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Bob Kraft hosted 800 loyal season ticket holders for a pre-draft event last night in the Fidelity clubhouse. The event was very well orchestrated and started with some food as we waited for everyone to show up (Dogs and Wings). Than at 6 we got started with a speech from Robert and Jonathon Kraft. Followed by a speech by Floyd Reese.
Then they brought out their "draft experts" they had a panel that included Michael Smith, Todd McShay, Michael Reiss, Andy Hart, and the great Teddy Bruschi (who was the only one including the Krafts to receive a standing O upon introduction). While I don't think there was any amazing draft insight it was really cool to basically see a live draft show.
Highlights:
Krafts:
They thanked us for being here and for being fans. Spoke of their time in the stands in 210 with their fam and talked about owning the team for a successful 17 years. Bob talked about how prior to his owning they had one home playoff game and that after buying it they have hosted a bunch and lost one this past season and was real boastful of the home playoff winning streak and insisted on starting over again on the streak.
He told a story about one of his first drafts and how Parcells had invited him in to his office to meet a player they were considering with their first pick number 4 overall. Parcells introduced this huge mountain of a man and had said they were interested in this type of player and Kraft went on to ask him how important academics was to his life and the guy responded that "he was going to graduate on time no matter how long it took":ugh: Kraft said they wound up drafting Willie instead that season (thank god).
Kraft also told a quick story about a young pup covering the NFL for the first time down in Bryant back in the late 90s and he was referring to Michael Smith.
Floyd Reese:
Spoke in detail about the whole scouting process which starts just after the draft by beginning to scout the upcoming seniors and how it moves thru to the season and to the bowls, and senior bowls, then onto the combine and then visits, followed by in house meetings, with pro days sprinkled in their which are starting to wind down now.
Talked about how their board is pretty much set by now and that they only have minor tweaks to make based on any info that may still come out. He went onto to say that if it wasn’t for trades that anybody in the room could make just about any pick as it would be based on the board and all the work already done.
And he also confirmed something that we have heard pundits say about the combine. Which is that while there is some room for opening eyes with good times that it is really more about not screwing it up. That as a player this being such an important moment for them that screwing it up looks really bad on you and went onto say that forgetting your cleats for the biggest physical of your life is just inexcusable and says much more about the player than running a fast time. Basically he said that these guys should run their fastest times as it is pretty much the only time in their lives that they are training specifically for these drills so they should put up their best time.
And the last thing from Floyd that was interesting was that he was there for that event and had to leave directly following the event to get home to take his wife out for their 39th wedding anniversary. Talk about love for the game the man gave up an hour plus of his wedding anniversary to come talk football with 800 fans.
Thanks Floyd.
The Draft Round Table Discussion:
This started with Teddy telling us how his draft day went. He knew he wasn't a first rounder but had hopes of going pretty high and that the day was slowly going by as they were sitting around waiting for the call and then he was walking by the TV and happened to see his name on the ticker and yelled out to everyone that he thought he just got picked and people asked him why he thought that and he said I just saw my name next to the patriots and I think they drafted me. Then the phone rang and it was Parcells. Teddy said he was real excited to talk to Parcells and that he wanted to thank him and tell him how much it meant to him but that he never got the chance. He picked up the phone it was Parcells on the other side and Bill said Teddy we are glad to have you and we plan on playing you at LB and STs and here is your position coach AL Groh and Teddy Joked that before he could even say anything to BP he was on the line with Groh wondering who Groh was.
They then spent a couple of hours talking about the draft. How the deep it is and how the patriots have 4 of the top 53 and that they are really set up to have one of their best drafts ever. McShay explained that an average draft will give you 2 or 3 contributing players and that the Patriots could hit that number before the 2nd rd is over and still have 8 more picks.
They spent some time talking about how good the Patriots have been at finding sleepers noting we have the best one ever in Brady but that it doesn't stop there as we also found Tully, Guyton, Gay, Edelman, Wright, and others very late if not undrafted. Also noting that with a bunch of 7s this year they have chance to grab the guys they think might be next in line and won’t have to compete for them as UDFAs.
One of the best moments of the Draft discussion came as they were discussing Kindle. They had some highlights on a big screen and While Reiss was talking about Sergio they showed a vicious sack that he had made and Teddy went nuts and got the crowd going too. Really left you wanting Kindle. (he may have leaped to the top of my wish list though he was pretty much there already).
I am sure I left a few things out but I will end it with the last question of the night (they had some audience members asking questions). Upon the last one Teddy joked your last so you better make it good. The guy went on to ask about Thomas and what the panel thought he might bring via a trade and Teddy just blurted out you did save a good one for last and was laughing devilishly and got a rise out of the crowd. He then Directed the question to Reiss (Michael Smith was MCing the night and had directed the questions all night so Teddy doing it was funny as he did it because of his opinion on Thomas) Reiss stated that Thomas likely had no value in a trade as if there was any it likely would have been done by then and said that his salary was likely the reason and that the only trade he could see making sense was Branch for Thomas but that he didn't think Carroll had any interest in Thomas. Then Bruschi chimed in with his opinion which was pretty simple he asked "why is he still on the team."
