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We're going over some comments from Mike Lombardi on his podcast, and we pay attention to Lombardi because he is close with Bill Belichick. Used to work with Bill Belichick has always had good insight into the way the Patriots are thinking. And we're not telling you whether the Pats of Lombardi are right or wrong. It's just, I think, a lot of his commentary in the past has reflected the way the Patriots think. like for example Nikiel Harry over D.K. Medcalf. Unfortunately.

I think Michael M Like, for example, Nikiel Harry over D.K. Medcalf, unfortunately, I think Michael Lombardi, you know, accurately projected how the Patriots felt at that position. And, you know, they were both wrong. But either way, this is why we pay attention to him. And not just that he has worked with Bill, probably still talks to Bill. Lombardi's kid is also on the coaching staff.

Is he the receiver's coach? Yeah, receivers coach. So, Mick Lombardi is actually in the room. Amazingly, he still has a job after last year. So there's insight there. Well, it's the nepotism run amuck there on the Patriots coaching staff. It doesn't, you know, this is the problem with nepotism. The actual performance is less important than who your dad is.

But either way, that doesn't make the Patriots much different than a lot of, you know, coaching rooms across the league. This is a problem that's not just in New England. Anyway, so Lombardi had a cut earlier about why the Patriots are probably not in on a quarterback at 15 or certainly trading up.

And that comment is certainly debatable, but I think there's some, there's some logic there

that I'm okay with about reaching at that position or reaching at any position and et cetera.

Then Lombardi talked about, or he was asked by his co-host here on his podcast about, well, then at the veteran spot, they're going to get competition, right? Because Lombardi has probably been talking about, you know, they're not just going to stop at Cam Newton. They're going to have other bodies in here. And this is not just, you know, Cam Newton is not just the plan. I think, I think Mike Lombardi has said this in the past. So it comes up yesterday. and the host asked him about, well, you know, it's not just Newton, right? And listen to how Lombardi responds to this. This crawled right up, Mike Easter. You don't believe that Kim Nune is going to be the starting quarterback necessarily, right? There's going to be a competition. As you said before, Mike, what they're paying him, a base value of $5.1 million, That's the key. Other people were saying, wait, one year deal worth up to $13.6 billion, up to is the key there. For all the Patriots fans who say, well, I think Cam Newton sucks, you would say, well, listen, they're going to bring other people in there to push him for the starting job. Yeah, I think they're definitely going to try, but I think sometimes if you can't get that, you know, sometimes you just can't get, you can't get the ability to bring competition in. I'm sure they're going to try to do it as best they can. We'll see if they can. But it's hard to do it. You just can't manufacture competition. This one. And I'm not yelling at Lombardi. I think he's parroting what he's hearing from the team. They're going to try. Sometimes you just can't get the competition. It's hard to get. Sometimes you just can't get it. What does he, what do you mean by that? It means you have to pay for it. Right. That's what it means. God. Pay for it. And again, not even a,

necessarily in dollars, but in draft collateral or what have you. You want Teddy Bridgewater, you get away from them to be released. Or you want Gardner Manchu, you get a trade for him. Jimmy Garoppolo, they'd like to bring in Jimmy Garoppel, but you don't have to trade for him and maybe pay him. But now all of a sudden, it's just, you know, that's a hard thing to go get another quarterback, another veteran quarterback who might be able to start who would compete with Cam Newton? How hard is that? There are a million. There were Ryan Fitzpatrick was out there. Andy Dalton was out there. Gardner Minchew's there for the right price. Jimmy Garoppolo, ultimately, we think, is going to be available. if you wanted to go even bigger, the Carson Wentz trade, wasn't that big of an ask on the part of the Eagles, second round pick that converts to a first. I don't know. That guy was available. There's been a bunch of guys. Mitchell Trubisky took a backup truck. Mitch Trubisky. Alex Smith is still out there. Alex Smith, what are you talking about? Well, sometimes you just can't get it. It's hard. They are dug in. Oh, my God.

So this one's Alex Smith is still out there. Alex Smith. What are you talking about? Well, sometimes you just can't get it.

It's hard.

They are dug in.

Oh, my God. So this one scared the crap out of me. I'm not agitated at Lombardi. He's just, again, sort of reflecting what he's hearing from the team, which is, well, none of these guys are worth it. I'm not going to overpay for these guys. So, you don't know.

I mean, it's Newton right now.

And that's what it is.

I'm like, oh, you've got to be kidding me because what?

You don't know. I mean, it's Newton right now.

And that's what it is.

I'm like, oh, you've got to be kidding me because what?

You don't want to, you don't want to reach into your pocket for someone or you don't want to give up a draft pick for someone who could come here and help upgrade the situation while you're waiting for the draft. Again, the draft, I'm okay with going second round.

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