Kraft comments on Brady extension and attendance - Page 4 - New England Patriots Forums

***MoLewisrocks*** · 03-22-2010, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crowell33

"Would we be better as a team if he was in Foxborough every day between now and the start of training camp? Absolutely."..........Kraft

I think the above quote is what bothers some Patriots fans. They agree with the Patriots owner that the Patrtiots would be a better team if Brady showed up every day for offseason workouts.

Quotes are best taken in context of their entirety...

Quote:

“If you’re asking me if I’d prefer he be here the whole offseason, yes. It represents … to me, he’s the most unique, special leader and player in the NFL,” Kraft said.

“But I wouldn’t be surprised if before these meetings are over [Wednesday], he wasn’t at the offseason workouts. They are voluntary. He has a family. Everything – look at your lives. You’ve all changed. So it’s priorities.

“There is no doubt in my mind, he’s working out hard. Would we be better as a team if he was in Foxboro every day between now and the start of training camp? Absolutely. Does it work for him? I don’t know. I think he’s balancing a lot of things. I hope he spends as much time as he can in Foxboro and I believe he will.”

***MoLewisrocks*** · 03-22-2010, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crowell33

We used a sixth rounder (Brady) on a project QB and a seventh rounder (Cassel) on a project QB. If BB wants to use one of our (3) second rounders on another "project QB", he has my full support.

And if he doesn't he has mine...

***MoLewisrocks*** · 03-22-2010, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bostonian1962

I actually thought it was very telling hearing these two quotes from Kraft:

"There was a hoo-ha last week when voluntary offseason workouts started and Brady was in Los Angeles working out away from the team while spending time with his family. Asked about Brady's absence, Kraft was candid saying, "If you’re asking me if I’d prefer he be here the whole offseason, yes. to me, he’s the most unique, special leader and player in the NFL."

""He has a family," Kraft pointed out. "There is no doubt in my mind, he’s working out hard. Would we be better as a team if he was in Foxboro every day between now and the start of training camp? Absolutely. Does it work for him? I don’t know. I think he’s balancing a lot of things. I hope he spends as much time as he can in Foxboro and I believe he will."

Bottom line is the owner of the team thinks the New England Patriots would be a better team if Tom Brady was in Foxboro EVERY day, vice being somewhere else. I know alot of posters here have felt the same way. Kraft agrees with those posters.

Actually he agrees with those who feel it is preferable he be here yet understandable if he cannot be. And he apparently agrees with those who opined he will be here sooner than later. He's not blowing off the off season program, he just had committments that required him to be somewhere else this season at it's outset.

BTW one of his training partners in LA is Wes Welker. Another is Matt Cassel.

crowell33 · 03-22-2010, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoLewisrocks

And if he doesn't he has mine...

And if he doesn't he has mine too.

***MoLewisrocks*** · 03-22-2010, 10:36 AM

Some more interesting insight from the meeting with Kraft per Reiss:

Quote:

Understanding the present market conditions and why he feels patience is important in building the team. Kraft pointed out that because this is a year without a salary cap, teams can carry players on their roster that they don’t intend to keep when the season begins (Adalius Thomas, perhaps?). He then cited the example of when the Patriots acquired nose tackle Ted Washington in a trade in 2003, and how it happened in training camp. With those two factors in mind, Kraft said that he expects more opportunities in the coming weeks and months to continue improving the team, specifically at receiver. He said the start of training camp and right before the season starts figure to be times where there is meaningful player movement. He also mentioned 2009 third-round draft choice Brandon Tate as a player who could surprise.

And reading the above I wouldn't be surprised to see Branch back...

And as for Brady's deal, Jason LaCanfora just tweeted that Irsay says he plans to have face to face meetings with Manning's agent "in May or June"...so it's not like the Pats are lagging behind in working on a deal for TFB... In the present atmosphere all deals are complicated. Mega deals even moreso. The only thing that should matter to fans is Kraft has made it clear that both sides are committed to Brady remaining, as is the case in Indy. The deals will get done when they need to get done.

***Deus Irae*** · 03-22-2010, 11:00 AM

People are missing the real story here. If Brady is out west working out with Welker and Cassel, that means that Welker isn't in Massachusetts attending the glorified weight lifting sessions either! This is an epic disaster, for both New England and Kansas City....

***PatsWickedPissah*** · 03-22-2010, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoLewisrocks

Another little snippet from a real estate blog that kinda ties in... They are said to be due to close on a lovely, kid and privacy friendly estate in Brookline this month...can't get much closer to the Krafts than by being neighbors in their exclusive double digit neighborhood...

Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen Find Their Suburban Dream Home - Shelterpop

And FWIW Kraft also commented on his arrangement/agreement with BB, said there is no other HC he would want running this team.

Really, most fanbases can only dream of this kind of stability and continuity where it counts most. All we ever need to do is tweek the pieces of the roster puzzle...

Great news...
the sprawling mansion sits on almost three gated acres (2.76), and measures just under 10,000 square feet with 4 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms

I just hope this does not indicate Tom has a serious prostate disorder

PatsChamp88 · 03-22-2010, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deus Irae

People are missing the real story here. If Brady is out west working out with Welker and Cassel, that means that Welker isn't in Massachusetts attending the glorified weight lifting sessions either! This is an epic disaster, for both New England and Kansas City....

Oh my god what will we do