Battle of the Leaks: Kraft strikes back

[Betterthanmost]

I now know how pissed off team Brady were. Did not understand it at the time. I guess I may finally be a Cowboys fan. Grew up in Texas and spent time in Dallas, follow the team but was never into them as I was all things BB.
I am team BB because of the impact his dad’s time in the military have had on me personally.

 

[jdlboot14]

#1 - Curran is a self-promoting patsy, and only right once in a while (when being puppeted by Pats brass).
#2 - BB had flaws - we all knew them. And RKK did the right thing, it was time. The franchise would've lost all respect if a 4-12 team - with a 5 year run of personnel disasters - didn't make a HC/GM change.
#3 - Mayo was the quickest and best PR choice they could make. He keeps consistency while hitting on the young/minority trend in the NFL.
#4 - OC is the most important move they will make this offseason - more than GM, and more than QB (a close 2nd).

 

[The Gr8est]

The ultimate nepo- hire that doesn't seem to bother anyone is none other than Jonathan "Lord Farquhar" Kraft.
He will erode any success by his presence and sticking his metal gauntlet clad fingers into situations that just don't need him involved.

I don’t like how this whole thing has been handled and played out so far.

If the Krafts make the Pats into the “Cowboys east”, then they could become unpalatable to follow and easy to walk away from.

 

[jdlboot14]

The ultimate nepo- hire that doesn't seem to bother anyone is none other than Jonathan "Lord Farquhar" Kraft.
He will erode any success by his presence and sticking his metal gauntlet clad fingers into situations that just don't need him involved.

I don't think so. Jon has worked in Kraft corp. all his life. Almost all NFL owners have their kids take big roles in the team management. And in several cases, the kid takes over and carries on the winning, or improves it - ie: Clark Hunt in KC.

 

[TommyD4207]

I don't think so. Jon has worked in Kraft corp. all his life. Almost all NFL owners have their kids take big roles in the team management. And in several cases, the kid takes over and carries on the winning, or improves it - ie: Clark Hunt in KC.

"It's ok when Bob Kraft does it"

 

[Rob0729]

#1 - Curran is a self-promoting patsy, and only right once in a while (when being puppeted by Pats brass).
#2 - BB had flaws - we all knew them. And RKK did the right thing, it was time. The franchise would've lost all respect if a 4-12 team - with a 5 year run of personnel disasters - didn't make a HC/GM change.
#3 - Mayo was the quickest and best PR choice they could make. He keeps consistency while hitting on the young/minority trend in the NFL.
#4 - OC is the most important move they will make this offseason - more than GM, and more than QB (a close 2nd).

I don't think the Krafts selected Mayo for PR reasons. Many fans are pissed at the selection.

From what I have seen people say like Breer is that around the league people think Mayo has the potential to be a very good head coach. They may think he may need more seasoning before he take over the role, but his interviews for head coach with other teams was not just to satisfy the Rooney Rule. And if the stories are true that Belichick pretty much turned the defense over to Mayo and Steve Belichick to focus on offense, that speaks very well to Mayo because this defense did more with less in any time I can remember during the Belichick era since 2004 when they had Troy Brown and Earthwind Mooreland playing CB.

 

[Betterthanmost]

#1 - Curran is a self-promoting patsy, and only right once in a while (when being puppeted by Pats brass).
#2 - BB had flaws - we all knew them. And RKK did the right thing, it was time. The franchise would've lost all respect if a 4-12 team - with a 5 year run of personnel disasters - didn't make a HC/GM change.
#3 - Mayo was the quickest and best PR choice they could make. He keeps consistency while hitting on the young/minority trend in the NFL.
#4 - OC is the most important move they will make this offseason - more than GM, and more than QB (a close 2nd).

Curran look so powerful now. I can predict that he is going to be right much more now. Look at the confidence he has now when talking. Everything he is saying are now facts and it is obvious he is being fed. Probably for some quip pro quo.

 

[*ChungFu*]

I don't think so. Jon has worked in Kraft corp. all his life. Almost all NFL owners have their kids take big roles in the team management. And in several cases, the kid takes over and carries on the winning, or improves it - ie: Clark Hunt in KC.

I have no doubt that Jonathan is a savvy businessman. I also have no doubt that Belichick mentored a son that is a good coach. Only one seems to be acceptable to some. Envy? I don't know.

 

[Wax Frog]

I don’t like how this whole thing has been handled and played out so far.

If the Krafts make the Pats into the “Cowboys east”, then they could become unpalatable to follow and easy to walk away from.

In retrospect I'm fortunate in that my fandom came about via a sort of childhood psychological contract. The deal was closed beyond my wildest hopes so I'm free of that old narrative and can now approach my relationship to the team in a similar way; the Pats will always be on my radar to some degree, for nostalgia's sake if nothing else, but the obsession is gone, and good riddance.

 

[sportnik]

This organization is a total train wreck. Not even brining Vrabel in for an interview is unforgivable & the Krafts clearly aren’t acting in the best interests of the football team.

There is a total void as to who will be running the draft, which suggests it’s going to be Jonathan making the final calls.

Short of McDaniels coming back as OC & being given the authority to pick the next QB, i don’t see any reason to be optimistic about the future of the team. I rooted for this teat in the 80’s, during the Patrick Sullivan era & this feels exactly the same.

 

[upstater1]

There isn't a lot of differences, between Curran's and other's reportings. The overall facts of the same. The sources of the facts are not. It really is different spin on the same events. If Wickersham writes another book on the Patriots, I am sure his reporting on these events will be different. Just like it was in his last book. Because he will have more time to get more evidence to see what the real story is.

