My take on Kraft’s statement at the ownership meetings.

[RIpats88]

This is rudimentary thinking, look deeper.
The draft didn’t “cause” spending money.
If they hit perfectly on every pick they would have had exactly the same cap money because they would be paying whoever else they picked exactly the same contract as the guys they did.

They had cap money because while going to 4 Sbs from 14-18 and trying to sell out to get to another, they used more of their cap for older players (retaining them longer than they would have, or signing them as free agents) and that part of the roster was gone by 2021 creating the cap space. Plus they received a cap refund for the opt outs in 2020 and didn’t have a QB contract taking up space. It had nothing to do with the drafts.

Well difference is they had to pay outside players rather than their own because their lack of talented drafts

 

[Ring 6]

Well difference is they had to pay outside players rather than their own because their lack of talented drafts

That’s not what you said, and it’s not true either.
Michel is the only #1 pick since 2015 not still on the team.
4 of 6 seconds since 2015 are still on the team.
Of the 11 3rds 6 are still here one was just traded, brisset as traded, thuney left as a free agent, so they could have kept 9 of the 11 if they chose to, and those 3 are still in the league.
That is better retention than most teams.

They also still have 11 players drafted in the 4th round or later in those 6 years, also better than average.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Kraft is calling out Bills poor drafts. That's really what got us to 2019/2020 and having to spend that money last year.

Saying we better have another good draft. No more ignoring your scouts and drafting Nkeal harry instead of AJ brown or a special teamer in the second round.

Now it does appear Bill changed his methods and took a step back last year and let the scouts do the draft. And it worked well! We got 3 great pieces. Now if we can do it again at WR, CB, LB I. Like our spot

Right. So basically Bill just can't draft, which led to not winning the SB once in 3 years. That is the sort of thing that no other team would put up with...

I haven't even read K's statements but on here it seems like it's become "okay Bill I'm fixin to fire you if I dont have another ring by this time next year."

After the most amazing run for any NFL franchise for a virtual eternity - call it 19 years - in a 32-team league (as in, yeah tell me all about that one team that beat the other 7 five years in a row...) it took BB one year (barely) out of the playoffs thus far to "come back."

Yeah he's a mess.

If K thinks like that, he's an idiot fanboy too, and it's been disguised by BB's unprecedented mastery of the game.

Well difference is they had to pay outside players rather than their own because their lack of talented drafts

"pay outside players."

Why just draw the line at the draft? Are you mad that they're not all from Boston area colleges?

You can build a winner from any combo of sources, free agency, draft, UDFA (nobody works that last pool better, by the way.) I'm going to go back & see how Krafty is putting pins in a BB voodoo doll at night, and how Tom Brady and Bill O'Brien are waiting in the wings as soon as Kraft rids himself of Belichick, and all the other offseason nonsense.

I will not be shocked to find that this is a bit of an overreach. Who knows, maybe he fresh-princeslapped him or something but I tend to think it's being overblown. (I'll be right back to say "damn!" if merited.)

Betcha there's a little offseason boredom going on here though.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

So um yeah he said Bill sucked balls at drafting for 4 years but was ok last year LOL... um, he didn't say the "F" word but this is way over the line from anything else we've heard from Mr. Handikraft in the past, and yes I'm resorting to juvenile nicknames for Bob K because it really looks like "yeah sure GOAT coach was whoever stumbled on Tom Brady." Belichick's mistake was never running into Kraft while holding a pizza and saying "I'm Bill Belichick and I'm the best decision you ever made."

 

[pats_premi]

Bob Kraft is all about his brand name and likes tell people that he is a smart business man. With his incident in Florida, he kept quiet for few years. Now, he is making up for it.

 

[Jim Beankie]

Hey RKK. I agree with you, but why don't you go ahead and do your job and fight for that lost 1st and 4th from half a decade ago. Too late for that? Oh well... I really believed all that thoughtsing and prayering was going to work, though!

"I pray and desire [in 2016 for that jackwahd to give the Pats their picks back]," Kraft said. "In this age of parity, everything is -- the scheduling, the salary cap -- it's very hard to compete without the lifeblood of the draft. And so we understand the importance, and I assure we've done everything we can do that has a chance of success."

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Hey RKK. I agree with you, but why don't you go ahead and do your job and fight for that lost 1st and 4th from half a decade ago. Too late for that? Oh well... I really believed all that thoughtsing and prayering was going to work, though!

"I pray and desire [in 2016 for that jackwahd to give the Pats their picks back]," Kraft said. "In this age of parity, everything is -- the scheduling, the salary cap -- it's very hard to compete without the lifeblood of the draft. And so we understand the importance, and I assure we've done everything we can do that has a chance of success."

Al Davis sued the league maybe more than a dozen times, with some success.

Kraft would have had great cases had he done something about FakeGates I, II & III.

