In an exclusive interview, Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones joins the show to cover his reaction to Mike Vrabel's hiring, Jerod Mayo's firing, how teammates reacted, whom he wants the Patriots to add to their coaching staff and later their roster during free agency. Finally, Jon makes a Super Bowl pick and shares how he'll be following the team's offseason.
************************************************
Patriots Content Brought to you by....
💰 Prize Picks - https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CLNS
Download the app today and use Code CLNS at PrizePicks.com/CLNS & Get $50 instantly when you play $5!
🎫 Gametime - https://gametime.co
Take the guesswork out of buying NFL tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Terms apply. What time is it? Gametime!
Merch Store - https://shop.clnsmedia.com
Social Media!!!!
🏈 Patriots Twitter- https://twitter.com/patriotsclns
🏈 Patriots Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/patriotsclns/
🔵 Facebook- https://facebook.com/clnsmedia
🔵 LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/company/clnsmedia/about/
💟 Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@clnsmedia
*********************************************************
🏈 ABOUT PATRIOTS COVERAGE ON CLNS: 🏈
Welcome to the CLNS Media Network’s YouTube channel for New England Patriots 🏈 football. CLNS Media is the leading online provider of audio/video coverage for the 6X Super Bowl Champions. Get complete inside access to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro and everywhere on the road. CLNS Patriots credentialed insiders Greg Bedard, Andrew Callahan, Tayler Kyles, John Zannis, Alex Barth and Mike Kadlick provide instantaneous news and analysis all in real time, as well as full access to complete videos from the players, coaches, ownership and everyone else inside Patriots Place.
If you enjoy CLNS’ Celtics 🍀 All Access and are craving more Boston sports content, you head over to CLNS’ Patriots 🏈 Press Pass at
🔴 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqX7G3pEDTseNxtoDU27PEg?sub_confirmations=1 🔴
__________________________________________________________________________
🍀 For Celtics Content:
🔴 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmp3kivpOg3lzoJC7yV7VjQ?sub_confirmations=1 🔴
🔴 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmp3kivpOg3lzoJC7yV7VjQ?sub_confirmations=1 🔴
🏀 🍀 Celtics Twitter - https://twitter.com/CelticsCLNS
📸 🏀 Celtics Instagram - https://instagram.com/celticsCLNS
🔵 Twitter Main- - https://twitter.com/clnsmediaCLNS
📸 Main Instagram - https://instagram.com/clnsmedia
*******************************************************
Check out over dozens of sports podcasts from CLNS Media here: https://clnsmedia.com/ OR for all 200 shows, go to https://northstationmedia.com
************************************************
Patriots Content Brought to you by....
💰 Prize Picks - https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CLNS
Download the app today and use Code CLNS at PrizePicks.com/CLNS & Get $50 instantly when you play $5!
🎫 Gametime - https://gametime.co
Take the guesswork out of buying NFL tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Terms apply. What time is it? Gametime!
Merch Store - https://shop.clnsmedia.com
Social Media!!!!
🏈 Patriots Twitter- https://twitter.com/patriotsclns
🏈 Patriots Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/patriotsclns/
🔵 Facebook- https://facebook.com/clnsmedia
🔵 LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/company/clnsmedia/about/
💟 Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@clnsmedia
*********************************************************
🏈 ABOUT PATRIOTS COVERAGE ON CLNS: 🏈
Welcome to the CLNS Media Network’s YouTube channel for New England Patriots 🏈 football. CLNS Media is the leading online provider of audio/video coverage for the 6X Super Bowl Champions. Get complete inside access to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro and everywhere on the road. CLNS Patriots credentialed insiders Greg Bedard, Andrew Callahan, Tayler Kyles, John Zannis, Alex Barth and Mike Kadlick provide instantaneous news and analysis all in real time, as well as full access to complete videos from the players, coaches, ownership and everyone else inside Patriots Place.
If you enjoy CLNS’ Celtics 🍀 All Access and are craving more Boston sports content, you head over to CLNS’ Patriots 🏈 Press Pass at
🔴 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqX7G3pEDTseNxtoDU27PEg?sub_confirmations=1 🔴
__________________________________________________________________________
🍀 For Celtics Content:
🔴 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmp3kivpOg3lzoJC7yV7VjQ?sub_confirmations=1 🔴
🔴 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmp3kivpOg3lzoJC7yV7VjQ?sub_confirmations=1 🔴
🏀 🍀 Celtics Twitter - https://twitter.com/CelticsCLNS
📸 🏀 Celtics Instagram - https://instagram.com/celticsCLNS
🔵 Twitter Main- - https://twitter.com/clnsmediaCLNS
📸 Main Instagram - https://instagram.com/clnsmedia
*******************************************************
Check out over dozens of sports podcasts from CLNS Media here: https://clnsmedia.com/ OR for all 200 shows, go to https://northstationmedia.com
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00All right, a happy Friday edition of the Pats Interference Podcast.
00:15We have a special guest.
00:17I didn't know when this was going to happen.
00:18I've been crossing my fingers every day and night since the season ended that we might
00:21see this smiling face, the media good guy from the Patriots, be you know him as the
00:25elder statesman to the Patriots secondary, Jonathan Jones, live from Charlotte here.
00:30Not live, I suppose, because we're recording.
00:32Talk about the season, what's been going on.
00:35Let me start with this, though.
00:36John, the season ended like 10, 11 days ago.
00:38Give me the best thing you've done since then and the most boring.
00:42Oh, the best thing.
