What's up, everybody, welcome into the next Pat's podcast. I'm Phil Perry, big time episode for you.

This week, we've got the NFL networks, Bucky Brooks of the Move the Sticks podcast. I'm Phil Perry, big time episode for you this week. We've got the NFL

networks, Bucky Brooks of the Move the Sticks podcast. He and Daniel Jeremiah, kill it all year

long on all things NFL, but especially this time of year. These two former scouts have it

locked down on the draft. What to look for, team needs, why certain things should work

in the league while others might not. So phenomenal, phenomenal follow at Bucky Brooks on Twitter

and a great guest for us to have here on NextPass. But before we get to that conversation,

let's hit on a couple of different Patriots-related items. Number one, as we're recording, we are about not even, not even 24 hours removed from the Patriots

officially making the call not to franchise tag J.C. Jackson, no surprise there.

J.C. Jackson, as I had reported a couple of weeks ago,

hadn't really had all that much contact with the Patriots, really no contact for a time.

Since the end of last season, he was wondering what was that? Did they want him around? Did they

not? Did they think he was important to their overall team build or not?

He was willing to play on the franchise tag. 17.3 million, not a bad chunk of change for a guy who had made about 5 million through the first four years of his career.

So he was willing to do that. He told me, but did he want to do that? No, of course not. No player really is

dying to play on the franchise tag. He wanted to go somewhere where he was going to be paid

for four, five years, be able to settle in, settle his family, and be set. That doesn't get

accomplished when you're on the tag. So now, J.C. Jackson, one step closer to that kind of deal.

I spoke to him on Tuesday night right before our episode of early edition with Trene, right at 6 o'clock.

And I found it interesting that he didn't necessarily rule out the possibility of coming back to the Patriots.

Now, the safe bet, the safe bet, in my opinion, is that he'll be playing elsewhere in 2022 and beyond.

But the fact that he has not completely slammed the door shut, I think is at least noteworthy.

...