Commish having full authority does not give him the legal right to screw over a particular target, repeatedly, just because he/his owners don't like them.

"I'm sorry, son, but we're a family, and if your uncles choose to spend $millions to disgrace you and put you in prison forever for made up transgressions, we just have to accept that, to keep our family together."

 

[1960Pats]

Al Davis sued the league maybe more than a dozen times, with some success.

Kraft would have had great cases had he done something about FakeGates I, II & III.

Commish having full authority does not give him the legal right to screw over a particular target, repeatedly, just because he/his owners don't like them.

"I'm sorry, son, but we're a family, and if your uncles choose to spend $millions to disgrace you and put you in prison forever for made up transgressions, we just have to accept that, to keep our family together."

As usual you have a great take on something.

One of the things I liked about Davis was his willingness to fight the NYFL. I remember him saying that it was a mistake that he didn't have more say in the merger. He thought that the AFL got a raw deal.

It was odd seeing fans here use the "Bob can't sue the league" defense while other owners were openly worried about Kroenke later. In truth it's Bob's lack of backbone that has this team wearing asterisks for no reason.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Hey RKK. I agree with you, but why don't you go ahead and do your job and fight for that lost 1st and 4th from half a decade ago. Too late for that? Oh well... I really believed all that thoughtsing and prayering was going to work, though!

"I pray and desire [in 2016 for that jackwahd to give the Pats their picks back]," Kraft said. "In this age of parity, everything is -- the scheduling, the salary cap -- it's very hard to compete without the lifeblood of the draft. And so we understand the importance, and I assure we've done everything we can do that has a chance of success."

The NEP have lost 2 1sts and a 3rd b/c Early Bird has no guts.

With the exception of a handful of years, the NEP have always picked in the bottom 4/5ths of each draft round and have won 6 Super Bowls and been in 13 AFCCGs.

Despite finding cornerstone QB, RB and DT and making the playoffs 1 year after the GOAT leaves and in full rebuild mode, he still *****es about draft picks

He sounds like people on this board. Baby.

 

[ralmat55]

Last evening Duke lost to North Carolina in the college basketball’s Final Four. The loss was the last game of Duke’s 75 year old legendary HC Mike Kyrzewski’s career.

Despite annually having the most highly touted players and NBA lottery 1st rounders, it was Duke’s only appearance in a final four since 2015 when they won their last National Championship when Coach K was 68 years old.

It will be North Carolina’s 1st finals game since 2017, when coached by their legendary coach Roy Williams, they won their last championship. Williams retired after last season at 70. The Tarheels will play for a National Championships under their first year coach 51 year old Hubert Davis.

Other than Nick Saban, who has unparalleled competitive advantages, no coach or manager in major professional or college sports over the age of 68 has ever won a championship or even approached the success of their earlier coaching careers.

Old age is a real thing. Bill Belichick being as successful a HC at 70 as he was at 50 or 60 is as unprecedented as a 44 year old QB winning a championship. Much harder actually. A 45 year is mentally in the prime of their life. A 70 year old is not.

Nick Saban as built a college football empire at Alabama. Recruiting wise. It’s like they get 15 1st round picks a year.

 

[Ring 6]

Last evening Duke lost to North Carolina in the college basketball’s Final Four. The loss was the last game of Duke’s 75 year old legendary HC Mike Kyrzewski’s career.

Despite annually having the most highly touted players and NBA lottery 1st rounders, it was Duke’s only appearance in a final four since 2015 when they won their last National Championship when Coach K was 68 years old.

It will be North Carolina’s 1st finals game since 2017, when coached by their legendary coach Roy Williams, they won their last championship. Williams retired after last season at 70. The Tarheels will play for a National Championships under their first year coach 51 year old Hubert Davis.

Other than Nick Saban, who has unparalleled competitive advantages, no coach or manager in major professional or college sports over the age of 68 has ever won a championship or even approached the success of their earlier coaching careers.

Old age is a real thing. Bill Belichick being as successful a HC at 70 as he was at 50 or 60 is as unprecedented as a 44 year old QB winning a championship. Much harder actually. A 45 year is mentally in the prime of their life. A 70 year old is not.

Nick Saban as built a college football empire at Alabama. Recruiting wise. It’s like they get 15 1st round picks a year.

Seriously, did belichick bang your wife?

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

As usual you have a great take on something.

Same for you!!!

One of the things I liked about Davis was his willingness to fight the NYFL. I remember him saying that it was a mistake that he didn't have more say in the merger. He thought that the AFL got a raw deal.