00:44Man, my daughter, she had her first gymnastics meet.
00:48She won the best all around, won a couple of the individual awards.
00:51So it was a good little weekend to see her, support her.
00:54So that's that's definitely probably been the best thing.
00:57The most boring thing has probably been the most relaxing things to sit down and watch
01:00some TV.
01:01My wife been begging me to watch the squid game.
01:03So we've been kind of catching up on that way.
01:06So season one or season two, season two, starting that starting that got got to get in a couple
01:11episodes.
01:12So we're locked into that right now.
01:14Nice.
01:15So this is a classic show where, like, you know, she watched without me and would have
01:19watched with me.
01:20But I said, I know, go ahead.
01:22And then you hear it from somebody else and they're like, oh, my God, you got to get it.
01:26And then you come back to her and you're like, we got to watch squid game.
01:28She's like, oh, OK.
01:29So the recommendation is good enough when it comes from them, not for me.
01:33So maybe I'll catch up to you.
01:36Well, that sounds good.
01:38So we're just going to talk about the last ten, eleven days, because, you know, aside
01:40from what you've been up to, the Patriots have obviously been very busy and some good,
01:44some bad, some, you know, we'll kind of see here.
01:46And that's life in the league.
01:48So let me let me toss it to you, though, first, like way open ended question about maybe just
01:54the last 12 months and we'll move ahead here.
01:56Is there anything when the media comes and talks to you or you've heard elsewhere just
02:02about this season?
02:03What happened the last 12 months?
02:04It could be Gerrard specific.
02:05It could be the team.
02:06It could be certain game, whatever, that just went a little under discussed this thing.
02:11You would like fans to know before everyone finally turns the page to twenty twenty five.
02:15Oh, just like I said, it was a lot of moving pieces, you know, and just coming off of twenty
02:22twenty four, just a season that we had, we had a lot of unanswered questions from the
02:26previous year going into the year.
02:28And so, oh, I wouldn't say there's a lot to really unpack.
02:33I think, you know, at the end of the day, I always say in our business, the record is
02:37the your results and, you know, you come in and you try to do the best that you can.
02:43I think we all kind of went out there trying to do that and we weren't able to accomplish
02:46that and which kind of led us to the feelings that we had at the end of the year.
02:50So, oh, I mean, just looking back on it, there were so many moving pieces and trying to get
02:55a lot of things together that, you know, in twenty twenty, you know, in hindsight, you
02:59can always look back and say, well, hey, it didn't work out.
03:02But in the midst of the things, I think everybody felt like we were trying to do the right things.
03:07I felt for a second there you were going back to the Cam Newton year.
03:09You're like, oh, it's twenty twenty.
03:11We did this.
03:12You guys don't like talking about the past period, let alone go back four years.
03:16But no, it is twenty twenty.
03:19It is funny because I think you talk about the record being the results.
03:22It was the same record he had in twenty twenty three.
03:24And a lot of people would say with a rookie first year coach, first year defensive coordinator,
03:28new offensive system, et cetera, et cetera, like the results would reflect that.
03:31Obviously, the crafts disagree.
03:33They move on any just your your instant reaction of what it was like that day when you found
03:39out Gerard had gone fired and kind of what was next for you, understanding your future
03:42is uncertain because you're a free agent as well.
03:44Oh, yeah.
03:45I mean, anytime you know that you whether it's a teammate, coach or somebody that either
03:50gets let go, fired, released, especially you put in a lot of time with them, as always
03:55that feeling of, you know, remorse for them and you're feeling for me, always pulling
04:00for everybody that you're kind of associated with it to win.
04:04But just understanding the business of the NFL.
04:07You know, I think we all earned, you know, what we got last year and I don't there's
04:12no one to point fingers at as an individual.
04:15The tough part about being the captain is of the ship.
04:18You know what I mean?
04:19Is you take the initial fall and I think that's what happened with Mayo.
04:21You know, you're the leader, you're the you know, you're at the top.
04:24And so everything kind of, you know, starts and finishes with you.
04:26And so I think that was where the change came from, you know, from from the Kraft family
04:31and moving forward.
04:33So best you can without breaking any kind of confidences, I'd imagine there are a few
04:38group chats, DB group chats, maybe just a couple of guys you're in with.
04:42They're just talking with guys around the team.
04:44What's just the sentiment?
04:45Is it more shock, sorrow?
04:47This is the business or I saw this coming.
04:50What's kind of been the general reaction since that happened?
04:52Oh, I think I would say a little bit of a little bit of all.
04:55I mean, everybody kind of views it their own way.
04:57And so you have a little bit of people who shop, some of them who say, hey, I kind of
05:01expected that, you know, and just a little bit of everything, you know, in between.
05:05And so it's just one of those things where, you know, you try to tell guys, like I said,
05:10it is the business that is, you know, what this league is and it's what it always will
05:15be.
05:16And so just try to tell guys to do what the best you can do for yourself individually
05:19moving forward.
05:20And for the guys who are in the contract is, you know, getting getting in shape, getting
05:25ready for next year.
05:26And when they get an opportunity to meet the new coaches, you know, being able to meet
05:30their demands and what, you know, the expectations are and, you know, for the guys who aren't
05:35just try to figure it out, figure out what's next.
05:37So I mentioned it, then you just did.
05:39Some guys are for agents.
05:41You're at the top of the list.
05:42I don't care who's making the list.
05:43You're number one on guys that, you know, are should be a priority or look at the resume.
05:47There you are.
05:48Does Mike Rable's arrival change what you want to do?
