even just so opening up against what the Seahawks on why is it Wednesday night football? Do we know did they ever explain that? Why they're doing that Wednesday, September 9th.

Michael Marcangelo 44:46

The NFL wants to do more midweek games based on the ratings that they got last year. It's so stupid. Anyway. Whatever. They have a full week. Um, as opposed to that weird November Wednesday, and then they play Thursday, and then they play Friday for Black Friday. It's weird.

SPEAKER_00 45:19

So yeah, annoying. Is what it is. I digress. Do you know what the Patriots over under for Winses set at? Well, I know that they're favored in 10 games. Yeah. So ten and a half.

unknown 45:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:33

Ten and a half is what they're at. Which the To me sounds right. Ten or eleven wins sounds exactly where they should be. And despite the fact that they do have a tough schedule, I think it makes sense.

Michael Marcangelo 45:44

Look, like I do, I do think Vegas is hedging their bets because of those ten games that they're projected to win, none of those games are with a three-pointer less spread. That's that that's hedging. That is the ultimate epitome of hedging. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:00

No, it absolutely is. It's a yes, it's a tough schedule on paper. Do we so when you pulled up or the the last year, you said the last year's schedule was about uh 391. Was that after the is that by the end of the season or was that going into 2025? That was going in. That was going into it?

Michael Marcangelo 46:20

Yeah. Okay. Yeah, the Patriots walking into last year had they said it was like the second or the third easiest schedule in the last 35 years.

SPEAKER_00 46:28

So I didn't so I didn't know if it was 391 by the end of the year, what the teams they played like, how their schedule was from that season.

Michael Marcangelo 46:35

But the way the way that the ESPN article read, so I'll put all the blame on them, is it said it's a huge jump from 2025 when the New England Patriots had one of the easiest schedules going into it for comparison. In 2025, their strength of schedule was about 391 winning percentage. So I'm assuming that this is based off of the same time. Okay. Could be wrong.

SPEAKER_00 46:52

No, it if that's how it reads, that makes sense to me then. Yeah, there's definitely games on the schedule that you're good, you can just look at them and be like, yeah, they're absolutely gonna smoke opening at Seattle. There's that's just dude, yeah. After that Super Bowl and all that, that is just gonna be a very bad game. But there's a bunch on here too that I'm just not they're playing the Steelers at home again. Yeah, fuck Darren Argus. You're right, they'll win that one again. In Jacksonville, I know Jacksonville played well last year. I don't believe in Jacksonville. Could go either way. At the Bills, who knows? Raiders are horrible.

Michael Marcangelo 47:26

We're gonna split, we're gonna split the Bills. But the thing here is like what bad team are they gonna lose to this year? Because it is, I mean we beat the if we beat the Raiders in week one last year, we are the number one seed in the AFC.

SPEAKER_00 47:37

Yeah. But like, all right, so you're saying what bad team they're gonna lose to. If they lose in Los Angeles against the Chargers, do you think that's the bad team they're losing against?

Michael Marcangelo 47:46

I do, but the because I think Justin Herbert is a fraud. I think that he always has been, he always will be. But I would think the national take would be where that's a good team. Now, if they what week is that?

SPEAKER_00 48:00

That is going to be week whatever November 29th is.

Michael Marcangelo 48:04

All right. So, but if by that point the Chargers are a three-win team and we lose, yeah, that's a bad loss regardless. But if if they have seven wins already and they lose, I would still be like, you can't lose to a team with Justin Herbert as a quarterback. You just can't.

SPEAKER_00 48:16

No. No. And but again, like I I don't look at the schedule as anything. It's a tough schedule, but it's not crazy. It's not like over the top, like, oh shit. The first ten games are they are they though? Like you have the you have the Raiders and the Jets and the Dolphins. Is it really that bad?

Michael Marcangelo 48:39

Is it and well, and also that five out of the first six games you're away.

SPEAKER_00 48:44

See that all right, so that part of it I do agree. The number of road games off the bat is tough. But it is nice to see that they're playing Miami in November and not in September, because those early Miami games are brutal.

Michael Marcangelo 48:56

That's one of the that's the only game that we're predicted to win in double double digits, by the way. Which is incredible. That's actually incredible. Uh we're only there is only one game on the schedule that currently the pictures are a double-digit favorite, and that's week 18 versus Miami. They assume that, which everyone does, that Miami's gonna be in full fucking tank mode to go get one of the four great quarterbacks. Everyone's pretty already. I can't even say I can't say what I want to say, but I was yeah, that we're gonna beat shit out of them and and week 18.

