Jones & Keefe: MIke Onwenu joins the show

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00:00It's Jones and Keith here on WEEI. It's Patriots Friday. We're joined now by Patriots offensive lineman Mike Nwenyu.

00:06Mike, thanks for joining us here on WEEI.

00:09Hey, thanks for having me.

00:11Well, we're interested about how the offensive line is coming together.

00:14I heard Jacoby Brissette, who was announced as the starting quarterback last week,

00:19I heard him stand up for you guys. Confidence in the offensive line that it's coming together.

00:23There's some skepticism on our part in the fan base as well. How is it coming together from your perspective?

00:30It's coming along great, man. I mean, we got a lot of guys coming along.

00:34You know, all the young guys are stepping up. The guys that are in position to play or starting are

00:39obviously doing their due diligence to play well and

00:42to work for game one.

00:45What are the challenges?

00:47Playing tackle, then guard, then back to tackle for yourself individually, but then also

00:52lining up next to, you know, a different teammate whenever you do move.

00:56Yeah, individually, it's really different. Just position to position. What are you doing? You know,

01:04it would obviously be hard to go from left to right or doing that as often. But luckily, I'm just one position over.

01:10So, you know, sometimes I'm at two points, sometimes I'm in the third point.

01:15Most of the time, I've got to make sure my stance is correct or that it works for me.

01:19I can block in every direction in that. And then you said, what was the second question?

01:24Just getting used to the new teammate, right? So if you're playing guard, now you have somebody on the other side,

01:28but if you're playing tackle, now you're working maybe closer with a tight end, that kind of thing.

01:32Yeah, that stuff doesn't affect me. I mean, you know, we all practice with each other.

01:36We've played with each other. During camp, we've, you know, everyone was rotated around.

01:42So we all have different experience at different positions, which is a good thing.

01:46Where are you going to line up on Sunday?

01:50As of right now, right tackle.

01:52As of right now, right tackle.

01:53Okay, is that your preference?

01:56That is my preference. That's what my coach has asked me to play. So that is my preference.

02:00Okay, and you're certainly paid handsomely for the work you're doing there.

02:05What can we expect from the Bengals on the other side?

02:08What have you seen on film? What can we expect on Sunday?

02:12They're a good defense. You know, they play with each other for a long time.

02:16The group, you know, they have good headdressers, good interior players.

02:20So it's really going to be a good challenge for us.

02:23Especially, you know, we have different guys in the lineup now or

02:26different offensive linemen on the team.

02:28So it'll be a good, good chance and a good challenge for them to

02:31step up and have a good game.

02:33You know, we've talked to whether it be running backs, receivers,

02:36we talked to Hunter Henry every Monday, the quarterbacks,

02:39about four offensive coordinators in four years.

02:42But for you guys up front, you've also cycled through some different offensive line coaches

02:46during this time as well. What has that been like?

02:49Because you've been here, you've been on one team,

02:51you re-signed with the team that drafted you,

02:54and yet the guy that is, you know, calling the plays

02:56has changed each of the last four years.

03:00Um, I would say, you know, that's just part of football.

03:03I mean, obviously, you know, that's not what you want.

03:05You don't want new people in and out each year.

03:09But, you know, it's just a part of coaching.

03:11And I think we've come to a good point.

03:14And, you know, I trust all the coaches that we have

03:17and that they're installing everything that we're doing.

03:20So as a player, I feel really good about it.

03:23I know, obviously, you know, going through four years or whatever,

03:27it's not a good sign, but I like where we're at right now.

03:30Patriots tackle Mike Mwenu joining us here on Jones and Keefe

03:33on WEI as part of a Patriots Friday.

03:36He's brought to you by Shaw's of Star Market, perfecting the art of fresh.

03:40You spoke with reporters the other day.

03:41There've been reports out there that you came in maybe slightly overweight.

03:47I know you shot those reports down.

03:49But it did sound like, at least by some of the answers you've given that I read,

03:53maybe you felt you played your way back into playing shape.

03:56Where are you at conditioning-wise and health-wise going into week one?