05:52I know you'd like to remain in New England.
05:55However that might change the calculus, does it?
05:57No, no.
05:58He's he is a picture, you know, so even, you know, getting to watch some of his press conference,
06:05it was it's it's the vision is what you want to hear.
06:09It's those it's everything that, you know, New England needs.
06:11And so, you know, if I do get the opportunity to sign back and we're able to make that work,
06:16I think it's an awesome vision and it'll be every guy in that building's, you know, job
06:20and responsibility to kind of get behind that vision and moving forward.
06:25Did you have any favorite questions from that press conference?
06:29There were some good ones.
06:30There were some good ones, but I mean, just just his answers.
06:33I mean, you can tell just the person that he is.
06:36Like I said, I've never really gotten to spend a lot of time around him.
06:39We did a joint practice with him, you know, a few years back.
06:41And I'd say that's about the most I've been on the football field with him.
06:44But just his presence, you know, the way that the guys in Tennessee respected him, talking
06:49to a few guys, and then at the same time, you know, how he was respected in New England,
06:53you know, his time being here.
06:55And so he has every leadership quality that you want in a head coach and a leader.
07:00And so, like I said, every guy in that building, it's their job to rally behind that vision
07:04and execute.
07:06So I didn't know you had watched the press conference before we hopped on here and obviously
07:10talked before you jumped on the podcast.
07:12I'm curious.
07:15There's a lot of things that are said in the same head coaching introductory press conference,
07:18right?
07:19Tough, smart, or a balance on offensive, aggressive on defensive, yeah, yeah, yeah.
07:23Aside from that, what stood out to you personally listening to Mike Rabel about what he said?
07:28I don't know what more so what he said.
07:30I think it's just, like I said, his temperament.
07:31I mean, when you see a person, just his stature, just how he is in a room and how he carries
07:37himself and how people are receptive to that.
07:40I think that's a big key to the National Football League is when you're sitting up in front
07:45of, you know, 53 guys that you're leading, and it's how do they see you?
07:50What are the trust that they have in you?
07:52And that goes a long way.
07:53Yeah.
07:54All right.
07:56You mentioned Mike Rabel and the joint practices.
07:58Those are in 2019.
08:00You had played against them in 2018.
08:03And then, of course, Tom's last game in that 2019 season is January, the wildcard playoff
08:07game.
08:08You saw them again in 21.
08:09Like you, you've gone head to head against Mike Rabel teams now, I think at least three
08:13times.
08:14Yeah.
08:15What do you remember?
08:16Granted, he had different offensive coordinators, but about the general scouting report, like
08:20us in the team meeting room when Bill was breaking down his old player, new opposition
08:24who beat him the first two times head to head, by the way, what Mike Rabel teams look like
08:28and felt like to play against.
08:29Yeah.
08:30I mean, to bring it back, even to something he said in his press conference, it's like
08:33as a coach, one of the greatest compliments you can get is from other coaches is saying
08:37like, hey, look how tough your team is playing.
08:39And that's what you realize you, you go out there and it's where there's joint practice.
08:43I mean, those are some of the most physical joint practices that we've had.
08:47You understand why it's because of the demand that he has, you know, as a coach.
08:50And so, well, when we were playing those teams, we knew, you know, this is a physical football
08:54team.
08:55This is a tough football team and you better bring your hard hat because, you know, they're
08:58going to bring theirs.
08:59And so every time, you know, we played against those guys, you know, you know, they were
09:03going to be tough.
09:04Well, coach, you know, execute their game plan and you were going to have to help compete
09:08them.
09:09So he he's talked a lot about like run past balance in different kind of ways.
09:15When you have Derrick Henry, you want to give the ball to Derrick Henry.
09:19But like, what do you feel like you have any kind of sense about what the offense he might
09:23want to bring in?
09:24And we know old pal Josh McDaniels is kind of the mix is someone who's studied, broken
09:27down and understood how his Titans teams wanted to play offense in those years.
09:32Yeah, I think it just comes down to one, his personality, his vision.
09:35I mean, when you can run the ball, you're basically telling another team that I'm going
09:38to hand this off and run over you run through you.
09:41I'm not running around you.
09:42I'm not throwing it over you.
09:43I'm taking my line and pushing your defensive line, your linebackers back and we're gaining
09:48yards.
09:49And so I think that's just a mentality.
09:52It starts there.
09:53And so when you tell somebody, hey, I'm going to run the ball, you're telling your old lineman
09:56to just move people out of the way and you're running back to put his nose in the fire and
10:00run through it.
10:01And so that's that's the start of a mentality for a team.
10:04So this might be putting you in a bad spot, but I mentioned Josh McDaniels.
10:09Would you like to see him be the offensive coordinator?
10:10Do you have any pick to be an offensive coordinator?
10:12If they called you up and say, John, we need you to pick where we can't decide you're going
10:16to be the deciding vote, him or any other name that kind of comes to mind?
10:20No, I don't think I could speak to that.
10:24But no, just being around Josh and coming into this league, even on scout team as a
10:29young player and going against Josh and you see how meticulous he is about how he wants
10:33everything and just the detail he is that he has as an offensive coordinator.
10:37And so the respect that he has from one of the guys like Tom.
10:41And so when you as a coordinator, when you have respect from a guy like that, you know,
10:44you're a heck of a coach.
10:45And like I said, just lining up across from them on scout team, you know, some of my younger
10:49years, you understand just how involved and how good of a coach he is.