SPEAKER_00 49:26

Love that. And then there's another aspect of the schedule, too, that I had sent you prior to the show, which which is I heard this, I forget where I originally heard this, but it's pretty interesting. It's net rest differential. This is from a Yahoo Sports. So what they net rest differential is basically your head-to-head, what your number of rest days is against another team. So say if the Pats are that's a Sunday game and they're going against a team that had a Thursday night game, so they had extended days off, and they had a regular game, that'd be a negative three-day rest differential, wherever the hell the difference is there. So it's basically what advantage they have against these different teams. So the team that has the best net rest differential, so they're getting more rest days than their opponents, is the Chicago Bears, number one. They have a plus 15. The Patriots are tied for fifth at plus eight and a half with how the schedule is so far. I don't know how a half works.

Michael Marcangelo 50:24

That's interesting, but I think it's interesting that the Bears have the highest net rest differential, but they also have the hardest schedule. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 50:32

Yeah, so I I do think the oh, and also I should note the the worst one, so it goes down. It's pretty it's pretty spread out. It's like one, one and a half, three, five, six, nine, and then it's Eagles Chargers, negative 15 charges minus 24. So I I think there's something to your theory that the chargers suck and you hate Herbert and all that. They might have a surprisingly bad year given everything adding up there. But wouldn't it be a surprise to me? But with but I thought the rest differential was very interesting that yes, the Pats have a they have a tough schedule, they're gonna have the run-of-away games, but they're technically getting more rest than their opponents, so they should be at least a little more prepared, which I think is what should surprise people. Do I put that much stock into it? Not really, but I still found it to be a very interesting look at the schedule and especially with the they make a big deal with the schedule release on social media, and they do all these videos, and everyone looks at it, and this and that, even though you already know who your opponents are the day after the season ends. But seeing the order of games and where they're playing, it adds another element to it. Oh, and the game in Germany, too. We have to kind of consider there as well.

Michael Marcangelo 51:43

It could be in we have to redeem ourselves from what we did to those poor German fans two years ago. Yeah, three years ago. It was awful. And it's one of the worst games against the cults. I've never seen anything like that. No, but there's the there does seem to be a correlation here. The top five hardest scheduled teams four of the top five have the have the best net rest differential. Yep. So I think everything in the NFL is rigged, by the way. Before it happens on the field, even sometimes on the field. So I think this is a way of it balancing itself out. Yeah, the Bears are gonna have the hardest schedule, however, they're gonna have the best rest net rest differential. The Cowboys have the second hardest schedule and the third best net rest differential. But I think it does work out.

SPEAKER_00 52:30

Yeah, it there does bounce out. I I don't think it's just gonna be completely just getting shit pumped left to right on on there. Again, I could see 10 wins and making the playoffs as a wild card. And again, my like I said, my expectation would be to make the AFC championship. I there's some tough teams on there, but there's also teams that I know there's like excuse me, the NFC North has some big names they'd be playing, like the Lions, but they've been falling off. They look like they're losing the Dan Campbell juice, the Viking. Well, that yeah, that as well. Packers, hey, Romeo Dobbs could have a big game against them. Who knows? Uh and then the Vikings, they don't know what their quarterback situation is. That's a complete joke, as well. So I think the AFC West teams will be the biggest challenge here on the schedule. Those are the games I'm really looking at, specifically Denver and Kansas City. Otherwise, the rest of the schedule is just you're gonna have some good teams on paper and the Bears a fun game.

Michael Marcangelo 53:31

The Bears will be a fun fun game. Yeah, that one's yeah, so D DK Sizzle is a huge Bears fan. I think Caleb has I think he showed a lot of growth. I think Ben Johnson figured out that fucking offense. I think they could be a real force to be reckon with. And the comparison between Drake and Caleb, I I love that. I do this could be an extended RG RG3 versus Andrew. Look, we only got that for a year. We could have this, I hope, for 10 to 15 years. Who's the best? So which one's tearing the ACL and which one's retiring early? Neither of those things happen. And just that's why I didn't mention Eli and Big Ben and Phillip Rivers, right? Because I don't care who's gonna knock out 10 people, who's gonna break into a bathroom stall. Like we don't want to get into that. But allegedly. Allegedly.

Vrabel And Rossini Tabloid Fallout

Michael Marcangelo 54:20

Before we end, we do have to transition from MTP to TNZ because I think my favorite thing about this offseason was that the Patriots made the Super Bowl and somehow still became a tabloid story, which means we are so fucking back, guys. You've been living under a rock, you've missed the fact that Diana Rossini, who I hope one day to be a friend of the show, because I was actively reaching out to her to come onto the show before this happened.

