 a lot of focus on which quarterback the Patriots will draft or sign in free agency or do both. Don't forget though, Mack Jones is still on the roster, Phil Perry asked Pat's OC, Alex van Pelt about possibly bringing him back. You know, really right now everything is on the table. As we go through this process, we're really this last couple weeks, 10 days have just been diving into who we are trying to evaluate our guys. You know, a lot of people in this situation and staffs that have been here, they're doing free agency. Well, we're doing our guys as they are free agents. We're trying to understand who we have here as well as looking at other players out there. But right now everything is on the table. How would you describe your idea? Smart, tough, you know, and a leader. You put them in those categories. You mean obviously there's accuracy in the pass game and mobility and decision making. There's a lot that goes into it. But at the end of the day, that role is such an important role for the rest, not just the offense for the team as well. So a guy that's a true leader that can come in and really, you know, understands his teammates and gets the best out of those guys. All right, let's deep down about Alex van Pelt's how to say there about the quarterback. I mean, a Smith joining the conversation as well. What's your reaction to Alex van Pelt saying when keeping Mack everything's on the table? Honestly, I think about the fact that earlier in that press conference, he also talked about everyone having a clean slate coming into this season, whether you'll be on the roster, your free agent, or you're on the roster already. And I feel like that was almost directly talking about Mack Jones, because I take a look at Mack Jones last season and he was pretty much butchered in the national media. So, you know, Alex van Pelt talked about the preconceived notions. When I think about the preconceived notions, I immediately think about Mack Jones and how he was perceived in the national media as not being able to be a starting quarterback here in New England. So I mean, for Mack Jones, he needs a clean slate, right? He's coming off of his worst season and coaching wise, he had the debacle with Matt Patricia and Joe Judge. So for Alex van Pelt, I feel like for him, it's giving Mack Jones a clean slate to prove who he is. So I took it a little differently, Phil and Andy. I looked at him saying everything's on the table as you have to have everything on the table, because we're not sure if we're going to be able to get a free agent veteran quarterback and maybe they don't want to go with Bailey Zappie, maybe Mack Jones fits the scheme better. But you do have to keep your options open and there is an opportunity for Mack Jones to maybe prove some things. But I think the clean slate is probably a clean slate somewhere else. Well, if you remember, that was the theme last off season when Bill O'Brien came in, everybody got a clean slate. We know how that worked out. So I agree in that this felt like a well executed, strategic answer where you're certainly not committing to him, but you're also not ruling it out that he'll still be with the team and good potentially in some way, shape or form end up behind center. I don't think it's their preferred option Andy, but while he is still on the roster, you're still so far from the draft, other teams are trying to figure out their roster. So they're probably trying to decide at some point in time here. If not now, is Mack Jones worth trading for? Is he worth us giving up a fifth or sixth round pick to send to New England to make sure we get that guy on our system? So not a commitment by any stretch. And honestly, it would surprise me if they worked really hard to make sure that they were keeping him on the roster for 2024. Yeah, it would stun me if Mack Jones was back with this team. It's funny because the description of the quarterback that Alex van Pelt likes, I think sounded like Mack Jones coming out of Alabama, but doesn't sound like Mack Jones after I watched him play the last two seasons in New England, in terms of mental toughness and leadership, even accuracy, which became a negative for him at times over the last couple of years with turnovers and interceptions and bad balls. So I think it was sort of coach speak or honeymoon period, whatever, no need to alienate him. As your guy, Tom Karn likes to say, he is still a cost effective young quarterback who a couple of years ago was a pro bowler and a couple of years ago was a good player. So why alienate him? Why end it now and say he stinks? He's gone. I also thought it was interesting. He was like the first guy Alex van Pelt brought up. Now my guess is that's because Max here working out sometimes and he bumps into him and that may be intentional by Mack Jones trying to save his career. But no, I would be stunned if Max still here. And based on the description that Alex van Pelt gave today about what he's looking for in a quarterback, who do you think does fit that description particularly in the draft? I actually don't