10:53So it's interesting you say that because, again, these are things that even as someone
10:56who's covered the team now for seven years goes to every training camp practice and is
11:00watching that, you know, I could guess he's meticulous, but like you're on the field,
11:04you see it.
11:05What's an example of something that, you know, maybe the play is we're going to run outside
11:09zone and he's like, no, no, no.
11:11But the footwork here from the left guard who needs to make a reach block that was off
11:14and you need to grab something like that level of detail.
11:17Can you give us an example when it hit you, Josh, is this level of meticulous?
11:21Yeah, it's it's really more so from like the scout team of how he wanted to present the
11:27look and, you know, I'll be on scout team trying to do something, just play around or
11:31something and he's yelling, no, you this guy is going to be right.
11:34And just his understanding of, you know, watching and exactly trying to create a good look for
11:39their offense.
11:40And, you know, sometimes he'd be worried about a receiver split away from the ball that had
11:44nothing to do with it.
11:45But he just wanted it perfect.
11:46He wanted it how, you know, he wanted it.
11:48And I think that just goes back to some of the guys that coaches that he had an opportunity
11:52to learn from, like Coach Carr and those guys who, you know, details of everything and see
11:57when you when you come in the league under guys like that, you just do nothing, become
12:00a better coach.
12:01And I think he would, you know, contribute a lot of his success to guys like that.
12:06See, your mistake, John, was being born too late because you've been on the scout team
12:10defense when Troy Palomaro was still playing and your team was preparing for the Steelers.
12:16You could have done whatever the hell you wanted.
12:18You could have lined up with the slot.
12:19You could have gone back to single high.
12:20You could have been on the sideline and just zoomed across at the snap to obviously pick
12:24the ball off or get a sack, whatever you wanted to do.
12:26That was your only mistake.
12:27I would say you're probably wrong, but depends on that would have been fun.
12:32Not too many guys like that.
12:33But I'm sure you've heard that every just from being around Bill all those years.
12:38So, you know, aside from Josh, the next question is, how does Mike Rabel build out his staff?
12:43And I said on previous episodes, you know, I think guys that you know better than pretty
12:48much anybody else.
12:49Mike Pellegrino, Brian Belichick, the other side of the ball, Tyler Hughes, because he
12:52crossed over with Rabel about a decade ago at Ohio State would be my top candidates probably
12:57to return.
12:58But again, I don't know them as well as you do.
13:01So whether, you know, a guy like Coach Pellegrino, who I think resume speaks for itself with
13:05you, Stephon Gilmore, JC Jackson or whomever, you know, forget what bald run of the mill
13:10media guy has to say, like, tell us a little bit about what Mike and later Brian brought
13:15to your room as a guy who was in that job for six years.
13:19Yeah, I mean, it's connected again to something that Verve said, you know, his press conference
13:24is what he wants from his position coaches, and that's to get to know your players and
13:29to start there.
13:30You know, position coaches are professional reminders.
13:32You know, they're not.
13:33Their job is to make sure that their guys are as prepared as they can be and whatever
13:37that is.
13:38And so just knowing what Mike and Brian have done over the past years to make sure guys
13:43are prepared, he takes an individual approach to each guy.
13:46You know, he really gets an opportunity to understand, you know, what makes a guy tick.
13:51You know, what is his what is what does a guy need from him?
13:54He does his best job as a coach to provide that.
13:57And so position coaching, Lee, that's that's your job is to find a way to get the best
14:02out of your guys.
14:03And that starts with a relationship.
14:04And he does a great job of building that trust and building relationships with, you know,
14:08every guy that steps into that room and so and getting the best out of no matter the
14:12circumstances and situation that it is.
14:16That's what you're looking for in a position coach.
14:17And, you know, he has a Ph.D., you know, in quarterback play from, you know, learning
14:21from learning, learning from Bill.
14:23I mean, just because, you know, he started from the bottom, you know, and he had to learn
14:28the game from, you know, every blade of grass, I say, just breaking down film, being in being
14:33at the bottom of the totem pole for so long and working his way up.
14:38Mike is Mike has done it all.
14:40He's seen it all, you know, from every aspect.
14:42And so that's what makes him a good position coach in the same with Brian.
14:46You know what?
14:47It's sad.
14:48Football season pretty much over, but you can still play and win with a new game.
14:53Prizepix, the best place to get real money sports action anywhere.
14:57And I'm talking up to get this one thousand times your cash.
15:00You heard me say this during Pickmas.
15:02Everybody's favorite holiday, not Christmas, not Hanukkah, not Kwanzaa, not even New Year's.
15:05Pickmas was the best, because when you build a lineup of two to six players and you pick
15:10more or you pick less, as you always do, a prizepix is not over.
15:13So go to prizepix right now where everyone can have fun with daily fantasy sports.
15:18It's the most accessible.
15:19It's the simplest app out there.
15:20All you have to do, pick two to six players.
15:23Each comes with the stat.
15:24You look at their next game.
15:25You think they'll get more or you think you'll get less.
15:27Lock it in and there it is.
15:28You can have a shot to win up to a thousand times your cash by picking as few as two players.
15:33I do this right now.
15:34We're in the doldrums of the NBA season.
15:36I watch the Celtics pull a prizepix, make my picks, have a little fun on the couch,
15:39even though it's a Tuesday in the dead of winter.
15:42You can do this too.
15:43You can do this with Venmo, by the way, new feature, one of my favorites.
15:46And this is the best part where I can't do this anymore because I've been playing prizepix
15:50for months.