Right now it is both sides trying to tell their side of the story. You have parse through the different stories to try to find the truth. You choose to believe the stories of Kraft being a meddling owner who undermined Belichick and set him up to fail. It seems out of character to me based on the last nearly two and a half decades where he has let Belichick pretty much do what he wants.

I doubt Wickersham will ever address the Lynch revelations which contradict his story, since he's had plenty of time to do so.

I also don't think the level of revelations is ever equal since some of these people continue to rely on a money stream that comes from the money man. And that's Kraft. Evan Lazar is never going to do it, obviously; though he can opine on Belichick to his heart's content.

 

[Rob0729]

I doubt Wickersham will ever address the Lynch revelations which contradict his story, since he's had plenty of time to do so.

I also don't think the level of revelations is ever equal since some of these people continue to rely on a money stream that comes from the money man. And that's Kraft. Evan Lazar is never going to do it, obviously; though he can opine on Belichick to his heart's content.

I still don't believe the Lynch story contradicts Wickersham's story. It was two different time periods and different situations. But I am tired of arguing this point.

And I am sorry, but plenty of reporters have reported bad stories about Kraft. I don't think reporter is siding with Kraft because Kraft is the money man.

 

[Steve102]

This organization is a total train wreck. Not even brining Vrabel in for an interview is unforgivable & the Krafts clearly aren’t acting in the best interests of the football team.

There is a total void as to who will be running the draft, which suggests it’s going to be Jonathan making the final calls.

Short of McDaniels coming back as OC & being given the authority to pick the next QB, i don’t see any reason to be optimistic about the future of the team. I rooted for this teat in the 80’s, during the Patrick Sullivan era & this feels exactly the same.

This isn't that hard to figure out.

They went to the playoffs with a rookie QB.
They gave Belichick and Mayo 2 extensions, contracting Mayo to take over when Belichick was done.
JMcD leaves and the offense is handed to Fatt Matt and JJ.
The team goes into tank, no one sees it coming.
They bring in BoB to fix the mess on offense.
Mac needs a hug not a hardliner.
4-13.
Bill the GM is fired. Bill the HC and the team mutually agree to separate.
Mayo is contractually made the new coach.

Vrabel's availability doesn't change Mayo's contract.

 

[1960Pats]

I don't think most people think we will go from 4 wins to right back in the playoffs. If there's one thing this season and the last few seasons did, it definitely softened the blow of having to follow up a dynasty.

This season showed us, well, most of us, that the Pats are lacking talent, which is the one and only thing a team needs to win. If Bill is such a genius why did so many other teams lose QBs and other players to injury but still finish ahead of the Pats this year? What's his excuse?

 

[TommyD4207]

This isn't that hard to figure out.

They went to the playoffs with a rookie QB.
They gave Belichick and Mayo 2 extensions, contracting Mayo to take over when Belichick was done.
JMcD leaves and the offense is handed to Fatt Matt and JJ.
The team goes into tank, no one sees it coming.
They bring in BoB to fix the mess on offense.
Mac needs a hug not a hardliner.
4-13.
Bill the GM is fired. Bill the HC and the team mutually agree to separate.
Mayo is contractually made the new coach.

Vrabel's availability doesn't change Mayo's contract.

This. No one else was ever going to be the head coach besides Jerod Mayo.

 

[Steve102]

This. No one else was ever going to be the head coach besides Jerod Mayo.

...and they never thought that it wasn't going in the right direction when they did the extensions. Draft a rookie, go to playoffs... train keeps rolling. Bill get's an extension, breaks the record in 2024 and Mayo ascends in 2025.

 

[1960Pats]

What's the basis of your Jonathan hate?

I'm wondering if he feels the same way about Bill hiring Brian and Steve.

 

[1960Pats]

The first part of Mayos job will have to be shutting down the leaks from above. The second will be shutting down the leaks in house. The third will be learning to shut down his own leaks.

The idea that Mayo has any control over leaks to the media from above is fascinating. Maybe he should threaten Bob and Jonathan with a beating.

 

[1960Pats]

I now know how pissed off team Brady were. Did not understand it at the time. I guess I may finally be a Cowboys fan. Grew up in Texas and spent time in Dallas, follow the team but was never into them as I was all things BB.
I am team BB because of the impact his dad’s time in the military have had on me personally.

I don't know much about Bill's dad, but it seems as though he made a great impression on you. That's one of the things I like best about the military is the ability that exists to affect lives in a positive way. I'm not sure Bill has that same quality. I've heard too many complaints about him that I've never heard about his dad

I'll never forget that a HC of my team decided to get rid of the best QB in the history of the game over a few dollars with no backup plan in place. But it's still just a game.

For me there's huge difference between letting Brady go and letting Belichick go.
Brady was a player and Bill's a coach. That alone makes a big difference.
Brady was let go without any backup plan in place at all. Kraft had the HC change in place with the new guy already in line.
Brady wanted to finish his career as a Patriot. Bill cares more about Shula's win record than where he coaches.

 

[XLIX]

This organization is a total train wreck. Not even brining Vrabel in for an interview is unforgivable & the Krafts clearly aren’t acting in the best interests of the football team.

There is a total void as to who will be running the draft, which suggests it’s going to be Jonathan making the final calls.

The Patriots season ended 10 days ago. The GM/HC was fired 6 days ago. The draft is 3+ months away. It is a wee bit too soon to panic.