AFL–NFL merger - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Contrary to common belief, it was not the AFL, but the NFL that initiated discussions for a merger between the two leagues, as it was fearful that Al Davis' "take no prisoners" tactics would seriously diminish the older league's profitability and/or drastically reduce its talent base. Tex Schramm, the general manager of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys since 1960, secretly contacted AFL owners, led by Lamar Hunt of Kansas City, and asked if they were interested in a merger. The talks were conducted without the knowledge of Davis, the new AFL commissioner. On the evening of June 8, 1966, the collaborators announced a merger agreement in New York.

---

Davis thus despised Rozelle, and I don't blame him. The NFL owners were never held to any account whatsoever for their greedy, sick, corrupt tactics in attempting to put down the AFL.

And, of course, when the merger was consummated, the owners turned all of their sick prejudice against the little team from Boston without a stadium, and their Irish bug owner.

-Uh, of course I don't condone Davis' crybaby crusade for his Fraiders which culminated in a fake Super Bowl title in '76.

 

[sb1]

Last evening Duke lost to North Carolina in the college basketball’s Final Four. The loss was the last game of Duke’s 75 year old legendary HC Mike Kyrzewski’s career.

Despite annually having the most highly touted players and NBA lottery 1st rounders, it was Duke’s only appearance in a final four since 2015 when they won their last National Championship when Coach K was 68 years old.

It will be North Carolina’s 1st finals game since 2017, when coached by their legendary coach Roy Williams, they won their last championship. Williams retired after last season at 70. The Tarheels will play for a National Championships under their first year coach 51 year old Hubert Davis.

Other than Nick Saban, who has unparalleled competitive advantages, no coach or manager in major professional or college sports over the age of 68 has ever won a championship or even approached the success of their earlier coaching careers.

Old age is a real thing. Bill Belichick being as successful a HC at 70 as he was at 50 or 60 is as unprecedented as a 44 year old QB winning a championship. Much harder actually. A 45 year is mentally in the prime of their life. A 70 year old is not.

Nick Saban as built a college football empire at Alabama. Recruiting wise. It’s like they get 15 1st round picks a year.

I’m sure BB had a reason why he said he didn’t want to coach into his 70’s and if he said it again I still believe him. I hope he is still around by the time the team is really ready to compete again for a title. Hopefully that’s soon.

Allowing Brady to walk was a mistake. That mistake won’t get fixed by making another one with the HC. There is little upside and lots of downside to the team to make a change now.

 

[sb1]

The NEP have lost 2 1sts and a 3rd b/c Early Bird has no guts.

With the exception of a handful of years, the NEP have always picked in the bottom 4/5ths of each draft round and have won 6 Super Bowls and been in 13 AFCCGs.

Despite finding cornerstone QB, RB and DT and making the playoffs 1 year after the GOAT leaves and in full rebuild mode, he still *****es about draft picks

He sounds like people on this board. Baby.

Seriously he needs to zip it. That comment about Mac doesn’t help anyone.

 

[Ivan]

Yeah, because the owner of a professional sports franchise is going to say "Actually, it's fine if we lose some games" if that's the case.

Steve Ross wanted to pay Flores $100,000 per loss.

 

[Ivan]

I’m sure BB had a reason why he said he didn’t want to coach into his 70’s and if he said it again I still believe him. I hope he is still around by the time the team is really ready to compete again for a title. Hopefully that’s soon.

Allowing Brady to walk was a mistake. That mistake won’t get fixed by making another one with the HC. There is little upside and lots of downside to the team to make a change now.

Belichick didn’t “ let Brady walk,” Brady wanted out and they weren’t going to stop him.

 

[sb1]

Belichick didn’t “ let Brady walk,” Brady wanted out and they weren’t going to stop him.

Sure. Was only saying if Bill feels the same way and the team lets him go too that would be another mistake and won't fix the original one, that's all.

 

[Biffins]

I would love to be the world beating big bad of the NFL every year, but we're just not, and not likely to be any time soon. We're shooting for making the playoffs, eating our wheaties, and hoping we're the 07 (or 12) Giants. The truth is, we took a year off from the playoffs, we came back to the playoffs backing in, and we're basically a basketball someone bounced on the pavement, either about to come down again or not even halfway to the top of the arc. I will be psyched soon to start claiming whoever we drafted was a great choice unless it's not, and how we're now guaranteed to win unless we don't.

If we ever see the league-owning bully Pats again I'll be pleasantly surprised... "One more dynasty decade please " How many fan bases say that?

Gaw.

We’re learning what everyone already knows. Get the QB right if you want to make it. If Mac grows in stature and becomes elite, we’ll have another good run. If he doesn’t, we’ll be drafting again in 2 years to try again, which every team also keeps doing

 

[Biffins]

Belichick didn’t “ let Brady walk,” Brady wanted out and they weren’t going to stop him.

Yeah BB didn’t “let brady walk”. More like he kicked him out.

 

[Ivan]

Yeah BB didn’t “let brady walk”. More like he kicked him out.

You should go have a good cry about it, Ian even created a forum for you guys to do just that.