15:51If you sign up today, you get $50 instantly when you play your first $5 lineup.
15:55That's right.
15:56Five zero for just five bucks.
15:57You don't even need to win to get the $50 bonus.
16:00It's guaranteed.
16:01So whether you think the Ravens are going to go far in the playoffs and Lamar Jackson
16:04might have more than 250 passing yards, or Josh Allen's going to have over two and a
16:08half passing touchdowns, you can pick more, you can pick less and you can win, but only
16:12at prizepix.
16:13So download the app today.
16:15Use code CLNS to get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup.
16:19Again, download the app today.
16:21Use code CLNS to get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup.
16:27Prizepix, run your game.
16:29So let me ask you this because I've never asked him this in person.
16:32He's got like a lacrosse background, comes in, Bill hires him, clearly a hardworking
16:36guy.
16:37But by the time he got to be your positioning coach, your fourth year veteran, you've won
16:41two Super Bowls.
16:42You play nickel, you play outside corner, you played safety in that last Super Bowl.
16:46Like what's a tangible example of how he helped you?
16:50Because on the outside, it's hard to know that understanding what your resume is and
16:53a new guy just kind of coming in like any at that time, rookie position coach.
16:57Yeah.
16:58I mean, I'll give him credit in the sense of most people weren't humble enough to say,
17:03you know, I don't know what I don't know.
17:05And so when he first started out, he was learning.
17:08He was learning from guys like Gilmore, Jason McCourty, who had just came and been there
17:12for a while.
17:13And so he got to see guys be veterans and succeed in this league at a high level.
17:17And he took a lot of those things and just watched and he watched guys and saw how they
17:23maneuvered and saw what you could do extra.
17:26And so I remember him just coming to me and saying, hey, I like how you might do this
17:31step in the slot, but what about this?
17:34And knowing that he's watched and he's learned, you hear a guy like that out, you say, OK,
17:40because he's not just, you know, throwing out his opinion, you know, based off of nothing
17:44to see.
17:45He actually is a student of the game.
17:46He watches the game, watches film, you know, I'd say probably more than anybody in the
17:50building just because he hit that.
17:53That's just how meticulous he is as a coach.
17:55Is that real?
17:56More than anybody in the building?
17:57Like, that's what all of you love to brag about inside that building.
18:00And you're saying he's at the top of the power rankings.
18:02Mike, he's man.
18:04I don't to get not even get too personal, man.
18:08I got to meet Mike's dad.
18:09You know, sometimes when you meet a guy's dad, you're like, oh, I see it in the light
18:14goes off of like, oh, I see why you are the way you are because of your dad.
18:18He comes to me, you know, a hardworking blue collar.
18:20His father is a hardworking blue collar guy.
18:22So Mike is the same way.
18:23He's the you know, wants to be in there.
18:25He'll sleep at the facility if he has to.
18:27He's that type of coach that, you know, no matter what it is, if he's running off 12
18:31coffees, he's still going to get the job done.
18:33And so just just that personality, man.
18:36All right.
18:37A tip for him, 12 coffees, we can be more efficient with that.
18:41This would be my advice.
18:42We can use Red Bulls.
18:43All right.
18:44You're just going to the bathroom too much.
18:45That's a lot of liquid.
18:46We can condense the caffeine into a single can or two and keep our man rolling with all
18:51that film room, because it sounds like there probably was just a year old at the wall.
18:54That's how much coffee was.
18:55I don't know. Right.
18:56I know he's just like a hardworking guy.
18:59And that's that's what every guy in that building will respect about Mike.
19:02Yeah.
19:03Brian, then real quick, because I, you know, I've done a story where I went down and
19:07watched him speak at a coach's clinic in this a few years ago, and it's a small
19:10snapshot, but it's not snapshot if I can speak English for a second.
19:14But, you know, I know how guys like Duggar even going back to Devin, like had a lot of
19:20respect for him when you guys years ago combined the DB's room where you guys were
19:25all getting that coaching together.
19:26What did you kind of learn about him?
19:27I suppose a little bit if you know he's back or if this is goodbye from New England to
19:31Brian Belichick.
19:33I mean, I guess I can go to the easy answer is kind of like Mike, go look at his dad.
19:40Like when he grew up around football and kind of grew up around New England football,
19:44and that's kind of that's what everybody has modeled their program after in some
19:51shape or form over the last 20 years.
19:53That's been the blueprint for a lot of guys.
19:55Like very upset. Those those banners, you know, aren't going to help you in.
19:58But those are blueprints.
19:59And so Brian had a back, you know, back office experience and seeing the blueprint of a
20:05lot of those championships being made.
20:07And so just his knowledge of the game and just how he wants to make a name for himself
20:13in this league. And you can see it again and just how hard working he is as a coach.
20:18All right, so let's say after the coaches call you about the offensive coordinator,
20:23they're like, hey, John, OK, I know you couldn't you couldn't put in the vote that
20:26smart. You gave a smart media good guy answer publicly.
20:29But we need you to make a call here.
20:31What do we need to do next?
20:33Like, you know, the roster, you know, coaching staff, you know, the way you guys want to
20:36play, the way that you guys actually have played a couple items on the to do list for
20:40this team in the offseason, aside from resign yourself.
20:43What would you tell Mike Brable on the phone?
20:45Oh, man, I mean, the simple answer is get some good players in and let's get out there
20:49and play ball and like make each other better, you know, and practice like there's
20:54nothing more important than getting out on the field.