SPEAKER_00 54:50

So I doubt after this segment, I was just gonna say, I feel like this is gonna burn any bridges that were even being put into a blueprint.

Michael Marcangelo 54:57

She's a she's a grown-up, we're all grown-ups. Mike Rabel and Diana Rossini were living a second life with each other. That literally is what happened. They had a six-year, at least six-year-long relationship. And I think the most ridiculous part of the story is that we would all be done, we'd all be done talking about it now if the original statement was not like anyone that looks at those pictures and doesn't see just two friends is utterly laughable. Did you go to Bill and just say, hey Bill, what would you say about this story? Because whoever their PR people were should be fucking fired, actually, probably tethered, feathered, and tarred for fuck's sake, because that was awful. They are two consenting adults. I feel really bad for the spouses and for the kids involved. But what the fuck do you make of the thing? And do you care as much as I do?

SPEAKER_00 55:47

I definitely cared in the sense that it was super interesting and just entertaining and seeing all the tweets that she still has kept up and everything else. Yeah, eat that shit up. It's funny, it's great. The like you said before, the fact they kept this going for six years and just had like a second life, dude. Like these football guys just they and it's not like Vrabel was just some suck-ass coach. He went to a Super Bowl last year, he's went to an AFC championship in Tennessee. He's very much a dedicated football coach, football guy. Like a the truly, when you talk about football guys, Mike Vrabel is a football guy. That is a second life. You talk about a second life, he was living a third life. I don't know how he was able to pull this off for as long as he did, not just in secrecy, but more of just in general. I think I made the I I think when it all broke down, I was talking to my wife about it. We're both like, dude, I would need help. I would need your help to pull this off. I couldn't do that. What the f like it is just it's baffling that he was doing this for so long and just I don't know. It's I the effort to put that in, especially with a journalist who dude, that's a thing that for me, I went to I I went did my undergrad for sports communications. I I was a the sports editor for the college newspaper, and I did high school sports at the Boston Globe for a year, and just from a journalistic perspective, god damn, like how could you be so stupid? Like, how can you just it's one thing to screw up and and make that one mistake or just kind of fall into something real quick because you're around these guys all the time and you love football and this and that, you get caught up in the aura of it. I could totally get that, but to have an active running relationship with an NFL coach is insane, prior getting married, yes, and but to but to also sit in this pedestal of I take my job seriously and I I do it with all the most respect and integrity, and it's uh I think both things are I think both things are true, but is it though? I think I think like how can you but like how can you take it whether you're someone who reads her work or someone who is working in the NFL or like whatever it may be, I just can't look at that and be like, Do you have any ounce of like actual like integrity? Like it's just I don't know, man. That's just like for again for someone who is again, I'm not acting like I'm a fucking NFL insider or writer or anything, but yeah, someone who went to school for it and tried to get into it at an early age, it's just it baffles my mind that anyone would be at that level again going to the athletic as the senior NFL reporter and be doing that is bad shit crazy. Like that aspect to me is insane.

Michael Marcangelo 58:35

Remember, there are rumors that about Diana Rossini and the former ESPN sideline reporter or Fox sideline reporter, bit Britt McHenry, that they got into a fight at a restaurant because they both found out that they were sleeping with Sean McVay when he was with the Redskins. So I think you can be a good NFL reporter. I think you can have great takes, I think you could have all the inside scoops and still be unethical in certain in certain ways. I think that is I think it's fine. I think because I think there's horse trading done on the front by every I don't by every other person. I don't know where who has the pictures of Adam Schefter. He's a patriot guy. Like he and I don't know what he has on them. But clearly there's always this thing where the guy will take out a coach and they'll get fucking shit faced with they'll go to a strip club and then whatever. And that's looked upon differently than what happened with Roussini. Now Roussini stepping down is the dumbest thing she could have ever done. I would have made the athletic fire me. Oh yeah. Yep. Like, do it. Go out there and in public after the Me Too movement, everything that's going on, and fire me and while he keeps his job. Yep. 100% that I totally agree with. Yeah, they totally agree. She tr she tried to quiet it down, they tried to burn it. I don't understand why. But my biggest thing is I don't understand. They this clearly isn't just a thing. They the video of them renting a boat in Nashville while she's seven months pregnant. Oh my god. You don't just do that if you're just hitting it and quitting it.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:16

They c dude, there was so much stuff that came out from this. They love each other for fuck's sake. So just be together. I forgot about the boat aspect. I forgot and then her being seven months pregnant. I completely forgot about that one.