think there's an obvious answer to that in the top three based on what he said, because I think you're going to look at mechanics, leadership. Was he a captain? Was he not a captain? We did a little research and apparently Drake May was a captain in two years ago. Last year wasn't a full time captain, was a game by game captain. Jayden Daniels wasn't a captain. Then he became a captain. Whose fundamentals are better? Like there's just a lot that goes into that. And we also need to remember they're not sitting at one or two. They're sitting at three. So as you parse it and decide, oh, I actually like Drake May better based on all my factors, oh, he just went two. So do I still like Jayden Daniels? Did I talk myself out of him? If you made me guess right now, I think I would say Jayden Daniels. And I don't, you know, it's interesting coming from Alex van Pelt's experience with the Browns, which was a unique experience with all those quarterbacks and all the different styles and mindsets and experiences he dealt with. I actually think he's probably at this point got a little cock of the walk to him and is like, throw me a quarterback and I'll coach him up and we'll win games. Well, guys, both Alex van Pelt and Gerard Mayo took some time to discuss what they're looking for in not just a quarterback, but also a player and the culture they want to build. Here's what they had to say. I'm expecting, you know, first and foremost, a tough team, tough team. And I think after that, it really gets into smart players, but you don't have to be a jeans, but you have to be smart enough and really explosive players and guys that really play for one another. We want to check our egos. Oh, hold on. We, you know, this is, you know, even from a coaching staff, you know, I'll say it's the ego free zone. I mean, we talk about football family. I mean, that's one thing we'll talk about a lot. This is, this is us together, you know, doing it for each other as with one heartbeat and, you know, one purpose. I mean, does that sort of kumbaya stuff work in today's NFL? Is that what guys want to hear? Honestly, I would say even the description that they gave right there, isn't more so like a kumbaya type of environment in a locker room, but I feel like it's more so getting everyone on the same page. And that's exactly what they do need here in New England. If they want to make things work, not only this season, but beyond it. Jarrah Mayo brought up a good point. You want to have guys who are tough. You want to have guys that have the same makeup that are also smart out there on the field. You can't have people doing different things out there on the field. Everybody has to be going in the same direction. I think that's pretty much what they were putting out there. I don't know if the kumbaya is anything that would, that would work in the NFL at this point though. One heartbeat, Phil Perry. One heartbeat. That's what we have here. One heartbeat. Yeah, I think the message was pretty similar from Jarrah Mayo to Van Pelt to Covington to Springer. I think it is pretty clear, even though it's not necessarily kumbaya maybe the strengths that these guys have, and I would focus particularly on Mayo, Covington and Van Pelt, all are described by players, coaches that I've spoken to that have worked with Van Pelt over the course of his career. Guys that really are culture builders. Guys that when they step into the room, everybody feels at ease. And I think, I think Andy, if you're a little bit younger, if you're Jarrah Mayo, if you're DeMarcus Covington, if you've been in the building here specifically, you've seen basically the opposite end of the spectrum approach, which has always been, we need you to be comfortable being uncomfortable. And there is certainly merit to that. There's no question about it. I'm sure even Mayo would acknowledge that. But what's the best way to get consistent results from your players? What's the best way to consistently motivate them and have them play for you? I think there is some relating to them on a human level that has to be involved that this staff seems like it'll be able to bring. A human level in a way they've been treated as they've come up the football ladder, right? I keep talking about this. I think we are trending toward more of an AAUification of the NFL through seven on seven in these camps and these tournaments, and these guys are treated a little different. This isn't bare Brian and guys throwing up all over themselves in the heat. It's a different world that they grow up in because I would go back to some of it is the delivery and the culture setting they're trying to set because some of the words are the same as you've heard from every football tough, smart, like Bill Belichick was smart, tough, dependable for 20 plus years. So that's what he wanted his football team. We're here in the same thing. Same words is just the delivery and the way they feel when they get it delivered that we're asking you to do this. Maybe we're not jamming it down your throat and punching you in the face when you do it.