Kraft’s involvement fuels excitement
The Patriots are heading into a critical time.
The NFL’S Scouting Combine is on tap in Indianapolis this week, followed by free agency a few weeks later in mid-march.
Then as free agency starts to die down, everyone kicks it into gear for the NFL Draft in late April.
So if the Patriots have a plan to help get them back to contending for championships beyond what they’ve done with the coaching staff, it’s about to unfold.
More to the point: we’re going to see how much more team owner Robert Kraft factors into the team’s decision-making and what other strings he may be willing to pull.
Already, the offensive coaching staff got a bit of a face lift with Bill O’brien hired as the new coordinator. Adrian Klemm was brought in to help mend the offensive line, while Will Lawing, an offensive analyst who worked with O’brien at Alabama and with the Texans, will likely take over as tight ends coach following the departure of Nick Caley. The move away from Matt Patricia and Joe Judge – both Belichick guys – has Kraft’s fingerprints all over it.
So does keeping Jerod Mayo in New England on staff, not to mention announcing his contract negotiations. Kraft also sent out a pointed letter to season ticket holders, and even met with local reporters at the Super Bowl for an off-the-record chat ostensibly to try and re-steer the narrative. He’s been out front, trying to spin positivity on the recent moves, hinting at more to come.
Clearly, the Patriots owner wasn’t happy about the product on the field last season. And that shouldn’t come as a surprise given how an entire season was wasted in terms of Mac Jones’ development.
He also couldn’t have been pleased that the Patriots have slipped in terms of their competitive stature in the league, especially since the slippage coincides with Tom Brady’s departure.
Former Patriot Damien Woody, an ESPN analyst, understands the dynamic at work when it comes to Kraft stepping in to help right the