04:01Yeah, I mean, first of all, you know, you don't get in football shape by

04:06not playing football.

04:06So I think, you know, that conception is, you know,

04:09you play football, you get in shape to play football.

04:11So, and then you said, what were my...

04:15Sorry, I kind of lost that.

04:17Well, no, I guess just as a follow-up, where do you think those reports came from?

04:22Yeah, I mean, I don't know.

04:24I don't know.

04:26That part isn't my job.

04:27But, you know, I come in each day and each year and, you know,

04:30I give my best foot and put my best foot forward.

04:32So regardless of what I'm at or where I'm at,

04:34I'm going to be lined up on Sundays.

04:35I'm going to be playing.

04:37Well, I mean, how do you feel about a report like that?

04:39If it's inaccurate, how do you feel about a report like that being out there?

04:43It really doesn't do nothing to me.

04:46I mean, it's kind of, you know, it's kind of been a part of my life,

04:48just being a bigger guy, bigger player.

04:50I mean, it's been like that since college.

04:52I guess people always want to talk about it, but I just like to play ball.

04:56The game tonight between the Packers and the Eagles is in Brazil.

04:59I'm curious, the league has had a ton of international games.

05:02You know, you guys have done it before.

05:04Do you like playing games outside the United States?

05:07Or is that just like an extra layer of a kind of hassle during the season?

05:13Yeah, I would say, I mean, me personally, I like it,

05:17but also it depends to where that game falls.

05:20If you have that game and then it goes Thursday night game,

05:22obviously you would be under-recovered or, you know,

05:25it's just a short turnaround.

05:26But, you know, all of that factors in.

05:28But I think all of us players, we enjoy being in a new aspect

05:32and being in a new area, especially, you know,

05:35the ones that we're going to this year or us.

05:38But, yeah, I really like it.

05:40I think I had a good time in Germany.

05:42I enjoyed that game.

05:43It was nice to see different things and get out to country.

05:46Did you get to watch the game last night?

05:48Yeah, I did peek the game.

05:50I peeked the game for almost a bit.

05:51What is with this illegal formation that we saw in a preseason game?

05:57What is this?

05:58Is this a point of emphasis from the league?

05:59Is this just a Sean Hockley thing?

06:01Like, what is this illegal formation thing that seems to be calling left and right?

06:06Yeah, you know, I'm going to say it's something from the league

06:10that they're trying to, you know, I guess, make it fair on the linemen.

06:15But, you know, I'm really indifferent about it.

06:19But, you know, it's just another challenge that I can push past.

06:22And, you know, I can get better at that from the last preseason game.

06:26Me and Troops had our fair share.

06:28So we've just been working hard to make that not happen again.

06:32Has the league made that clear that that's not something

06:34you're going to be able to, you know, for lack of a better word,

06:37get away with this year compared to years past?

06:39Because that's really how it looked last night.

06:42Yeah, you know, it's kind of hard to say.

06:44That was the first game of the season.

06:46So, you know, you really just don't know how it's going to be called

06:49or how it's going to be looked at.

06:51But, you know, obviously, we're getting in front of it.

06:53And we don't want to put ourselves in that position to even,

06:57you know, be thinking about that or even give them an idea to call a flag.

07:01And I know you won't be lined up against these guys,

07:04but Trent Brown and Ted Karras on the line for Cincinnati.

07:07You keep in touch with either one of those guys?

07:10Yes, I keep in touch with them.

07:12I know they're going to play good and play well.

07:14You know, it's going to be good seeing them again.

07:16And, you know, hey, that's about it.

07:20All right.

07:20That's about it.

07:21Once the game starts, that's it.

07:23Mike Mwenu, we appreciate the time here on a Patriots Friday.

07:26Best of luck on Sunday.

07:27And we'll talk to you down the road.

07:29Thank you. Appreciate y'all.

07:30All right. Thank you.

07:31Mike Mwenu, as all of our Patriots guests joining us here on WEI,

07:35presented by Shaw's and Star Market, perfecting the art of fresh.

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