Michael Marcangelo 1:00:28

Yeah, like a married man doesn't take a married woman out on a boat, uh a two-hour boat ride privately by themselves, and they have been having sex just because he wants to have sex with them again. No, it's you I think you kind of love her. I think she kind of loves you too. And I think people would really get care less if they just got together. That is the story that everyone's waiting for.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:51

I don't think people would care less. People would still be just as interested, still be just as eating up as they are now.

Michael Marcangelo 1:00:57

I don't think that they would I don't think that they would be looked at in such in the negative way that they currently are. Down the road, it's like, you know what? Maybe they caused some damage, but 20 years from now, if they're still together.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:10

Yeah, I think time would change it for sure, but at the end of the day, it's still the senior NFL reporter for the athletic and the head coach of a team that just went to the Super Bowl that are caught up in this. I think that's even if I think even if she wasn't it would obviously.

Michael Marcangelo 1:01:35

Yeah. Before anyone knew that. No one had even thought about the Tennessee Titans. Or no, the Titans were not interested in Tom Brady. And everyone was like, Oh, Rabel and Brady. And she was like, Nope, not here. We're not interested in the we're gonna keep Brian Tannehill.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:48

And then that one guy on Twitter replied, Are you sleeping? Which that tweet's still up. That's the best part. All the tweets are still up.

Michael Marcangelo 1:01:58

Does anybody know names of great NFL players turned coaches? And then name my son. I don't want to bring the kids into it, but like, she kind of brought the kid into it.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:09

That was dude. When I read that, I had a triple check and I had to do it. I am like, I'm like, that has to be fake. There's no way it's real. Some of those tweets, I'm like, there's no way this is real life, and it all was real life. I'm like that, and that's another aspect of the integrity thing for me, is just that's the and all the video clips of her shitting on her husband and just the way talking about like Jimmy and talking about Jimmy Garoppolo the day before our marriage. I'm like, dude, you're you're a fucking reporter for for the NFL. Like you were a very top reporter, and talking about, oh, this is the man that my my dad wanted me to marry. What the hell are you talking about? What are you talking about? God, yeah, the yeah, the tweet about looking at my son Michael and thinking about other Michaels, it's like, all right, you better maybe they need to take a DNA test there.

Michael Marcangelo 1:02:55

Yeah, I don't know, man. My last question to you about this, and then we'll wrap it up. Is there anything that you think could come out that would prohibit Mike Vabel from being a coach of the pick patriots this year between now and the start of the regular season?

SPEAKER_00 1:03:07

In regards to this specific scandal?

Michael Marcangelo 1:03:09

This specific story.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:10

In regards to this one, no, like you started off with there are two consenting adults. Obviously, they have their own shit to deal with their own private lives, and it's that's something they're gonna have to deal with. And Roussini's is different given that she left her job. No, I there's nothing that's come out that's gonna be like even the NFL said there's no content conduct detrimental to the league, detrimental to the team. No, I think the whole him missing the third day of the draft thing was interesting. I'm sure who knows what's gonna happen with I who knows what happened with his personal life and his wife and family and all that. I don't want to say I don't fully give a shit with that, and same with Roussini, what happens to them, but I just I don't foresee something happening where he's gonna have to miss games or be suspended or anything like that. But will I be interested in seeing some coaching decisions and how some of those first games go because he's either distracted or something else is going on in the background, he's not fully there in the right mind space. Maybe then the schedule, the hard schedule does become an actual thing because he's he's got his head elsewhere and he's not really fully invested.

Michael Marcangelo 1:04:23

Not to make light of the situation at all, but if we've learned anything over the last by the by this scandal coming out, is that his ability to compartmentalize and focus on the things that's right in front of him is spectacular. So I'm not worried about I'm not worried about forces outside of he was literally having two lives. Now, again, three. Three lives. He can prioritize, clearly, but it's gonna be a wild ride. Zach, I really appreciate you taking the time. I look forward to more of this as as we get along. Any final words before we sign off?

SPEAKER_00 1:04:53

No, I really appreciate it, and I just really want to emphasize I will not be having sex with any NFL coaches in the future. All right, for the upstanding Zach Gray.

Michael Marcangelo 1:05:01

This is Mike Marcangelo saying thank you so much for listening to the point. We will talk to you next week.