20:57All right, John, John, John, this is a press conference answer.
20:59We're on a podcast. I need I need safe, John.
21:02Any cliche, John, I think you're right.
21:03You need good players. Can you name one or two or a position or like let's get more
21:07specific here? You know, anywhere we start up front, like you, everybody, I think at
21:12this point our answers are in the public.
21:14I mean, we were we we were what?
21:19Yeah, we were terrible last year and there's there's not there weren't a lot of
21:23bright spots. We're just being honest.
21:25So it's going to be a lot of filling in and getting good players in the building.
21:29That's that's the first thing, honestly, is getting a lot of good players in the
21:33building because, you know, they're they're just weren't, you know, at times a lot of
21:39guys out there that you just say, hey, this guy's going to dominate the guy, you
21:43know, in front of him.
21:44And so when that happens, you're you're depending on a lot of out coaching people
21:48and out scheming people.
21:50And that's his national football that you're not going to do that.
21:52At some point, you just have to go through another individual.
21:56And so we it's got to start with getting good football players up front, offensive
22:00line, defensive line.
22:01Just that's where the game's won and lost.
22:03You know, everybody obviously the media wants to hype on, you know, receivers and
22:07their skill players, which are important.
22:09Like I get it. I haven't seen a quarterback throw.
22:12I don't you can have the greatest receivers out there.
22:14The quarterback's on his back.
22:15He's never completing the pass.
22:16And so you have to protect him and vice versa as a DB.
22:20I don't care how great you are covering if the defensive line aren't getting any
22:24pass rush. Your guy's going to get open.
22:26I mean, that's that's just what football is.
22:29And, you know, we have to start there.
22:30I think that's what the program needs to be built off of.
22:34There it is. There it is.
22:35Offseason, John, it's here in season, John, you know, probably still collecting a word
22:40from from us here in the media.
22:41Yeah, I appreciate the honesty, because you know what you said, like our needs are
22:46kind of in the public, you know what we need, like it's all on the film.
22:49So I'm not trying to goad you into saying anything.
22:52I just want to be more specific from someone who has all of the specifics.
22:55You know, like, honestly, you don't have to agree with this or comment on it at all.
22:59Vince Wilfork was asked about Tom's broadcasting for Fox.
23:03And to me, it's been disappointing.
23:05Vince agreed, because my feeling was that's the guy who has proclaimed I have all the
23:10answers to the test.
23:11And he does.
23:12And it's resulted in seven Super Bowl ranks.
23:14So I want the intricacies of like this to trap coverage.
23:16And this is how we snipped it out.
23:17And that's what the play was supposed to be in this option rally.
23:19Tom, tell me.
23:20So it's tough to do that.
23:22And I think a lot of people, a lot of people get that.
23:23So like, OK, that's why I don't like listening to commentators, because I don't.
23:28And I don't care who it is, whether it's Tom or anybody, because unless you were in
23:33that meeting, that that position meeting starts in a position meeting on Wednesday,
23:37unless you were in that meeting and the coach might have said, hey, when they come
23:40up in here, you do this, I don't care what you're supposed to do.
23:42You do this and you run out there on the field on Sunday and you line up and you do
23:47exactly what your position coach told you to do.
23:50And then at the end of the play, you know, they're holding up their hands saying
23:53touchdown, nobody in the nobody, not a not a commentator, not a person in the stands.
23:58No one can tell you what your coach,
24:01what the conversation you have between you and your coaches.
24:03And that's why when people say we'll keep
24:05that internally, because at some point you're just going to go out into the media
24:07and say, well, hey, my coach told me to do this.
24:10And then he's going to say, no, I didn't tell that player to do that.
24:12And you're going to get into a back and forth.
24:13But commentating is hard to say exactly what a play is supposed to be.
24:18You can put it in a category, you know,
24:20of, hey, this is traditionally what a zone run is is like.
24:23I don't know. The coach might have said, hey,
24:25they line up their guy a little bit more shaded this week.
24:27You know, we're going to scoop him instead of there's so many different variants.
24:31And that's where the coaching comes in is like, this is what we want to do this week.
24:36This is our game plan.
24:37And then how well do you execute that game plan?
24:40And so it's hard to sit back as a commentator.
24:43And I hate it, especially as a DB.
24:45It's you can talk to any DB in the league and they're being honest with you.
24:49I hate it when it comes to, oh, this guy was supposed to be right here.
24:52And as a guy who's been in the league
24:54for nine years, I can look at the film like, I don't know, maybe it kind of we
24:57always say, well, this kind of looks like this.
24:59We don't know what they're running.
25:00It kind of looks like cover for maybe it was maybe it wasn't.
25:04You know what I mean?
25:05That's that's what you get into.
25:06So that's why it's kind of hard to commentate.
25:09Now, I wouldn't want that job because you're
25:12you're also a big fan of PFF is what I'm gathering.
25:18No, no, no, it's just OK, so I know most of you still remember.
25:23It's only been about five years.
25:24The Patriots playing playoff football, the best of the best going head to head.
25:28That's what January and February is all about.
25:30I don't know when the Patriots will be back, but I know if you want to make
25:33lifetime memories, whether it's the NFL playoffs or later on this year,
25:37the NBA playoffs, the NHL playoffs, or you want to even go to a March Madness game,
25:40there's only one place to go. It's game time.
25:43The best secondary ticket marketplace you will find for one simple reason.
25:46They have a lowest price guarantee.
25:48And I use this.
25:49Have you heard me tell you before to make
25:51lifetime memories with my wife out in London?