All in all it was a very fun event and Thank You to Mr. Kraft for hosting it.
Then they brought out their "draft experts" they had a panel that included Michael Smith, Todd McShay, Michael Reiss, Andy Hart, and the great Teddy Bruschi (who was the only one including the Krafts to receive a standing O upon introduction). While I don't think there was any amazing draft insight it was really cool to basically see a live draft show.
Highlights:
Krafts:
They thanked us for being here and for being fans. Spoke of their time in the stands in 210 with their fam and talked about owning the team for a successful 17 years. Bob talked about how prior to his owning they had one home playoff game and that after buying it they have hosted a bunch and lost one this past season and was real boastful of the home playoff winning streak and insisted on starting over again on the streak.
He told a story about one of his first drafts and how Parcells had invited him in to his office to meet a player they were considering with their first pick number 4 overall. Parcells introduced this huge mountain of a man and had said they were interested in this type of player and Kraft went on to ask him how important academics was to his life and the guy responded that "he was going to graduate on time no matter how long it took":ugh: Kraft said they wound up drafting Willie instead that season (thank god).
Kraft also told a quick story about a young pup covering the NFL for the first time down in Bryant back in the late 90s and he was referring to Michael Smith.
Floyd Reese:
Spoke in detail about the whole scouting process which starts just after the draft by beginning to scout the upcoming seniors and how it moves thru to the season and to the bowls, and senior bowls, then onto the combine and then visits, followed by in house meetings, with pro days sprinkled in their which are starting to wind down now.
Talked about how their board is pretty much set by now and that they only have minor tweaks to make based on any info that may still come out. He went onto to say that if it wasn’t for trades that anybody in the room could make just about any pick as it would be based on the board and all the work already done.
And he also confirmed something that we have heard pundits say about the combine. Which is that while there is some room for opening eyes with good times that it is really more about not screwing it up. That as a player this being such an important moment for them that screwing it up looks really bad on you and went onto say that forgetting your cleats for the biggest physical of your life is just inexcusable and says much more about the player than running a fast time. Basically he said that these guys should run their fastest times as it is pretty much the only time in their lives that they are training specifically for these drills so they should put up their best time.
And the last thing from Floyd that was interesting was that he was there for that event and had to leave directly following the event to get home to take his wife out for their 39th wedding anniversary. Talk about love for the game the man gave up an hour plus of his wedding anniversary to come talk football with 800 fans.
Thanks Floyd.
The Draft Round Table Discussion:
This started with Teddy telling us how his draft day went. He knew he wasn't a first rounder but had hopes of going pretty high and that the day was slowly going by as they were sitting around waiting for the call and then he was walking by the TV and happened to see his name on the ticker and yelled out to everyone that he thought he just got picked and people asked him why he thought that and he said I just saw my name next to the patriots and I think they drafted me. Then the phone rang and it was Parcells. Teddy said he was real excited to talk to Parcells and that he wanted to thank him and tell him how much it meant to him but that he never got the chance. He picked up the phone it was Parcells on the other side and Bill said Teddy we are glad to have you and we plan on playing you at LB and STs and here is your position coach AL Groh and Teddy Joked that before he could even say anything to BP he was on the line with Groh wondering who Groh was.
They then spent a couple of hours talking about the draft. How the deep it is and how the patriots have 4 of the top 53 and that they are really set up to have one of their best drafts ever. McShay explained that an average draft will give you 2 or 3 contributing players and that the Patriots could hit that number before the 2nd rd is over and still have 8 more picks.
They spent some time talking about how good the Patriots have been at finding sleepers noting we have the best one ever in Brady but that it doesn't stop there as we also found Tully, Guyton, Gay, Edelman, Wright, and others very late if not undrafted. Also noting that with a bunch of 7s this year they have chance to grab the guys they think might be next in line and won’t have to compete for them as UDFAs.
One of the best moments of the Draft discussion came as they were discussing Kindle. They had some highlights on a big screen and While Reiss was talking about Sergio they showed a vicious sack that he had made and Teddy went nuts and got the crowd going too. Really left you wanting Kindle. (he may have leaped to the top of my wish list though he was pretty much there already).
I am sure I left a few things out but I will end it with the last question of the night (they had some audience members asking questions). Upon the last one Teddy joked your last so you better make it good. The guy went on to ask about Thomas and what the panel thought he might bring via a trade and Teddy just blurted out you did save a good one for last and was laughing devilishly and got a rise out of the crowd. He then Directed the question to Reiss (Michael Smith was MCing the night and had directed the questions all night so Teddy doing it was funny as he did it because of his opinion on Thomas) Reiss stated that Thomas likely had no value in a trade as if there was any it likely would have been done by then and said that his salary was likely the reason and that the only trade he could see making sense was Branch for Thomas but that he didn't think Carroll had any interest in Thomas. Then Bruschi chimed in with his opinion which was pretty simple he asked "why is he still on the team."
All in all it was a very fun event and Thank You to Mr. Kraft for hosting it.