25:53What's the game with one of my best friends?
25:54Granted, he was a Jags fan.
25:55Nothing you can do about that.
25:57But the point is, I went to game time
25:58because they gave me that lowest price guarantee.
26:01Plus, as I was picking out tickets for them, they gave me a seat view right there.
26:05What it was like to be in Wembley Stadium,
26:07and you could do this even if you want to go to the Super Bowl, find that exact seat.
26:10What's your view compared to another one?
26:12But only at game time where you get not only the seat view and the lowest price
26:16guarantee, but game time picks where they give you all the best deals right up front,
26:21all in pricing.
26:22You don't even have to go searching for all these different deals.
26:25It's just the best of the best right there.
26:26You can find your tickets and go
26:28to the Super Bowl or any other event in less than 60 seconds.
26:31So what are you waiting for?
26:32Download the game time app today.
26:34Create an account.
26:34Use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase in these lifetime memories.
26:39Terms do apply.
26:39Again, just create an account.
26:41Use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase.
26:44Download game time today.
26:46Last minute tickets, the best tickets,
26:48the lowest price guarantee tickets to any game, concert show, playoff or regular
26:52season, guaranteed. What time is it? Game time.
26:55This is a super niche question.
26:57And Devin McCordy has been on here before and talked to him for a story.
27:01Actually, I talked to you about where before your last Super Bowl,
27:04you guys were playing that quarters coverage, yada, yada.
27:07This is just a question for me.
27:08We'll get two more and we'll get you out of here for everybody else.
27:10Why did Bill always hate playing quarters like cover for, you know,
27:13it was something that he just never did.
27:15It's not a part of your system.
27:16I know you guys would dabble if you needed to.
27:17You did it in the Super Bowl.
27:19That's love enough for that scheme.
27:20But it's just so funny to me that as a coach who is the most malleable ever,
27:25just had this one coverage.
27:28It's just like, no, no, not doing it.
27:31OK,
27:33I can't speak for Bill, but for me, I'd say I kind of have the same sentiments.
27:37It takes away nothing.
27:39You know, it you're not going when you go out there and cover for you're not
27:44saying, hey, you're not doing this, you know, we'll cover two.
27:46You're saying you're not taking deep shots.
27:48We're taking this away.
27:49We're giving you this cover for doesn't really take anything away.
27:53You're you're you're playing a half ass man coverage.
27:55So if you want to lock up and go man to man, you might as well just do that.
27:59Or if you want to discourage shots, you might as well go cover, too.
28:02And so it's just one of those coverages that I don't like to major in.
28:07If I was a defensive coordinator, I mean, you could sprinkle it in here and there.
28:10It's kind of it's kind of a good coverage to sprinkle in.
28:13But it's just not you're not doing anything, in my opinion.
28:17You're not you're not taking away a deep shot.
28:19You're not getting tight man to man coverage.
28:21So it's
28:23you know, what are we really doing cover for?
28:26Yeah, there are a lot of different variations to all say this before we get
28:28to high school coaches jumping down my throat via the YouTube comments or on
28:32Twitter, like, you know, there are a lot of different versions of quarters and you
28:34can man match, you can zone match like all those different things.
28:36But it always just struck me as like, what did cover forever due to Bill?
28:40I just I want to know what happened.
28:42But I think your answer makes sense.
28:43Like if you're playing that soft, pure
28:46spot drop, which we've lost about 100 people by now, I'm sure.
28:49Like you're saying, there's not a lot you're taking away.
28:52It's just kind of a soft sit back coverage.
28:54All right.
28:55Which is funny, by the way, because I don't know if you watch any Vikings film
28:58flow is kind of majoring in it now.
29:00In addition to these weird like six man
29:02pressures with a five man drop, have you watched any Vikings?
29:05Yeah. So a lot of the cover, too, can turn into cover for in the system.
29:08So like you might call it, call it two.
29:11And then the safeties can adjust it to turn it to four.
29:16It was there
29:18with it's it's it's a it's one of those
29:21coverages you definitely need, you know, some good safeties and very smart
29:25safeties because, you know, everything versatile, very, very versatile.
29:30And so you want some safety that can cover also and fit the run.
29:33And, you know, in my opinion, you know, I'm just not a big fan of cover for
29:39I'd rather you just tell me either we're a man, you know, or we're just in cover,
29:42too, and we're taking away the shots or just leave me a man to man coverage.
29:47That's, you know, I've
29:49never really been a big fan of coming for half ass man coverage.
29:52That's going to stay with me for a while. All right.
29:54I said we got two more here that come
29:56eight teams left as we record here Friday morning and off the top of my head.
30:00You got Texans Chiefs coming up.
30:02We've got Commanders Lions then on Sunday Rams, Eagles and of course,
30:06the big one, Bills Ravens pick a game or a team.
30:10Just your thoughts this weekend and then a Super Bowl pick three weeks from now.
30:16Yeah, oh, I mean, it's hard to not start with the Ravens.
30:20It's just they do what you need to do well at this time of the year and they run
30:26the ball, and so when a team can run the ball like that,
30:29everything else kind of falls into place.
30:31You have the, in my opinion, the MVP of the league, you know,
30:35at quarterback and they're coming together on defense.
30:38You know, that always kind of been, you know,
30:40a question mark for them or I wouldn't say a question mark.
30:42They have a lot of talent on defense.
30:44They just be hit or miss some weeks
30:46and they're coming together playing good defense right now.
30:48So they're they're, you know, the top team, in my opinion,
30:51you know, right now to go for I like, you know, Washington,
30:54they're a young team, they're fun to watch because, you know,
30:58obviously Scary Terry, you know, he's a big name guy,
31:00but they don't have a lot of, quote unquote, superstars.
31:03They just have a lot of guys who young guys who go out there, run around and make
31:06plays. And so it's exciting to see and then have some good players on defense
31:11and they find a way to win games.
31:13You know, like I said, their last few games have come down,
31:15you know, to the last possession.
31:17And so when you have a team who are comfortable, you know,
31:20playing in those type of games, knowing that that's what the playoff is
31:22and, you know, that's kind of where they've lived, you know,
31:25these last few weeks, it'll be exciting to watch.
31:28Super Bowl pick. This is one B.
31:30This is not the final question, but we got to get you down on something.
31:33Are you going to go Ravens Commanders or what do you like?
31:35Yeah, yeah. Ravens Commanders, Ravens Lions.
31:38You know, I like the Lions.
31:40You know, I like just their culture.
31:41You know, it's kind of reminds me of what Braves is going to bring to New England,
31:45just the culture they have of
31:48just being dogs.
31:50The whole team is just full of dogs and guys who, you know, you you want to bring
31:54to a fight any time you win.
31:55And that's what I kind of get from the outside looking in on their team.
31:58And so the Lions are definitely a good a good team as well.
32:01And, you know, even the Rams,
32:03you know, the Rams are playing really, really good right now.
32:06McVay is a heck of a coach.
32:08They're playing very well.
32:10Banged up, obviously, early in the year,
32:12but they're on a run right now and playing some great ball.
32:16This is the trouble when I ask you follow ups,
32:17because I just want to keep going and talk about that Rams game.
32:20You had one of these McVay good and then you're watching the Lions, etc, etc.
32:23We're going to stay on track, which I'm not famous for here on my own show.
32:27The last question for you is this, you know, is fans, media, Patriots study
32:33what's going to happen next, coaching staff, free agency, the draft.
32:36Obviously, you are going to be concerned
32:38with yourself first and foremost, as you should be.
32:40You know, you don't know where you're going to work next year,
32:43how you're going to provide for your family.
32:45But from a broader perspective about the team, how are you following the offseason?
32:49Like what are the most important things you'll be watching and how will you be
32:52following along, hoping this happens, hoping that doesn't?
32:55What does that look like for me,
32:57for you as you join us for the next few months looking at your team?
33:01Yeah, I mean, obviously just the staff, you know, as they build out the staff,
33:05coordinators, you know, position coaches and seeing, you know, what that looks like.
33:11And then like early free agency, you know,
33:13who are the guys that, you know, New England is going to target to get this thing
33:16around, because if from the looks of it, if we're looking to win now and not be
33:22patient and not and not be patient, you know, it's hard to say we'll build
33:26through the draft because that, you know, you're not going to I don't care who you
33:30draft, you're not going to draft enough guys and good enough guys to come out
33:33and say we're going to turn the whole season around next year.
33:34So free agency will be a big part of it.
33:37And then obviously the coaching staff and what they what they bring to it.
33:41So you mentioned the Ravens and I'm breaking more rules,
33:44but Ronnie Stanley is a free agent, he plays offensive line position that you named.
33:48Would you like any kind of recruiting pitch?
33:51Would you like to run away at this point?
33:52Like T Higgins is the one we all bring up.
33:55I'm I'm on the Ronnie Stanley train and I am the conductor of this train to get him
33:59to New England if I'm the Patriots trying to make that happen.
34:01Yeah, like football starts up front and, you know,
34:05I'd rather be I give this analogy, I'd rather be throwing to, I don't know,
34:10grab a guy off the street in the parking lot, a receiver with a great offensive
34:14line as opposed to having, you know, a guy off the street,
34:18an offensive line with all worldwide receiver.
34:21If I give that analogy.
34:22So, yeah, it football starts up front.
34:24So we got we got to get some guys up front.
34:26Brings me an idea for next year's media game,
34:28which we play for the first time in seven years.
34:30Maybe we get your alignment and then we'll we'll put us a corner and are us
34:35a receiver and see how long it takes me to get away from you,
34:37which will be an eternity.
34:38But it's going to put your theory to the test as opposed to media media.
34:41And they can protect you.
34:43You'll feel you'll feel better about that.
34:45I'll have something.
34:46John Jones, you're the best.
34:48Thank you for coming on, sharing your insight about what happened,
34:50what's happening now, what could happen next.
34:53Is there anything that people should watch where you got an Instagram or Twitter,
34:56anything you want to promote?
34:56We used to do this for media folks.
34:58But yeah, yeah, I mean,
34:59no, I'm not a media guy.
35:00You know that I'm the good guy, but not a media guy.
35:02But social media is out there.
35:04I think it's just Jay Jones.
35:06I need to start posting more.
35:08I think that could be a New Year's revolution resolution.
35:10It's not too late to to put in a New Year's resolution of posting more.
35:14I get caught up in doing everything else.
35:16But yeah, that's about it, man.
35:18It's it's hopefully we can get back turned around and back winning.
35:21Like I always say, football is better when the wind is good.
35:24Yeah, well, look, you're busy.
35:25You're going to gymnastics meets.
35:26You're flying planes.
35:27You're watching squid games.
35:29There's anything I can do. Always holler.
35:31Appreciate your time, man. We'll chat down the road.
35:33All right. Sounds good.
35:34For sure.